36 Hours earlier,

As the Minister of Right, I hurriedly entered the Hall of Eminence, an expansive hall comparable in size to a large stadium. Respectfully, I bowed my head and prostrated myself, daring not to rise until given permission by the figure before the silent yet subtly crackling brazier.

The figure, the Sage, stood with his back towards me. I positioned myself at the tip of his elongated shadow. The brazier, with its sporadic crackling and bright radiance, held the darkness at bay including its inhabitants. Their mouths drooled as they were hungry to be let out. I had a gut feeling they would be out soon.

"What is it, Minister of Right?" inquired the Sage. It was a straightforward question demanding an immediate answer.

Unable to hold back, I confessed, "It's Artherius, your eminence. He is dead."

At this revelation, the fire within the brazier dwindled, letting the inhabitants creep closer.

"What a shame. He was loyal. And what about the Nexus system? What's the progress?" the Sage asked.

To utter the words I was about to speak was unthinkable, a sin punishable by death in his presence. Yet they had to be spoken. The matter was too great to be ignored.

"I asked you a question, Minister. What's the progress of the Nexus System?" he demanded, as my hesitance started to bother him.

As the fire continued to diminish, the shadows grew bolder, and their dwellers ventured further into the darkness. Fear gripped me as I glanced at these creatures, products of this very hall, loyal to the Sage just like me. But they were programmed with a single command: to kill. And through them, I could sense my master's intentions towards me.

Droplets of sweat trickled down my forehead, and a chilling sensation overcame my skin. Uttering the following words was reckless, but even under the shadow of death, I couldn't alter my instinctive truthfulness.

"My Lord... the Nexus System's progress has reached completion, however.."

"However?" he echoed, and I could almost visualize his eyebrows arching.

"However, it has been taken."

The simulated fire within the brazier exploded into a thick pillar of flames, piercing through the ceiling and into the gloomy clouds above, symbolic of pure rage, and unfortunately, it was aimed at me.

"Are you courting death, Minister?"

I was trapped, escape seemed impossible. I lifted my head from its meek prostration to meet his gaze. His iconic yellow, slit-like eyes were filled with a murderous intent and I could only manage to lift my head up to a certain point before the immense Ki pressure forced me to bow again.

“We know who took your possession my lord and right now we are chasing them.”

I don’t know who killed Artherius. It was the truth. When the Murim Police reached the spot, the place was burned down. The wreckage was a nightmare to sift through for our investigators, however, we did find samples, DNA evidence of people being present at the scene.

Our forensics cross-referenced it to every Murimin. Yet, the results came back negative. This could only mean either a non-murimin killed him - which was unlikely, or that the murderers were from a secret sect, unknown to the alliance or worse, the Demonic Sect.

Artherius was a Martial Lord. And even though he was only of the 1st Stage, he was still a force to be reckoned with — not someone easily killed.

There are numerous Martial Masters out there, but only a select few Martial Lords spanning both the orthodox and non-orthodox factions. This doesn't include The Demon Cult, and none among them would have a particular reason to murder Artherius. He wasn't just a fighter — he was a scientist, working on many clandestine projects aside from the nexus system. Surely, they could pilfer his research, but to murder him just for that? It didn't make sense.

If anything, he was more valuable to them alive than dead.

“The existence of the Nexus System was kept secret, Minister of Right, how was this information leaked.”

“I-I don’t have a clue my lord. Please this servant begs for forgiveness.” I cried.

“Forgiveness is a luxury I am running out of Minister,” he coldly expressed.

Footsteps echoed from behind me in the hallway, instantly silencing our conversation as they grew steadily louder. I dared not look, fearing the wrath of my lord should I display even the slightest neglect. The footsteps halted beside me. The sound of knees bending indicated someone kneeling. The scent of gooseberries filled the air. A woman. A concubine, perhaps? But no, most of them are housed in the Harem Palace, kept from the public after the incident with a particular concubine eight years ago.

“Areum Choemyeon,” said the sage. “What brings a Choemyeon Clan Lord to my hall?”

