A Debt of Gratitude
Jessica awoke once more, unsure how much time had passed.
She looked around in confusion, seemingly still unclear about what had happened.
“Henry? Are you still here?”
She tried calling for Henry, but there was no response.
Henry’s jacket was still draped over her shoulders, and her mother’s memento was on her finger.
This was enough proof that her earlier meeting with Henry hadn’t been a hallucination.
She straightened her clothes, her mind gradually clearing.
But a voice interrupted her movements.
“Your Royal Highness, you’re finally awake.”
Jessica whirled around, her hand instinctively moving to her waist.
But she suddenly remembered her weapons had been confiscated.
When she saw who it was, however, her face showed surprise.
It was the maid from Henry’s side, the one called Lilith, if she remembered correctly.
“You are… Lilith?”
“I’m flattered that Your Royal Highness remembers a minor character like me.”
“How did you get in here?” Jessica found it strange. Were the Abyssal Prisons really so full of holes that anyone could just waltz in like it was their own home?
“You’ve been asleep for quite some time. If you had slept any longer, I would have had to wake you.”
Lilith didn’t answer Jessica’s question. In her view, unless it concerned Henry or Sherisa, she had no obligation to explain.
Jessica frowned slightly, not understanding the meaning behind Lilith’s words.
“Young Master has been taken away. His Majesty the King has sentenced him to death. He should be on his way to the execution grounds now.”
Mentioning this, Lilith’s expression grew somewhat more serious.
Hearing this news, Jessica became tense.
“Then why are you still here? Henry is innocent!”
“I know better than anyone that he is innocent,” Lilith said expressionlessly. “But Young Master instructed me to wait here for you to wake up. He told me to inform you that someone means harm to those children.”
Jessica was stunned for a moment before it clicked.
“You mean Milu and the others?!”
“I don’t know who Milu is. I only know Imperial soldiers are searching for them.”
Lilith tossed Jessica’s sword onto the floor.
She didn’t have time to waste here.
Although Henry had said he could handle this situation, she was still worried.
Now that Henry’s message had been delivered, what Jessica chose to do was her own affair.
The events from her dream flashed through Jessica’s mind.
When Milu’s corpse had appeared before her, she had been at a loss, not knowing what to do.
And Henry’s words echoed in her ears.
“Your Royal Highness, you’ve disappointed me. I thought you were capable of this.”
She stared at the sword on the ground, momentarily dazed.
“Oh, and Princess Jessica, I almost forgot. Young Master Henry said he believes you will make the right judgment.”
Lilith’s words made Jessica snap her head up.
But Lilith was no longer there.
The space before her was empty, as if Lilith had never existed.
She clenched her fists, the faces of those children flashing through her mind.
After enduring so much hardship, those children were still trying their best to survive.
And now, those people wanted to strip them of even that right to live!
If her mother were here, she would never allow such a thing!
Jessica looked at her mother’s ring, it was as if she saw her mother smiling at her.
Yes, she was Jessica Louis!
She was the daughter of Empress Eliana!
This entire Empire was her mother’s life’s work. How could she stand by and watch it be ruined by these parasites?
She had to protect those children!
This time, she refused to be powerless again!
Resolutely, Jessica picked up the sword from the floor and fastened it at her waist.
She pulled open the cell door, her hair trembling with the motion.
Henry’s jacket, worn over her shoulders, felt like Henry was right beside her. “Henry, Mother… I won’t let you down!”
Her eyes shone with determination, all traces of her earlier confusion gone.
****
Scorpion hadn’t even realized how Henry had gotten behind him.
He saw Henry standing in mid-air, a greatsword beneath his feet, and another resting on his shoulder.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for finding the murderer.]
[Reward: A large amount of spiritual energy (Physique qualified).]
Wisps of pale golden spiritual energy, like sinuous snakes, pierced through the undergrowth, madly surging into his meridians.
That spiritual energy was like sweet rain after a long drought, exploding within his Dantian the moment it entered his body.
Henry’s clothes billowed without wind, fine golden light shimmering around him. Excruciating pain and intense pleasure intertwined.
As the spiritual energy continued to pour in, Henry’s aura climbed steadily. His hair stood on end, and it seemed as if countless golden serpents writhed beneath his skin.
This was the first time Scorpion had witnessed such a bizarre scene.
He could tell this shouldn’t be magical power!
So what exactly was Henry absorbing now?
He frowned, but the dagger in his hand did not stop.
After Henry’s earlier insults, even if he couldn’t kill him, he could still sever all the tendons in his limbs.
If the Family Head questioned him later, he could always find an excuse to avoid punishment.
The sharp dagger swept towards Henry’s wrist.
But just as the dagger was about to touch Henry’s skin, it couldn’t advance another fraction of an inch.
Scorpion looked up sharply.
Henry’s eyes glowed with a golden light, his pupils devoid of any emotion.
He swung the greatsword forward in a fierce slash!
A powerful sword Qi shot out.
Scorpion’s pupils constricted sharply. His body dissolved into a cloud of black mist, dispersing into the air.
But that sword Qi directly cleaved through the black mist, cleanly slicing the giant tree behind Scorpion in half!
Scorpion stared in shock at the scene before him.
He could tell Henry hadn’t used any magical power. In fact, there wasn’t the slightest fluctuation of magic coming from Henry!
So how had he unleashed such a formidable attack?
The Henry before him was the same person once known as the useless person.
Where had he learned such skills?
Scorpion landed steadily on the ground, clutching his shoulder.
Although he had dodged the main force of the sword Qi, he had still been grazed, and his Qi and blood was churning.
Henry let out a long breath. The surge of spiritual energy had been completely absorbed into his body.
He landed on the ground, his clothes fluttering. The spiritual energy circulating within him was like a raging river, flowing ceaselessly.
At the same time, the Primordial Sword Heart within him seemed to sense the spiritual energy in Henry’s body.
It continuously emanated Sword Intent, seeming very excited.
Henry felt his current understanding of Sword Intent had become profoundly deeper.
Simultaneously, he could sense that within this world of magic, there truly seemed to be traces of spiritual energy.
This made Henry even more certain that he could continue his cultivation in this magical world!
He looked towards Scorpion not far away, raising an eyebrow slightly.
“You know,” he said, “you’re really my lucky star. I ought to repay you properly.”