Tan Yu pressed against the mound of bloodied corpses that piled up at the slum's exit. He coughed and spat blood before turning to Wei Shen with fear.

  "W-what's wrong, Senior Brother?"

  Wei Shen glared coldly, radiating killing intent so strong it made Tan Yu curl up against the corpses just to look smaller as a target. "You're an idiot, Tan Yu. That's why I didn't even want to keep you close after Boss Han Lie came. Still, I thought you could be useful for old time's sake, but you've disappointed me."

  Tan Yu shivered, confused and regretful of coming. "Brother—"

  "Shut up," Wei Shen barked. "If you dare utter such nonsense again, I'll kill you myself. Don't speak of things you're not meant to speak of. What treasure? What merit? It's just hunting a damned thief, nothing more."

  Wei Shen's entire body bristled with killing intent that locked onto Tan Yu. It was so oppressive, the bitter tang of blood that tickled Tan Yu's lips and made him cower apologetically. "Forgive me, Senior Wei Shen."

  "Forget it," Wei Shen spat. "I won't kill you."

  His calm was momentary, though, as all around them, steps shuffled as several concealed shadows ran off, leaving the area where Wei Shen stood guard.

  Wei Shen gnashed his teeth furiously as he erupted, "God dammit. I knew those bastards were spying on us. This is all your fault, Tan Yu! Look what you've done now?"

  He kicked Tan Yu bloody, stomping him into the mound of corpses before exhaling. "Get out of my sight, Tan Yu. Find the thieving bastard and reclaim Boss Han Lie's treasure. Or I swear, you'll wish you were dead."

  Tan Yu paled, clenching his fists. "Speaking of death... Several of our brothers have already died in Emberwood Forest while hunting the thief."

  "Are you useless bastards well in the head?" Wei Shen said, his head cocked in disbelief. "Good riddance. Those who can't accomplish even a simple task don't deserve the resources that are wasted on them."

  "Alright..." Tan Yu whispered before picking himself up off the mound. His hands squelched against the bloodied flesh, and nausea assaulted him, but he rushed to leave before Wei Shen found more fault with him.

  Wei Shen rubbed his temples, frustration building within his chest. Even if Han Lie didn't mention anything to him about keeping the loss a secret, he knew that it was a foolish blunder to alert the other sects to the treasure's existence.

  "Dammit," he sighed. "Boss Han Lie should be here soon to take over. I'll see what happens then."

  ...

  Meanwhile, in both the Iron Flame Sect and the Golden Flame Sect, disciples appeared, ready to report the conversation between Wei Shen and Tan Yu. They knelt down and loudly announced, "Sect Leader, it's huge news! The Frozen Flame Sect isn't going mad for nothing. Han Lie had a treasure stolen by the thief. To cause such a disturbance, it has to be something incredible from the Han Family!"

  Both men sat aloofly, joined only by their most trusted aides. They were vastly different, yet at this moment, their actions mirrored one another eerily. Both men were experienced enough and were weighing the chaos that set off in the city. "Could it be..."

  Both sect leaders waved to their aid, who then vanished from his seat without pause and cut down the disciples who brought forth the report.

  And just like that, several innocent disciples vanished from the world.

  It was cruel, but it was the way of the world; the less people knew of opportunity, the more likely it was for the fated to grasp it.

  Tie Yanrong sat in the Iron Flame Sect, scratching his chin in thought. "Well done, Zhiyuan. We can't let news of this spread easily. If I'm not mistaken, only an Immortal Relic could brew such madness unprovoked."

  He continued, "We have to involve ourselves in this. Even if I'm wrong, it's still a treasure they deemed valuable enough to burn a district for despite Zhao Tianqing's presence."

  Wei Zhiyuan smiled, the corners of his lips curling in an ugly manner. "You're right, Sect Leader. It definitely has to be something worth killing for to get them so agitated. If I may suggest something. Let's create more chaos in the city!"

  "Hoh? More chaos, you say? Why?"

  "Hit them where it hurts. If we disrupt their focus by targeting their sect grounds, they won't be able to give the hunt their all. That lets us send an elite group out. Pursue the thief our way, and reclaim what was stolen."

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  "We'd make it too obvious, wouldn't we?" Tie Yanrong asked, scratching his chin as he pondered the implications. "What's to say they aren't sending their own elites out? Or that they haven't captured him? It's risky..."

  Wei Zhiyuan chuckled, shrugging his arms in forfeit. "Does it matter if we make it obvious, Sect Leader? If our boys brought back news of the treasure, then Golden Flame should've received the same by now. Chaos begets chaos. If Frozen Flame had achieved anything, they would've calmed things down to not alarm us further. Instead, we're here."

  "That's true," Tie Yanrong nodded. Both men knew that Jin Zhenyu would never miss an opportunity to rise, not after his banishment. If the Golden Flame Sect knew about the treasure, the city would quickly devolve into a bloodbath, and they could not afford not to participate.

  The two men's beliefs were quite accurate, as in the Golden Flame Sect, after disposing of the disciple who reported the treasure, Jin Zhenyu's thoughts stirred with greed. He paced the golden hall in strides, calculating the costs of action and inaction.

