Chapter 1645: The Sound of Rustling Winds through the Forest
Li Yan nodded slightly.
His first question was merely a probe to see if the man knew Su Hong. The result confirmed his suspicions: the Return-Home Trade House had a massive background, and Su Hong’s status within it was significant.
For a high-level deacon to know of a shopkeeper in the lower realm was telling.
Of course, Li Yan’s deep scheming played a part here. By choosing an appraisal deacon and using a confident tone, he had bluffed the man into believing he was certain the Trade House was the same across realms.
A dedicated information deacon might have seen through the bluff, but an appraiser was less attuned to such nuances. With just one question, Li Yan had obtained the answer he wanted.
Of course, it would have been even better if the man knew Su Hong’s current location.
“The second question isn’t exactly a question. Since you know of Shopkeeper Su, I have two jade slips here. Please deliver this one to her. Just say it’s from an ‘old acquaintance from the wind and snow,’ and she will certainly accept it.”
Li Yan produced two jade slips as he spoke. He placed one on the table and pushed it toward the elder. Without waiting for a response, he continued.
“As for the other jade slip, I wish to know if your Trade House offers the service of transmitting messages to the lower realm. If so, we can discuss the terms.”
Li Yan stared intently at the elder. The man looked at the jade slip on the table and the one in Li Yan’s hand. He didn’t pick them up immediately, but instead let out a soft chuckle.
“Fellow Daoist, I think you’ve misunderstood something. I know of the Shopkeeper Su you mentioned, but as for how to find her, I truly do not know.”
“Hehe, perhaps you don’t believe me. Shopkeeper Su once invited me to become a deacon in your shop. At that time, she was accompanied by two protectors, one of whom…”
Li Yan smiled and began to describe the two protectors Su Hong had with her when she visited the Wind God Continent.
The elder’s heart jumped as he listened.
‘The Young Lady invited this man to be a deacon? Is that true…’
He knew how difficult it was to join the Return-Home Trade House, especially as a deacon. Every recruit was strictly vetted. He didn’t know if the man was lying, but if it were true, it meant he had a close relationship with the Young Lady.
When Li Yan described the protectors, the elder was certain. Those were two powerhouses from the main headquarters; their incarnations had indeed accompanied the Young Lady. This man had clearly met her.
“I can attempt to contact Shopkeeper Su, but I cannot guarantee success,” the elder said, reaching out to take the jade slip.
He was a late-stage Spirit Transformation powerhouse. The moment his fingers touched the slip, he felt the powerful restrictions on it.
‘So strong. He… is also at the late-stage of Spirit Transformation?’
The man appeared to be only at the initial stage, but the restrictions on the slip would take even the elder some effort to break.
This made him believe Li Yan’s words even more. This man was unusual; it was entirely possible the Young Lady would want to recruit him. He didn’t know her current location, but he could send the jade slip to the main headquarters.
He didn’t know that Li Yan’s Divine Sense was actually at the initial stage of Void Refining. Li Yan had considered placing a Void Refining restriction on it, but remembered that Su Hong was in the lower realm and her protectors could only use Spirit Transformation power there…
Half an hour later, Li Yan and Mu Guyue walked out of the Trade House. Their expressions were calm, but Li Yan was filled with anticipation.
He had paid fifteen supreme-grade Spirit Stones to send a message to the Wangliang Sect in the lower realm. The elder had warned that it would take a long time because this branch couldn’t send messages directly to the lower realm. It had to be forwarded through specific hubs—likely the main headquarters—taking roughly thirty years.
Li Yan was helpless but had to accept it. To the Trade House, sending messages between realms was no simple task. He had paid extra to speed it up; normally, it would take fifty to a hundred years and cost eight to ten supreme-grade Spirit Stones.
The message to the sect was simple: “Yan is at the Broken Army Sect in the Far West of the North Ice Continent!”
The message to Su Hong was similar: “In eight years, I will be at the Broken Army Sect in the Far West of the North Ice Continent. Please inform the sect.”
As for a path back to the Mortal Realm, the elder had flatly refused. They didn’t offer such a service. Maintaining a portal between realms was too resource-intensive and involved too many risks. The Trade House didn’t want to get involved in the grievances and complexities of inter-realm travel. Li Yan could only give up on that for now.
Regarding Mu Guyue’s desire for a cross-realm transfer to the Sacrificial Nether Realm, the Trade House could provide an escort to the nearest cross-realm array for fifty supreme-grade Spirit Stones per person.
This would involve a Void Refining escort and decades of travel, using the Trade House’s private networks to avoid the dangers of places like the Heavenly Demon Prairie.
Li Yan and Mu Guyue frowned at the cost. It was a king’s ransom. Their current stock of supreme-grade Spirit Stones was enough for the escort, but they wouldn’t have enough left for the actual transfer fee. They had no choice but to stay at the Broken Army Sect longer to accumulate more.
Seven years later, their rotation duty was complete. Before leaving the border, Li Yan visited Ghost Sound City one last time to check on the messages. The elder confirmed they had been sent but likely hadn’t left the North Ice Continent yet.
Li Yan also obtained a map of several “Dragon-Cry Pavilions”—beast material shops connected to the Trade House—located closer to the Broken Army Sect. This would allow him to maintain contact more easily in the future without entering the dangerous ghost city.
Upon returning to the Broken Army Sect, they found the sect stable. The Spirit Transformation ancestor was pleased with their performance. Li Yan felt he could eventually leave the sect without worry.
Shangguan Tianque presented them with the sect’s ten-year earnings in supreme-grade Spirit Stones. Though it was a large sum, it was still not enough for their journey. Li Yan knew he couldn’t just go out and start robbing people, so he and Mu Guyue settled in for a longer stay.
A year later, in a place millions of li away, Su Hong, dressed in pale green palace robes, sat at a table covered in jade slips. She held one, her eyes flickering with interest.
“The Abacus Sect, Jia Fugui! Another merchant sect asking about the Return-Home Trade House. Is it for business?” she thought.
Because the Far West was so remote, intelligence took a long time to reach her. But the Trade House was far more powerful than the Abacus Sect; it had only taken her eleven years to find a lead.
Just then, a knock came at the door. “Young Lady, I have something to report.”
It was Uncle Lian. Su Hong told him to enter. He was holding two jade slips. His aura was as deep as the sea—his true cultivation was far beyond what Li Yan had seen.
“What is it?” Su Hong asked.
“Young Lady, a jade slip arrived from Ghost Sound City. It was intended for the headquarters because the branch didn’t know where you were. It arrived here during a routine message collection. The appraiser there noted that it was from a ‘friend from the wind and snow’ for Shopkeeper Su!”
Su Hong’s elegant, noble expression froze instantly.