‘Ugh! His internal energy is so high.’

  Vijay spoke from inside the sacred thread. Sharv’s master also said to him,

  ‘Disciple, lower your head. I already told you before about fear, position and such things…’

  Sharv lowered his head in front of the Society Leader as if terrified... Or rather, he only acted like he was terrified.

  Shiver!

  Then he lightly trembled his body, but in such a way that anyone watching would think it was from fear of the Society Leader.

  ‘Good. Now disciple, tell him a fake name. It's always better at these moments...’

  Sharv’s master spoke from inside the sacred thread, thought Sharv remained quite for some time.

  The Society Leader was looking straight at Sharv and spoke loudly again,

  “Didn’t you hear what I said? What’s your name?”

  ‘?!’

  Sharv suddenly lifted his head. Panic and fear were clearly visible on his face.

  “M-my name…?”

  “Yes, your name.”

  The Society Leader asked.

  He didn’t doubt Sharv’s behavior at all. He had always seen people tremble like this when they witnessed his power. He simply assumed Sharv was the same.

  Behind them, the Death Hall Master was quietly watching. He still hadn’t left. Perhaps he also had something to say, but was waiting for the Society Leader to finish.

  After thinking for some time Sharv said to the Society Leader,

  “...M-my name is Sharv.”

  ‘?!’

  Both Sharv’s master and Vijay were stunned. He actually told his real name?!

  ‘What?! Hey! Disciple, you told him your real name! Are you crazy?!’

  ‘Sharv, what the hell are you doing?!’

  They both asked.

  Sharv didn’t say anything back through voice transmission. It’s not that he didn’t want to answer, he simply couldn’t right now.

  In front of him stood a man who had opened the sixth chakra.

  He didn’t dare risk using voice transmission. What if the man noticed and realized Sharv was secretly communicating with someone nearby?

  “Sharv… quite a strange name. Tell me your full name.”

  The Society Leader said, and Sharv replied saying a fake surname,

  “Haksar ...Sharv Haksar.”

  “Hmm… Haksar. Looks like you're from around here. Good, that makes things easier. Next...”

  The Society Leader was still speaking when sharp footstep sounds were heard...

  Bam! Bam!

  “S-society Leader!”

  “S-sir...W-why did come you are here?”

  Two people spoke together. They were none other than Surendranath and the Vice Leader.

  They hurried over, clasped their hands respectfully, and bowed their heads.

  Then their gazes shifted toward the Death Hall Master… and the severed hand he was holding. The Vice Leader spoke first,

  “Society Leader, just now there was a loud noise...”

  “Yes, that was because of me. Any problem with that, Vice Leader?”

  “None at all. Who would dare object before your strength? In the entire Himalayan range, there is no one greater or stronger than you.”

  The Vice Leader bowed even lower.

  He was terrified inside. But the one who was even more frightened was Surendranath.

  His gaze too was fixed on the Death Hall Master’s severed hand. He didn’t need to ask.

  Just by looking, he knew the Society Leader had personally uncovered the mystery behind the boy’s disappearance.

  ‘I survived… otherwise today I’d be standing where the Death Hall Master is.’

  Surendranath thought.

  His eyes moved toward Sharv, who was beneath the tree. But just then, the Society Leader pointed toward Sharv and said,

  “Well then, if you two have nothing more to say, step aside. I have something to discuss with this… Sharv.”

  Surendranath and the Vice Leader silently moved aside, making space.

  Surendranath etched Sharv’s name into his mind. He would never forget this boy.

  Because of him, his life had been dragged into so much trouble that he can't even describe it.

  The Society Leader then asked Sharv,

  “Tell me honestly… did you really break those beads?”

  Gulp.

  Sharv swallowed nervously and spoke in a low, trembling voice,

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “...Y-yes.”

  But then...

  Tak!

  The Society Leader grabbed him by the throat and said,

  “I didn’t hear you. Louder.”

  With the little breath he had left, Sharv forced out,

  “Yes! I… broke them!”

