Chapter 320: Thief Game

Chapter 320: The Thief’s Game

Xia Chichi, too, came from a deep lineage and knew what a sword pellet was for.

It was essentially a flying sword, shaped like a pellet but meant as a blade, even capable of being stored within the abdomen and unleashed to take a head at a word. It posed little conflict with the Ice Soul and could serve as a hidden trump card.

Moreover, its essence aligned perfectly with her own Dragon-Tiger form. If other sword pellets were beyond her qualifications, this one she could likely truly attempt. From it, she could further grasp the Dragon-Tiger intent, and her understanding of the Azure Dragon’s Wood and the White Tiger’s Metal would surely ascend to a higher level.

In the records of the Four Symbols Sect, there was a sword body that might require such a thing to forge.

That was a minor matter. The greater significance was that such an object was lost in this age—no one in this world knew the sword pellet. It belonged to the divine-demonic powers of the previous epoch. For those in this era who toiled to trace the footsteps of antiquity, it was a ladder to glimpse those powers—that was its greatest value. And perhaps, after analyzing it, one could mass-produce flying-sword immortals in the future—a collective meaning.

Furthermore, in this world, the Triple Secret Vault was the pinnacle; no one had ever been known to reach a higher level. But sects like the Four Symbols, with their heritage, knew well that the ceiling was not there—it was merely that everyone lacked the path to ascend further. For instance, the Return Spring Art and this sword pellet both pointed to more fundamental things of antiquity.

Of course, the Four Symbols Sect had deep reserves; similar items existed, so it wasn’t as if they were missing this one thing. But this object was indeed perfectly suited for both the sect and Xia Chichi personally—tailor-made, one might say.

Yet Xia Chichi fell silent for a long while, then surprisingly answered, “I don’t want it.”

Ye Wuzong was utterly astonished: “Why?”

“When virtue is unworthy of its station, calamity follows.” Xia Chichi’s expression was calm. “The senior must have interest in the divine-demonic ladder. I am no match for you; if I forcibly take it, the price would be unbearable. With the item in your hands, at least I know where it is. In the future, I’ll have the two venerables visit you, and they will decide accordingly.”

Ye Wuzong’s expression grew even more astonished: “A little demoness like you, who knows when to advance and retreat without greed, should be utterly clear-headed and ruthless. How can you be here with a man, lost in love, holding hands, strolling, feeding each other wontons, unable to extricate yourself? It makes no sense at all.”

Xia Chichi: “…”

Zhao Changhe: “…Could you use fewer adjectives?”

“No.” Ye Wuzong said, “I still have words unsaid. Let me think…”

“Stop, senior. Take the thing.” Zhao Changhe also said, “Chichi is right. Knowing where it is gives us peace of mind. In the future, we may still have room for cooperation. Arguing with you here over this—we’re not fools.”

Ye Wuzong twitched the corner of his mouth, feeling a bit exasperated inside.

How could these two be so clear-headed?

If there was anything here useful to him, it was the Poison Scripture and the furnace. The Poison Scripture was the living source, and the furnace was the tool to sharpen his craft.

What use was this sword pellet alone? A ladder to glimpse antiquity? Others lacked it, but he, who walked the path of thievery, had stolen countless treasures and explored countless secret realms in his life—of course he had it. Whether he was now at the Second or Third Secret Vault, outsiders had no idea. The top of the Earthly Ranking, feared even by the Heavenly Ranking—did that come from thin air?

The reasons he couldn’t reach Xia Longyuan’s level were many, and it wasn’t for lack of this sword pellet. This object didn’t suit his cultivation at all; taking it would be essentially meaningless.

Of course, even meaningless, it was still a supreme treasure. Ye Wuzong had an interest in collecting it, but simply taking it like this was utterly dull. The young couple had no idea what this wicked old man was thinking. He had imagined Xia Chichi promising a bunch of unequal treaties, barely getting the item, and then he would secretly steal it away—how amusing that would be!

But what was this now? A Kong Rong giving away pears?

Ye Wuzong’s face remained impassive as he coaxed, “This item was found by us together; you have a share in it. If you want it, you can take it with some compensation. What difference does it make to negotiate now versus having your venerables come later?”

That sounded reasonable, but in this patch of Kunlun, who would be so fair as to split things equally?

If Ye Wuzong hadn’t said that, it might have been fine, but now the two felt even more uneasy. They both said, “Senior, just take it. Or maybe we can split something else?”

Ye Wuzong said, “What else is useful? The Poison Scripture? The furnace? Or that token?”

Xia Chichi said, “I am indeed interested in the Poison Scripture. It would be a fine supplement for my Saint Sect’s Azure Dragon lineage.”

Ye Wuzong asked Zhao Changhe with some exasperation, “And you?”

