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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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[……!]
Na-kyung froze, her thoughts grinding to a halt. Not because she didn’t understand, but because she did, and the realization wasn’t unpleasant. Vellus, however, unaffected by the implications, continued, his face still frozen in shock.
“I’ve crushed at least ten warriors here today.”
“Sixteen, to be exact.”
Li Chingwei corrected him without hesitation, stating the precise number of casualties that even Vellus himself couldn’t recall.
Na-kyung shuddered.
Vellus’s eyes turned colder.
“And you merely followed me?”
“Essentially.”
“When you could have ambushed me at any time?”
“Not at any time. Just a hundred and six times, give or take.”
Li Chingwei stated casually that she had over a hundred opportunities to attack him.
Vellus finally sputtered,
“You… you treacherous woman!”
“You flatter me.”
Li Chingwei smiled sweetly at the unintended compliment. As Vellus glared at her, radiating killing intent, Na-kyung asked hesitantly,
[Um… Princess? I’m a bit confused.]
“About what?”
[If what you say is true, you’ve been following this madman all along?]
“That’s correct.”
[And you watched the guards die? Ahaha, I must have misunderstood something, right?]
“No, you understood perfectly.”
[…What?]
Na-kyung had expected a denial, a laugh to dismiss her misunderstanding. Li Chingwei, seeing her stunned expression, elaborated helpfully,
“I watched that Specter of the Liberation Brigade kill thirteen of our clan’s warriors without intervening.”
Her voice was calm, her gaze steady, her face adorned with a gentle smile. She looked just as she did when serving tea and snacks, a stark contrast to the chilling words she spoke.
Na-kyung stared at her, speechless, then finally managed to ask,
[Why?]
Li Chingwei’s answer to Na-kyung’s question was simple and direct.
“If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have discovered that their target was this violin.”
[You let those warriors die… just for that?]
“It was necessary.”
Li Chingwei replied calmly.
The Black Dragon Clan had been outmaneuvered by just three people because they didn’t know their objective. To prepare for future attacks, they needed to know the Liberation Brigade’s target, even if it meant sacrificing a few warriors.
“It’s better to accept a small sacrifice than to leave a future threat for the entire clan.”
[But…]
Na-kyung was speechless. She understood. Sacrificing the few for the many was a leader’s responsibility. And Li Chingwei, as the princess of the Black Dragon Clan, had made a choice that benefited the whole clan. But understanding didn’t mean accepting.
Seeing Na-kyung’s conflicted expression, Li Chingwei added playfully,
“Besides, I have no obligation to protect those who forget their place.”
[…What did they do?]
“Didn’t you find it strange how empty the Leviathan was today?”
[Well, the affiliates were attacked, so…]
“Yes, we sent reinforcements. More than necessary.”
Na-kyung paused.
The Leviathan’s security had seemed unusually lax.
She had assumed it was because they had deployed forces to protect the affiliates. But what if that wasn’t the reason? What if there was another purpose? What if Li Chingwei, anticipating an attack on the Leviathan, had sent the warriors away to protect them, not the affiliates? And what about the warriors who weren’t sent away? What if they weren’t left behind by chance, but by design?
“Except for the traitors who were leaking information to other clans.”
[……!]
Na-kyung’s jaw dropped.
Vellus, however, burst into laughter.
“Ha! You used me to purge your clan’s traitors?”
“It was more of a two-birds-one-stone situation. Though I must admit, it was quite beneficial.”
Li Chingwei smiled sweetly.
Purging traitors was politically risky. Aside from internal strife, the Black Dragon Clan also had spies in other clans. But with Vellus doing the dirty work, she could eliminate the traitors without repercussions. And he had revealed his objective in the process.
It was a win-win situation.
“It worked out well for the thirty-three warriors who died today. They died honorably in battle, instead of being executed as traitors.”
Li Chingwei smiled, as if grateful for the abundance of traitors, allowing her to carry out the purge discreetly. Vellus’s expression turned colder. He was used to manipulating others, not being manipulated and framed. But he didn’t lose his composure.
He simply pointed out sharply,
“Don’t think the casualties will end at thirty-three. My comrades might be foolish, but they’re not weak.”
