The campfire crackles in the mountain's shadow.
Most men wear rugged leather armour and boots, their weapons scarred but carved with faint markings.
A few stand apart, clad in metal plates, their blades and spears etched with sharper runes.
Among them, three teenagers sit stiffly, their fine armour gleaming, weapons polished—too pristine for a place swarming with demon beasts.
The youngest fidgets, his hand brushing the hilt of his sword.
He glances at the mist gathering over the distant cliff, curiosity in his eyes.
Finally, he asks, "Chen Wei, what is happening?"
Chen Wei, leader of the mercenary team hired by the Li family, lifts his gaze to the haze.
The rugged men in leather armour behind him wait in silence, their hands resting on worn hilts.
He answers, "Young Master Li, most likely a treasure is being born."
Li Jian's eyes flash with excitement.
The main reason he had come here was to seize such a fortune.
In a week, the young lady of the Min family, Min Xueyao, would celebrate her birthday.
He had no intention of arriving empty-handed.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go and retrieve the treasure," Li Jian declares, eagerness sharpening his voice.
Chen Wei frowns at the cliff wrapped in mist.
The air is heavy, the kind that only forms when something rare stirs.
"Looks like a special treasure. And every treasure is guarded by a demon beast. The rarer it is, the stronger the beast. And treasures like this… will draw even more beasts to fight for it. To win it, you'll face chaos and slaughter."
He pauses, his tone firm.
"It is dangerous, Young Master Li."
But Li Jian only smirks, pride lifting his chin.
"Chen Wei, why did I hire your team? Was it for a travelling mission?"
Chen Wei says, "To acquire a treasure or hunt rare demon beasts."
Li Jian lifts his brows.
"So then why are we not going to the cliff, where both demon beasts and treasure will be present?"
Chen Wei's voice hardens.
"Young Master Li, we cannot guarantee your safety."
Another young man, Wu Ming, standing beside Li Jian, snorts with disdain.
"That is not your concern. The Li family guards are more capable than you all."
The five guards in plated armour stand silent, their polished blades catching the firelight.
By their presence alone, Wu Ming's words carry weight.
The third youth, Li Feng, Li Jian's cousin, turns to Chen Wei.
"Do what we told you to do."
Chen Wei exhales slowly, shoulders sinking.
He turns to his men, who glare with barely hidden anger at the exchange.
Their leader meets their eyes, then says in a steady tone, "Brothers, you all heard the order. Let's go retrieve the treasure for Young Master Li."
With clenched jaws and reluctant steps, the mercenaries march out of the camp toward the cliff.
Behind them, Li Jian, his cousin, and Wu Ming follow with confidence, the Li family guards moving in formation around them.
The mist over the cliff thickens, hiding whatever waits within.
As they march toward the cliff, Chen Wei prays silently.
May no Master Realm demon beast be anywhere near.
Neither his brothers, nor the Li family guards, nor even he himself could withstand such a creature.
He may be a half-step Master Realm, but the rest of his men are only first and second-class martial artists.
The five Li family guards are first-class as well.
Against a true Master, the gap is like earth to sky.
And demon beasts stand even stronger than humans of the same realm—their life level higher, their bodies built for slaughter.
His frown deepens as they near the mist-wrapped cliff.
Not a single beast crosses their path.
No broken branches, no claw marks on bark, not even the distant cries that should haunt such mountains.
The silence presses heavier with every step.
He drifts closer to his second-in-command, Chen Ju.
Though they share the same surname, they are not kin—just men from the same village, as are most of his team.
Years of trust weigh between them more than blood ever could.
"Be careful," Chen Wei mutters under his breath.
"I think something is wrong."
The mist thickens as the group approaches the cliff, their boots grinding against the stone path.
Chen Ju walks at Chen Wei's side, his eyes scanning the silent trees.
"Me too," he mutters.
"A treasure may be born, but there isn't even a trace of demon beasts. And ordinary beasts… they aren't running toward the cliff."
Chen Wei nods grimly.
Chen Ju is right.
Even the weakest of creatures should be swarming here.
For them, any spiritual treasure is a chance to change their fate.
Even a scrap could ignite evolution—from ordinary beast to demon beast.
The chance may be slim, but instinct always drives them to try.
Yet here, there is nothing.
