Chapter Seventeen: Stolen Goods

What shocked Su Yi was not the golden currency card. Although with his current abilities, it was impossible for him to obtain such a card, his lack of capability did not mean others couldn’t get one. Take the chief auctioneer, Maya, for example—it would not be particularly difficult for her to acquire a golden currency card. In fact, Maya had once tried to give him one herself. Her special favor toward him naturally aroused the discontent of certain people at the auction house; after all, the perks of working there were quite enviable.

Ordinary staff earned around ten gold coins a day. With some thrift, after deducting daily expenses, one could save a hundred to two hundred gold coins per month. In a few months, that would amount to a sizeable sum. Carrying around large amounts of gold coins was inconvenient, so special currency cards made things much easier, as could be seen in the envious and covetous gazes cast upon such cards. At the time, however, Su Yi did not accept Maya’s offer. Though his strength was considerable and, as captain, his salary had increased to fifteen gold coins a day, plus occasional bonuses for meritorious service—allowing him to save up several thousand gold coins over the years—he still felt no need for a currency card. To put just a few thousand coins into a card worth tens of thousands seemed a waste.

But this was not Su Yi’s main reason for refusing. When he first woke up in this completely unfamiliar and unknown world, he had an inherent sense of unease and alienation. His heart was anxious and unsettled, and he instinctively avoided contact with others, dismissing their kindness. Although Maya had cared for him attentively, he still felt no sense of belonging to this place. After some time, things improved slightly, but Su Yi still disliked owing people favors. When Maya chose that moment to present him with such an expensive card, he politely declined.

Whatever the reason—be it for survival or to repay Maya for saving his life—Su Yi ended up staying in Changling City for three years. In that time, he learned and accepted much about this world. Though he occasionally longed to return to his original world, the feeling was no longer as intense as at the beginning. As his wealth grew, he did find himself tempted by the idea of a currency card, but felt too embarrassed to ask Maya for one.

Now, here lay a golden currency card before him...

Yet Su Yi felt no particular excitement at the sight of the card. What truly caught his attention was the pile of medicinal herbs lying beside it. More precisely, the origin of these herbs!

There was little doubt—these were most likely, perhaps even certainly...

...from the Lie family!

Though Su Yi had never visited them, nor were the herbs marked as belonging to the Lie family, he was convinced these were the very rare ingredients that the Lie family had spent great sums of money and manpower to acquire from all over the land. Take, for example, the Soul-Reviving Night Flower—that was bought by the Lie family at the Yousiman Auction House six months ago. Su Yi vividly remembered the final bid: fifty-seven thousand gold coins! The Mind-Replenishing Grass and the Infernal Lotus were also sourced by the Lie family from other cities. With networks of informants everywhere in Changling City, such not-so-secret matters were well known. As for the Seven-Colored Azure Ganoderma, Su Yi himself had snatched it from a first-rank magical beast. Though at the time he was already a tenth-level Battle Adept, on the verge of becoming a Battle Master, defeating that beast was no easy feat, so the memory was etched deeply in his mind.

After the auction, Su Yi had even received a reward of a thousand gold coins, but reminiscing was the last thing on his mind now. At this moment, he had only one thought:

How did these herbs end up in my room? More specifically, how did the Lie family’s herbs find their way here?

Could these be the very batch of herbs stolen from the Lie family? The thought struck him like lightning, sending a shudder through his entire body. Wiping the cold sweat from his palms, Su Yi hurried to lock all doors and windows before returning cautiously to the cabinet.

Surveying the pile of herbs, Su Yi estimated their value at no less than four or five hundred thousand gold coins. Though not yet refined into pills, before the rise of alchemists on the continent, these natural treasures had “ruled” the land. Many rare herbs were as valuable as finished elixirs. Take the Infernal Lotus—consuming it could instantly boost a fire-attribute Battle Master by three ranks, with no side effects whatsoever!

A fifteenth-level Battle Master could ascend to level eighteen—nearing the realm of the Battle Lords. In Changling City, Battle Lords were exceedingly rare; most major powers relied on Battle Masters. If the Infernal Lotus could foster an eighteenth-level Battle Master, any power would scramble for it. After all, an eighteenth-level Battle Master was second only to a Battle Lord.

Thus, the Infernal Lotus alone fetched at least a hundred thousand gold coins in any market. Even if effective only for those with fire-attribute battle qi, many factions would fight to obtain it.

Here, lying before him, were treasures and a fortune so immense that any ordinary person would be delirious with joy. But Su Yi felt as if he could cry but no tears would come. Though he had only been in Changling City for a little over three years, he had a clear understanding of the Lie family’s might.

As the premier clan in Changling City, the Lie family’s foundation was extraordinary. Even setting aside their Battle Lord of the Profound Rank, their number of Battle Masters alone was considerable. With such overwhelming strength, no one in the region dared challenge them.

And yet, someone had brazenly robbed the Lie family!

This was nothing less than a resounding slap to the proud face of the Lie family—a humiliation and provocation they had never suffered before. If they discovered these herbs in Su Yi’s possession, disaster would be inevitable.

The Lie family’s wrath should not be underestimated. Though they could not deal with an Earth-Rank cultivator, they had more than enough power to wipe Su Yi from existence. Although Su Yi was an employee of the Yousiman Auction House, which had the backing of the imperial Yousiman family, if the stolen Lie family herbs were found in his possession, no explanation would suffice.

As a show of strength, the Lie family would almost certainly treat Su Yi as an accomplice and major criminal. Even if they did not kill him, he would be arrested and tortured. Such action would offend the Yousiman Auction House, but the Lie family would have just cause. With the evidence found in Su Yi’s small house, how could he possibly claim innocence or lack of involvement?

With such grounds, even the auction house could not shield him; after all, the evidence was undeniable, and most likely he would be handed over to the Lie family for judgment.

Handed over? The thought sent a chill through Su Yi’s heart. He had never been arrested before, but in a clan like the Lie family, even the innocent could be branded accomplices. Though he had never witnessed their interrogation methods, he could imagine that, in their current fury, the Lie family would show him no mercy. With the likes of Lie Zhi and Lie Tie, who had always been at odds with him, fanning the flames, there would be no chance of ever getting out alive.

Clearly, he had to find a way to destroy these stolen goods. Su Yi looked helplessly at the heap of herbs before him and sighed.

Despite the many mysteries swirling in his mind, there was no time to ponder them now. Regardless of who had placed the herbs here or when, the most urgent task was to hide them well, lest anyone discover them.

Reaching out to touch the medicinal herbs, Su Yi found that what usually drove people mad with desire now felt scalding to the touch. His position in the auction house was already precarious—if this matter came to light, it would be even harder to maintain his footing.

He was not overly concerned about leaving, but he did not want Maya to misunderstand him or be implicated herself.

After some thought, Su Yi decided to hide the herbs in his small house for the time being and figure out a way to deal with them later. Although his house had no secret compartments or hidden chambers, it was in a remote location and rarely visited by others.

Generally, it would not attract attention. Since no one would think to look here, the place was relatively safe.

To be doubly sure, he decided not to stash them in the wardrobe. Frowning, Su Yi searched around and finally dug out a small, sturdy blackwood chest from his house.

[End of Chapter Seventeen: Stolen Goods – Martial Peak]