Hideout Plunder

[You have slain a Peak Body Foundation Stage Cultivator]

[You have obtained one of his Inherent Skills]

Phrases of black runes shimmered darkly in front of Joey, making him lose any semblence of life.

After a while, he stammered incoherently with a stupid look on his face, "Wha-wha-what slain...skill inherent?"

Spark took a step back and knitted his brows before he carefully inquired, "You okay there?"

"What... Yea-Yeah! I'm good! I'm great! I'm fucking awesome! Gahahaha"

Joey fell into maniacal guffawing and when he turned to Spark, the young man saw that his face was coruscating with vibrant happiness.

"This awesome uncle here just received a Skill, you see! An Inherent one at that, Fuck– nobody is gonna believe me hehehe. I can't believe it! On my first day as a Qi Realm, now would you look at that? I told these drunkards I was a natural talent damn it!"

Spark grew more confused and a bit irritated, because Joey wouldn't stop wheezing, "What the hell are you talking about, what happened?"

Joey arched his eyebrows, under which a tear was forming. Spark didn't know just what could make this silly barman joyeous to that extent.

"Ahh~ Right... Young caveman Spark here has not a clue as to how the world works it! Heh. No problem, let this magnanimous uncle explain," Joey lampooned at Spark, prodding him right in the sore.

The eyebrow of the older, more experienced and plenty successful tycoon twitched. He wanted to bash in the head of the burly fool in front of him.

...But remembering the fiery figure he saw a couple seconds ago... he thought to maybe delay it to when he's a bit stronger.

Joey wiped his tears and coughed to adjust his voice before beginning to explain.

"Basically... You can receive Skills from any living being, as long as it possessed one. And what I forgot to mention... that type of boon is not limited to beasts. It includes Human Beings, too.

"And there is a type of skill which isn't linked to Elements and Creation, but rather to the inherent characteristics of the being itself.

"And I just got such a skill by slaying the fucker! A genuine Inherent Skill! It's crazy to think that a Body Foundation Artist had already awakened an Inherent Skill on his own... The odds are simply negligible, so that's why I'm so happy! It's truly unbelievable.

"When to receive a Skill or Soul Bound is solely decided by the Grand Dao, and its motivations are undeductible.

"You see... Every Cultivator is connected with the Grand Dao, and therefore the extinguished soul of the slain can transform into a boon for the slayer. A reward to keep the scales equal so to speak. A risk for reward."

"What?... This is..." Spark stared at Joey in incredulity. He didn't trust his hearing in that moment.

"This is insanity!" he coldly spat out.

"Hm?" Joey knitted his brows in confusion.

"How does that make any sense at all?" Spark questioned this leap in logic. He knew this world was crazy and different but receiving rewards when killing other living beings...?

That was pure insanity! Wouldn't it lead to unnecessary violence?

Would he have to lead a life of slaughter and death to survive... to succeed?

"Well... It's all possible, as you can see."

"I just received one," Joey patted the young man on the shoulder with a grin, before solemnly closing his eyes, "Praise the Grand Dao."

'The fuck do you mean praise the Grand Dao? Just what kind of entity is it to fascilitate such an insane system? It must be more mysterious than the God we believe in on Earth... Because it actually actively interferes with the real world!... Just what objective does it pursue?'

"So you receive Skills, and Soul Bounds?... Even if it's not your own Element?" Spark tried to make sense of the situation.

"You certainly can, but you're more likely to receive skills from Monsters of your ilk. For me it would be best to hunt Awakened Fiends and Deuces of the Fire Element," Joey explained light-heartedly before thinking and solemnly adding, "No... maybe only Fiends at fist, or the beasts of the Budding Realm."

"Well... there are some other gains to make when killing beasts, their Core Fragments for examples."

Spark was deluged with definitions and terms he had never heard before and made rhyme of the situation inwardly Fiends and Deuces? Is it some kind of ranking system? Joey mentioned something about the Awakened and Budding Realm... Do they translate into the Body Foundation and Qi Stage for Cultivators or is there some other meaning behind it? Also if there are Inherent Skills, there must be other types, too, right? What the hell were Soul Bounds anyway?

