Chapter 454 - 451: Pause

Chapter 454: Chapter 451: Pause

"That thief’s Concealing Breath technique is incredibly refined."

Luo Qi turned around. Her gaze fell upon Qin Luomei’s face as she spoke slowly.

"I’ve cultivated the *Seeking the Unseen* technique for many years, and I’ve never encountered such a difficult opponent."

Qin Luomei remained silent. ’For even Luo Qi to say this... it’s clear just how difficult this thief will be to track.’

"I will report the situation here to the Sect exactly as it is."

Luo Qi retracted her gaze and walked toward the mine grounds.

"Take me to see the eight bodies. Let’s see if we can find anything."

Qin Luomei nodded and led the way.

The two returned to the mine grounds, where the eight bodies had been placed in a vacant wooden cabin, covered with white cloths.

Luo Qi lifted the white cloths and carefully examined the sword wounds over each corpse’s heart.

The wound was minuscule, just a thread-like trace, yet it had pierced the heart with perfect precision. One strike, one kill.

"Extremely fast and precise Swordsmanship."

Luo Qi straightened up, her expression grave.

"A master of the sword."

She was silent for a moment, then added.

"And judging from the wounds, this person’s Cultivation is at least Third Grade or higher."

Qin Luomei nodded without saying anything more.

After carefully examining the bodies once more and finding nothing new, Luo Qi finally exited the cabin.

"I will send a message to the Sect and inform them of the situation here."

She stood in the middle of the mine, hands clasped behind her back, gazing at the sun as it slowly climbed higher. Her voice was somber.

"As for whether we can track the thief..."

She shook her head, not finishing her sentence.

Qin Luomei understood her meaning. ’If even she is helpless, then tracking this thief is already beyond the current capabilities of the Netherworld Pavilion.’

Not long after, a Mail Eagle shot up from the mine, speeding toward the Netherworld Pavilion.

---

「Deep within the Netherworld Pavilion, the grand hall.」

Li Wushang stood before a window, hands clasped behind his back, clutching the letter just delivered from Luo Qi. His expression was so dark it seemed to drip venom.

’Luo Qi... couldn’t track him either?’

The unrestrained shock and fury in his voice sent a shiver down the spine of Liu Jin, who stood with his head bowed in the hall.

The characters on the paper were neat and concise, yet each one struck like a hammer blow—

"The thief’s Concealing Breath technique is extremely refined. The aura at the scene is too faint to form a complete trail for Tracking."

"I have failed. The Tracking was unsuccessful."

Li Wushang set the letter down. He stood before the window, hands clasped behind his back, unmoving for a long time.

’Even Luo Qi failed.’

’The tracking expert who, in my memory, had never once failed... this time, she has fallen short.’

"Vice Pavilion Master..."

Liu Jin began in a low voice, but he hesitated to continue.

Without turning, Li Wushang simply raised his right hand, silencing him.

The hall fell into a long silence.

After a long time, Li Wushang finally spoke, his voice hoarse and laced with an inexpressible mix of exhaustion and resolve.

"Issue the order."

He turned around, his gaze falling on Liu Jin’s face.

"Notify all of the Sect’s businesses. Have them transport all inventoried resources from their storehouses back to the Sect immediately."

Liu Jin froze for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes."

He turned and walked out of the hall, his steps a bit faster than usual.

Li Wushang stood at the window, hands clasped behind his back, staring out.

’Luo Qi actually failed.’

’Even the best tracker in the Pavilion failed. Sending anyone else would be pointless.’

’Leaving the resources at our various businesses will only give the thief more opportunities to strike.’

’It’s better to consolidate the resources back at the Sect and have them protected centrally.’

’At least within the Sect, with a Grandmaster Powerhouse on guard, the thief would never dare to trespass.’

"It’s just that..."

Li Wushang muttered to himself, his voice full of anger.

’Transporting the resources back to the Sect is the same as bowing our heads to that thief. It’s admitting that the Netherworld Pavilion is helpless against them.’

’As one of the Seven Sects, the Netherworld Pavilion has stood for centuries. When have we ever suffered such humiliation?’

’But I have no other choice.’

’If I let the thief pillage a few more of our businesses, the losses will be even more disastrous.’

’It’s better to cut our losses now than to continue taking risks just to save face.’

"No matter who you are..."

Li Wushang ground out through clenched teeth, his voice as low and cold as a winter night’s wind.

"Once the Netherworld Pavilion has a free hand, I will make you pay."

* * *

After recuperating in the tree hollow, Fang Han got his bearings, unleashed his Body Technique, and sped westward.

Taught a lesson by his previous near-failure, he chose a new target: a smaller Netherworld Pavilion Silver Mine, one guarded only by a Third Grade Elder.

「By evening」 Fang Han had appeared amidst a range of rolling hills.

He slowed his pace, slipped into a dense thicket, concealed his breath, and activated *Thousand-Mile Soul Lock* at full power.

A few miles ahead, there was a mine built on the mountainside.

Within the mine, a dozen or so wooden cabins were built against the mountain, and one could faintly make out the movement of figures inside.

Fang Han carefully sensed the auras within the mine.

The strongest aura, located deep within the mine, was dense and stable. ’That must be the Third Grade Elder.’

The other dozens of auras were of varying strengths, which matched the information in his report.

’No Second Grade Martial Artists!’

Fang Han felt a little more at ease.

He did not act rashly, but lay quietly in the bushes, waiting for night to fall.

Twilight fell. Fang Han remained motionless, like a lifeless stone.

