Arthur shot to his feet as if a bucket of freezing water had been dumped over his head. “Go back!” he barked at his brother.

  “Where? In the recording?” Roland asked, twitching nervously at his brother’s sudden outburst. Arthur was as temperamental and unpredictable as their father, though most of the time he kept it under control.

  “No, in time, Roland. What do you think?” Arthur sneered. “Go back, I want to listen again to what she said,” he ordered, his tone laced with anger and impatience.

  The younger of the two brothers retraced his finger over the formation’s control crystal, and the last part of the recording began to play back once again.

  “Did you hear the same thing I did?!” Arthur exclaimed after a couple of breaths, trembling with excitement and staring expectantly at his brother.

  “Uhm… I guess?”

  Arthur dragged his palms down his face, his eyes nearly bulging. “Idiot! Did you hear her say his nails were black and looked like claws?!” Arthur yelled out hoarsely.

  “Yeah,” Roland shrugged with confusion, still uncertain what all of this was about. “What about it?”

  “Didn’t she say that his eyes glowed red?!” Arthur was now practically screaming. He stood over his brother, waving his arms like a madman.

  Roland nodded unsurely, deciding it would be better to stay silent.

  “Fuck me, was I the only one born with a brain?!” Arthur roared, kicking a nearby chair with full force, and turning it into sawdust. Having vented some of his pent-up frustration, he turned back to Roland. “What did Griswold say about the fellow who kidnapped him?!”

  Roland frowned, recalling the conversation that had taken place weeks ago in Brightheart Castle. Then it finally clicked. He sprang to his feet with a manic expression, grasping Arthur’s shoulders in a frenzy. “He said that fellow had red eyes and short black claws!” Roland cried out, his voice rising in pitch to a near-shriek.

  “Out of all the races, how many cultivators have you seen that have black claws for nails?!” Arthur’s voice cracked as he yelled at his brother, grinning like a madman.

  Roland stared at him for a moment before his lips split into a matching mad grin of his own. “Fucking none!”

  “Exactly!” Now it was Arthur’s turn to grab Roland’s shoulders. Laughing maliciously as they held onto each other, the duo bounced around the small room like a couple of excited children.

  “The Emperor’s prize will be ours,” Roland howled in elation.

  A short while later, both young men collapsed into their chairs, broad grins plastered on their faces. Arthur pulled out a black comms gem from his storage ring. “That sneaky peasant has some secrets… First, let's make sure we get the credit. Then, we'll see how he enjoys dealing with Darkheart.”

  “You… Was it you who…?” Jade struggled to get the words out. It sounded ludicrous. And yet…

  But Cade was already moving. He pressed a finger to his lips, putting his hands together in a pleading gesture. Then he dropped to all fours and started searching. When his sixth sense had flared to life, he could immediately tell it warned him of something here, connected to whatever the source of danger was. And he vaguely knew where to look for it. As the initial shock wore off, Jade's face began turning scarlet, but just as she opened her mouth for what would undoubtedly be an indignant tirade, a large hand gently covered her lips.

  “Quiet,” he mouthed into her ear, pointing under the bed before slowly removing the hand.

  Jade's rising anger was temporarily quenched by puzzled curiosity. She gave him a thunderous look before dropping to her knees, completely unbothered by this unladylike position. Even though it was dark, she could clearly see something round and flat lying in the far corner, no larger than a child’s palm. Cade tugged lightly on her sleeve, and she turned to him with a deep frown.

  “Soundcatcher,” he mouthed, pointing at his ears. Jade’s eyes snapped wide open, her skin flushing from a combination of shock and outrage.

  “Yeah, well, you don’t get to choose what you’re born with,” he chuckled loudly, giving her a meaningful look. “I actually came here because I wanted to show you something. It's a surprise. Come,” he added in a relaxed manner, pointing at the door with an urgent expression.

  Jade quickly caught on. “Oh? That’s great! I love surprises!” she exclaimed, her voice a bit too theatrical.

