The Cunning Treasure Hunter

"...Why did you come here?"

Aiden gazed at Vera with a calm yet sharp look.

It was early in the morning—he had originally instructed him to go to Great Master Thorne, yet here he was.

"I have something to report."

"Won't Grandmaster be waiting for you?"

"It will only take a moment…"

He knew how serious this was.

To devise countermeasures and find a solution would take considerable time. But that was not his task.

That responsibility lay with his master, Aiden, and the leader of Reverse Heaven Unity, Aria.

His duty was simple: to report everything he had seen with complete honesty.

That would take only a moment.

"…Very well. Sit down."

Aiden had yet to eat breakfast, and neither Marcus nor the other disciples had arrived yet.

For Vera to rush here so urgently, something serious must have happened.

After all, even mealtime was a strict rule imposed upon the Three Great Disciples—and Vera was not one to break the rules lightly.

Aiden unrolled the food mat that was propped against the corner of the wooden veranda and placed it in the center.

Then, he fetched the kettle resting over the brazier, along with teacups and a tea box from the corner of the room.

He took a pinch of tea leaves from the box and placed them into the cup, then slowly poured hot water over them.

"If you came all the way here, it must be important. When the others arrive, I'll send them away, so don't rush through your words."

It was a gesture of consideration.

Important matters took time to explain.

And it wouldn't do to make Vera stand outside while discussing such things.

"…It truly won't take long."

"Alright."

Aiden nodded with a faint smile, gently swirling the tea with the lid of the teacup.

He then tilted the lid slightly, pressing it down with his index finger as he poured the first infusion into the Fairness Cup.

The pale amber tea swirled in the pristine white porcelain.

"In Suncrest, it seems that…"

"That… what?"

Most teas—especially white tea—could be steeped multiple times.

Three or four infusions were usually considered the best in flavor.

That meant the first brew was always somewhat astringent and lacking in full taste.

By serving tea to Vera, Aiden was offering at least seven cups' worth of time for conversation.

But Vera did not need that long.

He got straight to the point.

"It seems an artifact belonging to Demonic Cult was sealed beneath Southern Peak. I discovered an underground prison there."

"…What?"

The moment Aiden heard that, his hand nearly slipped, almost spilling the tea he was pouring.

His eyes narrowed.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes. I saw it with my own eyes. Some time ago, at dawn, when I went to the training grounds early with Senior Brother, I heard a strange sound."

"A strange sound?"

"It was small—not so faint that it was hard to hear, but rather distant, as if coming from far away… It was difficult to describe. That's why I remembered it.

So, I traced the source of the sound…"

Vera lifted his teacup and took a slow sip.

The first infusion was still weak and slightly bitter, but the subtle, mellow sweetness of white tea lingered on his tongue.

Half-closing his eyes, he placed the cup back down.

"Beneath Southern Peak, I found a cave structured like an underground prison."

"…Such a thing existed?"

"Yes. It seemed like a place only the Grand Elder would know about—or perhaps even Grand Elder himself was unaware.

But the seal inside had already been broken.

And from the traces left behind, it appeared to have been shattered using the Nine Heavens Cherry Blossom Sword."

Aiden's eyes sharpened.

That meant someone from Suncrest had broken Demonic Cult's seal.

Whatever was inside…

It was a grave crime.

"Are you certain it was the Nine Heavens Cherry Blossom Sword?"

"Yes. Both the technique and the remnants left behind were unmistakable.

Of course, whether it was the one who originally placed the seal or someone else who broke it for a different reason, I do not know…

But one thing is clear—traces of Suncrest's martial arts were there."

"What was inside?"

Vera paused, recalling the sight he had witnessed.

Then, to steady his mind, he emptied the rest of his tea.

Meanwhile, Aiden poured the second infusion from the teapot into the Fairness Cup, then refilled Vera's teacup.

"There was a severed arm… and dried-up corpses.

All of them were saturated with lingering demonic energy."

"A severed arm…?"

This time, Aiden's hands trembled, and he spilled some tea.

He placed the Fairness Cup down, his grip tightening.

Then, without another word, he stood up.

Grabbing his well-worn Cherry Blossom Sword from where it rested against the wall, he slid his feet into his shoes. Enjoy new tales from My Virtual Library Empire

He motioned for Vera to follow.

