Master

"Do you think Kang De was just putting on an act, or did he really have something to rely on?"

After some negotiation, Santos and the Dragon Girl were both released.

There was no house arrest, no detention, no harassment, and no intimidation.

Even personal freedom is not restricted.

You can leave if you want, escape if you want, stay if you want, or court death if you want.

In a typical international dispute, things wouldn't have been this easy. But in this case, Goth was in charge of Kang De. The unique diplomatic relations and national circumstances between the two countries determined this almost childishly easy progress, because Santos and Kang De were both shrewd and understood each other implicitly.

You can escape overnight.

--But this means we've admitted it without being asked. Since Dragon Island has done this, let's just wait and see.

You can wander around doing stupid things.

--If he were assassinated by the mastermind behind the scenes, the blame would inevitably fall on Goth, and a major battle between Dragon Island and Goth would be unavoidable.

So, you decide what to do.

Santos understood perfectly well; he hadn't lived long enough, so of course he knew what to do.

He was determined to stay in the Maple Leaf Palace.

After all, theoretically speaking, his life was also in danger. The mastermind behind the scenes wanted to incite a war between the dragons and Goth, and assassinating Kang De was one way, as was assassinating him, this important envoy.

But he wasn't too worried. As a human who had risen to the top of the Dragon Defense management, Santos's personal safety was a crucial part of the company's policy. He was covered in protective treasures from Dragon Island and bore the blessing mark of the Dragon Emperor. Unless he deliberately sought death, there were very few people in the world who could take his life.

Moreover, One-Punch Dragon Girl, as a highly decorated ace assassin, is also a top-notch bodyguard.

Compared to that, the attack that occurred tonight and the unforeseen events it triggered were more likely to spark his imagination.

Goth had only had a few days of peace when a new enemy appeared.

Moreover, he had been biding his time for a long time, and once he made his move, he destroyed Kang De's alchemical weapon, reducing his deterrent power by almost half and altering the balance of power between him and the dragons.

Kang De's reaction also left a deep impression on him.

Kang De stated directly that the agreed-upon fixed match could continue.

There are essentially two possibilities.

First, Kang De had a strong advantage: even if his alchemical weapons were damaged, he could quickly repair them, or bring out something even more powerful, or even take the field himself, which would be enough to crush the dragon.

Secondly, he was bluffing; he had to adopt a tough stance to intimidate the dragons.

He had been thinking about this all the way, and couldn't help but ask the dragon girl Lily beside him.

The Dragon Girl walked quietly beside him, her upper body wrapped in a heavy blue windbreaker, her lower body in a black skirt that swayed gently, adorned with white lace trim, and she carried a small black bag in her hand.

Santos, with his keen eyes, could tell at a glance that the dress was not the Dragon Girl's clothes, and the coat on top was even less so; the style, appearance, and even the fabric were all things he had never seen before.

He wanted to observe carefully, but he was afraid of being beaten. As for why the dragon girl was by Kang De's side tonight, and why she was wearing Kang De's clothes, that was probably a secret that could not be explored.

How should I put it...?

I don't know what to say, so I'll just have to shout "Kang De was awesome!"

Lily merely glanced at him. "Does it matter whether it's bluffing or something more substantial? Didn't you say you wanted to postpone this battle for half a month?"

Yes, after Kang De suggested that the agreement could continue, Santos very shrewdly proposed that the fighting could be postponed for half a month, and the reasons he gave were also very reasonable.

He said that they had to find out who was behind this conspiracy and clear up the misunderstanding before they could talk business, otherwise there would always be a thorn in the side between the Dragon Clan and Goth.

As expected of a businessman, this is a much more palatable way of putting it than "We won't take advantage of you, we'll give you half a month to repair the fighter jet, and then we'll fight again."

"Whether his alchemical weapons can be repaired or whether he has spares is irrelevant. What matters is that his Forbidden Spell cannot be faked and can still overturn any city in the world."

Santos explained, "He remains the sharpest sword in the world."

The Dragon Girl said calmly, "But the Dragon Clan isn't afraid of his Forbidden Spell. If it were those old guys on the board, even if they didn't tear up the agreement, they would take the opportunity to raise the price. The essence of this negotiation is nothing more than 'if I'm weak, you're strong; if I'm strong, you're weak.' If Kang De's alchemical weapon breaks, he's weak, and the company can take the opportunity to gain more benefits. If you don't do this, you're harming the company's interests. Aren't you afraid of angering the Dragon Emperor?"

She's been talking a lot tonight.

Santos glanced at her, clearly having misunderstood. Good heavens, she'd gone astray in just one night.

He said, "His Majesty won't be angry. If it were His Majesty, he would have done the same thing. We didn't do so when we could have taken the opportunity to raise prices, which would have earned us a favor. As for Kang De becoming weaker..."

Santos shook his head at this point. "Who knows if he's gotten weaker."

