Stormy Waves

"Taken away?"

Upon hearing this, Xuan Ye's first thought was that the uncle's relatives or close friends had taken the items, but then he came to his senses and felt something was off.

Uncle Luo Luoji was a standard bachelor; the only family he had was the Scavenger Squad.

If anyone else knew his account cipher, it would have been the contingency he'd prepared long ago—no need to entrust Xuan Ye with fulfilling his last wishes at all.

"Of course! We don't need to explain ourselves to you. Now get lost, or do I have to have someone throw you out?"

The young man said impatiently.

Hearing such a contemptuous tone, seeing a face more handsome than his own, clothes more luxurious, and a hairstyle more stylish, Xuan Ye immediately grew displeased.

Thump

With a domineering shove, he pushed the unpleasant young man against the wall, one hand bracing the wall to leave him no escape. Xuan Ye stared into his eyes and said darkly, "As long as I have the complete sequence and the corresponding cipher, you're responsible for the items I'm withdrawing. Whether they've been claimed or not, you owe me an explanation."

Caught off guard and pressed against the wall with such force, Gude was genuinely startled. He never imagined that this guy, with his shabby, low-class gear and a face that looked young from what was visible, would be so impulsive.

Laying hands on him inside the Mercenary Hall—what a rebellion! Those unruly mercenaries outside, even when fighting over quests, kept their restraint and dared not openly break the rules. How could this brat dare!

But trapped with no escape under such oppressive force, Gude lowered his voice, suppressed his anger, and spoke in a seemingly calm tone to avoid immediate trouble.

"Calm down first. Are you sure you didn't report the wrong number? We hadn't even started the cipher verification process yet."

"No mistake. Start verifying the cipher now. I need the result."

Xuan Ye stared at him expressionlessly.

Though he lacked social experience, he still sensed something off about this guy.

At that point, Gude's face shifted slightly, and he couldn't help but size up Xuan Ye again.

"Then please step aside. Input the cipher into this card."

He pulled a translucent purple card from his pocket and handed it to Xuan Ye. Xuan Ye let the guy off, took the card, and began writing on it with his finger, tracing something on the faintly magical translucent surface.

Hmm, it seemed the Mercenary Guild wasn't entirely manual; key points relied on magic to handle things. Based on what he'd learned from books and cross-referenced with his Perception, this was a small magic pattern card linked to a fixed magic array. The letters input would be converted into corresponding magic runes, matching the array.

Pretty much like a password lock.

With a stiff expression, Gude took the card back from Xuan Ye and inserted it into a slot on the counter. Seeing it flash green to indicate approval, his face turned unnatural. Then, as if unwilling to give up, he said, "Sir, are you sure you want to check the item's status?"

"The item's gone. You shouldn't be asking me if I want to check its status. You should be telling me when you'll get it back."

Xuan Ye stared coldly at him, his voice turning icy.

Even if he hadn't understood before, he saw it now: the things Luo Luoji had stored here were in trouble, likely due to the staff's own theft.

"Sir, knowing too much about some things can be a curse."

Seeing that the stubborn fool in front of him wouldn't take the hint, Gude began to speak more bluntly, his threat unmistakable.

"All I know is that if you don't give me an explanation right now, I'll curse you right away."

Xuan Ye shot back without compromise.

Given the entanglements of his current identity, he really didn't want to cause trouble. Staying low-key was the best way to minimize the risk of being discovered by the Kend Family.

But not wanting trouble didn't mean he feared it—especially on matters of principle!

He owed his current achievements to stepping over the corpses of Luo Luoji and the others!

And now, the legacy the uncle had left to be divided among the Scavenger Squad had been stolen through underhanded means. Not tearing this place apart was already him holding back.

"Are you threatening me?!"

Gude seemed unable to believe that, in broad daylight, inside the Mercenary Hall, someone would openly threaten him.

Even he, with his status, had to hint and imply when threatening this lowlife. And this brat was so direct, utterly uncultured. Truly, a lowlife was a lowlife...

Smack

Before the thought even finished flashing through his mind, a sharp, burning pain struck his face, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. He'd been slapped.

"I'm not just threatening you—I'm hitting you too. I warned you, but you didn't listen."

Withdrawing his hand as if nothing had happened, Xuan Ye wore a look of disgust. Damn it, why was this guy so stubborn? Couldn't he just talk nicely? Of course, Xuan Ye wouldn't admit that the real reason he'd acted so swiftly was because the guy was better-looking than him.

The slap left Gude's face visibly swelling, his head spinning. He seemed unable to believe anyone would ignore the Mercenary Hall's rules and strike directly.

But when he came to, a hint of excitement crept into his smile, even as it tugged at his swollen cheek. The sight sent a chill down Xuan Ye's spine—was this guy a masochist?

Soon, though, he understood why the man wore that expression. Gude, clutching his face, stepped back from the counter into the hall and immediately put on a look of grievance, pointing at Xuan Ye as he shouted in a pitiful, loud voice, "You even dared to hit someone!"

