Gone.
Was that all?
Ye Feng searched every inch of the Soul Tool again and again, but there truly wasn't anything else of value.
How could Yu Xiaogang be so poor?
For a moment, Ye Feng could hardly believe it.
A Soul Grandmaster, and a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and this was his entire fortune?
"What a waste! I've saved up more Gold Soul Coins than he has!"
He spat in disdain.
Ye Feng didn't dare use this Storage Soul Tool himself.
The Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges was far too conspicuous.
Flender knew it. Liu Erlong knew it. For all he knew, Bibi Dong and the higher-ups of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan knew it too.
Carrying it around would be asking for trouble. It was practically like sticking the word "thief" on his forehead.
He had to find somewhere to fence it as soon as possible and trade it for a new one.
He stuffed the few useful illustrated books, along with the more than a thousand Gold Soul Coins in his arms, into the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges.
Then he fastened the belt around his waist again.
He'd use it for now and figure things out once he reached a new city.
Ye Feng took a simple map from his pocket and studied it carefully.
The nearest city was Aolin City in the Pelaji Kingdom, about a hundred li away.
All right, he'd go there! First fence the stolen goods, then decide what to do next!
Meanwhile, at Nuoding Academy.
Yu Xiaogang woke amid a wave of excruciating pain.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw the ceiling and Dean Su beside him, looking concerned.
"Xiaogang, you're awake? Are you feeling any better?"
Dean Su handed him a glass of water.
Yu Xiaogang struggled to sit up. His head felt as if it were splitting, and it seemed like several lumps were swelling on it.
He reached up and felt four or five large bumps.
"Dean Su... I... what happened to me?"
His voice was hoarse and dry.
"You were attacked, on a street corner outside the academy."
Dean Su sighed.
"When someone found you, you'd already passed out. By the time I chased after the attacker, they were long gone."
Attacked?
The last moments flashed through Yu Xiaogang's mind: a shadow darting out from the side, then a heavy punch.
He hadn't even seen what the attacker looked like!
Who was it? Who on earth had done this?
Someone he'd reprimanded before? Or a fellow scholar jealous of his talent?
Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth. Though he didn't know who it was, he swore he'd find them and make them pay a hundredfold!
"Dean Su, thank you."
He forced out a smile.
"Get some rest. I've already asked one of the healing-type teachers to examine you. They're only superficial injuries. You'll be fine after a few days' rest."
Dean Su offered a few words of comfort, then rose and left the room.
Yu Xiaogang was left alone.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He decided to record this humiliation.
By reflex, he reached for the Soul Tool at his waist, intending to take out paper and a pen.
But his hand grasped nothing.
Huh?
Where was his belt?
Yu Xiaogang froze. A sense of foreboding welled up inside him.
His waist was bare.
His Soul Tool... was gone!
In an instant, Yu Xiaogang's eyes turned bloodshot, the red veins spreading wildly!
It wasn't just a Storage Soul Tool!
Inside it were the fruits of his life's work! All his research! His entire fortune!
And... the only keepsake she'd ever left him!
"AAAAAAAH!!!"
A piercing roar, more beastlike than human, erupted from the room.
"I, Yu Xiaogang, will never forgive you!!!"
The news that Yu Xiaogang had been beaten black and blue in an alley in Nuoding City, stuffed into a sack, and robbed of the Soul Tool he always carried spread through every street and alley in the city overnight, as if it had grown wings.
The incident soon became the biggest joke people shared over tea.
Some said the Grandmaster's "useless theory" had ruined a young scion of some great family, and the family elders had come to take revenge.
Others said the Grandmaster had angered some hot-tempered Soul Master by going around preaching his theories, and that was why he'd been beaten.
The wildest rumor was that the Grandmaster had gotten himself into an affair and was caught in an alley by the woman's husband, who had "taught him a lesson."
For a time, the people of Nuoding City eagerly traded one theory after another. But every version brimmed with mockery and disdain for Yu Xiaogang, the "theory master."
Meanwhile, the one who'd started it all, Ye Feng, had already left that trouble behind.
A day later, Aolin City.
One of the most prosperous cities in the Pelaji Kingdom, Aolin City was far larger than Nuoding City.
Its towering walls, broad streets, and bustling crowds all spoke of the city's wealth and vitality.
Ye Feng didn't rush to fence the stolen goods. Instead, he found an inconspicuous inn and spent a day getting thoroughly familiar with the city's layout and the locations of its major shops.
He didn't dare go to just any shop.
Who knew whether some little store had shady people behind it, ready to pull a robbery?
He was a nobody. If someone killed him after taking his things, there wouldn't even be a ripple.
After turning it over in his mind, he decided there was only one safe place.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's business.
As the continent's foremost auxiliary sect and also its wealthiest, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was renowned for its reliability.
Its businesses spanned both empires. It believed in making money through peaceful dealings and cared deeply about rules and reputation. It was unlikely to ruin its own name over a mere Soul Tool.
Besides, only a wealthy power like theirs could discreetly take in a sensitive stolen item like the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges.
Once he'd made up his mind, Ye Feng changed into a loose black robe and pulled the hood low over his face, shrouding himself in shadow. Then he headed straight for the grandest shop in the city center.
The Seven Treasure Shop.
Its gilded signboard gleamed in the sunlight, radiating luxury.
As soon as Ye Feng stepped inside, a faint, sweet fragrance greeted him.
The shop was lavishly decorated. Smooth marble gleamed across the floor, priceless paintings hung on the walls, and the counters displayed a dazzling array of goods, from rare ores to Soul Tool components.
A pretty young saleswoman in a light green dress immediately came over.
She saw Ye Feng's secretive getup but showed not the slightest surprise, maintaining only her professional smile.
After all, Aolin City sat at the border between two empires and was full of all kinds of people. She'd seen plenty of Soul Masters who didn't want to reveal their identities.
"Sir, how may I help you?"
Ye Feng didn't waste words. He lowered his voice, making it sound somewhat hoarse.
He untied the silver-threaded belt from his waist and placed it directly on the rosewood counter in front of him.
"Tell me how much this Soul Tool is worth."
Before you continue