Chapter 71: One Year as a Servant Disciple
As the thief fled, his body and appearance constantly shifted. He could shed his outer clothes and instantly transform into a person with a completely different face.
His endless transformations, combined with his use of the crowd to hide and misdirect his pursuers, were truly a sight to behold.
Anyone else would have long since been shaken off or tricked into chasing the wrong person.
But unfortunately for the thief, Lu Changfeng was here today.
Lu Changfeng was the nemesis of this ever-changing thief; no matter how he transformed, Lu Changfeng could find him with perfect accuracy.
After all, no one else present possessed a Talent like the thief’s.
Lu Changfeng would lock onto the target, call out a description of the thief’s new appearance, and the Taihong Association Disciples would swarm forward.
Finally, with a look of terror, the thief was pinned to the ground by two Seven-colored Disciples from the Taihong Association.
The Seven-colored Disciples were the top experts of the Taihong Association, all of them Martial Sects in the Bone Refining Realm.
Dealing with a mere Grand Martial Artist like the thief was child’s play for them.
One of the Seven-colored Disciples stepped forward and sealed the thief’s meridians.
"Don’t kill me! The Holy Stone is in my pocket!" shouted the thief, who was disguised as a farmer.
Lu Changfeng reached into the man’s inner coat pocket and, sure enough, found the Holy Stone emitting a faint, dark glow.
"Strange. The High Priest has a special connection to the Holy Stone."
"Why couldn’t the High Priest sense it when it was on you?"
The wrinkles on the farmer’s face bunched up as he said smugly, "This pouch is made from Thousand Feather Silk. It naturally blocks all auras."
Upon hearing this, Lu Changfeng didn’t hesitate. Right in front of all the Taihong Association Disciples, he took the Thousand Feather Pouch from the farmer and stuffed it into his own coat pocket.
"Thanks for the explanation. I’ll be taking this."
The farmer looked utterly incredulous. "I already gave you the Holy Stone back! How dare you take my things? Do you have any idea who my master is?!"
Lu Changfeng asked curiously, "And who might your master be?"
"My master is the Thief God, Teng Qingshan! Now let me go!"
’The Thief God, Teng Qingshan?’
Lu Changfeng’s eyes narrowed slightly.
’The Thief God was certainly a major figure.’
’He wasn’t a legendary existence on the [Celestial Tier].’
’But he ranked extremely high on the [Earth List]—eighth place. He became famous over a hundred years ago, and his true strength has likely surpassed the Bone Refining Realm by now.’
’Most of the Thief God’s exploits took place over a century ago. In his prime, there wasn’t a place in the entire Song Country that he dared not rob.’
’The tales passed down about him sound almost mythical to listeners today.’
"I don’t care if your master is the Thief God or anyone else!"
"The Taihong Association is not to be trifled with!"
The High Priest’s sonorous voice rang out.
The High Priest hadn’t joined the chase earlier, concerned with preserving his status and dignity. He had only just now arrived on the scene.
"High Priest, this man is full of tricks. If it weren’t for Master Lu’s sharp eyes, he would have escaped us," one of the Seven-colored Disciples said.
The High Priest gave Lu Changfeng a grateful nod.
Lu Changfeng handed the Holy Stone back to the High Priest and asked, "High Priest, what do you plan to do with him?"
The High Priest looked down at the thief, deep in thought. He seemed to be having a hard time deciding.
After all, if the man’s master really was the Thief God, a severe punishment might invite the Thief God’s retaliation, a prospect the High Priest feared.
This was a figure from the [Earth List] who had been famous for over a century. The High Priest didn’t dare to be careless; within the entire Taihong Association, there was likely no one who could stand against the Thief God.
However, having just spoken so harshly, the High Priest couldn’t simply let the young man go, either.
"High Priest, I have a suggestion," Lu Changfeng spoke up.
The High Priest looked at Lu Changfeng. "Let’s hear it." ’I almost forgot,’ he thought. ’The expert backing him is most likely a legend from the [Celestial Tier].’
