Flender had been struggling on the continent for many years, and not a single trace of abnormality appeared on his face.
Ning Tianchen sighed inwardly, then spoke up:
"Shopkeeper, stealing from the tomb of a Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan elder is a serious crime. You'd best give a proper explanation. Otherwise, we'll have no choice but to report this to the clan."
"So that's how it is... seems they weren't mistaken after all."
Flender chuckled inwardly, while a faint smile appeared on his face. He spread his hands and said lightly:
"All the items in my store were acquired from major merchants. There's no issue with their origins."
"Besides, all you've said is speculation. You have no concrete proof that this is the same soul tool that was stolen from the tomb."
The Douluo Continent wasn't like Blue Star—there were no means of verifying the ownership history of items.
What's more, while the goods in Flender's store were admittedly shabby, they were all cleaned thoroughly. There was no way to find any remaining traces or clues on the soul tool.
A suspicion began to rise in Ning Tianchen's heart.
It was highly likely that all the items in Flender's shop were stolen goods.
The theft of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan elder's tomb probably wasn't Flender's doing. It was more likely that he had bought the item cheaply from grave robbers—or even taken it from them by force.
If he weren't profiteering, he wouldn't be called Flender.
"Utter nonsense! I'm contacting the clan right now. You just wait!"
Ning Rongrong said angrily, turning to leave—but was quickly stopped by Ning Tianchen.
Flender, after all, had survived many years on the continent. The ruthless nature in his bones hadn't disappeared. Moreover, he was a Soul Saint.
If a real conflict broke out, they would still be the ones to suffer.
If the other party were truly ruthless, they might not even make it out of this shop alive.
"Rongrong, I think he makes a valid point. We have no way to prove that this item came from that elder's tomb. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan wouldn't take action against someone without solid evidence," Ning Tianchen shook his head slightly.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's stance toward outsiders was not overly aggressive—especially when it involved a long-deceased elder.
Even if the matter reached Ning Fengzhi, he likely wouldn't pursue Flender over this.
Flender seized the moment and said,
"Since you have doubts about the item, then take it back to your clan for verification. I conduct myself with integrity and disdain underhanded acts."
"Those two items in your hands—just consider them gifts from me. Now leave, I'm tired."
As he finished speaking, he lay back down on his chair and began to rock it leisurely once more.
After leaving the shop, Ning Rongrong looked at Ning Tianchen in confusion.
"Why did you stop me? That item clearly is—"
Ning Tianchen interrupted her:
"Did you personally see him steal from the tomb?"
Ning Rongrong shook her head.
"Then without solid evidence, everything you're saying is just speculation. Besides... I get an extremely dangerous feeling from that shopkeeper. He's very likely a high-level soul master."
"Without evidence, we're wrongfully accusing a powerful individual. Even if we went to Uncle Ning, we'd most likely end up being scolded."
"Is he really that strong?" Ning Rongrong's voice softened considerably.
Ning Tianchen gave a helpless smile.
"Rongrong, your reaction wasn't wrong, but we also have to consider the reality of the situation. Many times, it's best not to act too forcefully."
"In any case, we essentially walked away with three items for free today."
Of course, in Flender's correspondence with Ning Fengzhi, he had likely received a decent amount of money.
Compared to that sum, these three junk items were worth next to nothing—merely a drop in the ocean.
"Alright then." Ning Rongrong nodded, still somewhat puzzled but accepting.
"By the way, Brother Tianchen, why did you want that useless-looking rock? Is there something special about it?"
Ning Tianchen shrugged.
Ban Jing Fa Jin was indeed special, but he had never learned how to use hidden weapons, nor did he understand their mechanics. To him, it was no different from an ordinary stone.
However, the properties of Fa Jin were potent enough to injure even a Soul Saint-level expert. If it ended up in Tang San's hands… it wouldn't be easy to deal with.
---
After wandering around the city for a while longer, it was already afternoon when the two decided to return to the hotel.
Just as they approached the hotel entrance, Ning Tianchen and Ning Rongrong suddenly noticed—
"Huh? Isn't that the guy we passed by this morning? I remember his female companion wasn't those twin sisters… so why is he now—"
Ning Rongrong was dumbfounded.
In her understanding of the world, she had never encountered someone who behaved like this.
Even her own father, who had several wives, had never been with more than two women in a single day.
"He's a soul master too. Maybe, for some unknown reason, he needs to... cultivate through intimacy to speed up his progress," Ning Tianchen said with a laugh he couldn't hold back.
Because in his line of sight, a figure dressed in black was watching Dai Mubai from a short distance away.
There was no doubt—that figure was Zhu Zhuqing.
Abandoning his fiancée and fleeing to the Heaven Dou Empire, only to indulge in pleasure and neglect his cultivation afterward… This scandal was just too entertaining.
Dai Mubai walked up to the hotel entrance and loudly complained, "Hey! I'm pretty sure this room is mine!"
"This guy," Ning Rongrong scoffed and decided to head over and watch the drama unfold.
Ning Tianchen glanced toward the distance—the figure in black had already vanished.
For a young soul master to fight over a hotel room just to satisfy his lust… it was simply absurd.
In any sect with strict rules, a person like this would have had his legs broken long ago. Dai Mubai was simply lucky. As long as he hadn't yet dueled with Davis, he could still enjoy the resources of the Star Luo royal family.
And because his strength was weaker than Davis's, no one paid much attention to him.
Ning Tianchen could understand now why Dai Mubai had allowed himself to fall into depravity.
With no hope of defeating his older brother, and given the ancestral rules of the royal family, wasn't it only natural for him to enjoy this brief period of stability to the fullest?
Standing outside the building, Ning Tianchen watched the two sides in conflict.
"That must be Tang San," he muttered, looking at the youth in tight-fitting blue clothing.
"A two-ring Soul Master at such a young age… looks like he's also here to enroll at Shrek Academy."
Although Tang San's appearance was ordinary, his harmless demeanor and the way he protected his sister earned him some favor in Ning Rongrong's eyes.
When Dai Mubai released his spirit, she couldn't help but exclaim, "He's already a Soul Elder!"
Then, in a softer voice, she added, "It's a pity though… so young and already wasting his potential. If he took cultivation seriously, we might've been able to recruit him into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
Ning Tianchen patted her shoulder. "His spirit is the Evil Eye White Tiger—Star Luo Empire's inherited martial spirit. There's no way we can recruit him."
Ning Rongrong pouted. "I think it's more like Evil Eye Lustful Tiger."
At that moment, Dai Mubai heard the first half of Ning Rongrong's comment, and the corners of his mouth lifted into a smirk.
Precisely because he was so young and already a Soul Elder, he was seen as a dreamboat by the noble ladies of Soto City.
The woman he had been passionately playing around with that morning was the daughter of a wealthy family. The twin sisters now accompanying him also had no small background.