Chapter 12: Sword Master Timothy Lumisden

Moon City was doomed to a sleepless night. The Santee family's guards scoured the streets from dusk till dawn, driven by the kind of resolve that said they would dig three feet into the earth if that was what it took to drag Benson Santee out. Under Avery Yeates's arrangements, Benson entered a spacious room. He didn't rest. Not in Moon City. Not with the Santee family turning the whole place upside down. He kept his guard up, every nerve taut. A candle burned on the table, its flame wavering like a restless sprite. Benson sat on the bed with a scroll in hand. Swiftshadow Technique. "This Swiftshadow Technique really lives up to its reputation as a top-tier martial art," he murmured, eyes sweeping the lines. "It's far deeper than the Wolf Form Blade Technique…" The original Swiftshadow Technique had already been sold to the Goldpine Chamber of Commerce. What Benson held was the copy he had transcribed himself. The sword art contained three forms: First: Shadow Slash. Second: Phantom Kill. Third: Break the Army. Each move surpassed the last, and each was harder to cultivate than the one before it. "Even though it's a sword technique, its core is footwork. The sword strikes are secondary," Benson thought, tapping the scroll lightly. "I can tweak it. Use a blade in place of a sword…" He read while his mind worked, taking the structure apart and rebuilding it piece by piece. Swiftshadow Technique revolved around one word: speed. By shifting his movement patterns, it unleashed three lethal forms in succession. The moves themselves were flexible. With the right adjustments, a blade could substitute for a sword without losing the essence of the art. After a night of planning and turning it over in his head, a rough path forward had taken shape. That was when a knock sounded outside the room. "Young Master Xiao, are you awake?" Avery Yeates's voice came through the door. "It's about time to set off." Benson put the manual away, straightened his clothes, and went to open the door. Avery glanced him over. "From the look of you, you didn't sleep at all." Benson didn't bother answering. "What do I do next?" "There's a wagon at the entrance for transporting goods. In a bit, you'll hide inside a crate. We'll stack cargo on top to cover it." "Alright." "Oh, and this," Avery added, producing a small bottle and offering it over. "The young miss told me to give this to you. Fifteen Spirit Pill, plus three Foundation Establishment Pill. Keep them for emergencies." Benson blinked, surprised, then pushed back. "Miss Gosden's kindness is noted, but she's already helped me enough." "Young Master Xiao, there's no need to be polite." Avery's tone turned firm. "The young miss said it herself. In the Pentos Sect, only an inner sect disciple gets decent cultivation resources. Outer sect disciple treatment is miserable. These pills will help you enter the inner sect sooner." Before Benson could argue again, Avery simply pressed the bottle into his hand. "No more talk. It's late. We leave immediately." Benson hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. Please pass on my thanks to Miss Gosden." "I will." … Dawn neared, and a pale wash spread across the horizon. Following the plan from the day before, Benson hid himself within the Goldpine Chamber of Commerce caravan. When they passed through Moon City's gates, the Santee family's inspection came, of course. But with the Gosden family's status hanging over everything, the guards didn't dare stop the caravan. They only cast a few perfunctory looks over the wagons before waving them through. Near midday, as the caravan traveled along a narrow forest path, one cargo crate "accidentally" slipped from the line and tumbled to the roadside. The escorts acted as if they hadn't seen a thing. No one slowed. No one looked back. The caravan continued on, wheels creaking, hoofbeats fading into the distance. Only when it had gone far did the crate lid shift from within. Benson pushed it open and sprang out, drawing in a deep breath of open air after the long, stifling ride. With Cecelia Gosden's help, he had finally left Moon City behind. Next, he would head for the Pentos Sect. … Moon City. The Santee family. "Damn it!" Calvin Santee's face had turned a livid, ugly shade, fury rolling in his eyes like fire. "That little bastard. Did he vanish into thin air?" In the main hall, the Santee family's higher-ups didn't dare make a sound. "Three days. A full three days!" Calvin slammed the words out. "You searched the city for three days and three nights, and you still have nothing. What use is it for me to keep a pack of worthless trash?" Heads bowed lower. No one answered. They were baffled too. In three days, they had nearly turned Moon City inside out, yet Benson seemed to have flown into the sky or burrowed into the earth. There wasn't a trace. Calvin's temper kept climbing. If he had known killing an abandoned Santee would be this troublesome, he would never have let the boy walk out of the family gates in the first place. Just then, someone rushed in, breathless. "Family Head! We just received news. Someone suspected to be that 'Benson Santee thief' appeared within Cloude City's territory…" Cloude City? The hall fell into a stunned silence. "Are you sure?" one of the elders demanded. "Not one hundred percent," the messenger admitted, "but the resemblance is about seventy percent." They exchanged looks. He had run all the way to Cloude City? "How did he get out?" another snapped. "We locked the city down tight!" Calvin's eyes narrowed. "Forget how he escaped. We'll seize him and drag him back." "Wait," someone cut in, voice tense. "Cloude City is under the Pentos Sect's jurisdiction." At the mention of the Pentos Sect, the room's mood