The Cunning Treasure Hunter-Chapter 148: The Illusion of Peace… and the Seeds of Chaos

The sun had set, yet Aiden had still not returned.

Vera, Marcus, and the three younger disciples sat in Aiden’s quarters, waiting, before eventually sighing in resignation. It was time to leave.

"Let’s go," Marcus was the first to rise.

It was already evening. They couldn’t afford to starve themselves waiting—returning was the only option.

"Time has already..."

Vera glanced outside at the elongated shadows before giving a nod. This wasn’t a matter that would be resolved in just a day or two. If today wasn’t the day, then they would return tomorrow. By then, Aiden would likely be with Kael.

One by one, the others began gathering their things and rising from their seats. They had heard everything. They knew what needed to be done. And most importantly, they understood what had to be avoided.

They could not let anyone know they possessed this information.

After all, their enemy was someone who could kill them all without hesitation.

And, though they had no way of knowing who had released him… there was someone within Mount Suncrest who had dealings with the Demonic Cult.

’In the worst-case scenario, they might even be a follower.’

Marcus rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought. A demonic follower hiding within Mount Suncrest… If anything, it would be stranger if there weren’t any.

Considering what had happened with Eastern Mountain’s Fiery Blade clan, it seemed all the more likely.

Even the remnants of the Demonic Cult had taken years to plant spies and infiltrators within the Fiery Blade clan. Then, when the time was right, they sacrificed them without hesitation, nearly destroying the entire Fiery Blade clan in the process.

Would they not do the same to Mount Suncrest?

No—would it only be Mount Suncrest? What about the other orthodox sects? The old nine great schools?

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As those thoughts reached their inevitable conclusion, Vera lightly tapped Marcus on the shoulder and gestured outside. The others were already waiting for him in the courtyard.

"What’s troubling you so deeply, Senior Brother?"

"Just… a rather unsettling thought."

"Unsettling enough that you’re still thinking about it now?"

"Come to the training grounds tonight. I’ll explain then."

It was a request that broke the sect’s regulations.

Even so, Marcus merely nodded at Vera, who hesitated for a moment. This wasn’t about breaking the rules—this was about Mount Suncrest’s safety.

"…Understood."

"What’s wrong? You didn’t hesitate to sneak all the way to Akrest without permission."

"T-That was…!"

"I’m just teasing you."

Marcus smirked before stepping out of the room. It was time to head back.

By the time they returned to Blooming Peak Pavilion, the setting sun had already dipped below the horizon. By the time they finished their meal, the sky had turned a deep navy, fully consumed by the night.

Both Vera and Marcus barely touched their food.

Both were too preoccupied with their thoughts.

Marcus was troubled by his worst-case scenario. Vera, on the other hand, was pondering just what kind of horrifying situation Marcus had envisioned to make him wear such a grim expression.

Then, when the night had deepened and all others had gone to sleep…

Vera silently jumped from the second-floor window. His landing made no noise—not even the softest sound of his feet touching the ground.

Marcus was already waiting for him.

"You’re here."

"Where should we talk?"

"Over there, under that tree."

It was a familiar tree.

It was the very place where Aiden had once waited for him.

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That was right before they left for the Fiery Blade clan’s escort mission.

"It’s been a while since I sat in this shade."

"You remember?"

"Of course. This was where Master taught us all sorts of ’tricks.’"

Vera couldn’t help but laugh.

Indeed, they were tricks. By all means, they should not have taken money with them on their escort mission. Yet, Aiden had given them valuables to sell along the way.

And that wasn’t all.

He had even given them durable clothes that could last an entire season.

A proper send-off was against the rules, but if that wasn’t one, then what was?

"’Tricks’ isn’t exactly the wrong word."

"Right? Anyway, sit."

The tree was thick and old, its massive roots twisting above the ground. Large enough to serve as makeshift seats.

Once Vera sat, Marcus exhaled deeply.

Then, his expression darkened.

It was the same grim face Vera had worried about earlier.

Finally, Marcus spoke.

"I just… I had a thought."

"What kind of thought?"

"Do you remember what happened at the Fiery Blade clan?"

Silently, Vera nodded.

It was there that he first encountered true monsters.

And it was there he truly understood how horrifying the Demonic Cult’s fanatics could be.

The scorching heat of raging flames...

