“Boom!” A deafening blast came. Then, the earth shook. Carrying Tiara in his arms, James immediately leaped to safety. The others made their escape too. As they were all highly skilled, they could leap several meters with a single jump. After they made their escape, the entrance of the laboratory exploded into a ball of flames. A chain of explosions soon followed. The violent explosions caused the mountain to cave in, and the whole place was in ruins. A thousand meters away… James and the other stood on a nearby hill and watched the mountain cave in. His face darkened, and he said, “Looks like there were other exits in this research laboratory. After being saved, the Emperor must have activated the self-destruction mechanism to destroy all the evidence. The research data in my hands isn’t sufficient to bring him down. Even if I make an appeal, I’m not going anywhere.” “What should we do then?” Blake looked at James. James shook his head. “This was the perfect opport
“Don’t worry, I won’t get you involved.” The Emperor closed his eyes and rested. James and the others waited nearby the research laboratory. Soon, the helicopters arrived. The Blithe King was here. Seeing the caved-in mountain, he frowned and asked, “What happened?” James said, “There’s a self-destruction mechanism inside the laboratory. After escaping, the Emperor was worried that I would get my hands on the evidence of his crimes. So, he blew up the whole thing. Blithe King, seal off the five provinces at once. We can’t allow the Emperor to return to the Capital. It would be impossible to kill him by then. Only by trapping him in the provinces can we get rid of him silently.” “Mhm.” The Blithe King nodded. Then, he gave the order, “Mobilize the army of all five military regions and seal off the provinces. Arrest all suspicious persons.” Then, James returned to Cansington military region with the Blithe King in the helicopter. Tiara was sent to a military hospital. Meanw
Tiara finally regained consciousness. She had suffered unimaginable tortures. She was whipped, and her flesh was burnt with a scorching branding iron. Yesterday, the doctor performed surgery on her and treated her injuries. When James entered her ward, she was staring at the ceiling, her eyes void of all emotion. Hearing footsteps, she immediately turned her head. Upon seeing James, she was unable to stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks. James walked over to her and sat on a chair beside the bed. Grabbing her hand, he consoled her, “Everything’s fine now.” “J-James, I didn’t tell him anything.” She croaked. She persevered because she had a conviction. She would never betray James, even if it cost her her life. “I know.” Seeing the state Tiara was in, James was distressed. From her injuries, James could tell she had undergone unimaginable torture. Not even a battle-hardened warrior could withstand such agony, let alone a frail maiden. However, the fact that sh
James gently nodded. He was of the same opinion. His conflict with the Emperor would only grow more intense. It would be too dangerous to keep Tiara around. “I-I’m not afraid.” Hearing this, Tiara panicked. She hurriedly said, “Please don’t chase me away, James. I’m not afraid of danger at all. Please let me stay by your side. I’m willing to do anything.” “This is for your own good, Tiara.” Wearing a surly expression, Quincy reprimanded her, “You’ll lose your life if you continue to stay by his side.” Tiara hung her head and said in a low voice, “I’m not afraid.” “Forget it. Let’s not talk about this for now.” James gestured for them to drop the issue. “Let the patient rest.” Quincy sat down. Crossing her arms and her legs, she looked at James and said, “I’ll support you in anything you do. However, I won’t allow Tiara to stay by your side. It’s too dangerous. She’s lucky to have survived this. What about next time? She’s endured so much hardship just to collect intel
Quincy still had feelings for James. James was unlike any other man. He was a faithful man who dedicated his life to the nation. Any other men would have two-timed Thea and Tiara if given the choice. However, James was different. He would only choose a single girl to spend a lifetime with. That was he was in such a dilemma. Quincy tried. However, James rejected her advances. She no longer had any regrets. “What’s going on with Thea’s body? It’s been so long. Yet, she seems to be completely fine. Was she actually poisoned with Gu venom?” Quincy asked. James shook his head. He himself did not know as he could not diagnose anything. Even if Thea was truly poisoned with Gu venom, he could only wait for the venom’s effects to kick in. “Whatever. This is your personal matter. I’m not getting involved. No matter who you choose in the end, I’ll always support you,” Quincy said in a low voice. She was hinting at James that there was another woman by his side apart from Thea
James smiled and said, “Not at all.” “Did Thea call you? You didn’t return home last night. She must be worried sick. You should go and meet her.” “It’s alright,” James consoled her. “Don’t overthink things.” Tiara knew James was choosing to stay with her because of her injuries. She believed that James must be missing Thea terribly. She did not wish to make things difficult for him. “James, listen to me…” Tiara said softly, “There’s no need to feel guilty. I’m content as long as I can remain by your side. Once your body completely rejuvenates and everything is over, I’ll leave by myself.” Saying that, she smiled. “Actually, I plan to study abroad.” The more Tiara said, the more unwilling James was to leave her side. “Everything’s fine. I’ll explain things to Thea. Besides, we’re already divorced. I’m only staying with her because of the Gu venom inside her body. I’ll sever all ties with her once my True Energy is powerful enough to treat her.” James had thought lon
Although Gloom had been in the Capital all this while, he was well aware of everything that was happening in Cansington. Naturally, he had heard about yesterday’s events and was here to have a discussion with James. “You were too reckless.” Gloom’s face darkened. “Huh?” James looked at him. Gloom continued, “You confronted the Emperor head-on. Although you’ve forced him to blow up all of his research laboratories, all evidence was destroyed in the process. Now, it would be nearly impossible to find dirt on him. He’s a cautious man who doesn’t repeat the same mistakes. How are we supposed to remove him from his position now?” James said coldly, “So what if we remove him from his position? He’s not the mastermind behind this. There’s someone else behind the scenes manipulating everything. Even if we remove him, a new enemy would appear to replace him.” Gloom could not conceal his shock. He never expected James to know so much in such a short amount of time, not to mention t
James did not want to simply act carelessly before he had all the facts in front of him. Gloom glanced at James and asked, “What do you want to know?” “I want to know more about the plan a century ago and the incident where the King wiped out the Gu Sect. I want a thorough explanation of the current power dynamics within the Capital.” Gloom remained silent. After a while, he shook his head. “It’s too complicated. It’s too hard for me to explain with words only. You’ll come to understand soon.” James said, “One last question.” Gloom looked at him. “Go ahead.” “Who’s the current King’s preferred candidate in the fight for succession? Where does he stand on this matter?” Gloom said, “I don’t know who he’s eyeing at the moment. However, I can say with certainty that the nation’s development is at the forefront of every decision the King makes. Everything he does is for the sake of the people, not to purge his political opponents.” When he heard this, James let out a small s