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Fortunately, Mengdie's guess was not wrong. Among the black markets led by Xiu, they finally found a shop that indeed had some of the jewels stolen from the treasury on the night of the heist. Seeing these sparkling jewels, Mengdie's eyes really lit up! And seeing her excited expression, Edward, who had been struggling to join the conversation between Xiu and Mengdie since last night, swallowed hard and stepped forward.

"Do you... like them? These earrings... would look great on you."

Truthfully, for most women, these jewels would be quite attractive. However, it was clear that Edward had misunderstood the reason for Mengdie's joy. So, it was no surprise when she rolled her eyes at him.

In matters of combat, Edward was indeed skilled. But this wasn't about fighting, it was about searching, and his mind wasn't quite suitable for that. Mengdie ignored Edward and continued to look at the numerous pieces of jewelry the shopkeeper brought out. Not seeing her red ruby necklace among them, she went behind Xiu, who was happily chatting with the shopkeeper like an old acquaintance, and tugged at him lightly.

"Xiu, I didn't find what I was looking for. Ask the owner if there's anything else."

Xiu nodded, tapped his staff lightly on the ground, and smiled at the shopkeeper, inquiring if there were more jewels that came with this batch.

"Hmm... more jewels..."

The shopkeeper glanced at Mengdie, who was covered by her cloak and had her face hidden. Such attire wasn't unusual in these shady black market dealings. After a brief look at Mengdie, the shopkeeper shrugged and chuckled, "Xiu, what exactly does your friend want? Everything here is a treasure. They just arrived two days ago, each piece is invaluable."

Edward completely agreed with the "invaluable" description. Seeing these rare jewels from his own country now lying in this black market and up for sale, the pain in his heart was indescribable. The thought of recovering all these jewels was an unimaginably distant prospect.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Mengdie shook her head and gently patted Xiu's back, urging him again. Xiu nodded slightly and asked again, "These items... are good, but not what I'm looking for. Are there any others? Something more... 'special'?"

Hearing this, the shopkeeper's relaxed expression vanished. He started scanning the unfamiliar faces of Mengdie, Edward, and Nia, especially Mengdie, whose face was hidden, attracting more of his attention. After pondering for a moment, he gestured for Xiu to come closer and whispered something in his ear.

Suddenly, the smile on Xiu's face also disappeared! He turned away with a steely look and gestured to Mengdie and the others before stepping aside.

"What did he say?" Mengdie asked, clutching her cloak.

Xiu pondered for a moment, his gaze shifting from Mengdie's face to Edward. Finally, he slowly said, "'The King's Cup,' there's news about it."

"Ah—!!!"

Edward, upon hearing this news, instantly changed his expression! He quickly stepped forward, anxiously saying, "The King's Cup? Xiu, are you sure, is it really the King's Cup?!"

Xiu nodded and said, "Undoubtedly. One of the people who came to sell the jewels is an old acquaintance of the shopkeeper, and he had the mark of the black snake on his shoulder, probably a member of the Black Flame Snake gang. In a casual conversation with the shopkeeper, he mentioned the cup. The shopkeeper once attended your father's coronation ceremony, so he has a vivid memory of that luxurious and elegant cup. From the description, it's almost certainly the one."

Edward became even more agitated. He grabbed Xiu's shoulders, desperately asking, "Then... did the shopkeeper buy it? Did he buy it?! That cup! It's one of the symbols of kingship in my country!!!"

Xiu let Edward shake him until he finished speaking, then gently shook his head and sighed regretfully, "I'm sorry, no. The 'King's Cup' isn't just any jewel. Even if a country wanted to hide it, they would have to consider their strength compared to the Kingdom of Silver Moon. Even if someone in the black market recognized its value, few would dare to buy it. However, the shopkeeper heard from his friend that their next stop seems to be the capital of the empire – Lowell City. I suspect the King's Cup might be taken to Lowell City."

"Lowell City?!"

Edward exclaimed in shock. Even with his slow mind, he seemed to finally grasp the seriousness of the situation.

"Hmm..." Mengdie's delicate eyebrows furrowed as she pondered and speculated, "Suppose, just suppose, if there's some communication or transaction between the Black Flame Snake and the Lowell Empire. Then what impact would it have if the Black Flame Snake handed over the King's Cup, a symbol of the Silver Moon Kingdom's royal power, to the Lowell Empire?"

Xiu stroked his chin, smiling slightly, and said, "Isn't that obvious? Just by showing that cup when both armies face off, the morale of the Silver Moon army would collapse. And if they insulted the cup in front of these soldiers... haha, the consequences would be unimaginable."

The more Edward listened, the more frightened he became, his complexion turning pale. His heavy, anxious breathing filled his chest, and his hand involuntarily tightened on the hilt of his sword, veins bulging on the back of his hand.

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