Chapter 75: The Murderers Must Pay!

Chapter 75: Chapter 75: The Murderers Must Pay!

And there was another, even more serious problem. He had already given Collins Lindsay his word. Mira was supposed to become the bridge between the Sinclair and Lindsay families.

If they failed to deliver her, would the Lindsay family continue protecting them? Worse, would Collins blame the Sinclair family for embarrassing him? If the Lindsay family withdrew its protection, the consequences could be devastating.

They could not simply sit around and wait for everything to collapse. Adrian picked up his phone.

"Call all the elders," he said. "We’re having a family meeting."

It did not take long. The three senior elders of the Sinclair family soon gathered in the main hall.

Adrian wasted no time. He explained what had happened, including Victor’s death and Samuel Bush’s warning, and told them that Mira now had the Extraordinary Division’s protection.

There was one detail, however, that he deliberately left out. He did not tell them that the family intended to hand Mira over to Collins Lindsay.

Instead, he described the arrangement as a potential marriage between Mira and Collins.

The reaction was immediate.

"Who does Samuel Bush think he is?" one of the elders demanded, slamming his palm against the table.

"What right does he have to interfere with the Sinclair family’s affairs?"

Another elder’s expression twisted with anger.

"Victor was a 1st-Star Spirit Platform martial artist with considerable potential," he snapped.

"Someone killed him just like that, and we’re supposed to remain silent?"

The three elders were furious. The first to speak was Gerald Sinclair, the Third Elder. His temper had always been the worst among them.

"Are we really going to allow Mira to hide behind Samuel Bush and then turn around and attack the Sinclair family?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing.

"She killed her own uncle. She should answer for that!"

Paul Sinclair, the Second Elder, immediately agreed.

"That girl has become completely ungrateful," he scoffed.

"First, she was involved in that disgraceful incident with her younger cousin, and now she’s actually willing to work with outsiders to kill a member of her own family." His anger grew as he continued.

"What exactly is wrong with her marrying into the Lindsay family? That’s an opportunity most people could only dream of. The Sinclair family raised her. We spent countless resources on her, and this is how she repays us?"

Gerald nodded furiously.

The two men had spent most of their lives focused on cultivation. They rarely involved themselves in the family’s ordinary affairs and seldom bothered to verify information for themselves.

Almost everything they knew about Mira had come from Adrian. As far as they were concerned, Mira was still the sickly, useless woman with a ruined cultivation foundation that Adrian had described to them.

They knew about the Celestial Core that had been removed from her as well, and when Adrian had proposed transferring that power to a younger member of the family, the two elders had agreed without hesitation.

In their minds, Mira had already been crippled. Keeping such a valuable inheritance inside someone they considered useless was simply wasteful.

Transferring it to a younger family member who could actually develop would benefit the Sinclair family far more.

That was why they saw Mira’s resistance as nothing short of betrayal. To them, she had been given everything and had responded by killing her own uncle.

"Enough." George Sinclair, finally raised a hand. His voice was calm, but there was authority behind it.

"Arguing about what has already happened won’t solve anything." He looked at Gerald and Paul. "We need to decide what we’re going to do next."

Paul answered immediately.

"What’s there to discuss? We capture Mira and bring her back."

Gerald nodded.

"Exactly. She needs to answer for Victor’s death and repay the Sinclair family for everything we’ve invested in her."

George frowned.

"And Samuel Bush?" he asked.

The room became quiet.

"Samuel Bush isn’t an ordinary government official," George continued.

"He’s the vice minister of the Extraordinary Division. He has already warned us that if we continue causing trouble, he’ll use the Division’s authority against the Sinclair family." His expression became heavier.

"If that happens, we’ll pay a considerable price."

Paul snorted.

"Since when has the Sinclair family been afraid of one man?"

Gerald’s eyes flashed with confidence.

"This world has always respected strength," he said.

"All three of us have reached at least the 6th level of Spirit Platform. Does Samuel Bush really think he can turn the entire Extraordinary Division against us over one woman?"

Paul nodded.

"I don’t believe he’d go that far."

George stared at his two younger brothers. For a moment, irritation flickered across his face.

These two had spent so many years secluded in cultivation that they had become almost completely disconnected from the realities outside the family. Arguing about strength was easy.

Dealing with the consequences was another matter entirely.