  The moment they stepped out of the room and started walking down the corridor, Cade’s sixth sense calmed down, settling into a background hum at the back of his mind. It was a familiar sensation, meaning the danger wasn’t yet imminent, but trouble was definitely brewing. He spat a chain of curses into his realm of consciousness.

  “What the fuck was that?!” she hissed into his ear once they had walked a reasonable distance.

  “Act as normal. You might be watched,” he replied cautiously, his mind racing. He knew his sixth sense had triggered when they were discussing his appearance, and there was only one explanation he could think of.

  Suddenly, he felt Jade tugging at his sleeve. “Cade… did you kidnap Griswold?” she whispered, her face no longer tense with anger but a mixture of disappointment and betrayal.

  His shoulders sagged. That was exactly what had awakened his sixth sense—whoever was listening had connected his Asura appearance to that pockmarked bastard. If Darkheart wasn’t after him before, he surely was now.

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  “Let’s go into the courtyard and I’ll explain everything.This matter is not simple,” he whispered back, sighing heavily. At least there, they could talk more freely. Jade followed him like a puppet, her eyes glazed over, her reality upended after not hearing him deny it.

  Fortunately, at this hour, the courtyard was mostly empty. They sat on a stone bench some distance away from the citadel, with a clear view of the entrance. Cade started talking. He tried to keep his voice steady, but when he described how Griswold had murdered his mother in front of him, his voice cracked with emotion. His jaw trembled and his eyes welled up. His fists were clenched so tight, the knuckles turned white.

  Jade listened quietly, her expression gradually changing - first to shock and disbelief, followed by horror and disgust. When he told her how he had watched his mother’s head roll down the stairs towards him and how Griswold had desecrated her body, tears streamed down her cheeks, the terrible weight of his grief palpable.

  “Cade… I don’t even know what to say. ‘I’m sorry’ feels so empty and shallow. Please believe me, I had no idea about any of this. My family… I know a lot was being kept from me, but this… That fucking Griswold is worse than an animal!” Her voice shook with barely restrained fury.

  “Thank you. For believing me,” he said, sighing with relief.

  “Of course I believe you! You risked your life to save me! And Griswold…” Jade sighed, her posture slumping. “Deep down, I knew he was hiding something… Something bad. He didn't give me a good impression, and neither did his father. Now I understand why. The court barely tolerates Marius. Actually, it’s more accurate to say they despise him. I have no idea what my father was thinking, making Griswold the tenth heir,” she said, hiding her face in her hands.

  “Probably political reasons. Maybe by giving someone useless a little power, he denied it to someone who could use it to plot against him,” Cade shrugged, his voice regaining its natural steadiness.

  Jade shifted her body, turning towards him. “How did you know there was a soundcatcher in my room?” she quietly asked, glancing around anxiously.

  “I get these… hunches. I don’t really understand how they work, but what I can tell you is that whoever’s been listening to our conversation has almost certainly linked me to Griswold. I’m sure Darkheart will get involved, if he hasn’t already,” he answered, staring into the distance.

  Her eyes widened, her features tensing. Her hands shot out and pulled on his arm, forcing him to look at her. “Cade… are you suggesting that it was one of my cousins who placed the soundcatcher under my bed?!”

  He gave a slow nod. “These things have a short range, similar to comms gems. Whoever was listening has to be inside the citadel. My bet is on Arthur. He reminds me of Griswold, and from everyone inside Sword Dao, he has the most to gain if something happened to you.”

  Jade tensed, her complexion growing pale. “You think his father arranged the assassination attempt?”

  “It would make sense, but I can’t be sure. Want me to have a word with him?” His voice hardened.

  “I... No!” she firmly shook her head after a moment of hesitation. “Coercion won’t do. I need tangible proof of his involvement that doesn’t look forced. It needs to be undeniable.”

  Cade fell silent, mulling over her words. “I'll see if I can get it for you.... but first, I need to figure out how to deal with the manhunter,” he grimaced.

  “Wait, you’re planning on facing Darkheart?!” she gasped, blinking with disbelief.

