Chapter 114: Caught in the Act Again

"If the Great Siming has something to say, please speak freely. If there is any way this humble official may be of service, I shall do everything within my power."

Duan Jiuzhang said in a deep voice.

The little girl tilted her head and carefully looked him over for a long moment.

After a while, she finally shook her head and said in an old-fashioned tone, "Little Duan, why are you so long-winded? I already told you, I'm just looking for someone."

Seeing this, Duan Jiuzhang refrained from asking any further questions.

"I'll go take a look around on my own. You can get back to your work. Don't worry about me."

The little girl waved her hand. Her figure flickered, and in an instant she disappeared into the bustling crowd.

'The Great Siming has quietly come here in person. Just what is she after...?'

Duan Jiuzhang's eyes flickered with uncertainty.

Yet he made no attempt to follow or investigate her.

A moment later, his expression returned to normal as he turned and headed back to the teahouse.

"Senior, judging from the sincere grief shown by the townspeople, Lord Ge must have been an extraordinary man. Since we're already passing through, and today happens to be the anniversary of his passing, why don't we pay our respects as well?"

Li Shun suddenly suggested.

Duan Jiuzhang was slightly surprised. After pondering for a moment, however, he nodded in agreement.

The three of them entered Lord Ge's shrine, stood solemnly before the altar, and one by one offered incense and kowtowed.

When it was Li Shun's turn, his gaze once again met the eyes of Lord Ge's stone statue.

At that instant, Ge Linfeng seemed to come alive once more.

Li Shun also saw the wisps of Xuanhuang Qi Heaven and Earth drifting around the statue.

Only...

This time, the statue no longer looked down upon him with the same compassion as before.

Nor did it glare at him with murderous fury as it had after the incident.

Instead, its gaze was calm, carrying the quiet scrutiny of someone who saw straight through everything.

Li Shun's heartbeat suddenly skipped.

It felt like a thief preparing to make his move, only to realize he had already been discovered beforehand.

For a brief moment, Li Shun hesitated.

'Steal...'

'No.'

'Take it... or not?'

The various benefits obtained from the Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth would not disappear when Threefold Self-Reflection reset the day.

Yet every consequence of taking the Xuanhuang Qi could be erased completely through Threefold Self-Reflection.

A business with no capital.

Pure profit.

An unbelievable windfall.

'But during the previous iteration, forcibly taking the Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth already caused an inexplicable change. That mysterious little girl whose identity remains unknown...'

Countless thoughts flashed through Li Shun's mind.

In the end, his eyes gradually became resolute.

'If Heaven offers and you refuse, you invite misfortune upon yourself.'

'I'm taking it!'

No longer hesitating, he extended his divine sense, silently attaching it to the Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth.

He intended to seize a strand before anyone noticed and forcibly draw it into the Fangcun space.

But...

Something completely different from the first iteration occurred.

The stone statue of Lord Ge seemed to have been on guard all along.

The instant Li Shun's divine sense touched the Xuanhuang Qi, the statue reacted.

The previously weightless strands of Xuanhuang Qi suddenly became as heavy as mountains.

No matter how much strength Li Shun exerted, they did not budge in the slightest.

'This is bad...'

Li Shun's heart sank.

The very next moment, divine radiance erupted from Lord Ge's stone statue.

At the same time, thunderclouds rolled across the heavens overhead.

Perhaps because Li Shun had failed to take the Xuanhuang Qi this time, the tribulation clouds were nowhere near as terrifying as they had been during the previous iteration.

"You..."

Duan Jiuzhang stared in astonishment at Li Shun, who stood at the center of the sudden upheaval.

Before he could even finish speaking...

A furious roar rang out from afar.

"You little thief! I've finally caught you red-handed!"

A figure shot over from the distance, arriving in the blink of an eye.

Without a word, she launched a flying kick straight at Li Shun.

Li Qing's expression changed slightly. Instinctively, he moved to shield his brother, but before he could take a single step, he was stopped by Duan Jiuzhang at his side.

Under the overwhelming pressure radiating from Duan Jiuzhang, whose presence stood as immovable as a towering mountain, Li Qing felt as though he had sunk into a swamp. He could not move in the slightest.

The little girl planted her kick squarely into Li Shun's back.

It did not hurt much.

Yet in an instant, he found himself tightly bound by restraints before being thrown to the ground, completely unable to move.

The Great Siming clapped her hands together, her face brimming with excitement.

