Pursuit

Another day passed.

Drunken Spring House.

This time, Ye Kang wore his official uniform, a long saber at his waist, and walked in with an indifferent expression.

At once, everyone instinctively fell silent, not daring to provoke the officer.

Ye Kang swept his gaze around, then went straight up to the second floor.

At that moment, Qiu Niang was playing the pipa for a wealthy young master. The moment he saw Ye Kang, his legs began to tremble, and he tumbled right off his chair.

"Spare me, my lord! I'll leave right now!"

With that, he scrambled away on all fours.

Ye Kang was left speechless.

Nobody told you to leave.

He shook his head and said loudly, "Qiu Niang, I'm here today to track down a Grand Thief. Pay me no mind. Keep playing and keep dancing."

Qiu Niang covered her mouth with a laugh, her slender jade fingers plucking the pipa strings.

Ye Kang planted his saber on the ground and sat upright.

After playing for a while, Qiu Niang asked, puzzled, "My lord, why are you so certain that thief will come looking for me? If I were him, I'd have left long ago and gone into hiding under another name."

Ye Kang shook his head.

"He's not coming to find you. He's coming to find me. I ruined his reputation. If he doesn't come after me for revenge, I'll have underestimated him."

Ye Kang drank as he considered the possibilities.

Truthfully, he was gambling too—gambling that the thief was no ordinary cutpurse.

After all, the man was far too cautious. He hadn't left a single clue at the crime scene, making him impossible to track down. Ye Kang could only take an unconventional tack.

If the gamble failed, he'd figure something else out. People came up with solutions as they went, one at a time.

Ye Kang waited calmly. Qiu Niang sat demurely beside him, not daring to say a word.

It wasn't until deep into the night—

that fewer and fewer pedestrians remained on the surrounding streets.

One by one, great lanterns were lit, and Drunken Spring House blazed with light.

The Great Jin Dynasty had no curfew, so places of entertainment like this naturally stayed open around the clock.

Ye Kang had already drunk two pots of wine, and his backside was nearly sore from sitting.

Seeing that the thief still hadn't come, Qiu Niang sighed.

"My lord, you really are patient. Usually, the guests look at me as if they want to devour me. You've sat with me all day, yet you haven't even touched my hand."

Ye Kang's heart jolted at her words.

That was it.

She'd hit the nail on the head.

He couldn't stay still. He had to make a big show of things!

He reached out, grabbed Qiu Niang by the wrist, and gave a gentle tug.

With a soft cry, Qiu Niang fell into Ye Kang's arms.

"My lord!"

"Since the thief hasn't come, we might as well do something more meaningful."

Qiu Niang's face instantly flushed crimson, but she seemed to have no strength to resist, letting him do as he pleased.

Meanwhile, in the inn next door to Drunken Spring House—

the White-robed Young Master had been carefully concealing his aura, keeping a constant watch on the second floor of Drunken Spring House.

Beneath the moonlight, the shadows of Ye Kang and Qiu Niang appeared on the second-floor windows.

Their silhouettes were entwined, and Ye Kang's hand kept wandering.

The White-robed Young Master furrowed his brow. The long sword in his hand was already drawn.

"So he really is a lecher. I'll kill you tonight!"

The White-robed Young Master leaped, his figure as nimble as an ape, and crossed several dozen meters in an instant.

He thrust out his sword, its tip erupting with a terrifying torrent of true qi.

The sword pierced through, and the entire wall burst apart beneath the violent true qi. The White-robed Young Master roared,

"Die, you dog!"

"I've been waiting for you!"

Ye Kang's mouth curled up. Just as he'd thought, the other man had been waiting for him to let his guard down.

His saber flashed from its sheath, and he swung it back with a mighty slash.

White Tiger Slaughtering Blade!

Clang! The saber and sword collided. The White-robed Young Master's eyes shifted from viciousness to shock.

"You're Super First-Class!"

He barely had time to cry out before he was sent flying.

"Go downstairs and hide."

Ye Kang spoke quietly, then charged straight out after the White-robed Young Master.

Ye Kang's expression was grave as well.

There were only two possibilities for how the other man had stayed hidden for so long without being detected.

Either he possessed a top-tier Stealth Technique, or he was Super First-Class too.

