Chapter 160 Don't Lose Your Path
Vik Silveria, a young scion of the well-known Silveria clan.
The Silveria clan was known for their ability to use a conceptual power, which was sharpness. Legend has it the progenitors of their clan were able to sever the ocean with just a light swing of their swords.
As with every great and mighty clan, there will come a destruction of all of their glory.
Their glory was their rise in power once again, which caught the attention of many high-ranking clans that felt the Silveria's would bring harm to their position.
So, they joined hands and went to cleanse the Silveria Clan.
Vik was six years old when he witnessed the massacre of his clan. He was just a naive kid at that time and didn't know what to do. His father and mother escorted him outside, protecting him with their bodies and souls to let him escape.
Vik still remembers the moment when his father and mother used their pet, which was a water beast, to let him escape through underwater. He has seen their final moments, when they died under the unknown men's hands.
Then he only had the water beast, whom he could call family, but that also died, trying to block the chasers.
Vik, after roaming around for so many years, has settled in the forest of Trikata Town, where most merchants lived. He camped near the place where those rich guys would throw their leftover food away.
Thinking of all these and about his parents brought tears to his eyes now. He sat on the boulder and sobbed silently.
No one would come here except those kids who would run away after seeing him—as he beat them very badly in the past—but today someone came.
Vik heard the sound of someone walking and looked up. He saw an old man with short white hair and short stature. He had a smile on his face that made people soothe their hearts. But that didn't contrast with the small kid beside him, who shouted, pointing his finger at Vik. "Grandpa Manyu, he is the one. He always beat us heavily and threw us away from this place. Grandpa, we found this place first and use it every day, so tell him to go away instead."
Vik didn't say much; he just glanced at this kid and went onto his guard.
Manyu also glanced down at Vik, who was glaring at him like a hungry beast. He said so to him with a smile. "Little friend, I am not here to harm you. I just want to talk to you. So, first, let me introduce myself, I am Manyu, this little Manji's grandfather."
"What is your name, little friend?"
Vik looked at the harmless old man and hesitated to speak up, but he listened to his heart and decided to tell it, as he wanted someone to listen to him and he wanted to talk to someone. "I am Vik Silve- Silfar."
Manyu raised his eyebrows upon hearing Vik cut off in the middle. He teased Vik. "That is a weird name, but who am I to speak of? Haha…"
Vik relaxed his guard completely, seeing that Manyu did not get his real identity, and he quietly wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Unfortunately, Manyu had already connected all the dots right after his small slip up. But decided to stay silent about it. "So, Vik, want to go somewhere with me and get stronger?"
Vik's eyes shot wide when he heard the word stronger. He wanted to grow stronger, more than anyone to complete his revenge. He looked up, at Manyu's face with hope. "Yes, please take me there."
"Grandpa, where are you taking him? He is no one, just a small beggar. Take me!" Manji, who had been silent this whole time, exploded, as he also wanted to go to this magical place where you could get stronger.
Manyu looked down at his grandson and rubbed his head, calming him down. "You don't have to be like that, you will also go there, I am just taking him because I took a liking to him."
"Then you don't love me?" Manji sneered, moving his head away.
"Hahaha," Manyu laughed, as he was used to the tantrums his grandson would throw from time to time. "We will see that after we return home."
Vik watched their interaction with jealousy, as he also wanted someone to love him like that.
At that moment, he heard Manyu's voice, bringing him back to his senses.
"Come with us." Manyu invited him with a big smile on his face, which made Vik move his leg forward subconsciously.
After living with Manyu, Vik learned he was an inner elder at the White Jade Sect. He had come here to visit his son, who was a well-known merchant in this region.
With the help of Manyu, Vik easily got enrolled in the sect and started his meteoric rise.
In just a matter of 17 years, he had learned many things. He has made many friends, and he has let go of his thirst for vengeance with the help of Manyu and the passing of time.
Vik was very indebted to Manyu and saw him as a family member, his grandfather.
One certain day, they were sent on a mission to a deep valley, where they found a report from a spy that the Demon Blight Sect had built a small secret base. There might be a possible Soul Formation Realm cultivator present there, so Manyu was ordered to join as he was the top inner elder and someone at Seventh Stage Soul Formation realm.
However, nothing went as they planned, their entire team got ambushed by the giant army of the Demon Blight Sect, and on top of that, they had sent three inner elders of their own with the intention of obliterating this small team of theirs that mostly consisted of young elites.
In just a matter of a few moments, their team got destroyed, and people got killed from time to time.
"Someone survive! Escape and avenge us!"
"Kill the traitor! Please, someone, avenge us!"
Vik escaped while hearing the same type of cries that he had heard many years ago which he had buried deep in his heart.
He felt he shouldn't escape this time as he had finally gained the power to fight back, but that was stopped by someone dear to him.
Manyu took Vik and a few others away while defending against the attacks of the inner elders of the Demon Blight Sect.
Dropping them off far away from the influence of the Demon Blight Sect, Manyu turned his direction toward stopping the inner elders.
"Elder Manyu, come with us!" Vik didn't leave immediately like others but called Manyu.
Manyu turned his head back and said with a smile. "No, you guys leave. They want me dead more than anyone here. You all will die quicker if I tag along."
"But!"
"No, buts, I have grown old; at least let me do something for the young ones," Manyu said with a sigh of relief.
Vik had lost his voice to utter a single word.
At that moment, Manyu turned his head ahead and saw the inner elders approaching in his direction at a rapid pace. "Vik, I might not see you again, so hear me out. Do not go on the path of revenge. I don't want to see you lose your goal in the afterlife."
Vik's eyes widened when he heard that. "Elder Manyu, you knew…!"
Vik wasn't able to see Manyu's expression right now, but he was sure he was smiling from ear to ear. "Kid, you think you can hide that from me? I knew it from the start. So, remember this for me: Always love the common people, protect them, and don't be too selfish."
The next second, Manyu flew toward the inner elders' direction.
Vik silently watched Manyu's back and said in a daze with tears in his eyes. "I will Grandpa."
Then Vik dashed away without looking back.
Manyu, who was flying ahead, heard Vik's words. His heart was relieved, and no more worry could be seen. "What a silly old man I was."
…
The news of this incident soon spread throughout the region, alarming everyone.
"What!? The elder was one of our core elders, and he was the sect master of the Demon Blight Sect!" Vik's shout, full of shock and disbelief, spread throughout the sect master's hall.
"I…!" Vik wanted to say something but refrained from doing so. He quickly walked out of that hall without giving a single glance at anyone except the sect master, who was sitting silently as his face was covered in the shadow, casted by the moonlight.
Coming out of the sect master's hall, Vik walked quietly down the hallway, looking down. 'Such a big guy was here, but no one knew it, and this sect master of the Demon Blight Sect didn't do anything in the sect. Something is going deep within the big guys, and they are trying not to speak about it openly.'
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