Eternal Thief

Ace was carefully browsing through the first bookshelf, it was filled with different colored old books. Whether it was skill or technique, their names were imprinted on books' spines. 

He didn't find any finger base skill on the first shelf and move on to the next one. 

Grey was watching Finn's movements, while also monitoring that figure sitting in the restricted area. As for those six blue alchemists they weren't worth much. 

Half an hour pass and Ace has already checked eight bookshelves and still didn't find a single finger-based skill. Most of the skills were for fist, legs, or palm base, he already has some of them in his thief's space and even had a master-grade skill, so he wasn't interested in them. 

On the sixteenth bookshelf, Ace finally noticed something. 

'Stone Shatter Finger?' Ace looked at the green book with a hint of joy in his eyes. This was the first finger skill he found after searching for an hour. 

He looked around and saw he was completely hidden behind those large bookshelves and swept his VIP token on an array engrave below the book container. 

After a flash of light, the barrier around the book lifted, and he quickly grabbed the book. He didn't want to waste time and remembered the content of Stone Shatter Finger at lightning speed. 

Ace has confidence in his memorizing ability, even before he cultivates he can easily remember everything and cultivation just make this ability even more perfect.   

One has to know even powerful cultivators can't remember skills at first glance and only at a very higher level of cultivation one can get a photographic memory. But Ace has it even before he cultivated!     

In five minutes, every single character written in that skill book was in his mind and he can recite it word to word now. He quickly places the book back and the light barrier appeared again, locking the book container.

Ace move on to the other shelf since there weren't any more finger-type skills there. 

Grey saw Finn appearing again empty-handed, she was waiting all this time, and he still didn't find any suitable skill. 

'The finger base skills are indeed rare since they're the weakest ones when it comes to physical type skills and no one bothers to learn them nowadays. I wonder why he wanted to learn them through?' Grey mused. 

Ace found two more skills, one was, 'Star Finger', he finds it on the 21st bookshelf. While he finds 'Metallic Finger' on the 24th bookshelf. He naturally memorized them. 

Now only the 25th bookshelf left, and he had little expectation of finding another finger base skill. He now has some idea these kinds of skills were rare after only finding 3 between hundreds of books and this library was not an ordinary one either! 

Ace goes through those skill books one by one and just as he thought he didn't find another finger-based skill. He was about to turn around when his eyes landed on a book with a tatter dusty cover; it was at the very last book container. 

What drew Ace's attention was; every book was in good condition with its name and everything intact, but this book had no description while its cover was tattler and dusty, and most importantly there wasn't any barrier protecting this book container! 

Even with no barrier protecting this book, it was still there eating dust. Which also shows no one has even touched it. 

This piqued Ace's interest and go toward the dusty book. He casually grabs the book and dust scatters the moment he touches it. 

Ace blow the dust and open the first page and there was only one line written on it, 

"Life Plexus"

Ace turn the page and there was a human body drawn on it with a complex meridian channels structure. On the other side was a very complex description of something called acupuncture points deeply connected with meridian channels within the human body.

Ace was fascinated because he never heard of acupuncture points before much less how these acupuncture points can cause major damage to the human body! 

This wasn't a skill at all, this book was on mysteries of the human body like its critical points or acupuncture points. If everything written in this book was true, then one can easily subdue opponents with a single finger! 

Ace read through the end, and he saw a single line on the last page, 

"Everything in this book is just a theory based on my lifetime work as a physician… SLK…" 

"SLK?" Ace frowned seining this name, and he also understood why this book was unguarded because this was just the theory of someone and no one was interested in mere conjunctions. 

Besides, there were impossible things described in this book, like how one can seal other people's Qi flow if they find a method of sealing acupuncture points. But it was just a hypothesis.

Ace still found this book quite fascinating and even got profound inspiration! He wasn't like the others, his thought process was different, and in his point of view, this book was a treasure trove if just these acupuncture points were real!

'I should research it and see for myself; whether acupuncture points exist! If they're real, then they're more than enough to fill that remaining gap!' Ace's eyes shimmer with ecstasy. Since no one wants it, I'll take it. No one would care if an unguarded book goes missing.' 

After making sure no one watching, he stored the old book in his thief's space and pick a random fist skill as a cover. He can't return empty-handed.

Grey saw Finn coming back with a white skill book in his hand, 'He finally chose after wasting two hours.' 

"I want to copy this 'Stone Fist'." 

Ace casually gave this book to Grey, and she made a copy with an array for him. After placing the book where it belongs they were about to leave when the light barrier diving the restricted area shimmer. 

A door size gap appeared in this light barrier and a petite girl in rune crafter robes walk out as the gap closed. 

Everyone on the floor quickly avert their gazes as if they didn't want her to notice them. 

Ace merely took a glance before doing the same. 

This girl was beautiful as she walks gracefully toward the stairway, and she has an air of haughtiness around her. She was looking at everyone with disdain-filled eyes as if they were her servants. 

When this girl saw armor and mask-wearing Grey, a hint of surprise flashed past her big gem-like eyes. Her gaze simultaneously rested on Finn's skinny figure, and she rapidly looked away with a hint of contempt, when she saw that slave mask.

She was a Soul River cultivator; how could she not sense the ominous aura from Ace's mask? 

"Greeting, Lady Rune Crafter." Grey greeted her with a military salute when she saw her coming toward the stairway. Her eyes show deep concern. 

"Mm…" That girl simply nodded toward Grey in response. If it were someone else, she might don't even glance at them. 

The girl coolly leaves with no further pause. 

'Is every rune crafter this complacent?' Ace thought with scorn.

He loathed this kind of people the most and if he wasn't undercover; he didn't mind giving this arrogant girl a thief symbol as a greeting and parting gift. 

"Let's go." Grey finally move after some moments. She didn't want to bump into that girl again.

Even if she respects rune crafters, she didn't like their attitude as well. 

Ace saw the Librarian Aaden reading the same book with a lewd smile and pulled an amusing face, 'This guy is totally from a different breed than others.' He thought. 

It was his first time seeing someone making this kind of face so openly without even caring about what others thought of him. 

"Hmph!" Grey snorted with scornful eyes and leave without even saying anything. She disgusts this old man. 

Aaden nearly jumped hearing Grey's crisp voice and when he saw her leaving with no goodbye he grunted in resentment, "If you want to leave then just leave why are you disturbing this old man at such an important part!" 

"Did, sir, want to go anywhere else?" Grey asked after exiting the library. 

Ace wanted to go to the pavilions but quickly discarded the thoughts since he didn't want to draw too much attention, and it was especially the case after he learned about the history of the golden VIP token. 

Besides, he didn't think there was something he can buy there with just 100,000CP, and buying an enormous bulk of pills might draw Lan and Alvin's unwanted attention. He didn't forget Grey was here to monitor him for Lan.

"Let's go to the Pavilions Lane." He said after some consideration. 

Ace wanted a map of the city, and he wanted to see just how much wealth those alchemists have in pavilions lane!