This scene was simply too bizarre.

Outside the Zhaixing Pavilion, spring thunder rumbled faintly, lurking within the black-purple clouds, stuffy and humid.

After hesitating for a moment, Alice Carter still drifted over, floating to William Clark's side, his face full of impatient “what are you doing” annoyance.

William Clark picked up a golden goblet with his fingers, raised his sleeve and, under the pretense of drinking, lowered his voice and laughed: “Told you to come take a closer look.”

Alice Carter replied coldly, “I already said, I’m not interested.”

William Clark: “You will be interested.”

A sense of foreboding rose in Alice Carter's heart.

Sure enough, the next second, that feeling came true.

William Clark continued in that slow, deliberate tone, asking him, “Alice Carter, can you guess how to perform the ritual to attract an evil spirit?”

Alice Carter's expression froze, staring straight at him, nearly cursing out loud.

William Clark's lips curled: “The book says to use the blood of a virgin boy or girl for the sacrifice. I suppose a young merman would work too.”

Alice Carter's mind exploded instantly, furious: “I don’t want to possess you! I’ll say it again, I don’t want to possess you! William Clark, will you ever stop! Let them go!”

William Clark leaned against the bed, turned his head away and chuckled quietly, as if he’d just heard a very amusing joke.

At that laugh, all the kneeling merfolk in the hall instantly lost all color from their faces.

Alice Carter was also stunned with anger.

This lunatic, this pervert.

William Clark drained the wine in his cup, set it aside, and said to the old eunuch, “Bring up that snow wolf I acquired a few days ago.”

The old eunuch forced a smile onto his wrinkled face: “As you command.”

Alice Carter gritted his teeth: “William Clark!”

Thud!

William Clark's face went cold, suddenly lashing out, throwing the cup in his hand.

It flew straight past the brow of the red-clad merman kneeling at the front.

The sharp, cold base of the golden goblet instantly left a bloody gash.

The cup rolled to the ground with a loud clatter, making everyone’s scalp tingle.

That merman flinched, blood streaming down his face. He opened his mouth, but with his throat and tongue already cut, he couldn’t even cry out. His eyes, tamed to utter obedience, were spotless, filled with terror and fear.

Alice Carter was also stunned, unable to speak.

William Clark lowered his gaze, meeting the merman’s eyes, and a slow, faint smile appeared on his lips.

“Legend has it the merfolk were once the overlords of the sea, violent by nature, roaming the oceans and feeding on snow wolves. As it happens, I acquired a snow wolf a few days ago. Tonight, I’ll reward it to you all—don’t let me down.”

Overlords of the sea, roaming the oceans.

When he said this, his tone was laced with a smile, betraying no emotion.

At this moment, the old eunuch had already summoned several armed guards, who carried in a massive cage three meters tall.

Inside the black iron cage was a snow wolf, its fur matted with blood and filth, its body as huge as a small mountain. It was in a state of savage frenzy, growling low in its throat, fangs gnawing at the bars, its beastly eyes blood-red, brimming with hunger, greed, and the urge to kill. It seemed that the moment the cage was opened, the wolf would burst out and tear people to pieces.

The old eunuch’s face wrinkled with a fawning smile: “Your Majesty, as you ordered, this wolf has been starved for a full ten days.”

William Clark nodded, his tone indifferent, “Mm, open the cage.”

The old eunuch nodded obsequiously again.

Alice Carter stood to the side, lips pressed in a cold line. Last time he’d come, he’d only seen the scene of a dancing girl jumping from the building, not what had happened before. Now, witnessing William Clark kill with his own eyes, he felt not only a chill in his blood, but also an inexplicable irritation, a loathing that welled up from his very bones and soul.

The moment the beast cage was opened, the snow wolf lunged out, its eyes ravenous and hungry as it stared at the kneeling merfolk outside. But a chain was fastened around its neck, and though it panted, gnashed its teeth, and licked at the blood, it couldn’t get out, a trapped beast struggling and clawing furiously at the ground.

The group of young merfolk kneeling on the ground sensed the danger, their faces pale as paper, huddling together, unable even to cry for help.

“Let them in.” William Clark sat on the couch, still looking lazy and noble, but his words were unspeakably cruel.

“Yes.”

The eunuch, all servile before him, turned to the merfolk and immediately changed his face, his narrow eyes full of malice and excitement as he ordered the guards, “Quick! Throw this group of wretched slaves into the cage!”

The guards, tall and strong, easily seized the thin arms of the young merfolk.

Terror reached its peak, and the merfolk snapped, fleeing in a frenzy. Once caught, their legs kicked desperately, but when they opened their mouths, only broken sounds came out. Tears streamed from their eyes, falling to the ground, still burning hot even though they didn’t form pearls.

The guards instantly grew angry.

“Still trying to run? Dying before His Majesty is your honor!”

“Lowly beasts! Don’t know what’s good for you!”

“Animals!”

The palace was in chaos, screams and curses mixing together.

In the muggy March spring, the damp wind made the bells under the eaves ring “ding ding ding.”

The first to be thrown into the cage was the young merman whose forehead had been smashed by William Clark's cup. Blood and pain clouded his mind, so even his attempt to escape was half a beat slower than the others. From birth, the young merfolk had been specially raised by humans, and over time, they had completely lost the ability to survive.