Eternal Thief

Ace watched the caravan leave calmly from distance and transmitted his voice in mind, "System you heard what those men say right? What should I do?"

"[Host the mission is to perform honorable thievery at the number one city of the low-level lands! Meaning any city that is number one is your target. It doesn't matter if that city become number one today or tomorrow.]"

Ace felt relieved after he heard this, he also thinks this first and that's why he confirms with the system as well.

Now he has a new target: Luminous City!

If he wanted he could've just tag along with that caravan of carriages but he decided against it. Since he was here to robbed the city Ace didn't want to drag someone unnecessarily.

That's why he showed them his silent steps so they could think of him as a higher-level lands inhabitant and scared them to keep his existence a secret.

Ace has comprehended the most and only important rule of this cultivation world and that is 'Power'. If you have it you can do anything and no one will dare to stand against you and if you didn't then even a mortal would push you around like a slave.

He keeps going in the same direction and three days he spotted a towering city gate. It was much grander than any city gate he has ever seen in his journey. From outside one could vaguely see rows of colorful buildings.

Ace was astonished by this big city sight and immediately guess that this should be the Luminous City.

He saw guards at the peak of qi gates realm standing guard and checking the identity crystal cards of visitors. They were collecting toll from them and let them pass after verifying and record their identities in big red crystal.

This time Ace didn't wait like he always does to find a distraction and directly use stealth and silent steps to enter the city without any hitch whatsoever.

Those guards didn't even feel his wind. This was the terror of a qi foundation realm expert they can come and go as they pleased. And no qi foundation expert would go through such means to enter a city if they didn't have any ulterior motives like Ace.

After entering the city his vision fell on the crowded streets and beautifully carved houses and other buildings. This was his first time seeing these types of structures. The most eye-catching thing about these structures was on every single one of them was carved a symbol like a lion with wings.

This piqued Ace's curiosity, he saw this kind of symbol being used before especially on every building in the city. Alas, no one could answer his question so he decided to explore the city first since it was still daytime.

Ace saw many interesting and new things here in this city like, he saw an auction house and gambling den. These kinds of businesses were not normal in the eastern part of the lands of cities.

The most interesting thing he found here was mortal lives between cultivator like it was normal and the cultivators didn't dare to bully them for some reason. It was nothing like the eastern lands of cities where mortals were treated like ants.

Ace spotted a big imposing building and there were words carved on the wood plank that was hanging on top of the building. "Luminous Library".

He finds it strange after seeing this because he heard that libraries were like a luxury that only the kingdom level power could create so he was shocked to see that this city has dared to create a library here.

After some consideration, he decided to check this out since he was already here.

He reached the door and was about to open it when a light shone from the door. And it opens on its own.

Ace was startled by this, 'This is new.'

Without any hesitation, he enters the library and saw huge shelves inside and thousands of books neatly arranged in rows.

He dazes by this sight. It was his first time seeing these many books in a single place.

"Young man, did you lose your way here? Do you know you just committed a crime!" An old imposing voice sounded from the side.

Ace snapped out of his daze and turn his head to see the source of this old voice when he saw an old woman in her sixties was sitting on a chair behind a wooden counter.

Shockingly he felt high Qi ripples around her and used his eye skill. Just as he thought she was in the early foundation building realm just like him.

Ace calm down and replied politely, "I'm new in this city just saw this library here, I heard that libraries are only found in kingdoms so I was curious. I wonder which crime I committed?"

The old women saw Ace's common clothes and find it amusing. 'A strange boy.' She thought because if it was someone else as young as him they would've piss in their pants after hearing they commit a crime.

"Oh, if that the case I'll not punish you for your crime and only charge you with 'fine'. What do you think?" Smiled old woman as if she was being kind to him. But deep in her eyes was an evil smirk.

Ace's soul sense was not just for show and saw through her kind act, but he didn't show any emotion in his face and asked politely, "What kind of fine lady wants if I may ask?"

The old woman was a little shocked by his calm demeanor this time but she was also an old fossil and remain calm, "Since you being so polite to this old woman I'll tell you what crime you committed. You enter the property of Luminous Kingdom without any invitation. Is this crime big enough? Now, pay Ten million ruby coins as fine!"

Ace was a little startled after he heard this and he thought of something, 'If this city is really under Luminous kingdom, then why is this city name is also Luminous? What is going on? No one would dare to use a Kingdom name like this.'

Ace didn't dwell on this and didn't say much since he was a trespasser here so it was his fault in the first place to not inquiry much about it first. He simply takes a blue crystal card of ten million ruby coins from his pocket and places it on the table.

He was most likely the richest person in the lands of cities so ten million was nothing from him.

"Thanks, you for being lenient. I'll take my leave now." Finish saying, he turns around and leaves without waiting for the old woman's reply.

The old woman was shocked to see this youngster taking out ten million like at was candy from his pocket and leave in such a manner.

'Did I ask for too little? No impossible a commoner like him should never be able to fork out this amount like cabbage. Did I offend someone closed to Grand Prince?' Think old woman in worry.

But now that young man was gone and she can't take her words back either so she could only pray that this was all just in her head and that youngster was just a rich idiot.

Ace exited the library and he was just taking few steps outside when he saw a young man waving his hands towards him. Ace looked around and saw there was really no one beside him so he points his finger at himself and looked at the young man.

The young man seems to know what Ace's signal means and quickly nodded.

Ace finds it strange he was new in this city and his first interaction with that old woman was not very pleasant. Now, this boy was come out of nowhere, but he didn't reject the young man's invitation and go to him.

"Hey, brother how did escape from that old hag hands?" Ask the young man in a hushed tone.

Ace immediately knew he was asking about that old woman. Now that Ace looks at the young man carefully, he was half of his size and normal looking with black eyes and hair. The most unordinary thing about this young man was a fingernail size mole on his nose tip.

"I paid the fine and she let me go." Ace find this young man interesting for some reason so he decided to answer his question.

"WHAT? Since when did they start to take a fine there? Bro, you get duped by that old hag. How much did she rob you?" Ask the young man in frustration, it was as if he was the one who got robbed by the old woman, not Ace.

Ace finds this young man more amusing and replies with a smile, "Ten million ruby coins."

"WHAT??!!" The young man's eyes almost popped out of his sockets when he heard the amount.

"S-seriously? T-ten m-million not thousand?" Shattered the young man with his eyes was wide open in disbelief.

Ace nodded with a grin.