Zhao Changhe said, “I’m a bit interested in that token…”

Ye Wuzong was puzzled: “What would you use that token for? It must be a sect identity token, likely of a sect master, but that sect has long vanished. What meaning does it hold? Don’t tell me you think you can use it to decode some ruins later. I advise you to wake up. When I was young, I thought the same, collecting a bunch of seemingly useful trinkets, but in the end, not a single one came in handy.”

Zhao Changhe laughed: “People’s fortunes differ. Now that I can use a storage ring, it doesn’t hurt to collect more things.”

“Damn it.” Ye Wuzong was too lazy to waste time with these juniors and said bluntly, “Sorry, I’ll take these two things.”

Now you should think the sword pellet is for you, right?

The young couple exchanged a glance: “Then we’ll take the furnace.”

Ye Wuzong: “?”

Please, take the sword pellet…

“Forget it.” Ye Wuzong pinched his forehead and laid his cards on the table: “I’ll take these items; you take the sword pellet. I’ll tell you plainly: I’ll come to steal it. If I steal it, it’s mine, and you’ll have nothing.”

The young couple had vaguely guessed as much. Zhao Changhe said, “If the senior wants to play a game, we’ll gladly join. But there must be a time limit, right? It won’t be a lifetime of stealing?”

Ye Wuzong said, “Within three days, if I can’t steal it, then it’s truly yours, and I’ll throw in this token as well. As for the Poison Scripture and furnace, I’ll keep them. If your Four Symbols Sect wants the Poison Scripture, you can make a copy—that’s no issue.”

With that, he impatiently tossed the sword pellet directly to Xia Chichi: “The countdown starts now.”

Zhao Changhe snatched the sword pellet: “Put it on me. Come steal from me.”

Ye Wuzong said, “You don’t think putting it in a ring will help, do you?”

“No.” Zhao Changhe’s face was expressionless. “I just don’t want you to touch her, no matter how old you are.”

Ye Wuzong was dumbfounded. Xia Chichi turned her face away, holding back.

After a long moment, Ye Wuzong waved his sleeve with a mix of laughter and tears: “Not everyone in the world is interested in matters of men and women… Let me give you some advice: indulging in such things is greatly detrimental to the martial path.”

Zhao Changhe wore an expression of “I know, but I won’t change”: “Thank you for the advice, senior.”

Ye Wuzong waved his hand, and the token, Poison Scripture, and alchemy furnace all vanished in an instant, seemingly stuffed into a storage ring—how, no one knew.

“Alright.” Ye Wuzong pointed at the passage with great interest: “After you leave, the game begins in the time it takes an incense stick to burn.”

Zhao Changhe sat down cross-legged on the spot, weighing the sword pellet and turning it over and over.

Ye Wuzong: “?”

“Sorry, senior. This thing might soon not belong to me, so I need to study it a bit first… You want to steal it, not rob it outright, right?”

Ye Wuzong was almost laughing in anger: “You don’t think you can comprehend and master the sword pellet in such a short time, do you?”

“Not that.” Zhao Changhe said, “If I’m not mistaken, one of the materials used to refine this sword pellet is Dragon-Elephant Blood Ginseng?”

“So what? You can’t extract it anymore. Unless you refine it into your own, merging it into your body, you might absorb its components.” Ye Wuzong began to find it amusing and laughed, “So you’re going to fight your little lover for the sword pellet?”

Zhao Changhe looked it over again for a while, sinking his mind into the gold leaf, gazing at the words on the VR phantom: “Dragon-Tiger Sword Pellet, the sharpest and most acute flying sword. Also usable for refining the Four Symbols Sword Body, still lacking the Ice Flower Soul and the Fire Flame Essence.”

“If one of the three is missing, driving the sword pellet can sense the location of the last item.”

Zhao Changhe looked at the Ice Soul in Xia Chichi’s hand and gestured for her to lend it.

Xia Chichi, not understanding his intent, still handed it over.

The Ice Soul in hand, the sword pellet stirred slightly, and a thread of extremely fine sword qi sprang up like a steel wire, pointing northwest.

Indeed, the Ice Soul was forged from the Ice Flower Soul, so the final target was the Fire Flame Essence.

The one who refined this sword pellet chose to act in Kunlun for a reason… The Fire Flame Essence he sought was nearby.

Kunlun’s secret realms were not singular. After the dimensional collapse, many treasures scattered across this vast mountain range, forming realms large and small. On a nearby peak, there must be another realm containing the Fire Flame Essence…

Zhao Changhe quickly recalled the “Fire Flame Kunlun” he had heard earlier—that must be it. If ancient Dragon-Elephant Blood Ginseng grew widely in this area, perhaps it could still be found in that realm, if it hadn’t been burned away…

Zhao Changhe stood up, returned the Ice Soul to Xia Chichi, and smiled: “The game begins.”