Quentin Hua smiled and said, "Centuries ago, Grandmaster Xuan Tian dominated the martial world, invincible and unmatched. It's said that he was surrounded by countless talented followers who gathered rare treasures for him—martial arts manuals, divine weapons, and mystical artifacts, too many to count!" Pausing for effect, Quentin Hua continued, "Legend has it, there was one item that could grant limitless power and make its owner the ruler of the world!"
At these words, everyone grew visibly excited. Still, as people of status, they managed to keep their composure, remaining seated and listening as Quentin Hua went on.
"Grandmaster Xuan Tian was active in the martial world for nearly twenty years before he vanished and was gradually forgotten. Most assumed he had died, but that was not the case. He simply grew weary of that life and sought seclusion. At that time, he had four loyal guardians: Simon Duanmu, Ray Xu, Gu Wei, and Ye Guhong. Wanting to leave the mortal world behind, Grandmaster Xuan Tian entrusted his treasures to these four. Yet, loyal as they were, the guardians did not take the treasures for themselves. Instead, they hid the treasures away, created a Treasure Map, split it into four pieces, and each kept a part. They hoped that one day, Grandmaster Xuan Tian would return and reclaim his treasures, and they could serve him again. But that day never came, and as they lay dying, they realized he truly intended to remain in seclusion. With regret, they passed the Treasure Map to their descendants, but they never revealed its existence, fearing greed and selfishness would arise."
If one day a descendant of Grandmaster Xuan Tian appeared, they believed that regardless of whether their own descendants harbored greed, as the true heir, no one could stop them from reclaiming the treasures. So they gave no instructions to their heirs about the map at all!
Felix Yu finally understood why the notes on the map did not reveal who held the other three pieces. If the seeker was truly a descendant of Grandmaster Xuan Tian, they would know where the other parts were hidden. So the notes deliberately omitted this, preventing opportunists from taking advantage!
Liam Duanmu recalled that the Duanmu family records did mention a Simon Duanmu. Noah Duanmu spoke up, "Lotus Sect Master, you haven't said how you know all this. Are you perhaps a descendant of Grandmaster Xuan Tian?"
Quentin Hua waved his hand and laughed, "Not at all! Grandmaster Xuan Tian had no descendants. Decades ago, he did take on disciples, but I wasn't one of them. As for how I know this—well, that's not so important, is it? What matters is how we find the treasure!"
A sharp glint flashed in Morgan Shangguan's eyes. Why did Quentin Hua seem intent on throwing the martial world into chaos? What was his real goal?
The crowd grew suspicious again. "Didn't Lotus Sect Master say Grandmaster Xuan Tian dominated the martial world centuries ago? How could he still be taking disciples just decades ago?"
Quentin Hua lounged lazily against the table and said, "Grandmaster Xuan Tian was a legend. If he hadn't chosen seclusion, he wouldn't have faded from the martial world so soon. As for how he lived so long..." Quentin Hua smiled mysteriously. "Perhaps, when you find the treasure, you'll be able to live that long too!"
"Is Grandmaster Xuan Tian still alive?"
"He's dead!" Before anyone could ask about the cause, Quentin Hua volunteered, "When his time came, he simply passed away. No matter how legendary, Grandmaster Xuan Tian was still just a man."
It wasn't that they cared about this legendary figure, but Quentin Hua had described Grandmaster Xuan Tian as so formidable that if he were still alive and found out they were coveting his treasure, wouldn't disaster befall them all?
Damien Gray had been quietly listening, his eyes thoughtful. The room buzzed with conversation, everyone's attention now wholly absorbed by the treasure. Morgan Shangguan noticed his expression and whispered, "What's wrong?"
Damien Gray glanced at her and, beneath the table, produced a jade pendant. Morgan Shangguan looked down—it was a piece of white mutton-fat jade, carved with clouds and a crane, and bore the characters 'Xuan Tian.'
Damien Gray put away the pendant and said softly, "I found this in the little cabin beneath the cliff."
Morgan Shangguan frowned at his words. Could that skeleton really be Grandmaster Xuan Tian? Though she couldn't be certain, it seemed very likely. Then who was Grandmaster Xuan Tian's disciple? Was it the person behind Quentin Hua?
Why did Quentin Hua make the Treasure Map public? Was it at someone's instruction, or was it his own idea? If it was at someone's bidding, what was their motive? Did they want to use everyone's strength to help find the treasure? It hardly seemed necessary!
With no clues at all, Morgan Shangguan wasn't anxious—some things can't be rushed. But now, she was genuinely interested in the treasure!
Seeing the smile at her lips, Damien Gray understood what she was thinking and couldn't help but smile as well. He finally spoke, "Since Grandmaster Xuan Tian was so formidable, his treasure won't be easy to find. Even if you discover its location, you won't be able to retrieve it alone. The only way is for everyone to work together and get the treasure first—then we can talk!"
His chilly words struck a chord, and everyone agreed he made sense. But the real question was: would the three righteous sects and the great family be willing to hand over their piece of the Treasure Map?
Quentin Hua glanced at Damien Gray but stayed silent, simply swirling his wine glass.
Damien Gray swept his gaze across the room, sending a chill through everyone. The excitement in their hearts cooled a little. He looked at Liam Duanmu and said coldly, "Alliance Chief, you should know: if you don't bring out your piece of the Treasure Map, you'll never know peace. Clinging to just a quarter of the map will get you nothing—better to work together and find the treasure!"
Liam Duanmu understood the logic, but this was a family heirloom—how could he make such a decision without consulting Quentin Drake first?
Noah Duanmu wouldn't have it. He stood up and said, "Ghostmaster, this is someone else's family heirloom—why should they hand it over just because you say so? Even if it means endless trouble, that's their family's problem, not ours!"