  "It has to be an Immortal Relic. Nothing else can justify so much damage so fast, while also feigning innocence," Jin Zhenyu said, letting his thoughts take form. "Normally, one would go to the ends of hell for an Immortal Relic, but if it was already yours, you'd need to reclaim it as silently as possible."

  He continued, "Yes, I can't be wrong. This is either the greatest boon our sect has ever had, or a harbinger of death. We have to be the ones to claim the treasure. We'll be damned if we let anyone else get it! Even if it belonged to those Frozen Flame bastards, it's their own fault for losing it."

  Shu Wenjie stood to the side, nodding his head in agreement. "It would explain the madness. It's definitely risky, but we don't have a choice but pay attention to it," he said, stopping Jin Zhenyu's pacing. "Even war is not excessive enough, if it truly is an Immortal Relic."

  "Dammit!" Jin Zhenyu roared, stomping loudly as his qi stormed across the golden hall. "We can't be the only ones not to act. We can't be the last ones to act either. Wenjie, get ready, it's time to stake our lives on this!"

  Shu Wenjie nodded and bowed. "As you command, sir. What are your orders?"

  "Three Elders, one hundred Inner Disciples, three hundred Outer Disciples, take them all and attack the Frozen Flame Sect without mercy."

  Jin Zhenyu tapped his heel, a thoughtful expression on his face, and continued, "Take a dozen—no, two dozen Qi-Burst Talismans from the vault as well. Make whatever excuse you have to. Give those bastards hell. And to the side, we'll mobilize a group to search for the treasure."

  Shu Wenjie stared wide-eyed. "The whole city will reel from the aftermath of this. If we're wrong... it'll be a horrible blemish to wipe."

  "So be it," Jin Zhenyu sighed. "Opportunities like this don't come often. If we're going to do it, we have to do it right, regardless of the consequences. Send two Elders, ten Inner Disciples, and fifty Outer Disciples to hunt the mortal and the relic down."

  "As you wish," Shu Wenjie said. "I'll tell them it'll be a part of their training for this season and offer sufficient rewards if they're successful."

  He added, "Mayor Zhao will go insane once he sees such movement, though."

  "Screw him," Jin Zhenyu snarled. "If it's an Immortal Relic and we claim it, I could pin his wife in front of him, and he'd still call me grandfather."

  Jin Zhenyu sat down and leaned back, the folds on his body jiggling as he stared up at the golden hall's ceiling. "You don't get it, Wenjie. This is a life-changing opportunity for us and our sect. If the whole city burns, then so be it. We'll relocate. We'll claim a region in the Central Province and make the Flamecrest Kingdom worship us. We can do whatever the hell we want."

  "As you will, sir," Shu Wenjie replied, bowing politely.

  All across Eternal Flame City, the people felt an eerie tension weighing down on them, like the calm before a storm, or a pressure brewing, like a powder keg near a matchstick. Those sensitive enough felt the fear in their hearts.

  When the idea of an Immortal Relic appeared in the minds of the two sect leaders, like a temptress's birdsong, the time for peace vanished, and the time for chaos began.

  ...

  The Iron Flame and Golden Flame sects weren't the only ones to get a report. Elsewhere in the city, a masked man approached the Mayor's Pavilion, where two men sat in front of a chessboard.

  "Elder Wen, Mayor Zhao, I've brought news! Iron Flame, Golden Flame, and Frozen Flame are stirring because of a supposed Immortal Relic from the Han Family. It's not confirmed, but it's a treasure priceless enough to burn the city for."

  He continued, "It seems... It seems the mortal somehow stole it off the careless Han Lie by accident. Young Master Han brought it from the Central Province's Han Family, and as a result, Iron Flame and Golden Flame have discovered this and are preparing for war."

  "Ho ho... an Immortal Relic? That's an incredibly bold assumption," Wen Ruhao chuckled, stroking his beard. "What do you think, sir? Is it an excuse enough to ignore your presence in Eternal Flame City?"

  "Are you mocking me, Ruhao?" Zhao Tianqing cocked his brow with a playful smile before placing a chess piece down on the board. He rapped his knuckles against the table, humming as he thought for a second. "It's quite amusing, truthfully."

  "The Frozen Flame Sect is stalking the mortal thief like a mantis stalks a cicada. Meanwhile, Iron Flame and Golden Flame think themselves the Oriole lurking behind." Zhao Tianqing slapped his palm against the table before laughing. "Forget it. We'll stay quiet for now. Let them do as they like. In the end, we'll be the ones to profit off their misery."

  "Ho ho, discerning as always, Xiao Tian," Wen Ruhao said through bared teeth. "There's no better game than when everyone thinks they're a player, but they're merely a pawn on someone else's board."

  Zhao Tianqing eyed Wen Ruhao icily. "I told you not to call me that, Ruhao."

  "Ho ho, apologies, sir! I'm but an old man... oh so forgetful!" Wen Ruhao chuckled innocently.

  "Yeah, yeah," Zhao Tianqing laughed, rubbing his temples. "Keep an eye out for now. If things become too much, we'll intervene."

  Zhao Tianqing looked out from the window, letting the city reflect in his eyes. If the three sects wanted to play, he'd play with them, but under his own rules.

  "Immortal Relic," he muttered. "Truly foolish."