Though puzzled, Vera quickly set down his teacup and followed after him.

"What exactly is this about?"

"If it's what I suspect…

Then the situation is far more severe than we imagined."

"You say that, but I still don't know what it is."

Aiden glanced at Vera briefly, then gave a short reply.

"It wasn't just any arm."

"What do you mean? Are you talking about the arm found there?"

"No."

Vera narrowed his eyes.

He couldn't understand the meaning behind Aiden's words.

It was natural.

The fate of the Demonic Cult's Young Lord was something that even Damien and Aiden might not have known—unless they had heard it from Great Master Thorne himself.

That was why the mere mention of a "severed arm" and "demonic energy" had made Aiden so alarmed.

As Vera followed closely behind, Aiden quickened his pace and spoke.

"The arm found there… was probably just an arm."

"Then why—"

"But think about it, Vera. If that were the case, then the fact that someone lost an arm should have been known throughout Suncrest."

That was exactly the conclusion Vera had reached.

For a warrior, losing an arm was equivalent to losing their life.

Even if it was only their left arm, without it, maintaining balance and executing precise, intricate sword techniques would become nearly impossible.

Yet, there was a severed arm in that underground prison…

And no one in Suncrest was missing an arm.

That meant…

"In other words, someone within Suncrest Sect is walking around with an arm that isn't their own."

"…An arm that isn't their own?"

It was an absurd idea.

Even if a Divine Physician had been called, attaching a completely severed arm—let alone one that belonged to another person—was impossible.

Even reattaching one's own severed arm was beyond the realm of medical science.

How could anyone possibly graft another's limb onto themselves?

The size, thickness, muscle structure, and even the severed edges would have to match perfectly for such a feat to work.

However…

If it was Demonic Cult Sorcery, the realm of the impossible became much smaller.

"Those kinds of people… That's exactly what Demonic Cultists are."

"No, but then… Whose arm was it? Even if we assume it was someone's arm, what kind of Suncrest Disciple would cut off their own arm just to attach another?"

"They wouldn't have done it themselves."

Muttering cryptic words, Aiden suddenly unleashed his Lightness Skill.

His foot barely brushed the tips of the grass as his body soared forward, his movements following the principles of Hidden Fragrance Step.

Vera immediately followed suit.

Thanks to his exceptional talent in Body Techniques and the immense inner strength he had cultivated—now approaching the pinnacle of martial arts—keeping up with Aiden was no longer a challenge.

"If they didn't do it themselves… then who—"

"I'll explain when we arrive. This is a secret… and a dangerous one, Vera. Great Master Thorne Grandmaster will likely explain the rest."

"…Understood."

Shortly After

Arriving at Great Master Thorne's Residence, Aiden and Vera found him seated in the courtyard, leaning on a roughly carved wooden staff.

"Aiden, what brings you here?"

"…A terrible event has occurred, Grandmaster."

"You should have consulted your master first, tsk."

It was a reprimand.

Why had Aiden come straight to him instead of first reporting to his own master, Damien?

It was a logical and justified criticism.

After all, Aiden's actions could be interpreted as a lack of trust in his master—an outright insult.

However…

The matter Aiden was about to bring up was enough to justify bypassing all formalities.

This wasn't something Damien alone could handle.

This was something that had to be reported directly to the highest authority available.

"…It seems that the Demonic Cult's Young Lord's left arm has been set free."

"…What?"

"…What did you just say?"

Even Great Master Thorne, who had seen much in his time, was visibly shaken.

And even Vera, who had only just learned of this revelation, was stunned.

With his brows furrowed deeply, Great Master Thorne let out a low murmur.

"…Explain. In full detail."

"It would be better if you heard the whole story from Vera."

"From Vera?"

Great Master Thorne raised an eyebrow and turned to face him.

His eyes demanded an explanation.

"...That is, the truth is…"

The story wasn't long.

Just as they had left after drinking only two cups of white tea, the explanation here did not take longer than the time it would take to drink two more.

"…So, in conclusion—someone within Suncrest is walking around with the Demonic Cult's Young Lord's severed arm attached to their body."

"That is correct. And the real problem is… there's no way to identify who it is."