108 Maidens of Destiny Chapter 55

Speaking of the Best Thief Under Heaven, there was only one person that could a.s.sume this name in Su Xing's memory; even if it was among the Stars, even they carried a "Thief" t.i.tle.

Correct.

It was the Thief Star, Flea on a Drum, s.h.i.+ Qian!!

"The Thief Star is the one that most unpredictably appears and disappears among the 108 Star Generals. Finding her traces definitely is not easy." Wu Xinjie shook her head, feeling that An Suwen's idea was a bit lofty into the sky in meaning. The Knowledge Star had her doubts: "Could it be that Little Sister, you?"

An Suwen smiled and nodded: "Speaking of this is also a coincidence. This Little Sister just happens to have had some dealings with s.h.i.+ Qian. Not long ago, she asked for some injury medication from Suwen. Little Sister asked her a sentence: She said she would report to Little Sister if she broke through a mechanism. It has been more than a month now, and Little Sister has not seen s.h.i.+ Qian. Suwen thinks s.h.i.+ Qian definitely has run into trouble."

"The Thief Star really can be found?" Su Xing asked, astonished.

Actually, Su Xing's suspicions were rather normal. Liangshan Continent was vast, and simply put, the Rippling Wave Kingdom's west had the Cache Mountain¹ overlooking the Thousand Mounts Kingdom and the Han Martial Kingdom² while the east's White Deer Highlands bordered the Great Liang Dynasty. The south had the Heavenly River and Heavenly Mountain, and just this area had several millions of li. In addition, this was but only a small portion of the Azure Dragon Territory. According to what he knew, the "Roc Plume Immortal Mountains"³ just bordering the Vermillion Bird Territory basically just did not have a true end that cultivators could arrive at.

It was in such a large place that they could run into the fleeting Thief Star, and Su Xing felt that this was too hard to believe; actually, this was not so. The Star Maidens were the 108 Stars all descended. Their natures had a sort of exceedingly attractive force. This attraction was just like that sort of instinct that drew a moth to a flame; they could not help but approach the other Star Generals, similar to how the skies and the 108 Stars approached one another.

An Suwen took herself to be the 108 Star Maidens sole Divine Physician. Her medical arts were superb, her disposition kind, and she had not even signed a contract. Her relations with the normal Star Generals were also surprisingly reasonable. Lin Yingmei asked: "Then where is she?"

"Grindstone Mountain!"⁴

Grindstone Mountain was located at the Great Liang Dynasty's Thistle Prefecture,⁵ sharing a border with the Rippling Wave Kingdom in a remote area. Its topography was similar to a whetstone, and thus, the mountain received its name. It had not any quirks unto itself, and it was far from comparison with the likes of the "Bright Sun Ridge"⁶ and the "Five Platforms Mountains,"⁷ which were unmistakable within their own two countries.

In the forest of luxuriant foliage, suddenly, the beautiful figure of a woman rushed out. Raising her head up to the thick foliage covering the sky, the beautiful figure ran straight ahead, and from behind her came a shaking sound. Rustling briefly, something resembling a tiger or a lion, a Fierce Beast with its entire body made from iron, pounced out. This Fine Iron Fierce Beast's⁸ sharp claws and fangs unceasingly tore at the that figure.

The beauty stepped onto a slab of rock with a leap, turning her body very quickly, raising her white hands, and then two flying claws mutually criss-crossed, biting into the fine iron Fierce Beast's forelimb. The girl firmly pulled and restrained it, her body beautiful as a swallow. She leapt and fluttered about within the forest, and along with her fierce shout, that fine iron Fierce Beast was suddenly hoisted into the air by her bare hands without any aid. With a leap that covered several tens of meters, and the release of those claws, that Fierce Beast fell downwards with a rumble, rumbling as it smashed against a sharp rock, releasing the cras.h.i.+ng sound of shattering.

"This Young Lady is truly tired to death." The girl wiped her sweat, approaching that Fierce Beast.

And it was at this time that the dying Fine Iron Fierce Beast violently launched its counterattack, freezing the girl in place.

A cold light suddenly shot towards the Fine Iron Fierce Beast, and a graceful figure landed upon the Fierce Beast's back. Clenching a long spear in both hands, she directly ran through the monster right where it was.

SFX: Rumble!

The steel beast then lost the breath of life.

The girl stared dumbly at the person's silhouette that was like a G.o.ddess descended. Coming proud, tall and straight, her heroic spirit was matchless.

"This much carelessness is definitely not like your style, s.h.i.+ Qian!"⁹

A gentle voice called out.

The girl turned her head, and from within the forest walked out a man and two women. In a split second, the girl who helped her kill the monster recalled her spear, and with an easy movement, she then returned to that man's side.

"Suwen?" The girl was surprised.

This single man and three women happened to be Su Xing and the rest.

