Admitting It, Reaching This Step at Last

Lance is gone!

Those six words struck like a thunderbolt, leaving Serena Feng and Bella Qin completely unable to think. Serena staggered back, while Bella collapsed to the ground, refusing to believe what she’d just heard.

"Brother Storm Cloud, what are you saying? I must have misheard, right? You’re lying, you made it up..." Bella Qin sobbed, tears streaming down her face. Unlike her usual delicate crying, this time her grief was gut-wrenching, her fists pounding again and again on Storm Cloud Bu in front of her.

"Liar! Liar, you’re a liar! Nothing could happen to Lance, nothing could happen to him. You’re lying, you’re lying! My parents said I’m supposed to be Lance’s bride, I’m supposed to marry him. Lance hasn’t married me yet, how could anything happen to him? No, no way..." Bella Qin hit and kicked, completely shedding her usual gentle image. Storm Cloud Bu didn’t dare resist, letting her vent all she wanted.

"Bella, it’s true, I’m not lying to you. I wish it were fake, I wish nothing had happened to Lance. Bella, don’t be like this... If Lance knew, he’d be heartbroken." Storm Cloud Bu hugged Bella Qin, worried she might hurt herself.

"Wuwuwu... Lance." Bella Qin cried in utter despair, lifting her tear-streaked face to Storm Cloud Bu: "Brother Storm Cloud, tell me you’re lying, that Lance is fine, that he’ll come marry me, that he’ll come for me, won’t he?"

Bella Qin had no strength left, collapsing weakly in Storm Cloud Bu’s arms, her face streaked with tears.

Storm Cloud Bu’s heart ached terribly. He wanted countless times to reveal the truth, but he couldn’t. For both public and private reasons, he couldn’t do it—he couldn’t ruin Ninth Royal Uncle’s plan.

"Bella, Brother Storm Cloud isn’t lying to you. Please, don’t be like this..."

"Brother Storm Cloud, I can’t... I feel like I’m dying from the pain."

Serena Feng snapped out of her shock, only to see Storm Cloud Bu and Bella Qin clinging to each other in a tangled embrace. For a moment, Serena wanted to rush over and slap Bella Qin: Your man just died, and you’re already hugging another man in front of everyone—do you really have to? How could you do this to Lance?

But right now, Serena didn’t have the strength, nor did she have the right. After she absorbed the news of Lance’s accident, Serena felt herself falling apart. She glanced once at Storm Cloud Bu and Bella Qin, then turned and walked out. Only as she turned did a single, warm tear slip from the corner of her eye.

Lance Quinn was dead—the man who had always reached out to help her from the shadows was gone.

The dead can’t come back. The living have to go on. After Bella Qin fainted, Serena finally had a chance to speak with Storm Cloud Bu and ask him what really happened.

Lance Quinn’s martial arts were so strong—how could he possibly die?

Storm Cloud Bu recited the story he’d prepared: He, Sean Xuan, and Storm Cloud Bu had been chasing Prince Damien of Southlyn for ages, spending even New Year’s out on the road. The three of them tracked Prince Damien and Old Gray across mountains and valleys, and a month ago they finally caught Damien’s trail. But...

During the fight, Old Gray somehow produced a ferocious tiger—massive and lightning-fast. Lance was caught between Old Gray and the tiger; while Old Gray pinned him, the tiger, heedless of its own life, lunged from above and smashed Lance off the cliff.

He and Sean Xuan climbed down to check, and found the tiger’s corpse—and Lance Quinn, pinned beneath its claws.

In other words, there was no chance for Lance to survive—they’d even found his body.

"How could this happen?" Serena’s heart clenched in pain; she pressed her right hand to her chest, gasping for breath.

He’d been perfectly fine atop Skyvault Mountain, even talked to her there—how could he just be dead now?

If only... If only— But there is no ‘if only’ in this world.

"What about Prince Damien?" Serena asked, her face blank, eyes unfocused.

Storm Cloud Bu shook his head heavily. "Sean and I were busy climbing down to find Lance, so Damien escaped."

"I see." Serena replied, showing no emotion. That was what scared Storm Cloud Bu most—he’d rather Serena break down and cry like Bella Qin than keep everything bottled up inside.

Storm Cloud Bu grew worried and gently tried to comfort her: "Serena, don’t be sad. Lance... it might be better this way. He lived such a hard life, carrying far too much."

Storm Cloud Bu’s eyes reddened again—this time, it wasn’t an act. He was truly grieving for ‘Lance Quinn’s’ death.

For Ninth Royal Uncle to let Lance Quinn ‘die’ meant giving up on the former dynasty, giving up all of Liancastle’s power. It was also a way of telling the Liancastle faction: Since you’ve chosen a new master, Eastlyn’s Ninth Royal Uncle Nolan will not play along.

The break was so clean, so ruthless. Such proud, decisive letting go was exactly what Ninth Royal Uncle would do, but Storm Cloud Bu still found it a pity.

In Storm Cloud Bu’s eyes, if Ninth Royal Uncle was going to cut ties, he should have taken a piece of Liancastle with him. But Nolan did nothing—he simply let go, before anyone was prepared.

Without Liancastle and the backing of the former dynasty, the road ahead would be anything but easy.

This was the first time Storm Cloud Bu had ever revealed the truth about Lance Quinn to Serena Feng. His hints made it clear: Lance was of the former royal bloodline, related to Lan Jingyang, and Liancastle had once supported Lance—but now, they’d changed sides.

Whether it was Liancastle or Prince Damien, they were both murderers.

Serena clenched her fists, closed her eyes, hiding every emotion. She turned to comfort Storm Cloud Bu instead: "Don’t worry about me—I’ll be fine. What are your plans for Lance’s funeral?"

Storm Cloud Bu felt uneasy, unable to meet Serena’s eyes. He bowed his head and pretended to grieve: "He’ll be cremated, and his ashes sent to the mausoleum."

His words were deliberately vague. All the more reason Serena wouldn’t suspect a thing—she was too stunned by the news of Lance’s death to notice anything odd about Storm Cloud Bu.

They spoke a few more words, then Storm Cloud Bu excused himself early, claiming exhaustion.

Only once he was out of Serena’s and the Feng Manor servants’ sight did Storm Cloud Bu finally relax, sprawling flat on his bed, not wanting to move at all.

Too tired. Keeping up the act was just too exhausting.

Even though Ninth Royal Uncle had planned everything—if Storm Cloud Bu followed the plan, Serena wouldn’t suspect a thing—he still felt utterly drained.

Facing Serena and Bella Qin, Storm Cloud Bu was eaten up by guilt.

But then he thought: ‘Lance Quinn’ really was dead. From now on, Ninth Royal Uncle would never appear as Lance Quinn again—and that thought brought Storm Cloud Bu a little comfort.

He wasn’t really lying, after all.