Mu Yu led his teammates off to the side.
The group lowered their voices and discussed something among themselves for a few moments before returning.
“Let’s discuss something.”
Mu Yu’s expression was exceptionally sincere.
After carefully considering his words, he said,
“This quest is very important to us. Since it appears to be connected to your quest as well, would you be interested in cooperating?”
Yin Huaichen raised an eyebrow.
“How would we cooperate?”
“We can form a party and enter Windblade Stronghold together.”
Yin Huaichen looked puzzled.
“Is there only one token? Can’t you just farm another one?”
Mu Yu shook his head.
“This quest item can only be obtained from the elite monster. Elite monster coordinates aren’t easy to acquire. We had to complete several quest chains before finally obtaining this location.”
He paused before continuing.
“Besides, only one elite monster spawns at this location every two days. If we miss this opportunity, we’ll have to wait another two full days before we can challenge it again.”
If they chose to search for another elite monster coordinate or waited for Chi Bantu to respawn two days later, someone else would almost certainly complete the quest first.
Yin Huaichen had already said that he didn’t belong to any fixed party.
The key quest item was also currently in his possession.
That was precisely why Mu Yu had come up with the idea of working together.
Looking at the thoughtful expression on the young man’s face, Mu Yu couldn’t help feeling puzzled.
“You didn’t know any of this?”
Yin Huaichen shook his head.
“I came here because of a quest too.”
“This token is connected to a lot of different quests, not just ours.”
Mu Yu explained patiently.
“From what I know, quite a few teams have received related quest lines and all of them involve uncovering the whereabouts of Windblade Stronghold.”
He continued,
“So we’ve concluded that Windblade Stronghold is probably part of a regional main storyline quest. The competition is intense.”
“Since you don’t have a fixed team right now, why not cooperate with us? It would save you the trouble of finding a temporary party.”
Yin Huaichen thought for a moment.
“Can’t I enter Windblade Stronghold by myself?”
Mu Yu froze briefly before answering.
“You can.”
Then he added,
“But having the token alone isn’t enough. You’ll still need to complete additional quests and gather clues before obtaining the exact location of Windblade Stronghold.”
“You already know where it is?”
“We do.”
Mu Yu nodded.
“It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. Otherwise, even if you possess the token, finding the coordinates on your own will probably take quite a bit of time.”
“Oh.”
Yin Huaichen responded thoughtfully.
That was true.
The token only stated that it could unlock the Windblade Stronghold instance. It didn’t provide any actual directions.
“How do you know so much?”
Mu Yu answered,
“We’re from Mountain Wind Rin Club. We have our own information channels.”
“Additionally, some of our intelligence was purchased from Dustworld Pavilion.”
“Dustworld Pavilion?”
Another organization he had never heard of.
“…”
You don’t know about that either?
Mu Yu couldn’t help feeling bewildered.
A Level 6 Martial Artist shouldn’t be this clueless about gaming circles, should he?
“Dustworld Pavilion is a well known intelligence platform within the gaming industry.”
Mu Yu patiently explained.
“They specialize in selling dungeon lore, story information and intelligence regarding various gaming clubs.”
“Recently, however, the platform was acquired by the Wei Corporation.”
“Wei Corporation?”
Yin Huaichen paused.
“The Wei Corporation from Chen Harbor City?”
“That’s right.”
Mu Yu nodded.
“Aren’t a lot of major financial groups investing in Eternal Universe now?”
“Recently, there was a massive upheaval in the stock market. A lot of gaming related businesses underwent acquisitions and restructuring.”
“Dustworld Pavilion changed owners during that period.”
He glanced at Yin Huaichen.
“You know about the Wei Corporation, right?”
Know about it?
He had practically just been there.
Yin Huaichen thought silently.
It wasn’t surprising.
Ever since Eternal Universe had been released, major capital forces throughout the real world had begun making moves.
The Yin Family was no exception.
Because Eternal Universe was a game independently generated by the Starnet Central Intelligence, much of its information had never been publicly disclosed.
Players were expected to discover everything themselves.
As a result, information had become one of the most valuable resources in the game.
The more information one possessed, the greater the advantage.
It meant moving faster than everyone else.
Even though Yin Huaichen paid little attention to business affairs, he could easily recognize the immense potential of an organization like Dustworld Pavilion.
