plumnovel Chapter 262: The Price of Dignity
Chapter 262: The Price of Dignity
The Price of Dignity
Then a determined look appeared on his face.
"Let’s finish this with a big fire."
He thought to himself.
The luxury sedan sped down the highway, leaving the Tyson Family estate farther and farther behind.
Outside the windows, the afternoon sun painted the fields in shades of gold. The scenery should have been peaceful.
Unfortunately, Steffan was experiencing anything but peace.
His handsome face remained calm on the surface, carrying the dignity expected of the Martial Art King.
Inside?
It was a battlefield.
His jaw was clenched so tightly that veins bulged near his temples.
His fingers dug into his thighs.
Cold sweat formed on his forehead.
The sensation in his lower abdomen had become increasingly terrifying.
If ordinary people knew what their mighty Martial Art King was enduring right now, they would probably laugh themselves unconscious.
Fortunately, Steffan still had one trump card.
His cultivation technique.
A faint trace of spiritual energy circulated through his body.
Carefully.
Precisely.
Like a surgeon conducting a delicate operation.
A dangerous operation.
One mistake and his reputation would be buried forever.
"This king has crossed countless battlefields."
"I have survived assassinations, ambushes, poisonings, and wars."
"I refuse to lose to something this ridiculous."
Steffan encouraged himself internally.
The spiritual energy slowly transformed into scorching heat.
The terrifying heat spread through his body.
A moment later, Steffan’s expression relaxed slightly.
Success.
Actual success.
For the first time since leaving the Tyson Family estate, hope appeared in his eyes.
This time, Steffan’s progress was quite smooth.
It gave him a sense of satisfaction.
He truly lived up to being the Martial Art King, having emerged from countless desperate situations!
Such a difficult problem couldn’t stump him.
Others might have struggled, but only he succeeded!
A trace of pride appeared on his face.
Even Cheery, sitting nearby, noticed the sudden change.
Her emerald-green eyes glanced toward him briefly.
Why did this man suddenly look so pleased with himself?
Had he discovered some profound martial insight?
The young successor of Voidspring Mountain naturally couldn’t imagine the truth.
Steffan sat straighter.
His confidence began returning.
His mood improved considerably.
"Julian D’Aurelius."
"Just wait."
"I’ll repay today’s humiliation sooner or later."
He silently swore.
Unfortunately.
Just as his confidence was recovering...
A strange smell appeared.
Steffan’s smile froze.
His pupils contracted.
His soul nearly left his body.
No.
No no no.
Not now.
Not after all his hard work.
As the fire simmered down, a strong smell inevitably spread.
The air inside the vehicle suddenly became suspicious.
Very suspicious.
Steffan’s face twitched.
Fortunately, the window was open, and to avoid suspicion, he quickly explained.
"The air in Valemont isn’t that great, there’s a stench wafting in."
His tone sounded extremely natural.
Almost too natural.
Elder Smith nodded immediately.
"Yeah, I’ve been smelling it for a while, probably a manure truck nearby."
Hearing this answer, Steffan nearly cried tears of gratitude.
Finally.
Someone understood.
For a brief moment, Elder Smith looked wiser than any strategist he had ever met.
"That’s right."
"It must be from outside."
Steffan silently agreed.
Unfortunately...
Reality rarely showed mercy.
Elder Smith frowned and looked toward the front seat.
"Yaman, close the window for a bit, it’s unbearable."
"Yes, Master."
Yaman responded obediently.
Click.
The window closed.
The moment the sound rang out...
Steffan’s face turned green instantly.
His soul nearly ascended.
He stared at Elder Smith.
If not for maintaining his image, he genuinely wanted to grab the old man by the collar and shake him.
Close the window?
You closed the window?
Are you trying to kill me?
The smell had barely escaped before.
Now everything would remain trapped inside.
How was he supposed to blame the outside world now?
He wanted to cry.
He wanted to scream.
He wanted to jump out of the moving vehicle.
Instead, he maintained the expression of a calm expert.
The result was an extremely strange facial expression.
Cheery noticed it again.
Her beautiful brows furrowed slightly.
Was he injured more seriously than he appeared?
Something seemed wrong.
Very wrong.
Inside the vehicle, silence lingered.
Thirty seconds passed.
Then forty.
Then fifty.
Soon...
The atmosphere changed.
The smell grew stronger.
Much stronger.
It spread through every corner of the vehicle like an invisible demonic beast launching a territory expansion technique.
Even Yaman at the driver’s seat subconsciously opened his eyes wider.
What was that smell?
A minute later, the situation became unbearable.
The stench inside the car became even more intense.
It was as if someone was cooking something foul inside the car.
Steffan closed his eyes.
His expression resembled that of a sage contemplating life.
In reality, he was praying.
Praying that everyone would remain stupid.
Praying that nobody would investigate.
Praying that the heavens would show mercy.
Sadly.
The heavens remained silent.
Sitting next to Steffan, Elder Smith felt it most acutely.
Coming to his senses, he pinched his nose and said.
"My God, why does it smell worse after closing the window? This is from inside the car, not outside."
Steffan’s heart skipped a beat.
Danger.
Extreme danger.
He immediately entered meditation mode.
Eyes closed.
Breathing steady.
Expression calm.
A true master.
A master who definitely wasn’t responsible.
Steffan pretended to meditate, acting as if he hadn’t heard.
He really didn’t know how to respond.
The smell was indeed quite overpowering.
But his simmering was almost done!
Only a little longer.
Just a little longer.
He could survive this.
He had to survive this.
At this moment, Elder Smith began investigating.
There were only four people in the car now.
Himself.
Steffan.
Cheery.
And Yaman driving.
Naturally, Elder Smith wouldn’t suspect that Steffan had soiled himself.
After all, this was the mighty Martial Art King.
A legendary expert.
A renowned War God.
How could such a figure possibly suffer such humiliation?
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
As for Cheery?
Even less likely.
The silver-pink-haired beauty sat quietly beside the window, her posture elegant and graceful.
She looked like an immortal fairy who had stepped out of a painting.
No sane person would associate her with such a catastrophe.
That left only one suspect.
Yaman.
Poor Yaman.
Completely innocent.
Completely unaware.
Completely doomed.
Elder Smith’s eyes narrowed.
The more he looked at Yaman, the more suspicious he became.
His disciple was over two hundred pounds.
His appetite was famous throughout Voidspring Mountain.
Several times he had eaten enough food for three people.
Clearly.
The culprit had revealed himself.
Looking at his disciple, he shouted angrily.
"Yaman, you fool!"
The sudden roar startled everyone.
Even Steffan almost opened his eyes.
"I told you not to eat recklessly!"
Elder Smith continued furiously.
"It’s bad enough you eat, but now you’ve soiled yourself"