The CEO glanced at the few Goth People following at a distance and said, "Before I came here, I spoke with His Majesty the Dragon Emperor. His Majesty asked me, after reading Kang De's intelligence, what, in my opinion, is the most important point in dealing with this person?"

"I said beauty, he said no; I said morality, he said no; I said respect, he also said no."

Then he told me that the most important thing is, never, ever, to underestimate him.

Santos said calmly, "The Samuel family underestimated him, thinking that a Cathayan like him couldn't cause any trouble. As a result, Glittering Sand was reduced to ruins."

"The Dusk Warband underestimated him, thinking that if he struggled so much to take down a single town like Glittering Sand Town, how could he possibly withstand a large army? In the end, it wasn't just them; six Dragon Banner Warband were wiped out in Valentan."

"The Dusk Moon Parliament underestimated him, thinking that no matter how powerful he was, he couldn't withstand the will of a nation. As a result, he stormed into Danfeng Lucerne in a single day, utterly humiliating the entire country..."

He stopped and asked the Dragon Girl beside him, "So tell me, now that we think Kang De's alchemical weapons are damaged and no longer a threat to the dragon race, so we're taking this opportunity to pressure, raise prices, or even start a war, will Kang De pull out something even more sinister and unheard of, leaving us utterly humiliated and suffering heavy casualties?"

The Dragon Girl nodded, but remained silent.

"Ultimately, we are businessmen. Force is necessary, but not the primary choice. The company's armed forces exist to defend interests and protect trade. This isn't some pointless morality, but a crucial rule to ensure the company's smooth and stable operation. If Dragon Defense's first thought when faced with any problem is to resort to force, then we won't be able to stay in business for long."

Santos gave a thorough explanation.

The Dragon Girl nodded again, then suddenly said, "Is this all for the benefit of the dragon race?"

Pi Longxin, who had already acquired citizenship of Dragon Island, nodded and said, "Yes."

The Dragon Girl then asked, "Even if your actions tonight were essentially acting on your own initiative, such a significant matter should have been reported to the Dragon Emperor first, even if you didn't discuss it with the board of directors."

Santos shrugged and said, "The situation is urgent, and I need to clarify my position as soon as possible. I had no choice but to do this. I will explain it to His Majesty the Dragon Emperor in detail when I get back, and he will understand."

Upon hearing this, the dragon girl nodded and said, "I understand. For the benefit of the dragon race, we can make choices based on our own judgment, even if it doesn't seem to be in the best interests of the race in the short term... Is that right?"

"Yes... wait a minute." Santos glared at him. "What do you want to do?"

"Snort."

The Dragon Girl took a step forward, quickening her pace to a jog, her skirt swaying in the breeze.

She mentioned some things about what happened tonight, but not others.

She naturally wanted to tell Santos about how the attacker drank a magic potion, transformed into a dragon, and attacked the steel giant with incredible speed and skill.

But she witnessed Kang De teleport away up close, even disappearing for a short time with that steel golem before returning... She kept this to herself for the time being.

Big secret.

Where did Kang De come from?

What is the origin of Kang De's terrifying powers and weapons?

She had a vague feeling that the ultimate question that plagued the power brokers on the mainland lay hidden in the brief time he vanished into thin air... Where did Kang De go?

A secret base? A demiplane? She felt there was more to it than that.

I need to find out how.

This cannot be leaked beforehand.

Otherwise, if the news reaches Dragon Island and attracts the attention or covetousness of some foolish old dragons, who might forcefully push for an investigation and ultimately ruin a full-scale war, wouldn't that harm the interests of the race?

Yes, all of this is for the benefit of Dragon Island.

As for how to begin...

The Dragon Girl moved swiftly forward, her right hand slipping into the pocket of her windbreaker. Inside was a soft, light gauze, its texture pleasant to the touch, exactly like the fabric she wore on her legs.

Hmph.

A slight smile appeared on her lips.

Let's start by returning the things.

In the room, Kang De, like any other clueless person looking for their phone after waking up, pulled up the entire blanket on the bed, shook it, shook it, but nothing fell down.

This made his hands and feet cold, and his whole body felt cold, even late at night.

Grass.

With mixed feelings, he walked back to the front hall. Tina rushed back into his arms like a fledgling returning to its nest, hugging him tightly and pressing her face against his chest. Almost an hour had passed, and her body was still trembling, as if she had not yet recovered from the fear and lingering dread she had felt earlier.

Kang De's attack brought back Tina's nightmarish memories of that night in Glittering Sand Town.

That night, the head maid, the knight, Kang De... everyone left her.

It also made her feel uneasy, worried, and guilty, because the reason Kang De was in danger tonight was ultimately because he had become involved in Goth's war.

"It's okay, it's okay..."

That's all Kang De could say.

But saying this only has the opposite effect; the more magnanimous Kang De is, the more guilty Tina feels.

