The Cunning Treasure Hunter

Silent Frontier was a vast place. Crossing its outskirts didn't suddenly transform the surroundings into a bustling city. To reach such liveliness, one had to journey much further.

However,  Mount Suncrest Sect was distinct. Two more days of travel brought it into view, unmistakable even from a great distance. It stood tall and sharp, like a blade piercing the heavens.

"Is the Harmony Temple really up there?" asked Vera, her voice laced with disbelief.

"It is," replied Aiden calmly.

"If one lived in a place like that, even a carefree soul would become a Harmony," she mused.

"Not necessarily," he countered, his tone carrying a faint smile.

Aiden poured a cup of tea for Vera. It was their last meal before reaching Mount Suncrest.

"So, what are your thoughts?" he asked, his gaze steady. "You are about to become one of Suncrest's disciples."

"My lord," Vera spoke softly, her head tilting slightly as her dark eyes narrowed.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Aiden asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Think about it," she began. "I was originally a person of Suncrest."

"…Oh," he muttered, realization dawning.

Bloomspire Sect, after all, was a subordinate sect of Suncrest.

Her father had been a secular disciple of the sect. Yet, when the time came, Suncrest had not protected her or her family.

"…Did Bloomspire Sect get excommunicated by Suncrest?" she asked, her voice steady but her eyes questioning.

"That's not for me to say," Aiden replied.

"They were excommunicated," she concluded with a bitter smile.

Taking a sip of her cold tea, Vera looked toward the cherry-covered peaks of Mount Suncrest in the distance. A strange, unbidden emotion rose within her, threatening tears.

"Are you alright?" Aiden asked, sensing her shift in mood.

"I'm fine," she replied, her voice resolute. "It's not an uncommon story."

"When we arrive, you'll likely have to go through an entrance examination," he remarked.

"I thought I would be directly under your guidance," she replied.

"That was the case—until five years ago."

Aiden sipped his tea, his expression momentarily reflective. Five years ago, he had been a young, promising disciple still in his mid-twenties.

"Back then, a prodigious talent from our sect participated in the Skyward Assembly and gained great fame. That led to a flood of secular disciples trying to join Suncrest through any means."

"They wanted connections, then?" Vera asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Exactly. And at the time, I didn't have enough influence in the sect to simply take in a disciple as I pleased."

Looking at his composed demeanor, Vera couldn't help but ask, "Was that prodigy you, my lord?"

Aiden choked on his tea and quickly waved his hands in denial. "Of course not. I was just average," he said firmly.

"Ah…" she murmured.

"The prodigy was my junior disciple," he clarified. "I occasionally helped him with his training."

Even back then, the junior disciple had a brilliant mind and exceptional talent for teaching others. However, his physical prowess was merely ordinary, and he had to work tirelessly to reach the Absolute Peak Realm's initial stages.

Meanwhile,Kael, the most gifted among their senior brothers, had already surpassed the mid-stages of the Absolute Peak Realm.

"Are you jealous?" Vera asked suddenly.

"Excuse me?" Aiden replied, slightly startled.

"I asked if you're jealous," she repeated, her gaze piercing.

Faced with her unwavering eyes, Aiden hesitated before admitting, "My junior disciple had no respect for me whatsoever. How could I not feel envious?"

"You needn't concern yourself with such feelings anymore," she said, placing her empty teacup down.

"My father used to tell me this: people fear monsters."

"…That's only natural," he remarked.

"Prodigies, geniuses, and exceptional talents are all 'people,'" she continued, her gaze sharp and unfathomable. It was a look that held the infinite expanse of the universe, stirring primal fear in those who dared to meet it.

"My father called me a monster. He taught me never to frighten other 'people,'" she said calmly.

"Huh," Aiden exhaled, unsure of how to respond.

What kind of father would call his daughter a monster? And yet, it was a truth that had helped her.

Because of it, Vera had learned early on to stand alone. She had chosen not to form attachments, sparing herself the pain of others fearing her.

"My father wasn't a man of empty words, nor was he narrow-minded. So, it must be true," she concluded.

"Indeed. I'll admit it. You are…" Aiden hesitated.

"Yes, my lord. I am a monster in the guise of a person."

Vera, the Celestial Blade Star.

A beast born under a cursed star, inhabiting the frail body of a forlorn girl.

"So, my lord, you won't envy anyone anymore. After all, you are to become my master, aren't you?"

For a moment, Aiden was speechless, gazing at the girl in front of him.

It wasn't her boldness that struck him—it was her calm, unwavering demeanor.

"…That is surprisingly satisfying. Can you put that arrogant junior disciple of mine in his place?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied confidently.

At the foot of Mount Suncrest , in the bustling streets of Harmony Blossom Village, the noise of the crowd surrounded them from all sides.

For the first time, Aiden noticed a hint of tension in Vera.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I think so," she replied hesitantly. "I'm fine."

The chaos of the streets was a stark contrast to the refined atmosphere of places like Heavenly Blossom Pavilion, where silence and calm reigned. Here, the cacophony of shouts and chatter was overwhelming.

