Burt certainly left Frank mystified. "So, you're saying...?" Burt flashed an enigmatic smile in turn. "I have a hunch that the Goldeater Cane that Sage Lake Sect took fromhas not been made into pills yet. It was no more than a seemingly, and if it wasn't needed urgently, they must keep it nurtured with precious materials to ensure its survival." "Moreover, I've put two and two together—when Quinn Ocean and Drakon Salazar visited the Salazars recently, their intention was to get married. Sal Ocean, the geezer you've killed, was supposed to officiate the wedding." Frank's eyes lit up. "That means." "Yes. Sage Lake Sect would've given the Goldeater Cane to the Salazars as dowry, and they probably still have it right now." As Burt broke down the facts, Frank frowned despite feeling hopeful. "The Salazars definitely wouldn't sellthe Goldeater Cane with all the bad blood between us." "That's for sure." Burt chuckled coolly. "And | would have been disavowed from Sage Lake Sect when Quinn returned to them, so the Salazars wouldn't give it toeither. And if we tried taking it by force, they'd definitely rather destroy it than give it to us." "In that case." Burt sighed lengthily as they finally cut to the chase. "My friends in Sage Lake Sect have informedthat they're up to something big in a couple days. Dejan Ocean, their elder, will be coming personally." "Really?" Frank raised a brow. "The fish took the bait, | see." "Yes." Burt nodded. "I know you want to take down Sage Lake Sect all at once. For their part, they wouldn't want to draw suspicion by sending everyone they had after slittle-known youth. If they did, word would spread and Cloudnine Sect would catch on." Frank narrowed his eyes. "So.?" "I'll act as a double agent and contact Sage Lake Sect," Burt explained. "I'll drop hints that you want the Goldeater Cane and suggest they use it as bait to lure you in. If you trust your strength, you can eliminate them while getting the Goldeater Cane—that's killing two birds with one stone." Watching Burt's serious expression, Frank smiled and asked, "You're not going to betray Sage Lake Sect, are you?" A drop of sweat trickled down Burt's cheek right then, and he quickly lowered his gaze as he said, "What are you saying? I've served as their dog for years while gaining your favor after considerable difficulty. I'd never turn against you!" Frank nodded. "Fine. If we succeed, I'll help you reach Birthright rank.
His assurance left Burt doing a double take, before exclaiming in delight, "Thank you, Mr. Lawrence! However, there are risks in this plan—we need to be careful here." "Don't worry." They kept chatting through the night, with Burt asking for instructions on martial arts.
Frank would answer everything while drinking, since he found Burt to be a rare potential.
Even though Sage Lake Sect kept denying Burt anything solid, he had managed to combine various martial disciplines to develop his vigor on his own.
One could even call it prodigious, and Frank only felt more contempt toward Sage Lake Sect.
"Hmph. They have such profound talent right within their grasp, but they refuse to appreciate him." He was not aware that Sage Lake Sect suffered severely from nepotism, and fringe apprentices like Burt would always be bullied more than they were groomed.