Tabulating his thoughts with knitted brows, he asked tersely, "Do beasts have a specific ranking system? And what types of Skills are there? Also what about the Soul Bounds? You can't just drop some terms on me and leave me hanging here Joey!"

"Ahh... that's quite a lot to explain you know, let me check my new awesome skill first, then we can talk, or... you don't even need to know! Don't even think of fighting anyone with your pitiful strength!"

Joey said this with a wave of his hand, before closing his eyes and turning complete serene.

Spark nodded. He kind of agreed, even though Joey's formulation angered him somewhat.

Also there were other pressing matters to verify. Something that may be even more important than knowledge about Skills and whatnot.

Celas corpse was still in front of two, ravished by flames, but according to the mood around Joey and Spark, an uninvolved observer could have thought them to be bantering and teasing over a beer in a bar.

Spark dodged the charred obstacle, looked around and drew in a lot of air into his lungs

Spark suddenly screamed into the distance.

"HEY! YOU! GANGSTER PACK."

"COME DOWN HERE IMMEDIATELY!"

Two men standing silently behind the rubble of a dilapidated building twitched upon hearing the shrill instruction.

Milo and Bilo looked at each other nervously. The majority of the bandits had dissolved when they saw Celas getting killed, in fear of repercussions.

But Milo and Bilo were still rooted in place, disbelieving what they had just witnessed, still busy digesting the information.

A foolish thing to do, really...

Milo's legs almost buckled when he realized his blunder.

"He doesn't mean us ... right?" Bilo shuddered.

"Don't act so distant, guys! We know each other already, don't we?" Spark snickered and motioned the men to come over.

Fleeing would be unwise in their case. They understood that truth when they saw Joey open his eyes and casting a fierce gaze in their direction.

It was better to cooperate than to make an enemy of a Qi Realm cultivator. Now they can only obey and hope for the best.

"What do you want to do with dregs like them?"

Joey wondered in surprise.

It seemed like Spark had yet another plan of his own.

Spark nonchalanty explained:

"We are not done here."

Kneeing in front of the burnt corpse, he folded his hands in prayer, to then carefully rummage around the charred remains, until a silver shimmer caught his eye.

A solemn expression crept on his face.

"We have to take our rewards for risking our lives, right?"

"You're right about that!" Joey chuckled when he understood the detail he had overlooked.

Spark grabbed the silvery shimmer, just to drop it onto the ground with a pained cry a fraction of a second later.

"Oh right, it's hot. Ha Ha . Joey would you mind?"

Joey arched his eyebrow before nodding and picking up the blistering silver key. He didn't even feel the heat of it. For him it was just a warm, pleasant haptic sensation pulsating on his skin.

Of course that was to be hoped after seeing steepling flames engulfing his entire figure earlier. If he had to burn his skin and flesh every time he invoked the Fire Element, it would certainly feel like an unfair trade.

Imagine using your ability for the first time, just to drop dead a minute later!

"A silver key?"Joey looked at it deeply before showing a meaningful smile at Spark.

"Right!" Spark also smiled and energetically replied with a snicker:

"For an abundant treasure chest I hope!"

At this point their meaningful smiles were interrupted by two figures arriving in front of them.

One was tall and lithe, while the other had a slightly corpulent stature with a rotund face.

Both were dressed in average cotton clothing, that showed mottled spots and unsewn holes. The two brothers halted in front of the charred corpse anxiously, entering the lions den of their own accord.

There was no other alternative.

"Hello there," Spark directed his attention to the two and politely greeted.

"So... we've met already, haven't we?"

"... Yes, we did. Earlier today." Milo replied succinctly.

"You didn't seem to be the type who can't read the room, judging by our earlier conversation. You possess quite a creative and astute mind one could even say..."

Spark nodded and threw his head back in laughter.

"I was thoroughly impressed by your little story."

Milo's eyes widened in nervousness, as sweat streaked down his face and he tried to find the right words to find.

"That's undeserved praise... I feel ashamed of myself for I was forced to lie in order to live. Tragically, we had no say in the matter..."

