I’m Looking for a Red Tentacle Thief. Do You Know Him?

"What a humorous and witty young man. Although I don't understand what this 'Q Coin' you speak of is, I'm somewhat interested in trading for it. Do you top up Q Coins?"

The Gentleman Penguin's question-mark face shifted as it tapped the ground lightly with its cane.

Duang!

A gift box, wrapped in colorful ribbons, appeared on the previously empty ground.

Wu Wang's expression finally changed.

If he mentally removed the multicolored ribbons, the box before him looked strangely familiar. On top of it sat a large question mark.

Patap—

The Gentleman Penguin hopped onto the Question Mark Box. It flicked its top hat with its cane.

"Allow me to introduce myself," it said elegantly. "I am Teng Xun Adolf, the sole designated president of the Myriad Treasures Chamber of Commerce and the Myriad Treasures Auctioneer who travels between the realms."

Teng Xun…

And you said you weren't here to get me to top up Q Coins!

Before Wu Wang could even start roasting the "Adolf" part of the name, the Gentleman Penguin's next words quieted him.

"I am currently pursuing a Red Tentacle Thief across the Myriad Realms."

"He took advantage of my inattention to steal two items, and he even made my precious box depressed. Young man, if you have any relevant clues, you can also trade with me. The reward is very generous, you know."

Wu Wang was left speechless.

What do you mean, thief!

That was a lottery spot the system rewarded me with!

The way I drew the prize was just a little strange, that's all. A scholar's business can't be called stealing!

Although he was protesting inwardly, his eyes unconsciously drifted toward the sky as he whistled a meaningless tune.

"Haha, the sky is so blue today."

The Gentleman Penguin was a little confused.

It tilted its head and looked up.

The sky was filled with dark clouds.

But it didn't dwell on it, merely shrugging.

"Of course, that's a side topic. Let's talk about the current deal first."

With that, the Gentleman Penguin pointed its cane at Wu Xiaoyou, then at the stone in Wu Wang's hand.

Squinting its already small eyes, it said in a deep, magnetic voice, "I will help you seal this parasite. In exchange, this stone will be mine. I'm somewhat curious about how it was formed."

Oh, so it was after the Abyss God again, Wu Wang realized.

Although the 【Memory-Washing Stone】's formation came from the extreme Resentment Qi of the Yin Fate Saintesses, they were ultimately awakened by the Abyss God's aura. Therefore, this stone was definitely not just a simple condensation of Resentment Qi.

"I have one condition."

Wu Wang pointed at Wu Xiaoyou.

"You cannot harm the original owner of this body. If you can do that, I'll agree."

The Gentleman Penguin smiled faintly. A yellow exclamation mark appeared above its top hat, and the Question Mark Box under its feet trembled as if it had heard the greatest joke in the world.

"My reputation resounds throughout the Myriad Realms. You can rest assured. That little girl will be fine."

"Reputation?" Wu Wang asked, feigning confusion. "You mean your… demolition?"

The Gentleman Penguin tilted its head.

"?"

BOOM—

The words had barely left its mouth when thunder rumbled and lightning flashed across the sky.

A fierce bolt struck the Gentleman Penguin where it stood. The power of the blast cracked the ground and sent countless stone fragments flying, kicking up a cloud of dust that shot into the heavens.

The Yin Fate Great God nodded slightly.

Although It had no pupils, one could clearly feel the disdain and anger in Its gaze.

It was being looked down on by a penguin!

The creature had even called It a "parasite"!

The Yin Fate Great God, occupying Wu Xiaoyou's body, understood what a parasite was through her memories. The insult filled It with rage.

"This is transaction time. Could you please be a little more polite?" came the Gentleman Penguin's voice.

The next second, a fierce wind blew, sweeping the dust clean.

The penguin stood in the same spot, leaning on its cane. Not even a speck of dust stained its black suit. Its posture was inexplicably gentlemanly and elegant.

Wu Wang didn't know how he managed to see ‘elegance' in a penguin's posture.

"This is not the Yin Domain Myriad Ghosts Realm. A parasite like you has no business being here. But since you've arrived, don't even think about leaving."

The Gentleman Penguin's voice turned icy.

Swish—

The 【Memory-Washing Stone】 that Wu Wang had hidden in his shadow suddenly appeared in the Gentleman Penguin's hand.

