Whoosh!
With those parting words, Lord Valerian disappeared swiftly into the night.
Chris watched his retreating figure, his expression complex.
Though Lord Valerian had sought to kill him, Chris couldn’t help but acknowledge the man’s principles. Unlike others, Lord Valerian was different-he was the former Primus of Amerosia.
Once, Lord Valerian had fought valiantly for Amerosia, shedding blood on its behalf. But due to certain circumstances, he had later rebelled against it.
At his core, Lord Valerian was a man of honor, not a petty villain.
Still, no matter how principled the man might be, Chris knew an inevitable battle loomed between the two of them. Who would emerge victorious remained uncertain.
Thunderous Roars
Suddenly, the sound of roaring engines filled the air.
A convoy of dark green Humvees sped toward Chris’s estate.
Moments later, James stepped out of one of the vehicles.
Chris raised a brow in curiosity. “James, what brings you here?”
James replied with a grin, “My cousin told my grandfather you were in trouble, so I brought reinforcements to help you out.”
As James glanced at the three lifeless bodies sprawled across the courtyard, he asked, “Are these the assassins sent to kill you?”
Chris nodded. “Yes, these three were sent by Daniel Williams. They’re powerful cultivators, but one of them managed to escape. Since you’re here, I’ll leave the cleanup to you.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it,” James assured him.
He gestured to his men, who promptly loaded the three bodies into one of the vehicles. Once the cleanup was complete, James didn’t linger and departed with his team.
A Ringing Phone
Chris’s phone buzzed just as James left.
Looking at the screen, Chris saw it was Candace calling.
“Chris, are you okay?” Candace’s voice was filled with concern.
After the failed assassination attempt at the restaurant by the Twins, Candace had informed her grandfather, Caspian, of the incident. Caspian had taken it seriously and sent James to assist.
But by the time James arrived, the battle was already over.
Chris chuckled. “Candace, thank you. I’m fine now.”
After a brief conversation, Chris ended the call.
Turning to Seraphina, he noticed her face was pale-evidence of her injuries.
Chris walked over, concern evident in his voice. “Seraphina, are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Seraphina replied, shaking her head.
A moment later, she hesitated before asking, “Mr. Shelby, didn’t my father hand over Emberwood Estate to you? I recall there being an elite guard unit stationed there-the Emberwood Guards. Why didn’t you summon them?”
Chris let out a dry laugh. “Though my master entrusted Emberwood Estate to me, the Emberwood Guards only appear when my life is truly in danger.”
Realization dawned on Seraphina’s face.
Clearly, Archer Wintersong had limited Chris’s control over the guards to prevent him from using them recklessly to turn Middleton upside down. Archer was well aware of Chris’s knack for stirring up trouble.
Seraphina’s expression turned thoughtful. “Mr. Shelby, why did Lord Valerian suddenly intervene to help you today? Hasn’t he always wanted to kill you?”
It was a valid question.
Lord Valerian had pursued Chris relentlessly, yet today, he had saved Chris by fighting off the four assassins. The contradiction was baffling.
Chris fell silent for a moment before explaining, “Lord Valerian isn’t like most people. As a former Primus of Amerosia, he’s proud to his core. To him, I’m his prey, and he won’t let anyone else take what he considers his prize.”
Chris sighed, his expression one of resignation.
For all his strength and status as Amerosia’s Primus, he had somehow become someone else’s “prey.”
Seraphina’s face grew serious. “Mr. Shelby, I’ve uncovered something about Lord Valerian that you need to know.”
Chris’s gaze sharpened. “What is it?”
Seraphina replied, “After extensive investigation, I’ve finally discovered who released Lord Valerian from the Obsidian Citadel. It was none other than Hollow Frost of the Frost family.”
“What? Hollow Frost?”
Chris’s eyes narrowed, a chilling glint flashing in them.
He hadn’t anticipated that Hollow Frost was the one who had freed Lord Valerian to kill him. Clearly, Hollow Frost sought revenge for his brother, Lysander Frost, by using Lord Valerian as his weapon.
But something still didn’t add up.
Chris frowned. “With Hollow Frost’s power, it doesn’t seem likely he could control someone like Lord Valerian.”
“You’re right,” Seraphina agreed. “Hollow Frost doesn’t have the strength to command Lord Valerian. However, my investigation revealed that Lord Valerian has a daughter. Hollow Frost appears to have discovered her whereabouts and is using her as leverage to force Lord Valerian to do his bidding.”
Chris’s voice dropped into a low growl. “Despicable. Hollow Frost has sunk so low as to threaten Lord Valerian with his own daughter just to kill me. No wonder Lord Valerian has been hunting me so relentlessly-it’s all Hollow Frost’s doing.”
Turning to Seraphina, Chris said, “Thank you for bringing me this information.”
Seraphina smirked and teasingly said, “Mr. Shelby, if you truly want to thank me, why not marry me?”
Chris was taken aback, his face a mix of exasperation and disbelief.
The next day, Chris went to the neighboring villa to look for Seraphina but found only a note on the table.
The note explained that Seraphina had gone to investigate the whereabouts of Lord Valerian’s daughter. She promised to inform Chris as soon as she uncovered anything.
Reading the note, Chris’s expression turned grim.
If Seraphina was tracking Lord Valerian’s daughter, she would inevitably cross paths with Hollow Frost.
Hollow Frost wouldn’t easily give up his greatest bargaining chip-Lord Valerian’s daughter.
If Hollow Frost dared harm Seraphina, Chris vowed to make him pay.
Meanwhile, at the Dragon Order Base
After returning to the Dragon Order Base, Seraphina immediately began investigating Hollow Frost’s movements.
Her efforts soon yielded results.
Recently, Hollow Frost had brought a woman into the Dragon Order Base.
Seraphina quickly deduced that this woman might be Lord Valerian’s daughter.
If she was right, Hollow Frost had hidden Lord Valerian’s daughter in the heavily guarded Dragon Order Base.
It was a cunning move. The base’s high security made it nearly impossible for anyone to infiltrate.
Hollow Frost had indeed chosen the safest place to keep his leverage.