The Price of Power

Clang!

Bai Chen raised his hand, gazing at the gleaming iron rings on his wrist. His eyes, somewhat vacant, fixed on the small window high up in the gloomy room.

‘This time, there’s probably no escaping,’ he thought, a self-deprecating smile playing on his lips. ‘Hah, since I’m here, why even dream of leaving?’

There were no more tricks left to buy time. Mo Xiao wasn’t the type to be bitten once and then hesitate again.

He glanced at the branded mark on his wrist. A fiery red, tattoo-like design coiled around half his arm, so enchantingly beautiful it seemed poised to bloom.

Yet, for Bai Chen, such an exquisite mark was an unbearable psychological blow, a blinding assault on his senses.

The night was silent, and every corner of the small room was fortified with a barrier. Even so, Mo Xiao had imposed multiple layers of restraint upon Bai Chen.

Iron chains began at his neck, stretching down to his wrists, which were then shackled together into an iron ring before him. His feet, too, were cuffed to the bed’s railing.

The chains were imbued with special properties, designed not only to suppress Bai Chen’s inner energy but also to deliver a potent electric current upon the slightest struggle, instantly paralyzing him.

Bai Chen had experienced this firsthand. Such iron restraints allowed him only a slight movement of his head. After prolonged periods, his entire body would ache, yet he remained utterly immobile.

Despite these formidable precautions, two high-tier spirit beasts stood guard outside the room. Even with their advanced cultivation, they instinctively recoiled from the “thing” within.

It was a primal fear, born from their very essence—the innate dread of a spirit beast many ranks above them. Yet, unable to defy their master’s command, they dutifully remained at their posts.

Faint sounds of activity drifted from outside. From certain keywords embedded in the muffled noise, Bai Chen deduced that a sacrificial ritual for a contract was underway.

A cold sneer touched his lips as he surveyed the layers of restraints on his body. ‘Mo Xiao… are you still not at ease?’

He had no concept of time, judging it to be the dead of night solely by the moonlight streaming through the small window. The commotion outside persisted.

It was clear how seriously Mo Xiao regarded this contract. Given the current setup, it would likely be completed in about three days.

‘Mo Xiao… that medicine, it must be the antidote,’ he mused. He had personally entrusted it to his most trusted guard.

If all went as planned, he had arranged for Bai Qiao to be sedated first, then given the antidote. Even if Bai Qiao despised him even more upon waking, it no longer mattered.

After all, he held no hope of ever leaving this place.

The next morning, Bai Qiao remained in a state of unconsciousness. It had to be said, the guard, still haunted by the previous incident, had perhaps been a little too heavy-handed.

Huayu, in a state of growing confusion, frantically inquired about Bai Chen’s whereabouts. Bai Chen had been missing for a long time, vanishing the day after their wedding.

Someone suggested searching Bai Qiao’s room. Huayu went to look, but he wasn’t there. She wasn’t sure how she felt upon leaving.

Was it relief that Bai Chen hadn’t been found in another woman’s room? Or disappointment that he still hadn’t been located?

The news spread rapidly. King Qing held his teacup steady, though it trembled slightly, causing the tea to ripple and stain the inner walls of the cup.

Just then, someone rushed in, prompting King Qing to furrow his brow.

“What is it? Why the urgency?”

The newcomer hastily replied, “King Bai has gone missing. Everyone is searching for him.”

“What?!”

The teacup slammed down hard on the table, most of its contents splashing out and drenching the surface.

King Qing, known for his meticulous cleanliness, said nothing. Instead, he began to pace back and forth across the room.

His greatest concern now lay with Mo Xiao. King Qing could discern Mo Xiao’s intentions.

If Bai Chen were truly in Mo Xiao’s hands, King Qing knew he would never be able to overcome him.

King Qing vaguely recalled the location from last time—a place heavily fortified, like a fortress. ‘Hah, Mo Xiao, truly a master strategist,’ he mused.

‘However, even for such a formidable stronghold, for the sake of absolute power, I, King Qing, would not hesitate to venture there.’

****