Karma

Ten minutes later, Grand Elder Pieter led a team toward the bottom of the mine hole. Trevon was one of the members of the elite team. Other than Trevon, the other was at least a Peak Rank 2 warrior.

He was carried by a Rank 3 Grand Elder. [Too bad he is a male elder.] The young master grumbled.

While it was hard to escape from the bottom to the top, jumping from the top toward the bottom was faster. Especially since they consisted of high-ranking warriors who could jump longer and faster.

Trevon could no longer see the panicked city before. Instead, a crying city replaced the chaotic city before. Nevertheless, Trevon could still smell the smoke and blood of destruction below.

He saw some people were cleaning the mess. They tried to save their belongings while extinguishing the flame. In other places, Trevon saw some people turned into robbers taking the products from the empty stores. The city guards could protect the city.

[Did I make a wrong move to break the formation?] Trevon faced another question. [I have to break it if I want to survive and live.] He confirmed his decision. However, he was still not sure.

While Trevon was lost in his thought, they arrived at the bottom of the mine. He finally could walk on his own. [That is a bit embarrassing.] He thought. Luckily, no girls saw him being carried by his elder.

[This is Ironlaw Castle.] Trevon saw the towering building with many sharp towers in front of him. He needed to raised his head to the fullest to see the peak.

"Brother Lance!" Trevon saw a scholarly handsome man received the meeting leader.

"Brother Timote! We need to talk first." The meeting leader talked back.

[Is he Lance McArthur, the leader of Goldcave branch?] Trevon saw looked to the meeting leader. He only knew the name but not the face of the leader of this family branch.

The new handsome man, the meeting leader, and Grand Elder Pieter were in a discussion using Spiritual Sense.

Trevon looked into the castle. Several young men were touching and checking the barrier. The only way people outside could see the barrier was the strange ripple when one touched it. Other than them, he saw several city guards blocking the way toward the bottom of the mine hole. Some people also took their belongings and left the area.

"Let's come inside!" Timote, the handsome man told the group. He led them toward a nearby teahouse.

Trevon followed the group to the teahouse. The building was a common five floor building made from woods with an open wall to Ironlaw Castle. This teahouse wasn't a building made by the dwarves. Some eaves decorated with phoenixes showed the product of human architecture.

Trevon followed his family inside the teahouse. A large table was given to their group. Some servants cleaned the table for them.

Trevon saw several groups of people were sitting in the teahouse. Fisherman Brothers and the Bamboo Old Man were in those groups of people.

"Brothers, I believe you owe us something." The Fisherman Brothers smiling when they saw Trevon. Their eyes were brightening imagining their reward.

"Yes. Here!" Trevon had promised ten thousand spirit stones. He took a pouch from his storage ring and threw it to the Fisherman Brothers. As a rich young master, that ten thousand was nothing.

However, a hand captured it midair. It was Lance's hand.

"What is this Master Lance?" One of the fisherman brothers asked. As a warrior who stayed around Goldcave, they knew this famous McArthur family leader in Goldcave.

"You haven't given the proof to us. Our McArthur family would do as we promised if we have seen the proof of your capture."

"He is under arrest of the Imperial families. That person is a criminal. I don't think your family needs him." Bamboo Old Man joined the talk. The Debt Collector was in his hand.

"Our young generation participated in his capture. He is the one who led the capture. An attacker even disappeared on your watch, Brother Bamboo." Lance wasn't afraid of this Bamboo. He had Pieter in his group.

"Hmph… He is currently captured in a secured prison. You can see him later." The Bamboo Old finally receded to McArthur family request. He still needed the powerful McArthur family to save the Ironlaw family.

"Good! I want to listen to the interrogation." Lance smiled. He threw the pouch toward the Fisherman Brothers.

"Hahaha. Thank you, McArthur family. Thank you, young brother!" Fisherman Brothers took the pouch. They quickly left the place afraid with the eyeing rogue cultivators.

"Since you are here, all big families in city were here. We should go upstairs to discuss the next action. Only each family leader could participate. Rogue cultivator could select some representatives." Bamboo Old Man said while looking toward every table.

