After thinking for a while, Lin Mo said, "Mhm. I have a favor. If you et soone from either the Crimson Tiger Sect or the Silent Rain Sect, pass them a ssage from ’Senior Ghost’.
Luo Lanyi blinked, surprised by the request.
The Crimson Tiger Sect was a notorious bandit group, and the Silent Rain Sect was a ruined faction with its dwindling mbers scattered throughout the region, hiding from those who wanted to snatch their legacy. For this mysterious senior to have connections with both... it spoke of a web of influence that intrigued her.
"A ssage, Senior?" She asked respectfully, her rchant instincts kicking in. Information was a commodity, and delivering it was a service. "What should I tell them?"
"Tell them," Lin Mo paused, adopting a tone of profound, enigmatic wisdom to cover his tracks, "That the dragon does not sin. It sleeps. If they are fated, they will understand. If not, then they are not worthy of the business proposal I have for them."
It was a shaless bluff. A classic pivot. But to the inhabitants of the Martial World, who were obsessed with tests of fate and hidden anings, it sounded incredibly profound.
"The dragon does not sin, it sleeps..." Luo Lanyi repeated, committing the words to mory. She bowed deeply. "I understand, Senior. The Luo rchant House has many ears and eyes. If they are in the city or on the road, we will find them. Consider the ssage delivered."
"Good," Lin Mo nodded, his spirit-body beginning to flicker more noticeably. His ti was nearly up. "Since you are doing a service, I cannot let you go empty-handed. It would be bad for my reputation as a rchant."
He accessed his limited inventory again. He needed sothing small, impressive, but not as ga-breaking as a weapon or a high-grade pill.
Sothing that would hook a rchant like her.
After carefully browsing, he selected a small item.
[Item: Clear Sky Mint Mints]
[Quality: High Mortal-Grade]
[Description: Sugar-free mints made from a heavenly mint, infused with a trace of cooling spiritual energy. Clears the mind, freshens breath, and provides a temporary boost to concentration and sensory perception.]
He tossed the item to her. Luo Lanyi caught it, surprised by the foreign container with a peculiar design and the rattling sound inside.
"A small refreshnt for the road," Lin Mo explained as his form grew increasingly transparent. "Pop one piece in your mouth. It helps clear the mind and sharpen the senses. Useful for a rchant negotiating a deal, or a guard watching for an ambush. If you like it... well, I’ll be in that city by tomorrow."
"U-understood, Senior..." Luo Lanyi stamred with a hint of awe in her voice as she held the item tightly in her hand.
"Alright, I’ll escort you for a while. Just until this form of mine completely vanished." He added in a casual tone.
"Eh? Escort... us?" She asked, taken aback by the offer.
"Mhm. Or perhaps you would prefer I simply let you go alone?"
"No. No... That’s not it, Senior. Please, join in my carriage." She replied quickly, a mixture of eagerness and nervousness laced in her voice.
Lin Mo found that quite amusing. After all, he’s still simply in a Spirit-Body Form. Although he was expecting them to be wary of him, they seed to be convinced of the goodwill he showed them. Just like that first encounter he had.
"Very well, you seem quite sensible. I appreciate your invitation."
"You honor with your praise, Senior." She said, a light blush creeping to her cheeks as she gestured for him to follow her.
With that, the group set off again, the mood considerably lighter, though the guards cast frequent, awed glances at the glowing figure sitting inside the carriage with Luo Lanyi.
As they traveled, Lin Mo used the opportunity to gather intel.
"Those creatures," He asked, "Are they common in this region?"
"Too common, these days," Luo Lanyi answered. "Ever since the winds shifted in the Gorge, the old battlefields have been stirring. The resentnt of the fallen martial artists forms their husks. They hunger for life essence. And they are drawn to refined tal."
She pointed to the back. Or specifically, the cart carrying the goods. "We are carrying a shipnt of Star-Forged Iron ore from the mines in the west. It attracts them like flies to honey."
"Star-Forged Iron?" Lin Mo’s interest was piqued. He recalled the scan data. He thought it was still unearthed but it seed to be already being used by the inhabitants of this Fractured Plane.