As the most famous intelligence platform in gaming circles, establishing a firm foothold within Eternal Universe would effectively mean controlling one of the game’s most important channels of information.
No wonder Wei Wanzhou had become the opponent his eldest sister regarded as the most troublesome.
His business instincts and speed of execution were indeed extraordinary.
After thinking for a while, Yin Huaichen finally nodded.
“Alright.”
“I agree to cooperate.”
The other party had already demonstrated enough sincerity.
There was no reason for him to refuse.
“That’s great.”
Mu Yu visibly relaxed.
“Don’t worry. We definitely won’t let you suffer a loss.”
“If we find any equipment in Windblade Stronghold that’s useful for a Martial Artist, you’ll have priority.”
“As for any gear we need ourselves, you’ll still receive your share according to market value.”
“Sounds fair.”
Yin Huaichen smiled.
“But I need to return to the city first and make some preparations.”
“We need to head back as well.”
Mu Yu nodded.
“We have to reorganize the team and report our progress to the guild.”
“Let’s add each other as friends first. How about we meet again in two hours?”
Within Thousand Mechanisms City, a dedicated player trading district occupied a prime location near the city center.
The moment Yin Huaichen stepped inside, he was greeted by a flood of activity.
Billowing white steam mixed with the grinding sounds of interlocking gears.
Everywhere he looked, players were shouting advertisements while self made signboards flashed brightly above their stalls.
[Top Tier Warlock Weapon for Sale! The Ultimate Meta Choice! (Serious Buyers Only, No Reporters)]
[Materials at Cabbage Prices! Essential for Hidden One Leveling!]
[Heavenly Workshop Crafting Leveling Service! Free Forging! Bring Your Own Materials!]
[Multiple Class Skill Books Available! Everything You Need! Bargaining Welcome! Dragon Slaying Knife Haggling Not Welcome!]
[…]
Setting up a stall in the trading district required paying a fee to the Trade District Management NPC.
Twenty silver coins per hour.
After hearing the price, Yin Huaichen clicked his tongue.
The stall fees were anything but cheap.
On top of that, the system would collect an additional ten percent transaction fee after every successful sale.
Still, this was currently the busiest marketplace for players.
Yin Huaichen wasn’t overly concerned.
After paying the fee, he received a stall of his own.
His signboard contained only four simple words:
[Purple Weapon For Sale]
Compared to the exaggerated and lengthy advertisements surrounding him, the sign looked almost embarrassingly plain.
However, The words “Purple Weapon” alone were a golden banner more eye catching than anything else nearby.
Less than a few moments after putting it up, several players had already gathered around his stall.
At the current stage of the game, a Purple grade weapon was practically a legendary treasure.
Most players had probably never even seen one before.
Whether they intended to buy it or not, everyone wanted a look.
“Holy crap, it’s actually a Purple grade weapon!”
One player stared at the Broken Wind Halberd displayed on the stall.
After seeing its attributes, his eyes practically started glowing.
“Bro, where did you get this thing?”
Another player leaned forward curiously.
Sitting comfortably in the small chair provided by the stall, Yin Huaichen leaned back lazily.
“Read the information yourself. I don’t answer unrelated questions.”
A constant stream of spectators came and went.
However, actual buyers were few and far between.
Most players simply didn’t have that kind of money.
Leveling, teleportation fees, consumable purchases,
All of these costs consumed enormous amounts of silver in the early game.
Many players were already struggling just to remain self sufficient.
No matter how attractive a Purple grade weapon might be, it remained beyond the purchasing power of ordinary players.
Besides, while the weapon itself was excellent, it was still a Martial Artist weapon.
If it had belonged to a popular class such as a Warlock, Soul Contractor, or Mechanic, the price would probably have been much higher.
After waiting for half an hour, Yin Huaichen had received countless inquiries and questions regarding its origins.
Yet there were very few genuine buyers.
His patience was beginning to wear thin.
Just as he was preparing to pack up and leave, a Soul Contractor player suddenly called out.
“Hey, brother!”
The player hurried over to the stall.
“Has your weapon been sold yet?”
“No.”
Yin Huaichen shook his head.
The Soul Contractor immediately brightened.
