Chapter 7: Free Loot Really Did Feel Amazing

Words : 2197 Updated : Mar 19th, 2026

Benson Santee left the Santee family behind and walked alone through the streets of Moon City. The road ahead bustled with life, bright and loud, yet something in his chest stayed knotted, impossible to name. What he had done that day brought a rush of vindication, sharp and satisfying. It also planted trouble for the future. He knew Calvin Santee would not let him off. But it hardly mattered. A few days earlier, Luca Santee had already wanted him dead. Whether Benson showed up today or not, he had torn his relationship with the Santee family to shreds. Near dusk… Benson stopped before a towering building that looked like a palace built for merchants. Vermilion stone pillars rose in solemn rows. Jade-colored tiles gleamed under the fading light. At first glance, the place radiated money and power. "Feros Tower." On the plaque above the entrance, three characters shone in dazzling gold. Behind Feros Tower stood the Goldpine Chamber of Commerce. And behind the Goldpine Chamber of Commerce stood one of Moon City's five great clans: the Gosden family. The Gosden family's business ran deep. Feros Tower was one of the Chamber's major trading venues. From gold and jewels to weapons and pills, anything with value could be bought, sold, or exchanged inside. Benson stepped through the doors. A middle-aged man in his thirties came to receive him. His eyes narrowed into slits, and his smile carried the sly sharpness of a fox. "Are you here to buy something, sir?" he asked warmly. Benson studied him. "I'm here to sell." "Oh?" The man looked him over, clearly doubtful that someone dressed like Benson could produce anything worth the counter space. "And what are you selling?" "This." Benson casually took out a scroll and handed it over. The man accepted it just as casually, but the moment he flipped open the first page, his expression changed violently. He snapped the scroll shut at once. "Y-you… you want to sell this?" Benson met his gaze without a ripple. "Do you buy it or not?" The man darted a wary look around and lowered his voice. "Let's talk somewhere else." Benson nodded. Soon, the two of them entered a private room with no one else inside. The man stared hard at Benson. "This Swiftshadow Technique is a top-grade martial art from the Tenji Sword Sect. You dare bring it here to trade? Are you tired of living?" What Benson meant to sell was exactly what he had taken from the Santee family earlier that day: the Swiftshadow Technique. Of course, before coming, he had copied it. Martial techniques were sect secrets. The Swiftshadow Technique had reached top-grade. Even within the Tenji Sword Sect, only inner disciples were qualified to cultivate it. Teaching it to Luca Santee had been one of the sect's rare exceptions. But leaking a sect technique without permission was a serious crime. Benson remained calm. He glanced sideways at the man. "Name your price." "You…" The man blinked, caught off guard. "I haven't even said I want it!" "If you didn't want it," Benson replied evenly, "you would've turned me down at the door. Why bring me in here?" The man let out an awkward chuckle, then sobered. "With the Swiftshadow Technique in your hands… you must be Benson Santee, the one who caused that scene at the Santee family today." "What price are you offering?" Benson shot back. The man rubbed his nose. It was obvious Benson had no interest in small talk. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "The Goldpine Chamber of Commerce can't afford to offend the Tenji Sword Sect. We don't dare take this sword technique through our official channels… so it can only be sold through the black market." Benson had heard of the black market. Deals there were direct, with no records kept and no sources traceable. Buyers and sellers hid their identities, and goods often changed hands multiple times. The commission, naturally, ran high. The Goldpine Chamber of Commerce had been around for years. It would have the contacts and experience for this. The man watched Benson's handsome face with caution and lowered his voice further. "If you trade it this way, no record will be left behind." "I don't like wasting time," Benson said, his patience thinning. "If you won't quote a price, I'll take it elsewhere." The man wanted the item, but feared the risk. Wavering like this only burned Benson's time. "Ten Spirit Pills," the man blurted, "and one Foundation Establishment Pill." "Deal," Benson said. The man nodded. Under normal circumstances, a top-grade martial art was worth far more than that. But the Chamber would be taking a heavy risk. Angering the Tenji Sword Sect was not a game anyone survived lightly. Given that, the price was barely reasonable. Benson did not particularly care. He had already copied the technique. In a sense, he had gotten ten Spirit Pills and a Foundation Establishment Pill for free. And he could keep copying the replica and selling it to other chambers. Free loot really did feel amazing. Before long, the man handed over ten Spirit Pills and one Foundation Establishment Pill. Benson accepted them cleanly. Neither side left a written note. No receipt. No record. The trade vanished the moment it ended. "Can you arrange a room for me?" Benson asked after returning to the main hall. "I want to rest." "Of course," the man said readily. He instructed a young maid to lead Benson to a guest room. Outside the door, the maid smiled politely. "Do you need anything else, sir?" "Find me a bath barrel," Benson said. "Fill it with hot water." "You'd like a soak? I'll take care of it right away." "Thanks." "You're too kind. Manager Avery Yeates told us to treat you well. This is nothing." With that, the maid hurried off. Not long after, a spacious room was prepared with a round wooden tub, filled to about two-thirds with hot water. The maid also laid out a fresh set of clothes for him. The service was flawless. Once she left, Benson closed the door. He walked to the tub and took out a small bottle. Inside was Marrow Cleansing Elixir, one of the five items he had obtained that day. This elixir, along with the Swiftshadow Technique, had been personally rewarded to Luca Santee by the sect's young master. Its quality was beyond doubt. Benson pulled the stopper and poured the elixir into the tub. Drip. Drip. Only about three drops fell into the water. In less than five breaths, the clear hot water turned a faint, luminous gold. Even the steam curling off the surface carried the aura of Mystic Gold. Without hesitation, Benson stripped off his upper garment and stepped into the tub. The water was hot, yet it held a cool current within it. Benson closed his eyes as waves of subtle spiritual power seeped into his skin, slipping through every pore. Marrow Cleansing Elixir could reshape a person's constitution and accelerate cultivation. It carried the almost absurd effect of turning mediocrity into talent. Impurities in Benson's body were washed away. The spiritual energy flowing through his meridians became smooth and eager, as if it had been freed from shackles. The exhaustion clinging to him scattered in an instant. "So good…" he murmured. Then Benson picked up a Spirit Pill from the nearby table and swallowed it. A rich surge of energy spread through his body. As he absorbed the pill's power, he circulated the Apex Technique. At once, spiritual energy dispersed throughout his limbs and bones, tempering every inch of flesh and sinew. Benson had always absorbed pills quickly. With the Marrow Cleansing Elixir bathing him at the same time, his cultivation speed rose again. In less than an hour, he had drained the Spirit Pill completely. His realm showed no change. He still sat at the sixth level of the Body Refinement Realm. But that was only the surface. The pill's power had sunk into his entire body, settling into every corner. "My realm didn't move… but my body strengthened again." Benson exhaled softly. "The Apex Technique really is something." He could feel his strength climbing. He took another Spirit Pill and swallowed it. The Marrow Cleansing Elixir and the pill's energy nourished his body together. Soon, the second Spirit Pill was fully absorbed. Without pausing, Benson reached for the third. Time passed, second by second. A faint golden mist gathered around him. The elixir's power coursed over his body like coiling dragons. Under the dual reinforcement, Benson's strength rose steadily, quietly, without the slightest sign of stopping…

Chapter 7: Free Loot Really Did Feel Amazing

Comments (0)