His word made each group discussed the representative. Trevon could sense the spiritual sense moved back and forth in each table. This was more common in rogue cultivators' tables.

"Let's talk above!" Bamboo Old Man said after he waited some time. He started by moving upstairs. All family leaders solemnly went upstairs following him. Some rogue cultivators followed.

"Huff… Wow, I couldn't imagine, I saw those famous faces." One of the rogue warriors spoke to his friend.

"Yes. McArthur family is here. Imperial families' representative is here." His friend took some tea and drank.

"I also saw the leader of Coppernight, Silverarmy, and Goldroad family."

"Besides them, the smaller families are here too. I saw at least the leader of Bandeira, Gloommine, Richlord, Goldsword, and more."

"Yes. Even the famous rogue cultivators like One-Eye Tiger, Rolland the Devoted, and Rauffe the Giant."

"Their decision would decide lots of people's fate."

"The sad part, only a Rank 1 guard represented Ironlaw family."

"Yes. The big family turns into this. I believe they only had small branches in Hillbridge and Greenforest."

"They still had two beauties." The rogue cultivators looked into Gazel and Avia.

"I never know those famous ladies were Ironlaw family young lady."

"I have drunk with them. I have never imagined that they were Ironlaw."

"Yeah! We should be careful. I don't remember what I have spoken next to them."

"Luckily, today thing happened so we know they were Ironlaw family."

"The attacker must have done some research."

"Yes. Perhaps the attackers have aimed for today. I heard the Downbridge family's hidden spy spots weren't attacked. However, today all Ironlaw family buildings were destroyed."

Those rogue cultivators happily discussed in their groups. They were no longer afraid of Ironlaw family.

Trevon waited with his family. The restaurant was owned by the Goldroad family. Several servants prepared the foods and snack for the warriors. Even the servants were cultivators. All commoners avoided a place near the strange barrier.

While Trevon was waiting, the elders were in a discussion upstairs.

"Do we agree to break this barrier?" Bamboo Old Man asked again.

"We can't kill the monster." Lance reminded. He frowned. While he had heard the method from Trevon, that was impossible.

"Yes. I represented the rogue cultivator believe we shouldn't break the barrier." An old man with one eye said.

"There is a moat around our castle. We can save them, Master One-Eye Tiger." Ramos desperately said.

"Have you seen the destruction? Melody Cave barrier was a small one. Nevertheless, thousands of people died during the chaos." One-Eye Tiger said.

"Your family's young master seems to know about the monster. What did he tell you?" Bamboo Old Man asked Lance. He remembered Trevon who led the chase of the Debt Collector.

"He didn't know a lot." Lance didn't want to share his information easily.

"You..." Bamboo old man knew McArthur family wanted some benefits.

"Hmph... We will let your family research the location and the culprit." Bamboo Old Man was a powerful warrior who represented the Imperial families. "I don't think Ironlaw representative would reject that." He looked to Ramos.

"Yes. We didn't reject it." Ramos hurriedly said.

Bamboo Old Man knew that Ironlaw and Silverarmy were a close group. His family and Coppernight were closer to Imperial families. Meanwhile, Goldroad was closer to the McArthur family. Those three groups represented the highest power in Goldcave.

"A quest expert from our family called the monster fallen body. They can regenerate and infect living being if they bite or scratch." Lance stopped at that.

The other tried to digest what Lance said.

[He wants to say their family had an expert.] Bamboo Old Man looked at Lance, his face frowned. [Who is this expert?] He tried to remember of McArthur group. However, there were many new faces.

"The method to stop the fallen body is a bit difficult. We haven't tested, but one of our elders is researching it at this time in our pavilion. However, that isn't easy. We need people who focused on the Holy element to conduct a cleansing ceremony. We might need to call the Priestess of Aurmoth from the capital later."

Other than that, Pieter had asked for more methods from Trevon during the way down. Lance only relayed the information that Pieter got from Trevon.

Nevertheless, the other methods were even impossible. They also couldn't remove spiritual energy. While they also didn't have a Beginner Rank 4 warrior in the city to kill those monster. Both were even harder than cleansing ceremony. So they had to find another way to contain those monsters.

