Yang Zicang suddenly realized, “Could it be, Mr. Distributor, that you have a device that can extract experiences from the previous Track of Fate? “
This person in front of me can say something like “the previous track of fate,” so this must be exactly what they’re referring to, right?
-｛Distributor February. Di’an gave me a “Favorable Review“!｝
— “No, he doesn’t! Mr. Zicang, my courier will be arriving soon. Hurry back to the room and get ready to sign for it, and take my pigeon with you. “
Yang Zicang had no mind left to pay attention to Duli’s words.
Distributor Odyssey shook the cage, slung it over his back, and said with a smile:
“I may not have it myself, but a friend of mine indeed possesses a Moon Realm treasure like that. And he happens to be the third-layer distributor of the Moon Realm as well. “
— “OHHH! No, no, no!! “
With a rustle, a gray, mist-like figure suddenly emerged from the air. A pitch-black horned owl with a small, phantom-like letter gripped in its beak materialized from the haze.
Odyssey raised a hand and looked at the owl beside him. “Please wait a moment, Mr. Courier. ” He turned his gaze back to Yang Zicang across from him and said with a smile: “My friend has a rather peculiar personality—he doesn’t care for fighting others over these Radiant experiences. “
The perched owl cast him a strange glance before looking over at Yang Zicang.
Yang Zicang thought it over, then looked at Mr. Owl. “I apologize, but I’ll still refuse to sign for this courier. Hmm… ” He turned his gaze to Odyssey. “Is there any price to pay? “
“Usually not, but just to show my apology, Mr. Courier—consider an offering for you. “
Othello took a deck of playing cards from his bosom and held it out, “Go on, pick any one. “
The owl’s two eyes instantly gleamed with a hint of excitement. It swallowed the shadowy envelope from its beak and, with a soft fluttering of “Hoot-hoot, ” flew down to land on Othello’s arm. After carefully examining the deck twice, it plucked a card from inside.
Then the bird flipped it over to look, and upon seeing it was the “3 of Spades, ” it immediately showed a disappointed expression.
It shook the playing card a couple of times, then turned and tucked it under its own wing. “Thanks, ” he uttered the slightly curt syllable before vanishing like smoke in a swirl, rapidly disappearing into thin air.
A pained cry sounded from the small speaker around the pigeon’s neck.
Yang Zicang looked toward the direction it disappeared in. “Wait, that talking bird was…? “
“A messenger for the Royal Court, a type of beacon, too, but one with life. “
“So does it also need the power of the playing card to protect itself? “
“Oh, no, it doesn’t need that. As long as they don’t actively engage in battle, short of a personal visit from a Holy One, few are capable of harming them. As for just now, it was merely enjoying the thrill of drawing and flipping a card. “
“……“
“By the way, President Buchen, have you already signed four-tier distributors? If not, how about considering a partnership with me? “
He hadn’t met many distributors himself, but so far, the one before him was second only to Tata Mingqi as a distributor who seemed genuinely keen on helping others out.
“I can offer the same price as Duli. You know, I’m a four-layer Majestic Moonlight.“
Yang Zicang hesitated no longer and proactively said:
“Alright, let’s sign the deal now. But on one condition, Mr. Supplier of the Fourth Layer: you must guarantee that I can extract the Glory Light and Radiance Light from the Ground of the Epoch of Hexagram. “
— “No—dear Mr. Yang Bucheng! I can give you two treasures!” shouted the loudspeaker.
Odyssey chuckled and wagged a finger. “Majestic Glory Light can’t be extracted across the Tracks of Fate, you see. But if you happen to possess Radiance Light… Hmm, I can guarantee it will be extractable. And beside that, it is itself a Radiant Glory.“
This finally eased Yang Zicang’s anxiety over the massive debts he owed to several pre-Contracts suppliers. If he could extract just one Radiance Light, it would be enough for at least a Moonlight in one full layer of the Moon Realm.
Suddenly, a thunderclap erupted in the air outside the courtyard. Setting aside the previous manufactured rain in the town, this thunder was likely the city’s first this year.
……
The rain began to pour with a pattering rush.
Sahn-Hang City, the—not too distant—capital of the Herz-Cherzig Grand Duchy.
In the pouring rain, a court aide pushed open the wide gate of the estate. Inside, Yao Xiaoqin sat in the living room, sharing tips on making desserts with two ladies.
She lifted her pale neck, smiled, and turned her gaze toward the man standing behind that aide.
But deep inside, the woman’s heart was filled with implicit resistance, for she knew this man, who appeared to only ever bring a single guard with him, actually had invisible attendants constantly by his side.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince. ” The two ladies rose with a mixture of courtesy and deference.
“It’s getting late, so we’ll take our leave first. ” The elegantly dressed noblewomen smiled, picked up their bags, and departed.
“Visiting at such a late hour. “
Yao Xiaoqin rose gracefully and approached him, asking, “Has something happened? “
Leonhard waved his hand at the guard, signaling him to leave, then, as if returning to his own home, he went to the side and poured himself a glass of juice. Turning around, he said, “I’d like to ask a favor of you. “
“Why so formal? What’s the matter? “
“You already know about what happened at Hydrapower City down south, right? “
Yao Xiaoqin thought for a moment and nodded. She had heard that a brutal nightmare attack had erupted there and had been resolved by Yang Zicang.
According to reports, Yang Zicang had been seriously injured. Yet, the fact that he could eliminate a Rotten Spirit-level nightmare in such a short time made her feel both a sense of pride for her Guild Leader and a lingering peace of mind.
Leonhard carefully studied the expression on the woman’s face. After some deliberation, he decided not to directly inquire about the Secret Box.
