“The Ring of Bloodline? ” Everyone in the room exclaimed in surprise.
The reason being that even Hou Tao himself had no idea what kind of special paper he was referring to…
Thus, Yang Zicang naturally gave up the idea of obtaining specialty paper here to craft an Ether Beacon.
“The Ring of Bloodline… ” Mr. Ge pondered for a moment, then looked up. “Hero, if that’s the case, I’m afraid I won’t be able to help you. “
The two foreign visitors also looked a bit troubled.
The ability of the person before them was far too useful for their purposes, but if this person was the one who had stirred up an uproar across the entire continent in the newspapers…
At the table, after hearing Yang Zicang’s words, Xue Qi and Hua Mi finally realized what Yang Zicang had come for this time—what hetruly wanted. Hua Mi merely listened with a hint of envy, but it was different for Xue Qi. She now listened intently, her heart tightening with anxiety, because she actually possessed a Bloodline Resonance Statue that she still couldn’t use.
“Sorry, Mr. Buchén, we might be able to find a way to get other things,” the two said, becoming somewhat reserved. “But this kind of high-end gadget—the moment it’s in hand, theFogfolkwould be after you for it. Even if we had come across one, we’d never dare to keep it.“
Xue Qi felt a deep pang of regret.
Yang Zicang turned his head and suddenly caught sight of a blurry figure carrying a wooden staff walking past the glass panes of the wooden door.
“Well then… I might as well just go out and take a casual look around.“
As he spoke, Yang Zicang immediately got up, took the lead, and strode quickly toward the door.
“Oh! Sir!” Several people in the room called out nervously in alarm. Mr. Ge certainly dared not let thisFogfolkwander around outside alone.
As he dashed over, his mind scrambled for words to temporarily keep him there, but Yang Zicang moved swiftly—covering the distance in just a few strides—and yanked open the door. Outside stood a man who looked like an ordinary worker, carrying a wooden stick in his hand, which he was placing against the side wall along with some tools.
“Brother Buchen! Sir! ” Ge rushed to Yang Zicang’s side, looking at him nervously, then turned his gaze to the man outside, who was shouldering the wooden stick.
The man turned his head, looking somewhat perplexed as this guest from the Fog State eyed him.
“Excuse me… where did that wooden stick come from? “
The man scratched his head and said, “You mean this mast? Uh, it was left behind by a customer a long time ago—he’s no longer here. “
Ge glanced at the somewhat familiar-looking mast and then back at Yang Zicang. “Sir, do you think there’s a problem with this thing? “
“It’s fine. ” Yang Zicang turned his head and said, “I misjudged. It just looked quite similar to a certain friend’s item. “
With that, the man, seeing that his visitor was an honored guest, took the initiative to haul over the short mast, which was originally used to prop up a tarpaulin awning.
Yang Zicang examined it closely. It was about two meters high, with some faded, blurred markings on its surface. Apart from the material looking strikingly similar to the wooden staff in Joshua’s hand, its shape was completely different.
“It’s a shame. It’s nothing like my friend’s piece—I was mistaken at a glance. But the wood is quite special though. “
Seeing Yang Zicang’s attitude, the standing man smiled and said, “Since you’re a distinguished guest of Mr. Ge, if you’d like it, sir, I could offer you a little discount.“
To placate this Fogfolk man who had already made quite a name for himself despite appearing only in the past two months, Mr. Ge hurriedly intervened: “Exactly—forget the discount, just take it as a gift from me. Please, sir, come over and have a seat.“
“Ah, sir…” the worker stammered hesitantly, but upon seeing Yang Zicang reach into his pocket as if to take out money, his eyes immediately lit up with delighted surprise.
The slight commotion at this somewhat empty gateway drew the attention of a few passersby.
Off in the distance, “Shegui,” who had been examining his wares at a small table, caught sight of this severely burned Fogfolk man. To everyone’s surprise, he rushed somewhat urgently out of the shop’s entrance, making no effort to hide his intense gaze fixed on the timeworn mast. Immediately, all attention shifted to him.
“Is there something wrong with that pole?” Shegui, wearing his hood, looked up to ask the boss who frequently hosted these business gatherings.
That grimy man, clad in a coarse, rigid cloth apron, wiped his hands before replying, “Plenty of people have already checked it out. You must’ve seen it yourself by now. No way it’s anything precious.“
The hooded customer hesitated, then gave a slight nod, turning his gaze toward the newcomer Fogfolk man who had stirred such a reaction earlier tonight.
