“Octavion… how could you just die like that? Your death… it was so senseless…” Quenric suddenly broke into sobs.
His wails of grief echoed through the halls, carrying an anguish so raw that nearly everyone in the Tenth Hall could hear his sorrow.
Tennyson glared at Quenric, his expression dark with fury, yet he held his tongue.
After a while, Quenric pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at his eyes. Whether his tears had been genuine or not remained uncertain.
“My Lord, Jared truly deserves to die-we must avenge Octavion!” Quenric exclaimed, hastily wiping his face.
“Of course,” Tennyson said, his voice like ice. “I want you to avenge Octavion immediately. You must eliminate Jared.”
“Me?” Quenric’s eyes widened in shock. He quickly waved his hands in protest. “No, no, that won’t do. My strength is on par with Octavion’s. If he was killed, wouldn’t sending me be a suicide mission?”
“I will give you twenty thousand celestial crystals,” Tennyson said, his gaze dark and unyielding. “This is not a request-it’s an order.”
Quenric hesitated, his mouth opening as if to protest, but upon meeting Tennyson’s piercing stare, he knew he had no choice. Swallowing hard, he finally nodded. “All right… I’ll go.”
As he turned and walked away, Tennyson watched his retreating figure, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.
He had indeed sent Quenric to his doom. The audacity of the man-to question and challenge his authority-was beyond belief. His death was nothing less than deserved.
As Quenric stepped out of the main hall, a frail old man quietly followed behind. Though his frame was thin and his presence unassuming, his eyes gleamed with an unsettling sharpness.
“Mr. Haverford, how did it go? Did he let Octavion go?” the old man asked in a hushed tone. “Such an act is a betrayal of the Celestial Palace. If we report this, Tennyson will surely face severe punishment.”
“Shut up,” Quenric snapped, his eyes flashing with irritation. “Octavion is already dead.”
“Dead?” The elder’s face stiffened with shock.
He found it almost impossible to believe.
“Could he truly be so ruthless as to send his own son to his death?”
“There’s no doubt about it, I saw Octavion’s lamp go out with my own eyes,” Quenric said grimly.
“If that’s the case, then we have no choice but to bide our time in the Tenth Hall, waiting for the right opportunity,” the elder replied, a hint of disappointment in his voice.
“Opportunity? Ha! Tennyson just ordered me to kill Jared and even offered twenty thousand celestial crystals. I had no choice but to accept!” Quenric scowled, his frustration evident.
“Twenty thousand celestial crystals? Quite generous of him,” the elder remarked, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “In that case, let’s proceed with eliminating Jared. Once it’s done, we simply report back. From what I’ve heard, Jared himself isn’t all that formidable-it’s the expert backing him that poses a problem. But no one can be protected every second of every day. If we bide our time and strike at the right moment, we’ll surely take him down.”
A confident gleam flickered in the elder’s sharp eyes.
Quenric shot the elder a sharp glare, his eyes burning with anger. “You old geezer, are you trying to send me to my death even faster?”
“Mr. Haverford, what are you saying?” The elder gasped, taken aback.
“Tavon and Octavion both died at Jared’s hands, and now you expect me to go after him? My strength is on par with Octavion’s-if he couldn’t survive, what makes you think I stand a chance?” Quenric’s voice rose, his frustration evident.
“Mr. Haverford, I’ve already looked into it,” the elder insisted. “That Jared is nothing more than a Ninth Level Tribulator. With your power, you could snuff out his life with a mere flick of your wrist. Back then, it wasn’t Jared who defeated Octavion and Tennyson-it was the intervention of Allardland, Abbot Infinides, and the enigmatic Mr. Sanders backing Jared. This time, Tavon and Octavion’s deaths were undoubtedly tied to Allardland or Mr. Sanders. There’s no way Jared alone could have done it. Mr. Haverford, don’t let yourself be fooled. That boy is nothing more than an insect before you!”
The elder’s voice brimmed with conviction as he relentlessly urged Quenric to strike.
