Chapter 90.2: Why Are There Foolish Criminals Everywhere I Go? (II)

The Thunder Fruit itself was quite rare, but not impossible to find. What was truly extraordinary was a Thunder Fruit that had survived a hundred years. This peculiar plant flowered and bore fruit only once every ten years, and each time it did, it summoned thunderbolts from the heavens. If it survived, another would strike ten years later. Very few Thunder Fruits could withstand two or three such strikes, let alone survive for a full century.

The steward narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly weighing the matter. The Grand Emporium of Rarities had obtained this rare treasure years ago, and it had sat in storage ever since, completely ignored. No one had expected it to finally find a buyer. Now that there was a demand, a treasure like this would need a price that reflected its exclusivity.

After a while, he finally named his price. "One thousand taels of gold. That's ten thousand taels of silver."

It was indeed an exorbitant price. Moreover, Thunder Fruit had limited use; it could not be refined into medicine, nor did it serve many other purposes. Only in special circumstances, such as cultivation, would someone have a need for a Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit.

"Deal," Lu Changsheng agreed without hesitation.

A faint smile appeared on the steward's face. This was a very lucrative deal.

"The Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit must be transferred to the store from another location. You will need to wait a few days, honored guest."

"How long, exactly?"

"Three days."

"Very well. I'll return in three days. I trust I will see the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit then."

Lu Changsheng produced a silver note worth one thousand taels of silver, handing it over as a deposit. Although the note was issued by the Da Yu Dynasty, the Fire Dragon Kingdom relied heavily on trade. As a result, silver notes from the Da Yu Dynasty were accepted here without issue.

"Safe travels, honored guest," the steward said with a bow.

With that, Lu Changsheng left the Grand Emporium of Rarities. The moment he stepped away, several stealthy figures lurking in a hidden corner of the street fixed their eyes on him.

"

Heh

, another fat sheep."

"That accent is definitely from the Da Yu Dynasty. Any jianghu traveler who can walk into the Grand Emporium of Rarities has money to burn. Kill him, and we will not need to hunt for a whole year."

"But anyone who dares to go in there alone probably has decent martial arts. This time, we act together."

"Follow him."

The five figures surreptitiously tailed Lu Changsheng as he passed through several streets and soon entered a narrow, deserted alley. A solid wall blocked the path ahead. He stopped, standing calmly in place, and looked back at the five shadows closing in behind him.

"Hey, this kid actually led us here. Did he do it on purpose?"

"Probably thinks he's strong enough to defeat us."

"

Haha!

We have met idiots like this one plenty of times. Every single one has been felled by our blades."

They knew full well that Lu Changsheng had deliberately lured them here, yet they followed anyway. That alone spoke of their confidence. They had to be strong.

"Were you sent by the Grand Emporium of Rarities?" Lu Changsheng asked.

He had been watched the moment he left the shop. Naturally, his first suspicion fell on the Grand Emporium of Rarities. Only they knew he carried significant wealth. Selling rare treasures was profitable, but outright robbery was even more so. Since he was a foreigner here, his accent gave him away, and there would be little risk of repercussions for them.

"

Heh

, clever kid. But where we are from does not matter because you are about to die."

The five men were slowly closing. Despite their arrogance, they were extremely calculated. Each kept a measured distance, careful not to rush forward recklessly.

Lu Changsheng shook his head in exasperation. "Why is it that wherever I go, there's always a group of foolish thugs rushing to their deaths?"

He had no interest in drawing this out any longer than necessary. His hand settled on the hilt of his saber.

Whoosh.

His figure flickered, crossing several zhang in an instant.

Schwing!

A dazzling arc of saber light flashed briefly. It looked like a single strike, but Lu Changsheng had actually slashed five times. His speed was so terrifying that from afar, it appeared as five blades merged into one.

Splurt.

These five Organ Refinement martial artists were not weak. Each was experienced and possessed hidden techniques. Against ordinary opponents of the same level, they might have been unstoppable. Unfortunately, they were no match for Lu Changsheng. With that single strike, all five collapsed to the ground.

Lu Changsheng sheathed his saber and searched the five bodies one by one. He found several silver notes, adding up to a full seven thousand taels. They were, without question, men of considerable means.

