With nothing better to do, the duo remained at the Mystery Object Sale.

Van hung around the chests and spent an hour picking out some more items. This time, his only requirement was –

Profit!

If the pebble-sized artefact was selling for 5 silvers but contained a treasure worth at least 500 silvers, Van would take it.

Half an hour later, Van and Ryan each held just over one hundred items each. Van paid approximately 1,400 silver taels for the lot.

Ryan held out the bag.

Van pushed it back, "Those are all for you. When we get back to the sect, crack them open and clean them up a bit. A man needs funds! You could send them back to your family too."

Ryan nodded and simply put it away. After so long together, he knew that Van was awkward at – and somewhat disliked – receiving people's thanks.

Van stashed his own haul away.

The duo continued to sight-see and chatted while doing so. Despite having a lot of fun, however, both were itching to open the items they had purchased in the Mystery Object Sale!

Unable to hold back his curiosity, Ryan was the first give up, "It's getting late. Should we return to the sect?"

Van smiled sheepishly, "Yeah! Let's go back and check out our stuff."

The duo began to make their way back to the Cedar Sect. The further they got from the centre of the festival, the quieter the streets became.

Thunk thunk!

Thunk thunk thunk!

Five shadows dropped down from the street's overhanging rooves. They stood quietly and menacingly in the middle of the street.

Van was alarmed, "Who's there?"

Ryan's eyes narrowed. He immediately took a fighting stance.

A figure stood in front of the rest, "The Boss of the Blood Crow Gang is here to wreck your f.u.c.king a.s.s, that's who!"

The figure lifted their hood to reveal a pale face, curly hair and a slightly crazed smile, "How dare you beat up my subordinates and make me humiliate myself in front of my cousin!"

Van had not recognised his face; but he knew that the boss of the Blood Crow Gang was out for his blood.

"Watch out!" Van shouted. He leapt forwards and shoved Ryan to the side.

A sharp metallic intent sliced Van's arms. A red line appeared, but no blood came out.

Nathaniel was astonished, "What!?"

His subordinates gathered around him, "Boss! Let's fight him together. We also want to regain our pride!"

Nathaniel nodded. He brandished the sleek silver sword in his hand once more, "Brat! I'm warning you know, you will regret going against me! Last time, you won only because you surprised my subordinates with your footwork."

"Today, my 5th level Qi Distillation cultivation is going to destroy your measly 4th level of Qi Distillation! I'll get payback for the loss I made outside the Point Exchange Centre!"

"Boss! Let's take him down quickly in case something happens!" A subordinate urged, wary of the tricks Van might play.

All the subordinates simultaneously kicked off towards Van.

Van laughed, "Hahaha! A bunch of dogs who still don't know the meaning of defeat!"

'Scattering Smoke Steps!'

His figure disappeared and reappeared erratically in the street.

"This move again!"

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes, "Release the arrows!"

"Yes!"

All the subordinates drew out bows and began raining arrows.

Van reappeared.

"Over there!" They ran after him.

Van leapt onto a rooftop and kept running. The only reason he had used 'Scattering Smoke Steps' just then was to lure them away from Ryan. Now he had achieved his purpose.

The chasing subordinates made frenzied attacks with their bows and arrows. Van simply channelled his fleshly power and felt them bounce off his flesh. They only left little pink marks.

The people chasing him gritted their teeth. Was this guy inhuman?!

"Follow him tightly. Don't let him run away!" Nathaniel roared, his face the colour of puce. Suddenly, his feet glowed with a bright silver colour.

"Windborne Steps!"

His speed increased by a factor of ten times.

Van abruptly stopped. He turned around and looked coldly at Nathaniel.

"You try to steal my possessions and now you are trying to kill me. The one who should be running away… is you!"

A ma.s.sive, dark, tidal wave spewed out from his hand and roared as it fell. It crashed violently into the bodies of three subordinates, who were thrown off the roof. They hit the streets with a loud noise.

The remaining two were alarmed.

Nathaniel gritted his teeth, "Do not be afraid of him. He is just trying to scare you. There is no way he can defeat me! Charge!"

Van smiled. He waved a palm and a small twisting whirlpool started forming over Nathaniel's head.

