Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Seven Steps?
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Seven steps?
Merina wondered if he was just messing with her.
But in this situation, joking around didn't make any sense, did it?
Meanwhile.
The magical beast spread its arms wide.
As its palms stretched open to the tearing point, blood—no, a dark liquid—oozed out from between them.
Deyan looked like he was in mortal danger, about to be torn apart by those palms at any moment.
Soon after, the beast opened its beak wide, as if to devour its prey.
Was it about to fire another black orb?
But no.
What emerged from the beast's beak wasn't a black sphere...
Spiiiish...!
It was a fountain of green blood.
And with that, Deyan's smile deepened.
"You should've stayed put instead of walking. How stupid to take those steps."
Were the steps the key?
Just seven steps...?
But the red robe had no idea.
About that distant other world.
About the proverb passed down in the martial world.
-If you meet a warrior of the Sichuan Tang Clan and he's looking at your feet instead of your eyes, end your life right there.
Otherwise... you will die in more agony than at anyone else's hands.
How would that foolish beast know such a proverb?
The beast staggered. It seemed to be forcing itself to hold on, but the areas where the flying dagger had struck began to swell.
Soon... the beast burst open like a firecracker, along with the dagger.
'Magic...?'
By the red robe's common sense, another incomprehensible event had occurred.
Only Deyan knew the answer.
The flying dagger was coated with the Sichuan Tang Clan's deadliest poison.
That poison was the Sevenfold Soul-Shattering Powder.
Made by blending seven different toxins, it stimulated the blood points, inflicting the torment of seven hells and leading the victim to death.
It seemed simple, but in reality, not only was crafting the poison difficult, but poisoning the enemy was no easy feat either.
Yet, despite these tricky conditions, the Tang Clan used this poison for one simple reason.
'Once poisoned, just seven steps, and you're dead.'
Could there be any poison more terrifying than that?
That's why, in the jianghu, the Sevenfold Soul-Shattering Powder was also called the Silent Killer.
Of course, this wasn't the true version made by the Tang Clan—just a crude imitation.
But it was more than enough for a beast like that.
Deyan turned to the red robe. Her lips were parted wide, like a bird's beak.
"Uh... uh."
She had a title and status, no less.
She must have been that shocked.
"How... how did you do that...?"
"Poison. A refined poison steeped in the great Tang Clan's expertise."
Hearing that answer, the red robe's trembling wouldn't stop.
Was it chills?
Fear?
No, this was admiration.
An indescribable thrill coursed through her.
In the red robe's eyes, the illusion Deyan had just created replayed.
He toyed with his foe like it was flying prey, all with elegant, refined movements.
Absolute confidence in his own power.
Not even a hint of his true strength revealed, fooling everyone completely.
Everything was perfect.
The red robe was moved by that composure and grace.
At the same time, a thought crossed her mind.
Couldn't this boy, cornered to the brink and fleeing all the way here, actually save her?
The red robe glanced at her sword.
Her once-proud blade now looked shabby.
Brutish, even ignorant.
In contrast, the boy's combat was beautiful.
Where on earth had he learned such techniques?
Remembering that he'd mentioned a "Tang Clan," the red robe asked him.
"What family is the Tang Clan?"
"Hm?"
Deyan's eyebrow twitched.
He wanted to say, 'What family? From some backwater village...? It's an ancient house in Sichuan.' But was there anything crazier than that?
This was a world that knew nothing of the Tang Clan, let alone the jianghu itself.
Speaking plainly could lead to irreversible consequences.
'Cold sweat's breaking out...'
The ever-composed Deyan cleared his throat awkwardly and flashed a smile.
"A secret organization."
"...?"
It was a lie.
He'd just scolded her for not hiding her expressions well.
Yet here he was, fumbling like this?
How embarrassing.
'Why'd I even mention the Tang Clan?'
How to salvage this?
No words seemed convincing enough.
Still.
'I sure as hell can't say I'm from another world.'
A secret organization was better, right?
Before things got more awkward, Deyan swiftly changed the subject.
"Shall we fight again? The entry pass is still up for grabs."
The beast's intrusion had paused things, but the original goal was victory in Trial Valley.
And for that, they needed the entry pass.
But fight a monster like that...?
The red robe wasn't foolish enough to battle someone even worse than the beast. Still, she couldn't give up on the pass.
"We fight. I'm not dumb enough to ignore your strength. But..."
"But?"
The red robe raised her sword into position.
"I have a reason I can't back down."
Deyan glanced at her sidelong.
As far as he knew, the red robe wasn't someone whose life would change just from winning Trial Valley.
'But... she's clinging to it like a lifeline, desperate to win.'
He had a rough idea why she was so obsessed with Trial Valley.
She was backed into a corner, with no other options.
"You just said it yourself? The world looks different depending on your view. Same for me—I'm struggling in a pit you can't even imagine."
Was she trying to overcome her fear?
Trembling all the while, the red robe forced out the words.
"Hoo..."
A long exhale.
Then the trembling in her hand stopped.
Finally, she aimed her sword squarely at Deyan.
"That's why I want that entry pass."
He could picture the pit she was in.
Did she know?
