RISE OF THE MARTIAL GOD

The moment Kaiser left, Rona quickly used internal energy to heal some of the wounds. However, they ran deep and couldn't be corrected immediately. She took a deep breath and changed into her jeans and hoodie.

'I should still try my luck to see if he would give it back.'

She dialled Leo's number, but he didn't pick up immediately, making her frown. Did he realize Kaiser returned and began to avoid her on purpose?

"It doesn't matter, I'm going to find him." She whispered and quickly went on the move. She had spent years following Leo, so figuring out where he would be wasn't that hard. The moment she confirmed that he never left the clan that evening, she got on her powerful motorbike and began the hunt for Leo.

After an hour, she found him in one of the martial arts complex where he normally enters for cultivation. Staying ten minutes in there and using the clan's facilities to assist your cultivation wasn't for the weak or faint hearted. You need to have lots of contribution points to even cross the entrance, talk more of using the facilities. Of course, you can exchange with money. But how much money would be enough for someone to cultivate there for an hour?

When Anthony was found, everyone slyly commented that since he had no cultivation and have been useless to the clan since birth, they won't let his family use the clan's resources to speed up the cultivation of their trash son, even if his father was the current patriarch. And that was even before Joyce brought him home. This made Kaiser to change the location to the mountains. However, it seems that all that stringent rules only applied to a certain people. The branch which all the other clan members were jealous of. Since envy was a common factor which all the others held against Anthony's branch of the family, they united to create silly rules, claiming the elder council just wants to create stability and ensure that the patriarch and his dangerous son won't step out of line, citing Kaiser's tyrannical behavior whenever others crossed him.

As for people like Brent and Leo, and the other favored geniuses of the clan, they were allowed to cultivate with minimal contribution points, claiming it was to ensure that they give their best to the clan. But as for Kaiser, he must pay exorbitant points before using any of it, since even the elders felt threatened by his fearsome growth. And now, Anthony popped out of nowhere to help the tyrant. Of course, everyone was eager to pull out the bone lodged in their throat called the patriarch and his kids. Their silly efforts at frustrating him made Kaiser never bother with the energy gathering arrays, finding his own unique methods of cultivation, by entering the forbidden areas of the clan filled with natural spiritual energy. As time went on, Kaiser realized that he cultivated better after enduring difficulties alone. Also, the clan won't be able to monitor his cultivation with their advanced monitoring systems and facilities. That was the reason he remained an enigma till date. Despite preventing him from using the clan's facilities, he was still that powerful. He always returned alive after each expedition, even if he entered the deepest parts of the forbidden areas. Don't even talk about the barriers that were put around those treasured grounds, he could enter them and leave at will without anyone realizing that something passed through the barrier. This made everyone wonder if his elder brother would have been the same if he was alive and cultivated from birth. However, their relief was short lived when Anthony was found, and everyone was forced to hasten up their devious plans, and even bonded together to eradicate the two troublesome brothers. Anthony taming the daggers made it worse and filled their belly with bile. As for Rona, even though she was also a powerful genius stronger than most her age, no one took her seriously because she could easily be controlled, letting Leo keep her as a pet.

***

Leo looked up and saw Rona rushing to him. He had just stepped out of the bathroom in his trousers after his training session. However, Rona had no time to notice his body or the fact that he was still drying his wet hair in the dressing room.

"Leo, I have been searching all over for you." Rona whispered, still wearing her hoodie as she rushed to him. Even though her face was covered with the hoodie, he could still smell her from miles away. A bright smile instantly spread on his face as she approached, looking like someone who just experienced the best thing in life.

"Leo, I'm in trouble." She whispered, stopping before him.

"Ah? What's wrong? What happened?" Leo whispered with worry and genuine concern boldly written on his face.

"My brother almost killed me, I barely escaped with my life and that was because he was in a hurry and couldn't afford to chase after me." She whispered tearfully and removed her hoodie.

Leo's eyes widened as he saw the bloody marks, purplish bruises, and bumps on her face.

"Oh my goodness! Why did he hit you? Has he gone crazy?" Leo asked in outrage, grabbing her shoulders to get a closer look at her.

"I'm in trouble, he will really kill me. He ain't joking." Rona whispered with tears dropping down her face.

"What happened? What's going on? What did I miss?" He whispered, looking confused, worried and angry at the same time.

"After I heard he was on his way back tonight, I hurried to the spot where we kept the items to return it to his room, but two of the items were missing." She whispered, playing along.

"What? Which one? How did that happen?" Leo asked, as his eyes widened in surprise.

Rona knocked his hands away.

"Are you seriously asking me that? Weren't you the one who took them? You were the only one there when we hid it. No other person knew where we kept it. Hurry and bring it out before Kaiser kills me. Why will you remove something without telling me? Were you trying to get me killed?" She shouted, shoving him.

"What are you talking about? What did I take?" Leo asked, looking bewildered.

"Leo, look here, we're very close, but there's a limit to the jokes and pranks you will play on me. Look at my face, do I look like I have the time to play? Give it to me, so I can return it, and let mom plead for me. Otherwise, if Kaiser comes back, I will be dead for real." Rona shouted, finally allowing her suppressed anger to surface.

"I'm not joking either. I didn't take anything from you. I don't even know what's missing?" Leo insisted, looking angry too.

"So, you really want to do this to me? Was it your plan all along? Give me the fucking bracelet! Why are you trying to deny it when the both of us know you were the only one that knew where they were kept, what they were and what they were meant to be used for. Even if you took a fancy to it, stealing it behind my back is not the best thing to do! Give it back now, otherwise I will get angry." Rona shouted and grabbed his arm.

"I'm the one angry now, Rona. I didn't take anything. Why did you keep insisting I am the one? I'm not the only one that goes to that building, anyone else could have chanced upon them and taken them. Your priority now should be finding the real thieves instead of pointing fingers at me and disregarding our friendship." Leo shouted and pushed her hand away.

Rona laughed sarcastically, despair clouding her eyes.

"I can't believe the person standing before me is Leo. How did you change so much? Look into your heart, you took it, and I know as much. It's as clear as day. If it was someone else who took it, why will it be those exact two. At first glance the bracelet and silk clothes look useless, while there are powerful weapons and items that are obviously there. If it was someone else, they would have gone for those rare weapons instead of those two. In this whole world, you are the only one I told the secret of the two items. You were the one who convinced me to take it away. You were also the one who suggested where we could hide it since it would be easy for mom to find it in the mansion if she traced their auras. I wanted to keep it at home, you insisted they will easily retrieve it. Because I trusted you, I followed your suggestions. But you had the heart to do something that would cost me my life. Leo, I thought you were just being mischievous. But you actually betrayed me. Was it your plan all along? Watching me and Kaiser kill ourselves, while Anthony is trapped, and no one can intervene or stop us. Then your brother can get his heart's desire. You really intended to kill me, of all people because of material gains?" She whispered, her eyes filled with the tears which she was trying so hard to suppress.

"I don't know what you're talking about! Rona, why are you accusing me?" Leo whispered, and grabbed her arm, trying his luck to see if she would believe him.