Chapter 148: The First Thief

Lu Ming looked at the man's gnashing of teeth and sighed inwardly.

The person who had kicked and broken his leg was naturally Zhang Shaofeng. It seemed that Zhang Shaofeng's character was indeed atrocious, and this incident only served to reaffirm Lu Ming's judgment regarding his own actions.

Childhood trauma was the kind of scar most easily etched into a person's heart, buried deep within the soul and difficult to erase. Lu Ming could fully understand the man's feelings.

After a long pause, Lu Ming said slowly, "Your vengeance has already been exacted by my hand. Zhang Shaofeng will receive the punishment he deserves."

The man stared at Lu Ming and said, "He is already the captain of the criminal investigation team, a man of power and influence. Furthermore, you and I are complete strangers. Why should I believe that you would avenge me?"

"Then why did you think that stealing the Dragon Head would exact revenge on Zhang Shaofeng?" Lu Ming countered.

The man smiled. "Zhang Shaofeng is the head of security for this celebration. If anything happens to the Dragon Head, he will undoubtedly be ruined."

Lu Ming smiled inwardly. The man's calculation had been correct; if the Dragon Head went missing, Zhang Shaofeng would indeed face catastrophic ruin. At the same time, however, it would plunge Yun Shengguo into an extremely awkward predicament, and naturally, Lu Ming would never allow such a thing to happen.

Lu Ming looked at the man, took a breath, and said, "You stole a state-level artifact of the highest rank, which is a capital crime. What do you intend to do now?"

"What do I intend to do?" the man said with a desolate expression. "Having run into a government running dog like you, what else can I do? Do as you please with me. It is only a pity that I couldn't exact my revenge—I shall die with my eyes open in eternal regret!"

Hearing this, Lu Ming did not grow angry. Instead, he said, "Now I offer you two paths. First, I take you to the public security bureau to be judged and sentenced according to the law. Second, you follow me, and I pardon your crimes."

Lu Ming fixed his gaze on the man with eyes as brilliant as stars.

The man looked back at Lu Ming, finding it difficult to believe his words.

The crime he had committed was extremely grave; spending a dozen or so years behind bars would be effortless. He simply could not believe that a single word from Lu Ming could absolve him of his guilt.

Looking at the man, Lu Ming smiled and said, "Rest assured, my word is my bond. Furthermore, Zhang Shaofeng will certainly face his corresponding punishment. He is already under investigation at the Inspection Department, by direct order of Yun Shengguo himself. Do you think he will still be able to walk out unscathed?"

As Lu Ming spoke, an inexplicable aura suddenly emanated from his body. The presence of an ancient, primordial beast instantly enveloped the shabby rental room. From the depths of his soul, the man felt a wave of sheer terror, compelling him only to prostrate himself on the ground and worship this overwhelming presence.

Yet after just a moment, Lu Ming withdrew his dragon pressure. Although the man had acquired a rudimentary grasp of cultivation, under the prolonged shroud of the dragon pressure, his meager cultivation base was utterly incapable of resisting it, and his psyche would have suffered severe damage.

It took a long time for the man to recover, and when he did, he stared at Lu Ming with fearful, unblinking eyes.

The various methods Lu Ming had displayed since entering had thoroughly shocked and subdued him, making him acutely aware that he was nowhere near a match for Lu Ming.

After a long silence, the man lowered his head and said, "Very well, I am willing to follow you."

Lu Ming smiled and nodded.

The man's techniques possessed a marvelous ingenuity, and he also understood the basics of cultivation. To let him rot in a prison cell would be far too great a pity.

Moreover, the man had stolen the Dragon Head with just cause and had never intended to keep it for himself, making his actions forgivable.

"What is your name?" Lu Ming asked.

The man replied slowly, "Cikong Zhaixing."

Lu Ming paused, then said in astonishment, "You are the Number One Divine Thief of Huaxia?"

Cikong Zhaixing nodded.

"Hahaha," Lu Ming laughed. "No wonder. Only someone with your abilities could come and go freely from any place. Tell me now, where did you learn this ability to transform into the appearance of anyone?"

Cikong Zhaixing looked at Lu Ming and said after a moment, "It seems nothing can be hidden from you."

With that, he recounted his past experiences to Lu Ming.

Back in those years, after his leg was kicked and broken because he stole a loaf of bread belonging to Zhang Shaofeng and his lover, he had fallen into total despair, lying in the snow and quietly waiting for death.

However, a passing old man had saved him, cured his broken leg with miraculous methods, and taught him a breathing and meditation technique.

He had followed the old man for three years, addressing each other as grandfather and grandson as they traveled all over the country. Once he had fully mastered the meditation technique, the old man had vanished without a trace, leaving him ignorant even of his name to this day.

