Emily Thompson was shouted at so directly, yet she didn’t get angry. She let out a gentle laugh, walked in with her head held high, and upon seeing the young man in white and the young man in a blue robe, she gave a graceful bow, humbly taking the lower seat. With a faint smile, she said, “Emily Thompson has kept Miss Parker and Miss Quinn waiting for so long, it’s truly an unpardonable crime. I hope you two ladies, seeing that Emily is sincerely admitting her fault, will let it go this time.”

Adam Brooks quietly took a place behind Emily Thompson. By now, he understood that these two people had quite the background. Emily Thompson addressed them both as “ladies,” but as Adam Brooks secretly glanced at them a few times, he thought to himself, “These two do have a bit of makeup on, but their features aren’t at all delicate. Could I have guessed wrong? Are they not sissies, but actually two tomboys?”

The young man in white, whom Emily Thompson called Miss Parker, gave a cold laugh and said, “Let’s skip these empty formalities. Without a proper excuse, I can’t touch you, Emily Thompson. We came here this time, splitting up with Olivia Martin. He’s here for both public and private reasons, but we’re here strictly on official business. The person you had the Bamboo Branch Gang look into—any leads yet?”

Emily Thompson gave a light laugh and said, “That little beauty from the Lingqiao Immortal Sect is currently cultivating in seclusion at Mount Zhu Yin, seven hundred li south of Poyang Prefecture. As long as we have enough people, capturing her won’t be difficult. It’s just that…”

Miss Parker barked, “What do you mean, ‘just’? You people from the jianghu gangs have no right to set any conditions. But don’t worry—if you can get this done, Mr. Wright has promised that you’ll be allowed to serve the court as military officers elsewhere. You’ll never have to run these lowly businesses again, nor worry about the Lingqiao Immortal Sect coming for revenge.”

Only then did Emily Thompson seem to relax, her attitude growing even more respectful. After a brief discussion, Emily Thompson took Adam Brooks and excused herself. From start to finish, the three of them never paid him any mind; clearly, to people of their status, even sparing him a glance would be too much. Their arrogance truly embodied the phrase “overbearing and domineering.”

Adam Brooks didn’t mind this; he was actually quite interested in the conversation between Miss Parker and Emily Thompson. After following Emily Thompson out of the restaurant, he couldn’t help but ask, “Third Boss, who exactly is this Miss Parker? Why is she so overbearing?”

Emily Thompson gave a charming smile, her allure overflowing. Lowering her voice, she brought her cherry lips close to Adam Brooks’s ear and giggled, “You really are inexperienced. This Miss Parker is the only granddaughter of the Grand Preceptor of the Realm, Charles Parker. She’s destined to become an imperial consort in the future. Just being able to see her is a blessing earned over eight lifetimes. Although… what you saw wasn’t her real face.”

Chapter Ten: Spring Chicken · Fox Spirit

“The only granddaughter of the Grand Preceptor of the Realm, Charles Parker?”

Although Adam Brooks had guessed that Miss Parker had an extraordinary background, he hadn’t expected it to be this grand. Poor Adam Brooks, born a mountain bandit, didn’t even know what rank the Grand Preceptor of the Realm was, but the title certainly sounded impressive. And with Emily Thompson saying that Miss Parker was destined to be an imperial consort, her status was even more remarkable.

Adam Brooks chuckled, but inwardly thought, “The chief usually robs the wives and daughters of officials, but how could those women compare to a future imperial consort? I, Big Boss Brooks, should be robbing women like this to be my own lady of the stronghold. Even if she’s fierce, after a few lashes of the whip, she’ll be as docile as a kitten. But her looks are a bit too masculine… Wait, didn’t Third Boss say this isn’t her real face? Could there be some magic that changes appearances? If that’s the case, these two women must be quite formidable…”

Although Adam Brooks aspired to be a great bandit chief, seizing countless gold and women, he wasn’t actually a lustful man. It was just that, being constantly exposed to such talk, he thought that was the way to enjoy life, so he dreamed of it accordingly. Once he calmed down and thought it over, he deduced a few hidden truths. In his heart, he became even more wary of Miss Parker and that so-called Miss Quinn.

Seeing Adam Brooks deep in thought, Emily Thompson grinned and said, “If you want to see the real face of this Miss Parker, that’s easy. As long as you make Sister happy, I’ll find you a chance. You little rascal, Sister isn’t afraid to tell you—the woman surnamed Ren, that Quinn, is also a stunning beauty, but she’s too cold and loves to dress as a man, so outsiders have no idea how beautiful she really is.”

Adam Brooks broke out in a sweat, thinking, “What do you take me, Big Boss Brooks, for? Just because I see a woman, I’m supposed to snatch her? At the very least, I should pick and choose, and only take the best.”

Emily Thompson didn’t care what Adam Brooks was thinking, nor did she let him leave. She just dragged him along, turning here and there until they arrived at the gate of a small courtyard. The courtyard had only seven or eight rooms and a not-so-large open yard, but the location was tranquil and the buildings were quite elegant. Emily Thompson pushed the door open and entered, clearly very familiar with the place. She grabbed Adam Brooks, giggling as she led the little bandit inside. Her eyes were so seductive they seemed about to drip water, and she brushed up against Adam Brooks as they walked, occasionally whispering in his ear, though she never said anything important—just idle chatter, here and there.