On the dark dock of the night, lamplight dimly illuminated the ground.
Yang Zicang, accompanied by two plainly but neatly dressed girls, appeared at the old dock of Hydrapower City. In the past, the night might have seen a few loiterers here, but at this moment, with everyone’s hearts unsettled by the sudden ghoul attack, these people were nowhere to be found.
“Hey, where is it, anyway? ” Xue Qi, having walked the whole way, couldn’t help but ask.
Yang Zicang deliberately refrained from using “Musing Night, ” but instead turned his head and said, “How about we split up to search? Just be careful not to wander too far apart. “
“Yeah? We’re splitting up. Xiaoqi, can I stick with you? “
“Let’s not get more than ten meters apart… no, make it five meters. “
The two girls had already set up subtle temporal defenses inside themselves, then scattered away from Yang Zicang to search. Within just a few steps, they heard words of encouragement from the Distributor, Di’an. Hua Mi, especially, felt her heart surge with both joy and nervousness at the sound.
And in the distance on either side behind them, He Yishu and Leonardo stood watch, staying vigilant.
“Buchen, it’s over there. ” Not long after, Hua Mi and Xue Qi came jogging swiftly back. Both of them had struggled within the Old Fate Trajectory before, so this little bit of movement was nothing to them.
- ｛Distributor Loki·Tata Mingqi, with an abundance of experience, states that the brilliant prelude is giving birth to a new node of the radiance I foster.｝ “Good work, “the three figures jogged a few steps before calmly approaching an old, large brick building where the indistinct sounds of voices and music drifted from inside.
- ｛Distributor February·Di’an, with an abundance of experience, states that my brilliant prelude has borne a new node.｝
- ｛Distributor April·Odyssey, with an abundance of experience, states that I am fostering a brilliant prelude within me.｝
Yang Zicang felt a slight stir in his heart. With the new distributor’s prompt, it seemed he should ask Tata Mingqi again if he could craft a new piece of ornament.
Two people came forward from the doorway to greet them.
“Who are you, where did you come from… Holy shit!” The young flat-haired man saw the terrifying-to-the-extreme face walking in front, and the words that followed got so stuck in his throat they couldn’t come out.
Yang Zicang looked at the other man beside him; that man’s hands were already trembling as he fumbled twice in his pocket without pulling out what was inside. It didn’t look like what he was fumbling for could possibly be something like cigarettes — a “meet-and-greet gift.“
Seeing this reaction, Yang Zicang finally took a serious look at his own appearance. Because he knew it would heal, he had never really cared… He hadn’t expected it to be this terrifying.
“Ahem.” Under the close gazes of the two girls behind him, Yang Zicang, wearing leather gloves, pulled a bone-made token of authentication from his pocket.
“Ah, so it’s Second Master’s man. Please follow us.” Seeing the bone insignia Yang Zicang had taken out, the two men led him up the stone steps nearby. Amid the dim and heavy air that surrounded them, only from behind the half-open door at the top of those stone steps—opened by his arrival—did a sliver of light peek out.
A head poked out from inside and glanced at the insignia that had been put away.
“Here on behalf of Second Master? Know the rules?“
“Look, ask, trade voluntarily.” Yang Zicang repeated the code words Emma had told him.
“Mm.” The person inside seemed to nod. “Come in. Them two come too?“
“My assistant, in charge of carrying stuff. ” Yang Zicang said without changing his expression.
The noise behind the door instantly grew louder, but the stone staircase within stretched even deeper. About five or six steps beyond the two-meter-wide passage lay a larger hall, the music of a gramophone drifting over from the other end, barely discernible.
“Hey, oh, make way, guests! ” A stout man, holding a tray high with one hand, squeezed through the somewhat crowded throng.
“This is our materials trade fair. You must be here for the first time. Is there anything you fancy? ” A thin man beside Yang Zicang, who deliberately stooped slightly to show “respect ” to the guests, rubbed his hands together and addressed him while sticking close.
The Big Man and Second Man of this materials trade fair rarely showed their faces, yet tonight they both sent people over—it seemed something was brewing.
Yang Zicang turned his head. “Do you know where the ‘Ember Ore Crystal’ is? “
Xue Qi and Hua Mi also looked over. Noting the striking demeanor of these three, clearly different from ordinary folks, the man pondered for a moment and said, “Ah, this way, follow me. “
They had barely taken two steps when someone suddenly blocked their way. “Hardel, who are these people, that you’re personally receiving them? “
This person wore a sleeveless black leather vest, with two pendants hanging from his neck. Although his ears looked slightly pointed, Yang Zicang’s gaze swept over his necklace and he could tell—this guy had drifted through the Mist Sea.
-｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi expressed “likes. “｝
The thin guide named Hardel forced a hint of feigned difficulty onto his face. “Monkey Tao, this is a new friend. If you’re not busy, go play cards over there. ” Hardel turned to Yang Zicang, “This gentleman, let’s go over first. “
He pointed to an area across the way that was vaguely separated by a few wooden tables.
Monkey Tao saw this and understood the hidden implication behind the thin man’s words at once. His expression immediately changed, sizing up Yang Zicang and the two young women behind him with a faintly provocative smile.
“Tsk, an unfamiliar face. Hardel, what kind of gentleman is this, waltzing straight into the trading area on his first visit without knowing the ropes? Don’t worry you might bump into the real high-rollers and ruffle their feathers. “
Yang Zicang’s brows arched.
“What are you driving at? ” Xue Qi stepped forward angrily. Hua Mi hurriedly tugged at her quietly from the side.
Although the opposite guy spoke to Hardel, his eyes never left Yang Zicang’s slightly fierce-looking face, as if trying to fathom something. But inside, Yang Zicang felt only a deep, bottomless calm.
