An Impossible Heist?

“Only two things – power and allure!”

Darick, the ancient tortoise, spoke with a bewildered air, “Therefore, I surmise that Purple Satchel likely contains two items: one, the crucial intel Emperor Yoda most desires – The Clues to The Weeping Tear! And two, a Portrait of an enchantress, intended as a gift for Emperor Yoda once the deed is done. A beauty so captivating that the Emperor would be utterly spellbound by merely gazing upon her image, compelling him to assassinate Wolf at any cost, using Wolf’s head as a bounty for her hand!”

It was a rather straightforward deduction. Although Darick hadn't explicitly detailed his reasoning, Du Chen understood it instantly upon reflection: power and women – these are the eternal aspirations within a man's heart! Du Chen scoffed, never imagining that Yoda was such a notorious womanizer. “Darick, as you say, the contents of that Purple Satchel hold only two possibilities: The Clues to The Weeping Tear, or an enchantress’s portrait. Are you certain!?”

Darick nodded with profound conviction. “I am certain. I have served Emperor Yoda for thirty years; I know his predilections intimately…” He paused, then continued, “Later, Wolf vanished amidst the chaos after instigating the Detonation, and that mysterious army also disappeared without a trace! Our Sea Clan, however, plunged into prolonged turmoil. It wasn’t until Emperor Seins’ father unified the Four Seas that I, as a former confidant to Emperor Yoda and one of the Sea Clan’s rare Spiritual Power Masters, was re-enlisted as the Grand Steward of Internal Affairs for the Sea God’s Palace.”

He let out a long sigh. “I relayed my conjectures regarding that Purple Satchel to two generations of Sea Kings, Emperor Seins and his father. Yet, the old Sea King never uncovered the satchel’s whereabouts before his demise. But five years ago, the Crown Prince of the Great Triangle actually appeared before Emperor Seins, clutching that very Purple Satchel I had seen with my own eyes! Haha, wasn’t that little fool just courting death? I immediately…”

Du Chen cut him off. “Let’s gloss over the incident regarding the Crown Prince’s assassination. Directly tell me why you subsequently raided Bog Island. More importantly, how were your Sea Clan able to move clandestinely through the underground earth?!”

“Understood!” Darick, the ancient tortoise, was utterly compliant. “Our Sea Clan has always maintained trade relations with Miki Duchy. Five years ago, shortly after Emperor Seins obtained the satchel, Miki Duchy’s trade minister came to discuss commercial matters with us. By sheer coincidence, he saw the satchel and casually mentioned that the Miki Goddess’s burial treasures also contained something similar. An unintentional remark heard by an attentive mind. I immediately advised His Majesty to detain the Miki envoy, then covertly investigated. Indeed, after the Bog Island Detonation, that satchel fell into the hands of Miki Duchy from that mysterious army… This suggested that the contents of the satchel might also have ended up with the Miki people! While Emperor Seins has no interest in female allure, there was a fifty percent chance the satchel contained The Clues to The Weeping Tear! For that fifty percent possibility, His Majesty launched a surprise attack on Miki Duchy! As for how His Majesty was able to transport his army underground, that is beyond my knowledge. The Sea King holds many secrets even I am not privy to!”

Du Chen then asked, “You’ve searched Miki Island for five years. Have you found anything?”

“A grand discovery!”

Darick stated emphatically, “Three months after we breached the Goddess’s Palace, we discovered a cavern within the Heart of the Earth behind the palace. It concealed a vast trove of Miki Duchy’s treasures. And in the deepest part of that cavern lay a Sacred Artifact Box, fashioned from the bark of the Life Tree. That Sacred Artifact Box was intertwined with the Life Tree’s branches and leaves, rendering it immovable and indestructible. Both His Majesty and I believe the target is most likely within this box!”

“But the Life Tree’s bark is incredibly resilient. The Sea King summoned twenty-three Guardian Battle Gods from the Sea God’s Palace to unite their powers, yet they could not open it. However, water can grind stone to dust; we resorted to the most primitive yet effective method – relentless, tireless grinding by hand, regardless of cost or time! Five years have passed, and we are finally on the verge of opening that treasure box and discovering the ultimate truth!”

Du Chen’s eyes were slightly closed, his mind diligently processing Darick’s account.

Wolf had undeniably undergone a great battle during his southward journey and acquired the Essence of Earth. But who was that mysterious army that rescued him? Why did their spoils of war end up in Miki Duchy? And what did Wolf do afterward? These questions remained unanswered!

One thing, however, was certain: this old tortoise had never seen Wolf’s true face, otherwise, he would have long ago noticed the issue with Du Chen’s appearance…

As these thoughts spun, Du Chen’s mind suddenly cleared.

His objective was to investigate the reason for the gods’ disappearance. Now, it seemed, the organization that provided Emperor Yoda with the Purple Satchel all those years ago was very likely the same villainous group responsible for the demise of the gods who wielded the Art of Artifact Annihilation during the Fallen Gods era. To investigate them, he first needed the contents of that Purple Satchel. If it was a portrait of an enchantress, finding out who she was would lead him to the organization. If it contained The Clues to The Weeping Tear, then examining the language and notes would also be a path to follow, wouldn’t it?