His subordinates looked at the whirlpool and stuttered, "B-Boss…above…"

Nathaniel narrowed his eyes, "What?"

At that moment, the small pinp.r.i.c.k roared and became a ma.s.sive vortex that swallowed Nathaniel within a second.

Nathaniel felt an icy cold chill enter his bones. His teeth chattered, "S-so cold…"

He was surrounded by twisting walls of dark water filled with qi. He pressed his hand into it and felt his flesh being lacerated.

"f.u.c.k!" He shouted angrily. He was completely isolated from the rest of the world inside the whirlpool.

Nathaniel slashed the whirlpool with his sword. It's power lessened. He smirked.

[Although his level of skill is frightening, I win in terms of raw power. I can break through this in a few moments!]

Nathaniel raised his voice, "This kid's skill is very high and his skills tricky to deal with. Be careful!"

However, just as he finished his warning, he heard a scream from his left.

Shortly after that, a scream emitted from the right.

There were two dull thuds.

Nathaniel felt his blood chill to ice. The swirling walls of water abruptly dissipated. He came face to face with Van.

Van smiled, "Still not running away?"

A whip of violent water lashed out through the air and hit Nathaniel's stunned body.

BANG!

He was thrown back several metres.

Nathaniel heaved himself off the ground, blood dripping from his lips. He gripped his sword tightly and ran forwards.

"Silver Shark Light!"

His sword traced out a bright line resembling a shark's fluid movement in the water. A powerful aura full of oppression and bloodthirstiness filled the air.

Van disappeared as he used 'Scattering Smoke Steps.' Using its absolute evasion, he managed to miss getting hit by a hairsbreadth. When he dismissed the footwork skill, a corner of his sleeve was cut.

Nathaniel was shocked once more.

[How is his Scattering Smoke Steps already so well practiced? I cannot even land a blow!]

Van pulled his Obsidian Batteaxe from the shoulder harness and dashed forwards. His body flickered.

Nathaniel's eyes flickered warily. He felt anxious and afraid. Where was Van going to appear next?!

[Not good!]

Nathaniel felt an unbearable pressure coming from behind. He was barely able to turn his body when –

SLICE!

Nathaniel was flung back dozens of metres. Blood spurted from his mouth and from the fresh gash in his side. He pressed a hand into the wound to staunch the blood but the red liquid just kept spilling out and staining the ground.

[If I didn't use a s.h.i.+elding charm just then, I would have died. The force behind that axe was simply too great…!]

Nathaniel looked up. He saw Van walking towards him like a G.o.d of death and felt immense fear filled his his being, "H-how? How are your skills so powerful when your cultivation is so low… I don't understand…"

Van stood above him.

"You don't need to understand."

He lifted his obsidian axe. This man was ready to kill him for a simple offense, this wasn't like Freya and Hans, where he felt that they could have use for them. He immensely disliked Nathaniel and everything the Blood Crow Gang stood for.

[This kind of human sc.u.m who robs peoples, threatens them with violence and kills people for petty things does not need to remain on this earth any longer!]

He swung.

Nathaniel's crazed eyes flashed. He pulled out an escape talisman.

Van saw the talisman and knew what was about to happen. He tried to swing his axe faster, but in the next moment, the Blood Crow Gang's leader had vanished.

Van kicked the roof tile in frustration, "He better lay low inside the Cedar Sect, because if I see him outside the sect's protection in the middle of Dragon City again, I'll be sending him to the next realm myself!"

Van returned to find Ryan anxiously pacing back and forth. The young boy rushed forth.

"Van! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Van replied with a smile, "They were hurt far more than I was."

Ryan still looked worried.

Van hopped off the roof and saw that the Blood Crow Gang subordinates were all laying unconscious or close to death after falling from height.

[Unlucky b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. Who told you to work under such a s.h.i.+tty master?]

He shamelessly crouched down and went through all their pockets.

"Only 1,000 taels between 5 people…? This is ridiculous!" Van whistled. Despite feeling bad for them, Van stripped each naked as the day were born just to humiliate them (and gain a few copper for selling clothes).

Task complete, Van patted him on the back, "Let's go back to the sect and see what good stuff we got today, eh?"