Could He Be After His Old Age?

As he made his way through the dungeon, Chen Ning could not help showing his surprise.

The dungeon was built underground, but it was extraordinarily vast, stretching all the way from the Marquis Who Guards the North's residence to the Listening Rain Tower and beyond.

Its sheer scale was breathtaking.

The dungeon's layout was also a tangled maze, and without a map, it would be easy to lose one's way.

"Young friend, it's just ahead."

The Marquis Who Guards the North let out a hearty laugh. Up ahead stood a cell with excellent accommodations. It was sealed off, and its walls were made of bronze.

"Please!"

The Marquis Who Guards the North raised a hand and opened the bronze cell door, looking at Chen Ning with a smile.

"After you, Marquis."

Chen Ning did not rush inside.

"Hahahaha, young friend, you're far too suspicious."

The Marquis Who Guards the North burst out laughing and stepped into the cell first.

Chen Ning followed him inside.

The cell contained a whole other world, with every amenity one could need.

There were carved clothes racks, screens, tables and chairs, a writing desk, a bed-everything one could ask for.

Two paintings and works of calligraphy also hung on one wall.

Judging by the accommodations, the Marquis Who Guards the North really had not treated the Thief God poorly.

At that moment, a decrepit figure stood at the writing desk, brush in hand, painting.

Unless something unexpected had happened, this man was the Thief God.

"I say, old thief, you've roamed Spirit Province alone for years. Who would have thought an old acquaintance still had you in mind and wanted to rescue you?"

The Marquis Who Guards the North spoke with a smile.

The Thief God's brush hand trembled slightly, and he hurriedly turned around.

When he saw that the visitor was not his granddaughter, he let out a long breath.

His heart settled.

"Young friend, you and I have never met. Why have you come looking for me?"

The Thief God asked, seemingly at random.

Chen Ning stepped forward and said, "Senior, that can wait. The urgent matter is getting you out of here."

His words were full of sincerity.

If they got out of here quickly, not only would the little loli be happy, but he could also get his epic-tier reward sooner.

The Marquis Who Guards the North also urged him, "That's right, old thief. Someone's finally come to rescue you, yet you're still hemming and hawing. Do you really think I'm running a charity, keeping you here for so long for nothing?"

Hearing this, the Thief God gave the Marquis Who Guards the North a meaningful look.

Then he nodded and said, "Very well, I'll go with you."

"Done!"

Delighted, Chen Ning headed for the door first.

The Thief God followed behind him.

And so the two walked through the dungeon corridor, one behind the other.

"You shouldn't have come."

After a long while, the Thief God sighed, a trace of reluctance on his face.

"Oh?"

Chen Ning turned and looked with interest at the Thief God's aged face.

He had to admit, judging by appearances alone, the Thief God seemed every bit a great Confucian scholar. He had just been painting, and he carried himself with calm, righteous dignity.

If Chen Ning had met him under ordinary circumstances, he would never have associated him with the name Thief God.

Was this his protective coloring?

"Once I've taken you down, I'll spare your life."

The Thief God spoke with deep reserve, then struck without hesitation, clamping one hand on Chen Ning's shoulder.

Pale yellow primal Qi circulated over his palm.

"So you finally couldn't hold back?"

Rather than getting angry, Chen Ning smiled. He was unusually calm at this moment.

The Thief God could not help frowning, and his expression changed. "You figured it out long ago?"

"Not really. I only just confirmed it."

Chen Ning crushed the Protective Talisman and slipped free of the Thief God's hand with the greatest ease. In the blink of an eye, he had put some distance between them.

Chen Ning felt he could hardly have missed it even if he wanted to. There had simply been too many suspicious things along the way.

Besides, with the title [Sect Leader Who Perceives the Finest Details], his powers of observation were exceptionally keen.

The slightest clues and easily overlooked details were plainly visible to Chen Ning.

The first problem had been the Marquis Who Guards the North.

Everything else aside, his lies had been reasonably smooth.

But the crucial point was that he had captured the Thief God and held him for half a year without making a move. That was far too suspicious.

Whether he wanted to kill or flay him, or wanted money or valuables, surely the dignified Marquis Who Guards the North had to want something.

Could he be after his old age?

Or the fact that he didn't bathe?

Clearly, it was neither.

That could only mean there was something hidden from others.

And all along the way, the Marquis Who Guards the North had shown no sign of panic, as though he had something to rely on. That was why Chen Ning had boldly guessed that perhaps the marquis's true source of confidence was not his troops.

But...

The Thief God.

Only after entering the cell had all these guesses been confirmed.

Chen Ning felt as though he had watched a magnificent play.

No matter how the two tried to hide it, those fleeting expressions might have fooled others, but they could not fool Chen Ning.

"Senior, you're a renowned Thief God in your own right. Why would you collude with the Marquis Who Guards the North?"

Chen Ning felt disappointed that the Thief God had failed to live up to his potential.

Now that his guesses had been confirmed, he had no choice but to fight.

But wouldn't that put him on opposing sides with the Thief God?

Unless he had no other choice, Chen Ning did not want that to happen.

Su Ling'er was one of his own, and someone very important to him at that. He did not want to cross swords with the Thief God.

"What right does a callow child like you have to meddle in my affairs?"

The Thief God remained perfectly composed.

And he had no reason to lose his composure in the face of someone so young.

Even if the other party had seen through him, it made no difference.

The Thief God unleashed his presence, revealing a cultivation at the Spirit Martial Realm Peak.

That was a full six levels higher than Chen Ning's current actual cultivation.

The Thief God was not skilled in combat.

His entire reputation came from a set of earth-shaking thieving skills.

His actual cultivation realm was not particularly profound.

But even so, it was enough.

He reached out again, grabbing at Chen Ning.

Vigorous primal power surged forth.

This was one of the Heaven-Stealing Ghost Hand's moves!

If it caught him, one-third of the primal power in his Qi Sea would be stolen by his opponent.

Because the technique was so devious and hard to guard against, countless experts had suffered at the hands of this attack over the years...

At the same time, it was enough to show that the Thief God took the meticulous young Chen Ning extremely seriously.

He did not dare underestimate him.

Yet faced with this technique, Chen Ning merely smiled calmly.

Any other technique might have been a different matter.

But Chen Ning had used [Heaven-Stealing Ghost Hand] for so long.

It had long since become as familiar to him as eating and drinking.

After all, his divine ability had started at the great perfection level, hadn't it?

He too reached out a hand, a faint milky-white light flowing around it.

The Thief God instantly went pale with shock.

He felt the primal Qi in his Qi Sea flowing madly toward Chen Ning's hand.

"This... what is this?"

The Thief God's expression changed drastically.

It was as though he had seen something terrifying.

The young man was using the exact same technique as his own, but his mastery was far higher.

He could even use it from a distance, without making contact.

A glimmer of excitement gradually rose in the Thief God's clouded eyes.

Then, visibly shaken, he exclaimed, "Could it be that you are of the founding master's lineage?"

Hearing this, Chen Ning had no choice but to play along and nod.

Naturally, the best outcome was to avoid fighting.

"That's right, it's me. I speak for myself."