Eternal Thief

Meanwhile, Ace was comfortably laying in a room of Inn that he found after sauntering around the city for a while. This Inn was not eye-catching and quite low key just like 'him'.

"Finally, I can sleep comfortably after three years." Ace mumbles. 

The next day.

In the morning, Ace opens his eyes. He was full of vitality and all his fatigue of the long journey had vanished after a good night's sleep.

'Let eat something first then I'll collect the information."' Ace mused with enthusiasm.

After eating his fill, Ace buy a map of the Luminous City and find where Prince Manor was located and decided to scout the territory. 

Ace stroll around the bursting city, even in the morning it was quite busy. He finally reached his destination in thirty minutes.

In front of him was a big bronze gate surrounding by thick walls and guards. Ace could easily sense the guards encircling the walls were at the Peak Qi Gates and even senses Qi fluctuations of two Early Qi Foundation Experts on the other side of the bronze gate. 

'This is not going to be easy.' Ace grimaced after seeing the tight security, 'So, this is the level of security of the number one city.'

Ace was truly perplexed. He didn't that this level of security was only at the Luminous City because it was a city established by a Kingdom and quite a powerful one at that. If he knew he would surely swear at Heaven.

Ace didn't try to go inside since he has no idea about the layout of the manor's territory and elected to observe from afar. He has some idea how to infiltrate Prince Manor but he wasn't sure if he should use it or not. 

It has been hours now since Ace is watching the manor from shadows. He didn't find anything, it was extremely silent and no one was coming out or going in like it was a ghost manor. If not for all those guards' soul waves he might've thought it was empty.

Suddenly the tightly shut manor gate creak open and a lavishing carriage pulled by four horses came to Ace view.

Inside the carriage, he senses two peak qi gates experts and one 3rd gate cultivator and there were also three mortals, as one of them was managing the carriage. 

'Finally! By the look of it, this carriage belongs to some noble and that person might be inside. I should tail it.' Ace quickly followed the carriage. No one saw him or sense his presence with the stealth, he was like a phantom.

After following the carriage for fifteen minutes Ace wasn't tired at all. That carriage stopped in front of a towering building that looks quite ordinary.

Ace didn't think much of it and saw an average-looking young man exiting the carriage grandly. He was wearing a blue silk robe with the symbol of the Luminous Kingdom embroidered with golden threads.

Ace's eyes lit up seeing that silkpants. He was searching for someone just like him. He saw that young man entering the building alone and followed him inside. No one detected a shadow following behind the young man. 

An old man was sitting behind an old wooden desk. Ace was in stealth standing right behind the young man and heard their odd conversation.

"I want five this time old man!" Young Man said to the old man with a knowing smile on his face.

"You almost broke two last time! If you want five you have to pay double." That Old Man speaks in a non-negotiable tone. 

"Fine. Money is the only thing I don't lack." That Young Man didn't try to barter and throw a crystal card toward the old man.

Ace cast an outlandish look at that young man, 'Don't tell me this idiot still play with toys at this age?'

Ace was after all still fifteen years old who never left his home before and live in slums for twelve years of his life. No matter how much he went through even crossing the heavenly punishment, he still didn't see the true color of this world. Consequently, his thought process was still kind of naive. But that was also going to change very soon!

Ace thought that this guy has really weird hobbies at this age and looked at the old man even more strangely, 'Why did this Old Guy's emotions become depressing and resentful when he talks about broken toys?'

Ace thought these two were retards but when he saw the amount on the crystal card that the young man just handed to the old man he was astounded because that was a 500,000 Ruby Coins crystal card!

'What kind of toys is so expensive? Really a silkpants.' Ace's interest was finally piqued. 

After receiving the payment, the Old Man stood from his chair and walk towards the back door beside the desk. The Young Man follows him and of course Ace was behind them.

The old man was a peak qi gate cultivator but he didn't notice Ace's presence. 

After the back door open, there were red lights illuminate the pathway that was going downwards.

Ace followed them curiously, 'This is quite some place for putting toys alright.' 

However, Ace's humorous expression turns ghastly when he reached the end of the pathway because there were cages and inside were trembling young girls, and some of them were only ten years old! They all had beating marks and deep scars on their bodies they were clearly torture to the extreme, this was his first time seeing this kind of hideous scene. 

"Here, select any five and you're not allowed to kill anyone or you're banned forever!" The Old Man gravely warns the Young Man whose eyes were shimmering with an ominous glint.

That Young Man darkly laughs, "Hehe, Old man you know me for some time did I ever kill anyone?"

"I know you that's why I'm warning you. The supply of girls is quite short lately so I won't tolerate your wanton 'limbs cutting' anymore even if you give more money. I have a business to run here." Scoffed old man.

"Fine, fine, don't ruin my mood with your nonsense." That Young Man began to select five girls gleefully.

Ace's eyes turn icy cold after hearing their conversation and seeing those innocent sobbing girls. He didn't want to interfere and involve himself in these kinds of affairs ever since he goes through the ordeal with Dulce. But now that he saw it already, he can't just ignore these animals. He was not a saint but he wasn't a heartless villain either. 

Ace gloomily watches that young man selecting five little girls between ten and twelve and grinning sinisterly while watching them desperately cry as if he was enjoying their struggle.

'This psycho!' Ace's fury reached its peak but still hold himself back. 

"Go to room number 3." The old man said while opening a door beside the cages.

The young man enters with the girls like it was natural, it was clear he had been here many times before. 

Now that Ace notices this room he senses many new soul signatures in that pathway. There were twenty rooms and almost all of them were filled. His expression turns graver because he could hear the wailing of young girls and pleasurable roars of men. 

A thick killing intent fills Ace's eyes and couldn't take it anymore. Two pitch-black swords appear in hands.

The old man and the young man suddenly felt they were deep inside an ice lake and abruptly turn around. They only saw two black beams flashed past their throats and the next moment their heads were rolling on the floor.

Their eyes were wide open with disbelief and unwillingness especially the young man who wasn't even twenty yet. Those two didn't even dream that they would die just because this guy was searching for a target and accidentally saw all this. In the end, he couldn't even control himself. 

Ace didn't stop here and like a grim ripper enter the pathway fill with rooms. Ace manifest Qi blades with HD-Qi around him and like lightning sent them inside those rooms and one after other cold headless bodies drop. 

Ace retracts his Qi while sighing again and again, in the end, he still did it and kill all those unknown animals but he didn't regret it not in the least bit. 'They all earned it!'

On the other hand, those girls were all dumbfounded, they never thought someone would save them and kill all those bastards who torment them in every way possible.

One of the brave girls said while shuttering, "T-thank y-you for sav...saving us big b-brother." Seeing her others also followed and thanked Ace while crying.

Their eyes were filled with hot tears and gratitude.

Ace sighs sadly seeing all these pitiful girls, "Where are your parents? Did they take you away from them?" He asked while looking at all those girls. They were thirty-three of them and every one of their condition was worse than the other. 

"My parents sold me to that old devil." A sixteen years old looking girl speak sadly while crying.

"My parents pass away and my uncle sold me here."

"My…"

Ace didn't know what to say after hearing these girls' tragic pasts. He suddenly remembers Eva's story when her father friend sold her to Lyla Grant and felt even more poignant for all of them. 

Slavery was common in the golden sky world hence even if he wants to he can't save all those slaves.

'Everyone seeks and lived for all kinds of wealth even if they have to trade their souls for it or even place oneself in danger.. What a phenomenal Race Humans truly are!' Ace lament and felt deep sorrow in his heart.