  The Society Leader was furious; his anger was clear in his eyes. But then, he released Sharv’s throat.

  “Huff! Huff!”

  Sharv breathed a sigh of relief. But immediately, the Society Leader asked,

  “How did you get those beads?”

  Flinch.

  Sharv’s body began to tremble. He carefully chose his next words.

  “A few days ago… the White Frost Bandits came to my village—Duriya Village. They took over the entire village. The children… elders… everyone was killed… Sob!… Sob!… They even killed my parents. Only I was spared. Sob!... Sob!... They kept me captive because… they found out that, even though I am a boy, I can use lunar energy. They planned to sell me as a slave. While I was imprisoned, they made me do all kinds of work. One of those tasks was to bury something inside an old hut.”

  “…”

  “I didn’t know what it was. I just did as I was told. A day or two later, the bandits were attacked by some people… and all of them died. I was so happy… finally free. I thought of escaping and starting a new life somewhere else. But I had no money… no food. So I decided to dig up that thing I buried. They were going to transport it for money anyway… so I thought I would sell it instead. And that’s how… I found the beads.”

  Sharv told his fake yet tragic story.

  Vijay inside the sacred thread was practically clapping, because there was almost no loophole in it.

  The Society Leader, Surendranath, the Vice Leader, and the Death Hall Master all listened.

  They did not exactly feel sympathy, but the story sounded believable. And the way Sharv spoke made it feel even more real.

  Sharv’s acting and presence of mind were truly impressive, he made the story just now but said it with so much perfection that it felt completely real to all of them.

  For a while, nobody said anything.

  But then...

  “Society Leader, I doubt his story.”

  It was Surendranath who spoke. The Society Leader asked,

  “And why is that?”

  In response, Surendranath spoke to the Society Leader through voice transmission.

  - Society Leader, when I was on my way there, I met Varsha on the road. She told me that she had gone there to settle her score with the White Frost Bandits, but she wasn’t able to kill all of them. However, when I reached the village, I saw that everyone was already dead. That’s why I don’t trust this boy’s story. He must be hiding something from us. Please ask him who exactly it was that attacked the White Frost Bandits.

  The Society Leader carefully listened and then asked Sharv,

  “All right, tell me this; who killed the White Frost Bandits? Was it one person? Or a whole group?”

  Sharv thought for a moment… he remembered Varsha back then, but he is not sure if including her in it would be good.

  ‘Should I include her... or not’

  He was puzzled, but then he decided to include her because, a lie won't look compelling, until and unless it's mixed with a little truth.

  Then he started,

  “There were two people… They came at different times. First was a women… I think. I didn’t see her because I was hiding, but judging from the voice, I’m pretty sure she was a women. She fought them for a while, but soon ran away… probably to call for help?”

  “…”

  “And the second…”

  Sharv hesitated a little before continuing,

  “The second person was an old man. But he was a powerful martial artist. He was using a spear. He was very strong—he killed all of them by himself.”

  ‘?!’

  A spear user? An old man? And a powerful martial artist?

  All this information sounded strangely familiar to them. The Society Leader asked,

  “Did you see that spear-wielding martial artist clearly?”

  Sharv shook his head.

  Seeing that, everyone’s expressions dimmed with disappointment. But then Sharv spoke again,

  “But I heard him speak. He said, ‘You White Frost Bandits, today I, the Black Spear King, will end you all!’”

  ‘!!!’

  The moment the Society Leader, Surendranath, Vice Leader, and Death Hall Master heard the name Black Spear King, their eyes widened in shock.

  Who in the entire Indian subcontinent would not know him? He was counted among the strongest martial artists along with their others like Crimson Heaven Society's Society Leader.

  Black Spear King always worked in strange ways.

  Whenever he appeared, it was to assassinate some powerful, like a martial artist from the three great martial factions, or a royal family member from one of the two great empires.

  He had killed so many members of the Force of Inverted Command, that they even held a bounty on his head.

  ‘The Black Spear King? But why would he come to kill the White Frost Bandits? Did he also know about the beads?’