Seeing that Yang Zicang didn’t seem all that interested and had simply flipped him two silver coins to toss into the treasure chest, Shegui got to his feet, picked up his bag, and walked over.
……
“What can you make of this piece?“
“It’s fine. ” Yang Zicang compared the polished mast inside the house, noticed the lingering wood grain aura on it, and felt that this object must have existed in the Fog Sea for a long, long time.
“Do you know what kind of wood this is? ” Yang Zicang turned to ask. The others all shook their heads.
“It’s because this wood is so special that even botanists couldn’t identify it; that’s why we didn’t sell it off casually. ” Old Ge said.
Suddenly, Sailuo chimed in, _”Though some of us suspect it might be from the last era’s land.
“Last era… ” Yang Zicang pondered.
“Just a suspicion. ” Just as Sailuo was speaking, a knock suddenly came at the door. Since Shegui was a regular here, the guard let him in.
Seeing that this man who’d caught his attention earlier had come looking for him, Yang Zicang didn’t need to wonder—it was obviously his antics that had drawn him over just a moment ago.
“Ah… It really is so convenient in a place like this. ” he thought to himself. “The moment you show even just a hint of being different, various people will come by to create a little farce with you. “
After introductions were exchanged, Shegui stated his purpose.
“You’re the gentleman who saved the city this time, aren’t you? “
Obviously, just like Old Ge, this man had already learned every detail of that night. Yang Zicang knew he wasn’t directly saying the words “hero ” because Granny Ge and the others were still there.
Yang Zicang looked into Shegui from the depths of his cool eyes, waiting for his next words. If this was a Fog Folk walk-in out of a start｛1｝, heading, drawing …on point, _” he thought… probably take a habit out.
Shegui opened his mouth with a somewhat slippery voice, smiling in his own way :
“For a hero like you to grace this place with your presence, ordinary things must not catch your eye. That mast… in fact, everyone here has studied it, and basically no one knows what it’s for. “
“Right, some say it’s an antique from the last era. “
Xue Qi had already walked over, somewhat weakly, “Sigh… sir, what kind of business are you in? Can I buy a… well, a Blood-line Circuit from you? “
About to blurt out the name of the bloodline on her own Bloodline Statue, Xue Qi caught herself, realizing she shouldn’t casually reveal such things, making her even more uneasy inside.
Hua Mi sat obediently to one side, shifting from initial tension to calmness, treating this night of acquiring Radiance as a vacation trip to gawk at the sights.
“Gentlemen, pardon the interruption, ” Snake Gui said as he entered the room and closed the door. “In my possession, there is actually an item that might better suit you… in your current special predicament. “
“Suitable for the hero? ” The two foreigners also approached, looking at the thing he was carrying.
But the hooded man before them just smiled, took off his hood, and put his hand under his cheek. “It’s this. “
With that, he gave a hard pull and tore something off—a squirming, deforming piece of leather-like skin that he peeled from his own face, while those around felt their hearts skip a beat.
He had been wearing a false face all along, but…
Hua Mi stared wide-eyed at the man beneath the hood. This face, compared to the one on the mask… it wasn’t exactly identical, but it might as well have been carved from the same mold, with only the slightest differences.
After a moment of thought, Hua Mi finally realized where the difference lay.
It was age!
She looked at the man, who seemed just a bit more mature.
Yang Zicang looked at the human-skin mask in Shegui’s hand, slightly surprised. “You want to sell me your appearance? “
“Hahaha, no way. ” The surrounding few, especially the two foreigners, watched the scene with great curiosity. Even the disheartened Kee·Ran raised his head to look.
“Heh, I wouldn’t stoop to selling my own face, ” Shegui said, shaking the mask bearing his own likeness. It twisted rapidly, transforming into a nearly transparent, featureless mask.
“Being a Mistling, sir, you must surely be familiar with things like ‘Model Equipment.’ “
Shegui turned to the others watching and introduced with a smile:
“This is a mask that can record one’s facial appearance. However… its requirements for the user are a bit strict, making it not very practical for me. “
Everyone in the room pricked up their ears.
Items that can alter one’s appearance aren’t extremely rare, but up close, a careful look usually reveals something off. Yet, the expression on this man’s face just now had been incredibly vivid.
“What are the requirements? ” Yang Zicang asked, already feeling tempted.
“It needs to record a ‘true’ face, and it… can only record the face of its user. “
Yang Zicang’s eyes lit up.
