Ace exit the Kelby shop quickly and headed straight to the clothing shop nearby. He knew these pills are not normal, and that old man wants them badly.
However, after finding out Ace was not easy to deal with he would definitely report this to his superiors, and take revenge on Ace for getting in his way. If he can't have those pills then he would not let Ace have them either.
Ace's conjecture was absolutely right; if Matthew were to succeed he would've escaped the city. Because these two pills were worth almost 100,000 ruby coins and he could get a high price in any auction of 1-Star City and could live a happy life with this much wealth.
But alas Ace gets in Matthew's way and he wasn't a cultivator, hence he could only screw Ace over by telling Asher about those pills to get his revenge.
Ace bought new robes from a clothing shop and change into them. He has just exited the shop when he spotted Old Man Matthew with three others persons beside him.
They were clearly looking for Ace. Those two tall and muscular men were Asher personal security guards and Caleb was also between them sulking.
Ace gets a dangerous feeling from those two men and hurriedly turns around to escape quietly. Except Matthew's old eyes were like a hawk and he recognizes Ace even in new robes. How could he forget this rascal who 'steals his pills'?
"Look that guy wearing blue robes and a long mat-hat! He's the one! Quick chase he starts to run!" Matthew cries in alarm.
'This Old Goat!' Ace vituperates Old Matthew while running between the masses,
Ace has no choice but to use silent steps now. This was daytime and his stealth would not work like nighttime. Therefore, he could only depend on silent steps. After using silent steps, he becomes like breeze and vanished into the mob.
"Where did that brat go?" Caleb shouts in exasperation while keeps looking around searching for Ace's tracks.
"I don't know he was too fast." One of Asher's guards said he was a 2nd Gate cultivator and the most powerful in this group.
"What do you mean too fast? Are you telling me that brat is stronger than you?!" Caleb bark in rage his life was on the line after all. If they can't find Ace, he didn't dare to think about the consequences of displeasing Asher.
"I'm afraid 'yes' he is stronger than us I can tell after seeing his speed." The second guard answered in frustration, they also didn't want to upset Asher.
"What do we do then?!" The most afraid of them all was Matthew who wants to see Ace in despair the most. But now after seeing him escape like the wind, Matthew begins to regret his decision of telling Asher and bought a calamity on himself.
"Let's search the whole place if we can't find him we're dead!" Snapped Caleb in a panic and they all started to search like mad dogs.
Ace stop running in an alleyway, he was panting wildly. He has used the silent steps for a quite long time to escape the old man's party.
'I'm not done with you old goat! Just you wait, I'll show you just how deeper the grave truly is!' Ace was busy cursing Old Man Matthew when all of sudden a transparent Black Panel emerges and shines in front of his eyes.
Ace heard system sweet voice before he could understand what has happened.
____________
"[A new mission has been issued!]"
[Mission Panel]
[Honorable Thief's Dignity: Someone is trying to steal from a thief and this is unacceptable. Consequently, the host has to show the despicable stealer who's the real thief is! The host has to empty the whole Kelby Family Treasury! The honor of a thief is in your hand Host!]
{Rewards based on Host Performance}
{Job mission will be granted right after the host completes this mission.}
{Time Left: 2 years}
{Mission Failure Punishment: System will find another host with thief's dignity!}
________________
"What?!? Another mission and who is this Kelby family? Aren't these people from that Kelby shop as well?" Ace grumbled and has a grave expression on his face.
Ace didn't imagine that he would get a mission like this and this mission didn't seem that simple as the last one. He could tell just by the time limit of 2 whole years. Even the mission to rob Billy's shop only gave him 7 days.
'Thief dignity huh, I guess you are right I'm the thief here yet they want to rob me.' Ace pondered as he laughs bitterly.
'Well first I have to escape this market from those four goons, then I can find out about this Kelby family. I have 2 years so It won't be too hard, I hope.' Ace encourages himself.