  The Society Leader wondered.

  But then he dismissed the idea; because if the Black Spear King had come for the beads, he would have taken them away.

  Sharv would not have them.

  Meanwhile, Sharv kept his head lowered, but his eyes carefully studied their faces.

  He had completely fabricated the story about the Black Spear King.

  His purpose was simple; he wanted to know whether the Black Spear King had any connection to the Crimson Heaven Society.

  Until he learned that, moving forward would be useless and dangerous.

  He watched their faces closely. None of them looked pleased. Each of them seemed confused and troubled.

  If the Black Spear King had belonged to the Crimson Heaven Society, they probably wouldn’t look this uncertain.

  Judging by their expressions, Sharv now believed the Black Spear King was not a member of their society too.

  ‘They are not speaking now...’

  Vijay said, to which Sharv's Master replied.

  ‘Look at their facial expressions and head movements, I think they are communicating through voice transmission.’

  After some time, the Society Leader looked at everyone, then turned back to Sharv and asked,

  “All right. Now tell me... what martial art technique was written on those beads?”

  ‘?!’

  Sharv’s eyes widened slightly.

  ‘Martial art technique?...’

  Then he remembered he had earlier told Surendranath that the beads contained a martial art technique.

  But that was a lie. So what should he say now? He thought… but it didn’t take long to decide.

  In this situation only one thing would work, and that is; Another lie. If one lie risks being exposed tell another. If that too is exposed, lie again.

  So long as you live, lies have value. If telling the truth gets you killed; then what use is the truth?

  Sharv said,

  “Yes. There was a martial art technique written on it, I think it was a palm based martial art.”

  “A palm based martial art technique?”

  “Yes. A palm based martial art technique. Ancient, because everything written on the beads was in compound, Vedic Sanskrit.”

  The Society Leader understood.

  In the current era there were many texts, scriptures and manuals which were written and preserved in that language; Vedic Sanskrit.

  In Vedic Sanskrit, entire complex meanings could be compressed into short compound words so the text could fit even in very small spaces.

  But the greatest flaw of that method was in the present Era, that was; understanding those compound words correctly.

  Since the language had evolved into much simpler forms in modern times, very few people could accurately interpret the original compounds.

  And even if someone could interpret them, it would take a lot of time, even years or decades.

  And even if it's interpreted then it's often seen that, the meaning would be misunderstood entirely.

  Which is extremely dangerous for martial artists—because even a single mistake in a martial art or breathing technique could be fatal for their body, their cultivation and their martial arts.

  The Society Leader asked Sharv,

  “Do you still remember what was written on the beads?”

  “Yes, that's why I broke them because I still remember what was written on it. And... I know a little Vedic Sanskrit too...”

  “Then… can you interpret it correctly?”

  “No.”

  Sharv lowered his head as he replied. Hearing that, Surendranath burst out angrily,

  “Ahh! Why the fuck did you even broke them, you fool!”

  He wanted to hit Sharv, but he didn’t dare do anything in front of the Society Leader.

  Sharv replied in a bitter tone, quietly,

  “Humph! If I hadn’t broken those beads… I probably wouldn’t even be alive right now.”

  “What did you say?!”

  Surendranath shouted furiously, but the Vice Leader placed a hand on his shoulder and calmed him down.

  Meanwhile, inside, Sharv was delighted.

  Because now he had created a situation where even if they wanted to, they couldn’t kill him.

  In their eyes, Sharv possessed the knowledge of an ancient martial arts technique.

  If they wanted to learn its true meaning, they would need his cooperation. Or else they'll have to find another person who can interpret the words.

  But very few people knew Vedic Sanskrit; fewer still could read, write, and even few who could accurately interpret its word's ‘real’ meaning.

  Finding such a talented individual would take a long time.

  However the most difficult part would be to get the compound words out of Sharv's mouth. What if he gave they the wrong words, or a wrong interpretation?

  To prevent that, they have to be nice and cooperating with him, and would have to keep him alive.

  And hence; Sharv's life would be saved. Atleast for now...