Hua Mi and Xue Qi wove through the crowd, heading toward the opposite side of the venue.
Earlier, within his perception linked to “Silent Night, ” Yang Zicang had sensed the destination Hadrell went to next—a stall that also had its own small exhibition table.
So he briefly explained the plan to the two women, while he and Monkey Tao—beit he truly saw him as a means to spur on the radiant Glory Light, or harboured other intentions—continued their rounds through the venue.
Separated from the “President’s ” protection and venturing deep into such a gathering for the first time, the two women keenly felt the raw pulse of the underground marketplace washing over them.
The lights here were dim; hushed voices murmured all around.
“Let’s split up. I’ll see where Hadrell goes next, ” Xue Qi said.
During their time in Blackenberg, she and He Yishu had already learned about the limitation of Yang Zicang’s snap-level ability: if confronted by someone with high perceptive power, they might instantly trace his location as a form of countermeasure.
…….
Yang Zicang, with a naturally fierce expression, stopped casually in front of a weapons stall. He brushed his finger over a blade’s surface, and the stall owner immediately started a zealous introduction.
“Sir, although this weapon of mine isn’t a special one for the Folk of the Mist, it does contain elemental force, making it quite helpful for certain specialized combat scenarios. Would you like to buy a few? “
Seeing that he had finally attracted what appeared to be a customer from the Folk of the Mist, the stall owner hawked his wares with every ounce of zeal.
Monkey Tao’s gaze involuntarily drifted toward the two women walking away in the distance.
Yang Zicang turned his head to look into Monkey Tao’s eyes. Meeting his gaze, Monkey Tao let out a light chuckle and averted his eyes.
“Brother, are you afraid my two friends might find something? ” Yang Zicang asked while holding the blade, his finger tapping lightly on what seemed to be an imperfection on its surface.
A “ding ” rang out, followed by the subtlest clear hum.
“Uh… ” Monkey Tao pursed his lips. He was reluctant to let go of this hard-won identity of his, and was also afraid of losing the radiance he was nurturing. So he kept a constant eye on Haider’s direction, worried that his work might not meet expectations and cause trouble for that sir.
Yang Zicang leaned in slightly, turned his body sideways, and whispered: “Mr. Hadler, why would you show such intention to someone who is here for the first time? Do you know why? “
“This… ” Monkey Tao turned his face to the side.
“You should know, we’re at the end of the current era. And I’m not asking you about anything else earth-shattering, am I? “
Monkey Tao bit his teeth in difficulty. If the person in front of him were merely a guest invited by Second Master, that would be one thing, but he could pull off such a masterstroke without even using a model.
Monkey Tao had already judged this man to be a grandmaster-level figure in his heart; for instance, the calm and indifferent burn scar on his face was not something an ordinary person could endure.
……
Hadler exchanged a few words with the person at the stall.
He then did not leave, but instead looked around and quickly walked to an even more secluded corner of the hall. There was an inconspicuous little door, bearing a sign that read “Warehouse—No Entry. “
Hadler walked over and tapped on the door lightly but with a rhythm. The door was opened, leaving only a crack. Xue Qi, who was pretending to browse in the crowd, saw a pale-skinned, slightly curly-haired, white-skinned man behind the door, who looked like he wasn’t a local.
The door closed. The whole process was quick and clearly tinged with a furtive air.
Seeing Hadler turn around after the warehouse door had clicked shut, Xue Qi quickly bowed her head.
At the neighboring stall, Hua Mi was pretending to examine the ores when a man with extravagant clothes but androgynous features suddenly approached. “Ladies, I heard that your friend just used no instrument to pull an ore. Why are you both going through such trouble here to pick one? “
“Ah, I… ” Hua Mi, inexperienced in such situations, was momentarily at a loss for words.
Xue Qi quickly turned to size up the man and flashed a smile. “We consider ourselves his students, currently learning how to use that power. So we need to come here more often to develop our awareness. “
The man’s face instantly tightened. “Are you serious? That ability can be learned? “
“Of course. ” Catching the heat in the man’s eyes, Xue Qi chuckled lightly. “But there’s a catch—you need at least a lifespan of one hundred years or more to do it. “
She said this while pointing at her own ear.
Disappointment flooded the man’s face.
-｛Distributor February. Di’an gave me a “thumbs down. “｝
-｛Distributor February. Di’an indicated that I extinguished a new node of a glorious prelude.｝
Xue Qi, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t want any further trouble; now that she had confirmed Hardel’s two moves, she linked her arm through Hua Mi’s, ready to leave.
