Chapter 81: Secret Realm · Thieves' House: Second Case
Midday, Thieves' House.
There was still some time left before the meeting, but all the thieves had already gathered. Medicine Master Wen pulled out a chair and sat down, resting her elbows on the table, fingers interlaced, and her head slightly lowered. Even with a mask on, everyone could tell from her body language that she was saying, “I’m very displeased.”
Normally, no one would dare provoke her in such a mood, but hearing her constantly stomp her foot and watching her anger level rise, it was obvious she wouldn’t feel better unless she vented. Ying Ru Shi had no choice but to ask, “Black Wolf, did something happen? Let me guess... did you fail to snatch the blade technique manual?”
“Those damn merchant dogs!” Medicine Master Wen slammed the round table in fury, gritting her teeth. “Their entire households should be raided and every coin of theirs stolen… How dare they reach for something like a manual—a strategic resource! Are they seeking death?!”
“I wanted to buy one too, but even the cheapest was over five thousand Spirit Jade, and I was embarrassingly short on funds,” said Ying Ru Shi with a laugh.
Hearing this, Medicine Master Wen's mood improved considerably. She muttered angrily, “It’s not that I’m short on money. I just refuse to play the fool and waste so much Spirit Jade on a Basic Blade Technique manual. There might be more auctions in the future—did any of you see that manual auction anywhere else?”
“Yes, of course. After all, there are seven or eight trading boards in the main city, one at each of the four gates and others along key routes. It’s hard not to see it.” Ying Ru Shi remained cautious, without disclosing any specifics. “There was always a crowd in front of each board. Who knew there were so many rich people?”
“Trading boards, huh... that's a fitting term,” Medicine Master Wen mused. “No wonder the final price skyrocketed to such absurd heights. Most likely, everyone from all three main cities could participate in the auction.”
Out of nowhere, Shang Xinlei said, “I bought one.”
Ying Ru Shi was quite surprised. “I remember even the cheapest one was over ten thousand Spirit Jade... Red Snake, you’re really willing to splurge.”
Medicine Master Wen had the distinct feeling that Shang Xinlei was deliberately showing off her wealth and felt rather annoyed.
Just then, Yan Qing couldn’t hold back any longer and asked, “Why would so many people willingly pay such high prices for a basic manual? It’s not even a token, just a manual.”
As expected, the moment Yan Qing asked this, everyone looked at him with bewildered expressions, as if he had just asked whether Coca-Cola or Pepsi tasted better—one of those self-evident, foolish questions. But Yan Qing’s curiosity was uncontrollable. Even at the risk of breaking his character, he had to ask.
“Explaining this is a bit tricky,” said Ying Ru Shi in return. “How about you tell us why you think a token is worth more than a manual?”
Even though he knew Ying Ru Shi was testing him again, Yan Qing still answered earnestly, “Because a Messenger needs a token to unleash extraordinary power, whereas a manual at best can turn an ordinary person into a Messenger, and not even necessarily.”
“So in your eyes, if the token is the weapon, then the manual merely transforms an ordinary person into a soldier.” Ying Ru Shi continued, “Do you think the weapon is more important than the soldier?”
Yan Qing raised an eyebrow. “That analogy doesn’t hold. Without a spear, a soldier can still fight with pitchforks, bamboo sticks, or stones. But a Messenger without a token is just an ordinary person.”
Unexpectedly, Yellow Dog seemed well-educated, perhaps even trained in logical debate… A flurry of thoughts passed through Ying Ru Shi’s mind before she continued, “Then let me put it this way: do you think there are more tokens in the world, or more manuals?”
“Of course, more tokens. Manuals are single-use,” Yan Qing replied. “And those who use a manual can’t use the same one again, so people who need manuals…”
He trailed off mid-sentence. Ying Ru Shi smiled and said, “You’ve realized it, haven’t you? No matter how many manuals a Secret Realm produces, they’re always in short supply. Even within the factions that control the Secret Realms, internal supply can’t meet demand. Many risk life and limb just to earn the right to purchase one.”
“Thirty percent fatality rate,” Medicine Master Wen added coolly. “That’s the casualty rate of soldiers in a Second-Stage Military Camp Secret Realm that can stably produce manuals. Though they can pull in First-Stage Messengers from other camps, how can cultivation keep pace with rapid deployment? Second-Stage Military Camps often allow soldiers to exchange merit for manuals, so once they undergo Job Change, they can immediately contribute as combat force in Secret Realm offensives.”
Yan Qing clicked his tongue. Soldiers had to fight to earn merit, spend that merit to buy manuals and upgrade, then qualify for even fiercer battles… And yet, even under such brutal competitive mechanisms, only the fiercest one out of a hundred could ascend. The rest of the ordinary masses, despite living in a land where extraordinary powers existed, could only crawl along the ground, gazing up at the miracles in a Messenger’s palm.
He was beginning to understand why manuals were so expensive.
“Manuals are forever in short supply,” Medicine Master Wen sneered. “They can’t even meet the needs of the Military Camp, the Court, or the noble families. The excluded mortals—even if they’re wealthy merchants, declining aristocrats, or high-ranking officials—without a Third-Stage Messenger backing them, they don’t even qualify to buy a manual. The main cities just coddle them too well, letting them hoard all that money…”
“Black Wolf has made the scarcity of manuals abundantly clear. Let me add one more thing,” Ying Ru Shi said. “Not everyone who buys a manual intends to become a Messenger. Or rather, even if they don’t undergo Job Change, they’re still content.”
“Oh?”
