Tumor Sword Immortal

Chapter 251 Theft
Duan Junhai has two matters to attend to.

One of them, naturally, was an outer disciple responsible for organizing the warehouse.

Another reason was that he volunteered to clean the gate of Zuoshan Mountain in order to move to a place where he could live alone.

Because of the theft of the Siku Quanshu (Four Treasuries), no one is allowed to approach the warehouse for the time being. Others have no work to do, and the sect does not allow them to go down the mountain, so they are in a state of fear every day.

On the contrary, Duan Junhai felt much calmer because he could still sweep the floor every day.

After finishing his cleaning for the day, the short and thin man, carrying a large broom, returned to his residence along the same old route.

This place was originally just a wooden hut on the mountainside for the disciples to clean when they went out to work. In recent years, Duan Junhai has managed it quite well.

He enclosed the small yard with a fence, and planted some vegetables and bamboo in the yard. He even wanted to raise some poultry and livestock, but his application was not approved.

Duan Junhai returned carrying a broom, first putting the things in the corner of the yard. He turned around to scoop water from the water vat to water the flowers and trees, but suddenly, a sense of alarm arose in his heart.

He looked up and glanced to the side, and saw a man leaning against the fence in the corner of the house, looking at him expressionlessly.

Duan Junhai had met this person yesterday; he was brought by Meng Xiao and seemed to have been invited to investigate the theft of the Siku Quanshu (Complete Library of the Four Treasuries).

My heart skipped a beat, but it quickly calmed down.

Duan Junhai immediately lowered his head and asked, "Senior, what brings you here?"

Pei Xia patted his sleeves and said, "Your barrier formation is quite ingenious. I arrived outside your courtyard at dawn and tried to break it for half an hour, but I couldn't. So I had to resort to some underhanded methods."

Duan Junhai's eyes twitched.

His courtyard was naturally protected by array formations.

However, since the person is on the left side of the mountain, which is an outer gate, this barrier is not a closed-off formation, but a warning formation.

If any fellow disciples or elders enter without permission, he will sense it as long as he is still on Zuoshan Mountain.

This was something Duan Junhai acquired at a considerable price in the Qiongxiao Yuyu Palace; it was not only complex and exquisite but also extremely well-hidden.

Unexpectedly, this person not only became aware of the array's existence, but also managed to sneak in silently in just half an hour!

Duan Junhai lowered his head even further: "Senior, I don't understand what you're saying."

Pei Xia smiled dismissively: "You've already done it, why pretend?"

"Do?"

"You didn't steal the Siku Quanshu?"

Duan Junhai's body trembled, and he knelt down with a thud, saying in a trembling voice, "Senior! How could this disciple have such ability? Although we often come into contact with the Siku Quanshu, there are checks when we enter and exit. I was not on duty on the day of the theft. Besides, with so many things and so many eyes watching, what supernatural power do I have to move them all in full view of everyone?!"

Pei Xia stepped over the railing, not even glancing at the small, kneeling figure. The small sword on his right wrist fell into his palm, and he tossed it up and let it fall: "Didn't you say it yourself? You have supernatural powers."

Duan Junhai lowered his bangs, and a serious expression finally appeared on his downcast face.

Pei Xia sat on the threshold in front of the house and looked at Duan Junhai, who was less than ten feet away from him: "Yesterday I heard the elder in charge clearly mention that the things in the warehouse were still there the day before the theft."

“I’ve seen the scene. On the wooden shelf in the Xuanku, the manager said a magic weapon dagger was missing. There is indeed a trace of a dagger in the dust on that shelf, but the dust is noticeably thinner,” Pei Xia paused, then changed the subject: “But, if it was really lost in the last few days, the trace shouldn’t be ‘thinner,’ but rather almost without any dust, right?”

He stared into Duan Junhai's eyes, hidden beneath his bangs: "The items weren't just lost recently; they were stolen by you gradually over a long period of time."

Duan Junhai did not remain silent. He moved his knees forward and knelt down, looking terrified: "What do you mean by this, senior? Didn't you mention that before the theft, everything was perfectly fine in the warehouse?"

This is the first point that is difficult for others to understand, but from Pei Xia's perspective, it is not difficult to comprehend.

Because he knew perfectly well that Duan Junhai was the holder of the jade.

Those who possessed the jade were all Su Shi.

"Tell me, what kind of supernatural power do you practice?"

Duan Junhai didn't respond, only saying that he didn't understand Pei Xia's meaning.

