Harper was worried about Felton's condition but unfortunately she and Matthew couldn't get any news
about him—how he was or even where he was. It was like he vanished from the face of the earth, just
like the rest of the Qin Clan.
The members of the Qin Clan used to contact her through Felton. She wasn't even sure if they really
existed, so the only thing she could do at the moment was go to Phoenix City, the known base of the
clan, and search there.
Phoenix City was its usual busy, beautiful, and peaceful self when Harper and Matthew arrived. It was
not Matthew's first time visiting the city, but he still felt a renewed awe when he stepped foot on its land
once again.
After the couple checked in at a hotel, they immediately went ahead and looked for the base of the Qin
Clan. Standing at the gates of the closed orphanage, Harper donned a very complicated expression on
her face. 'Why is this closed? Is there anything wrong with the clan? Where are the children?' she
thought.
"Little Harper!" A female voice suddenly rang out. The person put her arm around Harper's neck as
soon as she was near her and said, "Why are you like this? How dare you not inform me that you're
back here in Phoenix City!"
"Daphne!" Harper tried to shake Daphne off her but she failed. "Daphne, you're strangling me. I'm
already out of breath! Please let me go!"
Daphne relented but it seemed to be because she saw Matthew next to her. "Who is this man? Is this
your man? Doesn't seem so good looking, why?"
Matthew's eyes rolled slightly. His sleeve brushed against Daphne's wrist, and the latter suddenly felt
her wrist becoming numb. Harper noticed this immediately and was about to say something about it,
but Matthew spoke first. "Why are you making friends with such a slut? I don't want her filth
contaminating you."
"Slut?" Daphne was ready to fight. "Who are you calling slut, boy?"
Harper couldn't help but face palm. How could she forge? The personality of these two were so alike
that they would clash as soon as they met. "Matthew, stop it. You know we've been friends for a long
time now. Why do you two always argue when you meet each other?"
"It's because of him!"
"It's because of her!"
Matthew and Daphne replied at the same time, both turning away from each other and unwilling to look
at each other's faces. Harper was helpless. Felton had disappeared and the Qin Clan's base was
closed, but the two were bickering like little children.
"Anyway, Daphne, do you know why the orphanage is closed? Where are the people?" In Phoenix City,
if anyone wanted to know what happened, the best people to ask were Daphne and Darren.
Daphne glanced at the closed gates of the orphanage, her face unreadable. "Immediately after I
learned that you'd come here, I knew this would be the first place you visit. Well, three days ago, the
people in the orphanage just vanished. No sign of where they went or what happened to them.
Disappeared, just like that."
"What? How is that possible?" Harper asked, shocked. This was Phoenix City—one of the most
populous city in the world—how could that happen?
"I've ordered my people to search for them far and wide, but after three days, we still haven't had any
leads, clues, whatever. Everyone just... vanished out of thin air I want to have answers for you, but I
just do not right now. I am so sorry," Daphne said, sounding sad and apologetic.
Harper frowned and exchanged a glance with Matthew. After a while, they decided to break into the
orphanage. Cautiously, the three of them climbed over its wall and sneaked inside. "There must be a
clue here somewhere. No matter how careful and terrible the enemies are, it's impossible that they
haven't left any trace," Harper whispered.
The orphanage was very clean, as if someone had been there. Seeing the tidy floor, Harper looked at
Daphne and asked, "Have you sent someone to clean it?"
"No. When we found that the orphanage wasn't opened, we sent people over to check and found that it
was very clean. Even at that time, the hot water was still boiling on the furnace, as if the people here
had suddenly disappeared from the world." Daphne was very concerned about this issue. It was not a
small matter that the children in the orphanage were missing from Phoenix City, not to mention that
Harper had a special feeling for the children here. "My brother has been investigating this matter in
these days. We originally wanted to send message to you, but we got news that you arrived."
After being silent for a moment, Harper said, "Thank you."
"I'm sorry, Harper. Those kids were gone under our watch..."
"It's not your fault." Although Harper was worried about the children, she wouldn't vent her anger on
Daphne. "Daphne, can you help me investigate one thing?"
"What is it?"
"Find out where the Qin Clan is hiding." Harper didn't mind exposing the Qin Clan's traces now. They
had been hiding for twenty years, and now Felton and the people of the Qin Clan's base in Phoenix
City had disappeared for no reason. She was afraid that something really happened to the clan, so she
must take action.
"Okay, I'll have someone look into it. You... Where are you staying? How about staying in the lord's
mansion?" Daphne asked tentatively.
"We are now staying in the Joy Inn. If you have anything urgent, just ask someone to come to the hotel
to look for me." Harper didn't want to go to the lord's mansion. Instead of staying there, she preferred to
stay in a hotel.
