The people of the Silver Moon Sect managed to reclaim that crucial "moon."
Ji Xun wasn't too surprised.
The recent display of anti-magic and spirit summoning was truly a masterstroke.
It would be strange if such a commotion didn't result in something significant being reclaimed.
"Is it really over just like this?"
Ji Xun's furrowed brows never relaxed, feeling like something was missing.
It seemed like the auction had ended.
As the Old Faith followers departed, the massive bone dragon and zombie giant also dissipated into black smoke.
Regardless of whether the fleeing Silver Moon Sect members would be caught, the robbery was effectively over once they retreated.
...
Ji Xun watched the gradually calming auction hall from a distance, feeling a bit frustrated.
What a pity.
He had hoped to gain something from the chaos.
But since he didn't participate,
he felt no sense of involvement.
Ji Xun pouted.
Watching till now, he felt the excitement was over.
But suddenly, a flash of insight hit him.
Hmm...
Something's wrong!
Ji Xun recalled the secret message deciphered from the "Silver Moon Mirror."
Wasn't there supposed to be a rendezvous?
Given this situation, who could the "Black Ghost" Lao Lu be meeting?
The person who took the "moon" must be a top expert from the Silver Moon Sect, and those chasing them are also experts.
Could such experts be meeting a mere first-rank like Lao Lu?
With a sudden flash of insight, Ji Xun realized: "Lao Lu isn't meeting those people; he's meeting someone else!"
Looking at the chaotic street, a clearer thought formed in his mind.
He vaguely sensed that the Silver Moon Sect had another plan up their sleeve.
With a sharp gleam in his eye, Ji Xun guessed: "That guy... is meeting an inside agent!"
...
Ji Xun had previously devised a plan.
The Silver Moon Sect would use an inside agent within the Golden Oak Tree to steal the items.
But he thought if he could think of it, so could others.
The items would surely be heavily guarded, making theft unlikely.
This plan seemed infeasible.
Reality proved that the Silver Moon Sect opted for a direct assault.
However,
this was the clever part.
Fewer people openly robbing was a risky move, costly and unlikely to secure all items.
Getting the "moon" was already impressive.
But how could they take more items?
Hence, beneath this open robbery plan, there was a hidden Plan B!
Previously, the conditions for stealing weren't met.
But now they were!
Before, the security was tight.
But now, the defenses were in tatters.
The chaos of the battle and the distraction of the main forces created a perfect opportunity.
Moreover, Ji Xun had seen the auction items; neither the "Mithril Medium" nor other divine-contaminated items could be stored in a space ring.
Such large targets would be easily detected, even if carried by an inside agent.
Thus, they needed a rendezvous!
...
"Pretty sure 'Black Ghost' Lao Lu is meeting an inside agent..."
Following this line of thought, Ji Xun quickly connected the dots.
And thinking of this Plan B, he felt a sense of familiarity.
Wasn't this his previous operation?
To extract items and an inside agent from a heavily guarded auction, one must have an inconspicuous identity.
Previously, he used the identity of a corpse collector, hiding items in corpses, unnoticed.
Now the Silver Moon Sect seemed to employ a similar tactic.
But corpses are dealt with only after the battlefield is cleared...
That identity wouldn't work.
The rendezvous identity had to be able to reach the scene first without suspicion.
At that moment, Ji Xun saw fire engines and rescue vehicles speeding through the street, and he guessed their plan: "An ambulance!"
Only an ambulance could quickly take the injured away from the scene.
...
Now there was one more problem.
Previously, mediums were hidden; now, these auction items were public.
To take them, the sooner the better.
Best to take them before anyone realizes.
"Now is the perfect time!"
Staring at the chaotic auction venue in the distance, Ji Xun understood everything.
The Golden Oak Tree and Hunter Guild experts had just chased after the sect members, making this the best time for the inside agent to escape!
...
"Let's do it!"
Ji Xun's blood surged with excitement.
The Silver Moon Sect experts were drawing fire, while the rendezvous was handled by small fry.
The more inconspicuous, the less likely to be noticed.
He also guessed that the inside agent might be severely injured.
First, only the wounded could leave in an ambulance; second, hiding items within the body would deceive others!
Meeting these two conditions would minimize the risk of discovery.
With this thought, Ji Xun leapt from the attic without hesitation.
Using mechanical grappling hooks, he swung between buildings, quickly reaching a traffic intersection.
"The nearest hospitals are on Birch Street 17, Benning Street 116, and Steam Street 74..."
Ji Xun had memorized the map of Innocence City thoroughly from his earlier preparations, and he had scouted various intersections.
This was a key route for all ambulances.
He scrutinized each ambulance heading to the auction ruins.