Was this fellow trying to stir up Glory Light or genuinely looking for a fight by probing their identities? Yang Zicang hadn’t forgotten Carden, the one who had posed as a Fogfolk before.
” It’s okay . That guy’s obviously just bored and itching for trouble, ” Xue Qi whispered from behind.
Even the girls had seen through it, and Yang Zicang was all the more certain that was exactly the design the man opposite.
So he half-playfully responded to the provocation:
“Oh? Rules? I wasn’t aware that the rules here are set by you, sir? “
The monkey-like figure across from them instantly flashed a trace of an excited grin, scanning the ear contours of the group.
Yang Zicang’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Hmph, now both sides had essentially confirmed the other as Fogfolk.
Monkey Tao’s gaze subtly moistened for a moment, then he deliberately widened his eyes with a sharp glint and boomed:
“Rules are rules! What of it? If you want the good stuff, you’ve got to show what you’ve got! “
“He wants the Emberite. ” Hadel chimed in at the perfect moment.
“Huh? ” Monkey Tao was taken aback, twitched the corner of his mouth, then pressed on: “Take the Emberite you’re after, for instance—do you know which lump holds the purest, most enduring fire essence? And which one is so laced with earthen lethality that it’d only forge waste? “
As he spoke, he gestured arrogantly toward a few dull, ashy ores at a nearby stall: “Let’s not even get into Emberite. Take those over there, for example—looks roughly the same on the outside, but the inside… like night and day. Kid, can you actually tell them apart? Having credentials isn’t worth squat if you don’t have the skill. “
Monkey Tao then gave their empty hands a once-over—they weren’t even carrying a device. He wondered if his angle would pay off. But even if it didn’t, he’d at least get a read on which circles they ran in.
-｛Distributor February. Di’an gave me a “Neutral Review. “｝
Yang Zicang gave a soft sniff.
This was an open challenge to his eyesight and his perception of elemental force. The trouble stirred up wasn’t too extreme.
“Hey, how dare you speak to Mr. Er’s man like that! ” As the commotion drew the attention of nearby shoppers browsing goods, Hardell’s words instantly sparked a murmur among the crowd.
“Someone invited by Mr. Er? “
A few among them showed a faint look of surprise.
“Since that’s the rule here, then of course I can. ” With that, Yang Zicang prepared to walk toward the stall Monkey Tao had casually pointed to.
“Hey! That guy, you don’t even have any tools, can you really do it? “
Yang Zicang fell silent for a moment, as if deep in thought. Monkey’s face intentionally wore a triumphant sneer of impending victory.
Yet Yang Zicang paid no reply to those people. Instead, he slowly took off his ever-worn leather gloves, revealing a hand equally scarred yet sharply defined.
Without a word, he walked over, raising his hand slightly, his five fingers loosely spread, aimed at the pile of ore on the stall.
“Hey hey, you, what are you trying to do? “
People nearby who were using small instruments to measure the metal content inside turned their heads in surprise.
In an instant, Xue Qi, Hua Mi, and the perceptive Monkey Tao all felt a wave of the most minute yet astonishingly precise fluctuations of wind element emanate from Yang Zicang as the center.
｛I began to communicate with the Source of the Holy Spirit, the Five Elemental Qi Field.｝
｛I channeled the Explosive Wind Fist Technique.｝
A sudden gust of wind, imbued with the Five Elements Force Field, instantly spread out, sweeping across the pile of ores beneath the palm.
In Yang Zicang’s mind, the patterns of a basic memory magic circle were simultaneously outlined in an instant.
When Yang Zicang’s power swept over those few pieces of ore, the distinctly different and extremely subtle resonant feedback generated by the elemental forces within them was all memorized.
In the piece with pure fire-elemental power, it seemed as if miniature stars lit up within. The piece mixed with earth evil energy showed a dull, murky halo. Even a piece containing a strand of rare shadow energy within it also gave rise to unique ripples…
This method of perception was far more efficient than the cautious initial attempt. First, it was an inspiration he acted upon on the fly. Originally, the Explosive Wind Fist was itself a secret skill belonging to one of the Five Elements, so its capability was naturally enhanced after being attached to the force field.
Second, the elemental energy contained in these minerals wasn’t too abundant, and compared to Corpse-Tier Nightmares, the degree of mental concentration required didn’t need to be that high.
“Hey, what are you all doing? “
Some people around, attracted by this slightly diffuse palm of wind, gathered over.
“This is a person invited by Second Master. It seems this gentleman is helping to select element-infused ores, ” Hardel explained on the side.
“Is this really selecting ores? “
“He doesn’t even have any instruments. “
These people all looked over, with some carefully scrutinizing the not-too-thick fabric at the chest of Yang Zicang’s clothes, though no halo of light illuminated.
Monkey Tao licked his slightly dry lips as he watched from the side.
Yang Zicang withdrew his hand, pulled his leather gloves back on, and said in a flat, unrippled tone:
“The third stone from the left has a fairly pure Fire element, but unfortunately there are some impurities deep in its core, and its energy has already been seeping away slowly. That biggest one on the right has rather mottled condensed Earth element—if someone purified it, they might be able to craft some small things out of it. But that inconspicuous little stone in the corner isn’t bad at all. “
Yang Zicang reached out and picked up a dark, moisture-rich stone from the corner.
With every word he spoke, the crowd’s gaze grew more startled. By the time he finished, the man holding the instrument was clapping excitedly, then raising both hands in a gesture of an open-armed virtual embrace.
This was even more detailed and precise than what his instrument had sensed! Especially that piece with cracks and hidden shadow energy—he hadn’t even detected it at all before!
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