"The inn is much worse than the lord's mansion!"
Harper just stubbornly looked at Daphne. Daphne shrugged helplessly and said, "Okay, it's up to you. If
there is any news, I will go to the Joy Inn to see you."
"Okay." Harper stared at Daphne's back as she left, full of worry in her eyes. What happened to Felton
and the orphanage was so strange. They disappeared at the same time without any trace of fighting.
Especially the people in the orphanage seemed determined to leave all of a sudden, in a hurry and
rash state.
After they returned to the inn, Matthew closed the door. He looked at Harper and said, "The Qin Clan
left willingly."
Harper nodded. "It should be. Otherwise, no one can make a move in Phoenix City and take all the
people away from the orphanage without disturbing the people in the lord's mansion. But I don't
understand why the Qin Clan retreated at this time."
"Maybe we'll know the answer when we find Felton." Matthew had a guess on his mind, but he didn't
want to tell it, which would make Harper sad.
"Knock, knock, knock." There was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
"Sir, I am a waiter. I have brought some food here." The waiter's voice came from outside the door.
Matthew walked to the door, opened it, took the food, closed the door, and put down the food. He
looked out of the window and said, "Since you're here, don't hide."
A figure flew in. It was Francis who had disappeared for a long time. Although he was still pale, he was
not sick. Instead, he looked much more energetic.
"Long time no see, Harper."
Harper sneered. "We have met each other in the Great Jade Kingdom, right? I remember clearly that
you gave me the Fantasy and poisoned me."
Without feeling embarrassed after being debunked, Francis replied, "I just wanted to see if you would
take Rolando as Uncle Matthew when you were poisoned by the Fantasy."
Matthew's eyes narrowed ferociously, as if he wanted to take action. Francis sensed the danger and
said, "I'm not here for fighting. Uncle Matthew, calm down. I'm here to tell you that I know Felton's
whereabouts."
"Did you take him away?" asked Harper.
"No. I ran into him on the way to Phoenix City by accident. I didn't expect an intelligent person like you
to be taken advantage of, Harper," Francis said calmly.
Harper smiled bitterly and said, "I have been used many times. And even you made use of me. Have
you already forgotten it so soon?"
All of a sudden, Francis felt that Harper became a hedgehog covered with spines, ready to stab anyone
she met. "Felton was willing to go with others. He was in a carriage with an undisturbed look then, and
the servant by his side drove the carriage."
"Samuel."
"Yes, other four men followed them. But they seemed to be protecting him rather than monitoring."
Harper thought carefully. When the people from the Qin Clan found her, they brought her a Heavenly
Book to show their sincerity, and that was why so many people had spied on her and searched
everywhere in her residence but hadn't found it. It wasn't with her at the beginning, but in the hands of
the Qin Clan.
"Why did you tell me this?" Harper asked calmly, staring at Francis. What he had done was trying to
destroy her. Why did he come to tell her that the Qin Clan had broken up with her? What was he up to?
"I'm just curious who destroyed the Qin Clan in the first place and affected the four kingdoms," replied
Francis, looking at Matthew.
"Just that? Nothing else?"
"More than that. Everyone knows that the Qin Clan has a secret. The whole clan was exterminated due
to it. I want to know the secret," responded Francis, turning to Harper.
"The secret about longevity?" Harper asked frankly. "If you want to know the secret about longevity, I'm
sorry to tell you that there is no such a secret in the hands of the Qin Clan. It's just a rumor."
"If it's really a rumor, would Rolando be so determined to get it and even sacrifice his own Great Jade
Kingdom?" Francis had believed that there was a big secret hidden in the Qin Clan which could be able
to shake the world. But this secret was well concealed, and he wanted to see what it could be.
Harper's face turned livid at the mention of Rolando. He had been hiding in the dark. She even
suspected that Rolando had attacked the Qin Clan. But outsiders would be closely monitored by the
secret spies as long as they entered Phoenix City, and have no chance to attack anybody. The secret
spies in Phoenix City was the reason why the city was peaceful all the time. Any unsafe things couldn't
escape from the control of Phoenix City after entering the city.
"What do you want?" Harper stared at Francis and asked seriously. Francis wanted to seize the throne
in the past, but he failed at last. Now what did he want? Still the throne?
"Will you give it to me if I want it?" asked Francis in a sarcastic tone.
"It depends on what it is. If I can, I will give it to you. But if I can't, I won't give it even if you kill me,"
Harper answered in a cold tone.
"Rest assured. I don't have any other wishes. I just want to see how you will treat the other members of
the Qin Clan. That's all!"
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