The Cunning Treasure Hunter

Chapter 110 The First Young Master's Grief

Everstone Clan, Internal Affairs Hall

Aria sat at her desk, her face pale with shock as she processed the news.

"You're telling me that one of the Second Young Master's warriors was found pinned to a tree at the base of Mount Eternity?"

"Yes, Lady of Internal Affairs," replied the kneeling figure in pale robes.

The man was no warrior. He was a tactician, a member of the Everstone Clan's Strategist Division, responsible for serving as the "brain" of the clan.

"…I didn't think the two brothers were on such bad terms," she muttered, brows furrowed in thought.

"That is correct. It seemed to be nothing more than a healthy rivalry…"

There were only three possibilities:

The First Young Master perceived the Second Young Master as a threat and acted against him.The Second Young Master orchestrated the event as a ploy to discredit his brother.A third party had intervened.

But who would benefit from interfering in the Everstone Clan's succession?

Aria leaned back, the weight of the situation pressing on her mind. As the overseer of all finances and resources for the Everstone Clan, she knew every transaction and contract passed through her.

'Who could stand to profit from this? The clan's supply chains are tightly controlled. Switching suppliers or benefactors is virtually impossible without breaching our stringent requirements for high-quality materials suited to our formations.'

The Everstone Clan's strength lay not just in its martial power but also in its strategic minds and mechanical formations. Every aspect of their infrastructure was intricately managed, leaving little room for external manipulation.

Even so, the implications of such an incident within the Five Great Clans were severe.

Aria sighed deeply and gave her orders.

"Strengthen the patrols around the estate. Activate all defensive formations, even those normally left dormant. Restrict the entry of outsiders. If any visitors arrive to see me, inform me directly. I will visit the leader myself."

"The leader? But, my lady, he is in seclusion…" Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

"True," she replied with another sigh, "but if this escalates, we may have no choice but to bring him into this mess."

She paused before continuing, her tone grim.

"If we're not careful, this could end with the First Young Master and Second Young Master shedding blood over the leader's seat."

A Few Days Earlier – Akrest Clan, leader's Study

Ebon Akrest stood face-to-face with a frail old man, his expression tense.

The elder before him was no ordinary man.

He was the former leader of Bloodshadow Pavilion, a shadowy assassin organization. Known as The Dark Emperor, he had once been feared across the martial world before vanishing into obscurity.

"I don't doubt that you are the Dark Emperor," Ebon Akrest said cautiously.

"A wise deduction," the old man replied with a sinister chuckle.

"And you wish to avenge your disciple?"

"A rare opportunity to find justification for killing, wouldn't you agree?"

A chill ran down Ebon Akrest's spine. The old man's presence was anything but normal.

To reach such heights as an assassin, one had to forgo things like humanity or common sense.

"Who is the target?"

"I don't know for certain. I've only heard rumors."

"Not certain?"

The Dark Emperor sneered, slowly rising from his seat.

Then, without warning, a suffocating pressure filled the room.

"Ugh…! Kugh!"

Ebon Akrest gasped for air as the overwhelming killing intent pinned him to his chair.

Even as a warrior at the mid-stage of Supreme Mastery, he was utterly helpless before this man.

The Dark Emperor, a mid-stage Kingdom of Harmony Master, was a force beyond reckoning.

His emaciated frame and skeletal limbs belied a terrifying power.

"I may not have reached the Heavenly Realm to regain my youth, but…"

With each word, the pressure intensified.

Sweat poured down Ebon Akrest's face as he struggled to breathe, his heart racing as though it would stop at any moment.

"If I wanted, I could ensure your child's head and body rest in separate graves."

"Th-that's… cough…!"

"And I know," the old man continued, "that your clan's Bloodshadow Pavilion uses Bloodshadow Pavilion's techniques."

The Dark Emperor.

A man whose name and face were known only to a few.

No one who had seen him in battle had lived to tell the tale.

His title, The Dark Emperor, was born of his ability to kill without leaving a trace.

Avenging his disciple?

For someone like him, killing the Akrest Clan's best warriors would be no more difficult than wringing the neck of a chicken.

He could run rampant until Zephyrion Akrest, the Swordmaster, intervened—if anyone survived long enough to summon him.

But the Dark Emperor wasn't just a master assassin.

He was a legend—a harbinger of death, whose presence could silence an entire city before his name was ever spoken aloud.

The Dark Emperor's Warning

No one in the world had seen The Dark Emperor's true face or knew his real name. If he shed his mask and martial robes to blend in among the common folk, no one—absolutely no one—would be able to find him.

