Leaving Rova to make some more tries with her newly learned skills, Ning went out front to open the shop. When he arrived outside, he saw people gathering through the window.

“That’s early,” he thought. Nobody came to the shop this early. It was not even 7 in the morning. The only reason he even opened it was because he had nothing else to do.

The shop’s door opened and Ning walked outside to see why there were so many. When he saw the person out front, a small smile appeared on his face. Before he had even opened the shop, Bass had arrived outside with nearly 2 dozen people behind him.

“Sir Bass! I didn’t think I would see you again so soon,” Ning spoke out loud enough for anyone and everyone who passed by to hear. “How can I help you?”

“You!” Bass pointed at Ning with anger in his voice. “You stole from us.”

Ning put a frown on his face. “What nonsense is this?” he asked. “I am a man of honor. I steal from no one, I hurt no one who doesn’t deserve it. How dare you make such frivolous claims.”

Chatters filled the street when they all heard Ning.

“You bastard dare talk about honor?” he shouted. “20 thousand Fire coins were stolen from my house yesterday night. I know it was you!”

Ning gave a loud, exaggerated gasp.

“How dare you, sir! Are you saying I stole from you, sir Bass?” Ning spoke loudly, his voice booming through the streets in front of his shops.

More people gathered to see what was going on and the more people gathered, the better it was for Ning.

“You must have,” the man said. “Or one of your cronies.”

“I have no cronies that you speak of,” Ning said. “I’m not the man who’s standing in front of someone else’s shop with 2 dozen men who seem ready to beat down the other person.”

Affirmative murmurs filled the street. Bass started realizing that he might have acted in haste. He shouldn’t have brought this many people. But he had, so there was nothing he could do.

“They are here to protect me,” Bass said loudly. “I will promise you, they won’t harm you.”

Ning slowly nodded. “Then, you claim I stole money from you. Do you have proof?” he asked.

Ning felt a little bad about it all. The poor man didn’t have any proof. He should have dropped something to make him think it was him who stole it. Such a shame.

But then again, he hadn’t expected the man to come confront him like this.

“Brian!” Bass said and a middle-aged man with a cut across his chin walked up front. “This is the person who gave you the money, was he not?”

“What money?” Ning asked with his eyebrows narrowed. “I got no money.”

Bass was taken aback. “But you said you got money from my man,” he said. “You told me he gave you money.”

“Nonsense,” Ning said. “Why would I ever lie.” His eyes turned toward the man. “Brian, was it? Did you give me any money?”

“No,” the man named Brian quickly shook his head.

“See? Your man says he didn’t. Why are you coming after me?” Ning asked.

Bass wanted to speak, but he didn’t know what to say. What was going on? Wasn’t he robbed yesterday?

“You perfectly explained to me that this was the man that gave you 20 thousand Fire Coins, in exchange for your Shadow Scythes,” Bass said.

Ning put on a frowning face. “Please don’t talk to me about the scythes,” he said. “Some bastard put in a bid and never came to collect the item. I think I’ve been duped, sir Bass. I will have to sell that scythe normally it seems. I might price it around 10 thousand. Half of the original bid.”

Laila had come to the front after hearing the commotion and her eyes narrowed at the sight of Bass. Follow current novels on NovlFir.nt

“I think that’s the head of the Sun’s Love shop. One of them at least,” she said in a whisper. Ning nodded. He had known it since yesterday.

“What nonsense are you speaking of?” Bass growled. “Your Scythe has already been sold. You said you got the money yesterday, and gave me the scythes in return.”

Ning tilted his head to the side as if contemplating something. “Sir Bass, is your head alright?” he asked. “Do you have a fever or something?”

“Don’t change the conversation,” Bass shouted. “You won’t get away from this.”

“I’m not trying to,” Ning said. “But you claim that I gave you my scythes, but I never did. If I did…”

A black blur flashed in front of Ning before a pair of scythes appeared on Ning’s hands.

“… then how come I have the scythe?”

Bass looked confused for a second and then looked up. “You made another one?” the man asked with a frown on his face. “What are you trying to prove with a copy?”

“A copy?” Ning chuckled. ‘Whatever do you mean? This is clearly the original one.”

Bass frowned at the words. “This is getting stupid now. I clearly have the Original one. You surely made anoth—”

His words froze as he looked into his storage artifact. He looked and then looked again. It wasn’t there. It was gone.

Just like the money in his storage back at home, it was gone. How? How was it gone?

“You!” Bass shouted. “Those are my scythes.”

“I made these, sir Bass. Please don’t be ridiculous,” Ning said.

“No, you gave them to me,” Bass shouted.

“Then why do I have it?” Ning asked.

Bass didn’t understand what was going on. Was he going mad?

“You took my money,” Bass shouted, speaking only for the sake of getting an edge.

“Your man says he didn’t pay me, Sir Bass,” Ning said. “I will speak to you no further. Just because the Sun’s love is a great establishment doesn’t mean you can come and tear down mine whenever you want. Shame on you. Please leave.”

Ning turned around and took Laila in, closing the door behind them.