The Cunning Treasure Hunter

Dylan was quite a charming child. Her eyes were sharp, but rather than making her appear cruel, they only enhanced her allure. The same could be said for Jace. Although the two were not siblings, they were as close as if they were. They shared a bond forged through mutual suffering.

The pain of breaking sinews and dislocating bones—that excruciating torment they both endured. The forced Bone-Cleansing Rituals had its side effects. Among them, the inability to even cry out from the unbearable agony. Should one fail to endure and scream in pain…

"...Dylan."

"Yes? What is it, senior brother?"

"It's almost time for the next session."

"Oh, don't remind me! I was trying to forget about it!"

Dylan pouted, her lips curling as if she intended to sulk for a long time. But Jace knew better. He had seen how she truly reacted when reminded that the day had arrived.

"You're going to cry again."

"No, I won't! Senior brother, do you really think I'm a crybaby?"

"Well… you are."

The two soon arrived at the estate where Aetheris resided. It was a place equipped with a vast training yard and buildings made of neatly carved wooden beams crowned with tiled roofs. There, on the polished wooden floor of the main hall, Aetheris sat cross-legged, deep in meditation.

"...Shh."

Dylan tiptoed forward, with Jace mirroring her actions. Interrupting someone during energy Regulation Breathing was unthinkable. Their master was strict to the point of madness—perhaps even slightly unhinged. A mere disturbance could trigger unforeseen consequences.

But then, Aetheris opened his eyes abruptly.

"You've come. And without offering your greetings," he said in a low, gravelly voice. His tone carried a trace of irritation, as if his mood was already sour.

"...Your unworthy disciple, Jace, seeks to learn from you."

"I, too, have come to seek your teachings, senior brother."

"Very well. Come closer."

His gaze was stern—no, more than stern. His pupils seemed to burn with a fiery intensity that conveyed not just anger but desperation.

"From today onward, I will teach you the Nine-Cherry Blossom Sword."

It was time to make his move. Aetheris had to prove that his disciples were superior to those of Aiden. And the opportunity to demonstrate it lay in the upcoming the Peak Assembly.

"Aetheris will teach them the Nine-Cherry Blossom Sword," said Aiden calmly.

The news shocked Ethan and Noah, but not Marcus or Vera. They had expected this outcome.

"He likely won't teach them the essence of the art, but they'll learn its forms," Aiden continued.

"If it's Dylan and Jace, they might at least master the basic forms," remarked Marcus.

Aiden nodded in agreement. "Indeed. They should be able to grasp the first three forms, if not all the moves."

"Then shouldn't we learn it too?" Ethan interjected, raising his hand eagerly.

But Aiden shook his head. "No. You won't."

"What? Then how are we supposed to counter the Nine-Cherry Blossom Sword?" asked Noah, echoing Ethan's confusion.

By conventional wisdom, it seemed impossible. Countering the Nine-Cherry Blossom Sword with the lesser Elegant Cherry Sword was ludicrous.

"Marcus. How long until the Peak Assembly?" asked Aiden.

"Just under a month, master."

"If I were to teach you the Nine-Cherry Blossom Sword, could you fully master the forms of the first three techniques in that time?"

"If it's just the forms…" Marcus hesitated, unwilling to make a bold claim, but the implication was clear—he believed it possible.

At that moment, Vera spoke up. "And would such hastily learned techniques be usable in a real fight?"

"...No, probably not," Marcus admitted.

"Furthermore, those two will put their faith entirely in their newly acquired Nine-Cherry Blossom Sword, believing it to be the key to victory."

Aiden nodded thoughtfully. "Exactly. That's why you'll focus on delving deeper into the essence of the Elegant Cherry Sword. The ancestors laid out this progression for a reason."

It made sense. Even Vera, despite his extraordinary talent, had not bypassed the sequence of learning. He had mastered the Elegant Cherry Sword, then the Nine-Cherry Blossom Sword, and finally reached the ultimate technique—the Falling Cherry Blossom Arts.

"Now, go and train," said Aiden, waving his sleeve as he dismissed them.

The disciples returned to their usual routine—practicing the Elegant Cherry Sword in the clearing before the shabby hut, occasionally receiving corrections from Aiden.

That was how it should have been.

"Vera, come with me for a moment."

"...Me?" Vera asked, startled.

"Yes, just for a moment," Aiden said with a faint smile, gesturing for him to follow.

