Hua Mi and Xue Qi threaded through the crowd in another direction of the venue.
From Musing Night’s sensing earlier, Yang Zicang had already glimpsed the place Hadriel went next—a stall that also had its own small display table.
So he briefly briefed the two women on the next step of the plan, while he himself continued wandering the gathering with Monkey Tao, unsure whether Monkey Tao truly borrowed his presence to spark Glory Brightlight or had other intentions.
Away from the “Chairman’s ” protection, the women, who were both first-timers at such a gathering, now keenly felt the oppressive atmosphere of the underground market pressing in around them.
The lights were dim, and the surrounding voices were low and muffled.
“Let’s split up—I’ll check where Hadriel heads to next, ” Xue Qi said.
During her time with He Yishu in the Black Codex, she had already heard about the limitations of Yang Zicang’s instantaneous ability. If confronted by someone with high perceptual awareness, they might use that split second to inversely triangulate his location.
…….
Yang Zicang’s face was naturally stern, and with an air of casualness, he paused at a weapons stall, his fingers brushing across a blade, prompting the vendor to eagerly begin his pitch.
“Esteemed sir, while these weapons aren’t designed solely for Fogfolk specifications, they stir with a trace of elemental force, granting them unique utility in specialized combat applications. Would you care to purchase a few? “
Seeing a guest who seemed to be a Fogfolk arrive among slim odds, the owner launched into relentless salesmanship.
Huo Tao’s gaze unconsciously fell upon the two departing women farther off in the distance.
Yang Zicang turned to meet his eye, and as Huo Tao noticed, he let out a low chuckle to retract his gaze.
“Brother, afraid that my friends might uncover something? ” Yang Zicang handled the blade lightly, letting one finger tap against a small, seemingly imperfect point on its face.
With a ting, the faintest chime of crystal-clear resonance struck the air.
“Uh… ” Having come so far, Huo Tao squeezed his lips bitterly. The identity he bought himself had come at dear cost—he was loath to lose it. Fear pressed close that this tender early glow of progress might still be lost, so he never let his vigilance lapse; not even for a moment, lest Master Hardal’s perception suffer or any trouble trace its way back to that imposing benefactor through a gap left in task.
Yang Zicang leaned in a little closer, half-turning to whisper, “Mr. Hudel, why would you show such interest in someone like me, a first-timer here? Can you tell me that? “
“Well… ” Houtao turned his face away.
“You must know, it’s nearly the end of this era now. And I’m not asking you anything earth-shattering, am I? “
Houtao gritted his teeth in hesitation. If this man were just an ordinary guest invited by Second Master, that would be one thing. But having such a masterful skill without using any models…
Houtao had already pegged him in his mind as a true grandmaster. Even the unassuming scar from burns on his face—no ordinary person could have endured that.
……
Hudel exchanged a few words with someone at the stall.
He didn’t leave. Instead, he glanced around, then quickly headed toward an even more secluded corner of the hall. There was an inconspicuous little door there, with a sign reading “Warehouse—No Entry. “
Hudel walked over and knocked on that door with a light, rhythmic pattern. The door cracked open, and amid the crowd, Xue Qi, who had been pretending to browse, noticed a pale-faced man with slightly curly hair peeking out from behind it. He didn’t look like a local.
The door slid shut again. The whole process was quick, with an air of sneaky secrecy about it.
Spotting the movement of Hudel turning around as the warehouse door closed, Xue Qi quickly lowered her head.
At the neighboring stall, Hua Mi pretended to inspect the ore. Suddenly, a man in resplendent but effeminate clothes approached and said, “Ladies, I hear your friend just now used no instrument to determine the ore. Why are you two so painstakingly picking here? “
“Ah, I – ” Hua Mi, inexperienced in such encounters, was momentarily at a loss for words.
Xue Qi quickly turned, sized the man up, and said with a smile, “We are his students, learning how to use that power. So we need to come more often to sense it. “
The man’s face instantly stiffened. “Are you serious? That ability can be learned? “
“Of course. ” Seeing the burning gaze in his eyes, Xue Qi chuckled lightly. “But the prerequisite is a lifespan of at least a hundred years, oh. “
As she spoke, she pointed at her own ear.
The man’s expression immediately fell with disappointment.
-｛Distributor February. Di’an gave me a ‘thumbs down’.｝
-｛Distributor February. Di’an indicated that I extinguished a new node of glory in its prelude.｝
Xue Qi, on the other hand, was relieved. She didn’t want any extra trouble—she already knew Hader’s two gestures. Linking her arm through Hua Mi’s, she prepared to leave.