As Ace waits to restore his depleted Qi, he quickly takes out a red pill bottle from his pocket. These pill bottles were the main reason for all these events. He opens the lid of the red bottle and sniffed it just like Matthew.
The moment the pill aroma enters Ace's nostrils he heard system voice in his head, "[Lowest Grade Pill Detected: Can be converted into 10 EXP]"
A black little label emerges on top of the pill in the bottle.
"What?!!" Ace wasn't even surprised by the second mission but this really gave him a huge shock.
Ace was always worried about how he could get EXP and SP without doing a mission but he can't find a way. No matter how much he asked system it won't tell him. Now all of a sudden Ace saw this sudden notification he became speechless.
"System why didn't you tell me that I can covert pills into experience points before??! I could've converted those pills I just sell into experience points!??" Ace was pretty annoyed with this black-hearted system.
"[Those pills were trash pills they can't be converted into EXP.]" System emotionlessly answered as if it didn't care about Ace's anger.
"What do you mean by trash pills?! They were half-white grade pills for hell's sake!! And this pill is a White Grade Pill!! Are you crazy calling it the lowest grade pill??" Ace wanted to swear at the system right now but held himself back. It was his fault for not checking everything thoroughly.
Ace eats a random pill before but it didn't work on him and after simply thought that since he cultivates with Heavenly Qi he can't use these normal pills. But he never would've thought that there were white ranked pills in his loot much less he can convert them into experience points (EXP).
'Where did that Fatty get his hands on these pills?' Ace was extremely puzzled by this. Even in the inner region, these pills can bring calamity to anyone who possesses them if they don't have the background just like Ace.
Yet, a normal shop owner of the outer region has two of them it was rather shocking. Little did Ace know that Billy finds these pills buried in his house wall. Even he was shocked about this and in his excitement, he turned the whole house into rubble, but he didn't find any more pill bottles. As for how they got there even Billy didn't know. He was planning to bribe these pills to some inner region family and enter the inner region but alas it has profited Ace in the end.
'If white rank pills can convert into EXP, then didn't this means upper-grade pills too can be converted into EXP?' Ace mused and becomes quite excited. He has finally found a way to earn EXP without doing missions.
"Since these two pills can be converted into 20 EXP then just convert them! That greedy old bastard wants them so bad then let's give him 'white grade pills'." Ace sinisterly mutters and form an evil plan to teach that old clown a small lesson.
"[Conversion is complete!]
[20 EXP has been added to your status.]"
[EXP: 70/1000]
As Ace EXP increased he could feel his Heavenly Qi restoring at a fast pace. Those two red pill bottles were now empty and pills inside turn into dust, they were converted into EXP.
'Now time to teach that old fool a lesson.' Ace grins evilly.
After done with his 'surprise preparation' Ace goes back in the direction of Matthew and quickly spotted them. The four of them were still desperately searching for him like mad dogs.
Ace quickly places those two red bottles in the middle of the street carefully. Ace yells on top of his lungs, "OH MY GOD SOMEONE HAS LEFT WHITE GRADE PILLS IN THE MIDDLE OF STREET!"
After screaming he active his silent steps and ran towards the hotel direction where he was staying, he has to escape now or he won't get any more chance of escaping unnoticed.
Ace's voice rang like thunder, even from a mile away people heard him clearly.
When White grade pill sounded the entire market become deathly silent.
Old man Matthew also heard Ace's voice and his eyes landed on 2 red bottles in the middle of the street. Just Like him, Caleb and all other people present eyes also settled on two Red bottles.
Caleb loudly roars before anyone could grab those bottles, "Everyone those two White Grade Pills belong to my Kelby Family. They were stolen this morning by a little thief and we were searching for them all day. If anyone doesn't believe me you all are welcome to confirm from young master Asher those were his pills."
As expected when everyone hears Kelby Family name they stopped moving, but when they heard 'Young master Asher' they face became pale they know what kind of person this Asher was, an extremely ruthless person.
If those Pills were really his, it's not worth it to risk their lives for mere pills.