He added in an atoning voice:

"We will do what you ask us to. In return, please let us live."

The lithe man understood what the youth named Spark wanted from him and folded his hands earnestly, Bilo repeating his every motion.

"No need for such grim words! We're not senseless murderers," Spark laughed and glanced at the corpse beneath them before nodding at Joey.

"Show us where he kept his treasure!" Spark pointed at the burnt figure on the ground.

"Of course, of course. Altough he had never mentioned much about his dealings to us foot soldiers, I do have an idea as to where he stashed it. Follow me, I will guide you to the secret hideout!" Milo insisted and hurriedly showed the way.

"Oh, wait a second" Spark interrupted, "Forgot something..."

He took a couple of steps and picked up two items from the dry ground. There were next to countless puddles and splatters of scarlet blood

And of course, it were the weapons of Celas, the Mad Dog.

With an oriental Jambiya and a sharp, austere Iron sword in hand, he was finally ready to go.

* * *

The four of them walked a while along the edge of the slums. Ruined buildings were scattered along the way with rubble paving the streets.

It seems there has been a battle here some time in the past. Darker spots resembled dried blood and claw marks could be seen on the walls regularly.

'Did beasts invade the outskirts at one point?' Spark thought to himself.

'It must have been quite the fight.'

Finally they halted next to an unassuming house. It was partially caved in and in dire need for reconstruction, but it held itself upright for now.

"Here it is," Milo said, "We need to go down the staircase."

He pulled a mangled couch, which was pitted against a corner, from its original position and revealed a metallic slate hiding a dark staircase beneath.

Spark sighed, both in relief and surprise.

"For you to hide it so surreptitiously underground... Well, at least there was probably no one that got here before us."

Spark surveyed the steps and commented further:

"The basement goes deeper than I imagined."

"Yeah it must be at least 8 meters," Joey agreed, when he also cast his glance down.

The entrance of the staircase wasn't guarded and the four of them went down without a problem.

In a matter of moments they traversed the dirty staircase, muddied from the earthen walls surrounding it, and arrived at a heavy metal door which was hinged onto a solid frame.

Joey pushed it open with a heavy thump and a dim blue light streamed out from inside the hideout.

Vigilant, the group took a couple steps into the basement, and realized its dimension was much bigger than they had initially predicted.

Fixed upon walls, there were blue spheres on brackets, shimmering in a dim azure light. Their illumination was just enough to easily discern the entire hideout. The resplendent spheres seemed to be a natural alternative to candles, functioning without electricity or incineration. Instead, they gave off a very pristine and elemental feeling.

"Oh, using Moonlight Stones as a light source, this kind of thing is a bit lavish for the slums, no?"

Joey mocked them with a stern look.

This kind of money probably isn't earned honestly.

Further along the room there were tables full with booze and snacks. Overturned chairs and knocked over alcohol gourds gave the room a dissolute, unruly atmosphere.

A strong earthen stench mixed with alcohol and dirt permeated the room.

Air vents were dug into the ceiling, but they definitely weren't considered architectural masterpieces.

The air was stale.

Milo and Bilo seemed used to it and walked further into the room.

A flaunting throne mounted with rusty metals and shabby fur sat hoisted on a mound of dirt.

Swords peered from beyond the backrest, making for a strange sight.

Beneath the architectural folly, a spotted carpet, old and torn, stretched from the seat of rust, down to the in comparison even more lacking wooden chairs and tables.

Joey scoffed in disdain.

"Taking himself as king hmpf. Like his throne, he's a King of Dirt. How fitting."

"Behind the throne is another room. Very few people were allowed to enter, with the exception of Celas of course..."

"So if he stashed away his assets anywhere, it is very likely to be in there."

Spark nodded and let Joey take the first step in case some greedy fool stayed behind, but the wooden door turned out to be tightly locked.

Without uttering another word, Joey circulated his energy and vented it into his right fist.

He did not invoke the Fire Element to avoid any... incidents.

Comparably insipid Mana filled his fist and slammed into the wood, shattering it into broken bits and pieces. Spark couldn't help but remember a scene of the movie 'The Terminator' he had once watched on Earth.

