Book 9 Chapter 20

Chisahan is afraid of the Grand Duke

Running hard for the Volcano Covenant Branch

And it wasn't just the Museum of Heaven and Earth.

If you're in the same place at the same time as the

Machengak was also working hard.

The contest had always been a tense parallel. No one had yet managed to completely dominate their opponents, so both organizations were constantly scrubbing their candidates, never letting their guard down. But those who cared about the Volcano Covenant weren't necessarily the only ones trying to improve their own skills.

"We can't afford to lose, we can't afford to lose this time, we must win this time at all costs. We don't want to lose, only win! Don't forget that."

The man who was instructing his subordinates in a stern voice was the Grand Duke of the Heavenly Pavilion, his piercing gaze scanning the room.

"Of course. How could a vassal forget such a momentous occasion, I've already done my part."

"Is that so?"

At the slightly cold response, the military henchman couldn't help but wince. His senses told him that his master's mood was not on the upswing.

"I've already sent the order, and the invisible hand that planted them on the other side has already begun to move. Plant them, and there's no way they're going to make it to the volcano in the best shape of their lives."

Qi Sahan quickly replied.

"Hmm, I'm looking forward to seeing the results then."

It wasn't a satisfactory response, but it was the best we could do.

"Please enjoy the wait. I will never let you down, my lord."

The smile of satisfaction returned to the Archduke's lips. Qi Sahan could barely breathe a sigh of relief. For now, he was at peace.

"Phew, that's a lot of work.

I felt like a decade old. Nothing had been going right lately, and I was getting nervous. I had to show results as soon as possible. The Grand Duke was not a man to be trifled with, keeping incompetent subordinates around for so long.

"What's next?"

The Archduke checked to see if there was still any business. There was definitely one important item left on the agenda.

"Yes! And then there's the case of the investigator sent to the Heavenly Martial Academy to find out the truth about the Sugarcane Blood Death."

The word "investigator" brought a slight reaction from the stone-faced Grand Duke. The man who wouldn't stir if the sky fell was clearly agitated now.

"If you're an investigator, surely you've seen……?"

"Yes! The bloodstream is also the quadrupedal silver snowflake, Galhyo Feng's consort."

The Archduke's straight sword twitched in displeasure at Qi Sahan's reply. It happened in a flash, but Qi Sahan's hyper-awareness didn't miss it.

'Sullan…….'

The Grand Duchess suddenly had a bad taste in her mouth. It was a very unpleasant feeling.

"Fiancée… that's not a very nice word."

That was enough for me.

"Yes, I'll take it off right now!"

The angry Qi Sahan stood immobile and replied.

In his experience, the wisest thing to do in this situation is to follow unconditionally, regardless of the reason, but he also made some foolish decisions.

"Remove? Just say the word."

The Grand Duke lifted his head and stared at Qi Sahan, and Qi Sahan couldn't help but stiffen at the tens of thousands of thoughts in that gaze. That gaze was saying: "I'm not going to be able to do this.

"Are you out of your mind?

Of one thing Qi Sahan could be sure: it was not a favor. How could a gaze with so little life in it turn into a favor? It was absurd.

"…Let's wait and see what happens with the investigator, we're not at the point where we can decide how to handle it yet."

"Yes! I get it."

This time, Chisahan didn't argue back, but simply replied.

"Great, you can go now."

The Grand Duke gestured for him to leave. Qi Sahan was happy to leave the heavy, tense room. His heart felt as light as a feather.

"Phew… I survived."

Survival check (生存確認)!

My heart was still racing from being on edge.

The Grand Duke's fear was that you could never guess what was going on from the outside. Even though I continued to serve the Grand Duke, there were still times when I felt eerie. It was a chilling sensation, like holding a cold ice knife next to me.

So I couldn't completely guess what was going on inside that foggy mind through looks, facial expressions, and tone of voice, but it wasn't impossible, because we all have our own sixth sense and instincts.

It was that instinctive warning that now drenched Qi Sahan's back in a cold sweat. A loud alarm bell, as always, but a very useful one.

The Grand Duke was always sober, always sharp, always on point. Everything was perfect. The perfection was so tight, so precise, that it was terrifying.

"This is one person you don't want to have as an enemy, ever!

He felt it every time, but the Grand Duke's eyes were like inky darkness, devoid of light. It was a strange and terrifying feeling, one that he never wanted to feel again if he could help it. Ever since then, Qi Sahan had done everything in his power to avoid making eye contact with the Grand Duke.

Eyes that could strike fear into the hearts of even those as worn and battered as himself! It was a more pure terror. A primal fear that stirred instinct, not calculation.

'It's not human…….'

Qi Sahan had no desire to enter into hostilities with an opponent he was certain to defeat. To avoid incurring his wrath, he had to keep his head on a swivel. It was the quickest way to save his neck.