All the answers might just lie within the Sacred Artifact Box in the Heart of the Earth!

Du Chen grinned, staring at Darick. “Old Tortoise, what is the precise location of that Sacred Artifact Box? How many guards are nearby? What difficulties would I face if I were to steal it?” Since Darick was already entranced, Du Chen asked mockingly, without a shred of concern.

However, Darick merely scoffed repeatedly. “Steal? Humph, if someone were to snatch it by force, I might believe it, but steal it? Humph! Dream on! That Sacred Artifact Box is guarded by five thousand elite Sea Clan warriors. Moreover, a hundred Battle Gods of six-rank and above are incessantly grinding at its seams, day and night. Without a direct order from the Sea King, they would not leave the Sacred Artifact Box for half a step!”

Du Chen frowned. “That’s not for you to worry about. Just tell me the exact location of the Sacred Artifact Box!”

“Walk three thousand paces north from the main entrance of the Goddess’s Palace. There you will find an artificial lake on the surface. Beneath the lake waters lies the entrance. However, those waters are occupied by Alligator warriors, and even if you manage to overcome that obstacle, the underground tunnel beyond is fraught with peril at every step. Those are mechanisms I designed myself…” Darick, puffed up with pride, meticulously explained the entire route to the Sacred Artifact Box, finally adding, “You wish to take the Sacred Artifact Box without alerting our Sea Clan? Dream on!”

Du Chen patted Darick’s forehead. “I’ve never failed to pilfer what I set my sights on! Beibei, this old tortoise is yours. Erase all traces immediately, then come with me to steal the Sacred Artifact Box!”

“Oh dear! Papa’s almost corrupted Beibei!” The little one giggled, standing on Darick’s head. Du Chen didn’t quite understand Spiritual Power, but he watched as little Beibei stared blankly into Darick’s eyes, muttering an intricate series of instructions for a long while, until Darick collapsed in a heap.

A gentle breeze swept by, and Du Chen, with little Beibei, departed.

Moments later, Darick slowly awoke. Seeing himself sprawled on the ground and Andy unconscious, he was momentarily stunned. Stroking his walrus mustache, he muttered to himself, “This is… Oh, I remember! I questioned Du Chen’s Divine Cult about many secrets, but while erasing the traces, I met with some resistance from the Snow Wolf’s firm will. I then exerted too much force and passed out myself, hehe!”

He chuckled foolishly. “But the entire plan has succeeded! Someone!” he shouted excitedly, “Send Sir Andy back and tell them he had too much to drink!”

He gleefully rushed toward the Sea King’s tent. Soon, reports of his success echoed from within the tent, “Your Majesty, a grand discovery! It turns out Du Chen’s Divine Cult conceals at least seven to eight Titled Battle Gods! And Du Chen, the Divine, is utterly peerless! But do not worry, their military strength is comparatively small, and they have no plans of being hostile towards our Sea Clan…”

…

Whatever this pitiful old tortoise would say, little Beibei had already arranged it. Du Chen wasn’t worried. He simply turned and arrived at the location Darick had described.

The Alligator Lake, the mechanical tunnel – all these details the old tortoise had already divulged. Du Chen effortlessly navigated the Lotus, minimized to its smallest form, deep into the cavern. What he saw there genuinely stunned him.

The cavern had been expanded to accommodate over a thousand people. At its sole entrance stood a Sacred Artifact Impact Array – a type of sacred artifact of war! No fewer than eight hundred Sea God’s Armored Guards encircled the perimeter, their gazes fixed intently on a shimmering barrier before them!

Within that translucent, pale blue water-attributed light barrier stood a full hundred High-level Battle Gods. Each group of ten formed a military formation, collectively unleashing a wave of light. Ten such waves converged from ten directions towards the center of the barrier, striking – a small wooden box rooted to the ground.

Darick was right. These hundred individuals were jointly grinding the Sacred Artifact Box. Persistence wears down even stone; five years had passed, and a deep, circular indentation had already been worn into the box’s lid. It seemed it wouldn’t be long before this Sacred Artifact Box would be forcibly opened!

Little Beibei perched on the edge of the Lotus, frowning. “Papa, it’s really hard to steal this, sigh. Look at the outer barrier; it’s a Magic Formation personally laid by the Sea King. If we so much as touch it, the Sea King will know instantly! But it’s also sealed; if we don’t touch it, we can’t even reach the Sacred Artifact Box!”

Du Chen’s brow furrowed even deeper.

Little Beibei added, “And look at those ten groups of High-level Battle Gods. Their battle qi never leaves the Sacred Artifact Box. Even if you found a way to enter the barrier, they would know the moment you touched the box… And also, also!” The little one pointed at the Armored Guards on the periphery, “These guys stare relentlessly, day and night, without so much as a blink – for they have no eyelids to begin with…”

Du Chen rubbed his nose. “Even if I could successfully enter the barrier and reach the Sacred Artifact Box without alerting these Battle Gods and soldiers… Blast it, this box is made from the bark of the Life Tree, fused with the Life Tree itself. There’s no keyhole at all; what am I supposed to use to open it?”

“I wish I had brought a little Duding along!” Beibei lamented. “What do we do, Papa? Darick was right; unless we risk alarming the Sea Clan and seizing it by force, it’s impossible to steal…”