Chapter 84: Boldly in the Wrong

Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Boldly in the Wrong

Seeing the spectral figure’s utterly devastated expression, Su Han thought to himself, ’It’s lost so much stuff, the poor thing. Maybe I should just leave?’

’After all... I’ve already maxed out two Skill Trees. What more could I ask for?’

With that, Su Han looked at the spectral figure and began to speak.

"Um... it looks like you don’t have anything good left, so maybe I should just..."

"No! Wait! Give me one more chance!"

Before Su Han could finish, the spectral figure hurriedly cut him off.

’I finally got a promise from this menace that he’d leave after taking just one thing. How can I let him go back on his word just because I can’t produce a decent item?’

’If I can’t give him something good to make him leave, who knows if he’ll stay and tear the whole place apart?’

With this in mind, the spectral figure completely ignored the possibility that Su Han might leave without taking anything.

’After all... this was the kind of freak who would, for no reason at all, burn all of my Demon-Devouring Trees to ash!’

’This was a great villain who, at the slightest disagreement, would set fire to thousands of Cultivators and roast them like skewers!’

’How could someone this evil possibly take pity on me just because I look miserable?’

"..."

The spectral figure’s frantic appearance, as if terrified Su Han would run off, actually made him feel a little embarrassed.

’Let’s see, what have I done since entering this relic?’

’First, I blasted a crater thousands of miles wide in its relic with a single sword strike. Then I burned all of its Demon-Devouring Trees to the ground.’

’And yet, this Array Spirit of the Guardian Array didn’t resent me at all. It even kept trying to help me.’

’Now... I’m already saying I’m leaving, but it’s insisting on stopping me to give me a treasure.’

’What noble character! What a lofty personality!’

’This is a noble Array Spirit, an Array Spirit that has broken free from base desires, an Array Spirit beneficial to the entire Cultivation Realm.’

’With an Array Spirit like this on guard, how could this relic *not* be completely plundered?’

’So... it’s no wonder the treasures in this relic have been stolen one after another. There’s a reason for everything!’

The Array Spirit was so fervent that Su Han felt it would be rude to refuse.

"Well... shall we look some more?"

The Array Spirit breathed a sigh of relief, nodding with an eager, apologetic smile.

"Yes, let’s look some more, let’s look some more."

Su Han followed the Array Spirit to three more locations, and without exception... they were all completely empty.

It was as if the treasures had grown legs and vanished without a trace.

Seeing the Array Spirit’s worried frown, its features twisted in distress, Su Han pondered for a moment.

"Are you saying... you have absolutely no idea how your treasures were lost?"

The Array Spirit nodded. "No idea at all."

"So... you have all these treasures hidden away, and you never come out to check on them?"

The Array Spirit shook its head. "I was born from the Relic Guardian Array, responsible for guarding the entire relic.

"But as long as the relic’s array isn’t triggered, I remain in a deep slumber, never waking."

"Then under what circumstances is the Relic Guardian Array triggered?"

"When someone breaks through the outer array and enters the relic, it triggers the Guardian Array, waking me from my slumber."

Su Han: "..."

’Someone has to break through the outer array to wake the Array Spirit. I’ve been in here for seven or eight days, but the abnormalities in the relic only started today.’

’So, I’m probably not the one who woke the Array Spirit.’

’In that case... although I don’t know why, those people from the Celestial Demon Sect and the Supreme Dao must have just entered today.’

’They’re the ones who triggered the Guardian Array and woke the Array Spirit.’

’So... that brings up a question.’

’Where are they?’

’This relic is only so big, and ninety-nine percent of it was the Demon-Devouring Forest.’

At this thought... Su Han didn’t dare to think any further.

Besides, this wasn’t the time to worry about others. He had a mess to deal with right in front of him.

"In that case, I think... I might have guessed the truth."

The Array Spirit turned to look at Su Han. "Who was it?"

"An inside job!"

Su Han said with a look of absolute certainty.

"Think about it. For outsiders to get in, they have to pass through the outer array. And once they pass through the outer array, they will inevitably trigger the Guardian Array."

