The twilight sky was streaked with deep coral light, and Cade’s timekeeper confirmed he’d spent the entire night underground. After flying out of the dark tunnel, he rose toward the surface, the cool desert air a welcome change from the stale dampness of the Well’s depths. So far, his life sense picked up no threats—a pleasant surprise.

  

  He was beginning to understand how Castien had been operating inside the monastery.

  The half-dead’s plan was likely to siphon as much blood qi as possible from Jade without her losing cultivation progress, so he could repeat it in the future. The Death Dao had secretive means of turning stolen blood qi into cultivation progress, and it clearly worked well, explaining how Castien had been advancing so quickly. It was highly probable Jade wasn’t the only one in the monastery he had used for his nefarious purposes. It was as Lucy had said - for the Death Dao, the living were a resource. Whatever method Castien had employed to make his victims forget must have been very effective.

  No wonder he started paying special attention to Jade the moment he saw her that day in front of the Hall of Swords. As a daughter of the Emperor, the princess had been fed the best medicines and pills from a young age. Her cultivation was technically still in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, but her blood qi and life force were richer and more potent, in line with a middle stage cultivator. This made her a perfect target and a real treat for a half-dead.

  Cade was forced to interrupt his musings less than half a mile from exiting the Well, as the pressure from his danger sense began to steadily rise. A few breaths later, three life signatures appeared at the edge of his life sense, sharp and clear. Two were in early Foundation Establishment, and one was in early True Core. They were flying in his direction as a group, moving with purpose.

  He spat an ugly curse. They've clearly found a way to track me. Or Jade. He had hoped for a different outcome, but his luck was just too predictable. If something went well for him, heavens forbid he claim some benefits for himself; it was almost guaranteed another thing would go massively wrong.

  Cade had briefly considered turning around and making a run for it but quickly changed his mind. True Core cultivators could outpace Arrow speeders, even the Nine. He would only lose whatever advantage he currently held. The Asura could feel this situation was going to end in a vicious battle, but it was still worth trying to reason. If he could avoid this confrontation and cultivate to the middle stage of Flesh Fortification in the safety of the Sword Dao Monastery, the manhunter would no longer be such a meaningful threat.

  He doubted they would attack him with the princess in the passenger seat, not unless Darkheart had been bought by the same people who didn’t wish for Jade to inherit the throne. Var Du Long had mentioned he was loyal to the Emperor, so there was a good chance he would try to protect Jade, or at least avoid hurting her. However, nearly everyone had a price. It made sense to assume the worst, especially here, in the isolation granted by the deep desert.

  The Asura took out the soundcatcher King had purchased for him in Tower Oasis and placed the receiver under the seat. Judging from their life signatures, it was Arthur and Roland who came with Darkheart, and Cade wanted to record every word they said, hoping one of them would slip up in a moment of anger or sheer stupidity. After all, he had promised Jade he would try to obtain undeniable proof her own family was plotting against her.

  After slipping the artifact into one of his robe’s internal pockets, the Asura continued his ascent, flying out of the Well. He then traveled low above the ground for another few hundred feet before landing on one of the dunes. He brought out the portable defensive formation and placed it down next to the speeder, loading it with a fresh set of spirit crystals. It could withstand a few attacks from peak Foundation Establishment cultivators and maybe take one direct hit from the manhunter. Not great, but better than nothing. If Darkheart was still loyal to the Empire, he would be forced to be careful with his battle arts.

  Jade was still unconscious, and Cade was starting to grow concerned, but right now he had to focus on the three people flying towards him. He stood just outside the formation’s protective barrier, hands clasped behind his back. He might have been worried for the princess, but when it came to battle, he wasn't afraid of anyone. It just wasn’t in his nature, not anymore.

  The Asura loosened his neck and shoulders, then narrowed his eyes on the horizon, picking up three tiny figures that rapidly grew in size. It was as he had thought. Three speeders carried three cultivators—two blonde-haired youths dressed in gray Sword Dao robes and one middle-aged man wearing black.

  The manhunter didn’t look good. His face was even leaner and more angular than before, a patchy beard growing out in tufts, and his life signature was a little unstable. The shades under his eyes were visible from a distance. All of this implied either a lack of sleep or a general fatigue covered up with pills. Cade might have been clueless about many things in the world, but his understanding of life emanations was instinctive.

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  Shifting his gaze to the brothers, he noted that Arthur’s face was stuck in a permanent scowl and Roland was yawning. Neither seemed nervous, likely expecting Darkheart to easily deal with him.

  As the trio of cultivators approached, they finally noticed Cade. Not even the manhunter's sight could match the senses of an Asura. Darkheart raised his hand, signaling them to stop, then said a few words to the brothers.

  He had no idea Cade was able to listen in.

  “You two, return to the monastery,” Darkheart said, his grating voice just as unpleasant as he remembered.

  “But what if he escapes? The scarab is still on Jade, and I can’t move it now because of this fucking barrier,” Arthur complained.

  The scarab? Must be some kind of tracking artifact.

  "He's not leaving as long as I'm here. I need to find out what the fuck is going on, and you two need to go. Now.”

  Cade frowned. This wasn’t exactly what he expected. “Since you're already here, why leave so soon?” he asked in a loud voice, smiling widely.

