I'll also work hard to conquer the dungeon today.

Chapter 479, page 2.1-8: The Crown: The Treasure of a Lost Dynasty
Lin Ya slightly raised his eyes and saw Mu Yegui standing in front of him, looking at him with a puzzled expression. For some reason, he felt that the gaze was somewhat intense, so much so that he couldn't help but frown and take a step back.

Mu Yegui tilted his head, his cool silver eyes quietly watching him with a scrutinizing expression, as if he were observing whether this person was harmful.

Dionysus remained silent. He felt that speaking would reveal his identity to the humans. Wouldn't that be telling them that he, the god of wine, hiccuped constantly while drinking? That would be far too damaging to his dignity as a god, and he absolutely could not say it!

"Thank you," Mu Yegui said, probably understanding Dionysus's awkwardness, so she thanked the person in front of her on his behalf.

"You're welcome." Lin Ya nodded to Mu Yegui, his expression cold and distant, not at all like someone who would offer helpful assistance.

Bertias sat in his seat, one hand supporting his chin, the other holding a wine glass, glancing slightly at the three people behind him. Mu Yegui's figure was reflected in his blue-gray eyes. His thin lips moved slightly, a subtle smile suddenly curving upwards.

He downed the wine in his glass in one gulp, casually placed the glass on the table, and slowly stood up, walking towards Mu Yegui.

"Is it someone you know? Or is the high priest who is most trusted by the king actually a kind-hearted fellow who likes to help others?" Bertias' tone was slightly teasing as he glanced at Mu Yegui and chuckled.

"I just find it noisy." Lin Ya frowned, his handsome and flawless face showing only aloofness and indifference as he spoke indifferently.

“Is that so?” Bertias blinked, chuckled, and continued, “Speaking of which, last time the king ordered you to search for treasure, you seemed to return empty-handed. Even if the king didn’t say anything, he must have been dissatisfied.”

This statement had a seductive undertone, as if it were hinting at something to him.

"What do you want to say?" Lin Ya's tone was wary and dissatisfied.

“I just wanted to say that the so-called treasures aren’t just those stones; people should be too,” Bertias said with a light laugh, taking a few steps forward. “Right in front of you, isn’t that a great option?”

"No need. If you want to stand out in front of the king, you don't need to drag others into it. Draw up your map." Lin Ya's expression turned even colder, and he took a few steps back to distance himself from Beltias.

"So even the king's most trusted loyal minister can't see through the king's thoughts?" Bertias chuckled, his tone tinged with sarcasm, his blue-gray eyes subtly scanning the two men.

"You shouldn't be speculating about the king. I'll pretend I didn't hear what you said today." Lin Ya snorted coldly and turned to leave.

"Is that so? Then I can only take these two back to report. I will tell the king that you are unwilling to bring them to see him, and it seems that you have other intentions..." Before he could finish speaking, a sharp light flashed, and a cold kiss landed on Bertias's fragile neck.

Lin Ya held a scabbard in one hand and a sharp dagger in the other. His handsome, flawless face was filled with cold killing intent. His eyes were covered by a black cloth, but it did not affect him at all. The gold ornaments on his body made a crisp sound as he moved.

His blue-gray eyes held a smile as he looked at Lin Ya. Even with a weapon pressed against his neck, Bertias's expression remained unchanged. He continued to chuckle as he looked at Lin Ya, as if he were a child throwing a tantrum.

"Would the king's most trusted loyal minister really kill someone as new as me?" Bertias smiled faintly, every sentence revolving around the phrase "the king's most trusted loyal minister," as if he were mocking something. "They are just ordinary people," Lin Ya said coldly.

Bertheas glanced at Dionysus, who was frowning at him, and said meaningfully, "A god and a 'noble' of unknown origin? If this counts as an ordinary person, then I have nothing to say. However, everything here is under the king's surveillance. Don't you think your current behavior is like harboring a criminal? Deliberately letting someone who poses a threat to the king escape is not something a loyal person should do."

Dionysus: "..." Had he been exposed? He thought no one would know.

Lin Ya frowned slightly, seemingly considering Bertias's words.

Seeing that Lin Ya's expression had changed, Bertias spread his hands and said helplessly, "If you insist on letting them go, then pretend I didn't say anything. After all, I can't beat you, and I'm not going to gamble with my life."

From beginning to end, Bertias deliberately provoked Lin Ya, and then led him step by step to bring Mu Yegui and Dionysus back to the palace. His purpose was clear: he could not recognize Mu Yegui in public, so he could only use this incident to have his 'first encounter' with them.

Of course, it would be more convenient to talk in the palace. He didn't think anything would happen to Mu Yegui. If he couldn't even overcome such a small crisis, there was no need for him to cooperate with Mu Yegui.

This is not just a crisis, but also a test—a test for Bertias to decide whether to cooperate with Mu Yegui. After all, he's not the kind of person who easily trusts others, nor is he someone who will necessarily trust someone again just because they've cooperated before.

Before coming here, Bertias was a fugitive, a criminal constantly on the run from the interstellar police. Someone like him would never be able to trust anyone.

Every decision to collaborate with someone is a risk for him. He must be certain that the person is worthy of cooperation before he will allow them to get close. But that's all it is—closeness. Trust is impossible.

Bertias will never trust anyone in his life. He will only judge whether a collaborator is trustworthy and whether they can continue to cooperate based on their behavior, words, and emotions.

He always wore a mask, and no one knew his true personality, which was one of the reasons why Shui Qi was so eager to kill Bertias.

Even Shui Qi, who is usually good at analyzing others, couldn't fathom Bertias's thoughts. Keeping him around would definitely be a disaster. Rather than waiting for things to erupt, it's better to eliminate him first. He doesn't need someone who could become an enemy at any time as an ally.

In this respect, Shui Qi and Dao Lin made completely opposite choices.

Daolin was well aware of what kind of person Bertias was, but he still chose to cooperate with Bertias.

He was confident that Bertias would not attack him, and he would not betray his companions. Bertias would not betray his companions without a reason, unless he did something.

This is at least much more trustworthy than Shui Qi, that unstable guy who could betray you at any time.

(End of this chapter)