"Good. Now I have over ten thousand taels of silver."

Back in Zhanhai City, Lu Changsheng had killed a group of black-clad men and obtained five thousand taels in silver notes. This time, he had gained another seven thousand. The spoils would fully cover the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit.

The Grand Emporium of Rarities...

Lu Changsheng glanced at the five corpses on the ground. He did not know whether these men had any connection to the Grand Emporium of Rarities. But that was not what mattered. What mattered was the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit.

In three days, he would return to the Grand Emporium of Rarities. If he obtained the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit, then these five crooks and their associations would be irrelevant. But if the Grand Emporium of Rarities failed to produce it, then Lu Changsheng would reason with them using his saber.

After all, the one holding the blade makes the rules.

***

Over the next few days, Lu Changsheng wandered through Volcano City. He questioned nearly every general store and did not even spare the herbal medicine shops. Some of the rare treasures required by the Celestial Treasure-Refinement Secret Technique could also be used as medicinal ingredients, so it was possible that a few might be stored there. Unfortunately, things did not go as smoothly as they had at the Grand Emporium of Rarities. Lu Changsheng did not find a second rare treasure.

Three days had passed in the blink of an eye. Lu Changsheng arrived at the Grand Emporium of Rarities right on time. The moment he stepped inside, an attendant hurried over.

"Honored guest, the steward is already waiting for you."

Lu Changsheng nodded and followed the attendant into a private room. The steward was already waiting inside, accompanied by a martial artist standing by. When he saw Lu Changsheng enter, the steward quickly stood up.

Lu Changsheng wasted no time on pleasantries. "Where is the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit I ordered?"

"Well..." The steward hesitated nervously. "Honored guest, something unexpected happened. We no longer have the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit..."

Schwing!

Before the sentence had even finished, Lu Changsheng’s blade had sliced through the air. So swift was his strike that the martial artist did not even catch sight of it.

The room fell silent as several strands of the steward's hair drifted down to the floor. Lu Changsheng’s blade was less than half an inch from his throat. A slight push forward would draw blood.

The color drained from the steward's face. Panicked, he tried pleading with Lu Changsheng. "Honored guest, please calm yourself! We are willing to compensate you! Triple the deposit! We will repay you three thousand taels of silver."

Lu Changsheng fixed him with a frosty gaze. His tone was even colder. "I do not lack silver. I lack the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit. I will ask one last time. Do you have it or not?"

The martial artist beside the steward was drenched in sweat. He interjected urgently, "Do not act recklessly. If you harm the steward, you will not leave the Grand Emporium of Rarities alive today."

Unfazed, Lu Changsheng held his blade at the steward's throat.

"Y-Yes, we did have a Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit... b-but no longer..." the steward stammered. "It was intercepted!"

"Intercepted?" Lu Changsheng stared at him coldly.

"Yes. The Grand Emporium of Rarities does business openly, and reputation matters above all else. The Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit was indeed in our warehouse and had already been transferred to Volcano City. But we were strong-armed into selling it to the Xiao Clan of Volcano City. The Xiao Clan has a Divine Strength martial artist. We could not afford to incur their wrath, so we had no choice..."

Lu Changsheng sheathed his saber, but his gaze never left the steward. In situations like this, he could tell whether he was being lied to.

The Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit had most likely been intercepted, but the Grand Emporium of Rarities was far from innocent. Unable to offend the Xiao Clan, they had chosen to bully an outsider instead. Unfortunately for them, Lu Changsheng would not accept this outcome.

"Does the Xiao Clan have only one martial artist in the Divine Strength Realm?" he demanded.

"Y-Yes... Only one."

And yet they were bold enough to steal the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit? The Xiao Clan is likely preparing to refine the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit into a pill. I need to hurry, or there'll be no treasure for me.

Lu Changsheng made his decision.

"You will take me to the Xiao Clan," he said coldly. "If I cannot attain the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit, I will have your head instead."

The steward was trembling all over. "Y-Yes. I will take you."

All he could do now was pray that the Xiao Clan had not yet used the Hundred-Year Thunder Fruit. Otherwise, he was a dead man.