For young Vera, those memories were unforgettable. The sensation of that fire and the deep-seated resentment it carried—it all felt eerily similar to the flames that took his parents, the flames of Valen.

"...I remember everything. That fire, that hatred—every last bit."

"That’s good." Marcus sighed, his voice heavy with contemplation. "Thinking back, don’t you think we were all too naive and innocent?"

"What do you mean? When you say ’we’... are you referring to...?"

"Suncrest Sect."

Marcus ran a hand through his hair, trying to shake off the weight pressing down on him. He exhaled deeply and rubbed his face, as if to clear his thoughts. Then, he sat down on a tree root opposite Vera, staring at him with a grave expression.

"When Demonic Sect’s remnants rose within Eastern Mountain Fiery Blade clan, do you think the clan leader knew?"

"The branch family leaders died without knowing, and the main family leader was taken down before he even realized."

"Exactly. And he didn’t even realize that the remnants of Demonic Sect were deceiving his own daughter. Now, how do you think that was possible?"

The obvious answer was that the Demonic Sect remnants were simply skilled at disguising themselves.

But that wasn’t what Marcus wanted to hear.

Vera narrowed his eyes, thinking deeper. Surely, there had been signs—subtle hints, faint warnings. So why had no one noticed? Why had they ignored the possibilities?

"...Because Demonic Sect was ’destroyed.’"

"Correct. Because Demonic Sect was ’destroyed,’ any strange occurrences, any ominous signs, were dismissed. It couldn’t be the Demonic Sect—after all, they were gone. Of course, the clues must have been few and small, but during the The Great War of Light and Shadow, when everyone was on high alert, such signs would never have gone unnoticed."

Marcus spoke rapidly, his voice growing more intense.

And now, Vera finally understood why his expression had been so grim. He understood what his senior brother feared.

Suncrest Sect was in the same situation as Eastern Mountain Fiery Blade clan.

During the The Great War of Light and Shadow, they had been on the battlefield alongside the legendary Zephyrion Akrest Sword Lord, the very man who had slain the Heavenly Demon himself. If Demonic Sect’s remnants dared attack, Suncrest had warriors like Great Master Thorne—masters who had reached Kingdom of Harmony.

And, most importantly...

Demonic Sect had lost both their Heavenly Demon and Young Sect Leader. The sect had crumbled and scattered.

Those assumptions—those so-called ’truths’—had made them complacent.

Mistakes they would never have made during wartime were now being made without hesitation. Warnings they would have acted upon instantly were now being dismissed.

Even within Suncrest, precautions had weakened.

During the war, there had been six guards at the sect’s main gate.

Now, there were only two.

And it wasn’t just Suncrest.

The Martial World had entered a time of ’peace’ after the Zephyrion Akrest’s victory and the Heavenly Demon’s death.

A deceptive, fragile peace.

On the surface, conflicts had diminished, and the world appeared calmer.

But beneath that illusion, far darker things were unfolding.

Under the authority of the Martial World, those who spoke the wrong words had their tongues cut out. Those who sent the wrong messages lost their fingers.

But…

Because their tongues and fingers had been taken, they could no longer cause a commotion.

Slowly, without realizing it, even the warriors of The Martial World were becoming docile.

Nothing terrible was ’happening.’

At least, that’s what the world believed.

And so, not just Suncrest, but all of Martial World had been dulled by this meaningless peace.

No one was wary of Demonic Sect anymore. No one was prepared.

So then...

What guarantee did they have that another Eastern Mountain Fiery Blade clan incident wouldn’t happen again?

As that chilling realization settled in, Vera’s face mirrored Marcus’s perfectly.

The mistakes had already been made.

The complacency had already taken root.

It was already too late.

What could they do now? Even if they raised their voices and called for heightened vigilance, what effect would it have?

A deep, suffocating sense of helplessness gripped Vera’s chest.

If it were just a single enemy, they could fight with their strength.

But when it came to a catastrophe that would shake all of The Martial World, what could a single warrior do?

"...What should we do, Senior Brother?"

"That’s what I’m struggling with."

Marcus let out a sigh.

It was the deepest, most exhausted sigh he had ever given.

And then—

A voice interrupted them from behind the tree.

"You’re both still young, yet you’re already sighing like old men. Is life really that difficult?"

It was Kael.