It wasn't long before he spotted an ambulance steaming away from the auction site, loaded with the injured.
The side of the vehicle bore the words "Benning Street Mechanical Factory First Hospital."
However, as the ambulance drove past, Ji Xun keenly noticed that it wasn't heading towards Benning Street.
"This is the one!"
After observing the surroundings for a moment, he decisively gave chase.
He swiftly maneuvered through the alleys, not making a move immediately.
As the ambulance took increasingly remote routes, he became more certain his target was on board.
The vehicle sped through several blocks, but Ji Xun kept up by taking shortcuts.
Noticing the deserted and dark streets, he suddenly dashed from an alley, catching up to the speeding steam truck.
The driver saw him emerging from the roadside.
In that moment of eye contact,
Ji Xun saw not surprise in the driver's eyes, but an uneasy apprehension of being exposed.
He confirmed his target.
With a sinister grin, Ji Xun threw an anti-armor bomb under the vehicle and placed another on its side.
The driver saw his every move, but before his expression of terror could fully manifest, a loud explosion flipped the vehicle.
...
A few minutes earlier.
Three severely injured people were loaded onto the ambulance.
One of them wore the suit of a Golden Oak Tree field agent.
But shortly after leaving the auction site, the two other injured were killed by the accompanying "doctor."
The severely wounded field agent suddenly sat up and quickly retrieved a brick-sized item and an oil-paper-wrapped stick from his abdominal wound.
These were a piece of "Mithril Medium" and a relic known as the "Light-Dark Holy Nail."
One was essential for communicating divine will, the other a crucial artifact for the sect's plans.
Despite the risk of contamination, these items had to be taken out.
With these items retrieved, the people in the vehicle breathed a sigh of relief.
As the truck moved further from the auction site, the Silver Moon Sect members felt they were safe.
Such a plan seemed unlikely to be figured out.
Having not been discovered immediately, they thought they had succeeded once the vehicle started moving.
But surprises always come unexpectedly.
Just as they relaxed, the entire vehicle spun violently.
Before they could react, a bizarre green flame had already flooded the compartment.
...
"Boom!"
The explosion was sudden.
Ji Xun's decisiveness left them no time to react.
In this world, the strength gap between each major rank of curse card users was vast.
But below the second rank, this gap could be bridged with money.
Like cards.
Or mechanical equipment!
A ten-thousand-coin annihilation bomb might not kill a first-rank curse card user.
But a "TK2 Military Mechanical Anti-Magic Bomb" costing over a hundred thousand coins likely would.
Ji Xun didn't think there was an indestructible monster like "Plague Doctor" Blackson in the vehicle.
To be sure, he spent nearly thirty thousand coins on two bombs.
Especially in a confined space with no escape.
Even so, Ji Xun didn't let his guard down.
As the explosion echoed, he saw a figure rush out from the melted truck, his pupils narrowing sharply.
The person, injured in the blast, fled like a startled bird into the dark alleys, trying to use the surrounding abandoned buildings to escape.
Ji Xun only glanced at the agile figure, then quickly threw a silver light at the shadow.
[Spade 2 - Thief], it must be "Black Ghost" Lao Lu!
Although this person looked different from the wanted poster, Ji Xun knew he had changed his appearance. Having intercepted the secret message, he recognized him instantly.
The man was smart, crouching like an assassin to hide his vital points.
Ji Xun didn't aim to kill, only targeting the leg.
This scene felt familiar.
Previously, Blackson, the owner of the scalpel, did the same.
To deal with an enemy who might escape, the best method was to break their leg bone first.
Ji Xun, having trained with throwing knives in a circus for over a decade, had this skill deeply ingrained in his soul.
A subtle "whoosh" sound cut through the air.
The scalpel pierced the man's leg.
A first-rank curse card user had protective magic.
Close combat types could even withstand bullets.
As long as vital points weren't hit, they were almost indestructible.
But the "Plague Doctor's Scalpel" was a relic-level treasure.
Not only was it razor-sharp, it also broke through magic defenses!
Ji Xun's confidence came partly from this scalpel.
It was bound to catch someone off guard.
And it did!
...
Lao Lu probably never imagined he'd be pierced through the leg bone by a thrown knife!
A glance over his shoulder, he saw Ji Xun and couldn't hide his shock and terror, as if asking: "Why is this scalpel here?"
The scene was almost identical.
Ji Xun, when struck by the scalpel before, had the same incredulous expression.
The scalpel's sharpness far exceeded common understanding.
The ambulance, now engulfed in flames, seemed devoid of other experts.
Ji Xun didn't give this guy a chance. He looked at the cloth bag in his hand and chased after him.