That just knowing her status made her circumstances easy to guess.
"Alright, then."
Deyan retrieved the flying dagger from the beast. The red robe's heart pounded.
And in an instant, Deyan...
Swish!
"...?"
...slipped the dagger into his sleeve.
"You win."
"What...?"
"You wanted the victory that badly, didn't you? No helping it, no helping it."
There was plenty of help for it.
Deyan had never intended to win in the first place—not even a speck.
This was the time to quietly build strength, away from Ian's eyes.
He had to remain the sickly invalid who'd luckily made it to the final trial.
'Can't let my real power slip yet.'
Besides, with the red robe winning, the Evil Society's plans would crumble beautifully, right?
All in all, her victory painted a perfect picture.
'No need to spill all my motives, though.'
In negotiations, you always kept your cards hidden.
"Instead, let's make a deal. This beast counts as your kill... and the Trial's Gift as winner's prize goes to me."
"R-really?"
The red robe's sword visibly shook.
"Really. I want you to get out of this place alive."
Deyan's enigmatic smile left the red robe's mind in a whirl, as if her head was caving in.
Mysterious.
What was this boy's true identity?
'Can I trust him?'
He seemed to know her secret. A Pador heir who fought with hidden weapons instead of a sword, exuding an aura beyond his years.
Everything about him screamed suspicious.
But one thing was clear.
Turning down his hand here wasn't an option.
Decision made, the red robe spoke to Deyan.
"Fine. We'll do it your way."
Deyan nodded. Arms crossed, he eyed her.
"First, you need to give me some assurance."
What if she went back on her word?
Every deal needed insurance.
Deyan intended to demand proof of her sincerity.
Then the red robe pulled back her hood.
The revealed face belonged to a delicate boy who could rival Deyan's own features.
What was she doing?
But only for a moment.
The boy closed his eyes briefly.
Then...
Shiiiine...
Magical runes emerged on his skin, and soon his features began to shift one by one.
Golden hair lengthened gradually, turning into glossy black locks cascading over his shoulders like finely crushed starlight.
Even disheveled and sweat-matted, it was alluring.
The changes weren't limited to the hair.
Shoulders narrowed, while arms and legs stretched slender and long.
It was the silhouette only a woman could possess.
At last, she opened her eyes and looked at Deyan.
Her gaze was like sunlight through a crystal pane—a woman already hailed as a national treasure for her beauty alone.
Noble blood.
Merina Charlotte, the Empire's princess.
Her true identity revealed, she parted her peach-tinted lips.
"Merina Charlotte. I stake my name on it."
A name from someone of her stature was worth more than gold.
Who had surer credentials than the Empire's princess?
That name and face were the proof of trust she offered Deyan.
Deyan smiled.
Yes, that woman exactly.
In the past, Imperial Princess Merina Charlotte had entered Trial Valley in disguise and died there.
The problem? Too many suspicious circumstances to call it mere coincidence.
A magical beast that shouldn't have appeared—one far beyond what young participants could handle.
Even the path to the innermost depths deliberately blocked.
Because of that, Deyan's family.
House Pador faced relentless scrutiny.
Rumors of assassinating the princess spread, plunging them into unprecedented crisis.
The family barely escaped the false charge of regicide... but was that the beginning?
One scandal led to another, and the house slowly crumbled.
'Can't let it happen like in the past.'
So?
Deyan's task was simple.
Save Merina Charlotte from dying in Trial Valley.
That was the start of saving his house.
Merina Charlotte.
Right here, right now, Deyan had altered the fate of the Empire's princess, doomed to perish in Trial Valley.
"Trustworthy."
"And you...?"
"I stake the Tang Clan's honor."
"...?"
Merina Charlotte tilted her head, but Deyan continued firmly.
"It's worth as much to me as your name."
Merina vaguely sensed an indescribable weight in those words.
"Got it. Keep that promise."
The moment the two nodded in mutual understanding.
"Ugh..."
A groan echoed. Inschtain was coming to.
Deyan glanced over and stepped away from where he'd been standing.
He tore his already ragged clothes further in places, then piled stones on himself like he was building a grave.
What was he doing?
Merina watched and realized it was camouflage.
Satisfied with his handiwork, Deyan chuckled once and signaled her to keep quiet.
A secret.
Keep it.
"Haa..."
Why hide his strength?
She didn't know the reason, but what could she do?
The red robe—no, Merina—decided to comply.
No loss for her anyway.
"What...?"
Inschtain slowly cracked his eyes open and staggered to his feet.
"Who did this?"
He scanned the area, then couldn't hide his shock at the beast's shredded remains.
Spotting the unscathed red robe standing tall, he let out a hollow laugh.
"You?"
"Yeah."
"Ha, you hid your power all this time... playing side character in a fixed match? Me?"
Visibly shaken, Inschtain kept chuckling bitterly.
If he'd known the red robe was that strong, would he have bothered entering Trial Valley?
Inschtain wasn't magnanimous enough to be anyone's trophy.
Shing.
The red robe raised her sword, wary of Inschtain.
Just in case.
"Round two?"