“I’ve got a friend who’s a Martial Artist. He really likes your weapon.”
“He’s rushing back to the city right now.”
“Can you wait a little longer?”
After speaking, he lowered his head to check the time.
“He should be here in about ten minutes.”
Yin Huaichen stopped the motion of closing his stall.
“Alright.”
He had already spent thirty minutes waiting.
Another ten wouldn’t make much difference.
So he waited.
Ten minutes later, someone came hurrying over from the distance.
The newcomer had hidden his player name.
He wore the attire of a Martial Artist.
The moment nearby players saw him, several gasped in surprise, immediately beginning to whisper among themselves.
Yin Huaichen instantly realized that this was probably someone well known.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
The newcomer spoke with a bright, straightforward voice as he stepped up to the stall and examined the weapon.
The instant he saw its attributes, his eyes lit up.
“Now this is a good piece of equipment!”
Then he turned toward Yin Huaichen.
The eagerness in his eyes was impossible to hide.
“How much are you asking for it?”
Yin Huaichen sized up the man standing before him.
The equipment he was wearing looked expensive from head to toe, clearly not something an ordinary player could afford.
“What price are you offering?” Yin Huaichen asked.
The man pondered for a moment before replying,
“How about 1,500 silver coins?”
Yin Huaichen immediately shook his head.
“Too low.”
Purple grade equipment was never cheap, especially when it was a primary weapon.
Aside from Sharpness and Core Attribute, which were fixed affixes, the Broken Wind Halberd’s additional attributes, Critical Hit and Armor Penetration, were both premium affixes sought after by every damage dealing class.
Deflection was a defensive affix that reduced incoming damage. While it wasn’t entirely useless, it wasn’t nearly as valuable as offensive attributes and could be considered a minor flaw.
Even so, judging by the current market, the weapon could easily sell for around 2,000 silver coins.
If all three random affixes had been offensive ones, its price would likely have climbed even higher, perhaps reaching 2,500 silver coins.
The buyer clearly knew his offer had been low.
After a brief hesitation, he said,
“The problem is that silver is hard to gather right now. I only have 1,500 on me.”
Then he quickly added,
“How about this? I’ll owe you the remaining 500 silver. Once I collect enough funds tomorrow, I’ll pay you the rest.”
In the early stages of the game, silver was incredibly valuable.
Most players barely had enough for their own expenses.
Very few people were willing to sell excess currency.
Anyone carrying 1,500 silver coins could already be considered among the game’s wealthiest players.
Before Yin Huaichen could respond, the man continued,
“I’m the Vice President of Blue Note Guild. My ID is Xiao Sihai. A lot of people know me, so you don’t need to worry about my reputation.”
“If you’re still concerned, you can find a guarantor on your side.”
Blue Note Guild…
Yin Huaichen had heard of them before.
When his eldest sister, Yin Hanshan, had been preparing to establish a presence within Eternal Universe, she had even approached Blue Note Club regarding a possible acquisition.
The proposal had been rejected.
The reason was simple.
Blue Note Club already had powerful financial backers.
Money was the last thing they lacked.
As the Vice President of Blue Note Guild, Xiao Sihai’s title carried significant weight.
No one would believe he would destroy his own reputation over a mere 500 silver coins.
Yin Huaichen was just about to agree when his gaze suddenly landed on something hanging from Xiao Sihai’s waist.
He froze.
Then he pointed toward it.
“Can I take a look at that?”
“Hm?”
Following his gaze, Xiao Sihai looked down and picked up the seal hanging from his belt.
“You mean this?”
He casually handed it over.
“Sure.”
[Yiolet Lightning Four Directions Seal (Purple): Special Accessory Component. Has a chance to block lightning element damage while equipped.]
Yin Huaichen took the seal and carefully examined it in his hand.
“Where did you get this?”
Xiao Sihai shrugged.
“I bought it from someone who obtained it through some sort of special encounter quest.”
“Not particularly useful, honestly.”
He glanced at the seal.
“You want it?”
Although it was a Purple grade accessory, its attributes were mediocre.
Worse, it occupied an accessory slot.
Yin Huaichen slowly let out a breath.
“How about this?”
“1,500 silver coins, plus this seal.”
Xiao Sihai barely hesitated.
“Deal.”