But the effeminate man didn’t leave. Instead, he took two steps forward with a grin. “Ladies, since you’re interested in these glowing stones, I have genuine treasures from the deep sea. Would you care to take a look? “
Hua Mi’s heart tightened, but she fought to keep her expression steady.
Just then, a figure suddenly inserted itself between the two women and the man. The effeminate man looked up and saw a deeply scarred individual in a black hat and long coat standing before him. Behind him stood Monkey Tao—whose gaze flickered ever so slightly at the sight of the scarred man.
“You’re The Guest in Room Two’s invite?“
“That’s right. And you must be Sir Sairus, one of the overseers here, correct?“
Catching Monkey Tao’s stare, Sairus realized that this Fogfolk rat scraping by in his territory had already been bought off by another from the same ilk.
Just as expected—Fogfolk were utterly untrustworthy.
Sairus’s eyes swept over the two women and the presence-drenched man before him. He had a vague suspicion about who the latter might be.
But if it really wasthat “hero, ” would he really be standing so soon before his target? And with two clearly green-as-grass ladies in tow, betraying no intent to observe in stealth?
“Tell me, sir, what is the purpose of your visit tonight? And why insist on a crystal sample of ‘Residual Cinder Ore’?“
-｛Distributor April·Cyprus is currently monitoring my lived experience with keen interest.｝
-｛Distributor February·Di’an has flagged a new node marking the gestation of my imminent flourish during this Prelude to Brilliance.｝
……
Outside the venue, He Yishu and Leonardo—dressed in twin garments of muted darkness—skulked along the docks’ edges as best they could, merged with the shadows while keeping their patrol steady beneath the night breeze.
“Do you think the hero will find what he’s looking for? ” Leonardo asked He Yishu, having circled the area to confirm no one was around, now pissing in front of a tree.
“What do you mean? “
“Huh, didn’t you read his note? “
He Yishu was silent for a moment before saying, “You’ve already seen it? “
“No, I guessed. “
After he finished, He Yishu thought of the note Chairman Yang had given him before going for a bath yesterday. If now was the time, it should be the moment “Yang Buchen ” had mentioned to him.
He Yishu pulled out the note from his chest and said, “Don’t leak the info on this. If you can manage that, there might still be a chance for us to cooperate down the line. You get it, right? “
With that, he handed the note to Leonardo.
The man took it, glanced over it, and said, “Ember ore crystals, hmm… and Black Sheep. Wait, what’s Black Sheep? Are they trafficking beasts and poultry in there too? “
“Of course not. “
As soon as he finished speaking, He Yishu made a shushing gesture. “Someone’s coming. “
The two quickly moved near an abandoned small cargo hold and hid behind it.
Two men approached from outside, talking as they walked: “I never thought those three eggs of old Choker’s would actually contain Blood Beasts that might still hatch. “
“Too bad they’re not from the first Blood Core. But even if they were, there’s no way we’d be trading them here. “
The two men gradually faded into the distance.
“Didn’t you say there were no beast or poultry trades? ” Leonardo asked.
He Yishu’s mouth twitched.
“An egg probably doesn’t count, doesn’t it? But who would have thought this trade fair actually sells Blood Beast eggs. ” This was far more “high-end ” than he had previously imagined.
“You’ve been here this long—have you heard of these two items before? “
“I’ve only heard of something called a ‘Goatherd.’ As for ‘Black Sheep,’ this is my first time hearing about it. ” Leonardo squinted, struggling to make out the handwriting on the note. “As for this ore, I know it’s connected to a massive man-made volcano. “
“A man-made volcano? “
“Yeah, that’s right. ” Leonardo nodded. “It’s been around for a long time, and it seems to be linked to some doomsday-proselytizing organization called the ‘Hellfire Sect.’ Well… I suppose it can’t really be called ‘doomsday-proselytizing’ anymore. Anyway, a lot of people in this world with any sort of power or ability have heard at least some rumors about it. “
“Volcano… Embers. ” He Yishu sank into thought. As far as he could recall, back during his time in Black Windsok, he had encountered nobles fleeing across the continent, cashing in on this sect’s identity.
……
In the trading hall, Yang Zicang’s appearance had already caught the attention of the person in charge there.
As for the so-called “collector’s assistant ” identity—after mulling it over the past two days—Yang Zicang deemed such a possibility extremely slim. Perhaps he was a spy from some other country instead.
With a smile still clinging to his face, Sailu led the suspicious man through the vicinity, heading toward a private box.
As if having received a tip-off, the two men came over specifically to block out Koutoki, who might no longer be considered “one of their own, ” at the entrance.