The silence is wrong.
With his voice low, Chen Wei says, "Tell the brothers to be careful. Escape if they find their lives in danger."
Chen Ju's eyes flash.
"Elder brother… Young Master Li and his group?"
"They only said our job is to retrieve a treasure," Chen Wei replies flatly.
"Not to protect them."
Chen Ju hesitates.
"Even so, if anything happens to Young Master Li, we'll be the ones in trouble."
Chen Wei's gaze hardens.
"I will not risk our lives for them. The Li family may be strong, but our village is not dough for them to knead at will."
Chen Ju holds his eyes for a moment, then nods and slips back to deliver the orders to the men.
Behind, Li Jian walks with his cousin Li Feng and Wu Ming.
Their fine armour gleams faintly in the mist, and their voices carry in careless tones.
Wu Ming scoffs, "Look at them, whispering like frightened dogs."
Li Feng smirks.
"Let them worry. All that matters is the treasure."
Li Jian says nothing, but his eyes gleam with ambition as the cliff looms before them, shrouded in unnatural silence.
Wu Ming grins, nudging Li Jian with his elbow. "If it's a precious-ranked spiritual treasure, Min Xueyao will definitely be impressed with you."
Li Jian's eyes brighten at once. His mind drifts, painting a scene—Min Xueyao before him, voice soft and admiring. Brother Jian, no one has ever given me such a treasure.
He smiles in the vision, replying with practised ease. This is nothing. Next time, I'll bring you something even greater.
In his fantasy, she hugs him, her fragrance surrounding him, and behind her stands Chu Hong, his face twisted with jealousy. The thought makes Li Jian's chest swell, his smile stretching wider.
"Brothers," Li Jian says aloud, "what do you think Chu Hong can even offer?"
Wu Ming scoffs. "That river pirate? At most a pouch of pearls, as always."
Li Gang, quieter, speaks with some hesitation. "Brother Jian… when I was buying fish three days ago, I heard Chu Hong left with his ship and men. They said he went hunting for a spirit pearl."
Li Jian's smile freezes, his brow furrowing.
Li Jian's frown deepens, his jaw tightening as the thought of Chu Hong offering Min Xueyao a spirit pearl gnaws at him.
The image of her smiling at that pirate instead of him burns his pride.
His chest heaves once, then he straightens, eyes sharp with renewed fire.
"Hmph. A pearl? I'll bring her something far greater," he mutters, voice low but edged.
His grip tightens around the hilt of his sword, knuckles whitening.
"She'll never look at him the way she looks at me. I'll crush whatever pitiful gift Chu Hong offers."
He marches forward, unable to contain his rising temper.
His voice suddenly lashes out, sharp and loud.
"Chen Wei! Why are you walking like a turtle? Move faster!"
Li Lian, calm and unbothered, speaks before Chen Wei can answer.
"You are walking even slower, especially when even a beast hasn't shown itself for minutes. Don't you want me to get the treasure?"
Chen Wei keeps his silence, though his brow creases.
Inwardly, his thoughts are bitter.
Fool. I walk slowly because there are no beasts near us. That's exactly what's wrong.
Still, under the young master's pressing eyes, he lengthens his stride.
His boots thud heavily against the soil as he leads them onward, pace quickening until they break through the last line of trees.
The mist-shrouded cliff rises before them, its veil curling like pale breath against the sky, and every gaze fixes downward into the shrouded abyss.
Chen Wei and his brothers squint into the depths, yet nothing but swirling white greets their eyes.
A heaviness settles in their chests, unease tightening their brows.
Behind them, Li Jian's voice cuts through the silence, sharp and arrogant.
"What are you waiting for? Go and retrieve the treasure for me!"
Chen Wei's frown deepens, but he does not turn.
Inwardly, his thoughts echo bitterly.
'Father was right. Young masters of the great families know nothing but to order others around.'
'This will be the last time I accept a mission from them, no matter how much gold they offer.'
He exhales slowly, steadying his tone, then calls out.
"Chen Lu, Fu Bo, climb and see what lies below."
The two men step forward at once, their voices firm.
"Yes, boss."
They place their palms against the cliff face, fingers hardening like iron.
Their hands dig into the rock with practised precision, each piercing grip propelling them upward as their ascent begins.