Unimpressed, Joey entered the back-room which was also bathed in azure light. And there he was met with... nobody.

Well, it would certainly be weird if someone locked themselves in from inside.

The first thing Spark noticed was that the air here was a bit fresher than in the previous one.

The ventilation system must have taken slightly more effort.

Looking around, it seemed to be an ordinary room, except for one detail that stood out saliently. A big, kingsized-bed leaned against the smoothed-out surface of the walls. Next to it, was another massive iron door, locking some mysterious secret behind it.

Spark grinned when he saw the door, gripping the key in his hands in expectation. But first things first, they still needed to look around the bedroom before opening the massive door.

"Ok, split up! Let's see if he hid something inside this room, before moving on to the iron door."

Spark glanced at the two brothers and started rummaging.

"Understood."

...

Everything that seemed to have any value was inspected.

Vases, Pictures, Jewelry... were stuffed into makeshift bags comprised of sheets and blankets. No profit would be left behind.

Splatter

"What the..." Spark turned around angrily to see what the fat man cost him.

"Huh?"

"I'm s-sorry, it just slipped out of my hand." Bilo nervously stammered when he felt Spark's and Joey's sharp gaze on him.

"Nevermind that. Look!"

Milo pointed out.

On the floor between the shards lay a lithe plant, adorned with three dark green leafs.

"Wait! Isn't that a Mean Three-Leaf? It's a plant with light spiritual effects," Joey explained surprised.

"I ate it once, back in the early stages of the Body Foundation Realm! It makes for a very good soup!"

Spark grinned ear to ear when a realization hit him.

How could he have missed it!

Celas was definitely not an art-enjoyer, so all these vases were unmistakably... they were used to hide contraband!

He let another vase burst onto the stones and sure enough. Another Spiritual Medicine was exposed.

Joey, Milo and Bilo quickly understood the situation. Excited smiles formed.

!!!Splatter Splatter Splatter!!!

Joey's eyes were shining golden light.

"A Blue Pointed Mushroom, Normal-Rank Spiritual Herb! A Spotted Suly-Flower, Low-Rank Spiritual Herb! Aren't these Yellow-Shimmered Sun Seeds?

Milo and Bilo gulped indiscernibly.

"Stolen goods I suppose?" Spark ventured.

Joey nodded in agreement.

"Why else go through the trouble of smuggling?"

"Probably pickpocketed gatherers on the way down from Kerogg Mountain, or perhaps, from the Dark-Vine Forest. Or... perhaps they've robbed a merchant caravan or two."

It was feasible.

"And sell them in another town?"

"Maybe, or maybe even sell them here, in Monsoon City."

"It's possible with the proper connections."

Joey pondered out loud, and looked at Milo and Bilo before mocking them.

"And you two deliberately didn't tell us about this, huh?"

Bilo twitched and denied it vehemently.

"No! We wouldn't dare!"

Milo also shook his head wildly and explained:

"We occasionally transported them to another place in the Outskirt, but that's as much information we were privy to! I swear."

But inwardly, he secretly cursed.

"Although I did have a hunch about them... And... you're eating all the meat anyways, why are you even mad! Leave at least some soup for us!'

"Well, whatever. These things have switched owners now. Joey, let's split 50/50.

"It's better not to sell them in bulk, or better to not sell them at all. We mustn't arouse suspicion."

Joey frowned and disagreed.

"Absolutely not. You take them! They are of no use to me. But to you, it's the most precious resource right now."

He lingered a bit and said, "'ll just take what benefits me. Let's look for more."

Now it was Spark's turn to frown.

"Do you take me for an ungrateful man? Let's discuss these matters later, but each will get his rightful share! And also, isn't it time for Lily to start her training?"

It was true that these spiritual herbs didn't hold much meaning for Joey now that he stepped into the Qi Realm.

But Spark wasn't the type of businessman to make such compromises with.

After bickering, the group continued searching until...

"Huh?" Milo blurted out, as he knocked onto a part of the king-sized bedframe.

...

Spark lowered his gaze and met Milo's eyes.

"Hey... I think the bedframe might be hollowed out!"