The Cunning Treasure Hunter

Vera landed softly in the Blooming Peak Pavilion's training grounds.

It was still before dawn.

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For a moment, he gazed at the bright moon hanging in the sky.

Come to think of it, both Master and Senior Brother Marcus seemed to have a habit of watching the moon.

They would often stare out the window, lost in thought. Even Aiden, his teacher, had once told him to take a moment and simply look at the moon.

"...Now that I think about it, they are similar."

Marcus and Aiden had many things in common.

Their speech, their habit of gazing at the moon, even the way they treated Vera—it was all eerily similar.

If it had come down to it, Aiden would have taken a blade for Vera, just as Marcus would.

Even their occasional witty remarks felt alike.

Perhaps it was true—a disciple inevitably comes to resemble their master.

Or was it simply the natural result of learning from and teaching one another?

As Vera mulled over these meaningless thoughts, he turned toward Blooming Peak Pavilion.

And then, his eyes met Marcus's, who was sitting on the steps.

"...Ah."

"Ah, what? Had a good time sneaking out?"

"Th-That is..."

There was no excuse.

To be caught so easily—what rotten luck.

He had assumed everyone was asleep. Clearly, he had miscalculated.

Shrinking his shoulders, Vera glanced at Marcus cautiously.

As the one overseeing the Third Generation Disciples, Marcus held responsibility for their training and discipline.

This meant that while their successes reflected well on him, their failures—or, in this case, sneaking out—were also his failures.

Vera bit his lip, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I... There was something bothering me."

"Oh? Then tell me—what was so pressing that you had to sneak out in the dead of night while everyone else was sleeping?"

There was no anger in Marcus's tone.

His face showed no sign of displeasure either.

Instead, he looked intrigued.

Vera couldn't tell if he was truly unbothered or if he had simply misread the situation.

But one thing gave him pause—should Marcus be the first to hear about the cave and the Demonic Energy?

There was a cave beneath Mount Suncrest, filled with Demonic Energy.

A sealed location, holding something related to The Demonic Sect.

And now, that seal had been broken. The entity within was gone.

It was a revelation that would split people into two reactions.

Some would scoff and dismiss it as nonsense.

Others would panic and rush to inform the Sect Leader immediately.

Vera spread out his energy, ensuring no one was eavesdropping.

No one appeared within his sensory range.

Within Blooming Peak Pavilion, there wasn't a single Third Generation Disciple capable of hiding from his detection.

With a quiet sigh of relief, Vera lowered his voice.

"...You must keep this secret."

"A secret? Is it truly something so grave?"

"Yes. By tomorrow, I will inform Master, Grandmaster, and Elder... But for now, you are the first to hear this."

Marcus's eyes widened.

To be told something before Aiden, Damien, or Gideon?

For a moment, he questioned whether it was truly his place to hear this first.

"...Before you say anything, tell me what this is about."

"It is related to The Demonic Sect and Mount Suncrest."

"Good heavens."

Marcus's face turned pale.

The Demonic Sect and Mount Suncrest—two names that had no reason to be spoken in the same breath.

But Vera wouldn't lie.

That meant he had seen something.

If a remnant of The Demonic Sect had been discovered within Mount Suncrest, it was a disaster—whether the Sect Leader was aware of it or not.

If he hadn't known, then there had been a failure in vigilance.

If he had known and chose to ignore it, then it was an even greater problem.

Either way, the situation could easily spiral into an internal crisis within Mount Suncrest.

If that happened, even Marcus, as a mere Third Generation Disciple, would be powerless to do anything.

And more than that—there was no guarantee that Vera himself would remain safe.

Some knowledge was better left undiscovered.

With a deep sigh, Marcus shook his head.

"This... is beyond me."

"...Excuse me?"

Vera tilted his head in confusion.

Marcus gave him a wry smile, shrugging.

"It would be best if you told Master first. Even if I knew, I wouldn't be able to do anything. If anything, it might only put us both in danger."

"...You might be right."

"See?"

With that, Marcus dusted off his robes and stood up.

Then, he reached out a hand toward Vera.

Though he didn't need assistance, Vera didn't want to leave Marcus's hand awkwardly hanging.

Gripping it lightly, he let Marcus pull him to his feet.

"You should get some sleep now. I've been waiting up for you all night."

"...You should have just gone to bed."

"How could I not be worried?"

Marcus smirked, then climbed the stairs ahead of him.

For a moment, Vera lingered, gazing at the moon through the landing window.

