William Clark’s smile carried a hint of cynicism as he said softly, “Actually, if they really wanted to get my attention, maybe splitting open that wall would do the trick.”

Alice Carter: “……”

What the hell! If anyone could split that wall, who would even care about your attention? You really think you’re something, don’t you!

William Clark turned back. “Just kidding. Aren’t we having a heart-to-heart? What do you want to ask me?”

When he mentioned the wall, Alice Carter couldn’t help but think of the merman who was almost shot to death by his arrow. What had just happened in the golden hall had really shaken him, leaving him with mixed feelings. “About the merfolk…”

William Clark answered without hesitation, “My mother is a pure-blooded mermaid.”

Alice Carter was stunned.

William Clark added, “Now, besides Grace Turner, you’re the second person in the entire Chu imperial palace to know this.”

William Clark’s birth mother is a pure mermaid?

“Then you…” Alice Carter cautiously glanced at William Clark’s ears.

William Clark said calmly, “I’m not a merfolk.”

Alice Carter continued, “…Oh. You said your mother was insane—was she very bad to you? Is that why you dislike the merfolk?”

“That.” William Clark drew out the word, smiling. “Hard to say.”

Alice Carter thought for a long time, then asked bluntly, “Do you really like killing people?” He always found this point confusing about William Clark.

William Clark pondered for a moment, then chuckled. “You really take advantage of being a ghost to ask anything, huh.”

But he still answered seriously. His lashes trembled slightly as he raised his hand to untie the pale blue hair ribbon, moving unhurriedly, speaking each word with care.

“I laugh because I find it funny. I have no need to play the fool—after all, in their eyes, whatever I do is dangerous. I don’t like killing, whether it’s human or merfolk blood—it’s all filthy and disgusting. The only person I want to kill is Grace Turner, but only if I can survive her first. Anything else you want to ask?”

“…Yes.”

Alice Carter: “You seem so normal now that I feel like what I saw that night at Jingzhe was a ghost.”

William Clark smiled. “Oh, just think of it as seeing a ghost then.”

7. Lingguang (Part One)

Mid-March.

On the last day before leaving Zhaixing Tower, Alice Carter began trying to possess William Clark’s body. At first, it was unbearably awkward—once inside, his hands didn’t feel like hands, his feet didn’t feel like feet.

William Clark watched from the side and asked seriously, “Are you planning to start by learning how to walk?”

Alice Carter snapped in embarrassment, “Shut up!”

The area around the Pagoda Tower was a forbidden zone in Chu, off-limits to ordinary people. The only ones coming and going were songstresses and dancers; the only constant was the Pagoda Tower across the way.

After staring at it for so long, Alice Carter could sketch its shape with his eyes closed: white walls, black eaves, nine stories high, shrouded in purple mist, bathed in endless Buddha’s light.

One day, the old eunuch came in, grinning obsequiously. “Your Majesty, the merman you saved last time has almost fully recovered. Would you like me to bring him up to thank you?”

No need for that, Alice Carter paused, then couldn’t help but ask, “How are his legs?”

The old eunuch beamed. “Just lost a bit of flesh, nothing serious. To receive a word from Your Majesty, that wretched merman would die happy.”

Alice Carter twitched his lips, thinking that the people around William Clark were certainly interesting—what a way with words.

The old eunuch waited a long time for a reply. When none came, he snuck a glance up and saw Alice Carter’s face icy cold, his pupils full of terror. With a thud, he dropped to his knees and began kowtowing in panic. “Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me! It’s my fault for speaking out of turn—I deserve a thousand deaths!”

“???”

Alice Carter was even more bewildered.

What did he do?!

Why was this man suddenly begging for his life?!

Instinctively, Alice Carter looked at the real culprit beside him.

William Clark smirked. “You’ll get used to it.”

Get used to it, my ass, Alice Carter thought weakly, waving his hand feebly. “You… you may go.”

The old eunuch was overjoyed, tears streaming down his face. “Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing me! May Your Majesty’s fortune be boundless! This old servant will take his leave!”

After the eunuch left, Alice Carter asked, “What’s that old eunuch’s name?”

William Clark thought seriously for a moment. “David Bolton.”

Alice Carter asked worriedly, “How long has he served you? Will he notice anything off about me?”

William Clark: “He won’t.”

Alice Carter: “Hm?”

William Clark’s eyes glimmered with a smile as he spoke slowly, “There’s nothing off. Whatever I do is always right.”

Alice Carter: “……” Just how moody and unpredictable must you be on a daily basis to say something like that with such confidence?

William Clark’s soul was indeed weak and exhausted. As soon as he entered the sleeping quarters, he collapsed on the desk and fell asleep.

Alice Carter, meanwhile, wrapped himself in a quilt and read across from him.

After the demonic aura around the Pagoda Tower dissipated, there was no more bone-splitting agony, but this body still didn’t feel comfortable. Cold seeped into his limbs, heavy and chilling, as if shackled by the deep sea.

Although it was the system that brought him here, that idiot had been in such a rush that all it did was dump a bunch of melodramatic plot points on him.

If Alice Carter wanted to understand the specifics of Chu, he’d have to read up on his own.

Chu was the greatest nation of the age, occupying sixteen provinces in the Central Plains, lord of the world, with all nations paying tribute.

The capital was called Lingguang, the largest city in the world, bustling and prosperous beyond compare.