The Cunning Treasure Hunter - Chapter 146

Chapter 146: The Unsealed Fate
Great Master Thorne hesitated for a moment.

Should he really speak of something so cruel?

Then again…

Vera had always lived a life of cruelty.

If he withheld the truth now, how could he expect him to stand alongside them in the battles to come?

“…Or they could try to burn Suncrest to the ground.”

Vera descended from Great Master Thorne residence alongside Aiden.

With their lightness skill, they could have reached the ground in just a few steps. Yet, Aiden walked slowly, deliberately taking one step at a time.

Vera followed behind, already guessing the reason.

He’s contemplating.

Who should be informed?

Who should be asked for help?

Who must remain unaware?

And, most of all—what about those they hold dear?

The ones with whom they share deep bonds… His own disciples.

Marcus, Jace, Dylan, Ethan, Noah…

Saying that Suncrest might burn was no mere exaggeration.

Guarding the remnants of Young Sect Leader had long been a duty entrusted to righteous sects like Suncrest Sect and other Daoist orthodox factions.

It was no wonder that some sects had outright refused to take part in it.

But now, the seal had been broken.

And worse—the vessel now hosting the remnant… was a Suncrest martial artist.

That alone was enough for the The Martial World Alliance to demand accountability from Suncrest.

Before the situation spiraled out of control, they had to contain it.

“…This won’t be easy.”

Aiden let out a deep sigh.

For now, he had a priority—he needed to meet his martial brother, Suncrest’s Sword Dragon, Kael, who was currently in seclusion.

“Vera.”

“Yes, Master.”

“What do you think? Do your senior brothers have tight lips?”

Vera chuckled.

That question was pointless.

And Aiden knew it was pointless.

Which meant—this wasn’t a real question.

It was a lament.

A sigh of frustration at the difficulty of the situation.

Aiden, always appearing so wise and resolute, was now exposing his troubles in front of him.

It amused Vera somewhat.

“You already know the answer.”

“Yes, I do.”

Aiden shrugged at his disciple’s smirk.

He recalled the day he first took him in.

A boy who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

A ruthless child who severed a man’s arm with the first sword he ever wielded.

And yet, now… he could smile like this.

Watching such a change, Aiden thought—perhaps he hadn’t been such a bad mentor after all.

Even if he had taught him very little.

The same applied to his other disciples.

Each of them had their own stories.

Jace and Dylan had been street urchins, plucked off the streets by Suncrest’s Sect Leader due to their talent.

Marcus had been the son of an innkeeper, seeking revenge and strength through martial arts.

“I’ll go meet Kael. You, head back to my residence. Your senior brothers should be gathering there.”

“At this hour… yes, they likely will be.”

“Tell them everything. Every last detail. Leave nothing out.”

Vera halted in his steps.

He turned to face Aiden, who also stopped to meet his gaze.

He recognized that look.

It was the concern of someone who truly cared for his brothers.

“…Master, are you sure about this?”

“I am.”

“But… what if this information brings them harm?”

Knowledge was power.

And those who held power beyond their station were often oppressed… and robbed.

The same applied to information.

“…What if they are put in danger because of what they know?”

“They cannot be everywhere at once.”

Vera let out a slow breath and nodded.

Aiden was right.

The people they trusted needed to be fully informed.

And another matter had to be considered.

With Aiden, Great Master Thorne, and even Vera behaving differently than usual…

The third-generation disciples under Marcus would surely notice.

At the very least, those trained under Aiden would.

Distrust would fester.

And if left unchecked, it would lead to discord… and conflict.

Vera had no intention of allowing that to happen.

“…Understood. I’ll tell them.”

“Good. Once you’ve finished, stay at my residence. If the timing works, return to Blooming Peak Pavilion. I’ll likely have to explain everything to Kael at one of those two places.”

“I understand.”

And with that, their paths diverged.

“You’re not oversleeping, are you?”

Ethan peeked out from beside Marcus as he spoke.

Right now, Marcus was scanning the inside of Aiden residence, wondering if his master had fallen ill.

Beside him, Jace let out a sigh.

“Noah, how do you put up with him?”

“Well… he might not be deep-minded, but he’s a good guy at heart.”