It tapped the stone lightly with its cane.

Bang—

The entire stone instantly shattered into a sky full of black dust. Faint wails of Resentment Qi echoed from within. Occasional flashes of red light twinkled like distant stars, rendering the Ancestral Hall as dreamlike as the depths of the cosmos.

But it only lasted for a second.

The next moment, all the dust enveloped Wu Xiaoyou, instantly cocooning her head.

"Mmm... An interesting stone."

The Gentleman Penguin nodded slightly in approval.

The Yin Fate Great God felt an emotion It had never experienced before. According to Wu Xiaoyou's memories, this emotion was called...

Fear!

It discovered Its schemes in various places were collapsing one by one. All Its memories of those places were disappearing. Even Its core, fundamental strength was continuously weakening, as if It were being stripped away by some unknown power!

A hint of surprise also appeared in Wu Wang's eyes.

When the 【Memory-Washing Stone】 shattered, its information had flashed on his panel. It was now a 【Memory-Washing Stone Kai (Legendary)】, a consumable item that could selectively wash away all sources of power from an instance target.

Holy cow, this penguin knocked an Epic Item into a Legendary one with a single tap of its cane?

"No... No! What did you do!"

The Yin Fate Great God began to roar in impotent rage.

Its pathetic appearance reminded Wu Wang of the Old Village Chief, whose head he had blown off with the AK not long ago.

The two of them were so similar.

It didn't know It was wrong.

It just knew It was done for.

"A parasite should be buried deep underground. That's what befits your status."

The Gentleman Penguin swung its cane lightly, with the carefree air of a dancer.

With that said, a dust-covered pig's head on the offering table floated up.

A bizarre, grayish-white gas appeared out of thin air behind Wu Xiaoyou's head. Within it, one could faintly hear the unwilling roars of the Yin Fate Great God.

Swish—

The gas was forced into the pig's head, dyeing it grayish-white in an instant.

At the same time, the pig's head floated over the open space. A floor tile scuttled aside on its own, revealing a deep pit underneath that had appeared out of nowhere, as if waiting for an offering.

Clang—

The pig's head fell into the deep pit, and the floor tile slid back into place.

Just as the Gentleman Penguin had said, the Yin Fate Great God was sealed deep underground. Who knew how long it would be before It saw the light of day again? By then, how much of Its so-called great power would remain?

"Young man, how about it?"

The Gentleman Penguin smiled and waved its cane toward Wu Xiaoyou's limp body. She floated up and came to a stop before Wu Wang, the dust on her body swept clean in the process.

"Is she really okay? No problems at all?" Wu Wang was still uncertain.

The Gentleman Penguin raised an eyebrow.

"Rest assured, not a single hair on her head was harmed. It's just that removing the parasite affected her soul a little."

"After the little girl wakes up from her one-shichen slumber, all her memories of this place will disappear. Other than that, she is completely unharmed."

"!"

Wu Wang's expression became unnatural.

Could this be the reason why my Second Sister in reality never mentioned Yin Fate Village to me?

Her memories were erased at this moment!

Could this place really be five years ago?

"I was just passing through this place while pursuing the Red Tentacle Thief. I came in out of curiosity. Now that the transaction is complete, please forgive me for taking my leave. Farewell."

The Gentleman Penguin bowed slightly.

But Wu Wang spoke up to stop it.

"Wait!"

His shadow fumbled over the Old Village Chief's body for a moment, then held up a white ring.

"Since you're interested in the Memory-Washing Stone, how about we make another deal? Would you be interested in this?"

This thing stored a small amount of the Abyss God's aura!

If the penguin was really just after the Abyss God, the trade value of this item would definitely be enough!

The Gentleman Penguin glanced at it. It tapped the ground lightly with its cane, shaking its head.

"What a pity," it said with some regret. "I'm not interested in this ring. If you really need to trade, at most it can only be exchanged for some small trinket."

Hearing this, Wu Wang smiled.

He was looking right at the top of the penguin's head. Clearly floating there was a simple line of text.

【He craves this trade!!】

Heh. So it's a Black-hearted Penguin.

Trying to get a bargain at my expense?

Well, sorry, but you're going to take a fall today, one way or another! When it comes to ripping people off, I'm the professional.