“You! How can you move these ancient statues away?!” said Big Sister Ruan angrily.

When she was young, her grandmother had told her about the importance of the ancient statues in Mingwu Ancient City. The ancient statues were the ancient protectors that guarded the city all day and night.

As long as the statues remained in the city, it didn’t matter whether it was invaded by ferocious demons on the land or brutal Ocean Demons from the sea, none of them could break the peace in Mingwu Ancient City. The people in the city had enjoyed peace and safety because of these statues, and they considered them as gods and worshiped them during festivals. At least, they used to.

Big Sister Ruan had never expected someone from outside would even think of stealing them away!

“Lady, do you know how many rich men offer to buy these broken old stone statues of the ancient city?” said Boss Jin, holding out a finger.

“Why would the rich men spend so much money on these statues?” asked Mo Fan, genuinely curious.

“Kid, haven’t you noticed these statues have some sort of magical power that prevents the demons from invading the city? These ancient statues protect this territory,” explained Boss Jin. “They are more powerful than the patrolling mages. The demons have been roaming around outside for years. Even in Base Cities, there is always a danger of being attacked by the monsters. Rich men want to live in peace and they’ve got the money for it.”

“These ancient statues don’t belong to you!” Big Sister Ruan shouted.

Boss Jin turned to Big Sister Ruan and grinned mockingly. “Then tell me, Madam. Who do they belong to? Do enlighten me about the owners of these statues. Is it the people of the Mingwu Ancient City? I don’t see anyone here! They have all fled. The city is abandoned. No one owns these anymore. Finders keepers, you know.”

Big Sister Run was rendered speechless. He was not wrong. Mingwu Ancient City was abandoned. Not one soul lived here. Everything inside it was without an owner.

“I am doing these statues a favor,” said Boss Jin. “Can’t let them go to waste. So, I risked my life with my men to come here and take these statues to a new home. They will find a purpose; I will get my money. Everybody will be happy.I mean, look at these statues! They are left outside, rain or shine. No one cleans them. No one takes care of them. They look pitiful! We are doing good work here.”

Mo Fan admired the hunter. Sure, he stole things but at least he had the decency to defend himself honestly and openly.

“But the statues have been guarding the city for more than a thousand years. If you move them away, you will be condemned by God,” said Big Sister Ruan, frantic now to stop them somehow.

“You are from Licheng Afterglow Island, aren’t you?” Boss Jin asked.

“Yes.” Big Sister Ruan nodded.

“Aren’t you afraid of being condemned by God as well?” sneered Boss Jin.

Big Sister Ruan was at a loss for words. The other young girls from Lichen Afterglow Island looked stunned as well. They could not find any words to refute him at that moment.

Boss Jin laughed heartily. He turned to his hunters and instructed them to remove the Flute Heron statue from the back of the beast and load the Thundercat statue first.

Mo Fan looked at Big Sister Ruan. Apparently, Boss Jin knew more about the Lichen Afterglow Island than he did. ‘Did Boss Jin just imply that Licheng Afterglow Island owned a powerful statue?’ wondered Mo Fan.

Mo Fan remembered Shu Xiaohua had almost accidentally blurted out the reason for their island being safe from demons…

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…

Mo Fan understood that this group of young women had hidden a lot of things from him. He felt cheated. He had made sure they arrived at the Mingwu Ancient City safely under his watch. But they had refused to even entertain his questions with honesty.

The young women all looked very anxious. They couldn’t stop Boss Jin and his hunters from taking the statue. The only ones with high cultivation were Big Sister Ruan and Le Nan but they were outnumbered. Besides, Boss Jin might have even higher cultivation than them combined.

…

“Mr. Mo Fan, please do us a favor,” said Big Sister Ruan, turning to him. “Please stop them from taking away the statues!”

“I’m afraid it’s time to nullify our contract,” said Mo Fan. He did not want to cooperate with them anymore.

Both parties had signed a contract on mutual understanding. Mo Fan’s side of the deal was to protect them and make sure they reached Mingwu Ancient City safely, while they would answer some of his queries related to his own journey.

Big Sister Ruan had withheld information about the ancient statues from him. It was clear that there might be other statues in other parts of the Mingwu Ancient City but she had lied to him when she told him that the present statues were the only ones in the city.

She had lied to him. Besides, Boss Jin wasn’t wrong. No one lived here anymore. So, no one owned these statues. He wasn’t breaking a law by taking things from an abandoned city. Mo Fan had no strong reason to confront Boss Jin. It wasn’t in this contract and he did not need to care about it.

He had no beef with Boss Jin or his hunters. They weren’t actually hurting anyone by doing what they had come to do. In contrast, these young women from Licheng Afterglow Island had deceived him.

“Please. You can raise those questions again and I will answer them honestly this time,” Big Sister Ruan pleaded. “These ancient statues must not leave the Mingwu Ancient City.”

“I am not interested in that anymore,” said Mo Fan. “You won’t help me find the ancient creature I am looking for, so why should I help you?”

Boss Jin had allowed Mo Fan to study the patterns on the statue when he had asked, so he didn’t really feel like offending him. But the patterns on the Flute Heron statue hadn’t matched the picture.

Mo Fan realized that the ancient statues might have nothing to do with the totem he looked for. He could not find any clues. And since these women appeared to know more than they let on, he was sure they had some information on it. Mo Fan could find the clues himself. He felt that there was no need for him to journey with them any longer.

“Our elders instructed us to come here to ensure the safety of these ancient statues,” said Big Sister Ruan. “We’ll have to report to them through a magic paper boat. Our elders will arrive here. I hope you can help us stall Boss Jin and his hunters. We can pay you more.”

“I’m not short of money,” Mo Fan said straightforwardly.

He felt very pleased with himself saying that. He had never imagined there would come a day when he could say that honestly. The expenses for the eight elements had cost him an arm and a leg.

…

“We… we will help you find the ancient creature that you are looking for,” Big Sister Ruan said reluctantly. “I… I have seen the pattern that you showed me.”

“You lied to me,” said Mo Fan. “The clause of the contract was clear. You should have told me this when I asked you.”

Mo Fan had followed the terms of the contract. He had kept them alive through the journey. Otherwise, they would all have died fighting the monsters they had met while coming here.