Invisible Security Guard
Chapter 728 - 727: Higgins King’s Revenge

Chapter 728: Chapter 727: Higgins King’s Revenge

The emissaries from the Saint Dragon Pavilion division mustered their courage for a secret investigation at Heavenly Dao and, ready to risk it all, Ocean Vaughn finally arrived at the Higgins Royal Palace.

The Higgins King had occasionally been residing in the palace recently, but he also often returned home. Moreover, due to his rising status, the security within his palace had become exceptionally strict, teeming with experts— not only did his 3,000 retainers come over, but even several of the senior officials from the palace had taken up permanent residence in the Royal Palace.

Since it was late at night, the Royal Palace was deathly quiet inside and out. As Ocean Vaughn dismounted his horse, the imperial guards outside the palace came forward with their swords drawn. One of the guards said in a stern voice, "Lord Ocean, what brings you to the Royal Palace at this hour?" The guards actually recognized Ocean Vaughn.

"I have an urgent matter to see the Prince about, hurry and report my arrival," Ocean Vaughn demanded.

"But the Prince has already retired for the night..." the guard said, troubled.

"This matter concerns the Prince greatly. If you delay the Prince’s important affairs, do you want to lose your head? Quickly, go and announce my arrival. Do you think I would come in the middle of the night for no reason?" Ocean Vaughn exclaimed loudly.

"Very well, Lord Ocean, please wait a moment." The guard was also feeling nervous—after all, this was the Prince’s brother-in-law, and should it be an emergency concerning Princess Jing, and they failed to report it, the Higgins King would be enraged.

A guard ran into the gatehouse, and a servant from there hurried to the steward’s quarters. The steward, upon hearing the report, dressed quickly and went to the courtyard where the Higgins King resided, standing outside the prince’s door and gently rapping three times, "My Prince, Lord Ocean Vaughn has arrived. He says he has urgent business to inform you of, and it appears there truly is a serious issue."

"Understood, take him to the parlor to wait for me." The lights in the Higgins King’s bedroom were turned on, and he was also filled with doubts, wondering if something had happened to Jing’er. Why would Ocean Vaughn come here at such a late hour? This was unlike him. Ocean Vaughn usually avoided seeing him whenever possible, and would only interact with him when necessary. But now he was seeking him out, and at such an hour, claiming an urgent matter, it must indeed be something significant.

The Higgins King did not dare to take this matter lightly. Currently, the Capital City was in turmoil. Despite his handling of state affairs as the left-hand minister, there were still members of the Dragon Guardian Clan and no clear decree from the Royal Cultivation Sect endorsing him as Emperor. So, his position as the left-hand minister was like walking on thin ice, requiring him to act with utmost caution.

The Higgins King got dressed and headed to the parlor. By this time, Ocean Vaughn was already kneeling inside.

"What’s the matter?" The Higgins King asked coldly, "Why are you kneeling?"

"Please, brother, I ask you to decide for me!" Ocean Vaughn suddenly broke into tears.

The Higgins King was taken aback. He knew that his sister had kept many lovers and was not living a decent life, turning Ocean Vaughn into a laughingstock in the Capital City, the cuckolded fool.

So, now, when Ocean Vaughn claimed that he wanted the prince to decide for him, the Higgins King suspected that Ocean Vaughn might have caught Jing’er in the act.

If Ocean Vaughn caught her in infidelity, he had every right to do so, and should he make a scene about it, it would reflect poorly on Jing’er’s reputation and his own as her brother.

"Stand up and speak. What happened?" The Higgins King’s tone softened a bit.

"Brother, I just can’t go on living like this..." Ocean Vaughn stood up, wiping tears from his eyes, and said, "I know I am worthless, I know I am a damned fool, and I know that everyone in the Capital City laughs at me."

"But over the years, I have been nothing but good to Jing’er, extremely good. Whatever Jing’er says goes, and I have taken the mockery of others as nothing but jokes. But... but... but today... I... she..." Ocean Vaughn was a fool, but a clever one at that.

"What’s wrong? Stop beating around the bush!" The Higgins King said impatiently.

"She... she... she, in front of me, on my own bed, was fooling around with the coachman in our house, I can’t live like this anymore..." Ocean Vaughn wailed, utterly heartbroken.

The Higgins King was struck by a wave of frustration. Had Jing’er become this chaotic? Even if she kept lovers, she should have been discreet, not in front of her own husband.

