The Cunning Treasure Hunter

"Absolutely not!"

Marcus barged in, ignoring all etiquette and propriety.

His body, still saturated with a lingering killing intent, swayed as if barely holding itself together.

"Marcus, benefactor, you must rest and recover!" Master Nathaniel tried to block his path, intending to send his back.

But Marcus wouldn't listen. he had a mission.

As the First Senior Disciple, it was his duty to protect and defend his juniors.

"Until my dying breath, I will never let anything happen to Vera... Kuh!"

Eventually, he succumbed to violent coughing, collapsing into a seated position.

His weakened body couldn't endure any longer. A penetrating wound had struck his near the solar plexus.

To make matters worse, the sinister killing intent had deeply soaked into his very bones.

Although Master Nathaniel had been transferring Transcendent Wisdom Sutra's internal energy to him every morning, it wasn't enough for a full recovery.

he would need at least fifteen more days of rest.

Seeing Marcus fall, Vera rushed to his side.

She wrapped her arm around Marcus's neck, helping his up.

"Senior Brother…"

"No, Vera. No matter what happens to that man's sister, your life is more important." Marcus's voice was resolute.

he wasn't wrong.

As the First Senior Disciple of the Suncrest Sect, how could he sacrifice his junior siblings for the sake of a stranger—a successor of the Bloodshadow Pavilion, and a distant member of the Northern Ice Palace?

It was an unthinkable notion. An act he would never permit.

"…No one is asking you to sacrifice me in their place," Vera whispered.

"You wouldn't, would you?"

"I wouldn't."

This time, Sev's face twisted.

He had promised to do anything.

He had sworn he'd do whatever it took to save his sister.

Before he could speak, Vera cut him off.

"Iron Fist Sect Temple has already officially declared the Bloodshadow Pavilion as a public enemy. Sev, you must know where their stronghold is, don't you?"

"…I do."

"Then tell us. You wouldn't have dragged your sister around with you on every raid. If we destroy their forces now, we could rescue her safely from another stronghold, couldn't we?"

Sev hesitated, trapped in thought.

Her logic was sound at first glance.

From what he knew, Elise was being held at a safe house in Bright Peace.

Currently, the elite members of the Bloodshadow Pavilion, led by Ezekiel, were stationed at a safe house in The Central Plains.

But what if the safe house in The Central Plains were attacked?

The information would undoubtedly reach Bright Peace.

And if the only one who could leak such information was Iron Fist Sect Temple, then…

Elise wouldn't survive.

"But how could we manage that? Unless we strike both strongholds simultaneously…"

At that moment, Grandmaster Gregory of the Iron Fist Sect Temple stepped forward, his voice calm yet commanding.

The six rings hanging from his staff jingled with each step.

"Why do you think the Iron Fist Sect Temple would be unable to do such a thing?"

"…Surely not."

"Indeed, we will launch a full-scale assault on the Bloodshadow Pavilion. They are not just our enemy but a public threat."

Before anyone could respond, another figure entered the room.

It was Raymond, the northern branch leader of the Nomads' Sect in The Central Plains.

"Grandmaster! Grandmaster!"

His demeanor was as rough as one would expect of a beggar.

But Grandmaster Gregory welcomed him with a warm smile.

To the Nomads' Sect, courtesy was sincerity. As long as their intentions were pure, they were forgiven for any rudeness.

"It has been a while, Branch Leader Raymond. Homage to Infinite Light."

"I bring word from the Sect Leader! He's dispatching a Seven-Knot Elder to assist with this mission!"

Everyone's mouths fell open.

The hierarchy within the Nomads' Sect was determined by the number of knots on their sash.

From those with no knots—the lowest of the low—to those with three knots like Raymond, who could serve as branch leaders.

The Sect Leader had nine knots, and their successor eight.

A Seven-Knot Elder was second only to the leadership itself, both in authority and power.

"Homage to Infinite Light… We owe the Sect Leader our gratitude," said Grandmaster Gregory with a bow.

"No, it is the Sect Leader who expresses gratitude to you, Grandmaster," replied Raymond, hurriedly bowing in return after realizing his earlier lack of propriety.

Even the Sect Leader had reason to be thankful. After all, he had lost his first successor to the Bloodshadow Pavilion and had been searching for revenge ever since.

All eyes turned to Sev.

Only then did he realize he had been cornered.

There was no way he could refuse now.

More importantly…

The odds were in his favor.

With such overwhelming support, the plan seemed feasible.

Clenching his fists, Sev rose from his seat.

"…You'll truly help me?"

