Stealing Dogs

Chen Jin marveled inwardly, robbing the rich really was a fast way to make money. He had saved 5,000 points in over two years through frugal living, and this haul alone was worth four years of his savings.

As he spoke, he unceremoniously gathered the entire pile of shark silk, and with a thought, stored it within his personal mark.

"My pleasure, my pleasure!" he clapped his hands, his smile growing even brighter. "The princess is so sincere, how could I be an unreasonable person? Once this illusion dissipates, I will immediately cancel that slave contract and restore her freedom."

Seeing him accept so readily, Cen Qing's expression softened slightly, and she continued, "Thank you, young master. Then, the second matter—"

Cen Qing's gaze suddenly dimmed, and the sorrow from the vast ocean beneath surged upwards.

Her lips trembled, her voice soft and melodious, yet each word dripped with blood and tears:

"Does the young master know... that when the First Emperor built the Mount Li Mausoleum, the tomb descended three hundred zhang into the earth, with winding inner palaces and a labyrinthine network of tomb passages, all requiring eternal, unceasing light... And the Eternal Lamps he used were actually refined from the lamp oil made from the corpses of my Shark Person kin."

She raised her eyes, her gaze shimmering with unshed tears, a bottomless abyss of grief and despair.

"My kin... were slaughtered in large numbers, dragged from the deep sea like livestock, and thrown into alchemical furnaces to be boiled alive... A wisp of smoke, a solitary lamp, was the last trace of my kinsmen in this world... Within the Mount Li Mausoleum, thousands upon thousands of lamps shine brilliantly, but beneath their radiance lie the piled bones of my entire clan and their eternal, unseeing resentment..."

Her voice grew softer, yet more sorrowful, each word she uttered entwined with an unresolvable crimson hue.

"Such an irreconcilable, blood-soaked hatred... How can you ask me... not to seek revenge?"

"Recently, the First Emperor will be arriving in Langya, leaving his ancestral land of Mount Li that shelters him. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I implore the young master to lend my clan a hand! As a wandering knight of the Mohist School, practicing universal love and non-aggression, aiding the weak and punishing the strong, how can you stand by and witness such atrocities?!"

At that moment, Ren Tu's voice, neither male nor female, sounded in his ear:

[You have triggered a special Yanfu event: Blood for Blood]

The Qin imperial family, in order to construct the Mount Li Mausoleum, massacred the Shark People on a large scale to refine lamp oil for the Eternal Lamps. This is a hatred of genocide. Princess Cen Qing of the Shark People seeks your assistance. Cen Qing promises that upon successful completion, you will possess your own Shark Person force in Human-Bingzi-Twelve.

[Optional Quest: Assist Princess Cen Qing of the Shark People in seeking retribution for this blood debt from Great Qin.]

[Accept Quest?]

Chen Jin's fingertips tapped unconsciously on the table.

After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke, "Your Highness, what you have just said is truly lamentable. Tyranny that oppresses the people, extracting oil from bones—such actions are an offense to both gods and men."

His tone shifted slightly, revealing his concerns, "However, this matter involves far too much and points directly to the heart of the empire. It is truly earth-shattering. While I am willing, I cannot rashly agree based on a moment of impulse. This is no child's play; it requires careful planning and meticulous strategy. I ask for your patience, Princess, to allow me time to thoroughly consider the risks and feasible methods."

Before Cen Qing could respond, he continued, "Furthermore, our conversation within this illusion seems to have gone on for quite some time. The 'Law Eye' in the sky is strict and sees all. If we remain in this illusion for too long and attract its attention, it would be a disaster for both of us. Perhaps we should stop here for today?"

His tone was sincere as he proposed, "Once I have fully considered it, we can find a more secure location and time to discuss this matter further, how about it?"

Cen Qing gazed at him, the light and shadow of the illusion flowing across her perfect face, making her true expression unreadable.

After a moment, the corners of her lips curved upwards, forming a faint, enigmatic smile, "Very well. As the young master says."

