Amidst the chaos, Minister Magnus Shangguan tried to escape but was intercepted. Naturally, a fight ensued, and since Damien Gray had given no special orders, Minister Magnus Shangguan ultimately met his end at the hands of the assassins!
Morgan Shangguan looked at Adrian Yarrow, whose face was twisted with rage. Unfazed, she deftly crippled his other hand, her movements swift and decisive. A faint smile played at her lips as she said, "Your Majesty, marriage alliances are useful, but if used too often, they’ll bring trouble!" As she spoke, she kicked out with her foot, and Adrian Yarrow groaned, falling to his knees, unable to rise again.
Damien Gray stood to the side, grinning like a cat that had stolen cream. Morgan Shangguan shot him a glance and rolled her eyes.
Damien Gray reached out and pulled her into his arms, his face full of laughter. "Mo’er, you’re jealous!" he teased.
Morgan Shangguan snorted coldly and retorted, "I’d better not see that Princess Jade Yarrow again!"
Damien Gray pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth, his tone still light with laughter. "I thought you didn’t care!" He had always seen her treat Princess Jade Yarrow politely, which had left him feeling somewhat stifled.
With his arm around Morgan Shangguan, Damien Gray walked out of the Imperial Study, ordering, "Take Adrian Yarrow back to the Ghost Gate and serve him well!" Crippling his limbs was too lenient. With old and new grievances combined, only proper treatment could ease his hatred!
Turning back, he said to Morgan Shangguan, "Do whatever you want with her." He was, of course, referring to Princess Jade Yarrow.
Just as he finished speaking, Princess Jade Yarrow hurried over from the distance. Seeing the scene inside the Imperial Study, her face turned pale. With a thud, she knelt down, pleading, "Your Highness Ghost King, please spare my royal brother!"
Damien Gray remained unmoved. Morgan Shangguan glanced at her and spoke coldly, "He deserves to die!"
Qian Luo led Adrian Yarrow and the black-clad men back to the Ghost Gate. Jing Moke and Gu Yihan naturally stayed behind. As soon as they stepped out, they witnessed the confrontation between the four.
The surrounding trees were already bare, leaves carpeting the ground. Jing Moke, face grim, tried to approach but was repelled. Gu Yihan quickly reached out to steady him, neutralizing the force.
Unable to get close, the two could only watch helplessly. It was clear Jin Locke was no match for Damien Gray, and Princess Jade Yarrow and the Consort were in a different league entirely!
Morgan Shangguan tightened her grip—"crack!"—and Princess Jade Yarrow died, a tear slipping from her wide eyes. She couldn’t let go of her royal identity; with a new dynasty, her fate was uncertain. Her brother couldn’t fall, and she truly was moved by Damien Gray, so when Jin Locke approached, she agreed to help. Some things, though, can’t be forced.
Throwing aside Princess Jade Yarrow’s corpse, Morgan Shangguan looked at Jin Locke, face cold. "You’ve learned a lot from the Blood Wraith!"
Jin Locke gave a bitter smile. She knew she meant the formation; failing to detect it proved its exceptional nature. But he was only following the Blood Wraith’s instructions.
What he hadn’t expected was that Damien Gray also possessed spiritual power. But his power seemed to combine inner strength and spiritual force, greatly increasing its potency. Jin Locke had thought he’d succeed, but now he wasn’t so sure.
Morgan Shangguan glanced at Damien Gray, then at Jin Locke, assessing their strengths. Clearly, Damien Gray far outmatched Jin Locke, so she no longer worried about him and instead studied the formation carefully.
Jin Locke deserved credit; he’d spent so long in the Shangguan family, gaining insight into Morgan and her clan. Unlike the Blood Wraith, he didn’t underestimate her, so he insisted on creating such an unprecedented formation—otherwise, how could he deal with Morgan Shangguan?
Still, Jin Locke hadn’t revealed Morgan Shangguan’s identity as the Cloud Sect leader to the Blood Wraith, fearing the Blood Wraith would become wary and kill her.
Suddenly, with a thunderous crash, everything changed. Amidst the flying dust, Jin Locke was thrown back, landing hard. He tried to endure, but finally spat out blood, eyes dark with gloom. He had underestimated Damien Gray!
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"Ghost King Consort..." Princess Jade Yarrow looked up at her, stunned, as if she hadn't expected such calm words. Biting her lip, she pleaded, "Ghost King Consort, may I speak with you alone?" Tears glimmered in her eyes.
Damien Gray impatiently held Morgan Shangguan, ready to leave, but Princess Jade Yarrow shifted to block their way, kowtowing repeatedly. "Please, Ghost King Consort, just a few words!" Then she pleaded with Damien Gray, "We won't go far, I only wish to speak privately with the Consort for a moment!"
Morgan Shangguan frowned slightly, unable to imagine what Princess Jade Yarrow could want from her. She patted Damien Gray's arm at her waist, and he reluctantly let go.
Princess Jade Yarrow broke into a smile through her tears, stood up, and walked toward the nearby rockery, remaining in Damien Gray’s line of sight.
But after only a few steps, Morgan Shangguan suddenly stopped, reached out and dragged Princess Jade Yarrow back, gripping her throat and coldly saying, "Are you seeking death?"
Damien Gray sensed something was wrong and was about to intervene, but Morgan Shangguan turned and shouted, "Don't come any closer!"
Damien Gray paused, scanning the surroundings. Although he sensed something was amiss, he had no idea how to break the formation. His expression grew increasingly grim.
Princess Jade Yarrow’s eyes were full of panic. She tried to speak, but Morgan Shangguan’s grip was too strong for her to utter a sound. Morgan loosened her hold slightly and asked in a low voice, "Who sent you?" Although she asked, Morgan already had a suspicion—the complex formation and infused sorcery made the mastermind obvious.
Jin Locke stepped out from behind the rockery, his expression calm as he looked at Morgan Shangguan and said, "It was me."
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