"Haha! As expected, the moment this young lady personally makes a move, victory is guaranteed. Catching a tiny little fool of a thief is child's play!"

Only after speaking did the little girl notice Duan Jiuzhang and Li Qing standing nearby.

A moment later, she realized the identity of the "foolish thief" she had just captured.

Her eyebrows shot upward.

"So you're that imperial clansman who suddenly appeared out of nowhere?"

Li Shun's mouth had been sealed shut, leaving him unable to speak. Duan Jiuzhang answered on his behalf.

"Indeed, it is him. However... may I ask what exactly the Great Siming means by calling him a foolish thief?"

The little girl ignored the question. Looking down at Li Shun from above, she shouted sternly,

"So what if you're related to His Majesty? Hand over every last strand of the Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth immediately!"

The moment those words were spoken, the look in Duan Jiuzhang's eyes as he turned toward Li Shun became dark and unreadable.

"He stole the Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth?"

His eyes narrowed.

The killing intent he released was no longer concealed in the slightest.

But almost immediately afterward, as though recalling something, he paused.

Cupping his fists, he asked, "May I ask, Great Siming, when exactly was the Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth stolen?"

The little girl answered without hesitation.

"Before dawn today."

"Before dawn today?"

A trace of confusion flashed through Duan Jiuzhang's eyes.

He turned back toward Li Shun and slowly shook his head.

"If that is truly the case, then I fear he is not the foolish thief the Great Siming seeks."

Lying helplessly on the ground, Li Shun nodded repeatedly, his face the very picture of innocence.

"What?" The little girl naturally refused to believe it.

Duan Jiuzhang patiently explained,

"Before dawn today, our group was still outside the city. Throughout that entire period, none of us separated."

"Unless he possesses the ability to create an avatar, he simply had no opportunity to commit the theft. Besides, he is only at the Mortal Physique realm..."

Duan Jiuzhang shook his head.

The meaning behind his words was perfectly clear.

The little girl froze on the spot.

Still unwilling to give up, she thoroughly searched Li Shun from head to toe with her tiny hands.

Yet no matter how carefully she looked, she could not find the slightest trace of any Xuanhuang Qi.

"This is shortening my lifespan... Don't tell me I really caught the wrong person..."

Disbelief filled the little girl's face.

"Then what about just now?"

She raised her head and looked toward the dark clouds gradually dispersing across the sky.

"I believe... it was probably related to his bloodline."

After pondering for a moment, Duan Jiuzhang gave his answer.

The Great Siming scratched her head before making a bitter face as she removed the restraints binding Li Shun.

Having regained his freedom, Li Shun climbed to his feet rather awkwardly.

"What exactly happened just now?"

Although Duan Jiuzhang's expression remained solemn, his aura continued to keep Li Shun firmly locked in place.

Seeing that he had been caught red-handed yet had not immediately been branded an "Otherworldly Celestial Demon," Li Shun's thoughts immediately became active.

'The reason things turned out differently this time is because I never actually succeeded in collecting the Xuanhuang Qi. I merely touched it with my divine sense...'

His thoughts raced.

Almost instantly, a plan formed in his mind.

He truthfully recounted everything.

"When I offered incense to Lord Ge, my eyes met his."

"Then it felt as though Lord Ge had suddenly come back to life."

"Moreover, mysterious and profound streams of energy were entwined around his body."

"Within those streams of energy, I seemed to witness Lord Ge's entire life."

"My consciousness became completely immersed in it, and I couldn't help wanting to look even deeper..."

"After that..."

Li Shun paused, glanced cautiously at the little girl beside him, and continued carefully,

"...I was captured by the Your Excellency Great Siming."

The little girl frowned.

"What do you mean, Your Excellency Great Siming? That sounds awful. Just call me the Great Siming."

Li Shun hurriedly nodded.

"Understood."

"That's everything."

He honestly finished his explanation.

Duan Jiuzhang looked at Li Shun for a moment before giving a slight nod.

"It seems this truly was nothing more than a misunderstanding."

"Those who possess the imperial bloodline do indeed have the possibility of perceiving the physical form of the Xuanhuang Qi of Heaven and Earth. Given his weak cultivation, becoming lost within its influence is perfectly understandable."

The Great Siming also appeared to accept Duan Jiuzhang's conclusion.

Her shoulders immediately slumped once more.

"This is shortening my lifespan..."