Infinite Puzzle City

Chapter 627 Punishing the Jade Thief

"Ding-a-ling-a-ling, jingle-a-ling-a-ling..."

In the mountains, a bell rang, and two young men walked one after the other along a mountain path, followed by a zombie dressed in official robes and a limping old dog.

The zombie was not only leading a dog, but also had a large bell hanging around its neck. This bizarre scene seemed incongruous, but considering that this was a labyrinthine city, it wasn't so strange.

"Let's go up ahead and rest for a bit. I'm going to find a friend."

Xiao Ran pointed ahead, and there, not far ahead, behind the forest, was a blazing fire.

That place is Hongxiang Village.

It is now a world of fire where no one can enter.

Xiao Ran and her group walked along mountain trails to avoid being seen.

On the way, they happened to run into a clueless zombie, so they casually stripped the zombie of its clothes and put them on Qinghai Old Demon, otherwise his Power King face would be too conspicuous wherever he went.

As for that old dog...

Hehe, Xiao Ran glanced back at the lame old dog and asked Jin Chanzi beside him, "Your Soul Sealing Technique, is it alright? Should I add some more tricks?"

"I am a member of the orthodox Xuanmen sect, and I have some tricks up my sleeve. Once the Jade Thief is sealed inside, no matter how great his abilities are, he won't be able to break free."

Jin Chanzi was very confident in his skills.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ran felt much more at ease.

The group arrived at the mountainside outside Hongcun Village, where there was a dilapidated temple, the very place where Xiao Ran had previously encountered a group of beggars from the Beggars' Gang.

Now that there are no beggars left, the place appears even more dilapidated and desolate.

The group sat down, and Xiao Ran took out food and drinks to share with Jin Chanzi and Qinghai Laomo.

He then sat down to the side, reached out and pinched the dog's neck, pulling out a stitch and revealing the human body hidden under the dog's neck.

"Tell me, what are your plans regarding the revival of the Changchun Association?"

Qieyu shook its head, opened its mouth, and first tried to utter a few "ah ah ah" sounds. After confirming that there was no problem, it wagged its tail and approached Xiao Ran, saying:
"Actually, this is all the major shareholder's plan, which I strongly disagree with. As for the revival plan, we still have to start with Ruzhou. Now, that place has been eyed by the company, Donglongfang, Penglailou and several other companies. It's a big piece of fat meat, and everyone wants a bite."

What Qieyu said was right. In the current Lost City, where dangers lurk everywhere and all sorts of strange tales and rules run rampant, a vast pure land is of unimaginable value.

It's no exaggeration to say that every inch of land here is worth its weight in gold.

Don't even mention Changchun being tempted; Penglai Tower and Donglongfang are both equally tempting.

But this cake is too big; if you try to eat it in one bite, you might end up stuffed to death.

Therefore, Changchun Club's idea is to proactively divide the pie, bringing in Penglailou and Donglongfang, with the three of them joining forces to take the lion's share, and then giving the company a portion, thus forming a balance among the four alliances.

However, according to what he knew, the major shareholder's plan was not going smoothly. It was said that the company, Donglongfang, and Penglailou did not listen to him and even intended to squeeze Changchun out.

It was because of this incident that Changchun launched such a large-scale operation to target that area.

"What we understand is that this seems to be related to a certain entertainment venue, but I don't know much about the specifics. After all, I'm just the one who does the work, and most of the things don't really concern me. That's all I know, young man. If you want to know more details, I can recommend someone I trust. He's one of my trusted confidants in the Changchun Association, and you can learn about the Changchun Association's every move through him."

Seeing Xiao Ran remain silent, Qieyu changed the subject: "Young brother, your methods are indeed impressive. I'm afraid there are few people in your generation who can rival you. Although the Changchun Society is leaking information everywhere, it is far more than what you see. In fact, the Changchun Society is just a black glove pushed to the front to do the dirty work. Although we are the leaders, we have a master behind us."

To save his life, the man who stole the jade would say anything.

There is naturally an even greater force behind the Changchun Association, but even Beast Master only knows that there are some mysterious senior figures behind the Changchun Association.

But even Master Beast doesn't know the specifics; only the major shareholders are free to meet with these elders.

"Whether what you're saying is true or false, I won't discuss that for now. But if you think it's that easy to buy your life, then you, the head of the Changchun Association, are really demeaning yourself."

The reason Xiao Ran didn't kill him was because the stolen jade still held immense value.

If he were a corpse, it wouldn't matter, but what he stole was only a wisp of soul, so Xiao Ran couldn't activate the special ability [Spirit Book] on his soul.

Therefore, it's best to let this jade thief take the initiative in some matters. "Of course, young brother, whatever you want, I can give you a cursed item. How about a B-grade cursed item? The [Six-Character Measuring Sword] I have here is a pretty good treasure, ranking among the top B-grade cursed items. How about I give it to you?"

