A Man Like None Other (Jared Chance) novel Chapter 6006

Footsteps returned. Luther guided two black-clad men into the room; both hung between waking and nothingness, heads lolling as though sleep had turned to stone.

They had followed Quentin for years, knives hidden under loyalty oaths. Every twitch of his eyebrows lived in their muscle memory.

Jared let his gaze settle on them, then spoke to Luther. "Use your Nether Heart Control Incantation. I’ll weave a Chaotic Restriction Seal. Together they’ll obey, and they won’t remember how."

A cool shimmer crossed Luther's eyes.

He knelt beside the two guards, probing their pulses, then murmured, "Their spirits were wounded by my soul threads and already fragile. With your chaotic force sealing them, they will stay quiet for now."

"Their souls are already frayed," Luther murmured. "If I sink the incantation to the core and you lock away the memory threads, they’ll hold for a short march."

"But this will not last," Luther added. "If they face a shock beyond their limit, the seal could loosen—or even backfire."

"It's enough for now," Jared nodded. "We only need them obedient until I return to Jade Immortal Manor and get past the first wave of questions."

"After we're inside the inner court, I'll find a proper chance to send them away—or dispose of them."

Moments stretched. Then both men jerked upright as if strings had yanked them toward a ceiling hook.

Their irises clouded, cleared, and focused on Jared—seeing Quentin. They bent at the waist. "Grand Chamberlain."

Luther formed a maze of hand seals while chanting harsh Ghost Clan syllables.

Strands of gray-black soul power slid like threads into the guards' brows.

At the same time Jared flicked two pinpoints of chaotic gray light into each guard's energy centers, linking with the earlier seal as double insurance.

A heartbeat later the guards shuddered and slowly opened their eyes.

Their gazes were dull, yet on spotting Jared they struggled upright and bowed. "Grand Chamberlain."

The salute sounded stiff, but nothing seemed amiss.

Jared nodded, satisfied.

He told Lyza and Luther, "I'm taking them back to Jade Immortal Manor. Wait here in concealment; without my signal, do nothing."

"Luther, stay on standby—I may need your cover."

"Yes, sir!" the two answered in unison.

The west side of Jade Immortal Manor lay ahead, hidden beneath a tangle of old vines.

Jared appeared at the base of that wall, summoned the half-forgotten sigil from Quentin’s memory, and unlatched a mouth in the stone. The three men slipped inside; ivy fell back, erasing the scar.

As the trio's backs vanished down the passage, Lyza and Luther exchanged a look; shock and worry shone in both pairs of eyes.

"Senior Luther, do you think Mr. Chance can succeed?" Lyza whispered.

Luther stayed silent for a long breath, then said slowly, "Mr. Chance moves as though courting danger, yet every step is measured and far-sighted."

"Since he dares to go, he must hold some confidence.

We will wait for good news, but prepare for the worst and be ready to assist."

The two men answered in the same dull chorus, "Yes, Grand Chamberlain."

Jared let his shoulders square, dropped every stealth pretense, and started toward the pavilion at a measured, familiar pace.

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