The instant her words fell, the surrounding magnificent underwater palace, the shimmering corals and shells, the swaying seaweed and silken curtains... shattered like a broken glass mirror, emitting an almost imperceptible crisp sound, and then crumbled inch by inch, dissipating.

Chen Jin's vision blurred, and all the fantastical scenes receded like a tide.

Familiar air, carrying the scent of salt and dust, filled his nostrils.

He looked closely and found himself standing in the same spot, his feet on hard ground, facing the imposing, vermilion-lacquered gate of the county magistrate's residence. Beside him, Captain Wang Wu and two other comrades had just lifted their feet, preparing to step over the high threshold.

It turned out that in the illusion, which felt like a long negotiation, less than a few breaths of time had passed in reality.

Chen Jin's heart tightened, and he immediately sent a wisp of consciousness into his personal mark. The unsharpened short sword [Mo Mei] and the shark silk lay quietly within; the inherited power of "Flesh of Vision," which had risen to 69% with an additional 17% awakening potential, also surged within him, not at all hollow.

Illusion within reality, reality within illusion. The interplay of the virtual and the real was indeed profound and unfathomable.

Cen Qing's words were likely three parts truth and seven parts falsehood, a mixture of both. He believed the Shark People held a deep-seated hatred for Great Qin; that animosity was likely genuine. But as for her claimed reason for assassinating him? That was most likely a fabricated excuse on the spot. This judgment, of course, did not come from observing micro-expressions in the illusion—believing facial expressions within an illusion controlled by the other party was utterly foolish. As for her fabricated grudge with "Heifu," although it was difficult to find a flaw to disprove it at the moment... Chen Jin's reason for judgment was simple and direct: the clear red killing intent that permeated Cen Qing when he used [Glance of the Startled Swan] just now. She harbored murderous intent towards him.

Chen Jin sneered inwardly. He would only genuinely involve himself in a major undertaking planned by someone who harbored murderous intent towards him if he were tired of living. But he had just accepted her generous gifts—the shark silk, the [Mo Mei] short sword, and the increase in awakening potential were all tangible benefits. To immediately turn hostile and refuse would be too unsightly; he didn't want to spit out the benefits he had already obtained.

"I'll play along for now. The Shark Princess is plotting something that could shake the heavens, and her enemy is the mighty Great Qin. The risks are extremely high. Perhaps she'll 'ascend to immortality' quietly one day, saving me the trouble."

With thoughts racing, he quickly caught up to Wang Wu and his two companions. In front of the grand gate of the county magistrate's residence, a butler-like man, dressed in a decent silk robe with his chin slightly raised, was waiting, an undisguised look of impatience on his face.

He caught sight of Wang Wu and his men, let out a soft scoff, and spoke with an arrogant, shrill tone:

"Hmph, you finally decided to show up? This is all the manpower you could scrape together? Fine, fine, listen closely—the 'Ink Jade Qilin Dog' kept at the County Magistrate Mansion went missing this morning! That is a treasure our master spent a fortune and pulled countless strings to acquire; it is incredibly precious! The minced meat it eats daily is finer than the millet you people consume!"

He gestured imperiously and continued: "All of you, hurry up! Search every nook and cranny inside and outside the city! You must bring it back completely unscathed! If even a single hair is harmed, or if you fail to find it... hmph, if you ruin the master's mood for amusement, watch your own hides!"

Wang Wu's expression darkened, but he still cupped his hands and said in a deep voice: "Understood, we shall do our utmost."

Chen Jin stood to the side, his eyelids lowered.

He had originally assumed the Shark Person princess was hiding within the County Magistrate Mansion, perhaps as a relative, which would explain how she could manipulate the steward into reporting a case to lure him here.

But thinking about it now, that was not necessarily the case; she could just as easily achieve her goal by stealing a dog.

Hmph, hiding your head and showing your tail—you truly have no good intentions.