  “Shit, he can hear us?!” Roland’s bored expression instantly tensed.

  “Senior Darkheart, you can see yourself something isn't right with this fellow. He wiped the floor with Tiarsus and didn’t even use a sword. His early Skeletal Reinforcement cultivation is fake as shit,” Arthur murmured, and Roland nodded vigorously, backing up his brother. “There are valuable secrets on him. I just want to make sure we get something for our hard work,” the older Brightheart clarified, setting his greedy gaze on the figure below.

  “Alright. Since you’ve led me here, I’ll make sure to give you some benefits after I’m done. Now leave,” Darkheart waved them away.

  “Darkheart, you’re colluding with traitors? Interesting. I’m sure your best mate Massgrave will be happy to listen to your explanations when he arrives,” Cade remarked, checking the condition of his nails.

  The manhunter’s expression instantly darkened.

  “What kind of bullshit is he spouting now?!” His harsh voice snapped like a whip, his gaze shifting between the brothers, their faces suddenly going pale.

  “Their family paid to have Jade assassinated during the trial. Who else did you think was behind it?” Cade snorted, not letting Arthur get a word in.

  It was fortunate the soundcatchers were extremely sensitive, especially in a wide-open area like the desert. Whatever word, grunt, or yawn left their mouths, the little artifact would pick up everything.

  Darkheart’s skeletal brows drew close together.

  “Who do you take me for, boy? An idiot? You think I can’t see what you’re doing?” he asked.

  “I have proof,” Cade stated calmly, digging dried blood from under his nails as if nothing here concerned him.

  “What proof?” The manhunter’s eyes narrowed, and he sharply turned his head towards the two brothers, who had started to reverse their speeders, clearly deciding that leaving now was in their best interest. “Wait,” he barked.

  “They planted a soundcatcher in Jade’s room, under the bed. I tracked the qi fluctuations back to the receiver. And guess whose room it was in?” Cade smiled maliciously, setting his gaze on the brothers.

  In truth, he had no idea where the receiver was or if there was even a way to pinpoint its location. Whatever the case, it had to be in one of their rooms.

  “Shit, you said it was impossible to track!” Roland blurted, giving Arthur a terrified look.

  “Idiot, he just played you! It’s nigh-impossible to track down the receiver; that’s the whole point of using the fucking thing!” Arthur snarled, dragging his palm down his face.

  Cade’s lips curled upward. “I’m sure you’re not stupid, Darkheart. Did you hear them deny it? They practically admitted to spying on the Princess. I wonder what the Emperor would think of that.”

  “You don’t need to concern yourself with that. I’m here for something else.” Darkheart dismissed his words with a flicker of irritation, then turned to Arthur and Roland. “Return to the monastery. I’ll deal with you later,” he hissed.

  Cade’s shoulders relaxed. He got what he needed. Maybe it wasn’t definitive proof, but it certainly was enough for the Emperor to take a very close look at Arthur’s side of the family tree. That is, if he didn’t know about their betrayal already, which he probably did.

  The brothers turned their speeders, departing with gloomy expressions. The manhunter's narrowed gaze left their disappearing silhouettes, switching back to Cade.

  “What’s wrong with the Princess?” he demanded.

  “She was kidnapped by one of the half-dead who infiltrated Sword Dao. He tried to steal her blood qi to fuel his cultivation,” Cade answered bluntly.

  A flicker of shock crossed Darkheart’s face, and Cade caught a ripple of dread in his life signature. “Are you shitting me, boy? What’s her condition, and where’s the half-dead?” the manhunter rasped. He could see Jade was pale, but her breathing was steady.

  “He’s gone,” Cade shrugged, not wanting to get into too much detail. “I can take you to where we fought if you don’t believe me. As for Jade, she is greatly weakened, and I was on my way to bring her back to the monastery.”

  “How badly is she hurt?” Darkheart inquired in a tense voice.

  “How would I know? I'm no healer. Her breathing is steady,” Cade answered in a flat tone.

  “Fine.” That single word almost dripped with relief. “Now, was it you who kidnapped Griswold? I need to know everything.” Darkheart’s tone accepted no disobedience.

  It struck Cade as odd how easily his statement satisfied the cadaverous man. The manhunter’s emotions barely shifted—he simply didn’t care as long as Jade wasn’t on the brink of death. His only focus was finishing the task.

  “Oh, do you now?” Cade chuckled, but his laughter held no mirth. “I'll be honest, I couldn't care less about your needs.”

  The manhunter’s expression twisted into an ugly mask.

  “Don’t you understand I can wipe you out with my little finger?! Speak!” he snarled, his body shaking with suppressed rage.

  “Who wipes out whom has yet to be decided," Cade stated calmly as he pushed blood qi into the two bumps on his back. "I really don’t want to waste my time fighting you; I’d rather take Jade to the infirmary. But if you insist, I’ll do my best to turn this patch of desert into your grave.”

  “Boy, you really must be tired of living. Good! Very good!” A cruel smile twisted Darkheart’s lips. “It’s been some time since I taught an unruly pup like you a lesson. Now let me show you what true power is!”

  Then his hands blurred.

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