"Oh, if it's ghost money, I don't have much, but I've accumulated a considerable fortune over the years. It's just that you'll need to go and collect it yourself. Don't worry, with me leading the way, everything will be perfectly safe."

"But these are all just external things. My most valuable asset is not these, but my brain. I have been traveling the world since the Republic of China era, learning all sorts of skills and tricks. I have seen and done everything. No trick in the world can escape my discerning eye. Taking me along is easier than raising a dog."

It's clear that Qieyu really wants to live, even if it means living as a dog. To survive, he's now completely open and honest.

"Stealing Jade, you've lived to a ripe old age, you don't have to be so despicable."

Jin Chanzi, standing to the side, couldn't hold back any longer.

I knew this guy had no bottom line, but I never expected him to be such a scoundrel. He's disgusting.

But the jade thief was not ashamed of it. He turned around and asked, "Do you want me to die? If I die, I'll lose everything."

After saying this, Qieyu turned to look at Xiao Ran; "I know you look down on me for being like this. I'm just afraid of dying. The older I get, the more afraid I am of dying. You're still young and can't understand me. When you get to my age, you'll know that I've seen too many smart people and geniuses. Which one of them wasn't a leader who shaped an era? Where are they now? Aren't they all dead? They're dead, but I'm still alive."

The phrase "stealing jade" is difficult for ordinary people to understand.

However, the old demon Qinghai, who had possessed the body of the King of Power, could understand.

Perhaps you are not as talented as others, not as well-born, not as well-resourced, not as wealthy, and not as accomplished as others.

But as long as you can live, and keep living, outlasting all those people who are better than you, then you will be the final victor.

Because in this world, all life, in the end, is competing to see who can live the longest enough. In short, to live is to win.

"Fine, I won't kill you."

At this moment, Xiao Ran spoke, causing the dog head that stole the jade to reveal a human-like joy.

“But I need your help. My foundation is rather weak, you see…” Xiao Ran’s meaning couldn’t be clearer.

Although the stolen jade is only a soul, it still has the ability to open up space.

In Xiao Ran's eyes, this was a super treasure trove, how could she miss it?

"I give!"

Qieyu agreed even more readily than Xiaoran had expected, opening her spatial storage almost without hesitation and dumping out everything inside.

Good heavens, this action surprised even Jin Chanzi. After staring at the stolen jade for a moment, he transmitted his voice to Xiao Ran: "This guy really knows how to take things in stride. Let's find an opportunity to kill him."

If the jade thief was merely someone who sought to survive, that would be one thing, but he agreed too readily, without the slightest hesitation, and simply took out all the treasures from his spatial storage.

This certainly doesn't contain all of the stolen jade's assets, but the things that could be carried around wouldn't be ordinary goods. With so many treasures, the stolen jade could take them so easily. If such a guy gains power, he could easily rise again, which is extremely dangerous.

Xiao Ran's expression remained unchanged, but her gaze was fixed on the treasures that Qieyu had taken out of her spatial storage.

Qieyu was afraid that Xiao Ran would be overwhelmed by the sight, so he picked up each item one by one and introduced them to her.

"This is a C-grade cursed item, the Dragon-Tiger Treasure Mirror, it's a good thing."

"This is a C-grade cursed item, the Blood Robe. Once you wear it, it will transform all your abilities into cursed power."

"This knife is a D-grade cursed item, but its destructive power is comparable to a B-grade item. It's a top-tier masterpiece. Oh, and this... this thing is a B-grade cursed item, the Flying Divine Bird. If you had let me speak earlier, you wouldn't have had to travel so hard. Riding this thing, you can fly through the air and carry three people at a time."

Qieyu kept recommending these treasures to Xiao Ran, taking out his [Six-Character Measuring Sword]: "This is a B-grade cursed item. It can steal other people's abilities, attributes, luck, and even, if conditions permit, steal their profession. It's my most precious treasure..."

While Qieyu was speaking, Xiao Ran nodded to Jin Chanzi without making a sound.

Seeing this, Jin Chanzi silently approached behind Qieyu, a wisp of Six Ding Six Jia True Fire condensing on his fingertip.

Seemingly sensing the approach of death, Qieyu's body stiffened, but her words didn't stop: "I still have many secrets, the secrets of the Changchun Society, and the secrets of the Lost City. Oh, and I also know a few great evil spirits who are plotting to break out of the Lost City and enter the real world..."

Until the moment Jin Chanzi's finger gently touched the head of the dog who stole jade, the dog still wanted to say something unwillingly, but with a flash of golden light, the dog's head was pierced through. Only then did this once powerful leader of the Changchun Society finally shut his mouth and collapse to the ground...

(End of this chapter)