Chapter 879: Thief Saint VS Thief Saint

Audience Expectation: 3Current Expectation: 48

When these two lines floated before Chen Ling, his heart instantly trembled!

No...

An ominous premonition surged in Chen Ling's heart. He immediately stopped rummaging and cautiously looked around.

“What’s wrong? Did you find it?” Jian Changsheng asked, puzzled by his inexplicable reaction.

Chen Ling didn't answer. Instead, with a serious expression, he thought for a moment, then walked to the door of the Imperial Study, quietly opening it a crack to peer outside.

Outside the Imperial Study, there was nothing.

Chen Ling relaxed slightly. Just as he was about to close the door, his peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a playing card lying on the ground behind the door crack of the Imperial Study. It wasn't clear when it had gotten there.

Queen of Hearts.

Chen Ling's pupils slightly contracted.

“This is...”

“A thief is a thief. Why act so cultured? Are you going to take the civil service exam?”

Above the Imperial Study, Mo Lian spoke with a hint of disdain, holding his staff.

Bai Ye’s back was soaked with cold sweat.

Bai Ye never expected to encounter Chen Ling and the others here. Normally, it would be a delightful reunion with old friends, but now he had Mo Lian by his side—an Arsonist Thief Saint of his same rank! The feeling was too strange, like cheating in a marriage, going out with your spouse on an errand and running into an old flame.

Bai Ye was a member of the Twilight Society. Even though he still maintained his identity as an Arsonist Thief Saint, he was more like a double agent. Now, he faced a dilemma that no double agent in the world would want to see. Meeting Chen Ling and the others in the Imperial Dao Ancient Tomb—although Mo Lian didn't know their background, given his personality, he would definitely try to kill them. Chen Ling and his group were far from strong enough to be a match for a Thief Saint.

If Bai Ye didn't intervene, Chen Ling and the others would surely die. If he did intervene, he would be completely exposed, and Mo Lian's path was quite troublesome. If they fought, even Bai Ye wasn't confident of victory.

Fortunately, Bai Ye used his Mind Python to temporarily steal a portion of Mo Lian's memory, stabilizing the situation.

He composed himself and replied calmly:

“Profession is profession, learning is learning. You can actually learn a lot from history... Besides, I have a criminal record, so I can’t take the civil service exam.”

“So you’re saying you’ve been reading all this time, which is why you’re never around?”

“What I do doesn't seem to require reporting to you, Mo Lian. You're too nosy.”

Bai Ye repeated their previous conversation, trying to minimize Mo Lian's sudden awareness of his memory loss.

“Heh.” Mo Lian sneered.

A moment later, he spoke unhurriedly, “As expected of you... This kind of trick, without prior preparation, would likely lead to forgetting even if one noticed something amiss... A truly brilliant deception.”

Bai Ye’s pupils suddenly constricted.

He sharply turned his head and saw Mo Lian unhurriedly taking off his top hat. With a gentle shake, the playing card he had just slipped into the Imperial Study was casually pulled out.

A slight smile played on Mo Lian’s lips. “The Silver King’s conjecture was correct after all. Following you all this way, I’ve finally found your weakness...”

“Should I call you Thief Saint Bai Ye, or... Queen of Hearts?”

A thunderous roar echoed in Bai Ye’s mind. His thoughts flashed like lightning, and he immediately pulled back, putting distance between himself and Mo Lian!

The next moment, two Thief God Paths were activated, and two rays of light, one black and one white, flashed out almost simultaneously!

“Too bad, you can’t steal my memory.”

Mo Lian casually flipped his top hat and put it back on. Along the inner brim of the hat, a silver flame pattern glowed silently.

Demigod's might!

The moment he saw that pattern, Bai Ye’s heart sank.

That pattern came from the Silver King, the leader of the Thief God Path... The Silver King mastered all methods of ‘theft,’ naturally including stealing memories. This pattern was specifically designed to counteract Bai Ye. No wonder two Thief Saints were dispatched to hunt down a group of children... No wonder Mo Lian seemed to have been subtly testing him ever since they entered the Gray Realm...

From the very beginning, this had been a trap set for him!

“When did you start suspecting me?” Bai Ye asked in a deep voice.

“You’ll have to ask the King about that,” Mo Lian said leisurely. “To be honest, I never expected you to join the Twilight Society... Among us, you were the most nonchalant and carefree. How could you dare take such a huge risk, becoming a spy right under the King's nose?”

Bai Ye didn't answer. He simply looked at the top hat in Mo Lian's hand with a solemn expression, rapidly calculating his next move. Since the Silver King had already suspected him, there was no returning to the Arsonist side. Moreover, Mo Lian possessed the pattern given by the Silver King, which could nullify Bai Ye's ‘theft’ abilities. He was definitely no match for Mo Lian now!

The only option now was to abandon his spy identity and immediately leave the Imperial Dao Ancient Tomb with Chen Ling and the others!

“I know you want to leave, but since I came prepared, can you still escape?”

Mo Lian lowered his hand. His black leather glove was already covered with a faint white glow... It was Bai Ye’s Mind Python.

“You can’t steal my memory, but I can steal your abilities... You might as well forget everything and obediently return with me to the Boundless Realm, awaiting the King’s judgment.”

Mo Lian’s leather glove snatched at the air, and a flash of white light instantly enveloped Bai Ye's figure. An invisible giant python surged forth, plundering his memory in one bite!

A gentle breeze swept past Bai Ye. He stood blankly, looking down at his hands, as if he had forgotten how to even use his own abilities. The black leather glove seemed to steal space, instantly covering Bai Ye’s face. After a flash of black light, Bai Ye fell unconscious, plummeting helplessly downwards.

Mo Lian released his hand, and the staff visibly softened, binding Bai Ye’s body like a vine, hanging and following behind him.

“Who would have thought... you’d have this day.” Mo Lian patted his black leather glove, his gaze at Bai Ye full of mockery.

Just as Mo Lian was about to leave, he suddenly seemed to remember something and looked down at the Imperial Study below.

“Almost forgot, there are still a few little mice.”

He snorted, and carrying the unconscious Bai Ye, quickly descended towards the palace below.

Inside the Imperial Study.

“This is Bai...” Jian Changsheng saw the playing card and instinctively started to say something.

Immediately after, Chen Ling’s foot stepped directly onto the playing card. After glancing at Jiang Xiaohua nearby, Jian Changsheng silently closed his mouth. He almost forgot that Jiang Xiaohua was still here... Playing cards were too obvious a clue. If the three of them reacted, it would quickly be linked to the Twilight Society...

No, perhaps he had already realized it?

In the silent atmosphere, Jiang Xiaohua blinked, saying nothing.

“Something isn't right,” Chen Ling said in a deep voice. “We should leave here as soon as possible.”