Instead, he changed the subject and asked, “Has he contacted you recently? “
Yao Xiaoqin smiled coquettishly as she approached, “No he hasn’t. Without your consent… how would I dare contact any other man? “
Leonhard raised his hand and said, “Wait for me a moment. “
With that, he turned and left the room, returning in a few minutes with an exquisite ladies’ handbag in his hand.
“Oh, is this for me? “
“Of course. It’s a custom piece from Kathie Mot, the most renowned tailor in our Tranquil Harbor City. “
He handed the bag to the woman, whose smile was both delighted and reserved. Yao Xiaoqin’s soft palm lightly pinched the bottom of the bag, almost imperceptibly, before she slipped it over her wrist. Meeting his embrace with her own hands, she said, “Thank you. You put so much thought into this. “
Leonhard said calmly, “It’s nothing. But now that you’ve accepted my gift, you’ll need to do something for me, right? “
“What kind of thing, my dear Grand Duke’s heir? “
“It’s been a bit unfair, keeping you, a member of the Fogfolk, cooped up here all along. A friend of mine is very interested in a leased plot of Fogfolk land. I’d like to ask you to take her inside. And then… ” Leonhard raised his hand, and there hung a necklace. “This is yours. I’m returning it to you temporarily. Miss Yao Xiaoqin. “
A gentle smile lingered on Yao Xiaoqin’s face. She loosened her arms, turned her head to look, and removed the necklace.
｛I have touched the “Monocrystalline Silver Chain Necklace “, which I had lost for so long.｝
She took a deep breath, raised her head, and said, “Alright. “
“Don’t let this bag leave your side. ” Leonhard patted the handbag on her wrist and smiled.
……
Having obtained the address of that distributor in the third tier of the Nocturne Lunar Sphere, Yang Zicang’s heart finally felt a hint of cheer. Lena and Son had gone to visit her father; Yang Zicang looked in on them, and their emotions had already calmed significantly.
“There’s nothing else here. You two go back and get some rest. “
“And what about you, Mr. Buchen? ” Thorn asked, looking at him.
“I’m waiting here for someone. You go on ahead first. “
Noticing that Yang Zicang seemed intent on doing something, Thorn felt a flicker of suspicion, but under Lianna’s tug, he took his leave and departed.
Once they had all gone, Yang Zicang returned to the bed where Ebiser lay.
Thanks to the help of the local landlord, aside from his wounds being professionally sutured, his body had remained relatively unchanged.
By the bedside, Yang Zicang stood alone, quietly gazing at the man who seemed merely asleep: “I don’t know if this will do you any good, nor do I know what will become of Lianna. It’s just… this time, I truly had a way to save you. And also, to save… a piece of knowledge that could have been passed down for much longer. “
Yang Zicang took out an Ability Sphere.
Let this be my ethereal compensation, however meaningless it may seem.
With force, he crushed it directly above the man’s head.
｛I have used “Preservation Expert. “｝
｛I have invested 500N into it.｝
After its use, the entire white bedsheet seemed to be tinged with an almost imperceptible, ethereal warm golden light.
……
Rain was pouring in sheets. Deep in the night, a knock fell upon the wooden door of a side room in the courtyard.
Yang Zicang, having returned and taken a bath, pulled open the door.
In the howling wind and rain, a figure draped in a thick cloak stood at the entrance, and a damp chill, carried on the gust, immediately rushed into the room, laced with raindrops.
“Mr. Yang? I was sent by Major Otto. My name is Holm. “
The newcomer pulled down his hood, revealing a face wet with raindrops. Held tightly in his arms was a small box wrapped in oilcloth.
Yang Zicang closed the door. The sound of wind and rain was muffled for a moment before once again filling the room.
“Hello, would you mind if I use this? “
After carefully setting down the case, Holm took a radio out of his satchel and said.
“What’s this for? “
“Well, it’s basically impossible here, but under normal circumstances, static can drown out some sounds that shouldn’t be heard. “
Holm smiled, “This thing is a must-have for people who consider themselves of some status, especially near the Fogfolk’s rented lands. “
Yang Zicang took a moment to react before grasping the implication. The arrival of the Fogfolk had led to a relatively wide popularity of radios.
“Go ahead. “
Holm nodded and immediately turned the knob.
With a sharp crackle of static, a distorted mix of music and garbled speech erupted from the speaker. Holm adjusted the frequency until a somewhat clearer sound emerged.
— “Here we have unconfirmed reports saying… it is not the first time… similar… ‘monster’… attack incidents. “
— “But the official administration of the Grand Duchy of Herzengorschburg… refuses to comment. They only urge the public to… remain calm… stay in their homes… no proper plan for handling casualties has yet been provided. “
Yang Zicang snickered, “This is some foreign station, isn’t it. “
As if in reply to his question, a voice came from the radio.
— “This is… the Voice of the Sturmgrad Republic. Next, we bring you the latest… news on… “
“Haha. ” Horm quickly glanced at Yang Zicang, moved his finger, and tuned into a music station with distorted sound quality. A soothing melody came through, wrapped in the hissing of static.
“Mm, alright. ” He turned to the case and untied the oilcloth.
Inside was a specially-made metal box. Opening the lining revealed two pieces of burnt-black, fist-sized ore.
“These are ember ore crystals. “
Horm spoke quietly to the person on his right, touching one with his finger. “This is standard ore. “
Then he moved his finger to the right. “This is the target: the ‘Ash Core.’ It looks the same, but its energy is more inert and hard to distinguish. “
The radio suddenly blurted out another line: “…casualties are being tallied… stay away from the East District… it is recommended that all citizens of Helmholtzborg, everyone, promptly… leave major cities… “
Listening to the radio, Yang Zicang smiled as he fixed his gaze on the stones.
His fingertip silently ignited a wisp of white, ethereal flame, hovering above the one on the right.
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