Chapter 161: Slinging Filthy Water

"What do you want me to do?" Robin's voice was hoarse, tinged with fatigue and wariness.

He truly hasn't had a single moment of rest!

Since returning from the Northern Realm, he was first drawn into his family's secret vortex, and now he's entangled in an even deeper mystery at the Black Snake Hall; fate seems to constantly push him forward, refusing even a moment to catch his breath or clear his thoughts.

"My master desires the life of Duke Huo Ke," the old steward bowed slightly, his tone respectful yet unmistakably resolute.

His white hair glimmered coldly in the dim light, and his silver‑gray pupils were unfathomable, as if concealing countless unknown secrets.

A flash of delight flickered briefly in Li Ya's eyes before vanishing, yet Robin still caught it.

She was clearly eager for this news; the flame of vengeance burned fiercely in her heart, yearning to rend Duke Huo Ke to pieces at once and avenge her father's death.

Only Robin wore a solemn expression.

He knew full well that Duke Huo Ke was no ordinary figure; as a high‑ranking noble, his backing forces were tangled and vast, nurturing countless elites and entangled in intricate networks of contacts and interests.

Taking his life would be far from easy.

Moreover, the Black Snake Hall's master wouldn't make such a request lightly; there would surely follow a series of perilous plans and actions, and any misstep could not only fail but also doom him and those around him to irreversible disaster.

More importantly, he had to consider whether a larger conspiracy lay behind it, what the Black Snake Hall master's true purpose was, and whether, after eliminating Duke Huo Ke, the target would turn toward him and the Wei Er Ke family.

Robin asked, "What if I refuse?"

The old steward smiled, "Then please have Baron Allen stay here and await news of the Wei Er Ke family's downfall!"

Robin's face hardened, "You're threatening me!"

The old steward shook his head, placing the tray on the nearby table, "No, I am merely offering advice; how could I threaten a baron, let alone a Legendary Knight?"

Robin's fingers unconsciously brushed the hilt of the Sword of Severed Guilt, the metal filigree digging painfully into his palm. He watched the old steward gently set the silver tray on the ebony table; the gilded pocket watch on it clicked, its gears matching the mechanical patterns on the Black Snake Hall's dome.

"Since you managed to install such a device in the heart of the capital," he suddenly closed in, dangerous glints flashing in his eyes, "you must know what price must be paid to kill me."

A cold glint flashed among the old steward's hanging white hair; three poisoned silver needles, affixed near Robin's ear, pierced the wall, etching green smoke into the bricks.

"Baron, you misunderstand," he said, waving his hand lightly; the entire wall of bookshelves roared as they flipped, revealing a dense stack of intelligence dossiers behind, half the wall plastered with the Wei Er Ke family crest. "Records of grain taxes in the Wei Er Ke territories, secret letters between the viscount and the merchants' guild, and..." He pulled out a yellowed parchment scroll, "the carriage route map of your adoptive father on the night three years ago when Li Ya's father was murdered."

Li Ya lunged forward, her scarlet skirt sweeping the pocket watch off the table.

The metal casing shattered, and Robin's pupils contracted sharply—etched on the inner side of the watch face was Duke Huo Ke's iris‑flower crest.

"The Black Snake Hall never makes losing trades," the old steward bent to pick up the watch fragments, his fingertips tracing the dark‑red bloodstains between the gears. "Duke Huo Ke intends to use the mechanical sentinels to crush the Wei Er Ke family, and we—" He suddenly coughed violently, black blood seeping from his silver‑gray pupils, "need someone to tear off this false mask."

A deep rumble suddenly shook the ground, and the distinctive gear whir of mechanical sentinels echoed from afar.

Robin snatched the intelligence dossiers and, on the "Cangyan Valley Mineral Vein Distribution Map," a certain coordinate was circled three times in red ink, with a hasty note beside it: Sacrifice Site.

Li Ya's voice trembled, "That's the deepest part of the vein, the 'Death Altar' mentioned in my father's final letter."

The old steward suddenly seized Robin's wrist, his palm scorching like a branding iron: "Go there, and you will see the true puppeteer." His body began to disintegrate into silver‑gray powder, "Remember, in the game of power, there are no hunters"

Before the words finished, his entire form turned to white powder; the scattered gears bore the same inscription: We are all pieces.

Li Ya crouched, pinching a handful of white powder, her nails digging deep into her palm: "Baron, these powders, and the blood clan—" Her words were cut off by a sudden blaring alarm; outside the window, twelve mechanical sentinels marched with thunderous steps toward the Wei Er Ke territory, their chests emblazoned with the Wei Er Ke family crest.

Robin's mouth twitched in frustration, but instead of retreating immediately, he rushed to the front of the mechanical sentinels and shouted loudly, drawing the surrounding people's attention.

Since they wanted to splash dirty water, he wasn't afraid of getting filthy himself; he waded straight into the muck, reasoning that these were the Wei Er Ke family's mechanical sentinels, so there was no reason

Robin's boot heels crushed the silver‑gray powder on the ground as he strode toward the center of the street.

The alloy feet of the twelve mechanical sentinels shattered stone slabs, their Wei Er Ke crests glinting coldly in the moonlight.

He spread his arms to shield the terrified civilians, letting the sentinels' scarlet scanning beams sweep across his face, his voice drowning out the metallic screech: "Wei Er Ke family's mechanical creations, this filthy water is truly disgusting."

The nearest sentinel suddenly halted, its chest core erupting in a dazzling blue light.

Robin recognized it as the trigger of a self‑destruct protocol and lunged toward a child in the crowd.

As the gust lifted him, he caught a glimpse of a violet‑patterned cloak flickering in a street‑corner shadow—the personal guard of Duke Huo Ke.

He returned the child to its parents, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Evacuate the crowd quickly," Robin shouted, "My Imperial Baron, Allen Wei Er Ke, where is the city guard?"

Li Ya hurriedly pulled him into a stack of barrels; the spot where he had stood was blown open by a blue energy sphere, leaving a huge hole.

She ignored the mechanical sentinels, raising her hand; the white powder at her fingertips ignited into a ghostly blue flame: "This is the medium for the blood clan transmutation ritual! The steward of the Black Snake Hall."

"Now's not the time for that!" Robin tore off his aristocratic attire, revealing an inner lining embroidered with the Wei Er Ke family crest, "You go distract the three sentinels on the west side, I—" Before he could finish, the entire building crashed under the sentinel's heavy blows.

Instinctively he erected an order barrier, only to find golden chains piercing through

The onlookers gasped, and someone suddenly knelt, "It's the kingdom's Knight! He is purifying the evil!"

(End of Chapter)