The Crimson Nether Pearl Is Stolen

Jia Youcai looked at Qian Renxue, unconscious in his arms, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

The once-passionate atmosphere had become somewhat awkward due to her sudden collapse and the change in the light surrounding her.

He gently laid Qian Renxue on the bed, tucked the blankets around her, then sat at her bedside and quietly watched her.

Jia Youcai's mind was in turmoil. He did not dwell too deeply on what had just happened, simply treating it as a generous reward from the system after he had topped up ten thousand yuan.

As for what might happen next, he thought it over and ultimately decided to leave it at that.

In the real world, no matter how much one gave, it was nearly impossible to receive an equal return. Even throwing fifty or a hundred thousand into it and ending up losing both money and the girl was perfectly normal.

But in the Virtual World, giving always brought rewards, without the slightest delay. Top up ten thousand, and he would immediately receive an equivalent reward or return.

Even if it was nothing more than a beautiful dream.

Jia Youcai rose to his feet and paced back and forth around the room.

Suddenly, someone knocked urgently on the door.

Jia Youcai stepped outside and looked closely, only to see a fiery red figure standing prettily at the entrance.

"Senior Sister Huo Wu, is something urgent?" Jia Youcai asked.

Huo Wu's face was filled with anxiety. The moment she saw Jia Youcai, she rushed up to him and shouted, "This is bad! Blazing Academy's Crimson Nether Pearl has been stolen!"

Jia Youcai frowned and muttered inwardly, Crimson Nether Pillar? What the hell is that?

"Slow down and tell me," Jia Youcai said steadily.

Huo Wu took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. Though she spoke slightly slower, she could not conceal her anxiety. "The Crimson Nether Pearl is a supreme treasure passed down by the academy for a thousand years. It contains incredibly pure fire-attribute energy and has always been kept within the academy's forbidden grounds, protected by a barrier jointly set up by several elders. But just now, the barrier was forcibly broken, and the Crimson Nether Pearl vanished without a trace. The elders guarding it were all seriously injured and unconscious. The situation is extremely critical."

Jia Youcai was secretly startled. He knew that within Blazing Academy, anyone qualified to serve as an elder was at least a Soul Emperor, while quite a few had already reached the realm of Soul Sages.

For such a powerful group to suffer severe injuries at the hands of the pearl thief, that person's strength was certainly not to be underestimated.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Did you find any clues? The culprit's appearance, for example, or the martial soul or soul skills they used?"

Huo Wu shook her head, her eyes full of worry. "The scene was a complete mess. Aside from the traces of the shattered barrier and the elders' injuries, no useful clues were left behind. The dean has already summoned all the teachers and students in the academy to thoroughly investigate this matter. I'm worried... there's a huge conspiracy hidden behind this. It might even endanger the entire academy."

Jia Youcai nodded, his expression turning grave as well. Though he had not been in this world for long, he had made quite a few friends at the academy and had already developed a certain sense of belonging here.

"Senior Sister Huo Wu, I'll go take a look with you. Maybe I can be of some help," Jia Youcai said.

A trace of gratitude flashed through Huo Wu's eyes. "Good. It couldn't be better to have your help. Let's go quickly. Everyone is gathering in the academy's council hall."

With that, Huo Wu directly grabbed Jia Youcai's arm and hurried toward the council hall.

"Hey—" Jia Youcai instinctively glanced back at the room behind him. No matter what, this was the boys' dormitory.

The two hurried toward the council hall. Along the way, Jia Youcai could clearly feel the tense atmosphere hanging over the academy.

The campus, normally bustling with activity, was exceptionally quiet now. Every so often, they passed teachers and students hurrying along, deep worry written across their faces.

When they arrived at the council hall, quite a few people had already gathered inside. The dean stood at the front, his face so dark it seemed as though water could drip from it. Seeing Jia Youcai and Huo Wu enter, the dean gave a slight nod, signaling them to find seats.

Once everyone had arrived, the dean cleared his throat. His voice was low and solemn. "Everyone, I believe you have all heard that the Crimson Nether Pearl has been stolen. This pearl is not only the supreme treasure of our academy, but it is also connected to the balance of the entire Soul Master World. Now that it has fallen into the hands of thieves, we must recover it as soon as possible. Otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable."

As he spoke, the dean slowly swept his gaze across the crowd before continuing, "I have already sent people to investigate, but there has been no progress so far. Therefore, I hope everyone can work together to search for clues and recover the Crimson Nether Pearl as soon as possible. During this period, no one may leave the academy without permission, lest we give the thieves an opportunity to exploit."

Everyone nodded in agreement, expressing their willingness to follow the dean's arrangements.

Jia Youcai sat in a corner, waiting the entire time. Such a major incident should have triggered either a main quest or side quest notification, shouldn't it?

Yet after waiting for a long time, Jia Youcai's mind remained completely silent. The familiar system notification sound never rang out.

He could not help frowning slightly as he muttered inwardly, What's wrong with this system? Something this huge happens, and it doesn't even give me a hint? Could it be that this world's plot isn't connected to the system's quests?

Just as he was pondering this, the dean spoke again. "Now, split into groups. Each group will be responsible for one area of the academy and carefully search for any suspicious traces. Huo Wu, take a few of them to the eastern area of the academy. It is close to the forest, so the thief may have escaped that way."

Huo Wu immediately responded, "Yes, Dean!" She then looked at Jia Youcai and the others. "Everyone, come with me."

Jia Youcai rose helplessly and followed Huo Wu and the others out of the council hall.

The more Jia Youcai thought about it along the way, the more unbelievable it seemed. Was there something wrong with this dean's brain?

Since that thief could break into the forbidden grounds and injure the elders guarding it, their Soul Power had to be at least level seventy, a Soul Sage, right? And now he expected a bunch of level-thirty-something Soul Elders to capture them? They probably would not even be able to hold the thief back.

The eastern area of the academy was relatively secluded, with lush trees and dense weeds. If someone hid here, or hid something here, it really would not be easy to find.

"Spread out and carefully search every corner. Report immediately if you find anything," Huo Wu ordered, and everyone dispersed.

Jia Youcai headed alone toward a patch of woods, watching the marks on the ground as he walked. Suddenly, the system's route guidance appeared. A faint light emerged in his field of vision, visible only to him.

Following that light would most likely lead him to the thief.

But even if he found them, then what?

He would go over there, get pinned down and killed, then spend money to buy Revival Coins?

No, no. He had to call for backup.