Then, with a quiet sigh, he turned and walked toward his room.

Scarlet Crown Chamber.

The Young Lord of the Demonic Sect and Gideon sat across from each other.

On the table between them, a luxurious cup of white tea shimmered in the dim light—but it had long since grown cold.

"Just to be clear, you can't simply kill them."

"I know that much. Do you take me for a fool?"

"You people of The Demonic Sect always kill first and ask questions later. I doubt I'm wrong to be cautious."

Instead of responding, The Young Lord simply grinned.

Gideon had his word, but there was no guarantee he would keep it. That was the real issue.

Vera was undoubtedly a thorn in his side. A nuisance that drew unwanted attention to Great Master Thorne and his disciples.

But now…

Gideon had nothing left—no Magnus, no Aetheris, no Dylan or Jace, who were once raised under Aetheris's tutelage.

"…Hah."

Should he take in new disciples?

But if he did, the rest of Mount Suncrest Sect's disciples would be forced to acknowledge a mere teenager as their First Generation Successor.

The hierarchy would be thrown into chaos.

Gideon had long criticized Great Master Thorne and Aiden for their lack of disciplinary structure, but if he were to suddenly do the same...

The respect and authority he had painstakingly built within Mount Suncrest would be lost.

That was something he could not afford.

"But I am curious, Sect Leader."

"About what?"

"Why didn't you just kill them quietly?"

Gideon sighed deeply.

Then, he began his story.

From the day Vera arrived at Mount Suncrest.

To how he defeated Theron, the grandson of The Sword Saint.

How he made a name for himself in Eastern Mountain's Evil Clan, and even how he killed The Shadow Emperor of The House of Everstone.

The more he spoke, the sharper The Young Lord's gaze became.

At first, it was the predatory focus of a beast eyeing its prey…

But by the end, his expression was that of a man marveling at a new, fascinating toy.

"I see… Celestial Blade Star."

"Hah. Yes, a girl born under a fate much like your own."

"That remains to be seen. Judging by her actions, she doesn't seem the type to join The Demonic Sect."

It was a casual remark.

But it was enough to plant an image in Gideon's mind.

A fourteen-year-old, already a Peak-Level Martial Artist.

If such a child abandoned Mount Suncrest and joined The Demonic Sect...

The entirety of The Martial World would condemn Mount Suncrest.

Even The Akrest Clan would turn against them.

If she had been killed or buried in secrecy, it would be one thing.

But sending her to The Demonic Sect was tantamount to strengthening their enemies.

"…You speak of terrifying things."

"You called her a nuisance, didn't you? I'd be more than willing to take her in. If you give me the opportunity…"

"Don't be ridiculous. That child is still a disciple of Mount Suncrest!"

The Young Lord scoffed.

Then, his eyes narrowed.

In an instant, he saw through Gideon's thoughts.

"Don't pretend you're making this decision for her sake, Sect Leader."

"...Tch."

"You like to act righteous, but weren't you just lamenting how much trouble she's caused you? Wishing she would disappear?"

Gideon fell silent.

But the fact that he didn't immediately deny it…

That was proof.

If he truly cherished his disciple, he would have denied it without hesitation.

The Young Lord sneered at the speechless Sect Leader.

Then, he leaned back in his chair and arrogantly propped his legs onto the table.

A blatant act of disrespect—but Gideon could not bring himself to stop him.

"Shall I take a guess?"

"About what?"

"Your true thoughts."

The Young Lord's pupils...

For a moment, they became snake-like slits.

A sinister crimson light flickered in his gaze.

Gideon's instincts screamed in alarm.

A Demonic Art.

"What are you doing?!"

He immediately summoned his Purple Cloud Divine Energy, circulating his true energy to block the attack.

That forbidden art...

It wasn't mere intimidation.

It was a technique that pierced into a person's mind, digging through their fragmented memories to extract the truth.

With gritted teeth, Gideon barely managed to shield his thoughts.

"You insolent—!!!"

"What's with all the anger? I was just curious."

"You dare use dark sorcery against me, the Sect Leader of Mount Suncrest?!"

"And?"

For a moment, Gideon was at a loss for words.

Such shameless arrogance...

But The Young Lord had his reasons.

"So what now, Sect Leader?"

"...What?"

"Are you going to fight me? Go ahead, raise your voice. Scream at the top of your lungs that I, the Young Lord of the Demonic Sect, am here in Mount Suncrest, that I just tried to invade your mind, and that you let me walk in freely."

Gideon had no response.