Chapter 22: The Untold Story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

The Kingdom of White Snow!

“The princess is missing again!”

A maid’s terrified scream echoed through the palace, followed by a flurry of frantic searching by the servants.

This had become their daily routine.

Behind a grotto in the royal gardens, a small head cautiously peeked out, scanning the surroundings for any sign of others before beckoning someone nearby to come out.

“Let’s go, hurry up, no one’s around!”

A young man behind her sighed helplessly and stuck his head out.

“Why does a princess like you always want to run away every single day?”

He truly couldn’t understand it—a princess draped in finery and luxury, yet obsessed with escaping.

“You don’t understand!” the girl muttered, glancing around nervously.

“No one’s here. You promised me you’d take me out of the palace!”

“Are you really sure about this?” Ye Qing asked, his face filled with reluctance.

“Of course!” the White Snow Princess nodded earnestly.

“Take me out!”

“Alright.”

Ye Qing’s expression turned serious. With the mighty dragon-headed greatsword strapped to his back, he looped an arm around the princess’s waist and sprinted several strides before dashing far away.

Given his strength, evading the guards’ notice was nothing more than a simple matter.

Meanwhile, inside the palace, the maids still assumed the princess was hiding somewhere as usual, waiting for them to find her.

Little did they know, this time she had truly left the palace.

As a grand nation renowned far and wide, the White Snow Kingdom’s palace was naturally magnificent.

Once outside the palace, Ye Qing released the princess and began to walk away on his own.

“Hey, where are you going?” the princess asked, unable to hide her surprise at his sudden departure.

“I promised to get you out; that’s done. Now you can attend to your own affairs, and I must pursue mine,” Ye Qing replied, his strides unwavering and purposeful.

“Wait for me!” the princess called, quickly following behind.

“You’ve always wanted to escape the palace; now that you’re out, why are you still following me?” Ye Qing said, exasperated.

“I have nowhere else to go,” the princess stated matter-of-factly.

“Then why did you run away in the first place?” he asked, genuinely confused by the mindset of these noblewomen. All he wanted was to locate the violator quickly, handle the matter, and return as soon as possible.

“The queen wants to kill me!” the princess whispered conspiratorially, leaning in close.

Ye Qing instinctively recoiled, uncomfortable with the proximity.

“The queen wants to kill you?”

He wasn’t surprised; wasn’t that how fairy tales always went?

“Yes!” the princess nodded vigorously. “That’s why I have to escape. Father’s old now and can’t protect me—I have to protect myself.”

Hearing this, Ye Qing didn’t refuse.

Though an executioner by trade, he possessed a chivalrous heart beneath the cold exterior. As long as it didn’t interfere with his mission, he was willing to help when he could.

In a harsh world like the Tower of Magic, if he didn’t preserve some light within, all that remained would be darkness.

He refused to become such a person, so during executions, he focused strictly on the main objectives, completing side tasks only as circumstances allowed.

Fortunately, executioners enjoyed far more freedom than ordinary players. As long as the main mission was fulfilled, there were few restrictions on which side quests to undertake, allowing them to choose at will.

“Do you know if there are any carriages nearby?” Ye Qing asked, considering the added burden of escorting the princess.

If he were alone, he wouldn’t have to think about such things.

The target was quite a distance away. Traveling on foot with the princess would be grueling, given her constitution.

“Just ask around!” the princess said, not naive despite her sheltered upbringing. She knew how to find help, and soon they located a carriage.

Since they didn’t know the exact destination, Ye Qing chose not to hire a driver but to handle the reins himself.

Owning the carriage meant they could go wherever they wished, without restriction.

Back inside the palace, Queen White Snow received word of the princess’s disappearance but responded coldly.

She had already seen everything through the magic mirror, even knowing precisely where they had gone.

At that moment, she was indifferent, dismissing her attendants.

Only after they left did her calm expression shift.

“Lucky indeed, my sister,” she muttered coldly.

She hadn’t expected her intricate plots to be undone at the last moment, failing to eliminate Queen Redheart as she had planned.

