Chapter 147
Chapter 147: The Purchase
Upon entering the store, Wang Jie removed his mask.
The servant, surprised, quickly forced a smile and said, “Oh, Brother Wang, why didn’t you come right in? Why wait in line?”
“You know why,” Wang Jie replied quietly.
“Shen Wang? Don’t worry, Brother. Shen Wang definitely wouldn’t dare come here. This place is under Black White Heaven’s jurisdiction, a rare area not bound by Lock Path interval rules. Shen Wang, a fugitive, wouldn’t dare get close.”
Wang Jie didn’t say much more. He didn’t know who this servant worked for. If they were allied with an enemy of Xing Xue, his whereabouts might already have been reported to Shen Wang. He needed to hurry the conversation along. Fortunately, the item Xing Xue had given him was already in his possession. It was called the Heart Guard Shield, a Three Tribulations Star Artifact—something valuable.
“Great Elder, it’s your junior here,” Wang Jie said respectfully.
“Are you alright?” came the reply.
“I’ve been in hiding, so I’m fine for now. I’ve received the Heart Guard Shield, thank you, Great Elder.”
“It’s a small matter. Under these circumstances, contacting you is indeed dangerous, but there’s something important I must tell you. If you hide too long, it might be impossible to recover.”
Wang Jie’s heart sank. There were other methods at play.
Wu Yun had sent Shen Wang after him, but it was clear the situation wasn’t just about playing hide and seek.
“Black White Heaven’s Deacon Hall has ordered you to be conscripted to the Star Cloud battlefield. I intercepted this for you because, according to the rules, newcomers to the Lock Path interval have a three-year exemption. That means you won’t typically be conscripted unless something extraordinary happens. But, even under extraordinary circumstances, if someone steps forward, they can protect you for three years.”
“But after those three years, it will be different. Once an order comes from the Star Cloud battlefield, you’ll have no choice but to go. At that point, I won’t be able to stop it.”
Wang Jie furrowed his brow. “Is there a way to avoid conscription?”
“The reason I’m contacting you now is because of this. If you hide for over a year, even if Shen Wang is captured by the Discipline Hall, you won’t escape being sent to the Star Cloud battlefield to die.”
“The solution is simple. You just need to prove to your sect that your value staying in the Lock Path interval outweighs going to the battlefield. If you can do that, I can protect you here.”
Wang Jie nodded thoughtfully. “I can break through the Sword Mastery Heaven’s Ten Seals and reach the Star Breaking Realm’s Eleven Layers.”
“This will benefit you, but it won’t benefit your sect. Even if you were willing to offer the rewards from your breakthrough, they would claim you exchanged them. No matter what you give up, Black White Heaven will view it as insignificant.”
Wang Jie understood. Zhong Yi, despite her strength, was not the most valuable asset staying in Sword Mastery Heaven. External goods were of no interest to Black White Heaven.
“What should I do, then?” Wang Jie asked.
“You have the strength to defeat a Hundred Thousand Combat Power Star Realm cultivator. In the Star Cloud battlefield, such a cultivator would be nothing more than fodder. Proving your value is simple: each year, provide the sect with more Lock Force cultivators and more Lock Force materials. Do so under your own name. That will truly help the Star Cloud battlefield. For lower-level cultivators, numbers are far more important than quality.”
Wang Jie nodded, “So, I must secure more Slaughter Stone planets?”
“Exactly. And the Lock Force cultivators you provide should have a high proportion of Ten Seals.”
“By the way, as a Celestial Refinement Master, could that help me?”
“Of course. This is actually your last chance to avoid being sent to the battlefield. But I must warn you—Celestial Refinement Masters belong to the White Domain’s Zhi Learning Valley above and the Zhi Training Academy below. Regardless of where you belong, you fall under the jurisdiction of Deacon Hall, Discipline Hall, and other authorities. At that point, I won’t be able to help you. I’ve heard of your troubles with the Frost Radiance Sect—people are already targeting you. It won’t be hard for them to isolate and even expel you from your honored guest status.”
Wang Jie’s heart sank further. If even a Star Refining Realm cultivator couldn’t clear the theft charges, he would only suffer more. Black White Heaven would be even more merciless. The truth was, without a way out, when the three years were up, he would either end up as cannon fodder on the battlefield or at the mercy of the White Domain.
“By the way, if you have no eyes or ears in the Lock Path interval, let me offer you a method: purchase information from Star Dome Visage, the largest intelligence network in the universe. The one in charge of Lock Path interval information is Du Xian.”
Wang Jie was surprised. “Du Xian?” The image of the woman who had sold him a spaceship came to mind. She was in charge of all Lock Path interval intelligence?
“Yes, that’s right. Go and find her.”
Wang Jie took note. His heart began to race as he made the decision to seek out Du Xian.
With the conversation concluded, Wang Jie left. He felt as though he were surrounded by wolves, with himself as the prey. He couldn’t allow himself to be at their mercy.
Boarding a ship that Miao Tai had bought for him, Wang Jie set course for Du Xian’s location, preparing to cross the Lock Path interval. He needed to purchase intelligence and counter his enemies.
