Yang Xuan had been leaving early and returning late every day lately, buying thick, dark-colored clothes and hats from some of the old streets,
He wandered from the streets of Mong Kok to Nathan Road. There were an incredible number of gold shops and jewelry stores along the road. Every day, he changed his clothes to scout the area. That was right—Yang Xuan was preparing to pull off something big. In real life, he had always lived obediently, listened to his parents, and never driven over eighty kilometers per hour on provincial roads. Although his nature had been suppressed, he had gradually grown used to it.
Yang Xuan still had not sensed that the suppression within him was gradually beginning to revive. He merely felt that no matter how chaotic the cinematic world became, it could not affect him.
Around one in the morning, a shadow stood outside a major gold shop in Mong Kok. He wore dark-colored clothes, a mask, and gloves. It was Yang Xuan. His mood was complicated. What he was about to do was something he had never even considered doing in real life. His stern face carried both nervousness and excitement.
He reached out and pressed his hand against the lock of the roller shutter. With a slight release of force, he instantly shattered the lock. He pulled up the shutter and entered. All the gold bars, jewelry, and warehouse inventory were collected into his Storage Ring. After leaving the shop, he carefully pulled down and closed the shutter. Just like that, he went into one store after another and came out of one after another. Although technology in 1990 was not yet as advanced as it would become, the necessary anti-theft measures were still in place. Unfortunately, with Yang Xuan's control over his body after reaching Hua Jin, his movements were truly negligible.
There were also countless people passing through Mong Kok and Nathan Road. It was already past one in the morning, and most of them were drunk and out enjoying themselves. Occasionally, a few patrol officers and security personnel appeared, but Yang Xuan fooled them all with the Bewitching Soul Grand Technique.
Phew, finally done. There were so many shops—dozens of gold shops and more than ten jewelry stores. Huh, Zhen Bao Zhai? An antique shop?
There was still plenty of time. Why not go in and take a look?
Tsk, tsk, there were quite a lot of things inside. The décor was also antique and elegant. Judging by the owner, he seemed to be rather fond of teapots and porcelain. Around sixty percent of the items were teapots and porcelain. Unfortunately, Yang Xuan did not particularly like those things.
Yang Xuan browsed as he walked, though he had no idea how many of the items were genuine. Just then, he happened to look up and see an axe hanging in the center of the shop. It was roughly 1.4 meters long, single-edged, with the top of the blade curving slightly inward into a sharp point. The rear of the blade curved slightly inward, while the back was shaped like the head of a gigantic beast. Yang Xuan examined it carefully but could not tell what kind of beast it was. His eyes lit up.
He had always liked weapons of this type best—battle-axes, twin hammers, iron whips, and other heavy weapons.
With a movement of his psychokinesis, the battle-axe slowly floated down. Yang Xuan grabbed it with one hand. It was heavy. Huh? There was even a manual tied to the back of the battle-axe.
The manual was titled Axe Aura. Hahaha, buying one and getting one free. He wielded the battle-axe, chopping left and right. It felt quite smooth to use. Judging by its weight, it was probably around 280 jin, a little too light. After thinking it over, Yang Xuan mischievously left a note: "This item is fated to be with me." He put down several kilograms of gold and jewelry, then left. He would strengthen the battle-axe when he had time. Satisfied, he returned home.
The next day.
This station interrupts its programming with a special report. In the early hours of this morning, twenty-three gold shops and twelve jewelry stores on the streets of Mong Kok and Nathan Road were completely robbed. The police have opened an investigation. The incident has shocked all of Hong Kong. The Commissioner of Police stated on air: "Our police have already obtained certain clues. Please rest assured—the thief will be arrested within the next few days." This is reporter Zhang Xiaomei reporting from the scene.
Inside Zhen Bao Zhai.
"Boss, are we really not reporting this to the police?"
A middle-aged man dressed in a Tang Suit was carefully looking around.
"Xi Zai, this fellow is no ordinary person. I can't afford to offend him. We might as well form a good relationship."
"Boss, our people aren't afraid of ordinary petty thieves. Although Scarface Qiang manages the thieves around here, he can't bully us like this."