Instead, Little Red Riding Hood had been executed by unknown forces.

Recalling the young man’s ruthless strike and that a god had been beheaded by mortals sent a chill down her spine.

She understood these people were not to be trifled with.

If they could slay a god, they could certainly destroy everything she possessed.

Her long-planned scheme had taken a sudden turn, and anyone faced with such a reversal would find it hard to remain calm.

“White Snow Princess… Sleeping Beauty…” she murmured, pondering how to link these threads.

Having finally arranged for Redheart’s dragon to be stolen, now that the dragon was back in Redheart’s hands and the queen still alive, dealing with her would no longer be easy.

But as lifelong enemies, after years of conflict, she was unwilling to give up so easily.

Meanwhile, Ye Qing and the White Snow Princess rode out of the royal city in their carriage, beginning their arduous journey over mountains and valleys.

The princess refused to sit inside; instead, she perched outside beside Ye Qing.

As the scenery rushed by on either side, she felt like a bird freed from its cage, marveling at the blue sky and fresh air—things she had never experienced beyond the palace walls.

Ye Qing was not so carefree. He followed the faint trace in his heart, relentlessly tracking the violator.

This was the executioner’s daily routine.

As a special force within the Tower of Magic, unlike the leisurely arbiters, executioners had to respond immediately whenever violators appeared.

Given the vast world of the Tower, violators were common, and executioners had to confront them.

“Hey! Who goes there?”

Suddenly, a sharp shout shattered Ye Qing’s thoughts, nearly frightening him out of his wits.

He tightened his reins and scanned left and right, but no one was in sight.

He was sure he hadn’t misheard—it was incredibly strange.

“Where are you looking? Get down here!” a voice barked in irritation.

Ye Qing finally looked down and saw a figure standing before the horses.

A dwarf!

“That brat, this road is mine, this tree I planted. If you want to pass, leave your life’s wealth! Anything valuable on you, the horses, and the women—all stay here, or you can get lost!”

Though short, the dwarf held his head high, exuding brazen arrogance.

“Bandits?” Ye Qing’s expression darkened at the familiar dialect. The violator’s influence was already spreading here.

He pondered another question: were these people simply robbing anyone who passed and happened to stop them, or were they specifically targeting him? The implications were very different.

Regardless, this violator was incredibly clever.

As a traveler from another world, he had detected the presence of executioners and even killed the previous one. That was remarkable.

No matter the situation, Ye Qing did not want to delay.

He drew the dragon-headed greatsword from his back.

No matter who this dwarf was, if he demanded the princess be left behind, Ye Qing had no qualms about striking.

“Boss, he’s armed!” a gruff voice spoke in the dwarves’ cant, prompting allies to appear.

From both sides of the road, two dwarves dressed identically and of the same stature rushed out.

Seven dwarves?

Ye Qing glanced at them, then at the princess beside him.

For some reason, the childhood fairy tale sprang to mind—a feeling of uncanny dissonance.

Bandit dwarves and the White Snow Princess.

Seven dwarves living happily with the princess...

The thought was chilling.

Especially since the princess was supposed to leave with a knight in the end—why?

Lost in these musings, Ye Qing struck without hesitation.

Whether they were pawns or not, they were bandits, and that was undeniable. Acting against them was justice, no burden on his conscience.

Leaping from the carriage, he swung his greatsword down fiercely.

Though small, the dwarf leader was no pushover.

He wielded two massive hammers taller than himself, skillfully blocking the dragon-headed blade.

Yet Ye Qing, as an executioner, was no ordinary fighter.

With the ghostly image of a green dragon appearing behind him, his strength surged.

He parried the hammers and kicked away a dwarf attempting a sneak attack.

Sheathing his greatsword, he drew a long spear.

A sweeping strike sent several dwarves flying back on a gust of powerful wind.

The disparity in strength was enormous; the dwarves barely resisted.

“Tell me who’s behind you!” Ye Qing demanded coldly.