If Ninth Royal Uncle Cannot Have Me, No One Can

Telling only half the truth can be just as deadly. Prince Nolan holds the Nine Provinces Treasure Map and has found the location of the Former Dynasty’s treasure, but it’s just like when the Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities held the sea chart and found the Lowe Clan’s hoard—don’t even think about getting the treasure; you might not even make it out alive.

“Whether the Heaven-Son Sword is actually useful or not, we need to get it first. It’s not the slim chance you should worry about, but the one-in-ten-thousand disaster.” Serena had seen Jason Lan’s cunning firsthand. It’s best to be cautious about everything—Jason Lan is nothing but a rotten stone, and risking your life against him isn’t worth it.

Prince Nolan pondered for a moment, then nodded. “When the army arrives tomorrow, we set out.” They must get the Heaven-Son Sword before Liancastle catches wind of it—ideally...

Liancastle can’t even find out that they’ve already located the Heaven-Son Sword.

“The fewer people who know about this, the better. There’s no real danger in going to the Myriad Blades Grove—we’ll just take the Snow Wolf. If we leave the Eighteen Riders behind, outsiders will assume Prince Nolan and I are still here, and no one will be able to track us down.”

Dorian Owen thought he’d finally have a chance to impress Serena, but just as he arrived, Serena and Prince Nolan were already preparing to leave.

Dorian protested, grabbing Serena on the spot. “Why do you both have to go? Just let Prince Nolan go alone. Serena, you should stay—you don’t know martial arts, and if you follow Prince Nolan, you’ll just be a burden. You’d be much safer here with the army to protect you.”

Dorian really had a talent for turning a perfectly good sentence into something that could make you furious.

“How am I a burden? Want to put it to the test?” Before she finished speaking, Serena reached for her pistol. Dorian realized what was happening and dodged immediately, but he was still a step too slow...

Serena’s gun was already pressed to his chest.

“Hey, let’s talk this out, okay? Zuo An says hidden weapons are dangerous—could you keep that thing away from me?” Dorian raised both hands in surrender.

Fine—even after being trained by General Warren Yu and Colin Si, Dorian’s nature hadn’t changed. In front of Serena and Prince Nolan, he was still just a kid who never grew up.

“If I stand further away, it’s harder to talk. This distance is perfect.” Serena spun her pistol in her hand, and Dorian immediately drooped his head, looking at her with a face full of grievance.

Seizing a moment when Serena was distracted, Dorian’s big eyes darted around, spotted a chance, and kicked at Serena’s gun hand. Serena caught on and kicked straight at Dorian’s left leg just as, at the same time, a golden pellet shot toward Dorian’s right leg.

“Serena’s injured,” Prince Nolan said blandly, as if he hadn’t just joined in the sneak attack.

Serena’s wound had long since healed; there was only a faint pink mark left, and with a few days of medicine, even that would fade. Prince Nolan was just using it as an excuse to hit Dorian.

With a loud smack, Dorian took the hit square on and cried out, “Ow!” dropping to one knee.

“I was just horsing around with Serena—did you have to hit so hard?” Dorian shot Prince Nolan a wounded look.

Dorian knew he was no match for Prince Nolan, so he wisely didn’t complain about the sneak attack. Rubbing his sore leg, he got up as if nothing had happened, grabbed Serena’s hand, and said, “Serena, you’re injured—why are you still running around with Prince Nolan? Don’t go anywhere, just stay here. You’re the one who came up with the plan to attack Chu City; you can help me fix or adjust the battle plan right here.”

Clinging to Serena, Dorian pleaded and wheedled, “Serena, just stay, okay? Oh—and Simon Sun will be here in a couple days! You haven’t seen him in ages, you must miss him. Even if you don’t, he misses you. Stay, okay? Stay, please...”

Dorian wanted Serena to stay—not just to impress her and win her approval, but even more to annoy Prince Nolan and get under his skin.

There was no real benefit—he just liked beating Prince Nolan and seeing him at a loss. That made Dorian happier than bedding every courtesan in the Nine Provinces Realm...

Dorian’s persistence and thick skin were unmatched. Serena knew arguing with him was pointless, and Prince Nolan couldn’t be bothered to stoop to Dorian’s level, so Serena decided to let the Snow Wolf handle it.

When the Snow Wolf took the field, it was as good as three men.

The Snow Wolf charged forward, and without any fuss, kicked Dorian flying.

“Aaaah—” Dorian screamed, landing hard. Just as he was about to get up and fight back, the Snow Wolf pounced and sat squarely on Dorian’s face.

“Help!” Dorian cried, muffled. The Snow Wolf ignored his desperate screams, wiggling its rear and rubbing all over Dorian’s face, as if dissatisfied with its new human chair.

“See? Every scoundrel meets his wolf.” Prince Nolan’s comment insulted both Dorian and the Snow Wolf. The wolf, displeased, farted right in Dorian’s face, nearly knocking him out.

For days, Eastlyn’s soldiers didn’t see their general at all—and when they finally did, he was fully armored, wrapped up so tight that only his eyes showed.

As war broke out between Eastlyn and Chu City, and as the new emperor and Charlotte Chu sent agents daily to track Prince Nolan and Serena, the two of them, with the Snow Wolf, quietly slipped away from the Chu border, heading for the place that Xiao Yi said might be the Myriad Blades Grove.