Unfamiliar with such an environment, Vera would need time to adapt.

"Don't worry. I'm here with you," Aiden reassured her.

"…I'll do my best," she replied.

Before they moved on, Aiden bought her a new straw hat and a fresh sword.

The original Falling Blossom Sword that Vera carried was too long for her height.

"Fourteen years old, and your height is barely four and a half cheok."

"There's no need to be so blunt about it. I am well aware of my short stature," she replied curtly.

"I didn't mean anything by it…" Aiden muttered, a bit awkwardly.

Despite the comment, Vera kept the Falling Blossom Sword strapped to her back. A short sword now hung at her waist alongside it.

"This one will be easier to wield," she remarked.

"For now, use it," Aiden instructed.

She nodded slowly. Though it was called a short sword, it was an expensive item.

"…Are you sure about this, my lord?" she asked hesitantly.

"Sure about what?"

"It's too expensive for…" she trailed off, her gaze lowering slightly.

Aiden looked down at his disciple, blinking at her quiet question, and then gently patted her head. It was true that he had spent all their remaining travel money on the sword. But now that they were at Mount Suncrest, what use was leftover travel money?

"Don't worry about it. It's not my money."

"Pardon?"

"It's Suncrest's money. Did you think the great Mount Suncrest Sect would be so stingy as to make disciples handle their travel expenses entirely on their own?"

"But this isn't travel money, is it?"

"No one will care about something like that, Vera."

She blinked a few times and then narrowed her eyes slightly. After a moment, she made a sharp observation.

"It's embezzlement."

"What?"

Vera shrugged her small shoulders. Aiden let out a helpless laugh.

"Alright then, I'll be going now, my lord."

"Go on. Don't get lost. I'll wait at that teahouse from earlier."

"Yes, my lord."

Vera turned to face Mount Suncrest. It stood like a sharp blade rising fiercely into the sky. cherry blossoms covered the mountain, painting it in shades of pink.

It wasn't even the season for cherry blossoms to bloom.

"…So that's the famous cherry Blossoms of Suncrest, which haven't withered for twenty-seven years," she murmured.

Yet, the fragrance of the blossoms was faint. With such an abundance of flowers blooming on the mountain for nearly thirty years, the scent should have filled the air even as far as Harmony Blossom Village.

But Vera knew the answer.

Flowers, no matter how beautiful, did not last beyond ten days.

The saying "ten days of bloom" symbolized the transient nature of all things.

Anything that lasted beyond ten days was no longer truly alive.

With small but steady steps, Vera entered the massive Entrance Hall.

Many people had gathered, queuing up to present their documents. Most of them held the hands of their guardians.

The line was long, and Vera joined the end of it.

As she waited, she endured the glances and whispers of others directed at her.

"Black clothes and a black straw hat… Is she some kind of wandering rogue?"

"She might just be a stray dog of a girl, picked up from who knows where."

"No parents, no guardian… She has no background, no roots."

"What if she ends up joining at the same time as our child?"

Vera remained silent, unaffected by their baseless assumptions and rude comments. The rumors and insults piled up like a snowball rolling downhill.

Some called her a deaf-mute. Others said she must be blind.

But still, she didn't say a word, only tugging her black straw hat lower over her face.

Gradually, the line moved forward, and soon it was Vera's turn at the front.

A warrior, appearing to be in his forties and of a solid, muscular build, looked down at the small girl in front of him.

"Did you come here alone?" he asked.

"Yes, I did," she replied without hesitation.

"Do you have a recommendation?"

"Aiden of Mount Suncrest recommended me."

The warrior blinked in surprise.

"Aiden? You mean Aiden, the second elder disciple?"

"If he's around thirty years old, then yes."

"My goodness. He said he was going to recruit a disciple, and he really did it."

"…Yes," she replied plainly.

"Has he already taught you?"

"I've learned the Hidden Fragrance Step, so I suppose that counts."

The conversation was starting to veer off from what Aiden had explained. Hadn't he said she would need to go through the Entrance Examination?

From the way things were progressing, it felt more like…

'…He sent me ahead just to avoid the hassle.'

Vera sighed internally. That was likely why he had taught her the Hidden Fragrance Steps in the first place.

A child who had already learned Suncrest's martial arts couldn't simply be expelled without a valid reason.

And in these peaceful times governed by the Martial Unity, the Mount Suncrest Sect, as one of the nine great Harmony sects, wouldn't dare harm a young girl.

"…Will it be difficult for me to join?" she asked cautiously.

"No, that's not the issue. But… could you fetch Aiden for me?"

"Who should I say is calling for him?"

"Tell him Master Damien has requested his presence."

"…Understood."

Vera bowed politely before turning to leave.

As she walked away, she noticed that the gazes of the onlookers had changed. But it didn't affect her. She had already experienced such things before.

When Bloomspire Sect had been the landlord of their village.

And when her father's head was severed.

She remembered the looks the villagers had given her during those times.

Tugging her straw hat down further, Vera protected her heart from their stares.

Only now did she understand why Aiden had bought her the hat.

He was, after all, a meticulous and thoughtful master.