The girl gazed at the approaching people, her countenance carrying distrust as she watched An Suwen.

"Young master, this is the Best Thief Under Heaven that Suwen spoke of." An Suwen made the introductions.

Su Xing was also inquisitively sizing up the Thief Star.

An oval-shaped face, slender phoenix eyes, cherry red lips, and a pleasant manner; she wore a skin-tight, black short-sleeved s.h.i.+rt, and tied around her spotlessly white neck was a flashy black scarf. The real treat for Su Xing's eyes was the girl's slender pair of legs unexpectedly wrapped in black fishnet stockings; the s.e.x appeal was indeed incomparable.

"Just what is going on? Suwen, could it be that you've betrayed us. Did you bring your master here to kill me?" The Thief Star s.h.i.+ Qian's entire body raised its guard, her Destined Star Weapon, the "Hoodwinking Flying Claws" began to stir.

"Don't misunderstand." An Suwen walked over to her to explain.

On the other side, Wu Xinjie said with a strangely gentle voice: "What is the Thief Star hiding here doing?"

Su Xing and his group curiously looked at the fine iron fierce beast that was only just chasing s.h.i.+ Qian for the kill. It did not seem to be an ordinary Demon Beast, for its entire body had joints that were obviously manufactured.¹⁰ Its exterior was a layer of steel, making Su Xing recall the mechanical monsters from movies.

"A Mechanical Beast."¹¹ Wu Xinjie stared blankly.

Mechanical Beasts were one type of strange animal in Liangshan Continent originating from the Vermillion Bird Territory's Foreign Divine Machine Clan that used every sort of steel and fine stone to manufacture Demon Beasts. The core power was a Demon Beast's soul. This sort of Mechanical Beast was very popular in Liangshan Continent because their operation did not require complex procedures; it required only a simple set up with Divine Intent to combine with the mechanisms to suffice. These acted as a sort of vital strategic weapon for several imperial families and officials.

The first appearance of Mechanical Beasts still needed to be traced back to the Vermillion Bird Territory's "Hundred Deviances' War"¹² it launched against the Azure Dragon Territory. At that time, the Mechanical Beasts could be said to have astonished every single Azure Dragon Cultivator, putting themselves firmly into the limelight. However, because of this sort of strange animal, the Divine Machine Clan suffered extinction, its remaining clansmen escaping every which way. Although every sort of Mechanical Sect was established, their publicity was already no longer what it once was.

"Strange, why would a Mechanical Beast appear on this mountain?"

"This was discovered by this Young Lady, and don't you all think of s.n.a.t.c.hing it away." s.h.i.+ Qian leapt onto that Lion Mechanical Beast with a few steps. Seeing a pile of broken white crystals, she sorrowfully wailed incessantly, incapable of looking at Lin Yingmei, "How could you damage its soul, this Young Lady was prepared to take and use it."

Lin Yingmei coldly said: "This servant wanted to ensure its death!"

"The cores of Mechanical Beasts that conceal the soul are all to be strictly protected. You unexpectedly penetrated it with a single spear. Just which Star are you." s.h.i.+ Qian made a powerless accusation.

"s.h.i.+ Qian, since you are the Thief Star, Xinjie does not know if you could help our Young Master go steal the Blooming Water Divine Thunder True Technique, after which we definitely will give you a significant remuneration." Wu Xinjie said.

The Thief Star looked at An Suwen. Pointing at Su Xing, she said: "Suwen, can you really trust him? He is but indeed a Star Master."

An Suwen showed a relaxed smile.

The Thief Star was helpless. Eccentrically sizing up Su Xing, her eyeb.a.l.l.s suddenly rolled. "Did you really contract the Knowledge Star?"

"Is there a problem?" Su Xing asked.

The Thief Star giggled, shaking her head: "No problem, definitely no problem. Having this Young Lady help you steal whatever True Technique is possible…however, you must also do something for this Young Lady."

"This is very fair." Su XIng nodded.

"This Young Lady likes your straightforwardness." The Thief Star Flea on a Drum patted Su Xing's stomach, saying carefreely: "As long as you help me enter the Mo Clan Ruins to obtain the Mo Attack Treasure Box,¹³ this Young Lady will agree to help with your matter."

"Mo Clan Ruins?"¹⁴ Wu Xinjie exposed her astonishment.

1. 堅壁山 ↩
2. 漢武國 ↩
3. 鶤翎仙嶺 ↩
4. 石磨山 ↩
5. 薊州 ↩
6. 景陽岡 ↩
7. 五台山 ↩
8. 鋼鐵猛獸 ↩
9. 時遷 ↩
10. A robot, really? ↩
11. 機關獸 ↩
12. 百異之戰 ↩
13. 墨攻寶盒 ↩
14. 墨家遺址 ↩