Compared to the twists and turns on the road to their eting, the trade itself was very smooth.
Perhaps as compensation for having kept Xia Nan waiting for so long, Ellison’s offer was quite high.
For a Tide Rod, a second-hand White Equipnt with harsh trigger conditions for its special effect and no practical combat value, the initial offer was directly 120 Gold Coins, far exceeding Xia Nan’s expectations.
After a bit of bargaining, the final sale price even reached 135 Gold Coins.
After deducting the association’s 5% handling fee, Xia Nan received about 128 Gold Coins.
After the transaction, neither of them imdiately left the room; instead, they started chatting leisurely.
"It’s just over a month until the New Year. Are you planning to return inland?"
Sipping his tea in the conference room, Ellison casually asked.
"I have so matters to deal with in Suo Yu Bay. I’ll be staying at least until February next year."
He still has to attend the Moon Tide Banquet, so naturally, he won’t leave early.
"So you’ll be staying at the tavern during this ti?"
"Yeah, at the Three-legged Sea Dog. You can co by for a drink if you’re free. I rember saying I’d treat you to a al, right? Co anyti; I’ll make good on it."
"Haha." Ellison smiled warmly, insinuating, "The Three-legged Sea Dog isn’t cheap. In a place where adventurers gather like this, a al might cost as much as a day’s expenses at another inn, right?"
Indeed, as Ellison said, whether it’s the White Sparrow at River Valley Station or the Three-legged Sea Dog in Suo Yu Bay, the prices inside are much higher than in the market.
But conversely, for an adventurer like Xia Nan, money is certainly important, but if spending just a few more Gold Coins ans he doesn’t have to watch out overnight or worry about his possessions being stolen during an adventure, it’s entirely worth it.
Moreover, from a profit perspective, if you casually order a dinner and sit in a crowded spot in the tavern hall, keeping a keen ear, the value of useful information gathered from adventurers could justify the tavern’s price markup.
With Xia Nan’s understanding of Ellison, soone as experienced as him would surely understand this.
The question clearly has another purpose.
So Xia Nan didn’t reply imdiately but rather grinned while silently staring at Ellison with his dark eyes.
"Alright, alright."
Recognizing his intentions are revealed, the downtrodden middle-aged man waved his hand helplessly:
"I’ll get straight to the point."
"Do you have ti lately? I have a commission that requires a reliable adventurer to handle."
"Oh?" Xia Nan shrugged, "Unfortunately, a bit late."
"I just promised soone to join her team, so I might not have the ti for a while."
"Temporary mber?" Ellison quickly grasped the situation, recalling Xia Nan’s previous ntion of not having a fixed adventurer team.
"Yes, with Sword of Vengeance, Lorin, you’ve probably heard of it."
Not sothing that needs to be hidden, Xia Nan answered plainly.
Yet, unexpectedly, as soon as he ntioned the nas "Sword of Vengeance" and "Lorin," Xia Nan keenly noticed the sudden change in the middle-aged man’s expression.
Pupil tremors, involuntary flare of the nostrils, slightly parted lips.
That’s definitely not a normal reaction.
The next mont, Ellison quickly regained composure, deliberately masking the change in expression, confirming Xia Nan’s suspicion.
"Oh, do you know Lorin?"
Without hiding, Xia Nan presented the question directly.
But Ellison, showing reluctance, forced a smile and explained:
"Sword of Vengeance is quite famous. I’ve been in Suo Yu Bay for many years, naturally, I’ve heard of it."
"I just didn’t expect you would beco a mber of that team. I rember they have high standards; even to board as a sailor requires a period of observation."
"Congratulations."
This isn’t the truth.
Even though Xia Nan hasn’t studied psychology and his experience with people isn’t extensive, he can still clearly sense if soone is lying or saying falsehoods.
Undoubtedly, these are excuses Ellison makes to hide his inner thoughts.
But... it’s irrelevant.
Xia Nan isn’t a detective, and Ellison isn’t a criminal.
Since Ellison doesn’t want to disclose his relationship with Sword of Vengeance, Xia Nan won’t press further, as there’s no reason to strain his connection with the man.
A ntal note will suffice, and he can always inquire more from Lorin’s team later out of curiosity.
With the trade concluded and intending to say goodbye, Xia Nan paused and ntioned:
"About your commission, care to elaborate? If the conditions and timing are right, I’ll see if I can help."
"Certainly!" Ellison nodded.
"It’s nothing much, really. I heard so news about things appearing in specific sea areas that might interest , requiring adventurers to investigate. Whether discovering special items or odd sea phenona, just recording them will suffice."
"Where exactly?"
Ellison hesitated for a second before slowly saying:
"Twin Ocean."
...
...
Xia Nan was genuinely surprised—not that the trade of a useless White Equipnt overdue for sale could coincide with information about the Secret Realm.
The na "Twin Ocean" was familiar to him; just earlier, he’d heard this na from so Corner Shark Gang thugs.
The surgical knife from the Exotic Realm originated here.
He had even planned to take so ti to explore the area for clues about the Secret Realm.
Hearing the na from Ellison, Xia Nan felt a twinge of curiosity and naturally inquired about Ellison’s source.
Ellison didn’t disclose specifics, but hinted it was due to an influx of exotically styled items on the black market—not enchanted equipnt or special tools, but intriguing collectibles—capturing Ellison’s interest.
Ellison’s rationale was his suspicion of an ancient treasure left in Twin Ocean, but Xia Nan was skeptical of his answer.
Nonetheless, given its relevance to the Secret Realm, Xia Nan was definitely going to make the journey, hence he accepted Ellison’s task.
In the blink of an eye, another three days passed.
Life in Suo Yu Bay hadn’t changed significantly for Xia Nan. Although his reputation was fernting among the adventurers due to the Corner Shark Gang’s demise, earning him the nickna "Haiya."
It didn’t disrupt his routine of "eating, training, resting."
It’s worth noting that during these three days, the aftermath involving the baron was resolved, with all promised rewards disbursed.
The participants also did so distributing.
Hai Yin and the twin warriors, Xia Nan didn’t know what they did with their money, but Alton, the Half Orc favored by the Goddess, took all his Gold Coins to the casino the afternoon he received them, and as for the outco...
When Xia Nan saw him at the tavern, Alton was happily flipping a copper coin at the bar—a drink Xia Nan helped pay for.
As for Xia Nan, while chatting at the Baron Mansion, he learned of plans to renovate his ship. Baron Farrow had originally intended to gift a new ship as paynt.
Yet, knowing the ship’s value far exceeded what was his fair share for the task, potentially leaving him indebted to Baron Farrow, Xia Nan declined and suggested using the renovation funds as compensation.
It still totaled at least four figures in Gold Coins, saving significant expenses for Xia Nan and ensuring funds were available for his new armor forging costs.
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