Lu Changfeng said, "Why not have him serve as a menial laborer in my Martial Arts Hall for three years as punishment?"
After a moment’s thought, the High Priest nodded. "An excellent idea."
’This way, they could punish the thief and save face for the Taihong Association, while also shifting the potential trouble from the Thief God onto Lu Changfeng.’
’It felt a bit unscrupulous to do this to his young friend, but it couldn’t be helped. His young friend had a powerful backer and must be confident he could handle the Thief God. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have volunteered for the task.’
’Yes, that must be it.’ The High Priest inwardly nodded at his own reasoning.
"Damn it! Three years? You want me, the great Thief Saint, to be your menial servant for three years?" the farmer on the ground protested.
At his words, all eyes fell on the farmer.
Lu Changfeng’s mind raced. He said mockingly, "So you’re the famous Thief Saint who’s been making a name for himself lately. Didn’t I hear that you stole the Mansion Master’s concubine’s undergarments last year?"
"Maybe we should just hand him over to Mansion Master Hong. I wonder what kind of ’treatment’ he’d receive then."
The farmer shivered. ’In truth, that whole incident was a complete misunderstanding.’
’But the fact remained that it *had* happened. It was one of his more famous "masterpieces" after he entered the Martial Arts Realm as the Thief Saint.’
’To this day, storytellers on every street corner still recounted the tale with great relish.’
’Rumors were flying that the Thief Saint and Mansion Master Hong’s concubine were having an affair.’
’The Mansion Master was said to have flown into a rage, and his once-favorite concubine was cast aside as a result.’
"One year! I’ll be your servant for one year! And we’ll let this whole thing drop!"
"Don’t push it. I’m not kidding, my master really is the Thief God!"
"In exchange, you can’t tell anyone that I’m the Thief Saint!"
’If my identity as the Thief Saint isn’t revealed, my reputation for never failing will remain intact.’
"One year? Fine. You’re getting off easy," Lu Changfeng nodded in agreement.
’One year should be enough time to copy the [Transformation] Talent from this Thief Saint and fuse it until it reaches High-Grade.’
’This Talent is an absolute must-have for robbing, murdering, and making a clean getaway.’
’Once I learn it, I can combine it with my various other Martial Talents. I’ll have no problem playing multiple roles by myself and carrying out some secret business in the Martial Arts Realm.’
Lu Changfeng then turned to the High Priest. "My dear friend, you know my own strength is meager. If this fellow reneges and tries to escape after you leave, I won’t be able to stop him. Is there some way for me to control him completely?"
The High Priest thought for a moment, then actually pulled a small bottle of pills from his pocket.
"This is a secret medicine of our Taihong Association. It’s called a Rainbow Seed."
"Have him swallow it. He’ll need to take one antidote every month, or his mind will shatter and he’ll become a drooling idiot."
"After taking the antidote for one year straight, the Rainbow Seed’s effect will automatically dissipate."
Lu Changfeng accepted the Rainbow Seed, overjoyed. "This is absolutely perfect!"
"Open up, Thief Saint!" Lu Changfeng said, looking at the farmer.
The farmer’s face was a mask of reluctance. But surrounded by the Taihong Association’s experts and with his meridians sealed, he could only slowly open his mouth.
Lu Changfeng flicked the Rainbow Seed down the man’s throat. Once he saw him swallow it, and the High Priest had confirmed the medicine was taking effect, he had the Seven-colored Disciples let the man stand.
"To be safe, I’ll have someone deliver the antidote to your Martial Arts Hall once a month. That way, my young friend, you’ll have nothing to worry about," the High Priest added thoughtfully.
Lu Changfeng cupped his hands in thanks and watched as the members of the Taihong Association filed away.
Soon, only Lu Changfeng and the farmer remained. Lu Changfeng turned to him. "Aren’t you going to reveal your true form?"