“That’s an insult.”

Dylan chimed in, causing Noah to hastily shush him, covering his mouth with a finger.

After all, he had meant to tease Ethan while making it sound like praise.

Seeing that, Dylan giggled.

Meanwhile, Marcus finished his inspection of the residence and came to a conclusion.

“He’s gone somewhere.”

“This early in the morning?”

“Either he went to see Great Master Thorne, or…”

“Or what?”

Marcus furrowed his brows—then promptly flicked Ethan on the forehead.

“How the hell would I know, you idiot?”

“Why’d you hit me?! That hurt…!”

At that moment, someone descended into the courtyard with lightness skill.

It was Vera.

Ethan’s eyes widened as he pointed at him.

“Weren’t you supposed to be training under Great Master Thorne?”

“Something came up. Master has gone to see Kael.”

Everyone tilted their heads at the unexpected name.

Suncrest’s Sword Dragon, Kael.

They knew who he was, but Ethan was the only one who had ever seen him in person.

“Kael has been in seclusion for three years… Oh.”

“Oh? You know something?”

Jace gazed at Ethan intently.

Marcus nodded in understanding.

“He entered seclusion three years ago.”

“Then it’s about time for him to come out.”

At Jace’s words, Vera nodded in confirmation.

But Marcus still seemed puzzled.

“Something’s off. Normally, the disciple should be the one to seek out the master, not the other way around.”

By tradition, once a seclusion was over, Kael should have gone around Suncrest to greet his fellow disciples.

There was no reason for Aiden, the eldest disciple of the second generation, to personally go to him.

Before answering, Vera spread his inner energy around, forming a soundproof barrier.

“…Something’s happened.”

Marcus let out a sigh.

A matter that no one outside of those present could hear.

That usually meant it was an issue concerning someone’s life or safety.

Another crisis.

“Yes, something has happened. And Master instructed me to inform every one of you.”

Jace, Dylan, Ethan, and Noah all widened their eyes.

It was rare for them to be included in such matters.

Not that they had complaints.

Knowledge was akin to treasure—and possessing too much treasure could bring calamity.

Just look at Marcus—he always had a heavy heart.

Probably because, as the eldest disciple, he bore the weight of knowing far more than the others.

After some hesitation, Noah spoke up.

“Even us?”

“Yes. That’s why we should all go inside first.”

Fortunately, Aiden’s room wasn’t too small.

It was just spacious enough for six young martial artists to gather cozily.

Once everyone was seated, Dylan, sitting by the door, shut it tight.

This place was protected by formations.

It might look shabby, but the Everstone Clan had put considerable effort into reinforcing it.

Here, they could speak freely.

Vera went straight to the point.

“The one presumed to be the Young Sect Leader of the Demonic Sect is inside Suncrest.”

It was a bombshell.

The third-generation disciples, who had been listening attentively, froze in place.

Marcus narrowed his eyes and asked again.

“Are you absolutely certain? Or did I mishear?”

“Yes, you heard correctly. Let me explain.”

Marcus nodded.

In a calm tone, Vera began recounting the series of events.

From the strange sound he and Marcus had heard at dawn in the training grounds.

To their decision to investigate.

To the discovery of a cave beneath the southern peak, where a demonic aura lingered.

And ultimately—to the fact that something that had been sealed had now been unleashed.

Adding in the information from Great Master Thorne and Aiden, that was the full picture.

The Young Sect Leader from The Great War of Light and Shadow—a being with an undying body, had been dismembered.

The fragments had been sealed away by the Nine Great Sects and five great noble clans.

“I have one question.”

Jace, who had been listening quietly, raised his hand.

“Yes, go ahead. I’ll answer as best as I can.”

“I get that the Young Sect Leader became some kind of undying entity due to overwhelming demonic energy. But if that’s the case—how did they kill the Cult Leader, Heavenly Demon?”

A chill ran through the room.

Vera had asked Great Master Thorne and Aiden the same thing.

Their answer had been unclear, and he hadn’t been satisfied with it.

He could only repeat what he had been told.

“The Sword Sovereign never revealed anything. He simply returned… carrying the severed head of Heavenly Demon.”