"But I swear, it's just what I've heard!!"

"Speak."

"the-the Iron Fist Sect… the Iron Fist Sect Temple's novice monk, Master Nathaniel, and… the third disciple of Suncrest, Vera…"

"the Iron Fist Sect's Master Nathaniel and Suncrest's third disciple?"

A surge of killing intent poured out of the Dark Emperor, suffocating and oppressive.

Ebon Akrest felt as though his consciousness was slipping away. Desperately, he circulated his Blue Sky Sword to resist.

"Haaah… gah… hngghhh!"

The moment he summoned his internal energy, the Dark Emperor reached out and pressed a hand on his shoulder.

Instantly, the overwhelming killing intent dissipated.

But the fear lingered, intensifying instead of fading.

When Ebon Akrest looked up, he found himself staring into the cold, gleaming eyes of the Dark Emperor, who spoke with quiet menace.

"I will verify this myself. If you're lying… be prepared to face the consequences."

All Ebon Akrest could do was nod.

The Everstone Clan Gates

At the grand entrance of the Everstone Clan, guards stood with swords at their sides, their watchful eyes scanning the surroundings. The tension was palpable—evidence of the grim events that had recently transpired.

At this threshold, Aiden finally set Vera down.

Though Vera had repeatedly asked to be let down earlier, Aiden had resolutely ignored her requests.

Her stamina was limited, and he needed to conserve her energy. After all, someone had already been killed in this place. Who was to say there wouldn't be another victim?

"...I asked you to set me down four times."

"And I told you no four times."

Aiden chuckled lightly, ruffling her hair. At less than five feet tall, she tilted her head up, blinking at her teacher.

"Then work on building your stamina."

"I will, Master. You don't need to tell me twice."

As their exchange concluded, one of the guards stationed at the gates approached. His left hand rested on the hilt of his sword.

"What brings you here? Everstone Clan is restricting access to outsiders."

"I heard at the base of Mount Eternity that someone was killed."

"…And how exactly did you hear of that?"

"I'm here to meet the Lady of Internal Affairs."

"I see."

The guard hesitated briefly before continuing, "The Lady instructed us to report any visitors requesting an audience directly to her. May I have your name?"

"Aiden, second disciple of Suncrest Sect. This is my disciple, Vera."

"Understood. Please wait here while I relay your message."

The guard saluted and bowed before turning to hurry into the estate. He would likely return soon, leaving them to wait at the gate.

It was a simple task—stand still and wait. Nothing more, nothing less.

Or so they thought.

That was until a man strode out from the gates, his face shadowed by sorrow and his voice tinged with hostility.

"Who are you?"

It was less a question and more an accusation—a natural reaction born of grief and suspicion.

Aiden narrowed his eyes but chose to forgo formalities or pleasantries.

"I am Aiden, second disciple of Suncrest Sect. I've come to see Aria, the Lady of Internal Affairs."

"My youngest sister? Why?"

"That is a matter I wish to discuss with her directly."

The First Young Master, Crescent Everstone, scowled deeply.

Though normally a composed and logical man, today he was but a grieving brother—a man who had lost his closest childhood friend and personal guard.

"And why can't you tell me?"

He stepped forward, blocking the entrance.

"Do you think I'd let suspicious strangers into my clan without explanation? Tell me, or I won't let you through."

"The Lady of Internal Affairs is not under your jurisdiction. This matter concerns her directly—"

"Enough!"

His voice thundered, echoing across the gates.

It was unreasonable, but grief had driven him to this point.

Still, Aiden remained calm, observing Everstone Crescent with an almost amused expression.

'He's trying to protect Aria. That means he doesn't suspect her of foul play.'

If he had, he wouldn't care about barring an outsider. His defensiveness suggested he believed the threat came from beyond the clan, not within.

That's when Crescent turned his gaze to Vera, pointing sharply at her.

"And this little girl—what business does she have here? If this matter involves Everstone Clan, why should a child know before I do?"

"She is…"

Before Aiden could respond, Vera stepped forward, her voice calm but firm.

"This is not a matter of the Everstone Clan."

"…What?"

"It concerns me. My master has come to speak with the Lady of Internal Affairs on my behalf."

Her words reframed the entire conversation, catching Crescent off guard.

Then, with his own phrasing, she delivered the final blow:

"…Or is the First Young Master of Everstone Clan truly so desperate as to pry into the secrets of a mere girl?"

It was checkmate.