Rather than continue the argument, George turned to Adrian.

"Adrian. What do you think?"

Adrian remained silent for several seconds. Then he nodded.

"I agree with Gerald and Paul," he said.

Both elders looked at him.

"Mira has already turned her back on the family," Adrian said coldly.

"There’s no reason to continue treating her as though she were still one of us." He leaned back in his chair.

"At this point, the only value she has left to the Sinclair family is her connection to Collins Lindsay." His voice became firm.

"If she marries Collins, the Lindsay family will have a reason to continue protecting us. More importantly, Collins will have every reason to support our family and help ensure that the younger generation develops safely."

Adrian’s gaze hardened.

"That is why we cannot let Samuel Bush’s warning frighten us into giving up," he said.

"As long as our relationship with the Lindsay family remains strong enough, we won’t have to fear Samuel Bush, or even the wider Extraordinary Division in Valemont." He paused.

"However, Victor’s death has changed the situation."

Mira was no longer an easy target. With Samuel watching over her, attempting to capture her openly would be extremely difficult.

Adrian looked directly at Gerald and Paul.

"So I need the two of you to handle this personally," he said.

"Bring Mira back before the situation becomes even more complicated." His tone became urgent.

"We cannot afford to delay." He continued. "The Valemont Annual cup was postponed because of recent circumstances, but the competition will resume soon. Mira is an Arcadia Academy student, so she’ll eventually have to leave the academy grounds." A cold light appeared in his eyes. "That will be our opportunity."

Gerald and Paul exchanged a glance. Adrian had called this meeting for precisely this reason. He could not personally move against Mira without exposing the family leadership, and ordinary martial artists would have no chance of capturing her now.

The two elders, however, were different. If they acted personally, they could overwhelm Mira before she had the opportunity to summon outside help.

Paul smiled.

"That’s easy enough," he said.

Gerald nodded.

"My brother and I will handle it ourselves," he said.

Neither man seemed particularly concerned. As far as they were concerned, bringing Mira back would be a simple task.

Adrian leaned back and finally allowed himself a faint smile. With two 6th-Star-or-higher Spirit Platform elders personally taking action, the situation should finally be under control.

Xavier had no idea that, even after everything that had happened, the Sinclair family had not given up on Mira.

While he was making his way home, Adrian Sinclair and the other elders were already discussing their next attempt to take her.

By the time Xavier arrived at the apartment, Mira had also returned.

After leaving Stormvale Martial Academy, she had asked Samuel Bush to investigate her mother’s whereabouts. The request had given her some hope, but the uncertainty still weighed heavily on her.

The moment she stepped through the door, she saw Xavier.

"Honey!" she said.

Xavier turned toward her.

"You’re back," he said. "Why did it take you so long?"

Mira hesitated.

"I ran into Samuel Bush, the vice minister of the Extraordinary Division," she said.

"We talked for quite a while about my part time position there." She forced a smile before quickly adding, "But that’s not all. I actually have some good news for you."

Xavier immediately noticed the unnatural smile on her face. Mira was clearly trying too hard to look cheerful.

Still, he didn’t behave like he knew why she was suddenly like that. Instead, he waited for her to explain.

"Have you heard of Snr Kim?" she asked. "He’s the one who created the True Essence Mending Heaven Technique. It’s a famous body preserving martial skill." Her eyes brightened as she continued.

"Samuel said he could recommend you to Snr Kim as his disciple. If you become his student, you’ll have the opportunity to learn the technique."

Snr Kim was a well known figure throughout Valemont. Xavier had naturally heard of the technique as well. It was a 5th-Grade martial skill recorded in the Encyclopedia of Martial Arts and was particularly famous for its ability to preserve the body and extend a martial artist’s lifespan.

But Xavier was not particularly interested. A technique focused primarily on longevity was not something he urgently needed.

What caught his attention was Mira’s expression. She was smiling, but it was obvious that she was forcing herself to do so.

Xavier studied her quietly. Mira’s eyes began to shift uneasily under his gaze.

Finally, he asked, "Mira, is there something else you’re hiding from me?"

"No," she answered too quickly. "That’s everything."

Xavier continued staring at her.

"Really," Mira said, swallowing. "That’s all."

The moment she finished speaking, Xavier reached over and pulled her toward him. A sharp smack landed against her backside.