Dual Cultivation God Returns Chapter 1029: The old ginger is spicier after all

Wei Yuanjie showed up at the minor auction for the very first time, securing a few bids where Wu Long shot him baffled glances, pondering ’what do you need that trinket for?’

A minor ripple of shock spread across the city, as folks started grasping that the Imperial Prince was probably eyeing the main auction now too.

This information naturally made its way to the 5th Prince and his followers as well.

For Wu Long, though, the evening was just kicking off. Right after the auction ended, Butler Bang murmured a quick message in his ear, prompting him to leave Wei Yuanjie savoring his fresh purchases while heading off to the Soaring Feather Trading Company.

—

The room was dimly illuminated, lacking any windows. Its chilly, moist atmosphere hinted at being buried underground.

A man sat bound to a chair, sack over his head, his breaths coming uneven as he twisted his head side to side in vain struggles. Thick metal shackles clamped his arms and legs to barely any wiggle room, his hands locked tight with fingers pressed onto a pair of round metal orbs etched with glowing runes that curbed all motion. Acupuncture needles also jabbed into the nape of his neck.

Midway through his struggles, the door creaked open, freezing him solid and halting his breath.

"This one?", a youthful voice echoed.

"Yes, Valley Master", an elder voice confirmed, then the sack was suddenly yanked off—not harshly, yet far from gentle—blinding the youth for a moment as Zhao Xieren, the white-haired and bearded old man the youth recognized, set the sack down and added, "His identity appears to be Young Master Qian Lei, grandson of arena owner Qian Ying"

"The arena owner’s grandson?", the masked figure Zhao Xieren called Valley Master queried with a hint of surprise.

"H-hey... looks like there’s a misunderstanding here... ahahaha... I was just heading to the minor auction and took a wrong turn...", Qian Lei stammered nervously, his eyes flicking between Zhao Xieren and the masked Valley Master.

"Hmm, he’s definitely more promising than any we’ve nabbed before...", the Valley Master remarked, apparently tuning out or dismissing the plea about the ’misunderstanding’, "You were correct—he stands apart from the others"

"Well, he’s the sole one snared at the third Formation defense line so far, so I alerted you at once", Zhao Xieren affirmed with a nod.

Just then, raucous yells erupted from the hallway, filled with curses and swears, followed by a stern call, "We’ve caught another one!"

"You sons of *** and, ***, fuc*** #*$* #*$*** *#$*** and ***, I will shove your $*** into...", an old man’s furious voice bellowed—profanities so vivid they made even the masked man shoot a peculiar glance toward the vulgar mastery that seemed to awe him—and Qian Lei instantly knew it, his eyes bulging wide as four men dragged in another chair bearing a similarly restrained and bagged figure, prompting Qian Lei to whisper in shock, "G-Grandpa-...?"

The tirade cut off as the bagged head swiveled his way, "L-Lei’er? You’re here? Are you alright?!"

The sack came off, unveiling arena owner Qian Ying, who right away scanned his stunned grandson’s condition with frantic eyes.

"And now the arena owner in person", the masked man chuckled, "What an intriguing night"

Before Zhao Xieren could inquire further, fresh shouts boomed from the corridor behind.

"Where are they? Where are those pesky little thieves after MY MONEY!!!", Kwon Qianhong stormed in, but his blazing wrath snuffed out upon seeing the masked man, shifting to a servile tone and manner, "B-Boss! Y-you’re here! Hahaha, what a nice surprise..."

Zhao Xieren sighed and shook his head, redirecting his pre-interruption question to the men who hauled in the elder, "Did he know we had his grandson?"

"No, we nabbed him beyond the outermost Formation barrier, inside the second tier of ’thief catcher’ arrays the Valley Master mentioned", came the reply.

"Second?", the masked man snapped his head around sharply, jolting everyone present save the two prisoners.

"Y-yes Valley Master, not a single alarm from the first tier of ’thief catcher’ arrays..."

