Being a knight is not easy

Chapter 160 Black Snake Hall
Robin flashed and dodged the attack like a ghost. At the same time, he turned around, clenched his right fist, and blasted towards the attacker with a golden light of order.

The attacker obviously didn't expect Robin to react so quickly, and he hastily raised his dagger to block.

With a clang, the sound of metal collision echoed in the alley, and the attacker was knocked back several steps by the powerful force.

Robin looked closely and saw that the attacker was wearing a black nightgown and a black cloth covering his face, leaving only a pair of cold eyes exposed.

Before he could say anything, several dark shadows surrounded him from all directions and blocked him in the middle of the alley.

These people were well-trained and spread out in a fan shape, gradually narrowing the encirclement. The weapons in their hands flashed with cold light, emitting a strong murderous intent in the silent alley.

The assassins underestimated Robin's strength.

The moment the leader swung his sword, Robin flicked his fingertips and a golden chain broke through the air and wrapped around the opponent's wrist like a living thing.

Amid the sound of bones breaking, the dagger clanged to the ground. The assassin looked at his twisted joints in horror. The chain contained a power that could crush a legendary level.

"Are you... a Knight of Order?" a trembling whisper came from behind.

He is already at the early stage of Legendary Knight, and can easily severely injure him. His strength is definitely beyond that of an ordinary Legendary Knight.

Robin pulled off his hood, and the golden emblem of order flowed on his forehead. He raised his hand and waved it lightly, and the weapons in the hands of the remaining assassins suddenly collapsed into powder.

The assassin closest to him tried to escape, but was tied up like a dumpling by chains that suddenly grew from the ground, hanging and swaying in the air.

"Who sent you?" Robin stepped on the broken iron on the ground, and the soles of his boots crushed the sparks.

The leading assassin bit open the poison sac hidden between his molars. As black blood oozed out from the corner of his mouth, he still stared at him with a resentful look: "Our boss won't let you go..." He died before he could finish his words.

Robin squatted down and dipped his fingertips in the black blood. The moment the lines touched, the blood beads turned into blue spots of light and dissipated.

He frowned, stood up, and kicked away the bodies of the assassins at his feet. These people had taken strengthening potions from the black market in the East Territory, and their meridians had been corroded and riddled with holes, leaving no survivors.

The gilded sign of the Black Snake Club loomed on the street corner, and the neon lanterns cast Robin's shadow on the wall, stretching it into the shape of a sharp sword blade.

He tore off his cloak and threw it into the gutter, revealing the Wilk family crest embroidered on the lining. Since the other party wanted to pin the crime on the Wilk family, he might as well walk into this dangerous place openly.

The moment you push open the door of the guild hall, the atmosphere of luxury hits you in the face.

Rose petals floated in the central fountain pool, and scantily clad maids carried silver trays and shuttled between the gambling tables. The sounds of dice, laughter, scolding, and the collision of gold coins intertwined into one.

Suddenly, there was a sound of breaking glass in the corridor on the second floor. Robin looked up and met the eyes of Leah who was leaning on the railing. She had changed into a scarlet low-cut long dress today, and the pearl pendant on her earlobe was dangling. But when she saw the emblem on his forehead, her pupils suddenly contracted.

"It seems you're in trouble, Your Excellency the Baron." A butler wearing white gloves suddenly appeared beside him and took Robin's coat with a smile. "The Black Snake Guild has a rule that bloody knives are not allowed in. But your knife..." He glanced at the Sword of Judgment at Robin's waist, "You can make an exception."

Robin followed the butler through the gambling den, catching a glimpse of several men in tuxedos exchanging quick glances. As they turned the corner on the third floor, he suddenly stopped and stared at the massive painting on the wall—it showed the Duke of Hawke holding a scepter, a chained dragon at his feet.

Leah's voice came from behind, with a deliberately suppressed tremor: "They just received news that there are seven bodies blocking Red Leaf Lane."

"Eight." Robin turned, his fingertips still stained with the blue light that had not completely dissipated. "One fish slipped through the net and escaped down the sewer." He stared at Leah's terrified expression, suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist, pressing her against the cold wall. "Now tell me, what exactly did you want Duke Hawke to see by inviting me here tonight?"

Leah's back slammed against the wall, and the pearl pendant fell, making a soft rustling sound on the carpet. She looked up at the golden veins swirling in Robin's eyes, and suddenly laughed. Her scarlet skirt brushed against the blood-stained uppers of his boots. "I want him to see that the heir of the Wilk family and I have joined forces, secretly conferring in the Black Snake Guildhall. That way, when the Cangyan Valley's mithril mine is exposed, everyone will think you're going to turn against Duke Hawke."

Robin's fingertips suddenly tightened, but loosened abruptly when they touched the beating pulse in her wrist.

From the distant gambling table came the sound of dice cups smashing, mixed with the uncontrolled cursing of a noble.

Only then did he notice that there was a light blue bruise behind Leah's ear, the shape of which matched the outline of Duke Hawke's ring.

"You're being watched." He took a half step back and wiped the blue light from his fingertips with his sleeve. "The Duke has been keeping an eye on you ever since you left the banquet hall."

The candle at the end of the corridor suddenly went out, and the sound of metal scraping came from the shadows.

Robin turned around and drew his sword. The cold light of the Sword of Judgment split the darkness, but he saw the butler standing five steps away with a silver tray containing two glasses of steaming wine.

"Your judgment is admirable," the butler bowed, his white hair falling to obscure his expression. "But in the Black Snake Guildhall, no guest can reveal a secret alive—unless," he raised his eyes, his pupils a strange silver-gray, "you can become the new owner of this place."

Leah's breathing suddenly became rapid. She recognized those eyes - they belonged to the true controller of the Black Snake Guild, the legendary "Shadow Earl" who had long been dead.

Robin's sword pointed steadily at the man's throat, the power of order condensing into jagged lines on the blade. "I have no interest in being your master, but I can make a deal with you."

The wall behind the butler suddenly flipped over, revealing the entrance to the secret passage.

Amidst the damp and musty smell, the faint roar of turning gears could be heard.

Leah stumbled and held onto Robin's arm, feeling the warmth through the fabric. "The guild hall's ventilation vent is about twenty feet away. You can use your Chain of Order to blast through the rock. But Duke Hawke has set up a siege there."

"Twelve mechanical sentinels," Robin continued, projecting a pale golden map from the palm of his hand. It was the secret information he had just retrieved from the assassin's corpse. "And at the core of each sentinel is the heart of a Western wizard."

He suddenly grabbed Leah's hand and pressed it against the stone wall. The moment the emblems touched, the entire rock melted away like flowing water, revealing a deep blue passage.

The butler chuckled: "It seems you know everything, Your Excellency the Baron." He stepped aside and the wine on the silver tray was delivered to the two of them.

Robin and Leah looked at each other, and no one dared to take the wine from the tray.

(End of this chapter)