At the same time in the restaurant first floor, Trevon didn't know why he was taken to the place. However, he was told to follow the elders.

Avia was crying while Gazel tried to calm her.

Gazel looked at Trevon and sent a spiritual message.

[Young Master Trevon!]

Trevon looked to Gazel. [Do you need me?]

[Yes, could we talk?]

[What do you want to talk, Gazel?]

[My real name is Roya Ironlaw.] Gazel looked toward her sister. [Avia's real name is Homa Ironlaw. We are Ironlaw family's young generation.] She wanted to build more trust.

[Ah!] Trevon pretended that he didn't know. [I see... That is why you so desperate to return to Ironlaw castle.]

Trevon felt Gazel added another person to the conversation.

[Do you know how to break the barrier?] Roya was that person. Since Gazel was the initiator, she could invite someone else in the conversation.

[I was lucky.] Trevon said. [That barrier is a formation. If we could attack the correct position it could break the barrier. However, that was a desperate attempt.]

Gazel or Roya looked downcast with Trevon's answer.

[What happened after we separated?] Trevon asked in return.

[Sigh...] Roya looked into Trevon. [I, Homa, and Uncle Ramos went to our family palace, but we met with the attacker again on the way.]

[Eh?]

[Why?] Roya asked.

[I also met the attacker. Have you heard Fisherman Brothers managed to capture one? That person is a substitute for the one chased by me.]

[When did you meet him?] Gazel asked.

[Not long after we separated. Probably five to ten minutes.]

[I also met one around that time.] Gazel frowned.

This time Trevon who felt bad.

[How many are there?] he thought. He looked into the Rabbink who was happily testing the foods.

[Master Rabbink, you don't teach the Debt Collector your clone ability, right?] Trevon asked using his thought. The Rabbink could hear his thought.

"What? This Rabbink doesn't easily take students. Clone is not a common law. A mortal genius won't be able to learn that without my lesson. Gwahahaha." Master Rabbink floated toward Trevon.

"You need to be at divine realm if you want to learn the basic of the clone without my lesson. If you want to unlock that lesson, you will need to do a hard mission for this Rabbink. Gwahahaha."

[No. Thank you.] Trevon knew what was hard for the Rabbink was impossible for him. [Then why could he be everywhere?]

"That is something that you need to learn yourself." Master Rabbink created a portal to take the foods from other tables. "However, this Rabbink can inform you he can't use clone technique."

[Young Master Trevon?] Gazel asked with spiritual sense again.

[Sorry. I am thinking about something. What happened with the attacker whom you chased? Did you managed to capture him?]

[We couldn't. He used a smoke talisman and disappeared after that. I found him reappeared a few hundred meters ahead and chased him again. However, he was too fast and we lost him. We finally decided to come to our family's castle.]

[There are more than one attacker. The second you see is a decoy. While, the first attacker was hiding in the place that he disappeared.] Trevon told Roya and Gazel.

[Eh? That asshole!] The girl's eyes were full of anger. [I really need your help, Young Master Trevon. My family is still inside the castle.]

[I want to help, but that was a desperate attempt.] Trevon avoided the responsibility. He had seen the destruction caused by him. Yesterday he had directly killed a person. Today he indirectly killed even more people.

[Please try again, Young Master.] Roya begged.

Trevon didn't answer her. He hadn't answered the question before.

Trevon thought to himself. [Have I become a real trouble attractor? Similar to the hero in the novel.]

"Nope. Even with or without you, the Ironlaw family would be attacked. However, your destiny brought you here at the incorrect time. That was the chance for you to make thing suit your destiny. It is up to you to use it or not."

[Do you mean my fight with the Debt Collector? My destiny?]

"Yes. You have the chance to fight him in Hillbridge. Yet, you don't."

[…] Trevon went into a thought. [My decision to break the formation bring many deaths.]

"That is your destiny. As the destiny artifact holder, your movement could change other people's destiny. If you don't break the formation, you will die. Also in Endless Universes, death is not the end, it is the beginning of another journey."

