He paused, his gaze sweeping across Jin Mantang's sullen face, and quickly added, "I'm not from the merchant guild, they probably won't..."

"Won't what?" As the shopkeeper in charge of this branch, Jin Mantang quickly returned to his senses from Zhou Lun's betrayal.

Facing the proposal from the array master, he sneered, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes, "Won't hunt you down? Or won't extract your soul and refine it?"

The grey-robed array master was choked, retreated two steps awkwardly, yet still unwilling to give up: "But, but if we stay on the ship, everyone will..."

"Get out!" Jin Mantang suddenly roared, the pressure belonging to the Divinity Transformation Realm forced the array master back several steps, crashing against the cabin wall, his face pale.

The other four were also silent as cicadas in winter; they were just here to do their job for payment, who would have thought they would be unlucky enough to encounter such a thing.

In an instant, the cabin was silent, only the continuous dull booming sounds and the "crack" of the Barrier breaking from outside remaining.

Jin Mantang was silent for a moment, finally sighed deeply and took out Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag.

"Everyone, as agreed, here is the reward."

His voice was hoarse, yet unusually steady, as he distributed the Spirit Stones to each person.

When two entirely green, top-grade wooden Spirit Stones, inwardly glowing with Spiritual Light, were handed to Zhou Qing, the Spiritual Qi in the entire cabin shook.

"Master Ji, no one wanted to see such an accident, but since it's happened, it's a calamity predestined for me, Old Jin, can't blame anyone!"

He let out a bitter laugh, "The extra one is considered compensation."

"Take advantage of the chaos and leave," Jin Mantang's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Zhou Qing.

"He was right earlier, you are not from the merchant guild, they probably won't trouble you... And now with the array core damaged, the five tributors can't hold on much longer."

His voice carried a hint of exhaustion, a hint of determination.

Now, those who had received the money were hesitant again.

Who doesn't know the notorious reputation of the three Big Leaders of the Jieyun Thieves?

The Big Leader Tu Qianyue had even once slain the Thirteenth Prince of the Imperial City, still at large on the Royal Family's most-wanted list!

"You wouldn't... be planning to use us as bait, to lure them away, would you?"

Someone muttered quietly, his eyes flickering, neck shrunk.

Jin Mantang was furious to the point of laughing bitterly, "If you want to leave, then leave; if you want to stay, then stay! I'm Old Jin, though a businessman, in the ups and downs of the commerce sea for a thousand years, I've never tricked anyone."

Before his voice faded, the whole flying ship suddenly tilted dramatically.

The lighting Crystal Stone at the cabin's top exploded with a "crack," the shards raining down like rain.

After a brief silence, the five took their rewards and charged toward the cabin door without looking back, scrambling to escape.

"Third Leader! Someone's trying to escape!" Zhou Lun's shrill voice pierced through the sea of clouds.

A trace of indifference flickered in Yin Hongxiao's eyes, her jade fingers flicked lightly, and five cloud-swallowing pythons shot out like arrows off the string.

Soon, amid the darkness, came the harrowing sound of bones breaking.

...

In the cabin, Zhou Qing measures the two top-grade wooden Spirit Stones in his hand and looks at Jin Mantang's hunched silhouette.

He suddenly feels that this merchant, reeking of money, actually seems rather heroic at this moment.

"You two should leave quickly too." When Jin Mantang turned around, the anger on his face had turned into a calm exhaustion.

"If you really can't escape, just reveal your Spirit Seal, the Jieyun Thieves are currently expanding, eager for talented array masters; at worst... plant a Slave Seal, it might keep you alive..."

Jin Mantang suggests to Zhou Qing.

"What about you?" Zhou Qing interrupts, asking.

Jin Mantang gives a bitter laugh, pointing downwards, "Goods here, people here; goods lost..." He makes a throat-slitting gesture, "Merchant guild rules."

Seeing that Jin Mantang doesn't seem to be lying, Zhou Qing's eyes flicker slightly, having roughly confirmed something in his mind.

After a moment of pondering, Zhou Qing slowly speaks:

"Shopkeeper Jin, outside the Jieyun Thieves mentioned, there's Nine Nether Demon Lotus, Half-Pure Blood Demon Beast, and even Ancient Fragments on this ship... Are such treasures truly onboard?"

Jin Mantang is taken aback, frowns, "What do you mean?"

Zhou Qing says blandly, "Not much, I just think... if I were from the merchant guild, I would never send only five Divinity Transformation Realm Perfection to escort."

Jin Mantang shakes his head, explaining, "Having Tribune Mo and his men was precisely to avoid attracting attention! Many in the guild watch the tributes, fewer people... won't draw suspicion after all."

Zhou Qing's smile is meaningful, but he remains silent.

A shiver runs through Jin Mantang's heart—he's not stupid, a chill running up his spine, his fingers involuntarily trembling.

"No, impossible..."

He suddenly spins around, stumbling towards the bottom of the ship.

As he crashes open the cargo hold door—

Empty.

Everything is empty.

The black iron cage he had personally registered and verified, used to imprison the Thunder Flood Dragon Young Beast, was gone.

The Cold Jade box storing the Nine Nether Demon Lotus had disappeared, and even the most ordinary hundreds of cargo boxes hadn't been left behind.

The entire cargo hold was as clean as if nothing had ever been stored there.

"Hahaha..."

Jin Mantang suddenly burst into laughter, mixed with a hint of hysteria.

His legs gave way, he fell heavily onto the ground, laughing so hard he was leaning forward and back, his face smeared with tears and snot.

"So that's it... so that's it!" He pats the ground, his voice hoarse, "My Jin Mantang's Cloud Whale, from beginning to end, was just bait!"

He suddenly raises his head, bloodshot eyes wide: "The guild wasn't even sure anyone would come to steal the goods, but how could the news of escorting such treasures not leak out?"

"Cloud Whale... Cloud Whale was just a sacrificial pawn for scouting the way!"

Having figured it all out, Jin Mantang's mad laughter gradually subsides, he tremblingly fishes out the guild emblem that has accompanied him for over a millennium from his bosom.