Chapter Five: First Arrival at the Aquatic Star (Part One)

Seeing that Kuan Chi was sinking into dejection, the Phantom Thief could only smile and pat him on the shoulder, saying, "Kid, don't overthink it. Find a way, go back, investigate the truth, figure out what happened, and teach them a good lesson. That's all there is to it. What you've experienced is actually quite common among noble families. At least you're still alive and well. As long as you can make it back alive, this incident won't affect you much."

Kuan Chi sighed. "I may be alive, but everyone on the Junquan ship is dead. They all died because of me. If not for my involvement, they might still be living happily with their families on Kuangzhan Star. It's because of me that they died."

Kuan Chi was still too soft-hearted, especially since he had grown up as an ordinary boy in a small town. His temperament was ill-suited for the iron-blooded head of a family. This was precisely what his grandfather worried about most. It was because of this gentle nature that even his great-grandfather had deemed him unfit to lead the family. Such softness was a trait a family patriarch, especially of a noble house, could neither possess nor require.

The Phantom Thief smiled. "Enough. Stop dwelling on it. Your family took care of those men precisely so they would lay down their lives when needed. Protecting you was their duty. They fulfilled their responsibilities admirably. Do your best to compensate their families so they can rest in peace. That's reality. Kid, you're still too green."

At last, Kuan Chi managed to refocus on the matter of getting home. He quickly asked, "Old Ghost, tell me your plan."

The Phantom Thief took a sip of wine before replying, "What we need now is to form a crystal-hunting team. We'll hunt on this planet for a year or so. After that, we'll hire others. That way, no one will question the source of our crystal cores."

Kuan Chi couldn't help but gasp softly. "A year or so? Old Ghost, are you saying we have to stay here for a year or more? My god… Stay here for a year and then cross three countries? When will we ever make it back to the Caro Empire?"

The Phantom Thief gave a wry smile. "Do you think I want to drag this out? But this is the only way we can get through the current stargate. Don't forget, this is the border. Stargate security is much stricter here than at other gates. Once we're in human-controlled space, the remaining five stargates should be easier. By then, we can easily stow away on any trade ship passing through."

Kuan Chi sighed again and drained his cup. The Phantom Thief, also sighing, smiled and said, "Don't worry. As long as your family hasn't found you, they'll keep searching. As long as they haven't found the shell you were traveling in, they'll know your chances of survival are high. Surely your family is well aware of that shell's defensive capabilities."

Kuan Chi shook his head and said nothing more. Suddenly, the Phantom Thief gave him a strange grin. "Kid, are you worried that your two fiancées will run off?"

Kuan Chi shot him a glare, annoyed, but in truth that was his greatest concern. With each passing day, Kuan Chi understood more about the matters between men and women. The thought that he might return to the Caro Empire only to find Zixia married to someone else left him both flustered and agitated.

The Phantom Thief, seeing his expression, understood at once and hurried to change the subject. "Kid, would you be interested in learning the whip?"

"The whip?" Kuan Chi repeated blankly.

He couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Old Ghost, why should I learn the whip?" For a moment, Zixia slipped from his mind.

The Phantom Thief smiled. "I've been thinking about it for a long time. Your Divine Beast has that strange ability—if you train with the whip, you can maximize your beast's power. Think about it: if your whip technique allows the weapon to find your enemy's weak points on its own, and your weapon is your Divine Beast, you can channel your energy directly into it. The weapon's destructive force will increase tremendously. All things considered, training with the whip is far more advantageous than anything else."

Kuan Chi fell into deep thought. The more he considered it, the more sense it made. Just as he was about to speak, the Phantom Thief continued, smiling, "I happen to know a whip technique. If you want to learn, I can teach you slowly."

Kuan Chi hesitated, then glanced at his own physique and sighed. "Old Ghost, do you really think my build is suited to the whip?"

The Phantom Thief burst out laughing. "Actually, I think it's perfect. This whip technique is mostly about handwork; footwork is minimal. You don't need to leap or run about. It's all about your hands and internal energy. Plus, with your Divine Beast, you can control the whip mentally. As long as you channel your energy into it, the whip can attack automatically, even if you do nothing."

Just as Kuan Chi was still wavering, a slender green vine, as thick as his wrist, suddenly sprouted from the palm of his right hand. In the blink of an eye, it grew six or seven meters long, covered with odd, sharp spikes.

The Phantom Thief, regaining his composure, stared at the vine whip and let out a series of startled yelps. It seemed Kuan Chi's Divine Beast had already made the decision for him.

Kuan Chi could only nod. "All right, Old Ghost. Whatever other martial skills you have that suit me, just teach me as well."

At these words, the Phantom Thief's expression grew serious, and his gaze toward Kuan Chi became rather peculiar. After a while, he said, "Kid, these martial arts are never to be taught to outsiders. I only chose one or two suitable techniques for you because I feel a connection with you. Still, I hope you'll never spread what I teach you."

Kuan Chi grinned sheepishly. "Don't worry, Old Ghost. I promise not to pass on your techniques to anyone else."

The Phantom Thief nodded, somewhat embarrassed. "Come on, kid, let's go to the training room. I'll teach you the Ghost Shadow Divine Whip."

Another month passed in a blink. It took Kuan Chi a full month before he managed to memorize even the basics of the Ghost Shadow Divine Whip. The technique was astoundingly complex. Though it relied mainly on handwork and internal energy, the variations in moves and energy were in the thousands. After a month, Kuan Chi had only managed, according to the Phantom Thief's requirements, to memorize these methods roughly. Fortunately, his mind was nimbler than his body—otherwise, who knew how many years it would take to remember these thousands of intricate whip techniques.

Yet through practicing this whip art, in addition to the Heaven-Scarring Fist, Kuan Chi became more and more aware of how unusual the Phantom Thief was. What ordinary thief would possess such profound martial skills? Still, the Phantom Thief stubbornly refused to reveal his name or background.