A curse card user in the Thief sequence has an agility attribute definitely exceeding 10, making it ordinarily impossible for Ji Xun to catch the guy.
He thought he might have to call for backup using fireworks.
But now, seeing the severely injured man with a pierced leg bone, escaping seemed unlikely.
The two of them quickly entered a dilapidated building, with the man hoping to use the terrain to shake off his pursuer.
Ji Xun had no intention of letting him get away.
Although the Thief profession excels at evasion, Ji Xun had recently been focusing on this as well.
After consuming night vision and stimulant potions, Ji Xun felt invigorated, increasing his speed.
Having already spent tens of thousands on bombs, he wasn't concerned about using these potions.
This was a fight where money made the difference!
Ji Xun relentlessly pursued.
But suddenly, the man disappeared.
"Hehe... Stealth?"
Ji Xun smirked coldly, unsurprised.
The Thief sequence's [Stealth] is a mandatory skill, allowing near-invisibility in darkness.
However, [Stealth] has a major drawback: it utilizes a small amount of dark elements to conceal the body, mostly a physical disappearance.
Thus, while using it, one can't move or can only move slowly.
Otherwise, they'd be easily exposed.
To Ji Xun, the enemy not fleeing was to his advantage.
...
"Black Ghost" Lao Lu wasn't stupid. Realizing escape was futile, he stopped running.
After a brief pursuit, he noticed the pursuer was just a card apprentice.
An apprentice daring to target them?
Lao Lu suddenly realized the absurdity of the situation, feeling a mix of shame and self-mockery.
He had thought a Golden Oak expert was after him.
Although he didn't know why Blackson's scalpel was with this guy, he saw no reason to flee from an apprentice.
...
For a normal person, detecting a stealthy enemy like Ji Xun was difficult.
He felt the silent approach of danger.
But the enemy overlooked one thing: Ji Xun carried a medium.
The "Mithril Medium's" extraordinary properties, like a candle in the dark, were unmistakable to him.
Though injured, Lao Lu was still a skilled thief, showing no obvious flaws.
The dim environment hid him well.
But Ji Xun clearly saw the medium's energy slowly approaching.
Without agility, a Thief loses half their combat power.
Without stealth, another half is lost.
At this moment, "Black Ghost" Lao Lu was just a durable target in Ji Xun's eyes.
...
Ji Xun pretended not to notice, continuing to fumble in the darkness.
They soon reached a stairwell.
Suddenly, Lao Lu pounced!
For an assassin, the moment someone turns on stairs is prime for an attack.
However, a strange scene unfolded.
As Lao Lu lunged, he found... the target was gone!
"How is this possible?"
Lao Lu, puzzled by the sudden disappearance, felt a deadly presence behind him.
A large-caliber gun barrel pressed against his neck.
The fatal threat made his hair stand on end. Though he tried to dodge, the muzzle flash came immediately.
"Bang!"
In the darkness, the blue-green flame of the anti-magic bullet erupted.
A large spray of blood burst from Lao Lu's neck.
Headshots might not always be fatal, but a ruptured carotid artery is one of the body's weakest points, easily causing severe injury.
Especially with a point-blank shot.
Ji Xun seriously wounded Lao Lu with one shot, quickly retreating to avoid the retaliatory stab.
He had no intention of engaging a Thief in close combat.
Having succeeded in his surprise attack, he immediately widened the distance.
Now, the enemy couldn't escape. Killing him was just a matter of time.
Ji Xun wasn't in a hurry.
Lao Lu, understanding Ji Xun's intent, looked despondently at the distance and his bleeding neck.
He knew he couldn't kill Ji Xun now.
Yet, he still tried, leaping down the stairs.
Ji Xun pursued relentlessly.
If shot elsewhere, Lao Lu might've held on.
But with a ruptured carotid artery, without immediate aid, he'd bleed out.
Especially with intense movement increasing blood pressure.
Blood gushed uncontrollably from Lao Lu's neck, despite his efforts to stem it.
Ji Xun didn't give him a moment to breathe, shooting while chasing.
Not far along, Lao Lu felt dizzy and collapsed.
Staggering up, he tried to flee again, but Ji Xun didn't give him a chance. Two shots to vital points ended his life.
The body twitched on the ground.
Ji Xun wasted no time, retrieving the packages and storage ring from the corpse.
He also stripped off a suit of inner armor.
After collecting his spoils, he treated the wounds from the throwing knife, then set the body on fire.
Not wanting to stay longer, Ji Xun swiftly returned to the previous street, retrieving the knife embedded in the cement wall, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Before he could think further, he heard people approaching from the end of the street.
Ji Xun checked the bodies in the truck, finding another storage ring, then quickly vanished into the dark building.