The seal had only cost him 200 silver coins in the first place.
Naturally, he had no objections.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Sihai’s straightforward agreement made Yin Huaichen feel slightly embarrassed instead.
After a moment’s thought, he took out the Dragon Serpent Rising Stance skill book that had dropped from Chi Bantu and handed it over as well.
“You can have this too.”
Xiao Sihai looked genuinely surprised.
“This… isn’t that a bit much?”
“It’s fine.”
Yin Huaichen smiled.
“It goes with the weapon.”
“White grade skills aren’t worth much anyway. Let’s consider it a gesture of friendship.”
“Alright.”
Xiao Sihai’s expression became serious.
“Halberd skill books are difficult to find on the market.”
“I’ll owe you a favor for this.”
“If you ever need anything in the future, just let me know.”
This wasn’t empty politeness.
At the current stage of the game, most players could only learn basic skills through their sects.
Acquiring additional skills almost entirely depended on skill books.
The drop rates were already low.
Finding one suitable for your class was even harder.
[Xiao Sihai has sent you a friend request. Do you accept?]
After completing the transaction, Yin Huaichen accepted the friend request.
“I still need to go level up in a bit.”
“We can chat another time.”
“I’m heading out first.”
“Understandable, understandable.”
Xiao Sihai nodded repeatedly.
“If you come across any suitable equipment in the future, contact me first.”
Everyone was busy during the early stages of the game.
After exchanging only a few polite words and adding each other as friends, the two went their separate ways.
Holding the Violet Lightning Four Directions Seal in his hand, Yin Huaichen watched Xiao Sihai disappear into the crowd.
Then he immediately closed his stall.
After finding a secluded area with no one around, he looked down at the seal in his hand.
Only then did he finally let out a long breath.
The corners of his lips rose visibly.
He had struck it rich.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The Realm accepts your wallet. The translator accepts coffee. ✦
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Remember to keep a positive moodChapter 2 · Have fun playing the gameChapter 3 · Skill completion rateChapter 4 · Strange and malevolent creatures roam outside the cityChapter 5 · 90% complete!Chapter 6 · Serving the sect is my dutyChapter 7 · First meetingChapter 8 · Fang LecangChapter 9 · A prestigious and righteous sect!Chapter 10 · Kill Chi BantuChapter 11 · Spoils of warChapter 12 · We’ve made a fortune!Chapter 13 · Thunder and fire extinguish goldChapter 14 · You found it?Chapter 15 · The so called degree of freedomChapter 16 · The secrets of life and deathChapter 17 · A minor leader of the first rank.Chapter 18 · What kind of luck do you have?Chapter 19 · Let’s Do itChapter 20 · The BOSS escapedChapter 21 · “A wound to the heart is also a wound.”Chapter 22 · Good people are always blessed.Chapter 23 · The Old Man of the Valley of BonesChapter 24 · It’s me, young master!Chapter 25 · Take it slow and steadyChapter 26 · The older they get, the stingier they becomeChapter 27 · You know this person tooChapter 28 · I saw Wei Wanzhou againChapter 29 · You’d better keep having this kind of luckChapter 30 · “Password lock” crackedChapter 31 · We’ve come to punish you!Chapter 32 · A boorish country bumpkin who knows no manners.Chapter 33 · You have crossed the lineChapter 34 · Now that we’re here, do you think we can leave?Chapter 35 · A trivial skillChapter 36 · Actually, I was just kiddingChapter 37 · Upgrade mission complete, rating: SSS!Chapter 38 · AwardChapter 39 · I have always been law-abiding and law-abidingChapter 40 · Are you coming back for dinner tonight?Chapter 41 · Purple Lightning Square Seal.Chapter 42 · A money-grubberChapter 43 · BetChapter 44 · Four Continents Chamber of CommerceChapter 45 · This was my third meeting with Wei WanzhouChapter 46 · Oh, you want to hit on me.Chapter 47 · The angry drizzle has stoppedChapter 48 · Thunder SpearChapter 49 · “Are you a devil?”Chapter 50 · The Impermanent Lord!?Chapter 51 · Loot everywhere..Chapter 52 · His identity remains a mystery.Chapter 53 · Why not show yourself?Chapter 54 · He confronted Li Mingrui.Chapter 55 · Auction