"Don't think of it that way. We've all lost someone to the Bloodshadow Pavilion," Raymond said with a bitter laugh.

Even the monks of the Iron Fist Sect Temple nodded in agreement.

Many of them had lost teachers or disciples to the assassins of Bloodshadow Pavilion.

It wasn't for nothing that Bloodshadow Pavilion was renowned as the most infamous assassination organization in the martial world.
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"Very well, I will speak." Sev finally made up his mind.

If this worked…

If they succeeded, he could save his sister forever.

"And you."

"Me?" Vera tilted her head in confusion as Sev pointed at her.

"There must be a way to dissolve the Army Blue Ice Needles from the All-Encompassing Frost Divine Art, isn't there?"

Simply retrieving his sister wouldn't be enough.

If left untreated, she would live a life shackled to expensive elixirs just to suppress the condition caused by the needles.

The source of the forced energy-deviation symptoms embedded in her body had to be eradicated.

"It's said the technique derives from the eternal ice of the Northern Sea."

"That's right. So, how do you plan to melt it?"

"I have a method. Leave it to me."

Her response felt unconvincing.

But there was no other choice.

"If you truly free my sister from those cursed needles…" Sev's gaze hardened.

He was a man of clear grudges and debts. Someday, he would gather the strength to exact revenge on the Palace Lord of the Northern Ice Palace.

And… he would repay any kindness shown to him.

"…I will serve you as your attendant for the rest of my life."

"That won't be necessary," Vera replied calmly.

"No, I cannot live without repaying such a debt. That is who I am."

Sev was a man of steadfast principles.

Perhaps too steadfast, swayed as he was by emotions.

With a sickly sister as his only family, gratitude burned deeply in him.

And so, when salvation came, he vowed to repay it.

This wasn't just about saving his life.

He had been pulled out of the quagmire of Bloodshadow Pavilion, and his sister would be freed from eternal torment.

If they succeeded…

If they raided the safe house, rescued his sister, and dissolved the poison…

Then there would be no greater grace in his life.

"Even so, being your attendant would make me uncomfortable," Vera replied with a faint smile.

"Then I'll be your slave…"

"If you insist, then become my friend instead."

Sev froze momentarily.

Friend?

Did she mean a companion?

Would that truly be enough to repay such a monumental debt?

"A lifelong friend. Someone who stays by my side no matter what I do or say. Someone who silently walks with me, always on my side. That's all I ask."

She wasn't asking for just any friend.

She sought a sworn companion, someone who would share an equal bond with her and offer unwavering support.

Finally, Sev nodded.

"If you keep your promise, I will agree."

"It won't take long," Vera assured him.

"And… there's something else I must tell you."

"What is it?"

"About who we are."

At that moment, Grandmaster Gregory of the Iron Fist Sect Temple struck the ground with his staff.

BOOM!

The resonating sound, infused with his internal energy, drew everyone's attention.

"That conversation should be reserved for select individuals. Homage to Infinite Light."

"And who exactly do you mean by 'select individuals'?" Valen, who had been silently observing, asked in a disgruntled tone.

Unfortunately for him, he wasn't one of them.

"Those directly involved in this matter: Master Nathaniel, Vera, and perhaps myself. That will suffice."

Ethan, Marcus, and Valen protested immediately.

"What about me? Grandmaster, I am Vera's senior!"

"As the First Senior Disciple, must I remain ignorant of who is targeting my junior sister?"

"Remember, Grandmaster, it was I who rescued the young disciple of Iron Fist Sect!"

BOOM!

Another strike of the staff silenced all objections.

"Tell me, Valen, are you one of the targeted individuals?"

"…"

"If this information proves to be something that need not be kept secret, it will be shared widely. But some matters… some truths must remain hidden. Surely you, of all people, understand this."

"Fine. I understand," Valen replied reluctantly.

"And since an assassination took place in Mount of the Moon, I must be informed. Do you object to this?"

"…No."

As the former Leader of the Heavenly Net, Valen was no stranger to sensitive information.

He understood better than anyone the necessity of controlling dangerous and delicate knowledge.

Though he couldn't hide his displeasure, he didn't refuse Grandmaster Gregory's decision.

"Then Vera, and you—what is your name?"

"Sev."

"Very well, Benefactor Sev, please follow me to the Grandmaster's chamber. Master Nathaniel, you as well."

As they left, Sev felt the parasite embedded within his body stir.

A creation of the Bloodshadow Pavilion, it was a deadly creature designed to kill its host the moment a specific word was spoken.