William Wang Jinling and the Skyvault Palace Master could no longer negotiate. The Palace Master was convinced they’d come here to die—there was no room for talk, only for humiliation.
William had no patience for fools. He shot Prince Nolan a look, wordlessly telling him to take the lead—let the coldest man handle the chaos.
Prince Nolan didn’t budge. The chill around him was getting sharper by the day—maybe because Serena would talk to William, but not to him. Whatever the reason, Prince Nolan had turned silent and ruthless, driving his followers harder than ever.
Felix Fuller quietly stepped to Serena’s side, splitting the six of them into two armies locked in a silent standoff. The tension in the empty space between them was almost suffocating.
Both sides locked eyes, the air so thick with hostility it could ignite at any second. The Skyvault Palace Master looked at William and Prince Nolan with open admiration—they were the brightest of their generation. Too bad...
Skyvault Palace would be their grave. He’d see to that himself.
Murder gleamed in the Palace Master’s eyes as he moved to summon his hidden killers—until Madame Skyvault caught his sleeve. "Husband, Sienna likes the eldest young master," she said sweetly, her words a subtle plea and threat.
The Palace Master frowned, freezing mid-motion. He didn’t call for backup. Serena felt a flash of disappointment—she wanted a crowd for the show.
She was waiting for the crowd—the more people, the better the spectacle. If the Palace Master and Madame Skyvault were about to lose face, what was the point without an audience? Serena shot William a sharp, accusing glare.
This is all your fault—your damn face stirs up nothing but trouble.
William touched his own face, looking helpless. He was about to explain when the Palace Master cut him off, speaking as if bestowing a favor: "Young Master Wang, you heard my wife. Sienna likes you. That’s your good fortune. As long as you agree to marry Sienna and treat her well, I’ll pretend none of the past ever happened. You’ll still be the ideal son-in-law of Skyvault Palace."
Given the current situation, killing Prince Nolan and William would be as easy as flipping his hand. The Palace Master was sure William was smart enough to see this—he was waiting for William to agree, but William refused to play along.
"Marry your daughter? And end up like you, led around by the nose by a woman? Palace Master, if you want to play the fool, go ahead—but I, William Wang Jinling, won’t." William hated saying something so undignified, but these two were just too full of themselves.
The Skyvault generation really was formidable—but only in the jianghu. The emperors of the Four Kingdoms treated them with respect, but only because they didn’t want to waste resources on people who kept out of power struggles. Unless all four emperors agreed, none would move against a sect for fear of letting someone else swoop in and profit.
But this polite treatment just made the Skyvault sect even more arrogant—they really didn’t know their place. A cold glint flashed in Prince Nolan’s eyes.
He silently waited for the Palace Master to make his move.
But right now, the Palace Master’s attention was locked on William: "You refuse to marry my daughter? What’s wrong with her? Is she not good enough for you? All that fame as the celebrated young master—it’s just a bunch of scholars hyping you up. Marry Sienna and you’ll get half of Skyvault Palace’s fortune."
The Palace Master was so angry his veins bulged, and his glare looked ready to devour William alive.
Talk about favoritism—Felix Fuller meant nothing to him, but Sienna was another story. Marry Sienna and you get half the Palace’s wealth; what about the other half? Would Felix get any share at all?
This level of bias was downright bizarre, Serena thought to herself.
"Even if you offered me all of Skyvault Palace, I still wouldn't marry her. If I marry, I'll never marry a counterfeit." William put extra emphasis on the last word, leaving the Palace Master confused: "What do you mean? How could my daughter be a counterfeit?"
"If you don't understand, ask your wife—Irene Lu. She knows exactly what 'counterfeit' means." William’s tone was sincere, but in the Palace Master’s ears, it only deepened his suspicions.
Irene Lu? No one had called her that in years. Madame Skyvault’s face went white in an instant, her mouth falling open in shock as she stared at the four people before her.
How did they know?
No, no, she had to stay calm. Madame Skyvault told herself she couldn’t lose control—no matter what, even if Serena showed up, she wouldn’t be afraid.
She was Emma Lu. She was Emma Lu, and no one else.
Serena caught every nuance of Irene’s shifting expression. She had to admit, she admired this woman—her mental fortitude was something else. Maybe after lying for so long, even she couldn’t tell who she really was. Just like Serena herself.
A flicker of sympathy flashed through Serena’s eyes.
Irene Lu—just another woman driven mad by love.
"Emma? What does he mean by that? Who is Irene Lu?" The Palace Master’s face grew darker and darker. At last, he couldn’t resist the urge—he turned to the woman who had been by his side for twenty years and asked the question burning in his heart.
"Irene Lu? Husband, how would I know who that is?" Madame Skyvault felt icy cold inside, but her smile didn’t crack for a second.
"Husband, don’t forget—William and Prince Nolan are our enemies. Can you really trust anything they say? For all we know, he’s just making up nonsense to throw us off."
The four people standing before her already knew her secret. They couldn’t be allowed to leave.
Madame Skyvault’s tone sharpened, her smile vanished, and her gaze grew fierce: "Husband, have them taken down—once they’re gone, Skyvault Palace’s crisis will be over. After the way William insulted Sienna, I wouldn’t let her marry him anyway. Husband, do it now!"
"Emma, I trust you." The Palace Master’s eyes darkened, but he nodded to his wife. Madame Skyvault smiled sweetly: "We’ve been together twenty years, husband."
"Yes, twenty years together." That was enough to erase the last of the Palace Master’s doubts. He turned, murderous intent radiating: "Men—!"
With a sharp clap, countless shadows surged in from outside, sealing off every exit.
"Palace Master."
"The Eighteen Gentlemen of Skyvault—Palace Master, you really think highly of us." Prince Nolan glanced at the formation and instantly recognized it as Skyvault’s most formidable sword array.
Storm Cloud Bu hadn’t wasted his time here.
"Scared yet? Too late! You clueless brats actually dared to provoke Skyvault Palace, barging in alone—do you have any idea what you’re in for?" The Palace Master said arrogantly, then ordered the Eighteen Gentlemen: "These three broke into Skyvault Palace and tried to steal our secret treasures. Kill them on sight. If the Young Palace Lord disobeys, treat him as an accomplice."
"Yes, sir." The men surged forward, swords raised—just as Serena and Sean Xuan stepped out.
"Wait!" Sean’s status spoke for itself; at his shout, the Eighteen Gentlemen halted immediately. "Young Palace Lord?"
"Uncles, please wait. I only ask my father to meet one person—if, after that, he still wants to kill me, I won’t complain." Sean stood tall, exuding the aura of a true general, instantly commanding the room.
Far stronger than his father ever was. Prince Nolan nodded, knowing Skyvault Palace’s fate was now set.