"When the Guardian Array is triggered, you wake up."

"Therefore... the only one who could have stolen these treasures without you knowing is an insider!"

Listening to Su Han’s analysis, the Array Spirit nodded in agreement, looking thoughtful.

"But... the problem is I haven’t found any of these treasures hidden on any of the living beings in the relic."

Su Han shook his head. "If it were you, would you stick around at home after stealing something, just waiting to be found out?"

The Array Spirit shook its head. "Of course not."

"There you have it."

Su Han shook his head. "You wouldn’t stay, so do you think the thief who stole everything would stick around waiting for you to catch them?"

The Array Spirit shook its head. "So it’s true what they say? ’You can guard day and night, but you can’t guard against a thief from within’?

"But... I’ve been asleep for too long. I have no way of finding out who stole all these things..."

Su Han patted his chest. "Don’t worry. Ever since I knew... ever since I first saw you, I decided: I’m going to be your friend."

"A friend’s business is my business. As for those treasures you lost, I’ll find a way to track them down and get them back for you after I leave."

The Array Spirit looked at Su Han suspiciously, seemingly unable to believe that such a great villain could be so kind-hearted.

Faced with the Array Spirit’s suspicious gaze, Su Han felt inexplicably guilty.

"You don’t believe me, do you?"

He asked the question forcefully. The Young Prince was putting on a brave front even though he was in the wrong!

Array Spirit: "..."

Even though Su Han was putting on an air of righteous indignation, the spirit still didn’t believe him in its heart.

But... even if it didn’t believe him, it didn’t dare say so.

It was afraid Su Han would beat it up!

"I... I believe you. Then I’ll have to trouble... trouble you, then."

Su Han nodded with a smile. "Rest assured! Rest assured! One day, this Crown Prince will collect them all."

Seeing the spectral figure nod sullenly again, Su Han breathed a sigh of relief. ’I finally managed to fool it.’

’Can’t be helped... I feel so guilty!’

After hearing the spectral figure’s words, Su Han had basically guessed who the ’thief’ inside the relic was.

’It’s an inside job, all right, but this particular insider... is probably a thief from my own family.’

’This relic is in Lingzhou, which is basically the private turf of the Su Family.’

’Didn’t my own ancestor dig a tomb-raiding tunnel right into this relic?’

’Although I have no idea how my ancestor managed to dig a tunnel through the array back then without triggering the Guardian Array and alerting the Array Spirit.’

’But you could tell from the way my father, the Prince, had so confidently said there were no dangers in the relic and that I could take any treasure I wanted.’

’It was very likely that my ancestor, my father the Prince, and my mother were all the ’insiders’...’

’Pah, pah, pah! What ’insider’? There are no insiders here.’

’My ancestor was the founding emperor of Jing Country, and Lingzhou is our family’s fiefdom.’

’Taking things from a relic on your own fiefdom... that’s a Royal Family matter. How can you call that stealing?’

’Yes, that’s right!’

’It’s ’taking’... this entire relic is on our territory.’

Suppressing his guilt and looking at the Array Spirit he had just duped, Su Han couldn’t help but feel a pang of emotion. ’What a good Array Spirit. I should probably stop tormenting it.’

"Um... it looks like you don’t have anything left, so how about I just don’t take anything?"

"No!" Hearing Su Han’s words, the Array Spirit grew anxious again. "We agreed you would leave after taking one item! Please allow me to look again!"

Su Han: "..."

’So... you’re this desperate to give me a treasure just to get rid of me?’

’I only burned a few of your trees, right? Do you have to be this disgusted with me?’

Looking at the panicked Array Spirit, Su Han thought viciously, ’If you hadn’t already suffered such heavy losses, and if it didn’t look like you had anything good left, I’d rip you off good and proper just for saying that.’

"It’s fine. I won’t take anything this time. I’ll just leave."

Though his thoughts were vicious, Su Han’s face was a picture of gentle warmth.

"After all... we have a long future ahead of us!"