140 Vampire Spoils
The secluded valley was a grisly scene, thick with the stench of blood.
Master Rhys crouched beside the turquoise spring, watching the vampire blood stain the water crimson. He nonchalantly washed the dirt from his hands.
Master Arden might have been fine with burying people, but he insisted on doing it by hand. Just earlier he had been eager to stab Peter Volare, yet now he was acting so sentimental.
Lost in thought, Master Rhys gazed at the distant grave mound, understanding dawning in his eyes.
Seeing the tragic state of Peter's wife, he felt sympathy for the thief. Had his own loved one been treated with such cruelty, his blood would have boiled and he too might have lost all reason.
Unfortunately, sympathy had its limit. The strict rules of H.A.R.M. existed to prevent such tragedies from recurring. After all, Peter Volare wasn't the only person in Cascadia with a wife to protect.
At least before his death, he witnessed his enemies fall before him—something many martial artists could never achieve, even at the cost of their lives.
He could even be buried with his wife after death. No wonder he had smiled so contentedly earlier.
"It should be about finished." Master Arden meticulously carved the names on the stone tablet. Though the dead man had nearly killed him, he'd made a promise—and the old man wouldn't be perfunctory.
He planted the tombstone deep into the grave mound and clapped his hands clean. "Let's head back. This time when we return, I'll enter secluded training. I aim to reach Grandmaster level in the Will Embodiment of Sword before my time runs out—that would fulfill one of my wishes."
Master Rhys nodded in agreement.
Staying in the citadel for too long, basking in the disciples' daily reverence, one inevitably became lax.
Having mastered profound Will Embodiment techniques, they assumed they ranked among Cascadia's finest—and this belief led to their complacency.
How could they have known there were greater powers beyond their own, higher peaks yet to climb? A single nameless vampire, hidden in the mountain depths, had rendered them utterly helpless.
Colonel Kane appeared reserved and unassuming, yet his ruthless efficiency in dispatching vampires was bone-chilling.
Such a powerful expert, yet Cloud Citadel had never even heard of him.
Was he perhaps a secret weapon the Admiral had cultivated in silence?
The realization deepened Master Rhys's awe of H.A.R.M. If Cloud Citadel possessed such a talented young fighter, they would surely broadcast it across Cascadia. So why keep him hidden?
But... to suddenly reveal such a secret weapon—could it mean something major was about to unfold in Cascadia?
Master Rhys shook his head, dried his hands, and walked back to their previous position.
Rose Hightower had sorted through all the valuable vampire materials and now held four long feathers—two green and two red—in her hand.
Sensing the profound power within them, her eyes couldn't help but flicker.
Despite her many years as a Vampire Hunter, such precious treasures were still a rare sight. Yet these powers were vampiric innate abilities—trying to activate them with essence would yield barely a twentieth of their original strength.
"Madam Hightower, we must return to Cascadia at once." The two Templars wrenched their gaze away from the feathers.
"Very well." Rose channeled her essence into the silver bell and promptly received a response.
She smiled self-deprecatingly. If she hadn't been so flustered earlier, she wouldn't have made such a blunder. Once inside this aura-concealing array, John couldn't even contact her.
A moment later, the young man in black approached from the distance.
At first, Rose noticed nothing unusual, but a flicker of surprise crossed the two old Templars' eyes.
Colonel Kane's unhurried steps revealed a subtle harmony with nature, hinting that he was approaching the threshold of the Path of Nature.
But a moment later, they noticed a hint of coldness in Kane's downcast gaze—as if it carried a subtle resentment.
Master Arden blinked, his demeanor instantly becoming more reserved.
Though unsure how he had caused offense, it was better to be cautious. Colonel Kane had demonstrated he could crush Rajitha's skull with a single strike. Such power would make short work of his aging body.
… …
I composed myself and nodded to the group. "If you're finished, let's go."
In the invisible realm, the panel prompted.
[Crystal Realm - Will Embodiment of Sword(Grandmaster)]
[Remaining Absorbed Lifespan: 1,429 years]
A palm-sized golden page contained merely two hundred words of engravings.
The old Templars, fearing that detailed explanations would diminish their techniques' mystique, had deliberately made their instructions cryptic.
It had consumed over twelve hundred years of my absorbed lifespan. I wondered if these Templars themselves could even live that long.
I had planned to spend a thousand years condensing a Mind Shard and developing another martial art, but my remaining lifespan wasn't sufficient.
"Take these feathers first," Rose offered. "I'll have the other miscellaneous items converted into Martial Abbey Cleansing for you." Her eyes held a blend of respect and pride—the kind of look from a beautiful woman that would make any man's pulse quicken.
Yet, the feathers held no interest for me.
My words left them stunned. "Divide it according to the Vampire Hunters' rules. I'll take one share."
"I know you practice body-tempering..." Rose said hastily, concerned that I misunderstood the feathers' worth. "But even a single red feather, if kept with you, can nourish your body and heal wounds."
"I understand." I nodded slightly, remaining firm in my decision.
The two Templars' eyes finally lit up as they gazed at what they had been trying to avoid looking at before. The four long feathers swayed gently, emanating a faint glow.
Retrieving their martial art had already been a pleasant surprise. Getting a share of these vampire spoils was beyond their expectations.
"Colonel Kane." Master Arden gritted his teeth, shut his eyes, and waved his hands in weak protest. "We cannot accept this without having contributed anything. It would be shameful."
Master Rhys merely sighed, making no move to stop him.
Besides mastering the Will Embodiment of Sword, Cloud Citadel excelled at crafting weapons. These rare vampire materials beckoned to them like a precious tree to a master carpenter or prized truffles to a skilled chef. They would grow restless if they couldn't work with such treasures.
"How can you refuse what Colonel Kane offers?" Rose arched her eyebrows and handed over all four feathers. "Don't let these precious materials go to waste. Craft them into treasured weapons or armors. Keep one share for yourselves, and send the rest to H.A.R.M. Seattle—addressed to Colonel Kane under General Grant."
Master Arden's hand, which had just dropped, trembled slightly. Following his heart, he reached out again. "Thank you for your generosity, Colonel Kane."
A wide smile spread across his paradoxically aged yet youthful face.
I couldn't quite grasp it. They could have simply taken the feathers without obligation, yet now they were committed to working for someone else—and seemed even more delighted about it.
If my former colleagues in Pinewood County had shown such dedication, Anil Patel might have more time pleasing his young wife.
I rubbed my temples and turned to walk out of the valley.
The advantage of body-tempering techniques was that they didn't produce any negative emotions during simulation.
However, deducing these complex martial arts techniques flooded my mind with waves of confusion, despair, and exhaustion before finally leading to enlightenment. These intense emotions, all crashing in at once, would take considerable time to process.