Charlotte Cloud’s face was deathly pale. She opened her mouth, trying to speak, but in the end, nothing came out. Some carefully woven lie, some self-hypnotized illusion she’d barely kept afloat, was now torn apart in the harshest, most merciless way. Right now, Charlotte Cloud couldn’t bluff her way out like she did back at Lady Mother’s temple—she had no arguments left.
"Enough. You, and the third, fourth, and sixth—just leave, all of you. You’re killing the mood." The Big Boss had seen through the act, waved off the other four, and turned only to the fifth, the least noticeable concubine: "You stayed calm under pressure. Not bad. You’ll do."
Charlotte Cloud turned and left, her steps unsteady. She didn’t cry, but her fingernails dug deep into her palm, leaving a trail of blood behind. Words once spoken by a certain white-haired demon king now thundered in her ears—she had nowhere left to run, nowhere to hide, no way to lie to herself. Suddenly, she wondered if maybe that demon king wasn’t so wrong after all.
Creak—the door closed. Of the six candidates, only one was left. Now, Dewmont Hall held just two people.
The figure in the silhouette beckoned. "Step forward. Tell me—what's your name, and where are you from?"
"Your Majesty, I am Lydia Lee, from Huainan. My father is Leo Lee, the governor of Huainan." The concubine answered with grace, her posture impeccable as she parted the curtain and stepped inside. Candlelight danced on her smiling face, and a spark flickered in her eyes. She was like a bow drawn to full moon—ready to unleash a thunderous shot at any moment.
She was only ten steps away from the real deal. Ten steps—a single person could be a whole nation’s enemy. She was fully prepared: ten steps, one kill, anytime.
Victory was waving her in!
But the Big Boss’s next words from behind the silhouette made her tense up all over.
"Huainan? I thought you were from the Jiangsu-Zhejiang coast, somewhere by the East Sea."
Just then, it was as if a distant sigh drifted in from the horizon: "Foolish child..."
The sigh seeped in like midnight mist, slipping past the black-and-white world and straight into her soul. The Sacred Flame Token couldn’t shield her now. Suddenly, her mind flooded with memories—every trial, every wish, every stray thought. That single 'foolish child' sent her spinning into a whirlpool of confusion.
Rip—like cloth tearing inside her head, a sharp pain exploded, her vision blurring for a split second. She crashed out of the black-and-white world, with nowhere left to hide.
Faye Bright was scared out of her mind. She’d never imagined anyone could shut down her black-and-white powers so completely. Sure, one trick can rule the world, but if someone’s got your number, you’re just left eating crow.
Nope, not happening. I gotta bail—retreat, retreat!
But before she could move, two monstrous auras blasted at her from different directions. It was like Buddha himself dropping a mountain—so fast, she couldn’t even twitch. In a blink, her joints locked up, her energy froze, and she was struggling just to breathe.
The triple whammy that wrecked Eunuch Lewis last time was back—just shuffled the order and replayed the scene.
Eunuch Lewis had crumpled without a fight, and Faye Bright—barely tougher—managed to hang on a bit longer. Dizzy and weak, she still fought, twisting and turning to break out of her cage.
But nope—this trap had been set up ages ago. She wasn’t getting out.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—the soft curtains suddenly swirled up, twisting like tentacles, wrapping her tight. Each one carried a different kind of force—soft, hard, straight, curved—like a whole squad of martial arts masters coming at her from every angle.
It felt like being a lone striker on a soccer field, dribbling, feinting, trying every flashy move to break through and score. But then you realize—this is soccer, but the other team’s playing American football! A dozen armored brutes charge in, tackling, kicking, grabbing, piling on—yeah, you know how that ends.
Faye Bright was like a butterfly caught in a web, instantly tangled by curtains from every direction. "Ah—!" she yelled, pouring all her strength into breaking free, but for every one she tore, two more popped up. Rip, rip! She darted left and right like a wildflower in a storm, but in the end, she was wrapped up into a giant meat dumpling, only her head sticking out.
Thud—the dumpling lost its balance and rolled onto the floor, tumbling a few meters before stopping right in front of someone’s feet.
Faye Bright was scared out of her wits—she’d never known anyone could counter her black-and-white powers like this. Sure, one trick can win the world, but if someone breaks your trick, you’re left eating dirt.
No way—this is impossible. I have to retreat!
But before she could react, two terrifying auras slammed at her from different directions. It was like Buddha himself dropping a mountain—so fast, she couldn’t even move. In a heartbeat, her joints locked up, her energy stalled, and even breathing became hard.
The triple attack that took down Eunuch Chief Lewis was back—just shuffled in a new order.
Eunuch Chief Lewis dropped to his knees, powerless. Faye Bright, not much stronger, managed to hold out a bit longer. Dizzy and weak, she still fought on, trying to break free from her cage.
But too bad—this trap had been set for ages. No way out for her.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—the sheer curtains suddenly floated up, twisting like tentacles and wrapping around her. Each one carried a different kind of force—some soft, some hard, some straight, some curved—like a whole squad of masters attacking from all sides.
