Chapter 63 Crimson Onyx Sect
Amber felt a wave of relief wash over her as the hallucinations had ceased their assault on her. At that point, Jonathan was weak beyond measure. He had lost too much blood and could not support his body’s functions for much longer.
“How are you, Jonathan?” asked Amber with a tone of concern as she wiped a trickle of blood off the corner of her lips.
Jonathan’s eyes opened, and he saw Amber’s pretty face gradually drift into focus before him. He smiled weakly. “This isn’t enough to kill me.”
Seeing that he could still afford to joke around, Amber breathed a sigh of relief. Yet, confusion soon crossed her mind. “I’m not sure why, but my hallucinations have disappeared.”
Jonathan chuckled softly before explaining, “Of course, they’ve disappeared. Felicia’s objective here is to weaken me drastically. She wanted to carve out an opportunity to defeat me. Now that I lack the ability to resist, it’s only natural for her to stop making things difficult for you.”
The words were barely out of his mouth when Felicia suddenly appeared and glowered coldly at Jonathan. Meanwhile, Amber’s slender frame trembled in fear as she looked at Felicia timidly. Still, she summoned some courage to stand in front of Jonathan in a vain attempt to shield him. She declared, “I won’t let you harm him!”
“Do you really think you can stop me?” asked Felicia coldly.
That rendered Amber speechless. Deep down, she knew there was no way she could successfully ward off Felicia. It was then that Jonathan irritably yelled at Felicia, “Damn, b*tch! Just kill me already if that’s what you want. What’s with all the bullsh*t and nonsense you’re spouting?”
Felicia stared wide-eyed at Jonathan. “Are you truly not afraid of death?”
The latter fell quiet momentarily before replying with a faint smile, “Does having a fear of death preclude me from dying? No. So, why should I be afraid?”
“I’m going to give you a choice right now. Only one of you can walk out of here alive. The choice of who lives and who dies is purely up to you. How’s that?” asked Felicia.
Amber immediately blurted out, “Let Jonathan go. You can do whatever you want with me.”
However, Felicia ignored Amber and continued to gaze steadily at Jonathan.
Jonathan returned her gaze unflinchingly and paused to think before speaking sternly. “It doesn’t matter how much you try to hide your true intentions from me, Felicia. You can’t fool me. I know that I have to go along with your show and act as you desire. There’s no question that your true motive is to figure out whether I’m someone trustworthy. That’s why you’ve deployed all your tricks and schemes up till now.”
An odd expression flashed on Felicia’s beautiful face while she took on an eerie voice. “Since you figured out what I was up to, why didn’t you go along with it to the very end?”
“You wanted me to continue with the charade?” asked Jonathan incredulously. “I’m not someone who puts on a front. If I must to choose, I’ll let Captain Johnson live without a doubt. As for me, you can either trust or kill me. There’s no need for any more meaningless schemes.”
Not a word came from Felicia as she contemplated how to respond. Even Amber fell silent because she realized something; She now understood that Felicia wanted to assist Jonathan in his endeavors. In fact, everything Felicia had done was only to test if Jonathan was a selfish man or someone she could trust.
A long while passed before Felicia finally replied with a heavy tone, “I don’t know if I should trust you.” She added, “There was someone I used to trust very deeply. I sincerely believed that anyone in the world was capable of betraying me, except for that one man, Gabriel. However, never did I expect the man I trusted with my life to strangle me to death with a metal wire. As someone who’s been through that hell once, I’ll be damned if I let myself fall for the same trap again.”
Jonathan’s face darkened with tension as he replied, “What you’ve gone through is indeed pitiful. Although I’ve yet to be betrayed by anyone, I can tell you’re in pain. I also understand all your suspicions and the concerns you must have. While I don’t know how to convince you to trust me, I can promise you that I’m genuinely here to help you.”
“Why are you helping me?” asked Felicia curiously. There was a shift in her expression as she no longer treated Jonathan and Amber with animosity. “I don’t know you at all, and this is the first time we’ve met. Aren’t you only doing this to obtain my treasures?”
Jonathan took a deep breath, exhaled, and explained, “I don’t care whether you believe what I’m saying, but you need to know that I’m helping you solely because I think you’re pitiful.”
“I’m pitiful?” asked Felicia incredulously with a slight chuckle. “Shouldn’t you have nothing but hatred and contempt for a vengeful spirit like me who’s killed countless people?”
“You’re right. However, when I look past all that hatred, I see a pitiful lady that’s crying out for someone to show her sympathy.”
“No, I still can’t trust you. I can’t bet everything I have on this one gamble!” Felicia shook her head. She then added after a moment, “Regardless, I’ll spare your lives this once because of your supposed pity and sympathy for me. You may both leave.”
Amber heaved a sigh of relief while listening in to their conversation. She felt as if she had just narrowly escaped from the jaws of certain death.
Jonathan’s vitality was steadily recovering. Due to his high cultivation level, his recovery abilities were exceptionally fast. Despite being in a well enough state to leave, Jonathan stood his ground and said, “How about this, Felicia? I know there’s an overwhelming pool of hatred lying within you. You want revenge, but you’re trapped here and can’t leave. Tell me whom you want to seek vengeance on, and I’ll get rid of that person and bring his head back to you.”
Upon hearing that, excitement instantly shot through Felicia. Her voice noticeably shook as she asked, “Are you serious? Do you mean it?”
“Of course,” replied Jonathan solemnly.
“What’s in it for you, though?” asked Felicia suspiciously.
“Why is it that you always assume the worst of people and that they’re plotting something? Can’t I merely be an innocent and good man?”
“If there is such a man, I surely have yet to meet one.”
