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It would have been one thing if Liu Ye simply hadn't realized how massive the quantity of rare metals the customer was purchasing was. But for her to physically retrieve that volume of metal and hand it over, the number of people involved in the process must have been significant!
Deacon Sun was in a foul mood, so much so that he didn't even have the energy to scold Liu Ye.
If the stranger's illusions were truly that potent—capable of instantly hypnotizing all the involved staff and high-level management—then the situation was terrifying. To withdraw such a massive quantity of rare metals for sale without alerting the Pavilion Master or the Vice-Masters required authority at the deacon level or higher, and likely involved multiple people.
Deacons were generally Soul Kings or even Soul Emperors; as Soul Tool engineers themselves, their mental strength was far from weak.
To perform instantaneous hypnosis, and to do it across a distance... combined, just how frighteningly powerful would one's illusion skills have to be to pull that off?
Conversely, if it wasn't illusions, the stranger might not be the scary part—the implications for the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Treasures would be. It would suggest an infestation of traitors within their ranks.
Suddenly, Deacon Sun froze as a possibility struck him. He sucked in a sharp breath.
"That batch of rare metals... was any of it taken from my allocated quota?"
Deacon Sun looked down at his desk. There, on his ledger detailing the sales of rare metals, was a freshly recorded transaction for a staggering amount. The timestamp was from just moments ago.
Now, Deacon Sun was certain: this was the work of a master illusionist.
"I was actually hypnotized right under my own nose, without even noticing!" A trace of terror flickered in his eyes. If that man had wanted his life, wouldn't it have been as simple as lifting a finger?
Furthermore, if he could do it once, he could certainly do it again.
The logical step was to report this, to alert the Pavilion and put everyone on guard to prevent the stranger from "shopping" this way again. However, doing so meant the massive deficit in rare metal stocks would have to be explained to the Pavilion Master. When there's a loss this size, someone has to take the fall.
While other deacons were likely involved, if a scapegoat had to be chosen, it would inevitably be Deacon Sun—after all, it was his subordinate, Liu Ye, who had handled the exchange.
Deacon Sun leaned his elbow on the table, rubbing his temples hard with his right hand. He had a splitting headache. His eyes darted back and forth as he weighed his options.
This cannot be reported!
If he came clean, the Pavilion might prevent future losses, but he would surely face a horrific punishment. Sacrifice personal interest for the collective good? Deacon Sun simply couldn't do it.
Could he turn this into a "muddled" account? As he brainstormed, he reached a decision.
"At the very least, the party paid for the goods," Deacon Sun noted, letting out a small sigh of relief as he looked at the income recorded in the ledger.
If he could keep the details hidden, this would appear to be a perfectly normal transaction—one where his performance just happened to be exceptionally high.
"I'm missing four thousand units of rare metal. At least two other deacons are likely in the same boat. They're probably even more confused than I am, so they definitely won't speak up. Since the income and expenses balance out, they'll surely cover it up as well."
Deacon Sun couldn't help but marvel inwardly. This guy is looking for 'sustainable development'...
By making sure a few deacons had a reason to hide the truth, the stranger could likely return and "restock" the same way in the future. As long as the Pavilion Master and Vice-Masters didn't conduct a microscopic audit of the books, the secret would remain safe. And as long as the accounts balanced and no funds were being embezzled, why would the top brass suddenly decide to dig through the ledgers?
Deacon Sun turned to Liu Ye and asked, "The customer paid with finished Soul Tools?"
"Yes, Deacon," Liu Ye replied timidly, terrified that the blame was about to be shifted onto her.
"Let me see them."
If he could move these Soul Tools quickly, he could wipe the slate clean and forget this ever happened.
Liu Ye produced a storage ring, her face slightly pale. As her mental strength swept through the ring, she realized there were only fifteen Mid-Level Soul Tools inside. Had the stranger twisted her perception while using the illusion, causing her to make a catastrophic error in valuing Mid-Level tools?
Deacon Sun's expression soured. He pulled the fifteen tools out, looking at the otherwise empty ring. His newly calmed heart began to race again.
Suddenly, he noticed something odd.
He channeled power into a dagger-shaped Soul Tool. A razor-sharp light flickered along the blade; the aura was so piercing that even from a short distance, he felt a stinging sensation on his skin. As his soul power circulated through the device, Deacon Sun began to grasp its capabilities.
"Armor-breaking, penetration... it's a High-Grade carving knife!"
Being an engineer himself, he immediately tested the dagger on several rare metals. It sliced through them with incredible smoothness.
"Hiss—"
The performance of this carving knife was at the level of a High-Level Soul Tool!
His mental strength bypassed the outer shell of the dagger, peering into its core. While Soul Tools usually have anti-tamper measures to prevent technology theft, an experienced engineer can still glean a general understanding of the internal structure.
Mapping the flow of soul power within the blade, Deacon Sun reached a conclusion.
"A Stroke of Divine Genius!"
A realization struck him, causing his eyes to widen in shock. He quickly turned to the other fourteen Soul Tools and tested them one by one.
"Every single one of them... they are all Strokes of Divine Genius!"
Deacon Sun immediately scrapped all his previous plans. He was no longer going to hide this.
First, if someone was this committed to the "rules"—paying for their haul with Mid-Level Soul Tools of such divine quality—there was no way they were a soul master from the Sun Moon Imperial Cult! This single fact drastically reduced the severity of his "mistake"; it would no longer be seen as aiding the enemy, thus sparing his career.
Second, there were the tools themselves.
Fifteen of them! For a single engineer to produce fifteen "Strokes of Divine Genius" at once—what did that imply?
For the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Treasures, this was an achievement of monumental proportions. No, not just for the Pavilion—it was potentially revolutionary for the Imperial Family and the entire Soul Tool world.
The ability to mass-produce Soul Tools of that caliber... regardless of the method, it was a technique that could shift the power balance of the entire continent. Because of this, Deacon Sun wouldn't just avoid punishment—he would likely be handsomely rewarded for "discovering" this.
Deacon Sun's breathing grew ragged with excitement. This was a gift from the heavens!
After leaving the Pavilion of Ten Thousand Treasures, Su Wen checked into a hotel in the heart of Radiant City.
"Time to continue my research on Soul Tools," he decided.
Su Wen was in no hurry to meet Lin Tian's teacher. If the other party wasn't rushing, neither was he.
(End of Chapter)