Chapter 57
“Chilling.”
It was time to act rather than think.
Shina furrowed her brow and rolled up her sleeves. Slowly, she plunged her clenched fists into the creek water.
The water was icy cold.
Shina felt the current and gradually calmed her breathing. Then, slowly extending her index finger, she traced a magic circle on the creek bed. A purification circle.
“Can I do this…? No, I have to.”
She had removed the poison vial, but the nature of the poison was still uncertain.
What if, by chance, the poison didn’t dilute in water? What if it clung to the rocks or weeds?
If that happened, a large-scale disaster would follow soon after.
So, she had to purify at least a portion of it.
“Even if someone gets poisoned, I just need them to hold on until the antidote arrives.”
It wasn’t done out of some great moral cause.
If there were casualties, the trial would likely be suspended, and Shina’s plan to secure the Pyo State would fail.
“That must not happen.”
Shina focused her mind and converted her inner strength into mana, pouring it into the magic circle.
Flash!
The circle glowed vividly, rising above the water surface before vanishing.
It was a sign that the purification magic had been activated.
Shina clenched both fists tightly, shivering with excitement.
She couldn’t know exactly how effective it was yet, but just successfully casting the purification spell was thrilling.
However, the effect of the purification magic was impossible to confirm—the poison was colorless and odorless.
“What now? I can’t just keep dumping mana without knowing the efficiency…”
She needed a way to determine how much poison was being purified each time she cast the spell. She couldn’t drink it herself.
Frustrated, she stamped her feet in impatience.
Then, a sudden idea struck her.
The plants that had withered from the poison!
“That’s it!”
Shina plucked a healthy plant and tossed it into the creek.
“If the poison is still strong, the plant will wilt.”
She watched anxiously. The plant turned black and died precisely one minute later.
Yet, Shina was not discouraged.
“Good, now I have a benchmark.”
She plunged her hands into the water again and traced another purification circle. Then she tossed the same type of plant into the creek.
This time, the plant’s color changed within a minute.
Shina’s purification magic was neutralizing the poison! The efficiency wasn’t bad at all.
From then on, Shina repeatedly traced the purification circle. The circle grew larger and larger, and as the water was purified, her mana reserves drained quickly.
“Ha… ha… I can’t go on anymore.”
After an unknown amount of time, an exhausted Shina collapsed backward, her chest heaving.
Her mana reserves were nearly depleted, her head spinning, and her vision blurred.
“Just a short break…”
But she couldn’t rest.
Someone was approaching.
Squinting, Shina quickly hid in the bushes.
Not long after, a man appeared.
Dressed in the Pyo State official uniform, he stepped cautiously, one deliberate step at a time.
With his mask on and his tense posture, it was clear he was the one who had poured poison into the creek.
“The criminal always returns to the scene… Good, at least it’s not Ilbi.”
Unfortunately, the timing was bad.
“Can I handle him without magic?”
Even confident Shina had moments of humility—specifically when she couldn’t be sure of casting magic.
“When I came here, I still had mana to spare…”
At that time, she had planned to snatch the antidote, but now, if she were discovered here, she wouldn’t survive.
Still, she did not regret using the purification magic—it had been necessary.
For now, hiding and securing her safety was better than running.
Shina minimized her presence, curling her small body tightly. She pressed her eye to a hole in a large leaf to observe the man carefully.
“Who could he be?”
The man, in Pyo State official attire, moved swiftly. His movements alone spoke of considerable skill.
After surveying the area, he left.
Only then did a highly tense Shina slump to the ground.
Her entire body tingled from the stress. She let out a groan.
“I need to catch that guy…”
Her goal was clear, but her body and mana were too drained to act.
While she wallowed in a moment of self-pity, a dark shadow passed over her head.
A chilling voice came from behind.
“Thought you were gone?”
Frozen, Shina slowly turned her head.
“I’ll send you off quickly… without pain.”
Before she could react, the man appeared, having erased his presence, and swung his hand.
Shina’s small body crumbled instantly.
Mu-gyeol, holding a pouch containing the official item, paced in front of the cave.
The sun had long dipped westward, yet Shina, who had left around midday, had not returned. Cheondo hadn’t either.
“Nothing could have happened to our little lady, right?”
He muttered, his own words betraying his fear. Shaking his head vigorously, he reassured himself.
“She’s smart. Nothing will happen.”
Mu-gyeol tried to shake off his anxiety as he walked, but the unease only grew.
This was the mountains, and dangers lurked for the small and delicate Shina.
Who knew what desperate people in the Pyo State would do? Wild animals could attack at any moment.
Horrible scenarios kept creeping into his mind.
The color drained from his face.
Shina had told Mu-gyeol to stay in the cave, but he couldn’t just stay put.
“She’s smart, so nothing will happen… but I have to check…”
Mu-gyeol resolved to face any scolding for being reckless. He fastened the pouch and went to find Shina.
“Little lady…?”
It didn’t take long to find her trail. She had left broken branches and footprints in the wet ground as precautions.
Mu-gyeol dashed along the trail and soon found Shina.
But it wasn’t the reunion he had hoped for.
On the edge of a sheer cliff, an unknown Pyo State official dangled Shina in his grasp.
Mu-gyeol’s eyes widened, a fierce glare radiating from them.
“Personally, I have no regrets. I hope you go somewhere good.”
The official approached the cliff’s edge.
“Stop!”
Without a moment to hesitate, Mu-gyeol leapt forward, blocking him.
The masked official raised his eyebrows.
“What’s this? How did you find her?”
He hadn’t sensed anyone chasing them.
“Put our little lady down this instant!”
Mu-gyeol drew his sword. Small in stature, but full of determination.
“This is troublesome.”
The official gauged the time by the sun. The client had instructed him to finish everything quickly, leaving no evidence.
“I didn’t plan on this…”
He licked his lips.
“You’ll have to die.”
As the man emitted killing intent, Mu-gyeol took a deep breath.
His thighs expanded, propelling him forward at incredible speed. Mu-gyeol closed the distance with the man and swung his sword.
It was clearly the first technique of the Hohaeng Sword Method taught in Pyo State, but it contained a subtlety that could rival the Hwasan Sword.
“…!”
The official reflexively blocked Mu-gyeol’s sword, releasing Shina.
The clash of blades sent tingling pain through the official’s hand.
‘His internal strength is no joke!’
The man, who had previously regarded Mu-gyeol as a mere child, now reassessed him.
The boy possessed formidable strength and inner energy.
What’s more, he blended techniques from the Hwasan sword style naturally.
‘Is he a direct disciple of Hwasan?’
Why was such a person taking the Jangjasu exam?
Having lost the advantage, the official retreated using footwork.
In the meantime, Mu-gyeol ran to Shina.
“Little lady! Are you alright? Stay with me!”
The official, surprised by the sudden strike, smirked.
He had underestimated his opponent, thinking him a novice who would falter if distracted.
Even a master, if distracted, is bound to fail.
Of course, masters rarely get distracted.
The man raised his sword high.
“I’ll send you straight to the afterlife!”
He did not wish to spill a child’s blood, but had no choice.
The sword, infused with inner strength, sliced through the air.
At that moment, Shina’s eyes snapped open.
