Eternal Thief

Alvin looked at Finn impassively and use his martial sense to measure him. It satisfied him to see Finn was just like before and didn't seem to change much. 

"Sit." Said Alvin and after Finn do as he told, he continued, "I summoned you because I have good news for you." 

"What good news?" Finn asked with an eager voice.

"I just received a reply from the headquarters after I told them about you." Alvin coolly said, "You can cultivate in soul path and the organization will fully support you in this. Furthermore, you'll be taught by ten soul cultivators present in Flame Palace until we returned to high-lands, and those ten are also rune crafters as well."

Truthfully, Alvin was laying reporting about Finn to the headquarters because he only reported it to his father. Alvin expected a protracted reply but to his stupefaction, he only received three sentences in his father's grim voice, and they were; 

"Whatever the element physique boy needs, provide it. But at all and any cost; find that thief and bring him back alive. If you can't find him, then stay there forever!" 

Alvin never expected this kind of solemn response, especially not from his ambitious father, Henrik. This also means that thief was even more important than a legendary element physique!

No matter how much Alvin mull over it, he didn't understand just why a petty thief was so significant to those old stick-in-the-muds. But one thing was obvious that he can't go back until he captures Sky Stealer and by the tone of his father, Henrik didn't seem to care about Finn at all.

This left an unpleasant taste in his mouth, and all his grand dreams turn to dust. He didn't know how he would be going to explain this to Lan since he promised him the glory. 

In the end, Alvin decided to first deal with Finn, since the old man told him to provide anything Finn needs. He was planning to tell everything to Lan and have Lan prepare everything needed to erase Finn's Martial foundation personally. 

He still thinks Finn can give him plenty of benefits on his own because he had a wood element physique and Alvin's innate element was also wood. Even if Finn cultivate Soul Wood Qi, this didn't mean Alvin can't benefit from it!

That's why he still dealt with Finn's matter first and then leave to search for that damn thief. It's not like he had any more clues about him at this moment, since he didn't appear for months.

"Thank you, Elder Brother!" Finn quickly thanked Alvin with a voice full of happiness. 

However, inside, Ace was cursing his bad luck because he didn't think these guys would agree to his request this quickly. He knew if they start the process of altering his foundation, then they would find out there wasn't any foundation to erase at all!

'First that dangerous presence and now this bad news. Am I cursed with bad luck?' Ace thought with animosity. Still, he didn't let it show and still pretend like Finn.

Alvin smile faintly and said, "There is no need for thanks between us brothers and let me get rid of it for you as well there isn't need for it now." 

Ace was confused about what Alvin was talking about when he saw Alvin taking out the slave item contract. It was his slave contract!

Alvin formed a hand seal as his aura grow denser.

Ace abruptly felt the slave item on his face heated up. 

===== 

[Martial Slave Item has been removed by the owner]

[The fake conscious for martial slave contract has also been  destroyed]

=====

'What?! Then this means I wasted 500TP for nothing?!' Ace's face fell and thought, 'But why is he doing it? Is it because with this item they can't start the process of erasing the martial cultivation? It has to be it!' 

Ace still knew little about the method of changing one's cultivation path, and this led him to make wrong assumptions. He didn't know Alvin was removing the slave item because he needed it for Sky Stealer, again. 

This slave item was meant for him in the first place, and he just used it on Finn to intimidate those old men, but it seemed they didn't care about Finn at all. Now he had no choice but to play magnanimous to earn Finn's goodwill in the process. 

However, Alvin still didn't know the truth about that slave item contract which was given to him by Flame Master William who get it from…

Cracks appeared on the black mask on Finn's face and the next moment it completely shattered, turning into dust particles. 

Finn's thin face revealed again and there was a smile on his face filled with gratitude. He quickly bows toward Alvin and said, "Thank you! Elder brother for showing such trust in me." 

Ace's real thoughts were opposite to his speech, though.

Alvin's smile widen, and he nodded in approval seeing his plan worked, "No need, you earned it. Now go back and wait until I discuss with elder Lan. Be ready because the process will be pain full, but the benefits easily outmatched the pain." 

"Yes. I won't let Elder Brother down." Finn shows a resolute expression as his voice was solemn.

"Good, good. I know you won't disappoint me!" Alvin smiled kindly. 

After that Ace was escorted back by the same flame guard. 

When Grey saw Finn's face without the slave mask, she was shocked and curious about how did this happen. But Finn directly left for the cultivation room after telling her ambiguously that it was important for his cultivation. 

Ace activates the formation barrier of the cultivation room and takes a deep breath. He stood there for a while before sitting cross-legged. 

"I'm not ready for the mission yet, and I can't risk being exposed in front of two Qi river core cultivators. Sigh… I should've seen this coming, but I still wanted to theft the number one city of a giant like Pill Flame with my current strength, truly delusional." Ace mumbles bitterly. 

After he saw Flame Place and the surrounding security with all those powerful cultivators within, he still didn't back down from his plan of theft this city first. 

But today, after he felt that dangerous presence he finally wakes up from his fallacy and starts thinking about what would've happened if that person was someone from the flame palace. 

He still didn't know the complete information about the flame palace, and his skills nor cultivation were enough to infiltrate the core reigns of the place. And after Alvin told him about the approval, this was the last straw that broke the camelback. 

Ace has a realization that he was currently in the center of the enemy's base, and they even know about where he was. Although he got many benefits, he was still under watch.

Maybe, he forgot about what he was and why he was doing everything after getting all this free advantage, he should've seen this coming but kept telling himself; he can do this before they would find him. 

Now, however, he understood just how big of a problem this mission was, and he was planning to theft one of the most powerful targets first, and he only realized this now.

'Well, looking at the bright side, I'm in the 1st-grade kingdoms-land and I even got something unexpected. I should've been happy by just this, but instead, I become too greedy. Heh, well, it's still not too late.' A sharp glint flash past Ace's eyes. 

"I have to leave this city today!" Ace decided instantly, and he felt it was the right thing to do. 

Ace closed his eyes and controlled his soul sense. His focus was Alvin's courtyard!

He was waiting for him to leave before taking any other actions. Although, he wasn't confident infiltrating the flame palace, but he was sure he can leave this city without alerting anyone. 

Ace now just had to think about how he's going to disappear. He can either leave and cause a commotion, but it would probably backfire since Alvin and Lan weren't any idiots. 

They can easily connect the dots and find out who he was since only one person has shown the ability to disguise himself to such an extent. If that happened then that means they would know just how powerful his disguise was, and he even demonstrates that he had an 'element physique'. 

They would certainly come after him more strongly than ever, and it would make his mission more problematic. 

He didn't want to give them more reason to chase after him and with more forces; he wasn't strong enough to escape from them yet, so he had to leave while keeping Finn's weak and innocent image intact.

Ace thought for a while when suddenly, his eyes lit up as his lips curled upward in a devilish smile, 'I can use that and benefit from this situation!'