Lace Glory Universe King GL - Chapter 16

The headquarters of the Eastern Wu Group stood tall in the center of Jiangjun City. From afar, it looked like the prow of a great ship, its pure white and azure dual tones running through both the exterior and interior, making it the most iconic landmark of the city.

After receiving a call from the harbor, Sun Quan’s assistant quickly walked across the corridor, knocked, and entered his office.

“Boss, the port reported that at around 7 a.m., Sun Shangxiang checked in at the dock. She came aboard a ship from the Sunset Sea.”

Seated in a swivel chair near the floor-to-ceiling windows, Sun Quan steadied himself slightly at the news, but showed no surprise.
“I see. Was there another woman traveling with her?”

“I asked. The port said she was alone,” the assistant replied. “Do we need to make any preparations?”

“No. Proceed as planned,” Sun Quan said.

The assistant nodded.

Sikong Zhen had already warned him that Sun Shangxiang was often with Hua Mulan, the former commander of the Great Wall garrison. The two were likely headed for the Seaside Battleship to stir up trouble.

It wasn’t hard to guess—they must have split up.

Sun Quan mused, reaching for the phone on his desk to call the island project leader, when a loud boom suddenly came from below.

A few minutes earlier, Sun Shangxiang had arrived at the entrance of the Shipbuilding Tower. Following the people ahead, she stepped into the checkpoint and swiped her pass.

The machine beeped sharply: “Your card is invalid.”

The guard blocked her path. “Miss, you can’t go in.”

Raising her brows, Sun Shangxiang said slowly, “Oh? Really? Then call Sun Quan down here—it was him who disabled my card.”

The guard clearly didn’t recognize her and snapped impatiently, “Stop playing tricks here, or I’ll call the security squad to throw you out.”

The nearby crowd began to glance over curiously at the commotion.

Sun Shangxiang removed her cap, letting her ponytail fall loose from under it. She looked up at the towering building before her and said, “He’s in his office upstairs, isn’t he? The squad you call won’t make nearly enough noise. I don’t think so.”

“What are you talking about?” the guard frowned.

She had no patience left for words. The Thousand-Gold Heavy Crossbow beneath her coat burned to be unleashed.

She drew the weapon and fired a bolt at the circular fountain before the Shipbuilding Tower’s main entrance.

BOOM!

The fountain’s stone rim shattered instantly, and water surged several meters into the air.

“The young lady has arrived—make way!!”

With a roll, Sun Shangxiang burst past the stunned crowd and charged straight into the building.

The guards, delayed by shock, hurried to call for reinforcements.

From their office window, Sun Quan and his assistant looked down at the plaza below, now a muddy crater.

The culprit now sat in his leather chair, her smile edged with ice.

Lighting a cigarette, Sun Quan motioned for his assistant to leave.

“Why have you come back?” His voice was soft, but strangely unfamiliar.

“I’m home. That’s all.” Sun Shangxiang rested her hands on the chair’s armrests, her eyes roaming across the familiar office.

“When the guard blocked you, you blew up the fountain. Quite a temper you’ve grown on this return.” Sun Quan commented loftily.

Always deflecting… Sun Shangxiang sneered inwardly, but said aloud, “If you hadn’t deactivated my Group pass, none of that would’ve happened.”

“Oh, that’s it? I’ll have my assistant reactivate it.” Sun Quan smiled and reached for the intercom to his assistant’s office.

It was always her right, yet he made it sound like a special pardon.

“No need.” Sun Shangxiang cut him off. “I didn’t come back to tour the building.”

Canceling the call, Sun Quan relaxed slightly at her words, and switched to a more conciliatory tone.
“Sister, if you need anything, just tell me. I’ll help however I can. There’s no need for scenes like today.”

Sun Shangxiang eased the hostility in her tone. “I’m not like you. I don’t have the talent to manage the Group’s affairs. I don’t want any of this. There’s only one thing I care about—the Red Lotus. Big Brother gave it to me once, and I’ve always loved it. As a keepsake, or maybe to sail across the seas and wander the continent—it would suit me.”

Her words sounded reasonable, a declaration she sought no greater claim.

Sun Quan’s heart sank. Why that? Had she asked for property or land, it would’ve been easy to give. But the Red Lotus had already been sold to the Eastwind Sea domain, no longer under Eastern Wu’s ownership.

“You’re still as carefree as ever,” Sun Quan said, his face betraying nothing. “I’ll see to it.”

“Good. I’ll wait for your word, Second Brother.” Sun Shangxiang feigned cheer, playing the role of a spoiled young lady satisfied at winning a favorite toy.

Declining Sun Quan’s offer to stay at the family estate, Sun Shangxiang left the Shipbuilding Tower alone. She went to seek the old steward.

Only a month had passed since she’d fled as a runaway bride, yet her brother treated her with a softer hand now. She was no longer the little princess who could be confined at will.

Not only had her heavy crossbow’s power grown fearsome, but the tale of her escape from the Yu Office surely had already reached Sun Quan’s ears.