"Hmph, you think I'm that oblivious? Fighting you after you took down that monster? The outcome's obvious."
Inschtain surveyed the wrecked cavern. It barely looked like a human-beast brawl.
That guy... even human?
Inschtain was convinced.
Red robe, you're definitely from the underworld.
What else explained it?
They said the underworld hid countless outlaws who'd sinned...
And it was true.
Look at this one.
Seemingly his own age, yet that strong.
Back at the company, he'd need to grease more palms.
Anyway.
"Tch..."
Inschtain brushed off his clothes.
"Do you know how expensive this was? Ugh...!"
Confirming he'd given up on the pass entirely, the red robe lowered her guard.
Inschtain grimaced at the stains.
"Gonna demand compensation from House Pador."
True to form, the merchant's son always thought in terms of costs.
Meanwhile, Andrew was out cold, having truly given his all.
A somewhat chaotic scene.
Then.
Boom...!
A massive thud, and a passage opened in one wall of the cavern.
The red robe and Inschtain tensed, bracing for more trouble, but out stepped Ian Pador and House Pador's knights.
They'd entered the cave right after the gray alert horn but arrived late due to the twisted passages.
"Everyone okay?!"
Red Eagle Knights Captain Fernando was first to react, mana surging as he took in the beast and battle scars everywhere.
"Who dares...!"
Not just him—the other knights looked murderous too.
House Pador was in an uproar.
Trial Valley.
Someone had tampered with this event of ancient history and prestige.
This was provocation against House Pador!
Janitz fumed too, but spotting Ralph's absence, he shouted urgently.
"Luke! Ralph—Ralph's missing!"
"...!! I'll search right away!"
Luke immediately pulled some men and headed into the maze at Janitz's order.
"I'll fetch the knight overseeing this cave."
Ignoring responses, Fernando erupted in red mana and vanished somewhere.
Next, the Pador knights checked the other participants. All badly injured, but no life threats.
"They're breathing!"
"Young Master Deyan's fine too!"
Relief washed over everyone at the reports.
Now just find Ralph.
Oddly, Ian Pador—who should have been directing—simply watched the scene calmly.
Worried about his son's survival?
No, his gaze was oddly detached. He was lost in thought.
Deyan cracked his eyes open just enough to watch Ian Pador.
How's that feel?
He'd utterly dismantled Ian's scheme.
So, how would he play it?
But Ian merely glanced skyward before approaching Deyan.
'What, coming this way?'
As he neared, emotion crept into his formerly impassive face. By the time he reached Deyan, he wore the most worried expression imaginable.
"Deyan, you alright?"
That's more like you.
Obnoxiously true to form.
"Y-yes..."
Ian patted Deyan's shoulder with heartfelt concern.
"Good, that's a relief. Truly."
Meanwhile, Fernando and the knights returned with the overseer knight in tow.
But Fernando's expression was grim.
"He's dead."
All eyes turned to the body the knights held behind him.
It was Dobern, the knight supervising the trial.
"Traces show he controlled the labyrinth entrance mechanism. Dobern... was the culprit."
Shock rippled through the group.
"No way. Why would Dobern...?"
"He was the most righteous of us?"
"A conspiracy! Conspiracy...!"
"He defiled Trial Valley?"
As Pador knights murmured in outrage.
Ian silently approached Dobern's corpse.
"He took his own life."
"Impossible! Why would Dobern!"
Luke protested, but Fernando, who'd already inspected it, shook his head.
"Ian-sir's right. Don't believe me? See for yourself. No signs of murder."
"Dobern..."
Even Janitz stared blankly at Dobern in shock.
Dobern had been revered by the knights. Deyan found the whole thing ridiculous.
'Suicide...?'
No chance to interrogate and uncover the backer—he was already a corpse.
The living proof that could've nailed Ian was gone.
Was this why the house couldn't uncover the truth back then?
'Ian, you're thorough as ever.'
Ian knelt on one knee.
He closed Dobern's eyes and murmured like a prayer.
"Why... You, more outstanding and brave than anyone..."
The scene felt almost sacred to those present.
"But the truth must come out... Don't halt the investigation into Dobern. Just spare his family—they're innocent."
"Yes, sir."
Punishing a subordinate's crime harshly.
Yet distinguishing public duty from private loyalty, genuinely grieving the loss.
In Deyan's eyes, the perfect hypocrite.
Ian Pador, hypocrisy incarnate.
He'd made his planted pawn take his own life, sealing his mouth and eliminating any link back to him. Ian wasn't one to falter over something this trivial.
Then.
"We found Ralph-sir!"
The knights brought in the unconscious Ralph.
Ian glanced at him, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them.
He blamed himself.
"All my fault..."
"No, Ian-sir!"
"How could it be your fault?"
"If blame lies anywhere, it's with me, Dobern's superior."
Bolstered by his men's encouragement, Ian nodded.
"Before assigning fault, this is grown men's business. We should first praise these children who survived Trial Valley."
Ian looked around at the survivors and smiled.
"Let's hold a grand celebration."
As everyone grappled with heavy hearts, admiring the participants' courage...
Ian alone eyed the beast's fragments with a chilling gaze.
'Just who...?'