After that, everything was rather calm. The ancestral rites were simple, not ostentatious at all—just as they had always been. The forefathers said, sincerity is what matters most.
Nothing went wrong with the ritual. Once it was over, there were no further delays; the group left Qingyin Temple directly. In a month, the entire nation would celebrate, and the palace would host a grand banquet. As always, preparations were entrusted to Emperor Alexander. Such banquets were often prime opportunities for assassination.
On this day, Crown Prince Adrian finally sought out Adrian Yarrow. The two entered a secret chamber and held a long, confidential discussion. When they emerged, both seemed quite satisfied.
Watching Adrian Yarrow leave, Crown Prince Adrian's eyes flashed with determination. When he turned, he saw Quentin Hua standing there, and couldn't help but frown.
Quentin Hua stood there lazily, his expression calm. "It seems His Highness the Crown Prince has no intention of hearing my advice!" he said.
Crown Prince Adrian replied, "This is a rare opportunity. Emperor Alexander has never taken me seriously. I refuse to end up with nothing, so I must get rid of him as soon as possible! Once he's dead, as Crown Prince, I should naturally inherit the throne. Even if Prince Ethan and Damien Gray want to rebel, they have no legitimate claim. Besides, Adrian Yarrow has already agreed to cooperate with me. By then, those two won't be able to pull any tricks!"
Quentin Hua chuckled softly. "Your Highness has certainly thought things through. In that case, it seems you don't need my help after all! I shall take my leave, then!"
Before Crown Prince Adrian could stop him, Quentin Hua had already vanished from sight with a few swift movements.
Crown Prince Adrian frowned, then let out a cold snort and swept away. This time, his plan was set—he would accept nothing but success!
Maxwell...
Maxwell Jing was about to go find Damien Gray when, suddenly, a certain flamboyant figure dropped down from the sky and enthusiastically lunged at him. Maxwell Jing dodged to the side, his face darkening as he gritted his teeth, "Can you act normal for once?"
Quentin Hua, oozing charm, brushed his hair from his forehead, blinked, and sighed with a sorrowful air. "I could never be normal in this life. How could anyone so devastatingly handsome ever be considered ordinary?"
Maxwell Jing twitched his lips, about to say something, when Quentin Hua suddenly lunged at him again, forcing Maxwell Jing to take two steps back to steady himself. His brow twitched, ready to explode, but Quentin Hua abruptly waved and greeted someone behind him. "Ethan, where are you off to?"
Ethan Gu glanced at the two, noting their closeness. He frowned, his gaze lingering on them, remembering how they'd seemed to share a secret at Qingyin Temple earlier. Seeing them now, he wondered—could it be...?
Maxwell Jing pushed Quentin Hua away with a frown. Ethan Gu watched them a moment longer, then suddenly said, "Honestly, I don't think it's a big deal. I'm sure the Lotus Sect Master wouldn't object!" He seemed to have other matters to attend to, and after saying this, he left.
Quentin Hua stared after Ethan Gu, his face stiff, lips twitching. "He... What's with him..." He turned to Maxwell Jing, wearing a look of "I messed up."
Maxwell Jing sighed calmly. "You're looking for the Lotus Sect Master, right? Let's go."
Quentin Hua obediently followed behind him. After a while, he couldn't hold back and finally asked, "Is it true he can't feel anything for anyone?"
Maxwell Jing was silent for a moment before he softly replied, "Mm."
Quentin Hua clicked his tongue. "That's really something! I want to see it for myself!"
Maxwell Jing narrowed his eyes at him, sneering, "What a pity. You should have gone to see it sooner!"
Quentin Hua waved his hand and gave a dry laugh. "Forget it. Things from the Healer's Sanctuary aren't so easy to come by, anyway." With that, he finally quieted down.
Maxwell Jing glanced at him, then suddenly warned, "Don't forget what you promised me. I'll let it slide this time, but next time..."
Quentin Hua interrupted him, "Aren't you tired?"
Maxwell Jing turned his head forward and said softly, "It's better for one person to be tired than for two."
Entering the Shadow Court, Quentin Hua rushed straight toward the room. "Damien Gray..."
As his words fell, the door was kicked open with a bang. Seeing the bed curtains quickly fall, Quentin Hua sat down in a chair without a care. He clicked his tongue, "Ghostmaster, even though Cloud Guildmaster is highly skilled, even he can't withstand your torment! Why can't you learn to be a little more gentle?" In truth, he hadn't seen anything, but the uneven breathing and the atmosphere in the room said it all.
Before Quentin Hua finished speaking, he quickly darted to the door, just as the chair he'd been sitting on turned into a pile of splinters.
Quentin Hua leaned lazily against the door, sighing, "Why am I still single? Where has my beauty gone?" After a bout of self-pity, he suddenly perked up. "Maybe you two could make me a little beauty!"
From behind the bed curtains, Damien Gray's voice came out, half laughing, "Are you trying to call me father-in-law?"
"Ahem..." Quentin Hua choked hard. "Better not!" Just imagining calling those two 'father-in-law' and 'mother-in-law' made Quentin Hua shudder—it was just too weird!
After the commotion, Quentin Hua finally got a bit more serious. "I'm just here to let you know—Crown Prince Adrian has joined forces with Adrian Yarrow and plans to assassinate Emperor Alexander. That's all. As Lotus Sect Master, I should be on my way!" Hmm... he nearly forgot—he still had something left undone. Looks like he had to return to Prince Julian's Manor.
With that, Quentin Hua left without looking back, as if he'd come just to say those few words.
On the bed, Morgan Shangguan shook her head with a smile. Surely Quentin Hua knew that, with Damien Gray's influence, this news would reach him soon enough—if not immediately, then not much later. Yet Quentin Hua had gone out of his way to deliver the message in person!
He must have come to say goodbye. Mysterious as Quentin Hua was, it seemed he truly regarded Damien Gray as a friend.
"My lord..." Since Quentin Hua had already interrupted, Maxwell Jing took the chance to report, "Just received news—Sophie Qiu has secretly appeared at Prince Julian's Manor."