But the effeminate man neither departed nor retreated; instead, he chuckled and stepped forward: “Ladies, since you’re interested in these fluorescent stones, I have rare treasures from the deep sea at my stall. Interested in taking a look? “
Hua Mi’s heart tightened, though her face remained calm.
Just then, a figure suddenly interjected itself between the man and the two ladies. The effeminate man looked up and saw a man in a black hat and a deep, long coat, his face covered in burn scars, standing right in front of him. Hovering slightly behind and to his side was Monkey Tao, whose eyes flickered with unease upon seeing them.
“Are you the guest that Mister Er invited? “
“Indeed. And you must be Sir Sailiu, one of the managers here, correct? “
Catching Monkey Tao’s gaze, Sailiu understood that this Mistlander—who made a living on his turf—had already been won over by another of his kind.
Sure enough, Mistlanders were the least trustworthy.
Sailiu’s eyes shifted between the two ladies and the man before him, whose presence was laden with a deep, unmistakable resonance. It stirred a vague suspicion about his true identity.
But if he truly were that legendary ‘hero,’ would he have stood before him so quickly—and done so while accompanied by two women who clearly looked like fresh-faced recruits? Would he so openly come to observe his target?
“May I ask, sir, for what purpose you would grace us with your presence tonight and insist on seeking the crystalline essence of ‘Ember Ore’? “
-｛Distributor April·Odyssey is watching my current life experience with keen interest.｝
-｛Distributor February. Di’an has marked a new node for the glorious prelude I am now gestating.｝
……
Outside this venue, He Yishu and Leonardo, clad in two lengths of dark clothing, patrolled the docklands’ edge in the night breeze, doing their best to merge with the shadows.
“Do you think Mr. Hero will find what he’s looking for? ” Leonardo said, standing beside He Yishu. They had just finished a round of the vicinity, confirmed no one was around, and now stood by a tree as he took a leak.
“What do you mean? “
“Huh, didn’t you read his note? “
He Yishu fell silent for a moment. _”You’ve already seen it?
“No, I guessed. “
After Leonardo was done, He Yishu thought back to the note Chairman Yang had handed him yesterday before soaking in the bath. If this was the right time, it should be reaching the moment “Yang Buchen ” had specified to him.
He Yishu pulled the note from inside his jacket. “Don’t leak what’s written on here. If you can manage that, we might still have a chance to cooperate down the line. You understand, don’t you? “
With that, he handed the note to Leonardo.
The man took it, glanced at it, and clucked his tongue. “Ashen Stone crystal, huh… and Black Sheep. Hey, what’s ‘Black Sheep’ supposed to be? Are they trafficking beasts in there or something? “
“Of course not. “
The moment he finished, He Yishu let out a sharp “Shh! ” and tensed. “Someone’s coming. “
The two quickly slipped behind an discarded crate near an old, worn-out cargo booth, hiding from view.
Outside, two men walked past, chatting. “Never thought old Choch’s three eggs would actually have Blood Beasts inside them that could hatch. “
“Too bad they’re not the first blood cat. Still, even if something like that were real, there’s no way it’d get traded at a place like this. “
The men’s voices faded as they moved away.
“Thought you said there weren’t any beast trades going down? ” Leonardo said.
He Yishu’s lip twitched without quite curling.
“Eggs probably don’t count, right? But to think this trade fair is even selling Blood Beast eggs. ” This was far more “high-end ” than what I had imagined earlier.
“You’ve been here for so long. Heard of those two things before? “
“I only know of something called ‘Goatherds.’ As for ‘Black Sheep’—that’s the first I’ve heard of it. ” Leonardo strained to make out the handwriting on the note. “As for this mineral ore, I know it’s connected to some massive man-made volcano. “
“Man-made volcano? “
“Yeah, that’s right. ” Leonardo nodded. “It’s been around for a long time, tied to some organization that preaches an apocalyptic doctrine called the ‘Hellfire Sect.’ Uh… Come to think of it, guess you can’t really call it an ‘apocalyptic doctrine’ anymore—it’s common knowledge by now anyway. A lot of powerful and capable people in this world have some idea of those rumors. “
“Volcano… Embers, ” He Yishu muttered thoughtfully, deep in contemplation. It seemed he had encountered aristocrats back in Havinkirk who had tried to flee across the continent by leveraging their association with that very sect.
……
In the trade hall, Yang Zicang’s presence had already successfully caught the attention of the person in charge there.