One of the functions of that meditation technique was that it allowed him to freely assume the appearance of anyone. The duration of this disguise increased in tandem with the depth of his cultivation; from a mere few seconds at the very beginning, he could now maintain it for over twenty hours.

Utilizing this ability, he had orchestrated several nationwide thefts. The objects he stole belonged exclusively to wealthy magnates who boasted that their treasures were kept in the safest places imaginable and could never be stolen.

These few high-profile thefts had earned him the title of the Number One Divine Thief of Huaxia.

Listening to the tale, Lu Ming smiled and shook his head.

Cikong Zhaixing's inherent nature was not evil; the items he stole were invariably donated to a global public welfare organization and auctioned off for charity—a fact well-known to all.

Given his current capabilities, he certainly had no shortage of money, so his actions were entirely understandable.

Having heard the story, Lu Ming stood up and said, "Very well. Take the Dragon Head and come with me. Someone is sitting on pins and needles; the sooner we return it, the sooner this matter is concluded."

Cikong Zhaixing sighed, stood up, wrapped the Dragon Head in a bedsheet, slung it across his back, and followed Lu Ming out the door.

He couldn't beat him in a fight, nor could he outrun him. What other choice did he have?

As the saying goes: if you can't beat them, join them.

For now, Cikong Zhaixing had no other option.

The two left the building, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for the museum.

Cikong Zhaixing was surprisingly straightforward; he didn't ask what would happen to him once they arrived, simply following along without a word.

They got out of the taxi at the museum entrance, where Zhang Kai had been waiting anxiously. Upon seeing Lu Ming return, joy lit up his face.

However, when he noticed the strange man following closely behind, carrying a bulky item on his back, his expression shifted slightly.

Yet he quickly recovered his composure. It was best not to meddle in Mr. Lu's affairs; the more one knew, the greater the trouble. That was a principle he understood well enough.

"Mr. Lu, you have returned," Zhang Kai greeted respectfully, bowing slightly.

Lu Ming nodded and said, "Let's go to Exhibition Hall Number One."

With that, the three of them walked toward Exhibition Hall Number One.

Before long, they arrived at the entrance of the hall, only to find it now guarded by three squads of special operations soldiers.

Lu Ming smiled and said, "Open the door."

The museum's deputy curator, who had been waiting at the entrance, hurriedly unlocked the door.

Lu Ming stepped inside gracefully and said to Cikong Zhaixing, "Take it out."

Cikong Zhaixing untied the bedsheet and handed the Dragon Head to Lu Ming.

Just as Lu Ming was about to place the Dragon Head back into the crystal display case, he noticed a slip of paper inside. Pulling it out to take a look, he smiled and said, "You certainly are arrogant, aren't you?"

Cikong Zhaixing gave an embarrassed smile.

As it turned out, Cikong Zhaixing had left a note inside the case, signing his name boldly and clearly: Cikong Zhaixing!

This was his consistent style. Relying on his exceptional skills, Cikong Zhaixing had never feared the police, nor had he ever failed a job.

While police departments everywhere had files on him, they simply couldn't catch him, leaving him entirely unconcerned.

Yet even this Number One Divine Thief of Huaxia had ultimately fallen into Lu Ming's hands.

Because the Dragon Head carried Lu Ming's spiritual awareness, the moment Cikong Zhaixing touched it, Lu Ming had instantly sensed his presence, making escape utterly impossible.

Lu Ming placed the Dragon Head back into the crystal case and turned to Zhang Kai. "Very well, you can rest easy now. I guarantee that no further accidents will befall the Dragon Head."

Aside from Cikong Zhaixing, hardly anyone could have silently stolen the Dragon Head past such heavily guarded security—unless they resorted to a frontal assault, which would be pure suicide.

Even if one were a Grandmaster, going to war with the state would never end well.

A glowing excitement filled Zhang Kai as he pulled out his phone and immediately called Secretary Yun. This matter had to be reported as soon as possible, as Secretary Yun had been waiting anxiously for his call.

Just at that moment, Deputy Curator Li Chunlin stared at Cikong Zhaixing and said with a stern expression, "Is he the one who stole the Dragon Head?"

Cikong Zhaixing had left his signature inside the crystal case, and Li Chunlin had deduced from their conversation that the man was indeed Cikong Zhaixing. The reputation of the Number One Divine Thief of Huaxia still carried considerable weight.

Zhang Kai, who was in the middle of making his call, froze instantly. With his quick wits, he had naturally already figured this out, but since Mr. Lu hadn't mentioned it, how could he dare ask? Even if the person before him was the prime culprit in the theft of the Dragon Head, he wouldn't dare meddle. Yet this deputy curator had blurted it out directly, dragging the matter into the open, which made the situation somewhat awkward.

Li Chunlin continued, "Secretary Zhang, please have someone arrest this man immediately. Stealing a state-level artifact of the highest rank is a crime that cannot be forgiven."