*****If everyone had initially dismissed Xavier’s words as a mere rambling of a fool, that assumption had completely shattered after he had revealed the vital information regarding their Blackwood's most closely guarded treasure, and now, hearing him repeat the previous words that had infuriated them to the peak garnered a different reaction from them which was completely opposite of the first.For what felt like an eternity, they sat frozen, mouths agape, staring at Xavier as if he were some otherworldly creature, his words leaving them struggling to process what he’d just revealed.How scary is their family’s technique? Something that had always been revered by all the power in Riverton City and one of the rare top-tier cultivation methods in the entire nation.That’s not all, it is this same technique that had propelled their family from obscurity to a dominating force centuries ago. And now, he was insinuating that this powerful legacy was… was nothing but a mere replica, not

*****"I..." Darius's voice faltered as he took in his eldest brother's question, momentarily stunned. He then glanced around, and upon feeling the weight of everyone's gazes intensely fixated on himself, he felt uncomfortable and gave a subtle shake of his head, reading their silent accusations from their gazes."You… you really knew?" Roland gasped, his voice breaking the silence that had enveloped the room, laden with shock.He stared at Darius, disbelief etching deep lines on his face, and his other brother mirrored his expression, stunned that their third brother would actually withhold such a piece of earth-shattering information from them.Meanwhile, Darius, seeing the look of betrayal in his brothers' eyes which pierced straight through him was paralyzed for a heartbeat, but then he returned to his senses and quickly shook his head more firmly. "It's not what you think, brothers," he said quietly, his voice almost pleading, but Roland’s gaze remained hard, while Aldric’s f

*****A thick, impenetrable silence filled the hall at this moment, leaving everyone seated in stunned stillness, struggling to process Darius’s words.They continued sitting lifeless, looking as though they had just received the most tragic news of all time, the atmosphere so suffocating that if an ordinary person were to enter right now, they would faint even before they took their second step.This continued for what felt like an eternity until finally; “Third… third brother, what happened? What’s going on?” Aldric, Cassandra’s father stammered, his shaky voice cutting through the oppressive stillness that had settled over the hall. And at his words, everyone quickly turned to Darius, the second most tragic-looking person in the room right now other than the old man.“I…” Darius’s mouth opened, a look of difficulty appearing on his face before he eventually shook his head. “If I told you I understood what went wrong, it would be nothing but a monstrous lie,” he responded with a

***** “I*… ignorantly poi—poisoned him?” The frail Blackwood patriarch stood trembling, his once-commanding presence having faded to a ghostly shadow, weak and visibly terrified as he stuttered in absolute disbelief, swallowing hard as Darius’s words sank in. “We…” The three brothers stood frozen there, their faces deathly pale and eyes wide with shock as they stared at Xavier’s unmoving body on the floor. Like the old man, their minds were also paralyzed with disbelief right now, having forgotten what they had done due to the recent turn of events. It was as if their very souls had abandoned them at this moment, leaving them hollow for what felt like an eternity before finally, they comprehended the magnitude of what they had done—the plotting, the poison, and the twisted thrill they’d initially felt about Xavier’s downfall. Before long, a heavy silence blanketed the room, the brothers unsure how to react for a moment until finally; “You fools!” The old man roared in rage, thick

***** Moments ago, the three brothers had been filled with questions about how Xavier had managed to survive such a potent poison, but now, none dared to ask. They clenched their fists, frustration, embarrassment, and regret bubbling beneath their skin after hearing his spiteful words, something no one had dared to utter before to them. The tension lingered in the air, thick and suffocating for a long time. But then suddenly; “Thud!” An unexpected, resounding thud echoed through the hall, jolting everyone from their silence. Upon tracing the sound, they realized it came from Darius who had fallen to his knees before Xavier, his expression a mixture of desperation and anguish as he pleaded. “Young master,” he began, his voice trembling and thick with remorse, “I know forgiveness is too much to ask, especially after we had nearly taken your life without hesitation. But… but please, could you in your mercy put all the blame on me. I misjudged the truth due to checking the wron