"Hmph, Scarface Qiang? What does he amount to? Even if I lent him three times the courage, he wouldn't dare steal my things. I'm talking about the person who took my family's ancestral battle-axe. He's no ordinary man. Xi Zai, do you remember how we hung that axe up? It was difficult to carry, and no machinery could get inside. Several people had to use a tripod to hoist it up before we could hang it so high on the wall. They say yesterday's thief was alone. Think about it: someone carried off that axe alone, yet there were no footprints on the ground and no marks on the wall. If you encountered that person and he wanted to kill you, could you resist?"
Xi Zai broke into a cold sweat upon hearing that. Only after thinking it over carefully did he realize how terrifying this person was.
When Yang Xuan returned home, he found no one there. It seemed Yun Luo and Xiao Man had gone shopping. When Yang Xuan had been trying to copy Yun Luo's martial arts, he had taken her shopping as well. Well, perhaps it was simply a woman's nature—it truly had nothing to do with the era. Later, he could not copy much more martial arts from her, so Yang Xuan simply gave Yun Luo fifty thousand dollars and let her go shopping on her own.
He took out the battle-axe from his Storage Ring. The more he looked at it, the more he liked it. He touched the blade and rubbed it back and forth. It was a good weapon. There were even words written on the axe handle in seal script: Black Flame. It seemed to be the axe's name.
Data:
Black Flame Weight: 300 jin. Traits: Basic Sharpness, Basic Heaviness. Optimization: Black Flame Weight: 300 jin. Traits: Basic Sharpness, Basic Heaviness, increases Inner Force by 20%. Enhancement: Black Flame (1) Weight: 400 jin. Traits: Intermediate Sharpness, Intermediate Heaviness, increases Inner Force by 40.
Yang Xuan weighed Black Flame in his hand, and the system strengthened it again.
Second Enhancement:
Black Flame (2) Weight: 600 jin. Traits: Advanced Sharpness, Advanced Heaviness, increases Inner Force by 60%.
Suddenly, Yang Xuan felt his hand sink. His physical strength alone could just barely manage it. He could swing it continuously for half an hour, and that was without even using his psychokinesis, vital energy, or Inner Force.
Right, he had almost forgotten about the Millennial Korean Ginseng King. The system strengthened it again.
Second Enhancement.
Name: Millennial Korean Ginseng King (+2) Function: Increases lifespan by approximately 5,000 years and adds 100 years of first-rate Inner Force. The effect weakens slightly with each root consumed.
Yang Xuan lay sprawled on the floor like someone who had just been pulled from the water. He had no strength left in his entire body. His eyelids gradually grew heavy, and he passed out.
When Yang Xuan opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a bed. Sweat blurred his vision. He felt limp, his entire body soft and boneless, as if his bones had been pulled out.
Recalling what had happened before he lost consciousness, he realized that it had still been too much.
"Thank you," he said when he saw Yun Luo enter the bedroom.
"How did you end up collapsing on the floor? Did you enter a state of qi deviation?"
"Something seemed a little wrong when I circulated my energy yesterday. I suppose haste really does make waste." Yang Xuan casually came up with an excuse.
It looked like he would have to rest for two days.
"Yun Luo, why are you the one taking care of me? Where's Xiao Man?"
"Xiao Man? She seems to have been spending quite a bit of time with Li Chi lately."
"Then thank you. Has anything interesting happened outside recently?"
"A major thief appeared recently. Dozens of gold shops and jewelry stores were robbed. The police said they would solve the case as quickly as possible. Hee-hee, several days have passed and there's still been no response. The public's dissatisfaction is growing more severe."
"Heh, I'm really not interested in that sort of thing. In any case, thank you for taking care of me these past few days."
"I'm staying here, so you can consider it rent. Since you're fine, I'll head out first. Just call me if anything happens."
"Okay."
Yang Xuan lay on the bed like a pile of rotten mud, silently circulating his energy and trying to recover his strength, but the results were minimal. He then tried circulating his vital energy instead, and unexpectedly, it had already begun to work.
Phew, after three entire days without sleep or rest, he had finally recovered.
He had to be careful the next time he strengthened something. He could not end up killing himself, or that would be an absurdly wrongful death, Yang Xuan thought with lingering fear.
System, return.