"You have quite the nerve appearing before me after revealing my secrets." The Sword King looked down at a kneeling Benedict with cold eyes.
Benedict could say nothing in response. He had no right! In the Alzar Kingdom, there were three main principles that everyone followed: respect thy family, respect thy master, and respect thy country. It was the same whether it be in the Xingyuu Empire or the Zino Kingdom. Anyone who broke these three principles were seen as scoundrels and traitors, the lowest of the bunch. They were trash! And Benedict had done exactly that. Granted, his discipleship was against his wishes, but the Sword King did instruct him how to use Martial Energy and the Cloud Sea Style. His strength also soared to incredible heights that he never dreamed was possible. He became strong! Yet, he returned that good favor with ill intent. He felt ashamed of his actions.
What helped alleviate his guilt somewhat was that the Sword King hid his own identity. The captain of the Whispering Shadow's First Hand! That vast and powerful underground criminal organization rampant in all sorts of despicable operations, Benedict felt disgusted whenever he thought about them. They were the epitome of everything he despised! The fact that his master was one of their leading figures was like biting into a fruit only to see it was rotten inside. It was a horrible feeling. Not to mention, the Second Hand attacked and kidnapped Elizabeth, later leading to the Lannisail explosion. It was horrible event for everyone involved. He always wondered how the Sword King rescued him from the Lannisail Household. Why was the man there to begin with? It was a bit too convenient for his liking, but the Sword King, Hidek, and Lanar remained tight-lipped about it.
Not because they wanted to hide this secret in fear of Benedict's disapproval, nothing of the sort. They were Instinct Realm or Perception Realm Master respectively. What did they have to fear? Rather than that, the Sword King, Hidek, Lanar, and himself… They gathered under their joint pursuit of the sword. Every day, they honed their craft, practiced their techniques, and perfected their art. Everything to reach the zenith of swordsmanship! Therefore, anything unnecessary was discarded. Something like serving as the captain of the First Hand was too insignificant to mention. There was no merit to doing so. Hence, the Sword King never bothered to say it. What was the point? Benedict felt betrayed by his master's despicable actions, so his tiny betrayal in return was almost deserved. That was how he rationalized it anyways.
"What's the matter? Do you have nothing to say for yourself?" Hidek sternly questioned as the eldest disciple. "Did you lose your tongue?"
"I…" Benedict stammered.
Lanar snorted, "It wasn't enough that you spilled our master's secrets to everyone, but you've also shared our master's teachings! Do you have no shame?" He gave Shirley a cold gaze.
Between those that used Martial Energy and those that did not, there was a gigantic difference. Martial Energy users possessed a richer lifeforce that surged with vitality, reminiscent of a spring forest in full bloom. They felt 'alive'! Conversely, non-Martial Energy users had a very dull, stagnant lifeforce, akin to an unmoving pool of water. Both were undoubtedly alive, but their portrayals were vastly opposite. With Lanar's senses, it was easy to see Shirley's aura was much more vibrant than the others, including Perception Realm Masters! However, in a world where Martial Energy was still unknown, it was obvious who taught her. It had to be Benedict! This made Lanar's blood run cold as anger swelled inside him. He could even hear his own teeth cracking! He was already pissed that a filthy brat like Benedict could earn their master's favor, and now Benedict had the nerve to teach someone else? There were some lines that could not be crossed. Lanar wanted to rush over and murder the two!
"Master, we should revoke his discipleship," Lanar suggested respectfully. "He doesn't deserve your tutelage any longer!"
"I agree," Hidek said. Although he appeared calm on the surface, he was inwardly furious too. Spreading their master's teachings without permission showed a complete lack of respect for them. Benedict thought too highly of himself!
"What else did you teach that girl?" the Sword King asked frostily.
Benedict was flustered. His last memories of the Battle of Liguang were like a hazy mist, present but seemingly out of reach. Perhaps that was a product of his insane blood loss? Or maybe his mind had broken down? It was a strange feeling, as though he was not there himself, almost like someone else fought in his place. He could only see bits and pieces from time to time; however, there was one scene that always shocked him… It was Shirley performing the Cloud Sea Style with her halberd! While it might be a far cry from the real thing, she had replicated it purely through observation alone. Moreover, she used an entirely different weapon from what the Sword King intended. The sword and the halberd could not be more different, yet she managed to convert the Sword King's legendary swordsmanship style into a halberd style. He feared what his master might think.
"Wait a second, Benedict only taught me how to use Martial Energy. He didn't teach me anything else," Shirley protested.
"Who said you could speak?" Lanar snarled.
"Why can't I speak? Who are you to stop me?" Shirley sneered in response.
Her fearlessness made Benedict's skin crawl. This was a Perception Realm Master she was talking to! Adding his mastery of Martial Energy to the mix, and Lanar was much stronger than Sir Winstin, Cardinal Hui, or Lady Mingyu. He was a monster above monsters! As expected, the disciple grimaced, releasing a vast and powerful burst of killing intent, submerging Benedict and Shirley into a cold icy grasp. They felt the air leave their lungs, as their faces paled by several degrees. The world vanished beneath their feet, and they fell through an endless black abyss. They reached out to grab something, anything to stop their fall, but nothing remained. It looked like the entire world had ended! A gigantic ominous pair of eyes regarded them like a god would to ants. Hands bigger than the sky surrounded Benedict and Shirley. There was no escape! They closed in with a squeeze. Pop! That black abyss, gigantic eyes and hands suddenly vanished without a trace. Benedict and Shirley collapsed on the ground, drenched in sweat, and too terrified to speak. Just what was that?
"Why did you stop me, Hidek?" A faint flicker of Martial Energy appeared in Lanar's eyes.
"Calm down. Our master hasn't given his judgement yet." Another faint flicker of Martial Energy appeared on Hidek's index finger. They exchanged fierce gazes. It seemed like another fight was about to break out!
"Silence!" the Sword King shouted with a darkened face. They were an embarrassment to him!
Elizabeth looked to her friends and frowned. "Sword King Sin, might I remind you that Benedict and Shirley are my friends? I won't stand by and watch as you harm them."
The Sword King gave her a cold and threatening gaze. "One is my disciple, and the other is my half-disciple. What right do you have to say what I can or cannot do?"
"You…"
"Elizabeth, you should calm down too!" Freon grabbed her by the shoulder and whispered, "We've finally reached an agreement with them! We shouldn't burn bridges this quickly!"
"Then what do you want me to do?" she snapped.
Freon gritted his teeth. "We can't force them to do as we please. Do you remember what you said about the Sword King? He values his freedom far greater than anything else. We need to use that to get what we want."
"You're clever," the Sword King grinned, having heard everything.
Freon nearly jumped out his skin. An Instinct Realm existence, a Rank 3 King like his uncle yet… the Sword King was extremely unpredictable and whimsical. To Freon, who valued stability more than anyone else, he was the worst person to meet! One second, he might be smiling, and the next, he might be furious. Not to mention, there was no sense of secrecy around this man. It was like he knew everything! Freon thanked his lucky stars that he said nothing wrong, but that feeling of constant dread made Freon sick. Until the Sword King left, he might never sleep easily again!