After spending these last couple of days carefully analyzing the matter, Yang Zicang found the possibility of being linked to that so-called collector’s ‘assistant’ to be extremely slim. Maybe she was a spy from some other country.
Selya had a smile on her face as she actively led the suspicious individual through the nearby area, heading toward a private box seat.
The two men, as if tipped off, deliberately blocked off Houtao—who could no longer be considered ‘one of their own’ any longer—pushing him back outside.
“Noble guest. Please give my regards to Second Master; it’s been a long time since I last saw him here in person. ” Entering this small room, Sailus took a bottle of wine, handed it to a burly man beside him, and had him pour it into a glass as he said to Yang Zicang, “The Ember Crystals will be delivered shortly. “
Yang Zicang grunted twice, took the wine, and took a sip.
Hearing this, Hua Mi and Xue Qi, who had entered together, immediately grew tense.
This time, Mr. Otto had come specifically for the “President ” to obtain information on this matter. Why had Yang Zicang seemingly not been making much of an effort in this direction from the very beginning?
Could he be afraid of exposing their goal? But once he was selected and sent in, obtaining this kind of information would become impossible. They knew that what Yang Zicang needed wasn’t just a few random stones.
It was something that might be contained within them.
They looked around, and two sturdy men were already standing outside the glass door.
Just then, a short man pushed open the door, holding a wooden frame filled with many charred black stones.
“The ember ore crystals you requested, ” the short man said, staring at Yang Zicang with his eyes rolled upwards.
Yang Zicang turned his head, and Sailus raised his glass with a smile.
……
Outside, Monkey Tao stared coldly at the two men in front of him.
“What do you two mean by this? Not letting me leave? Looking for a bit of trouble? “
“That’s not what I meant. There are a few distinguished guests tonight, so you’ll just help out here with us two brothers.“
Monkey Tao’s gaze shifted slightly to the side.
Just then, that small door marked “Warehouse — Do Not Enter” was pushed open again.
This time, the merchant who had previously dealt with “Shegui” stepped inside.
Hader passed in front of Monkey Tao with the ease of a man who’d completed his task, nodding at him with a smile. Monkey Tao could only respond with a sneer-like chuckle and a return nod.
“Brother, don’t you really have something to do?” Seeing Monkey Tao staying obediently by their side, these two suddenly found themselves feeling restless.
……
Inside the private room.
“Mr. Selius,” Yang Zicang put down a piece of rough stone in his hand, “is this all there is?“
Selius gave a light laugh and set down his glass.
“You misunderstand, sir. Ember ore crystals are rare in the first place, and good quality ones are hard to come by indeed. These… their grade is only middling, but we can certainly negotiate the price. 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 jumped into their throats.
They watched Yang Zicang silently place the black stone on the cupboard beside him. “In that case, I’ll take all of them. We’ll go by the market price.“
“Hey, if we only use these, it won’t be enough,” Xue Qi couldn’t help speaking up on her own.
“It’s okay.” Yang Zicang raised a hand to soothe her.
— ｛Distributor Tatamingki indicates “curiosity.“｝
The smile on Serio’s face grew a hint more genuine, as if a weight had been lifted. “Excellent! I’ll have someone wrap it up for you right away. “
The transaction concluded, Serio personally escorted Yang Zicang and his two companions out of the private room, his attitude vastly more enthusiastic, as though the earlier probing had never occurred.
“Sir, if you ever need any other special materials in the future, don’t hesitate to come to me, Serio. “
“Certainly. ” Yang Zicang nodded, then gathered the two girls and joined Monkey Tao who was waiting at the entrance.
As soon as they turned around, Monkey Tao immediately said, “That merchant visited that warehouse too. “
Yang Zicang gave a slight nod.
“Going out for a bit. ” With that, Yang Zicang slipped through the crowd, following the merchant who was preparing to leave and had already reached the doorway.
｛Distributor April O’Dao gave me a “Favorable Review. “｝
Catching sight of Yang Zicang’s move, the two guards dashed immediately to the smiling Serio, who was still inside, and said frantically, “Trouble, that guest of Mr. Er’s… his real target seems to be Mr. Lang Vita! “
At these words, Serio slammed down his wine glass and bolted for the door. The figure in the black trench coat had already weaved rapidly through the crowd, closing in on the newly closed doors that had just seen off Lang Vita.
There was no ore in his hands; that bag of ore had been casually tossed aside at the foot of a vendor’s stall.
Damn it!
“Hey, sir! ” Serio called out urgently. “Please wait! I just remembered, I have some other ore in stock! “
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