The Grand Duke glanced at Kang De, completely oblivious to the fact that his beloved daughter was cuddling and sobbing with Kang De. He sighed and said, "We are strengthening our defenses and patching up any loopholes. The Chief Mage has reached a preliminary conclusion that the attackers infiltrated three days ago, and we are conducting a thorough investigation."

With its national strength waning, Horus could only endure bullying. The capital and palace became a place where conspirators could come and go freely and arrange assassins to attack. The desperate attack by the suicide soldiers earlier not only seriously injured Horus, but also dealt a heavy blow to the face of the Grand Duke, Teldrassil, and even the entire Goth.

But he was helpless.

This is the tragedy of a weak nation.

What's even more tragic is that, knowing weakness is the original sin, the weak are powerless and have no hope of becoming stronger... The despair of this world lies in the fact that some things are, in fact, predetermined.

Small countries can never catch up with large countries.

He glanced at the large hole that A Xing had smashed into the inner room, along with dust, rubble, and wood chips. The windows and outer walls had also been reduced to rubble by Kang De's Gatling gun. This place was no longer habitable.

"I was hoping that staying here would give you some peace and quiet," he sighed. "Let's find somewhere else."

Upon hearing this, Tina turned away from Kang De, looked at her father, and said firmly, "Stay with me."

The Grand Duke originally didn't want to allow it. After all, what kind of behavior would it create if unmarried men and women got together? It's like throwing your own cabbage into the pigsty... Besides, he hadn't even bothered to ask why that female dragon was in Kang De's room tonight, or why she was wearing Kang De's clothes. He thought Kang De was good in every way, except he was a bit of a womanizer.

If it were any other man, he could praise him as charming and romantic, and secretly envy him.

But it's unacceptable that his own daughter becomes one of the pieces of evidence of his philandering.

But seeing the resolute look in his daughter's eyes, he knew that it wasn't his place to object.

Even if Kang De were placed somewhere else, Tina would definitely sneak in there at night.

He nodded slowly. "Okay."

"Second Brother has already placed the troops under martial law, and Eldest Brother is intensifying the investigation. The attacker ultimately hid in the Maple Leaf Palace. Although he has vanished into thin air, some traces will still remain..."

Seeing the situation getting tense, Stella tried to ease the tension. "You spotted him first. What were his distinguishing features?"

The most troublesome part is that the assassin dies without a complete corpse, or even loses both body and soul.

Although the criminal investigation technology in this other world is far less advanced, developed, and systematic than that on Earth, the fundamental principle of forensic technology is to find a way to make the deceased speak.

Although the other world lacks scientific methods and a rigorous and advanced system of anatomy and autopsy, they... can make the dead speak on a physical level.

Basically, with a corpse, secret court magic, and special skills recruited from the dark world, one can directly find important clues from the dead. One can even go further and open the Netherworld Vision to collect the fragments of the dead's soul and forcibly interrogate them.

However, the mastermind who sent the assassin had clearly considered this situation. The assassin's life-burning strike completely incinerated his soul and body, leaving no way to prove his innocence.

Therefore, Kang De's eyewitness testimony may be the only clue in the investigation.

Kang De thought for a moment and replied, "Shadow... I only saw a Shadow."

Stella asked, "Does he summon Shadow, conceal his presence, and walk in the shadows? Or...?"

After asking this question, Stella noticed Kang De's blank expression and realized that he didn't know much about magic. So she waved her hand and extinguished the magic chandelier in the room. Then, holding her staff, she activated a spell. Dense shadows and Shadow enveloped her body, and under everyone's gaze, her graceful figure blended into the night.

"Is that so?"

Amidst the flashing flames, Kang De's eyes witnessed the soaring Phoenix Flame, which looked towards Stella. In the Phoenix Vision, he could see a female body constructed of Shadow, with prominent curves and a Magic Power aura shimmering within the Shadow.

Recalling the situation at the time, it was clearly not like that.

Kang De shook his head and said, "No, he turned into a Shadow, crawling and moving close to the ground..."

Upon hearing this, the Grand Duke, Stella, Hilmeria, and even several high-ranking officials of the ducal family present all changed their expressions drastically. Even Tina, who had been holding Kang De, looked up in surprise.

Kang De frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"

Shock, disbelief, and even fear appeared on the Grand Duke's face.

He asked, "Are you sure? You didn't see wrong? Is that really how it is?"

He looked so shocked that his tone leaned towards disbelief and questioning.

"What good would it do me to fabricate this?" Kang De countered. "Do you even know him?"

The lights came on again, illuminating everyone's faces, and everyone looked shocked.

"... No."

This time it was Hilmeria spoke.

The Sword Saint Cascading Snow's hand instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword, and he whispered, "We might know his master."

"Who?"

The Grand Duke closed his eyes; this name now only brought him pain.

"Xide... Xide Kailamu."

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PS1: Update... That's strange, I went to bed early and had a long sleep last night, but I started feeling sleepy around 6 PM tonight...