Gambling like this was like being fish in water for him and he had no issues blending in.
At the next table over, several n in fine traveling cloaks—mud-streaked from the road, but still finely embroidered—sat with drinks in hand, talking in loud, careless voices. Their guards stood nearby, relaxed but alert. These weren’t just hired hands—these were seasoned escorts, probably cultivators themselves, sworn to protect their rich clients.
And the clients? Clearly part of the caravan.
"—told you, the Mist Eye sect’s main trade isn’t pills or weapons. It’s spirit ores! The veins in the Mist Shroud are rich, and they’ve locked down the best ones."
"Bah, you and your ores. I saw a whole wagon loaded with blue lotus pods. Alchemical grade. You know what that stuff sells for in Yunhe?"
"They’re doing sothing big, though. Trust . This ain’t just a trade route. They’re clearing the Caldera."
"Clearing it?"
"Yeah. I heard from one of the sect guards—they’re looking for sothing. Digging, even. And not the kind of digging that’s about resources, if you get what I an."
The n burst into laughter, knocking back their cups.
Han Yu’s eyes narrowed slightly. So the rumors he’d seen in those docunts—about the "search for the hidden altar"—were spreading among the rchants, too. That ant this wasn’t a secret operation anymore. Or at least, it wasn’t fully contained.
The rchants were careless with their words, and the guards weren’t stopping them.
Which ant either they thought no one here could piece together the truth...
Or they didn’t care if people knew, because whatever they were doing was too far along to be stopped. Plus the power of the Mist Eye Sect was more than enough for them to think twice before doing anything.
Han Yu played a few more hands, then lost a few more silver coins and excused himself with a self-deprecating laugh.
"Luck’s not with tonight. Gotta save my coin for breakfast."
If the past Han Yu saw him like this he would not believe his eyes. to the younger Han Yu every silver coin was worth a lot of effort and he would never intentionally lose like this. And yet now that he had more fortune at his hand and the ability to earn, he didn’t care.
The others waved him off, and he slipped out of the tavern unnoticed.
His mind was spinning.
Now he knew three things.
One, the Mist Eye Sect had deep trade networks, especially centered around valuable resources like spirit ores and alchemy materials. This explained the recent surge in their economic power.
Two, their presence in the Caldera wasn’t just a spiritual pilgrimage or sect expansion—it involved excavation. Digging. Searching. Likely for the altar ntioned in the scrolls. Sothing ancient, powerful, and possibly dangerous.
And three, their stronghold at the Mist Shroud Mountains wasn’t just a base. It was a hub—an artery that connected their internal ambitions with the wider world through trade.
If Han Yu wanted to strike at them, or at least uncover the full picture, he couldn’t just rely on wandering the wilderness or waiting for stray disciples. He had to understand the logistics, the movent, the flow of goods and people.
And that ant learning from the rchants.
He returned to his inn that night with a plan forming in his mind.
He needed to infiltrate the next caravan.
Over the next few days, Han Yu continued visiting the Green Fang Tavern, pretending to gamble and drink like any other traveler with ti to kill. His ears were sharper than his cards, though, and it paid off.
He heard the confirmation he was hoping for.
Apparently, the last rchant caravan was not a one-ti journey. With the Mist Eye Sect reinforcing their presence in the region, the trade routes between their southern stronghold and the Caldera Edge Town were to beco regular. One caravan per week, sotis two, depending on the load, demand and the number of available escorts.
The news made Han Yu’s mind turn faster than a gambling addict watching loaded dice.
A weekly caravan ant a pattern. A predictable system. One he could infiltrate.
It was risky, yes. But no more than everything he’d already been through.
The next caravan, as he learned from listening to a rather drunk guard boasting over his winnings, was expected to arrive next week and would be heading straight for one of the Mist Eye Sect’s outposts closer to the Caldera.
That made Han Yu pause.
’There’s only one outpost there... This an’s there heading to the sa place as before.’ Han Yu thought. ’But I burned that place down.’
This ant only one thing... In the ti he had been in the town, the Mist Eye Sect had returned, seen the destruction, probably investigated, found nothing and then rebuilt the outpost.
’They caravan is probably heading there for all the supplies they need.’ He reckoned.
But going towards the Caldera wasn’t ideal. It was the very direction he’d been avoiding since the underground tunnels collapsed and the Mist Eye base had co into view.
But then again, it also ant he’d be inching closer to the heart of their operations. If he played his part right, he could gain insight into their movents, supply flow, and perhaps even their intentions with the altar.
And if things got bad... he had more than enough experience faking a sudden disappearance.
So he began preparing.
The first thing he did was eliminate all traceable risks.
He took the docunts he’d stolen from the Mist Eye Sect, the Mist Eye disciple tokens, and most importantly, his own Twin Leaf Peak Sect identification token—and carefully wrapped them in oilcloth to protect from moisture and spiritual detection.
Then, under cover of night, he slipped out of the town, walked for nearly two hours, and buried them beneath a moss-covered boulder near a gnarled tree by a small stream.
He marked the place ntally but left no obvious sign.
If he got caught, searched, or even killed, no one would find a single clue about who he really was.
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