"Prince Terrence? Prince Damien?"
Lance Quinn had no choice but to stop and greet them. Seeing the mocking expressions on their faces, Lance unconsciously frowned. These two likely weren’t waiting for him on purpose—he’d only decided to come to the palace at the last minute.
Talk about bad luck—running into these two outside the Imperial Palace was no coincidence. His luck really was rotten. Odds were, these two bastards had gotten the same tip-off he had.
Clearly, the Emperor’s security measures weren’t up to scratch.
Too bad Lance’s expression was hidden by his mask—Prince Terrence and Prince Damien didn’t see the disgust on his face. Both men stepped forward, grinning broadly, making it obvious they meant to block his way.
“Well, well, Lance the Great. What a coincidence.” Even at night, Prince Damien was flamboyantly dressed in bright red, making him stand out against the snow. His long, fox-like eyes lifted upward, both seductive and icy—just one look set people on guard.
“Quite the coincidence. You two out for a stroll as well?” Lance crossed his arms and leaned back slightly, as if something behind him was supporting him. He looked relaxed, but every inch of him was on guard.
He didn’t trust these two—and Prince Terrence and Prince Damien didn’t trust him either.
“A stroll, yes. Lance the Great out for a stroll too? We really are in sync. So, Lance, planning to take a look around the Eastlyn Imperial Palace?” Prince Terrence’s words were blunt, but he was clearly fishing for information.
If Lance was heading to the Eastlyn Imperial Palace at this hour, odds were it was for the same reason they were. If so, it meant Lance had planted spies in the palace—and not just any spies, but ones good enough to get wind of news that had only just reached them.
If not for...well, this was right next to the Eastlyn Imperial Palace—where else could Lance go?
Yes, they’d received word that the Eastlyn Emperor was holding a Heaven-Sacrifice Ceremony. That was exactly why they were curious enough to come into the palace and dig for news.
Eastlyn suffered the worst from this blizzard, but Southern Lyn, Westlyn, and Northlyn were hit too. If they could get any good news from the Eastlyn Emperor, they could start preparing early—maybe not copy the Heaven-Sacrifice, but they could still cash in on the benefits.
Timing was everything. Miss it, and the chance was gone for good. As soon as they heard the news, they rushed into the palace to investigate—only to run into Lance Quinn, which made them question his real identity.
Ordinary folks wouldn’t care about a Heaven-Sacrifice, especially not martial-world types. Lance showing up put them instantly on guard.
These two really were arrogant—treating the Eastlyn Imperial Palace like their own backyard. Clearly, they’d gotten the news too. Lance lowered his eyes, quietly weighing whether he should actually go into the palace.
Tonight didn’t seem like the right moment—too many eyes on the palace.
“What’s wrong? Lance the Great, don’t want to go or just can’t say? We’re supposed to be partners, right? If you can’t even tell us this much, maybe I need to rethink our whole cooperation.” Prince Terrence’s words were half probe, half threat. If Lance wouldn’t talk, Terrence would reconsider their alliance—after all, how could they work together with zero trust?
Lance’s anger flared; he leaned forward, his posture almost aggressive. Prince Terrence wasn’t surprised—if Lance didn’t get mad, that would be strange. Still, to smooth things over, Terrence took a step back: “Lance the Great, Prince Damien and I are heading into the Eastlyn Imperial Palace too. If you don’t mind, why not go together?”
“I’m afraid that wouldn’t work.” Lance cooled his killing aura, answering coldly but still giving Terrence some face—he didn’t outright refuse, just quietly admitted he was going to the palace too.
At this point, showing up near the palace—no one would believe he wasn’t going in, so he might as well admit it outright.
“Not convenient? What’s inconvenient about it? Lance the Great, where are you headed? I’ll tag along.” Prince Damien was clearly trying to win Lance over—otherwise, with his personality, he’d already have started a fight.
“With two Highnesses here, I can’t get my business done.” Lance lowered his voice, making it sound deliberately ambiguous, and shot them a knowing look.
“Business? What business do you have in the palace at this hour, Lance?” Prince Terrence had a guess, but couldn’t quite believe it.
The famous Lance Quinn—a lust-driven hound? No way...
But then again, it made sense. Men either crave power or women. Lance didn’t care for power, only money—and what was all that silver for, if not to spend on women?
“Why else would I sneak into the palace at night, if not for business? Night’s the best time for it.” His voice stayed low and tempting, as if he was trying to seduce them into believing him.
“Hahaha...Lance the Great, you really are straightforward.” Prince Terrence’s gaze softened—even found Lance more likable. A man with weaknesses felt real; a man who loved women was downright charming.
With things said this openly, there was no point asking more. Real or not, they’d know once they were inside: “Since we’re all heading in, let’s go together. Better to watch each other’s backs.”
Prince Damien stepped up and clapped a hand on Lance’s shoulder. Lance instinctively tried to shake him off, but Damien just grinned and tightened his grip, refusing to let go.
The two men looked like they were getting along, but the air was thick with tension.
“What’s wrong, Lance the Great? Don’t want to walk with us?” Prince Damien’s words were smiling, but Lance saw the fierceness in his eyes.
Hmph...Trying to conquer me with brute force? Naive. Even Vincent Su’s human 'lock' couldn’t hold me—what makes a Southern Lyn prince think he can?
His icy mask hid the killing intent in his eyes. Lance spoke up: “With two Highnesses inviting me, how could I refuse? Please...”
Lance quietly channeled his internal force, sending power into Prince Damien’s body—enough to shake him off, but not hurt him.
Prince Terrence just watched with a smile, coldly observing the contest between Damien and Lance. Whoever won, it was good news for him.
“Let’s go, then!” Prince Damien’s face grew uglier, and even his fake smile slipped. He tried dragging Lance forward, but Lance didn’t budge. Just as Damien’s strength ran out, Lance moved...
Bang—
With a sharp flick of his shoulder, Lance sent Prince Damien staggering back several steps, but made sure he didn’t actually fall—giving him face. Just like the time he’d injured Prince Terrence but held back enough not to cripple him, so they could meet again without bad blood.
“Prince Terrence, Prince Damien, after you...” Lance took the lead, inviting the two to follow.
“After you...” Prince Damien’s face was still sour, but he kept his composure and didn’t lose his temper.
Everyone respects strength. Lance Quinn had beaten him, so even if Damien was unwilling, he still showed respect. Lance was simply stronger.
All three leaped onto the palace rooftops. Once inside, they planned to split up. Lance pointed toward the harem: “Prince Terrence, Prince Damien, our goals are different. This is where we part ways.”
With that, he gathered his strength and sped off toward the harem—so fast he vanished in the blink of an eye.
Cold, proud Lance Quinn—was he really that desperate for women? Was his real goal to steal a royal concubine?
“Is his target really the harem?” Damien couldn’t believe it. Maybe people really couldn’t be judged by appearances—the more serious a man looked, the wilder he was in private.
It was as if Lance Quinn had never seen a woman before.
“Let’s follow and see for ourselves.” Damien didn’t buy that Lance was here for women, and neither did Terrence. In Terrence’s mind, Lance wasn’t that kind of guy.
Looking for women in the harem—was Lance treating the Emperor’s harem like a brothel? Unbelievable...
Bold!
“Let’s go.” At this point, Damien couldn’t worry about anything else. He gathered his strength and followed Lance, with Terrence close behind. Both kept their distance, worried Lance would notice them. Watching Lance slip through the harem’s halls like he knew the place by heart, they grew more and more convinced.