  “Unless Var Du Long wants to help… I’ll have to. He’s going to come after me no matter what I do,” he let out a fatalistic sigh. The human part of him wanted nothing to do with Darkheart. But the other part—the one that had awakened during his rebirth—that one couldn’t wait to see if the manhunter’s heart was truly dark after he ripped it out of his chest.

  “Cade… Father recalled Master four days ago. Important council matters.” Her face grew even paler, apprehension creeping into her voice. “Darkheart's in the early True Core. You can’t fight him! You’re not just a full realm below him; it's the realm that all qi cultivators dream about reaching! The power difference between the two of you is immense!” she pleaded anxiously.

  “Hold on. Darkheart aside, doesn’t that mean you can’t leave the monastery? What the hell is your father thinking?!”

  “Father is sending Old Roy to… Oh, shit.” Jade covered her mouth with both hands, a flicker of terror in her expression. She shot up from the bench. “Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.” She started pacing nervously, her face still frozen in shocking realization.

  “Who the hell is Old Roy?” Cade frowned, his head swiveling from left to right as his eyes followed her figure.

  Jade stopped, and their gazes met, hers stricken with grave concern. “This is what I call him, but people in the capital know him by a different name: Massgrave. His real name is Roy Crowe. Centuries ago, when he was still in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, he was ambushed by a group of thirteen bandits, half of whom had already entered the second tier of cultivation. Not only did he survive—he killed them all by himself, then piled their bodies in a ditch and put them to the torch. Hence the name. He’s my father’s most skilled and trusted manhunter. He was the one who trained them all, including Darkheart. Even my Master respects him,” she rushed to explain.

  Cade’s expression fell. “I can see what you’re getting at.”

  “Don’t get me wrong—Roy is a sweet, old man. To me, he’s like a grandfather I never had. But to the enemies of the Empire, he’s Massgrave, a living nightmare proficient in every killing tool known to man. If he finds out you’re the one who kidnapped Griswold, there won’t be anything I can do, not if Arthur has the recording. You can’t raise your hand on an heir of the Brightheart Empire… You just can’t. And to make matters worse, you tore out his pre-core…” Her voice trailed to a whisper.

  “How much time do I have?” he asked, his voracious heart thumping like a war drum.

  “Master said that Roy is currently on an assignment and should be here in less than three months. As you guessed, I’m not allowed to leave the Sword Dao grounds until then.”

  A flicker of hope crossed Cade’s face. “And his cultivation?”

  “Peak of middle True Core. Don’t tell me… Are you insane?! You need to run!” Jade exclaimed, her rising voice echoing throughout the empty courtyard. Wincing, she sat right next to him, wringing her hands. “Cade… You need to leave. If you go now, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to disappear. Despite our small misunderstanding, you’re still my most trustworthy friend and only true ally. I... I don’t want you to die.” Her voice cracked, her eyes welling up.

  “Believe me, I don’t want to die either—but I don’t want to run. I just arrived here. I still have so much to learn; I’ve barely scratched the surface,” Cade lightly patted her nervously clasped hands. “I’m not suicidal, trust me. I’ll do everything to at least ensure my survival,” he added, seeing as her horrified expression remained.

  “But… how? Roy is over 600 years old!” Jade was ready to lay out her arguments.

  “Age is just a number,” Cade grinned.

  “What…? Idiot! This isn’t funny!” the princess hissed, slapping his arm, but at least the grave concern in her face retreated a little.

  “I have a plan, Jade. But I’ll need your help,” he said, his expression now completely serious, his gaze turning solemn.

  “Of course you can count on me. But could you at least tell me what you’re planning?”

  “It’s better if I don’t. Will you trust me? I know I’m asking a lot.”

  Jade's gaze never wavered. “You saved my life, Cade. Even a dog understands gratitude. Hmph! Who do you think this Princess is?" she countered, crossing her arms and puffing out her chest. "Tell me what you need, and I’ll do everything I can to help!”