This drew the attention of many in the hall, the chaotic noise dying down as a crowd gathered to watch the show.

A few mercenaries who recognized the young man showed surprise. One bare-chested brute with a vicious scar across his chest spoke up curiously, "Oh? Who's got the guts to start a fight here and hit Young Master Gude? What do you say, Young Master Gude? Want to put out a quest? Be generous—I'll take it."

As soon as he finished, many others caught on.

"Is that Gude? His face is so swollen I didn't recognize him."

"Haha, that fair, girly face of his—if it gets messed up, he won't be able to pick up chicks anymore."

"Was it that black-robed kid who did it? Can't see clearly, but he doesn't look familiar."

"Gude? Which Gude? The second son of that rich merchant? Why's he here in the hall? I remember Harman threw a banquet for him to get into the Mage Tower—the one with talent to become a Mage Lord?"

"Pfft, I heard he can barely cultivate, but his talent's terrible. Looks hopeless, so he came back to help his old man out. Still a junior apprentice after all these years, I think. But of course, his status is still higher than ours, haha."

"..."

A flurry of discussions broke out, and Xuan Ye, relying on his keen Perception, caught quite a bit of the chatter.

"Oh, I didn't notice you had active Spiritual Power, kid. But the fluctuations are so faint, you'd miss them if you weren't looking closely."

Xuan Ye looked Gude up and down, clicking his tongue in mild surprise. But this unintentional jab struck Gude like an arrow to the wound—damn him!

"Looks like you made the smart choice. With such trash talent, don't waste your energy on magic. You'll never break through to Professional Rank in your lifetime. Can't extend your lifespan, and you'd have to stay cooped up for ages—better to come out and enjoy the pleasures of the world."

Without any self-awareness, Xuan Ye nodded as if in deep agreement.

If the first blow had left Gude's face stinging, this one pierced his heart like a sieve. His face twisted with hatred as he glared at Xuan Ye and snarled, "You! Hmph! Disturbing public order in the hall, bad attitude, and throwing a punch! As the hall supervisor, I'm issuing a maintenance order! Seize him and hand him over to the City Guard Station for detention! If he resists, kill him on the spot—I'll take full responsibility!"

After saying this, a vengeful thrill surged through Gude's heart. How dare he hit me!

Hmph, he'd been cautious about the consequences at first. If this blew up into something that damaged the guild's reputation, drawing too much attention, he'd be in deep trouble. Even his father's position in the Merchant Guild couldn't save him!

Embezzling unclaimed goods from the Mercenary Guild's storage was a common practice, but it was something you did, not something you said. If it came to light and caused a scandal, someone would have to take the fall—or even be made an example of.

The news of that scavenger leader's death had come back over two months ago. Whether the other rumors were true or not, the fact that he hadn't shown up in two months meant he was likely dead. And since he was a solo Professional Expert with no backing and a decent stash, it was only natural for Gude to reach out and take it.

But now, out of nowhere, some bastard showed up with the guy's cipher. Even if he had it, he was probably just some lowlife tied to the Scavenger Squad. A nobody's will could be ignored—what he'd swallowed, he wouldn't spit out!

He'd planned to offer some token hush money upfront, then hire the Thieves' Guild to silence him permanently. But this idiot had to be so reckless, picking a fight and hitting him in the Mercenary Hall!

The Mercenary Hall had maintained relative order among these bloodthirsty mercenaries for a reason!

It was a high-pressure decree from the City Hall to the City Guard Station, a rule written in blood. Few were foolish enough to challenge it anymore!

Once the guy was locked up, there were plenty of ways to shut him up...

As these thoughts sank in, a wave of vengeful pleasure welled up from within. The thrill of payback made him forget the pain on his face. And with the goods already secured and the loose ends tied, a twisted grin spread across Gude's face—one that made Xuan Ye feel sick.

Well, Xuan Ye clearly had no idea what was going through his mind. Or even if he did, he still wouldn't have held back.

That uncle's belongings are something a piece of trash like you can covet?

Facing a few burly mercenaries who were cracking their knuckles and closing in with malicious grins, Xuan Ye let out a cold snort in his heart. With a seemingly light stomp, he slammed his foot into the hall floor.

'Boom!'

Everyone felt the ground shake. Chunks of stone flew everywhere as a half-meter-wide crater appeared in the hard bluestone floor, with a web of cracks radiating outward!

The few mercenaries who had been closing in froze on the spot, too terrified to move!

What?! Even a Senior Knight Attendant wielding a weapon might not be able to cause that kind of damage!

A Professional Rank Expert!

Holy crap!

This was the confidence Xuan Ye had to ignore the threats! This was the deterrent power of a Professional Expert!

In all of Stanrose, there were fewer than fifty Professional Experts. Not only was he in the right, but even if he weren't, he had the capital to flip the table and break the rules here!

Thanks to Candy_Classmate for the tip. Next chapter after 12. Also, Monday tomorrow—please support and help push the rankings!