The night deepened, and moonlight peeked out from behind the clouds.

Fang Han finally moved.

SWOOSH!

He darted silently from the bushes. Unleashing Wind God Step at full power, his figure became like a wisp of invisible night wind, vaulting the outer wall and drifting into the mine.

In just a moment, he had already reached the depths of the mine.

The storehouse was built into the side of the cliff, constructed from bluestone. Four disciples stood guard before the door.

Fang Han did not hesitate.

HUMMM—

The Wind Sword Intent flowed silently, and an invisible Spiritual Shock instantly washed over the four disciples.

The four didn’t even have time to make a sound before they crumpled to the ground.

Fang Han’s figure flashed, and he was already before the storehouse door. He reached out to catch the four bodies, laying them gently on the ground.

THWIP! THWIP! THWIP! THWIP!—

Sword light flashed, and a thin wound appeared over each of the four men’s hearts.

He turned, and with a small burst of Inner Qi, snapped the iron lock and pushed his way inside.

Inside the storehouse, silver ore was piled high as a mountain.

Without delaying, Fang Han summoned his system panel and began touching the piles of silver ore.

The silver ore, as if wiped away by an invisible hand, disappeared in an instant.

In just a few breaths, the storehouse was completely empty.

The numbers on the panel jumped accordingly.

[Wealth: 100,000 Gold → 300,000 Gold]

"Three hundred thousand gold."

Fang Han glanced at the number, the corners of his mouth twitching into a faint smile.

’A harvest of 200,000 gold, bringing my total wealth to 300,000. I’m almost a third of the way to the next million.’

Turning to leave the storehouse, he glanced at the four bodies, then at the largest wooden cabin in the distance.

The Third Grade aura was still stable, completely unaware of what had happened here.

SWOOSH—

Fang Han’s figure blurred. He retraced his steps, darting out of the mine.

In just a moment, he was out of the mine and had disappeared into the night.

* * *

「The next evening,」 the setting sun dyed the horizon a deep gold.

Fang Han’s figure appeared in a hilly area in the northern part of Qingyang County.

This was the location of another Netherworld Pavilion Silver Mine.

According to the intelligence from Tingyu Hall, this Silver Mine wasn’t large. It too was guarded by a single Third Grade Elder, with a security force comparable to the last one.

Fang Han slipped into a thicket, Concealing his Breath and activating *Thousand-Mile Soul Lock* at full power.

"Hm?"

As Fang Han’s senses swept over the mine, his brow furrowed slightly.

In the mine, there were only a few weak auras.

The auras belonging to the guarding disciples were sparse, only seven or eight of them.

The strongest aura—the Third Grade one—was still present. But aside from that, there were no other Martial Artists in the mine.

’A mine guarded by only seven or eight Martial Artists? That’s highly abnormal.’

’Something’s not right.’

A trace of doubt rose in Fang Han’s heart.

He did not act rashly, but continued to lie in wait, carefully sensing everything in the mine.

The sun sank in the west, and twilight deepened.

The lamps in the mine lit up one by one, and the figures of patrolling disciples moved about the grounds.

Fang Han observed for a long time, confirming that there were indeed only seven or eight disciples in the mine, not the twenty-plus recorded in the intelligence report.

’Were they reassigned? Or...’

A suspicion began to form in his mind.

He waited no longer.

After night fell, he darted out from the bushes, unleashing Wind God Step at full power, and silently drifted into the mine.

The patrolling disciples were sparse, and he encountered almost no resistance as he reached the depths of the mine.

The storehouse was built into the side of the cliff, with only two disciples guarding the door.

Fang Han killed them both with a Sword Intent Spiritual Shock, added the obligatory sword wounds, snapped the iron lock, and pushed the door open.

Moonlight shone in from the open door, illuminating an empty storehouse.

There was no silver ore, nor any other valuables.

Nothing at all.

Only an empty storehouse, casting a desolate shadow in the moonlight.

’My fears have come to pass!’

Fang Han stood in the center of the storehouse, his gaze sweeping around, his expression sinking slightly.

’My greatest fear has come true.’

’After failing to track me down, the Netherworld Pavilion must have ordered all its businesses to transport their goods back to the Sect.’

’I’m one step too late.’

"Looks like this is as far as I can go," Fang Han murmured, his voice echoing softly in the empty storehouse.

Without lingering, he turned, walked out of the storehouse, and closed the door behind him.

SWOOSH—

His figure blurred, and he retraced his steps, darting out of the mine.

In just a moment, he was out of the mine and had disappeared into the night.

Far from the mine, Fang Han stood on a mountain ridge. The moonlight spilled down, stretching his shadow long.

He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the distant mountain ranges, his brow slightly furrowed.

’The Netherworld Pavilion has most likely ordered all its businesses to transport their resources back to the main Sect.’

’If I keep going, I’ll likely just find more empty storehouses. There’s nothing left to gain.’

"It’s time to call it quits."

Fang Han muttered to himself, his decision made.

’This whole operation, I’ve plundered four of the Netherworld Pavilion’s businesses—one medicinal field and three mines.’

’The total haul is over a million gold. That’s an enormous profit.’

’Now that the Netherworld Pavilion has ordered its resources moved, I won’t get much even if I continue. It really is time to stop.’

’Time to return to the Sect.’

Fang Han turned, identified the direction, unleashed his Body Technique, and sped toward the Qingxuan Sect.

Under the moonlight, his figure was like a wisp of invisible wind, flitting through mountain forests, crossing streams, and soon disappearing into the night.