News of the theft at the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan spread through Heaven Dou City like a wild storm. It moved quickly from street to street, shocking everyone who heard it.
At first, most people did not believe the rumors. They thought it was just idle gossip. After all, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was one of the Upper Three Sects. They possessed immense power, deep resources, and many strong Spirit Masters. Who in their right mind would be desperate enough to steal from them? It seemed like a suicide mission.
However, the doubts vanished when people saw the official wanted posters. The clan had displayed reward notices right at the main city gates. When the citizens saw the official seal of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, they finally realized the incident was real. But this confirmation only made the mystery deeper.
Everyone wondered: What kind of master thief could steal five hundred thousand Gold Spirit Coins from such a powerful sect and escape without leaving a trace?
The fact that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had posted notices in a public place like Heaven Dou City proved one thing: they were desperate. They had likely used all their internal methods to catch the culprit and failed. They had no choice but to ask the public for help, even if it was embarrassing for a major sect.
The reward notice provided very few details about the thief's appearance. This lack of information was due to the high security of the clan's treasury. The treasury was a forbidden area. To enter, a person needed a specific Elder's secret token. It was impossible for an ordinary outsider to just walk in.
When the theft was first discovered, the sect leaders immediately suspected an inside job. They thought perhaps a guard had stolen the money, or maybe a clan member had worked with an outsider to move the funds.
However, after a quick investigation, they ruled out these possibilities. The guards on duty provided a crucial piece of information. They reported that about half a month ago, a man had entered the treasury. He held a valid Elder's secret token from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
This person kept his face hidden, but the guards did not stop him. In a large sect, secret missions were common. Elders often sent agents to retrieve funds for confidential tasks, and these agents could not reveal their identities. The guards simply followed protocol and let him pass.
The crime was only discovered two days ago. High-ranking officials were conducting a routine audit of the accounts when they found a massive hole in the finances. There was a deficit of exactly five hundred thousand Gold Spirit Coins.
This was a huge amount of money, even for a wealthy sect. The clan launched an immediate internal investigation, but they found nothing. The thief had vanished completely. With no other options, they issued the wanted notice.
Although the notice lacked facial details, it contained one extremely valuable clue. The guards remembered one distinct physical trait of the mysterious man who entered the treasury that day.
The suspect only had a left arm.
Despite this clue, finding one specific one-armed man in the vast Douluo Continent was like looking for a needle in a haystack. The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan knew the chances were slim. Issuing the reward was a shot in the dark. If this public search failed, they would have to accept the loss.
Of course, the ordinary citizens reading the poster did not know the truth. They did not know that the "master thief" was currently lying in a bed, hovering between life and death.
The thief was none other than Yu Xiaogang.
Almost every condition on the wanted poster matched him perfectly. He had the Elder's token, and most importantly, he only had a left arm.
There was only one small difference between the crime and the accusation. Yu Xiaogang had only stolen two hundred and fifty thousand Gold Spirit Coins. The wanted poster, however, claimed the clan had lost five hundred thousand. It was highly likely that someone within the clan had used the theft as an opportunity to embezzle the other half of the money, blaming it all on the mysterious thief.
While the city buzzed with this news, the Shrek Group was returning from the Sunset Forest. They arrived in the vicinity of Heaven Dou City, tired and worn out from their journey.
Because everyone was exhausted, and Yu Xiaogang was in critical condition, Flender made a decision. He did not lead them into the bustling Heaven Dou City. Instead, he took them directly back to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, which was located just outside the city limits.
Because of this route, the Shrek Group completely missed the wanted posters hanging on the city gates.
This was a stroke of incredible luck for Yu Xiaogang. If Flender had seen that reward notice, the Grandmaster would have been in serious trouble. Flender was a sharp man. He would have immediately connected the dots and suspected his old friend.
The coincidences were simply too numerous to ignore.
First, Yu Xiaogang was a direct member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. It would be perfectly normal for him to have access to an Elder's secret token.