The man who had just spoken couldn’t help but give a wry smile.
“Because the limitations are great, keeping it in my hands would only serve to take it out and reminisce about the times when I’m old. I can’t find any other use for it either, so it’s better to give it to you, sir. “
Those around, especially Yang Zicang, immediately understood Shegui’s meaning.
Shegui’s gaze fell upon Yang Zicang’s scar-covered face, hinting, “But I believe, for a hero who can rescue an entire city from the Nightmare Evil, willpower and mental fortitude shouldn’t be an issue. And your current appearance… is undoubtedly the most ‘authentic’ one. Perhaps it is… waiting for a master like you. “
Xue Qi and Hua Mi both watched Yang Zicang nervously.
For a Fogfolk who could change their age, owning this mask would merely be the icing on the cake, unless someone truly planned on getting plastic surgery.
Mr. Ge and Sairus exchanged a glance; they had both heard that Shegui had many bizarre, ill-gotten items in his possession, and this mask seemed to be one of them.
Yang Zicang was silent for a moment.
The mask effect described by Shegui had precisely hit his needs.
For Yang Zicang, whose casual decision to meet people with this face had produced a somewhat positive effect, capturing this visage before his wounds healed would indeed be a wise choice.
“Sounds interesting. ” Yang Zicang finally spoke, his tone betraying little emotion. “What a pity, though—it’s no longer a secret now. So, sir, how do you intend to conduct this transaction? “
He didn’t carry that much money on him, Yang Zicang thought with a hint of worry as he asked.
The material of the mask was dark, a grayish-white substance with fine texture. It was cold to the touch. The design was simple, with empty eye sockets and no carved decorations—yet it naturally exuded an aura both ancient and eerie.
｛I have touched the “Forgotten Nameless Face. “｝
Yang Zicang extended his finger and gently brushed the surface of the mask.
The instant he made contact, the power of the “Sacred Origin Source ” within him seemed to pulse faintly, as if resonating with the mask in the subtlest way.
｛I have touched the “Face That Can Have a Name. “｝
Under the gaze of the group, the mask in the “Hero’s ” hands suddenly began to turn clear and transparent, rippling like water of its own accord.
｛As one who already possesses a Bloodline Statue, I may synchronize with the Grid-position of the “Face That Can Have a Name. “｝
｛However, I, the Great Quadrilateral, do not seem to be its true master yet.｝
The human-skin mask in his hand regained its original shape. Shegui was startled. “Your power… it’s truly unbelievable. “
｛This is it.｝
Yang Zicang was certain—this was what he needed. Not only would it solve his immediate appearance problem, but the item itself seemed to hold secrets hidden within.
“What’s the price? ” he asked directly.
Shegui glanced apologetically at the few people in the room, then raised a hand to motion Yang Zicang aside, lowering his voice: “Sorry, I thought we were among friends here. Mm, money means nothing in this current era. What I want now is just two possibilities. First, if Hero Sir can help me leave this continent and head to the Next Era Land, then this item is yours. “
Yang Zicang’s face twitched slightly as he said, “You’re not one of the Fogfolk? “
“Mm. I know this might be a difficult request. If Hero Sir finds it too challenging, I… I’d like to head to the Mist Sea, or perhaps… “
He hesitated for a moment before speaking as if rolling the dice: “What about that method you used the other night, when you suddenly appeared at the core of the Nightmare Demon? How did you achieve that? “
There wasn’t much doubt in this man’s eyes—only anticipation for that answer.
“That piece of information, huh. “
The intelligence on the Ether Beacon. Yang Zicang pondered for a moment. He really did need the paper for the business card, and this man seemed quite knowledgeable about these strange materials. From the way he asked that question, he must already know about the Ether Beacon!
“I’ll tell you. If you’re free, come to the Fogfolk Renters’ Enclave. Trading there should be safe for everyone, right? “
His ready agreement caught Shegui by surprise, making him tighten his grip on the bag he was holding. He looked Yang Zicang over deeply, as if wanting to reevaluate this “hero. “
“Alright, then I’ll give you this box too. It can block the spiritual probing of some Fogfolk. “
Yang Zicang picked up the small box that Shegui had taken from his bag; there were two more such items inside it.
He gently stroked its surface with his fingers, feeling the peculiar texture. He activated a sliver of power from “Silent Night, ” slowly diffusing it around him. Indeed… the contents of this box were completely imperceptible.
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