"It is a rare ore, Senior," Luo Lanyi explained. "It is said to have fallen from the sky during the Age of Cataclysm. It is the only tal capable of channeling the higher tiers of inner energy without shattering. A weapon forged from it is considered a treasure worthy of a city’s ransom."
Lin Mo nodded slowly. A resource scarcity. A dangerous trade route. It was the perfect setup for the Harvester’s Guild and the rcenary’s Guild.
If this Star-Forged Iron was compatible with spiritual energy, and the na suggested it might have so affinity with his own starlight qi, it could be a valuable resource for the main store as well. And even if that’s not the case, it could be a stepping stone to create a foundation in this place.
"Alright, tell about the Sleeping Dragon City," Lin Mo probed further. "Is it a stable place for business?"
This ti, Tie Zha, who was seated on the coachman’s seat, let out a bark of laughter. "Stable? It’s a pit of vipers, Senior. Three major factions are fighting for control. The City Lord is a puppet. The real power lies with the Crimson Tiger Sect, the bandits you likely know of, the Iron Crane Dojo, and the Shadowblade Union.
They control the markets, the protection rackets, everything. If you want to do business there, you have to pay their toll."
"I see," Lin Mo said, a glint in his eye. "So, it’s not a safe haven."
"It still is. It’s just simply the way of the world," Luo Lanyi sighed. "Strength rules. We rchants just try to survive in the cracks."
"Perhaps," Lin Mo murmured. "Or perhaps the world just hasn’t seen a better alternative yet."
The journey continued. Lin Mo learned more about the power structure of the Martial World. There was truly no clear path of cultivation. They simply asured power in ’Gates’ opened within the body.
A First-Rate warrior like Tie Zha had opened four Gates. A Peak Stage expert had opened five, and so on. The fewer the opened gates, the weaker a martial artist is. They use martial qi, which was already scarce, and their inner energy to break open those Gates.
The legends spoke of those who opened the Ninth Gate before the Age of Cataclysm, gaining powers that rivaled the immortals of old.
It was a crude, physical system, but effective in its own way.
Soon enough, Lin Mo’s figure started flickering as the remaining ti of his Spirit-Body neared its end.
"Alright. This must be where we will part. Until we et again, Miss Luo. And rember... convenience is the key to prosperity."
With those final words, Lin Mo watched Luo Lanyi’s shocked expression as his projection gradually dissolved, scattering into motes of starlight that drifted away on the canyon wind.
Luo Lanyi remained seated for a long mont, her gaze fixed on the empty space where the ’Senior Ghost’ had just been. Tie Zha and the other guards also noticed his abrupt disappearance, their expressions a blend of relief and lingering apprehension.
"Young Miss... was that... an Ancestor? He disappeared, just like that." Tie Zha asked, leaning on his saber.
"I can’t say for sure, Uncle Tie," Luo Lanyi replied, looking down at the item in her hand. She pried the lid open. Inside were small, white, pill-like objects that radiated an icy freshness.
She hesitated, then popped one into her mouth.
Her eyes snapped wide open. A blast of icy freshness exploded on her tongue, rushing up to her head. The fatigue of the journey, the lingering fear of the wraiths, the fog of exhaustion... it all vanished in an instant. Her mind felt crystal clear, her vision sharper than it had been in years. She could hear the scuttle of a lizard on a rock fifty ters away.
"It’s... incredible," She gasped. "What is this? It’s cold. Also, it seems to contain energy. Not a pill for cultivation, but a pill for... clarity? Efficiency?"
She looked north, towards the horizon where Sleeping Dragon City lay. A calculative light, the sa light that Lin Mo often had in his eyes, began to shine in hers.
"Uncle Tie, I’ll be continuing to hire your Escort Group. Our Luo rchant House will not rely be a ssenger for the Senior. Let’s go quicker. Don’t stop until we reach the city. Once we arrive, keep an eye out for anyone affiliated with the Crimson Tiger or Silent Rain. We have a ssage to deliver... and a connection to secure. Ideally, we will find soone from that ruined sect. They belong to the righteous faction where the Sky Rainsword Empress hailed from."
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