The masked figure shifted his gaze with heightened focus toward the elderly man. "Well, I'll be... we truly nabbed a notorious thief. Heh, one hiding right under our noses."

"Notorious Thief! A Dire and Deadly Foe!!!" Kwon Qianhong's eyes sharpened as they fixed on the old man.

"G-Grandpa, you're a thief?!?!" The grandson finally snapped out of his daze.

Suddenly, the grandfather—who had been bombarding him with concerned queries all along—switched to a harsh tone. "Who are you calling a thief? You're just a small-time crook! I... am a Grandmaster of the Theft Dao!"

The grandson responded with a chill indifference, pulling a grimacing expression and a blank stare. "You don't seem so grand right now, do you, Mr. Grandmaster?"

"You... rascal!!! Who do you blame for me...! The mighty 'Shadowless' getting trapped in a dump like this, enduring such disgrace and torment! It's you! I was watching over you!!!"

"M-me?"

"Obviously! Did you believe I was clueless about you nosing into the secrets of our Great Dao?!"

"Hah, some Grand Dao~..." Kwon Qianhong scoffed sarcastically under his breath, but the pair remained locked in their fierce argument, ignoring him completely.

Qian Ying pressed on with equal fervor. "Did you imagine that you, a total novice still fresh from the cradle, could trick me? Think you're the sole one who spotted the hidden uses in our Family's techniques? Or that I'd miss you using the Invisible Lightning Escape when you torched that arena annex? Or employing the Swift Hand of Lightness to yank out that foundation brick beneath a pillar without touching the surrounding ones? And do you suppose I'm unaware you pulled off those thefts from Disciples of the three major Sects? Honing your Dao, eh? Why else would I grab your shoulder and hustle you home that day when the City Lord's son and Ember Palm Pavilion brought their mobs to our arena? You freaked out, convinced they'd come for you, but I did it to stop your panic from exposing you! Hah! You paled like you'd met a specter when I gripped your shoulder! As if you could deceive these veteran eyes of mine—you're millennia too early! Yet you acted like an idiot and charged ahead recklessly! You ignored the golden rule: never operate close to home! That's why you fretted over capture! That's why you twitched so much! As the ancients wisely warned, don't shit where you eat!!!"

"We-well..." The grandson stood there, stunned and irritated by his grandfather's shocking reveal and his intimate knowledge of every secret. He fumbled for a reply until inspiration struck. "A-a-aren't you snared here alongside me? Who's shitting where they eat now?!"

"Watch your tongue with your grandfather!!!" Qian Ying bellowed. "How dare you spit out such filth, you rascal!"

"Bu-but... you just-..." Qian Lei stammered, utterly baffled after echoing the very words he'd been scolded for moments before.

"And I stand by it. I sneaked in to watch your back! To ensure you didn't get nabbed! I sensed this spot spelled trouble! Terrible pick for your debut major heist! You figured it safer than Silverleaf Trade Hall as a fledgling firm, yet overlooked the warning signals!"

"Nonsense! You came to pilfer and got busted same as me! Now you're spinning tales! How could you predict I'd hit this place—and precisely when?!"

"You rascal! Mind your mouth, as I said! Think you're some sly genius? I warned you: no deceiving me. I read your mind like a scroll! Simpler than swiping sweets from an infant! Believe I didn't spot you scouting the joint during yesterday's talks? Or that I'm blind to why you nagged me to visit here rather than summon their crew to my arena? Or why you rushed and shoved the meet into yesterday? Obvious you aimed for tonight amid the minor auction! Chasing the prime loot, so no chance during the main event—but all know guards slack off during major happenings!" The grandfather declared, his eyes narrowing fiercely.

"Heh, the old ginger is spicier after all," Zhao Xieren remarked, as he, the masked Valley Master, and Kwon Qianhong appeared to relish the spectacle from the sidelines. The phrase came from something General Feng had said earlier, which he found oddly poetic for whatever reason, while the masked Valley Master shot him a peculiar glance.