“Distinguished guest, give my regards to Master Yang. It’s been long since I last saw him visit in person. ” Entering the small room, Sai Liu took down a bottle of wine, handed it to a muscular man nearby, and told him to pour the drink into a glass before saying to Yang Zicang, “The residue crystals will be delivered shortly. “
Yang Zicang grunted a couple of times, took the wine, and took a sip.
Hearing this, Hua Mi and Xue Qi, who had entered with him, immediately tensed up.
This time, Mr. Otto had come specifically so the “Chairman ” could obtain intelligence in this area. Why hadn’t Yang Zicang been making much effort in this direction since earlier?
Was he afraid of revealing their purpose? But if he got selected and sent away, it would be impossible to gain any intelligence in this regard at all. They knew what Yang Zicang needed wasn’t just a few random stones.
Rather, it was something that might be hidden inside.
They turned to look—through the glass window of the door stood two burly men.
Just then, a short man pushed open the door, carrying a wooden frame in his hands. Inside it were numerous scorched black stones.
“This is the cinder ore crystals you asked for, ” the short man said, staring at Yang Zicang with his gaze slightly tilted upward.
Yang Zicang turned his head, and Sai Liu with a laugh raised his glass.
……
Outside, Hou Tao stared coldly at the two men before him.
“What do you two mean by this—breathing our honor air? Says the only one stynin’s welcome starts—fidays trimmck of bad mouthing bad songs enough of dig? Waiting to feed my nisist walk? You after hunting comm my head? “
“That’s not what I meant. A few distinguished guests are coming tonight; you’ll just stay here and help us two brothers out. “
Monkey Tao’s gaze shifted slightly elsewhere.
Just then, the small door marked “Warehouse — No Entry ” was pushed open once again.
This time, the merchant who had previously done business with “Snake Gui ” stepped inside.
Hadler, a look of relieved accomplishment on his face, passed by Monkey Tao and gave him a nod with a smile. Monkey Tao could only let out a humorless chuckle and nodded in return.
“Brother, don’t you have anything to do? ” Seeing Monkey Tao willingly staying idly by their side, the two began to feel strangely uncomfortable themselves.
……
Inside the private room.
“Mr. Surius, ” Yang Zicang said, setting down a stone from his hand. “Is this all there is? “
Surius chuckled softly and put down his wine glass.
“You misunderstand, sir. Ember Ore crystals are scarce to begin with, and truly good grades are certainly hard to come by. These ones… while their quality is a bit ordinary, the price can naturally be discussed. Or, could you perhaps reveal the specific use you have in mind? We might have other channels to help you find more suitable alternatives. “
Xue Qi and Hua Mi’s hearts were in their throats.
They watched as Yang Zicang, without changing his expression, placed the black stone on the stand nearby. “In that case, I’ll take all of these. Let’s just go with the market price. “
“Hey, these alone won’t be enough for our purposes. ” Xue Qi couldn’t help but blurt out.
“It’s fine. ” Yang Zicang raised a hand to calm her.
-｛Distributor Tartartonic expresses “curiosity. “｝
The smile on Seliu’s face became a bit more sincere, as if a weight had been lifted. “Straightforward! I’ll have someone pack it up for you right away. “
The deal done, Seliu personally escorted Yang Zicang and the two girls out of the private room. His attitude was far warmer, seeming undisturbed by the earlier test.
“If you ever need any other special materials in the future, please don’t hesitate to come find me, Seliu. “
“Of course. ” Yang Zicang nodded, then led the two girls to join Monkey at the entrance.
Turning around, Monkey immediately said, “That merchant also visited that warehouse. “
Yang Zicang gave a slight nod.
“I’ll be right back. ” With that, Yang Zicang slipped through the crowd, following the merchant who was preparing to leave and had already reached the doorway.
-｛DistributorApril · Odysseysent me aFavorable Review.****｝
Spotting Yang Zicang’s move, the two guards rushed to Seliu, who was still smiling inside, panic-stricken: “Something’s wrong! That second gentleman’s guest seems to be really after Mr. Long Weite! “
Hearing this, Seliu slammed down his glass and dashed out of the room. By then, the figure in the black trench coat had already shot through the crowd, closing in on the massive doors that had just closed behind Long Weite.
There was no trace of the ore in his hand. The bag of ore had been casually tossed at the foot of a stall.
Damn it!
“Hey, sir! ” Seliu shouted urgently. “Wait, please! I say, I just remembered—I have other ores in stock!“
Leave a Reply