I breathed in. She was the head of the Choemyeon clan. Unorthodox clan, or in Non-Murimin terms she was the head of a certain Korean Mafia and to the Murimin, one of the eleven strongest clans.

“To help you recover what you have lost my lord,” she offered.

“And how do you know what I have lost?” He inquired. Silent anger simmering beneath his voice.

The Nexus System was supposed to be a top secret classified project exposed to only a few, but it seems everyone knows about it. So much for a secret project!

“Pardon my insolence, my lord. But as a clan lord I would frequent Artherius to obtain better cultivation methods for my clan. Something that quite a few clan lords do and in between those meetings Artherius would often boast about working on a top secret project for you. Though I declined to hear more about it, as your secrets are your own and aren’t meant for anyone else. He would often force me to listen to his exploits about creating a great system for you to reach new heights. Though, as your loyal follower, I didn't want to listen, but the Murimin inside of me faltered.”

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The sage raised his eyebrows. “The tight-lipped Artherius told you?”

“Yes, my lord, it is the truth.”

I could sense no palpitations or irregular heartbeat using my Ki. From the looks of it, she is telling the truth. Even the Sage seemed doubtful despite the fact that he probably had a much better technique than I did to gauge a lie.

The Sage held his tongue for what seemed like an eternity, but during his pause, it seems his anger ebbed away and his shoulders began to relax. The brazier also regained it’s calm and I slightly relaxed my posture as well.

“So tell me, how will you recover my possession?”

“By getting it from the one who stole it.”

“And who exactly is that,” he curiously asked.

“Kira.”

My eyes widened in shock. It was a name I had buried deep in the recesses of my mind, a name I thought would never resurface. And yet, it was a name impossible to truly forget. For she was the concubine who had betrayed the Sage.

Every living Murimin recognizes that epithet.

My gaze shifted to Areum, and I gazed upon a chilling beauty, one that might kill yet would leave you thankful. She had a delicate feminine face, but it was undeniably marked with raw power. Her figure was generously curved, and her smooth legs; toned, visible beneath her skirt. Tales of the Choemyeon clan's leader being a great beauty were not unfounded.

Yet, despite this, I couldn't help but turn my eyes towards the Sage, anticipating his reaction.

He did not let me down. He looked even more startled by the name than I was.

Then, an oppressive force bore down on my shoulders. I glanced towards Areum and saw that she too felt it. The weight increased, growing with each moment the Sage remained silent. It was his anger transformed into Ki Aura that was pushing my breath out of my body.

As the weight intensified, I felt myself sinking into the ground, a desperate need to disappear. Fear held me from meeting the gaze of my lord, lest he decide my fate then and there. In that moment, I did what any prey would do when cornered by a predator: I prostrated and feigned death

“How is she still alive?” The anger in his voice was palpable.

Areum shook her head, despite the force. “My apologies, my lord, I don't know. However, I have evidence that it was indeed her.” With effort, she extracted something from beneath her shirt—a USB. She extended it for the Sage to inspect.

Feeling the Ki pressure recede, I quickly got up, gasping for breath. With a mere snap of his fingers, two attendants appeared, bearing a laptop. They were dressed in traditional Hanbok, their faces concealed by white cloth.

The Sage wielded his Ki, drawing the USB into his grasp. He promptly plugged it into the laptop, which immediately began to play something.

While I couldn’t discern the visuals, the audio was unmistakable. It was a voice from the past; a voice so enchanting that it once thawed the icy demeanor of the Sage. It was unmistakably Kira's. But how had she managed to defeat Artherius? The last time I'd heard, she was merely a Martial Silver.

Apparently, the Sage shared my confusion. “How did she manage to kill Artherius?”

“I assume she had assistance,” she stated, slightly lifting her chin to meet the sage's gaze. “She wasn’t alone at the scene. Others were present with her. Surprisingly, most of them weren't even Martial Masters. This puzzled me: how could these relatively weak martial artists overcome a clan lord? It was only when a theory emerged in my thoughts.”

The sage's eyebrows lifted in intrigue. “And that theory is?”

“They might have possessed an object or technique, enabling them to best Artherius. It’s not the first instance where we've witnessed such power-boosting techniques in martial artists.”