The ship was a basic one, traveling slowly, but thanks to the Space-Time mini vortex, it sped across half the Lock Path interval. After some time, it arrived at the Spaceship Trade Center planet where Du Xian operated.
“Customer, please come in,” Du Xian greeted, leading Wang Jie inside. “It’s your first time here, right? What would you like to see?”
Wang Jie replied, “I don’t want anyone to see me.”
Du Xian gestured, “Then please follow me.”
She led him into a lavish room, attended by beautiful maids, and Wang Jie immediately sensed the atmosphere was one of manipulation.
Sitting down, Du Xian smiled warmly as she prepared tea for him. “What would you like to see, customer? I have everything here.”
Wang Jie dismissed the maids and turned to Du Xian, his gaze intense. “I want to buy information.”
Du Xian’s smile grew wider. “Ah, a regular customer. What kind of information would you like to buy?”
“What major events have happened in the Lock Path interval recently?”
“Ah, customer, that’s not exactly information, that’s news. I can give it to you for free,” Du Xian replied, then shared the latest events, including the Four Alliances and Lone Peak Gorge happenings. She also mentioned Shen Wang, the fugitive, but refused to elaborate on the connection between Shen Wang and Wang Jie.
Wang Jie raised an eyebrow. “One Ten-Imprint cultivator caused such a stir in the Lock Path interval. Impressive.”
Du Xian laughed. “Yes, he even bought a ship here. Would you like to see it? It’s a stellar belt-class starship, with a very impressive speed…”
Wang Jie listened quietly, then asked, “I’m not sure what information I need to buy. What do you think is worth purchasing?”
Du Xian paused, looking at him, then grinned. “Well, the person who’s shaking the Lock Path interval is sitting right in front of me. Does that count?”
Wang Jie’s eyes widened in shock. She recognized him?
Du Xian laughed brightly. “Don’t look at me like that. The mask you’re wearing is flawless—I couldn’t tell. But don’t you know? To see through someone, you don’t just look at their appearance. You observe their demeanor, their movements, the way they walk, and their speech.”
Wang Jie’s expression turned grave. Previously, Nie Zhou had guessed him just by looking, and now Du Xian had done the same. The mask wasn’t foolproof. He had to learn to disguise himself better in the future.
“Alright, what’s the price?” Wang Jie asked, still reeling from the shock.
Du Xian smiled. “It’s free.”
“Free?” Wang Jie raised an eyebrow.
“Yes.”
“Thank you, then. But now, I want to buy some real information. I think you know what I’m looking for.”
Du Xian quickly accessed her terminal, and moments later, a projection appeared. “Would this information interest you?”
“Sword Mastery Heaven is about to welcome new customers—descendants of a few elders. Remember the game you played with the Four Alliances? They were in such a rush to get rid of you because of this.”
Wang Jie understood immediately. “No wonder they were in such a hurry. They were afraid of being held accountable by the Elder’s Court.”
Du Xian nodded. “Black White Heaven’s Elder’s Court is not like the Deacon Hall. A single word from an elder, and people in Deacon Hall and Discipline Hall would lose their heads. You hold their life in your hands in Sword Mastery Heaven, so the Four Alliances attacked you. Zong Cheng Ping’s order was to seal Sword Mastery Heaven to prevent you from escaping inside again. Otherwise, even their backers would have headaches.”
Wang Jie opened the star map. “Even if this information is true, I can’t enter Sword Mastery Heaven anymore.”
Du Xian smiled. “With your ability, what’s impossible? So, what do you think? Want to buy it?”
“How much?”
“Not expensive, just one million starstones.”
Wang Jie was taken aback. “What?”
Du Xian beamed. “Or one hundred Starsea Stones. Either is fine.”
Wang Jie was speechless. This woman was really a businesswoman at heart.
He thought about it and then sighed. He handed over one hundred Starsea Stones. “I’ll buy it.”
Business isn’t about the present, it’s about the future.
Du Xian had already given him a free reminder earlier, so this was a favor. Wang Jie might need similar help again in the future. Even if there were other ways to get the information, he paid. This was how business worked.
Du Xian provided the details of the information and assured him that if there were any changes, she would update him and possibly return his payment.
“By the way, I have some information on Shen Wang. Would you like it?”
“How much?”
Du Xian smiled slyly. “Five hundred Starsea Stones.”
Wang Jie stood up and walked out, not even bothering to negotiate. He didn’t have the Starsea Stones, and even if he did, he didn’t intend to pay. Shen Wang wasn’t his problem for now. As long as he could delay things until the Elder’s Court disciples entered Sword Mastery Heaven, he could counterattack.
Du Xian didn’t stop him. “Come again soon. Goodbye.”
As Wang Jie’s ship soared into the sky, leaving the planet behind, he glanced back. Every time he visited, this woman made a profit from him. He could only hope this time was worth it.
Suddenly, the ship emitted an alarm. Wang Jie quickly looked at the screen—flashing lights ahead.
He looked up and saw movement in the stars. Bad news—it was Shen Wang, a wandering star realm cultivator.