Ocean Vaughn was, after all, the legitimate grandson of the prestigious Vaughn Family. If things got too ridiculous, how would the Royal Family save face?

"You go, return and behead that coachman. Dammit, you’re infuriating me. Don’t be sad anymore. Later, I’ll have a word with Jing’er. And you, can’t you act like a man? The very thing Jing’er dislikes about you is this: always nodding and bowing, without a trace of manly spirit!"

"The one with manly spirit is you, Sixth Brother. I... I’m just like this for the rest of my life..." Ocean Vaughn muttered softly.

Higgins King was so exasperated that he actually chuckled, then his tone softened once again and he said, "Alright, can’t you all give me some peace of mind? The current situation is unsettled, and the Capital City is in chaos. Our fortunes rise and fall together, remember that. Also, it’s not good for you to be idle all day. Tomorrow, I’ll see about getting you a position at the Ministry of Civil Personnel. Yes, go back and behead that coachman. If Jing’er dares to say anything, tell her I ordered it, and to come find me if she has a complaint!"

"Thank you, Sixth Brother. If I’m slighted within the family, I can endure it, but outside, no one treats me with any respect. Just earlier, Samir Vaughn, the steward of my household, was beheaded by someone, and I couldn’t even fart in protest. I said I’m Higgins King’s brother-in-law, but they said, ’What does Higgins King count for!’"

"Bang!" Higgins King slammed his hand on the table and glared at Ocean Vaughn, exclaiming, "How dare they!"

"It wasn’t me who said it; others did. They also said you had the makings of being the Emperor, but in the end you were dispatched by a mere Xian Wang..."

The eyebrows of Higgins King rose, and he suddenly laughed, "You son of a bitch, coming to me today isn’t just about Jing’er’s issue, is it?" Higgins King, astute as ever, immediately saw through Ocean Vaughn’s ruse. He brought up Princess Jing as a pretext to garner sympathy for his own grievances, then used what others had said to provoke him. The son of a bitch had become quite shrewd.

"Sixth Brother," Ocean Vaughn knelt down, "when all is said and done, I am your brother-in-law. At the end of the day, it was my grandfather who supported you the most back then. At the end of the day, our Vaughn Family is forever bound to you. But at home, I suffer indignities without complaint, and outside, everyone bullies me – even the pimps in the brothels don’t treat me as a human being."

"They don’t treat you as human as they look down on you. Sixth Brother, I’m your brother-in-law, you’re my uncle, you have to stand up for me," Ocean Vaughn pleaded tearfully.

"Even the pimps dare to bully you?" Higgins King snorted coldly.

"Yes, that very ’Heaven and Earth’ place. They found a few cultivators, and then they beheaded my house’s chief steward and a guard, throwing their heads onto the street, not even allowing me to retrieve the bodies. What’s the point of living like this!"

"Outrageous!" Higgins King snorted with rage and suddenly shouted to someone outside, "Erickson!"

"Present." Leah Erickson appeared as if out of thin air. This fellow had only passed a few months and had already formed his Solidifying Pill, progressing at an astonishingly rapid pace.

"You, take people with you to that brothel, seal it up first, the pimps, madams, all of them thrown into the dungeon. And those trouble-causing Daoists, take them down too. Lawlessness will not be tolerated; this is the Saint Dragon Empire, this is our Capital City. Do they think that just because they’ve practiced the Dao for a few days, nobody dares to manage them?"

"Wait, wait, Sixth Brother, among those cultivators, it is rumored that there is a Nascent stage expert," Ocean Vaughn said cautiously, glancing at Higgins King.

Higgins King’s body jolted, and Leah Erickson sucked in a breath of cold air.

"Humph, Nascent stage expert or not, they are still Sacred Dragon citizens. Call for the elders and Elder Zhu to go with you, take them all down. Anyone who dares to obstruct or resist will be charged with conspiracy and sentenced to death, along with the extermination of their entire clans!" Higgins King’s heart harbored the intent to weaken the influence of the Sects across the realm.

Without eliminating these Cultivation Sects, the Saint Dragon Empire would be a joke. He had also been waiting for a chance, always waiting for the best moment.

However, tonight, they would start by making an example of this Nascent Soul business, to see the reactions of the other Sects and of the Saint Dragon Pavilion.

"Go!" Leah Erickson bowed to Higgins King and then, with an excited Ocean Vaughn in tow, they left.