Ruben was so shocked and resentful, he wanted to cry right now. How could his causal word draw Rylan's attention?. He was so afraid that he thought he had done something wrong and quickly answer, "Fa...family Head sister Gracie was with her servant when she came and now, he is missing!"
Ruben was anxious that no one would believe him, so he quickly grabs the big bag that was laying on the ground. However, the bag was open, and the movement Ruben picked it up colorful money bags start to drop like rain on the ground.
Everyone saw this scene and they were shocked silly by this sudden development. All the participants saw those money bags and they cried in alarm one after another,
"That is my money bag!"
"That one with flower pattern is mine!"
"That black and white was mine I can even tell what's inside it!"
Everyone began to yell, Ruben was bewildered by this and he also spotted his money bag in the pile. He immediately took it from the pile and opened it and saw inside were his things.
"Sister Gracie YOU!?" Ruben looked at Gracie in shock.
Rylan was so happy seeing this he couldn't describe it in words. He runs towards Gracie at full speed. Caden quickly followed behind Rylan because he knew Gracie has done something she shouldn't have and if Rylan didn't find what he was looking for then he would definitely punish her. He was afraid Rylan would harm her in his anger so he was ready to become her shield and accept punishment on her behalf.
Gracie was shivering in her spot in fear and anxiety. Now, she had to tell Rylan everything truthfully if she wanted to live.
Rylan didn't question Gracie at all and quickly snatched the bag from Ruben and stats to search like a maniac for his ring. After searching every inch of the bag, he still could find the ring.
Now he finally looked at Gracie coldly and all of sudden a mountain-like pressure begin to press down on her. She fell on her knees and can't even breathe because of that horrible pressure.
"Brother at least gives her a chance to explain!" Caden calls in panic seeing Rylan's using full pressure of his cultivation on his daughter.
Rylan take a deep breath and said to Gracie in a threatening voice, "Tell me everything if you hide even a little, I will forget you are my niece!!!"
"Gracie tells your uncle the truth, he would never harm you." Caden was comforting her or himself.
"I-I...I, he was from wasteland and one month ago head butler…." She starts to tell how she meets Ace and how he slowed her his special skill. She even confesses that she was the one who wanted him to steal from all the participants.
"I was blinded by greed! Please forgive me, Uncle, Father!" Gracie pleads for mercy. She somewhat knew that bastard has screwed her over by leaving that bag behind.
When Rylan, Caden, and everyone heard her story they were astonished by this boy. Just when did someone like this appear in the wasteland and have this kind of skill?
"Unfilial Daughter!" Caden's howl, he was trembling with anger. Now he finally understands why she didn't tell him when he asked her about that boy. He was also regretting, he didn't investigate enough and let that boy stay by his daughter's side. Furthermore, he was angrier at Gracie's thievery plan,
If she would succeed and only robbed the participants that would not be any problem for him to solve. But that boy somehow stole something from Rylan and that thing was very important!
The most frustrating thing was that boy was now gone!
Learning from Gracie's about Ace's special skill, Rylan instantly knows that boy is the one who stole his space ring. But he was extremely perplexed and astonished by the fact, 'How did he know that was a space ring and how the hell he steal it under my nose!!?'
Rylan didn't have time to waste so he coldly stated, "5 years in the dungeon and 50 whip strikes every month for five years. What do you think brother, Caden?"
Rylan coolly looked towards Caden after announcing Gracie's punishment. Gracie was still his niece so he can't kill her. But he can't forgive her blunder.
"I have no objection." Caden didn't want this, but she has become too willful and she even plans thievery. By doing so she hides important information about an outsider from family and now all this has resulted.
'Maybe I'm not a good father and now she turns out like this.' Caden sighs sadly.
Gracie hear her uncle's punishment and quiver in fear, she could live in the dungeon but those whip strikes were not a laughing matter. Because receiving whips from someone one gate above her and for 5 years every month at that she would die from pain! She immediately looked hopefully with tearing eyes towards her Father for rescue. Yet he completely agrees with her uncle!
"It was all that son of bitch fault!!" Gracie's shrill scream resounded in the entire venue and she fainted with anger and resentment.
People around couldn't help but pity Gracie, it was clear that the boy plan all of this and used Gracie's greed to trap her. But alas now she has to spend her 5 years in the dungeon.
"Only 15 minutes has passed search all the area of family territory, if you still can't find him search the entire City. I don't care who that boy was and where he came from, search for anything related to him. Also, those who were in charge of servant building and those elders who were supposed to watch the wastelandians will be punished without mercy." Rylan announced sharply and quickly begins to search, he has to find that ring no matter the cost!
________________________________
Fifteen minutes earlier.
Ace was watching Rylan's like a hawk while using his soul sense at maximum potential. He has been using his soul qi and mentally tired but in the face of a storage space treasure, he didn't care.
The moment Felix's cultivation gate begins to forms, Rylan's soul wave flickers slightly.
Right at this moment, a soul thread shot towards Rylan's finger! Ace was very careful not to alert Rylan. Since Ace's soul core was still colorless a Qi Formation Cultivators can sense soul threads if they concentrate using their Qi and Rylan's was not far away from that step either.
The soul thread was successfully wrapped around the ring on Rylan's finger. Ace takes a deep breath and waits for the perfect moment. But suddenly remembered something and he sends another soul thread towards Felix.
When Felix's result was clear for everyone to see Ace noticed, Rylan has finally let his guard down! He quickly active the Pick-Pocket and the next moment Felix's money bag was inside that long bag and Rylan Ring was on his finger.
Ace becomes excited 'I get The Ring. Heh!'. He didn't even hear a system voice in excitement. 'Now is not the time to celebrate I have to escape first.'
He quickly looked around and everyone has the same kind of expression as Rylan. He took advantage of the commotion and it was already late evening.
Ace uses stealth and disappeared into the crowd but he left the full bag of these stolen goods behind for Gracie. Because he wanted everyone to knows that all this was Gracie's plan.
He has seen all those innocent wasteland boys who were always begging for their life but Gracie always killed them in ruthless ways. He didn't want her to escape by saying she didn't know anything and that's why he left that bag there as evidence.
'She can't find her way out of it now, once Felix or Ruben notice.' He thought while escaping.
In five minutes, he was already in front of the main gate of the Grant family and there was still no one chasing after him. Since it was a family meeting today the security was tight but for Ace it was nothing. No one notices him leaving.
Ace was using silent steps and was heading towards the Kelby family.
Now considering he has alerted the Grant family already. He has to find Eva and complete the system's mission.
Eva has told him before that she is staying in her little cottage inside the Kelby family territory.
Since Asher has gone with his uncle to 'Find Ace'. There he didn't need Eva because her skill was not enough in 1-Star City so he ordered her to keep searching for clues on 'Black Ghost'.
Grant and Kelby's family territories were close to each other. At full speed, Ace has already reached the Kelby family Gate in five minutes and he enters like a shadow.
Kelby's family security was not as tight as Grant's family. It was also at this time, Rylan has started searching the Guests' belongings.
Ace remembered where Eva has told him to find her in the Kelby family after their plan was set in motion.
Ace saw special marks that Eva has left behind on trees, only he can notice these marks because they were specifically for Ace. He followed those marks and saw a little cottage in an open field. It was very simple but much better than his old hut.
He didn't even need to go inside because a graceful figure emerges behind him. Ace already noticed and smile while turning around.
She was obviously Eva.
"Eva let's commences our plan we didn't have much time." Ace said with a smile
Eva's fox-like beautiful eyes shine when she heard Ace.