Sending the warriors to the affiliates wasn’t a wise decision. With Ryu Kang-chul and Eugene on the loose, there would be bloodshed, no matter the precautions.
“That’s why I’m grateful.”
But Li Chingwei wasn’t worried or angry. She simply nodded and added with a bright smile,
“I’m rather grateful.”
“…You’re grateful that I’m slaughtering your clan?”
“Yes.”
“……”
Vellus was speechless.
Even he, a Specter of the Liberation Brigade, accustomed to madness, hadn’t expected to be thanked for a massacre.
[Why are you grateful?]
Na-kyung, still stunned, blurted out the question.
Li Chingwei smiled at her.
“Thanks to their rampage, the Sword Saint will save our clan.”
[…Our Team Leader?]
“Yes, my fiancé.”
Li Chingwei corrected her, as if it were an important distinction. But Na-kyung, still dazed, asked hesitantly,
[…Is that something to be grateful for?]
“Of course.”
Li Chingwei answered without hesitation.
“The Sword Saint despises merit and is wary of fame. He dislikes showing off and only draws his sword when necessary.”
[Dislikes showing off? Team Leader is a master of causing chaos!]
“That’s because there hasn’t been a need for him to truly show his strength.”
Li Chingwei explained.
A giant caused earthquakes with every step. People called him destructive because they didn’t understand that he was treading carefully. But those who had witnessed a giant’s true rampage felt only awe and terror.
“Thanks to them, we have an opportunity to show our clan the Sword Saint’s power without him having to show off. How can I not be grateful?”
[…Even if it means risking numerous casualties?]
“The greater the threat, the greater the gratitude for the Sword Saint’s protection.”
The affiliates under the Guardian System’s protection were already being defended by Infinity Guild.
The current attacks were limited to those who hadn’t joined the system, those who resented both Limon and Li Chingwei. If Limon succeeded, he would gain recognition. If he failed, his opposition within the clan would be weakened. Either way, it was a win-win situation for them.
Li Chingwei chuckled, then turned to Vellus and concluded,
“And of course, I’m also grateful for the opportunity to capture a Specter of the Liberation Brigade.”
[……]
Na-kyung was speechless.
It wasn’t just Li Chingwei’s cunning in manipulating Vellus, a notorious Specter, but her audacity in using this crisis to purge traitors and consolidate her power, her chilling disregard for human life, and most of all, her serene smile, that sent shivers down Na-kyung’s spine, making her realize one thing.
‘…This is the Black Dragon Princess.’
Despite their transformation into the Seven Dragons Association, a legitimate corporation, they were still a clan that controlled the world’s criminal underworld, a clan with a thousand-year history of conspiracies and uprisings, a clan so powerful and ruthless that they were once called a demonic cult. And Li Chingwei was one of their seven leaders.
‘Team Leader, how can you be engaged to this woman…?’
As Na-kyung shuddered, a slow clap echoed through the room.
Clap, clap, clap.
“Well played. I concede.”
“Concede what?”
“That I underestimated the Seven Dragons Association, and that I’ve been completely outmaneuvered.”
Vellus’s face, previously cold and menacing, now wore a relaxed smile.
“But Black Dragon Princess, aren’t you forgetting something important?”
“The reward I promised you?”
“Of course not.”
He could offer her a painless death, the best reward for being so thoroughly used. But Vellus declined Li Chingwei’s offer, his voice turning cold.
“You’re all alone.”
Li Chingwei’s plan relied on her escaping. If he captured and killed her here, retrieving the case, he would be the ultimate victor.
Li Chingwei blinked at him, radiating killing intent.
“Why is that a problem?”
“If you think you can escape from me without any protection, you’re about to learn the meaning of arrogance.”
A Specter of the Liberation Brigade.
A notorious murderer and criminal.
The one who killed the Lawful Grand Duke and stole his cheat-level skill, ‘Rule of Law’. A Level 97 player. But Li Chingwei wasn’t afraid. She simply tilted her head.
“I don’t understand. Why would I need to run from you?”
She looked at him with a puzzled expression, as if he had said something absurd, then continued calmly,
“You’re going to die.”
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