But judging by the clash just now, it should have been the first.

Ye Kang leaped from the building, while the White-robed Young Master crashed heavily to the ground.

[Ding]

[Mission issued: Retrieve the Luminous Pearl]

[Mission Reward: 2,000 Comprehension]

The System Sound rang out. It seemed he'd found the right person.

Ye Kang's spirits lifted. He advanced with his saber in hand.

"I'm Ye Kang, special envoy of the Imperial City Department. I've been ordered to investigate the Luminous Pearl. Where is it?"

The White-robed Young Master wore a mask, but blood was clearly visible at the corner of his mouth.

He quickly regulated his disordered true qi, sprang to his feet, and glared with fury.

"You dog! Why did you use my name to commit such despicable acts?"

Ye Kang burst out laughing at that.

"Since we're both thieves, what's the difference between high and low?"

"Bullshit! I'm a Grand Thief. I only steal ill-gotten wealth from corrupt officials of the imperial court! I'd never stoop to the behavior of a lowlife!"

"So you really are a hot-blooded fool. Then let me tell you this: a thief is a thief. Hand over the Luminous Pearl, and I'll spare your life."

Ye Kang pointed his saber straight at the White-robed Young Master.

The other man instinctively stepped back, though a look of disdain appeared on his face.

"What would an Imperial Court's Dog like you know? You might be a little stronger than me, but if you want the Luminous Pearl, you'll have to catch me first!"

With that, he used his Lightness Skill and vaulted straight onto the rooftops.

Ye Kang used Flying Swallow Ascending Cloud at the same time and raced after him.

But the other man's Lightness Skill was incredibly strange. His figure moved like a ghost; with a few bounds, he seemed to melt into the night and leaped across several rooftops in an instant.

Ye Kang was stunned.

What incredible Lightness Skill!

He drove his true qi, taking step after step with Flying Swallow Ascending Cloud.

Even so, he could only just keep from losing his quarry. He simply couldn't catch up.

Ye Kang was genuinely taken aback.

Flying Swallow Ascending Cloud was Flying Centipede's signature skill. Although Flying Centipede himself wasn't very strong, this Lightness Skill was unquestionably a superior martial art.

And the other man's strength should only have reached Top-tier First-class.

Yet Ye Kang, using Flying Swallow Ascending Cloud with Super First-Class strength, still couldn't catch him!

Ye Kang refused to believe it. He drove his Wood Element True Qi to full force and stayed hot on the other man's heels.

In the darkness, two figures raced one after the other, quickly crossing half the city and heading straight beyond its walls.

The White-robed Young Master was in no better shape.

He'd already been wounded in the clash of blades. His breathing was unsteady, and he was weaker than Ye Kang. The endless flight was taking a heavy toll on him.

He cursed inwardly.

What was wrong with this man?

He'd been chasing for so long. Didn't he ever get tired?

As the chase went on, Ye Kang could clearly feel the other man slowing down.

His true qi must be running low. He was about to give out.

Luckily, Ye Kang cultivated the Wood Heart Sutra. His true qi was abundant and could keep regenerating.

If he wanted to test their endurance, Ye Kang would wear him down to the bitter end!

In the blink of an eye—

the two of them had chased each other dozens of miles using their Lightness Skills.

At last, the White-robed Young Master ran out of true qi and couldn't keep going. His foot missed its mark, and he crashed into a patch of wasteland, unable to get back up.

Ye Kang landed steadily behind him, the tip of his saber pressed right against the back of the White-robed Young Master's head.

"Damn, you can really run. Go on, keep running!"

Whoosh!

The White-robed Young Master flicked his right hand, sending a pebble straight toward Ye Kang's throat.

Fortunately, Ye Kang had stayed on guard. He blocked with the back of his saber and knocked the pebble away.

At last, the White-robed Young Master couldn't hold on any longer. His eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

Ye Kang flew into a rage.

"You still dare to sneak-attack me? You little thief, take that!"

He grabbed the White-robed Young Master and roughly flipped him over. The white robe came apart with the tug, revealing a snowy expanse, rising like peaks into the clouds.

Ye Kang's mouth fell open, his expression a sight to behold.

"Damn, so the thief's a woman."