ing closely for any reaction from Meng Xuanji, Shen Hao was surprised to see her not react negatively to the cheap alcohol. In fact, she seemed satisfied. This puzzled him. The last time he had bought alcohol, it was 40 yuan per bottle with an alcohol content of only 45%. But this time, he had chosen a 60% alcohol brew. Generally, such strong alcohol, though fragrant due to added spices, would not have the best taste. Shen Hao had selected the cheaper brew on purpose to show her that the previous alcohol was rare and precious—he wanted to create a comparison. But now, it seemed there was no need to explain.
Shen Hao was curious and asked, "Do you really think this alcohol tastes good?"
Meng Xuanji, in a rare moment of explaining herself, responded: "It's alright. While it doesn't taste as smooth as the last one, this one is stronger and works better for me. It's pretty good."
So it's the alcohol's potency that matters to her, not the flavor. Shen Hao thought. Maybe I should introduce her to the strongest alcohol in the world—96-proof vodka from Poland. If she likes strong drinks, she wouldn't mind a whole ton of that!
Seeing that Meng Xuanji seemed pleased, Shen Hao coughed lightly and added, "This alcohol is better than the last one. It's harder to brew, and I gave it to you as a gesture of thanks for protecting my maids."
"Well, thank you then," Meng Xuanji responded, her tone softer.
Later that night, Shen Hao arranged rooms at an inn, with him and the two maids, Song Yongci and Ji Dongge, sharing one room while Meng Xuanji had a separate one. However, in the middle of the night, Meng Xuanji's face darkened. She couldn't bear the sounds from the other room, so she coldly snorted and vanished without a trace.
The next day, Shen Hao continued the journey, traveling a few more miles by carriage before finding a secluded spot for the maids to practice shooting. After they had each fired twenty shots, he reminded them to keep their guns safely stored and to always use the safety when not in use.
Meng Xuanji, having no interest in the weapons training, stood off to the side, gazing at the distant mountains. Shen Hao took the opportunity to thank her again for watching over the two maids, and she responded nonchalantly, "As long as the alcohol is enough, it's no problem." Without waiting for a farewell, she grabbed the maids by the shoulders and flew into the sky like migrating geese, quickly disappearing from sight.
Shen Hao couldn't help but mutter, "Flying, huh? That's impressive."
Once the women were gone, he breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly changed his appearance and returned to the Yangling Manor. After finding a tavern to settle in, he planned to wait for nightfall to steal the demon core.
As night approached, the moon hung high in the sky, casting a soft glow on everything below. Shen Hao muttered to himself, "This moon is so bright... if I were walking with a beautiful woman under this light, it would be romantic. But sneaking around makes it a little less magical."
Donning his night attire, he leapt into the shadows, vanishing from view.
At the Li Manor, the guards were even more vigilant than the last time. The patrols had increased by several times, but to Shen Hao's advantage, the soldiers were all stationed outside the study, leaving the back courtyard less guarded. Taking note of the patrol patterns, he slipped down silently and entered the study. He quickly moved the bookshelf and uncovered the secret compartment in the floor—only to find it empty.
"Where is the demon core?" Shen Hao muttered in disbelief. He searched thoroughly but couldn't find anything. This was impossible. Based on Liu Baoshan's memories, the core should have been here. "Could someone have taken it?" He felt an unsettling certainty. The first person that came to mind was the provincial governor, Li Zhikun. After all, this had once been Liu Baoshan's family estate.
Frustrated and angry, Shen Hao was ready to leave when he spotted something shining on the wall—an exquisitely crafted sword, faintly glowing.
"Now that's a treasure," Shen Hao thought, grabbing it off the wall. There were also several jade items on the desk and fine furniture, but the sword was his main target. Shen Hao gathered all the valuables he could find—putting everything, including books, furniture, and even the inkstone, into his spatial bag. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed something was still gnawing at him. So, he took a bottle of gasoline from his motorcycle in the modern world and poured it all over the study. After setting the place on fire, he slipped out.
The fire quickly spread, alarming the patrols. "Water! Get the water!" shouted Li Zhikun and his father, Li Chongsong, as they rushed to the study. After the fire was extinguished, Li Zhikun was devastated. His collection of rare books was gone, and even worse, the golden-scaled sword was missing. It had cost them ten thousand gold to buy it from the Tianwu Dynasty, and it had taken three years to craft.
Frustrated and furious, Li Chongsong growled, "Where is the Golden Scaled Sword? Find it now!"
Li Zhikun turned pale. "We can't find it, Father. It's gone."
The two searched high and low, but everything seemed gone. Even the furniture had not burned.
Shen Hao, on the other hand, returned to his inn feeling quite satisfied. "Stealing really does feel smooth," he thought to himself. He had come for the demon core, but the treasure sword would suffice. In fact, it was even better.
As he examined the sword, its cold aura sent chills down his spine. It was incredibly sharp. The moment he tapped it against his old Dragon Spring sword, the latter broke in two. "This sword is no ordinary weapon," Shen Hao thought with a smile. It was made of some incredible material, and he couldn't wait to learn more about it.
Looking at the sword in his hand, he thought of a saying: "A loss in the east, a gain in the west." At least he hadn't returned empty-handed. This sword was a great find.
As he pondered the possibilities, he remembered the insurance cabinets he had stolen from Siam. Now, with this new weapon in his hands, it was time to revisit them.