Eternal Thief

Azure Wind Continent, royal lands, within the grand Azure City of Azure Wind Mountain Sect, built a few miles away from the sect location. This city was for sect disciples to rest or replenish their supplies when they went out for missions. 

Furthermore, this city was open to anyone and was a major hub for cultivators all around the royal lands.

At this moment, a young man with plain features and humble clothing entered the city after paying ten peak grade-4 Qi stones. His expression was impassive as he measured the busy streets of Azure City with scrutiny. 

Everyone here was a cultivator, and most of these people belonged to sects, even ancient sects. 

The young man silently walked around the city until he found a small inn to check-in. 

Just as he entered the room, his eyes winded a little because he saw a beggar with long dreadlocks filled with dirt, while his face, hidden behind those dirty dreadlocks and exposed bonny torso with multiple wound marks and soil, was sitting in front of the window while he was drinking from a small white gourd.

However, despite his drinking posse, his face didn't appear, not even his skin, as if it was enshrouded in darkness. 

The young man scoffed, and his surprise turned into coldness as he closed the door and coldly said, "Can you at least change your appearance? Your beggar masquerade is starting to get on my nerves." 

The beggar put the gourd away from his mouth and impassively said in his husky voice, "Not calling me Master anymore, boy? Besides, appearances are but molded skins; remove them, and everyone is the same." 

The young man's expression went dark as he said, "Just tell me why you want me to come here. I thought I told you I wanted to be alone for some time." 

"Yet you still came." The beggar impassively replied, "I never force you to do anything, boy. You have your own free will. If you still can't accept your own true feelings, then I'm afraid all that suffering was in vain." 

"Said the person who caused all that suffering!" The young man gritted his teeth with a complicated look in his eyes. It was like he wanted to hate the beggar but couldn't bring himself to. Yet he didn't want to show him any respect or warmth either. 

"I merely opened your eyes to the truth. But you still decided to spare that woman who was behind all your misery. So, don't blame me for your incompetence." The beggar emotionlessly stated before he started to drink again. 

The young man was fuming at this point, and his expression was twisted with fury as if he wanted to attack the beggar but just couldn't because deep down, he knew the beggar was stating the truth!

The young man took a few breaths to calm his bolding blood and coldly uttered, "Enough with your atrocious remarks. You wanted me to leave my moth… that woman and you succeeded. So, I don't want to hear any of it anymore unless you really want me to leave. 

"I only came here to get the rest of the Achromatic Theft Cultivation Art from you. In return, I'll do two jobs for you for the final two manuals of the cultivation art. After that, we'll part our way for good." He sternly declared. 

The beggar put the gourd down at this moment, and suddenly, he waved his hand. Thereafter, a bronze bowl appeared in front of the young man, and within was a thick golden book. 

The young man's eyes widened when he read the title of the book, 'Achromatic Theft Cultivation Art (Soul Law Awareness and Law Comprehension Manual)', and he looked at the beggar in disbelief before he quickly grabbed the book and read the contents. 

"Why?" He asked the beggar with a complicated expression. 

"Isn't that what you want? Now go. Your ambition is only limited to the Mortal Sky Heaven." The beggar emotionlessly said before he started to drink again. 

The young man was Damian, who had completely changed from being a naïve cheerful kid to a cold young man. 

After he finds the truth about his origin, he trusts no one except for the beggar. But he didn't want to give the beggar the satisfaction of admitting it. Furthermore, he wanted to find a reason to break his ties with the beggar because he didn't want to experience another betrayal from the person he trusted.

Yet, now the beggar had handed him over the last two cultivation manuals he wanted without giving him much trouble.

But he still doesn't understand what he meant by his last words, nor he can fathom the depth of the beggar's power despite cultivating to the peak of the soul manifestation realm and the beggar still appeared like a mortal. 

Damian took a deep breath before he said with a complicated expression, "Why don't you just tell me what you want? It's not like I won't do it. You should know better than anyone. It's not to doubt everyone after what happened. But I want to believe you, so please give me a reason to believe you." 

Towards the end, he sounded like a begging child who didn't want to believe that his parent could lie. 

The beggar gulped a few times before he finally replied, "Hmm, hmm… emotions are the bane of a man's downfall. Alright, if you can reply to me honestly, I'll give a clue about my purpose for every mission you complete from now on. But if you lie even a little bit, you will never see me again, and you can live your life peacefully or die for all I care." 

Damian frowned a little as he knew the beggar wasn't bluffing, and he really couldn't find him if the beggar didn't want to be found. He can't even sense his presence despite his special ability granted by the cultivation technique he cultivates. 

"Alright." He nodded solemnly since he was very curious about the purpose of this beggar and why he chose him.

Damian didn't believe in coincidence anymore, and he guessed that the beggar approached him, knowing who he was and his background. It just appeared that he was the one who approached the beggar, which shows how powerful and shrewd he was. 

Yet still, he wanted to know just why he gave him that power to break him emotionally. 

The beggar asked in an emotionless tone, "Tell me, as a thief, what do you think about the world?" 

Damian replied without hesitation in a cold tone, "Powerful people rule it, and those powerful people are rotten, drunk on their power and privilege. Their treasuries are full, while poor people are dying of hunger and begging for a loaf of bread in the streets. They live in their gigantic castles, yet they don't have time to repair the slums. This world is putrescent!" 

"To summarize your answer, there is no justice in this world?" The beggar questioned again. 

"Yes." Damian nodded without hesitation. 

"Then do you admit as a thief that what you're doing also goes against justice?" The beggar's tone grew cold all of a sudden. 

Damian frowned, and this time, he hesitated before he replied, "Yes. But there is no justice; without it, thieves like me will rise to claim justice for ourselves!" 

"If that's the case, once there is justice, there is no need for thievery or any crime, right? Then what should be done if, despite that, there is still thievery and crime?" The beggar questioned again.

Damian replied without delay, "Then it is the fault of the criminal who wants to sow discord in peace and take advantage of the justice system. This sort of criminal should be put to death to make an example out of." 

The beggar remained silent for a moment before saying, "Your answer is satisfactory. Very well, I accept this answer. I'll give you a clue about my purpose: it is Justice! 

"Your mission is also related to justice as well. If you perform well, I'll give you another clue. The Azure Wind Mountain Sect had trapped the innocent people of lower lands for hundreds of years, harvesting their lives without them even realizing it. 

"I want you to find a way to free them and expose their schemes to the world. Let's see if can theft for justice or not…" The beggar stated before his figure started to turn ethereal, and he vanished completely under Damian's baffled eyes!