Uncle Ge lived in an old house near the riverside in Jiangjun’s old quarter. The river no longer ran clear, the paths worn down, her steps kicking up dust.

A green double-door. Yes, this was the one.

“Uncle Ge?” Sun Shangxiang knocked.

No response.

She called louder, knocking again.

After some time, a middle-aged man with graying hair opened the door in a patterned knit cardigan, carefully examining the girl before him.

“—Young Miss?”

“It’s me, Uncle Ge.” Sun Shangxiang rushed forward, taking his hand.

He seemed older, his eyes welling with joy as he quickly ushered her inside.

“I’ve been longing for word from you. You don’t know how many message papers I sent…”

Sun Shangxiang laughed. “My movements are too unpredictable—ordinary papers couldn’t reach me. But here I am, back on my own.”

“Truly, fate arranges everything,” Uncle Ge sighed.

“What do you mean?”

He guided her to the living room, to a pair of woven chairs padded with soft cushions. In summer, the cushions would be removed for cool seating. The room was full of wooden furniture, hand-made cloths and mats, exuding warmth and comfort. Sunlight slanted through the glass windows, painting the eastern wall; in an hour, the sun would set.

He brought her hot tea.

Only then did Sun Shangxiang realize she hadn’t had a sip of water all day at the Shipbuilding Tower.

“Tonight, an important guest is coming. And you, young miss, return just in time—that’s why I said fate,” Uncle Ge explained.

“Who?”

“Lanling King. You probably don’t know him.”

Late at night, Hua Mulan finally arrived in Jiangjun. Fighting exhaustion, she traversed the neon-lit yet desolate city rooftops.

She had failed to infiltrate the Seaside Battleship. Though the soldiers Sun Quan stationed around it were weak, she had broken through their lines easily. But more and more kept coming, like endless swarms of ants. What disturbed her most—they fought with no regard for their lives, indifferent to comrades dying at their side. After battling for some time, she realized something was wrong and withdrew.

As she scanned the buildings and street names below, thinking how remote the steward’s home was, she failed to notice the shadowy figure blended into the dark beside her.

He had followed her for a while, confirming the true identity of this silver-haired, disguised woman.

“General, one must keep watch when traveling at night,” came a voice, low as a whisper.

Stopping on a rooftop, Hua Mulan turned to look—no one was there.

Whoosh—

A masked man descended from above. Mulan looked up sharply as he passed close, their faces nearly brushing, his blue eyes locking onto hers.

He landed steadily on the opposite side, holding a black briefcase.

Neon lights shimmered off his purple hair, but she could never mistake him.

“Lanling King? What are you doing here?” she asked.

“On assignment,” he answered tersely. “I should ask the same of you, General.”

“I see you’re well. By the way, your new servant is rather impolite,” she replied evasively.

“Oh, that? Don’t mind it—it’s a construct.”

She blinked in surprise, hand brushing the concealed package she carried. “I see. I must be on my way then. No time for chatter.”

As she turned, he called after her with a deliberate hook in his tone:
“Is the General so eager to find Sun Shangxiang?”

At midnight, the darkness along the old district’s riverside was impenetrable. Sun Shangxiang, Hua Mulan, and Lanling King gathered in Uncle Ge’s living room. Indeed—fate had arranged it.

It turned out, Lanling King’s former employer had been Sun Ce. In the last two years before his death, Sun Ce discovered discrepancies in Sun Quan’s accounts. He hired the masked assassin to act as his eyes and ears, keeping close watch on Sun Quan’s activities. The contract spanned two years.

One clause stipulated: should Sun Ce suffer misfortune, Lanling King must continue fulfilling the contract, reporting directly to the old steward.

At first, Lanling King sent encrypted monthly reports to Sun Ce. Later, as Sun Ce’s illness worsened, he ordered all communication destroyed. Tonight, the heavy briefcase he carried contained the accumulated records.

Under the warm glow of a hanging lamp, Uncle Ge opened it and glanced inside.

From her seat, Sun Shangxiang saw the thick stack of documents and felt her head ache. “Aren’t you an assassin? How are you so good at paperwork?”

Lanling King smiled. “It’s a basic skill. Otherwise, how would employers know I’ve done my job?”

“Sir, thank you for your efforts. These materials, I’ll safeguard them. But there’s one question I want to hear you answer directly,” Uncle Ge said, closing the case.

Lanling King gestured—please, ask.

“His death… was there something wrong?”

Sun Shangxiang and Hua Mulan both turned to him.

He crossed his arms, lowering his head slightly, purple hair falling forward as if weighing his words.

“He was killed before the hospital ever declared him dead,” Lanling King said. “When he was first admitted, he could still walk, still manage Group affairs, still prepare the handover for you, little princess. Until that day when his condition suddenly deteriorated—he was already gone.”

“Then the man on the bed…?” Sun Shangxiang whispered, remembering her brother’s final, speechless days.

“Sun Quan replaced him with a construct.”

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