It was like being a lone striker on a soccer field, dribbling, feinting, trying every trick and fancy move to break through and score. But at crunch time, you realize—this is soccer, but the other team is playing American football! A dozen armored brutes charge in, tackling, kicking, grabbing, piling on—yeah, you can guess how that ends.
Faye Bright was like a butterfly caught in a web, instantly tangled up by curtains from every direction. "Ah—!" she roared, pouring all her strength into breaking free, but for every one she tore, two more took its place. Rip, rip! In a frenzy, she darted left and right like a wildflower on its last stand, but in the end, she was wrapped up into a giant meat dumpling, only her head sticking out.
Thud—the dumpling lost its balance and rolled onto the floor, tumbling a few meters before stopping right in front of someone’s feet.
Counting the steps—from the attack to capture, it was exactly nine steps.
Just one step—just one step short! So close!
Faye Bright was devastated, but also furious and shocked. Chad Zhao’s reputation for debauchery was famous, but today proved otherwise—he’d had the guts to use himself as bait. From start to finish, the emperor’s breathing hadn’t faltered once. That’s some nerve. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to look up, determined to see what kind of face this emperor had.
But as her gaze traveled up from the shoes and pants to the face, her expression changed dramatically. Her mind went blank; every insult and comeback she’d prepared vanished in a flash—because she saw someone who absolutely shouldn’t have been here.
"Hmm, not bad—tied up just like a caterpillar." The Big Boss bent down, flashing a wicked grin at Faye Bright. "Looks like you know me, huh? That saves me the trouble of introducing myself."
Faye Bright snapped back to reality, blurting out in disbelief, "Jade—Hawk—Johnson?!"
"That’s right, it’s me." Hawk Johnson grabbed Faye Bright off the floor and plopped her onto the dragon bed he’d been sitting on. "Finding you was a real pain, but I finally got what I wanted."
“Wait, wait—what are you trying to do?!” Faye Bright panicked, wriggling like a caterpillar. Hawk Johnson’s reputation was intimidating, and in certain circles, downright terrifying. Faye’s mind was a mess; she’d planned for a hundred scenarios, but never expected to meet Hawk Johnson like this. The shock was overwhelming, and questions flooded her mind with no answers in sight.
"What do you think the Boss wants with you?" Simone appeared, floating lightly into view—it was her who’d been controlling those curtains.
"Imperial Consort Mia Wise?! You’re in cahoots with Hawk Johnson?" Faye Bright stared up and down at Simone, then suddenly frowned, hesitating, "Wait, no, that’s impossible, you—ah, it’s you! It really is you!"
The makeup Simone wore at the Xiangyang Heroes’ Gathering had been so dazzling, so different from the elegant Imperial Consort Mia Wise, that Faye only now recognized her true identity.
"Of course it’s me." Simone giggled, reaching out to swipe Faye’s face. Faye tried to dodge, but it was no use. With a delicate twist of her fingers, Simone peeled off a human-skin mask from Faye’s face. After examining Faye’s real features, Simone covered her mouth and laughed like a noblewoman, "No wonder Stayfree recommended you for the Heavenly Beauty List after just one look in Suzhou. ‘Ice Queen’ is the perfect title. Boss, you really hit the jackpot this time~"
Faye’s face was icy with anger, but her mind was racing.
This situation was way beyond anything she’d expected. The emperor in Ganlu Palace had turned out to be Hawk Johnson—anyone could tell this was a massive conspiracy. Whatever was going on behind the scenes, it was probably darker than she could imagine. For a moment, countless thoughts raced through her mind. Faye honestly didn’t know if it was better to be caught by the Song emperor or by Hawk Johnson.
"Alright, let’s get down to business." Hawk Johnson dropped the playful act, cutting straight to the point: "You and I have no old grudges, no fresh beef. I brought you here to ask a few things. It won’t hurt you or the Manichaean Sect. Even if there’s some loss, I’ll compensate you. If you cooperate and answer honestly, nothing bad will happen—and I’ll even pay you. I may be a notorious scoundrel, but I keep my word—I won’t cheat you over something this small. But let me be clear: I need answers, no matter what it takes."
With that, Hawk Johnson didn’t wait for a response and pulled out the Stormstone. "First question: What the heck is this thing?"
The Stormstone glowed, lighting up Faye Bright’s stunned face. She stared at the blazing stone, lost in thought. After a moment, she said, "Is tying me up like this your idea of hospitality? Untie me first."
She’d already decided to talk things out.
"You’re from the Manichaean Sect, I’m the villain here. It’s dog eat dog—who cares about hospitality?" Hawk Johnson wasn’t buying it. "Whether you get untied depends on your attitude—so start talking."
"You—!" Faye Bright’s anger flared, but Hawk Johnson’s unyielding presence shut her down. She glanced at the Sacred Flame Token’s blazing light, finally relenting with a sigh, "It’s the sect’s sacred relic—the Sacred Flame Token."