Someone Was About to Die Here
The array patterns continued to operate, showing no change on the surface.
Shisui returned to the shadows and transmitted his voice to Ren, "The formation has a breach."
Ren nodded slightly and led Han Zhong and his group into the underground warehouse.
The warehouse entrance was wide, with soul stones embedded in the surrounding stone walls, and a dim light illuminated rows of shelves. A dozen guards stood on both sides of the passage, their eyes constantly scanning the crowd.
In the shadows outside the warehouse, Obito stood with his arms crossed, his golden Mangekyō Sharingan on the guard, his face showing considerable impatience.
"The strongest of these people is only Great Soul Sage, why bother going through all this trouble?"
He lowered his voice and spoke to Ban beside him.
Ban also crossed his arms and gave a cold snort.
"You brat, if it were me, I would have razed this place to the ground long ago."
What happens after it's leveled?
"Of course, it's to take things."
The item hasn't been found yet.
"Then arrest them all and question them one by one."
Although the two spoke in hushed tones, they did not escape Ren's notice.
Ren glanced at the two of them from several feet away.
Obito and Madara immediately shut their mouths.
Obito pursed his lips and turned his head to look elsewhere.
Ban remained expressionless, as if he hadn't uttered a single word.
The manager in blue led the group to the underground storeroom.
Han Zhong directed the guards to unload the cargo container from the vehicle.
One by one, wooden boxes were opened, revealing neatly arranged Spiritual Materials inside. These Spiritual Materials were imbued with rich Soul Power, and their extraordinary nature could be sensed even from several steps away.
The steward in blue slowly stopped walking.
He picked up a crimson crystal, infused it with his Soul Power, and felt the immense energy within. His smile grew wider and wider.
"Blood Crystals produced in Mist God Mountain?"
"And there's Azure Vine, Purple Cloud Bone, and Seven-Leaf Soul Flower."
He opened several wooden boxes in succession, his lustful gaze no longer concealed.
Han Zhong smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Sir, although the origin of these Spiritual Materials is unusual, they were indeed obtained through a risky venture. As long as the price is right, the Han Family is willing to cooperate with the Azure Luo Merchant Guilds in the long term."
"Long-term cooperation?"
The steward in blue closed the wooden box and suddenly laughed.
"Manager Han, you said these things have a special origin, just how special?"
Han Zhong sank.
"What does this mean, sir?"
"What's the meaning?"
The steward in blue threw the Spiritual Materials back into the box, his smile vanishing completely.
"The Mist God Mountain has long been sealed off by several forces, making it impossible for an ordinary caravan to leave with so many high-grade Spiritual Materials. You have no gathering permits and cannot produce any proof of ownership from any of these forces."
He raised his hand and waved.
"Goods of unknown origin will naturally be detained by the Azure Luo Merchant Guilds."
Han Zhong's face turned deathly pale.
"Sir, the goods can be kept for inspection, but I am by no means Bandits. We have travel documents and the marks of caravans along the way. How can you say they are of unknown origin?"
What can a document prove?
The steward in blue sneered.
"At most, it proves you came from the Southwest Trade Road, but it doesn't prove these Spiritual Materials belong to you."
He looked around at the guards.
"Take them all down."
As soon as he finished speaking, more than a dozen guards drew their weapons at the same time.
Soul Power surged in the underground warehouse, and several Soul Ring lit up one after another.
Han Zhong hurriedly retreated.
"Sir, is this how the Azure Luo Merchant Guilds conducts business?"
"Stop talking nonsense!"
The steward in blue stared at him.
"Explain the source of the goods clearly, and you might still be spared."
"If you can't explain it clearly, don't blame the Azure Luo Merchant Guilds for being ruthless!"
Han Zhong's lips turned pale. Just as he was about to explain, Ren had already sat down at the wooden table next to him.
A cup of tea was placed on the table.
He picked up his teacup and took a small sip.
The tea had a slightly bitter taste, but the temperature was just right.
Upon seeing this, the manager in blue immediately turned pale.
"At a time like this, you can still drink tea?"
Ren put down his teacup.
Why can't you drink it?
Someone's about to die here.
Who will die?
Ren raised his eyes.
The steward in blue felt a jolt in his heart when he saw him, then sneered.
"Of course, it's you who will die."
"The Azure Luo Merchant Guilds has been operating in Chaotic Star City for many years, and even the City Lord's Estate gives them some face. You outsiders dare to pretend to be calm here?"
Ren did not answer.
Seeing that he remained silent, the steward in blue assumed he was frightened and immediately ordered, "Search them and remove all their Storage Soul Tool!"
The guards swarmed forward.
As soon as a guard approached Itachi, Itachi raised his hand and tossed a storage ring to the ground.
"Take it."
The guard paused for a moment, then quickly bent down and picked up the ring.
"You're smart to know what's good for you."
He gripped the ring, and his Soul Power flowed into it through his fingertips.
The guard's body suddenly stiffened.
Before his eyes, the underground warehouse vanished instantly.
A magnificent hall came into view.
The Azure Luo Merchant Guilds members are counting their Soul Coins.
On the ledger, payments for goods were quietly withdrawn one by one.
Several merchants knelt on the ground, pleading desperately, while the manager in blue stood by, coldly watching his men pour poison into the wine jug.
"Sir, please spare us!"
"We don't want the payment, we just want our lives!"
The steward in blue showed no pity whatsoever.
"If you dare to spread this news, your whole family will die."
The scene keeps changing.
The businessman who was poisoned.
Goods that have been forcibly seized.
The body was staged as an accidental death.
There were also boxes of Soul Coins that had disappeared from the Merchant Guilds's accounts.
The guard's eyes widened as if he had seen the most terrifying thing in the world.
"It wasn't me!"
He suddenly screamed.
Everyone looked at him.
The guard stared intently at the steward in blue, the ring in his hand falling to the ground.
"Sir, I didn't mean to!"
The steward in blue's expression changed.
What nonsense are you talking about?
"You're the one who told me to poison Shopkeeper Zhao on South Street!"
The guard pointed at him, his voice growing louder.
"And the Liu Family Merchant Caravan in the west city, you had them taken care of too! You said they wouldn't hand over the payment, so you killed them all and threw their bodies into the Desolate Beast's lair!"
"Shut up!"
The steward in blue shouted sternly.
But the guard was completely trapped in the Genjutsu and couldn't hear any sounds from the outside world.
He knelt on the ground, hands covering his head, and continued shouting, "The ledgers are hidden in a secret compartment in your room! The money you embezzled totals 370,000 soul coins!"
The expressions on the faces of the surrounding men all changed.
Someone quietly retreated.
People were whispering among themselves.
Is he telling the truth?
"I knew it! Why did the payments from the previous batches of merchants suddenly disappear?"
"Didn't the steward say that those merchants ran away on their own?"
The steward in blue had a livid face, with veins bulging on his forehead.
"Anyone who dares to utter a single word will be killed!"
After the voice faded, no one in the entire underground warehouse responded.
Because everyone understood that what the guard said was probably true.
Han Zhong watched this scene, a hint of shock appearing on his originally pale face.
Itachi withdrew his gaze and stood calmly behind Ren.
Ren picked up his teacup and took another sip.
The steward in blue stared intently at him.
It's you!
What did you do to him?