Though Ethan and Noah exchanged curious glances, Marcus chastised them. "Focus on your training."

"Yes, senior brother…"

Behind the hut was a sharp, jagged peak. It had no name. As they walked up the path toward it, Aiden turned to Vera and asked, "How far did you get?"

"In what?"

"The Nine-Cherry Blossom Sword."

"...I've learned it all."

"I thought as much. Without mastering it, you couldn't have used the Falling Cherry Blossom Arts."

Vera knew that mastering the Cherry Blossom Falling Technique wouldn't be meaningful unless she fully embodied the lessons of the Harmony Realm.

"How far have you gone with the Cherry Blossom Falling Technique?" asked Aiden.

"I've learned all of it, but… I haven't perfected it."

"I see," Aiden murmured. "So, I suppose I've completed what you haven't."

"That's correct."

By now, they had reached the summit of a nameless peak. Sharp and jagged, it wasn't particularly tall, but it stood as a reflection of Aiden's current position in the Mount Suncrest Sect. He sat in silence for a moment, gazing at the other peaks in the distance.

Far above, towering mountains held vast courtyards where the sect's great seniors resided. These were the domains of Aetheris and Magnus, and beyond even those peaks lay the hall of Gideon, the Sect Leader. Yet Aiden felt no ambition to climb that high.

"...They're not at your level," he muttered.

Vera wasn't sure if he was speaking to her or himself, so she chose to remain silent.

"In the upcoming the Peak Assembly, the ones to shine will undoubtedly be Ethan, Jace, and Dylan. But even so, none of them can match you. Are you aware of that?"

Vera closed her dark eyes for a moment before replying honestly. "I am."

"Do you think you can defeat them?"

"I don't think I'll lose."

A silence hung between them, broken only by the soft rustle of wind through the trees. Aiden turned to gaze at a valley filled with clouds, his thoughts unreadable.

What was he pondering? The storm Mount Suncrest would soon face? Or the dangers that would arise from it?

"She's just a child," he thought, looking at Vera. Fourteen years old. If she shone too brightly at the gathering, she would be awarded the Jade Elixir one of the most precious elixirs in the martial world. Such recognition wasn't a mere accolade; it marked her as a rising star, a future face of the Mount Suncrest Sect. And that would drag her into the sect's political struggles.

Aetheris, Magnus, even the Sect Leader Gideon—they all played a part in those endless machinations.

"When the Sect Leader met Vera, nothing happened back then," he thought grimly. "But that was when he believed she might join his faction. Now that Aetheris has been rejected…"

Was standing out truly a good thing for a fourteen-year-old girl, not yet fully matured?

"Master," Vera said suddenly, breaking his train of thought.

He turned toward her. The two of them stood alone on the peak, beneath an ancient tree twisted by time. Aiden sat down by the roots, lowering himself to her eye level.

"What are you worried about, Master?"

"What else could it be? I'm worried about you."

"Didn't you once ask if I wanted to cut down the Sword Sovereign?"

The Sword Sovereign—a title bestowed upon only one individual. Beneath the One Sovereign were the Three Emperors and Seven Lords. The Sword Sovereign was none other than the leader of the Martial Unity, the man who had brought down the Heavenly Demon and dismantled the Demonic Sect.

Although he hadn't done it alone, his role had been pivotal. Even Gideon, the Mount Suncrest Sword Emperor, acknowledged the Sword Sovereign's greatness.

"I'm worried that you'll stand out too much too soon," Aiden admitted.

At only thirty years old, Aiden was young for a senior of the sect, yet his insight rivaled that of his own master, Damien. If he was worried, it was no trivial matter.

"Don't worry, Master," Vera replied calmly. Something stirred in her deep, dark eyes.

The wind blew, scattering petals from the ever-blooming Cherry blossoms of Mount Suncrest. Despite her small, delicate frame, Vera's presence was unshakable. Her dark eyes carried an unfathomable depth.

"As the saying goes: Do your best, leave the rest to heaven. We can only do what we must."

Words like these, so profound and composed, emerged not from a mere human but a prodigy—a monster destined to defy the heavens. Aiden sighed, his tone laced with resignation.

"...You're right."

But deep down, he knew. This small girl would achieve her goals, even if it meant twisting the heavens themselves. It was the fate of one who made opposing the natural order their purpose.