[Do you mean that I could freely kill people?] Trevon had read blood thirty heroes in all novels. They easily killed an entire family or sect. Some even destroyed a planet and all inhabitants.

"The blood of the innocent will bring bad karma for you. Your next reincarnation is a single pig. After this event... Hm... If you are reincarnated. You will be a forever virgin pig. You will live a lazy pig's life and die because the owner wanted to celebrate his marriage.]

Trevon felt cold sweat.

[You can escape that future. As long as you don't die and become a Real God.] Master Rabbink wanted to motivate Trevon. [You have to try your life to the fullest. Try to do good deeds to increase your karma and avoid bad deeds!]

[Breaking the formation in Ironlaw castle, is that good karma or bad karma?] Trevon looked toward the castle from the open first-floor wall.

"Both! Nothing is absolute."

[What should I do?]

"Do what your heart desire! What you mind this is good karma! This is your life. Do not forget you are Trevon McArthur and not Master Rabbink! If it is me, I will just blast everything to nothingness. Gwahahaha." The Rabbink didn't care mere mortal problem. It took more foods from other tables, yet nobody could detect it.

Trevon looked into the barrier. [Is there any survivor inside?]

"Hm… There are still survivors."

[Is there a powerful Fallen Bodies there?]

"Yes. At least one Rank 3 fallen body is in there."

[Is the debt collector inside?]

"Hm... This Rabbink couldn't answer that."

Trevon looked into the barrier. [Break it or Not?] He squeezed his hand.

[Young Master, could you help us break the barrier?] Avia or Homa asked Trevon the same question his sister had asked. Her eyes filled with hope. From four of them, only Trevon was the closest to the barrier in Melody Cave. The girls believed Trevon was the one who could open the barrier.

[Yes, Young Master. We will owe you. Please help us!] Roya also said in the spiritual sense.

[We will do anything for you, Young Master.] Roya said.

[Yes.] Homa agreed with her sister.

Normally Trevon would laugh pervertedly, but this time Trevon was in a dilemma again. Opening the formation would invite danger. However, it also invited good things. There were the twins and also the chance to catch the debt collector.

Trevon looked into the barrier again. [Sigh...] He made a decision. [If I can't avoid him, then I have to face and defeat him.]

[I can't promise that. We should wait for the elder's decision. The problem is the monsters inside. If the elders had a plan to contain the monster, I will try.] Trevon said. He had decided that he would help, but only if the elders had a plan to deal with the fallen bodies.

As a young man, he still couldn't handle the big responsibility. Destroying the barrier could bring harm to the common people. However, he believed those elders had thought about that before making a decision. A cultivation family needed those common people to serve them.

Avia and Gazel looked to the upstairs. Their uncle, Ramos was discussing with other family leaders.

Trevon still sat with Pieter. His survivability was actually guaranteed with Grand Elder Pieter protecting him. He could relax and enjoyed the snack and the tea.

At the same time, Lance had told the other families about the fallen body. Their McArthur family also had benefited by making those families chased the attacker. As a young master who had taken a soul contract, Trevon could be trusted. The attacker was McArthur family's enemies.

"Therefore, McArthur family will not be responsible for any accident after we broke the barrier. However, we will give our full support to capture the attacker." Lance said his family stance. The elder assembly had discussed this after Trevon went outside.

"Goldroad family also agrees with McArthur family." Timote Goldroad, the scholar man who received Lance before, answered.

"I represent Ironlaw family to break the barrier." Ramos looked toward the Silverarmy family leader. The leader nodded.

"Fine, Imperial families would do everything to save Ironlaw family and capture the killer." Bamboo Old Man said. The Imperial families needed Ironlaw family to keep the city stable.

Most participants would agree with Imperial families. Even the McArthur family didn't totally disagree. They only didn't want the responsibility. The smaller families also took a similar stance. Nobody would want the responsibility. Only Imperial families could shoulder the responsibility under the reason for capturing the criminal and country stabilization.

"What about breaking the barrier?" Lance asked. He still hadn't Trevon's answer about Master Creator's help.