shifted. Even Calvin's gaze sharpened further. He spoke slowly, each word heavy. "The Pentos Sect and the Tenji Sword Sect are mortal enemies. That little thief intends to seek the Pentos Sect's protection." "Then what?" someone burst out, furious. "We just let him go?" "Impossible. Absolutely impossible. If we don't kill him, the Santee family's face won't survive." "But if he enters the Pentos Sect, we really won't be able to touch him…" Their teeth ground in hatred, the air thick with frustration, when a cold voice drifted in from the doorway. "Even if he hides at the ends of the earth, I'll still tear him apart. Piece by piece." Everyone turned. Rosalyn Santee stood there, expression carved from frost. She looked to Calvin. "Father, I'm returning to the Tenji Sword Sect. You stay here and wait for news. At most three days, that dog Benson's head will be placed before my little brother's grave." Her voice carried a vicious edge that left no room for doubt. Calvin nodded. "Good. The young sect master is mighty. I believe that little thief won't live past your third brother's seventh day." Rosalyn's eyes stayed cold. She said nothing more, then set off on the road back to the Tenji Sword Sect. … The sun sank westward, the evening sky burning red. This was an ancient Sand City. "Sand City may be barren for a thousand miles," someone said softly, "but the sunset here has a rare kind of soul." Atop the towering city wall stood a young man in green robes, striking in appearance, gazing into the crimson horizon. He stood straight as a blade. Even from behind, his presence carried an awe-inspiring authority. "Senior Brother Lumisden, enjoying the view again?" Two young disciples approached from behind, a man and a woman. The man wore a bright, easy grin. The woman looked delicate and clean-featured. The green-robed man turned. "You're back already? Weren't you sent to probe the Tenji Sword Sect's movements?" The young man waved a hand. "They're behaving. Nothing to worry about." The young woman smiled as well. "With the famous Sword Master Timothy Lumisden guarding Sand City, how would the Tenji Sword Sect dare to cause trouble?" Timothy Lumisden smiled faintly and didn't answer. Timothy Lumisden, titled Sword Master. He was the foremost among the Pentos Sect's ten strongest inner sect disciple, a peerless prodigy whose name shook the region, a monster of his generation. The Pentos Sect and the Tenji Sword Sect had fought over Sand City for years, and the reason was simple. Beneath Sand City lay a rich Gold Vein. The Gold Vein had countless uses. Not only could it be mined for expensive ore used in forging, but the power within the vein itself could provide certain disciples with special cultivation resources. To seize control of Sand City, the two sects had clashed again and again. The Pentos Sect had been on the losing end for a long time, until Timothy arrived and stabilized the situation. The two young disciples were Brett Vernell and Nala Lyson, both well-known inner sect disciple geniuses within the Pentos Sect. "I really want to return to the sect," Nala complained, frowning as she rubbed her arm. "Staying in Sand City too long is miserable. My skin's gotten so much drier…" Brett snorted. "If you want to go back, then we have to take full control of Sand City." "That won't happen anytime soon." Nala sighed. "The Tenji Sword Sect won't give up the Gold Vein…" Suddenly- A vast sword aura plunged from the sky, roaring toward them. Brett and Nala's hearts jolted. "That's the Tenji Sword Sect's sword-riding art!" "Notify the deployments in every district. Move!" Before the words even finished, a broad sword wrapped in surging sword qi slammed down onto the battlement in front of the three. "Boom!" The sword aura burst outward like a roaming dragon. The shockwave kicked up shattered stone and dust. Timothy didn't budge, steady as a mountain, but Brett and Nala were forced back several meters. "Ninth level of the Energy Controlling Realm…" Brett's expression turned grave. Nala set her stance, ready to fight. Beside the massive blade stood a man in black. His hair was styled into long whisker-like strands, and his hawk eyes were cold and razor-sharp. Timothy's face remained calm. Without looking back, he said to Brett and Nala, "Go check the other areas." Nala's nerves tightened. "Senior Brother Lumisden, what about you?" "It's fine." Timothy lifted a hand slightly. "He came alone. That means he came to die." The words were quiet, but the confidence behind them was absolute. Brett and Nala exchanged a glance. Neither argued. They immediately leapt down from the wall and sped off to investigate. Timothy folded his arms and regarded the man in black with open disdain. "You can strike first. If I move before you do, you won't even get the chance to use a single move." The man in black met his gaze without fear. "My young sect master wishes to make a deal with you…" Timothy gave a soft, amused scoff. Then his cold eyes lifted, and a sheathed longsword flashed into his hand from behind. "Whoosh!" The blade remained in its scabbard, yet its edge intent already swept the air in all directions. "I, Timothy Lumisden, only need one sword to kill you." "Clang!" The sword slid out a fraction, and a burst of icy light stabbed the eyes. The man in black's eyes tightened. He lowered his voice. "Starting today, Sand City's management rights will be handed to your Pentos Sect…" Timothy halted, his sword momentum drawing back. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. The man in black continued, "As long as you kill one person, Sand City will be offered up with both hands." Timothy's gaze sharpened. "Who?" "Someone already halfway to the grave. If nothing goes wrong, in a few days, he'll appear at the Pentos Sect…"