I pressed my lips together, recalling the fighters from the Demon Cult. Memories of our last war against them about fifteen years prior flooded my mind. Their warriors were a challenge, mainly because their power was deceptive. With their demonic techniques, they could amplify their strength manifold.

Another concern gnawed at me: How had Areum accessed this video? We had extensively checked cameras and scoured the vicinity up to five miles, seeking any lead.

Unable to contain my curiosity, I hesitated, “H-how did you come across this footage?”

She didn't even deign to look my way, which stung. Disrespectful wench.

“A security officer, later discovered dead in the nearby woods, had a body camera. It captured everything.”

“Inconceivable!” I exclaimed but immediately moderated my tone. “We inspected the surrounding areas. There were no bodies.”

“We found this particular body near the driveway leading to the estate. Had you inspected there?”

I felt a sting of embarrassment. That was the singular spot we overlooked before my update to the Sage.

Observing my obvious discomfort, the Sage's aura grew cold and intimidating, sending shivers down my spine. He realized my oversight.

“What do you seek in exchange for this?” he inquired.

“Merely to aid you in your honorable quest for ascension, my lord.”

His expression twisted with suspicion. “Be forthright, or patience shall run thin with you.”

“I apologize to my lord,” she bowed deeply. “I only wish to work for you and to do that please let me spearhead the investigation into retrieving the Nexus System. Once I have brought you your possession disposed of by your enemies. Please hand me the position of Minister of Right and allow my clan to exist as an orthodox faction.”

The sage went into deep thought. “I can allow you to take over the investigation and give you this mongrel’s position. However, the final thing that you ask of me is difficult.

“If I do then what’s to stop other unorthodox factions doing my work and being rewarded with being an orthodox faction. It would upset the other orthodox factions. They’ll see me as allowing anyone into their circle and diluting their influence.”

“To answer your question,” She began. “There is nothing stopping you my lord. Sure they will raise their complaints at you, they will be unhappy. But your word is your law and they cannot dare to go against you my Lord. They will only lose.”

He cracked a smile, at Areum’s words. A sight that is rare these days for my lord. It filled me with relief. Even despite the fact that Areum was going to end up taking my job.

Blasted, she was going to take my position.

“Sire,” I meekly spoke. “As a dog who has served you over the years well enough. Please grant me a chance to keep my position.”

“Granted,” he said.

I was taken aback. I assumed he was going to deny me the opportunity. But he did the opposite.

“My Lord,” Areum spoke.

The sage raised his hand. “I have spoken, but I have not as well. I wish to see which one of you would serve me better. A bit of competition is always good for a Murimin. Areum you shall have what you want if you bring me Kira, especially turning your unorthodox clan into an orthodox clan. The same goes for you as well, Minister of Right. You will keep your position as a reward and be given some of the Lands of Artherius Clan should you bring me Kira.”

I didn’t show it. But I was giddy inside. I get to keep my position and earn lands of the Artherius Clan all over the world? This will boost my clan’s standing in Murim!

“Go both of you and bring me back what I have lost.” He commanded.

We both bowed diligently and moved backwards until we were out of the great hall.

----------------------------------------

The minister was no simpleton. Though a fool, he was cunning. I faced him, my expression cold. In this dangerous game, There was no camaraderie. He was but another opponent.

His previously playful demeanor shifted, his face became frosty, showing his true nature. "Good luck," he uttered.

He made his way to the exit.

From where my shadow lay, another began to stretch and take form. It lengthened until it revealed a man, clad in black leather, appearing almost like scales. His hood was drawn over his face, and his boots were as dark as molasses.

"Should I handle him, my lady?" His voice was clear, resonating like a hum.

"No, let him be. A bit of competition is no threat to us. Also I know his capabilities. He won't be able to get ahead of us."

I retraced the minister's path, my loyal soldier tailing me.

"Are we prepared?"

"All is set, my lady," he confirmed. "Upon your command, we'll find the boy through the tracker you placed and deploy our forces. It might require patience."

The thought of Josh flashed in my mind, bringing a smile. "Very well. Let’s hasten back to the compound. I have my own preparations to see to."