"You may not know this, but that barrier is a formation." Bamboo Old Man said. "My young generation managed to raise a genius formation builder. He had started his calculation since one hour ago." A smile on his face showed his pride.

"A formation?"

"Yes. Since we have agreed to break the formation. We will only need to wait for him." Bamboo Old Man led the discussion.

"Good. I can only wait for your grandson." Lance said with a bit envy.

"Hahaha." Bamboo Old Man had a laugh. A good descendant is an ancestor biggest fortune.

"Fine. If the Masters had decided. Let me tell our members! We must tell the common people to go as far as possible." The city guard leader bowed to Bamboo Old Man.

"Yes." Bamboo Old Man nodded.

The elders returned to the first floor. They told the result of their discussion with their groups.

[We will attack the barrier?] Trevon thought. He looked into Roya and Homa. They were happy with the news.

Trevon then looked back into the barrier. [It looks like I have to break it.]

[Grand Elder Pieter.] Trevon used spiritual sense to call Grand Elder Pieter

[Yes?] Pieter was meditating with McArthur family. They had prepared to break the barrier.

[Master Creator informed there is at least a Rank 3 fallen body inside.]

Pieter's expression changed. [Are you sure about this?]

[That is what Master Creator said.] Trevon believed communication was the best thing. Yet, those heroes often shouldered the responsibility alone. Although he wasn't capable to do wonders like those heroes, he had older people in his family to help him.

Grand Elder Pieter started to discuss with other elders.

[Do you have more Blazing Talismans?] Pieter suddenly asked.

[Yes.]

[How many do you have?]

[One thousand. I think around that number.]

[…] Pieter was speechless. [He is a moving canon.] Pieter thought.

[We want to buy that from you.]

[Yes, Grand Elder.] Trevon had accustomed to the transaction with Grand Elder Pieter. The family would pay him a bit later.

Trevon took one thousand talismans from his storage rings and put it in a pouch. The young master even had more talismans inside. It was enough to blast a family pavilion into nothingness.

[Do you have any other useful talismans?] Pieter called some elders and shared the talismans.

[Erm…] Trevon thought. [Paralyzing didn't work. Poison didn't work.]

[They are immune to poison and paralyze.] Trevon said. While he had many varieties, he didn't have many different Talismans. [Perhaps some buffing talismans would be useful.]

[Then, the family would purchase those from you too.]

Trevon finally took more buffing talismans from his storage ring. It wasn't hard with Universe Store to purchase those talismans.

[Our main goal is self-preservation. We will stand at the back. Do not do anything reckless!] Pieter reminded Trevon.

[Yes, Grand Elder.] Trevon was more than happy to stand at a distance.

Over the street, a young man still checked the barrier. He was the descendant of Bamboo Old Man who was calculating the formation. Several other young men also helped the descendant.

Luckily, Goldcave had enough light with the moss giving a soft blue light. Else people would need to bring some shining pearls to check the barrier.

"Hey! Have you finished the calculation?" Ramos already next to a young man who still used a strange diagram to check the formation. Trevon didn't see when the guard went outside.

"Can you shut up! Try to do it if you can!" The young man looked very serious. Even he didn't believe there was a formation like this. "This is an ancient formation with many protection sub-formations on it. A miss calculation would give you a counter-attack. This formation could hurt a Rank 1 warrior with the counter."

[That hard?] Trevon only needed to use his Weakness Scan to make a weakness in the formation before.

"Of course, it is. This is why everything your job gave to you is a cheat." Master Rabbink said. "Even Divine God level formation needed to bow in front of a real God. Your 'Weakness Scan' is only a very small arsenal of a real God. A real God can take control of the formation. No need for trickery."

"So, you couldn't break this formation?" Ramos dropped his bottom. He listlessly sat on the ground watching his family castle.

"What happened?" Bamboo Old Man came to his descendant.

"This is impossible, Grandfather. This formation is made using several ancient inscriptions. I have only decoded the outline." The young man bowed to the Bamboo Old Man.

"Then, how could that formation in the Melody Cave being broken?" He looked into Ramos.

"That is…" Ramos looked into Trevon.