“After using a manual, the average adult male sees his Vital Energy and Blood increase two to threefold. Even if they don’t become soldiers or fight, they can live a much more comfortable life. Not to mention, they don’t need to exert themselves or hone any skills—they instantly gain proficiency in a Basic Martial Art.” Ying Ru Shi paused for a moment. “Or to put it more plainly—Basic Manuals provide ordinary people with benefits like longevity, vitality enhancement, reproductive fortification, and beauty enhancement. No side effects at all, and the effects last for decades.”
Yan Qing blinked, suddenly recalling how he’d been waking up each morning lately with a surge of Yang energy.
That’s right, Basic Manuals didn’t merely teach someone a Martial Technique—the more important part was that they upgraded the user!
Yan Qing had always viewed Basic Manuals through the eyes of a game player. In a game world, Basic Manuals naturally weren’t worth much—after all, even playing casually, a player could quickly reach Level 10. In the original game The Messenger, there was no place for ordinary people.
But in the real world, the overwhelming majority were just Level 1 ordinary people!
If a Level 10 character equaled a war god, then a regular person at Level 5 after studying a manual was at least an elite. Moreover, it required no training, no time investment. Whether you were physically weak or a born slacker, so long as you learned a Basic Manual, you would instantly obtain an elite physique refined through thousands of battles... This wasn’t a Basic Manual—this was super soldier serum!
No wonder so many people chased after it.
“Even for a Messenger, buying a Basic Manual in a discipline they’re unfamiliar with is never a loss. At the very least, their Vital Energy and Blood will rise somewhat, and maybe they’ll even broaden their expertise further.” Ying Ru Shi crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I wonder if Basic Manuals will be sold again in the future, or perhaps... even more advanced goods?”
“By comparison, I’m more curious about who sold them.” Medicine Master Wen rested her chin on her hand in thought. “This person... no, this organization, selling ten manuals—it’s definitely not just for a bit of Spirit Jade. A faction that can control the Trading Board could never be poor. Think about it, the Trading Board has existed in the Main City for who knows how many years, and no one ever discovered its true function. If not for this manual sale, no one would’ve known it was actually a trading platform that connected the entire world.”
My apologies for being poor.
“A one-seller trading platform,” Ying Ru Shi corrected.
“Yes, anyone can buy from the Trading Board, but only a mysterious organization can sell items... I understand now!” Medicine Master Wen grew more and more convinced as she spoke. “Establishing credibility through action, every word worth its weight in gold—they are using these ten manuals to declare their existence to the world!”
You understand nothing.
“From now on, countless people will be watching for any changes on the Trading Board. Whatever this mysterious organization sells will draw attention and influence the prices of goods everywhere. And no one will be able to supervise or even block these transactions!” Medicine Master Wen said word by word, “This mysterious organization likely intends to use this unparalleled trading channel to manipulate the situation in the Central Plains at will!”
“They could even use the Trading Board for long-distance transport,” Ying Ru Shi proposed another possibility. “For example, listing dangerous items like Fire Oil, and then having their contact in the Main City instantly buy it…”
These two, taking turns like this, speculated on every tactic the mysterious organization might employ. Yan Qing listened with eyes wide open. He was still smug about having earned one hundred thousand Spirit Jade, but compared to these two schemers, he felt like getting the Treasure-Hunting Token was sheer waste. If it were in their hands, they might have stirred the entire world’s balance.
Suddenly, a hole opened up in the round stone table, and the sand table rumbled as it rose. The thieves immediately fell silent, watching as the sand table constructed a massive city. As the city’s outline became clearer, everyone turned to look at Shang Xinlei.
Because Shang Xinlei had never hidden that she was from Jiangnan.
「This Theft’s Target: Jiangnan, Yitian」
「Arrival Location: The Archway at the Junction of Upper Ninth Road and Lower Ninth Road」
「Arrival Time: Three days later at the third quarter of the Hour of the Rat」
「Retreat Location: Immediate retreat upon reaching the Archway at the Junction of Upper Ninth Road and Lower Ninth Road」
「Retreat Deadline: Third quarter of the Hour of the Ox」
「Successful Theft: Obtain Token · Yitian」
「Failed Theft: Lose 30,000 Spirit Jade and permanently forfeit access to Thieves' House」
Golden light rose from the sand table, and the entire city turned transparent, then shrank smaller and smaller. A silver-white longsword appeared at the center of the sand table, and as the sword moved, the sand table’s landscape changed accordingly.
Why was the silver-white sword moving?
Because it wasn’t stowed in a treasury, nor locked away in a vault—it was worn at someone’s waist.
“The famous sword Yitian!” Medicine Master Wen’s eyes lit up. “The sword once wielded by the West-Conquering General famed in the Outer Realms three hundred years ago! It actually ended up in the Liang Kingdom?”
“No wonder there’s no fixed location—it’s in someone’s hands. That complicates things,” Ying Ru Shi said. “Red Snake, do you know who this person is? If you don’t, we’ll have to identify them first—”
“I know who he is,” said Shang Xinlei.
“Oh?”
Everyone was a bit surprised. They didn’t expect Shang Xinlei to really know. Could this person be that famous?
“In the third year of Yongding, the Grand General of Cavalry of Liang Kingdom suppressed the rebellion in the Gushu Military Camp. He was promoted to Attendant-in-waiting, Minister of Works, granted ceremonial authority, made Supervisor of the Palace Secretariat, and ennobled as Duke of Shixing Commandery. He was awarded the Yitian Sword, given privilege of no-name address during court salutes, and exempted from formalities in imperial audiences.”
“The bearer of the Yitian Sword is none other than the current Prime Minister of Liang Kingdom, Third-Stage Messenger Shang Xuanwen.”