“That’s because you have allowed your overwhelming hatred to blind you,” stated Jonathan. He paused and added somewhat irritably, “I’ll exact vengeance on your behalf. There’s no way you have anything to lose from this arrangement. Although, if you continue to dawdle on this, I’ll change my mind.”
Felicia felt slightly taken aback and truly feared that Jonathan would rescind his offer to help her. Hence, she quickly agreed. “Fine! Let’s do it.”
Jonathan’s and Amber’s ears immediately perked up as they prepared themselves for the tale coming their way. That was especially true for Amber, who was born with a natural burning hatred for all that was evil and would expend all efforts to catch criminals.
A sigh slipped out from Felicia’s lips. She then began her tale pensively, “Now that I think about it, Gabriel is still my senior. Our sect is in a relatively remote and small area of Yorksland. There are verdant mountains, clear waters, and flowers that bloom spectacularly all year round. The name of my sect is Crimson Onyx Sect. All the disciples there are painstakingly and personally handpicked from places beyond the sect by our founder, Percy Yarrow.”
“Crimson Onyx Sect?” repeated Amber in surprise.
Felicia turned to her and asked, “What’s wrong? Have you heard of my sect before?”
Amber nodded. “I heard about your sect from my granddad. He mentioned there’s a master of Divination in Xyperia named Timothy Fenway. He’s extraordinarily precise with his divination. There hasn’t been anyone quite like him. Countless celebrities and famed individuals have sought Timothy’s time for him to tell their fortunes.
Granddad also mentioned that Timothy originated from Crimson Onyx Sect. My younger self didn’t know anything about the world and feared nothing. I was dauntless and couldn’t care less about ghosts, gods, and the likes. That’s why my granddad told me these stories about Crimson Onyx Sect. He mentioned that each individual from there is a master in divination and philosophy. They’re also well-versed in all matters relating to geomancy and one’s fortunes.”
Felicia replied, “He’s not wrong. Indeed, each disciple in Crimson Onyx Sect has a uniquely gifted ability. For example, my brainwaves and spiritual energy were exceptionally strong compared to others. I was also good at sensing variables that could happen soon. Meanwhile, Gabriel was the favored one amongst us all. His divination ability was already on par with Timothy’s.”
Jonathan couldn’t help but ask, “Can you really discern all of that? Whether one will have good or bad futures?”
“There are countless magnetic fields throughout our planet, ranging from electromagnetic to molecular. We all have Threads of Fate that pass through us. For example, if someone’s death is due today, a thought would miraculously surface in their mind to take a stroll over to a street they had never been to before. When they arrive at that street, they will meet their end in a tragic car accident. That’s precisely how the Thread of Fate works. It guides you through life to help you arrive at your destiny.”
Felicia paused to collect herself before continuing, “All of us in Crimson Onyx Sect are blessed with an extraordinary sense to detect such matters. We can feel these various magnetic fields and Threads of Fate. Then, we use these factors to deduce an individual’s fortune.”
Out of curiosity, Jonathan chimed in to ask, “What if I’m destined to die tomorrow? Can you sense that and help me alter my Thread of Fate?”
Felicia shook her head and explained, “No, we can’t. Interfering with Heavenly Law and messing with one’s Thread of Fate is bound to have unforeseen complications and consequences. No one would dare do something like that. In truth, everyone in my sect is careful not to reveal too much of the universe’s secrets. Because the more we do, the more harm gets done to our luck. Heavenly Law works in mysterious ways, after all.”
Jonathan fell into deep thought as he mused the implications behind her words. Conversely, Amber felt as if a metaphorical door had just been opened wide for her.
Following that, Felicia continued her tale. “Gabriel was my senior at the sect. He’s a refined person who exudes sensuality and warmth. Many within our sect speak highly of him. Also, he has always treated me well. I was a loner as a kid and got ostracized by many disciples. Gabriel was the sole exception. He always displayed concern for me regardless of how I isolated myself. Five years ago, my twenty-five-year-old self decided I couldn’t continue to stay at Crimson Onyx Sect any longer.
So, I sought permission from the founder to leave the sect. He had always been understanding, so he didn’t press for me to stay. Instead, he gifted me a sizeable sum of money that would help me upon my departure. “However, many frowned upon my decision. They felt it was an utmost honor to be part of the sect, especially since all huge families and clans treated the sect with a good mix of fear, respect, and admiration. After all the years that Crimson Onyx Sect had been around, they accumulated a sizeable amount of knowledge and wealth. It was the object of envy by many. Thus, it was no surprise that numerous people desperately hungered for a way to join Crimson Onyx Sect.”
Felicia continued, “After I left Crimson Onyx Sect, I roamed on my own until I arrived at Horington. However, I didn’t expect Gabriel to follow me there. Back then, I was elated that he would join me in a small village in a foreign land. I was his beloved junior in the sect, whereas he was my gentle senior. Just like that, we supported each other through it all and led rather satisfying and peaceful lives.
“However, I didn’t realize Gabriel was trying to get his grubby hands on my treasure this entire time. This treasure is named the Jade Disc of Fortune. It’s the biggest secret that I have. Other than the founder, no one else knows that I have this. The founder also instructed me not to reveal the treasure to anyone as it shares a link to my pulse.
My life would be in dire circumstances if someone got their hands on it. Thus, I made sure to tell no one about this, not even Gabriel. However, throughout the two years he stayed with me, he subtly kept an eye out for any piece of information that would reveal the Jade Disc of Fortune’s whereabouts.”
At this point, Jonathan spoke up. “I’m guessing that you managed to build up your current cultivation here because you have Destino’s treasure. It seems to me that this Jade Disc of Fortune in your hands is that treasure. Am I right?”