“Heh, it’s not hard to guess even if you don’t say it,” Pei Xia stroked his chin, looking towards the direction of the Four Treasures on the mountaintop. “Most of the items stored in the Four Treasures of Su Bao Zhai are cultivation items. Besides their appearance, they usually have spiritual power accompanying them. And disciples inevitably touch them when cleaning and tidying them up. So your supernatural powers and techniques are definitely not simple illusions. You can not only fake the appearance, but also shape the form and even the spiritual power, right?” Right.

Duan Junhai's magic technique is called "Morning and Evening Seven".

However, Pei Xia was certain that Duan Junhai had used "magic" to cover up the theft, and that it wasn't just a guess; he had other grounds for his belief.

“You took advantage of your position to steal from the storeroom and used magic to deceive them. That’s why only one bottle of pills was stolen from the Heavenly Storeroom. The Heavenly Storeroom is not cleaned and tidied up frequently. There are many disciples, and it’s rare for it to be your turn. Moreover, because there are few items, the disciples are very close to each other when they are cleaning, so you don’t have many choices.”

"Given the importance of the Four Treasuries, cultivators at the Transformation Realm must have come here in the past few years. Your techniques can even deceive martial artists at this level. They are so powerful, there must be limitations, right?"

"For example... distance."

Judging from Duan Junhai's subsequent actions, his activities were clearly strictly limited to the left side of Su Baozhai's mountain.

The thin disciple kneeling on the ground did not give up struggling. He stubbornly retorted, "I am just an outer disciple, at the Transformation Realm. What kind of magic or supernatural powers would I have? Besides, even if what you said is true, senior, there are checks when we enter and leave the storeroom. That alchemy furnace and cauldron are so huge, how am I supposed to steal them?!"

This time, Pei Xia remained silent.

He reached into his belt in front of Duan Junhai and pulled out two jade pieces tied with a red string from a close-fitting inner pocket.

He held it out in front of Duan Junhai's eyes and waved it.

It made a clanging sound.

Duan Junhai's eyes widened in shock, and he murmured unconsciously, "How could this be..."

How could that be?! If someone possessed the jade and came to Su Bao Zhai, how could my jade pendant not react?!
Pei Xia chuckled to himself, "Two places are too small to hold much stuff. I've been complaining about it for a long time... You were able to move the alchemy furnace and cauldrons, so it seems you have quite a lot of jade."

Seeing his lips moving as if he wanted to argue, Pei Xia simply asked him, "Do you dare let me search you?"

Having Pei Xia search and having Su Baozhai search are two completely different things.

He was the one who possessed the jade, and he knew the secret treasures of the Jade Palace.

Duan Junhai remained silent for a long time, took a deep breath, then stood up and patted the dirt off his clothes.

Looking at Pei Xia again, his eyes no longer held reverence, but instead held a cold scrutiny.

After examining it for a moment, he smiled.

"Your Excellency is truly shrewd and unassuming. I have been outmaneuvered this time. However, since you knew who the thief was, yet did not inform Su Baozhai but came alone, it shows that you are not entirely aboveboard, is it?"

Duan Junhai understood the situation very well.

He has sixteen jade pendants; he is the holder of the jade.

Pei Xia only had two, but he was still a jade holder.

If Pei Xia were to explain this case to Meng Xiao, Su Baozhai, or even Lingxuan Pavilion, he would inevitably have to bring up the matter of Yu Qiong.

Those who have experienced the power and benefits of the Jade Palace understand that no one would want to reveal such a secret, let alone risk attracting other jade holders.

Duan Junhai lifted his thin disciple robe, revealing fourteen jade pendants tied together like a necklace against his chest.

His bangs were disheveled, and his eyes held a hint of ferocity: "My cultivation has reached the Opening of the Mansion realm, which is above yours. I am also a fifth-level Su Shi. My fourteen jade pendants are full of magical artifacts. If you want to fight me, you will have a nine-out-of-ten chance of death."

After saying that, he chuckled mischievously again: "But if you are willing to let me off the hook and settle things peacefully, I should at least offer you a few presentable treasures. What do you think, senior?"

Frankly speaking, whether Su Baozhai's things were lost or not is not Pei Xia's place to be indignant.

Duan Junhai didn't know, but Pei Xia did; the two of them had even done business together in the Jade Palace.

But this time, Pei Xia didn't want the treasure.

The small wooden sword twirled on his fingertips. He looked at Duan Junhai and said with unwavering determination, "I want you dead."

(End of this chapter)