Second, there was the matter of Tang San. Flender had watched Tang San's growth closely. He knew the boy had advanced from level twenty-seven to twenty-eight just a few days ago. Yet, suddenly, Tang San's Spirit Power had surged to level thirty.
Flender knew Tang San was talented, but jumping three levels in such a short time was unnatural. When Flender watched Tang San absorb the Man-Faced Demon Spider's Spirit Ring, he sensed a forced growth within the boy's body. It was clear that Tang San had used external items to boost his power rapidly.
Usually, only high-grade Spirit Herbs could achieve this effect. These herbs were incredibly rare and expensive. A single herb could easily cost between one hundred thousand and two hundred thousand Gold Spirit Coins. This massive expense provided a perfect motive for Yu Xiaogang to steal money.
Third, Yu Xiaogang had disappeared without explanation for half a month. Before he left, he and Tang San were practically begging for food, almost starving. When he returned after two weeks, he was suddenly wealthy. He wore luxurious clothes and had plenty of resources.
At the time, Flender assumed Yu Xiaogang had found a legitimate way to get money. He never imagined his friend had gone to rob his own clan.
Finally, the most damning piece of evidence was the physical description. The wanted poster stated clearly: The suspect likely has only one left arm.
It was a perfect match. Yu Xiaogang also had only one left arm.
Other details could be explained away as coincidences, but this physical trait was too specific. If Flender had combined the missing arm, the sudden wealth, the expensive herbs, and the clan connection, he would have solved the case instantly.
It was a pity that Flender led the group straight to the academy. If he had seen the poster, he might have already been calculating how to turn Yu Xiaogang in to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to claim the reward.
Once they arrived back at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, everyone went to their rooms to rest. Hunting Spirit Beasts in the Sunset Forest had drained their energy and physical strength. They needed sleep.
Of course, not everyone was exhausted. Huo Feng and Xiao Wu were exceptions. Huo Feng had already absorbed his fourth Spirit Ring before the trip, and Xiao Wu did not need to hunt for Spirit Rings at all. For them, the journey was just a casual trip.
The most tired members of the group were undoubtedly Tang San and his teacher, Yu Xiaogang.
Tang San was physically tired from carrying Yu Xiaogang on his back for the entire return journey. However, his mental state was stable. He was just a dutiful student taking care of his master.
Yu Xiaogang, on the other hand, was in a terrible state. Since his injury, he had barely spoken a word. He fell into a deep, dark silence. He seemed incredibly depressed.
His behavior worried Tang San greatly. Tang San understood why his teacher was acting this way. The injury Yu Xiaogang suffered was devastating for any man. The humiliation and the physical loss were too much to bear. The realization that he could never be intimate with a woman again made Yu Xiaogang want to die.
Because of this, Tang San refused to leave Yu Xiaogang's side. He stayed in the room constantly. partly to care for his injuries, but mostly because he was terrified Yu Xiaogang might try to commit suicide.
Tang San could only hope that the old saying was true: time heals all wounds. He hoped that as the days passed, his teacher would slowly accept his new reality and return to normal mentally. Physically, of course, he would never be whole again.
While the group rested, news of their return reached Qin Ming. Hearing that Flender had brought the Shrek Group back safely, Qin Ming immediately went to their courtyard to offer his congratulations.
He found them settling in and smiled warmly.
"I heard from Headmaster Flender that everyone successfully obtained their Spirit Rings!" Qin Ming said enthusiastically.
Everyone nodded in response. It had been a successful, albeit chaotic, trip.
Now, the entire team had reached a new tier of power. Everyone in the Shrek group had broken through to the thirtieth level. Even more impressively, Huo Feng and Dai Mubai had broken through to the fortieth level, becoming Spirit Ancestors.
Qin Ming looked at the talented students with excitement and pride. He wanted to celebrate their achievement properly.
"This is a great occasion," Qin Ming announced, his smile widening. "Tonight, I will host a banquet at the academy to welcome everyone back!"
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