“…”

  “…”

  The stifling awkward silence sted only a few breaths before Qian Bage nonchantly slipped the spirit stones into his storage pouch as if nothing had happened.

  Like a painter touching up a masterpiece, he popped off his mask, combed back his disheveled hair, and pstered on a friendly smile all in one go.

  Then, the shorty walked over, waving while calling out in a light and overly familiar tone.

  "Ouu! If it isn’t Brother Bai!"

  Bubai’s eyes cooled slightly. "Qian Bage, I really didn’t expect you to have a taste for pying these little tricks."

  "Ou, just doing what I can to scrape by, earning a few extra spirit stones along the way." Qian Bage shrugged with a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Hope Brother Bai understands the sorrows of the poor."

  Bubai scoffed inwardly.

  Poor? Heh. Three spirit stones per sale, and who knew how many disciples had bought into his schemes over the years.

  No wonder this money bag’s pockets were so full. But... dipping a finger in someone else’s monopoly… this was definitely a risky business.

  Casting a steely gaze at Qian Bage, Bubai warned, “Swiping peaches from under their noses… you aren’t worried that the tigers might come for you?”

  "All’s fair in business, Brother Bai. Surely you understand. Haha..."

  Haha your head.

  "Well then, let’s talk business. Don’t you think you owe me an expnation?"

  Bubai’s ft expression was unyielding as a dead fish, a cold expression that made Qian Bage’s smile falter just a fraction.

  "Haha…" Qian Bage nervously chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

  "Does Brother Bai not want his news to be spread like this? If you don’t want it, just say the word, but… Remember, a tall tree attracts the wind. I’m sure a smart man like you can see... the benefits of what Bage is doing?"

  Bubai fell silent, his mind quickly weighing the pros and cons.

  As much as he wanted to be angry, he couldn’t deny there was a certain logic to what Qian Bage was saying.

  The rumors painting his supposed weakness could, in fact, py to his advantage.

  A low profile often attracted more trouble, but it also gave him more freedom to operate in the upcoming tournament.

  Additionally, it was a great shield.

  If people believed he was a weakling who had risen through connections, they’d be less likely to suspect him of being the evildoer behind the sky-changing foundation building phenomenon during the secret realm period.

  So, rather than saying the guy was dragging him down, it could even be said that Qian Bage had done him a service.

  In a nutshell, one could even argue that it’s a favor!

  Of course, calling it a "favor" might be overstating things since, for Qian Bage, this was just another day in his business of peddling information.

  But these mere footnotes in their ledgers wasn’t insignificant, either.

  After all, tampering with intel carried a weight of its own.

  Even if the misinformation went unnoticed, it was still a silent shadow that could tarnish a seller’s reputation and ripple through the seller’s customer base.

  Still, as long as Qian Bage was clever and kept his misleading information vague enough, it was enough to avoid direct bme.

  After all, others can’t just pin him down for “mistakes”, especially when there were other leading examples selling simir or worse quality intel.

  But whether others suffer or not due to the intel wasn’t Bubai’s problem.

  His problem was that he couldn’t shake the discomfort of knowing that details about him were being peddled so freely.

  His unease was probably written on his face because the ever perceptive Qian Bage read it like a book.

  Reaching into his storage pouch, Qian Bage pulled out a small, but thick paper booklet.

  "Alright, alright. Don’t think too much about it, Brother Bai. I treat you as a brother and won’t let you lose out...."

  Qian Bage winked, lightly knocking Bubai’s chest with the booklet as if to reassure him.

  "Here, I’ll gift you a copy as compensation. Take a look, Brother Bai. This is the limited higher-end version, the epitome of my efforts. I guarantee it won’t lose out to the likes of what you’d find in Hei Hua Lou or from other brokers."

  Bubai took the booklet and looked over the pin cover titled “Thousand Insights Series”. Info get.

  Flipping it open, his eyes were immediately drawn to the detailed ink-painted image on the first page, neatly accompanied by densely packed written text.

  At his side, Qian Bage pitched in some introduction with an air of a proud salesman.

  "This booklet covers almost every contender for the Inner Sect Exchange, even some of the possible outer sect challengers this year..."

  "You’ll find sections detailing each individual’s background, well-known skills, notable personality traits, and even some specutions on their assets."

  Thumbing through the booklet, the profiles of various intriguing characters emerged, including those Bubai had just witnessed in the fighting pits.

  At a gnce, Bubai already saw that Qian Bage hadn’t exaggerated.

  At least, the quality of this intel was better than what he scanned in the intel room of Gemstone Paradise.

  Rich and crucial intel like these... were definitely worth a pretty penny. This money bag of his wasn’t simple. His credibility wasn’t bad either.

  "These here are those on the Sun Snake List of the fighting pits. Weeks old, but still the most current ones..."

  Qian Bage then pointedly dropped a warning.

  "But don’t pce blind trust on what’s recorded. Many hidden hands are not accounted for. Only those snakes with the patience and cunning to hold back can overturn the dragon to take their ir."

  Yep, can’t trust everything one reads, especially on time-sensitive intel like these. Who knows when some chosen one would get a power buff.

  Then, there are the well-prepared who loves hiding trump cards left and right. A good example would be himself.

  Bubai found his own Mo Bubai profile.

  Not only was he downpyed to be a mediocre newbie at level seven of Qi refinement realm, but his avaible skills section was almost empty.

  On the other hand…

  The spirit stones received from Qian Bage’s quest, his living conditions in a white tower thanks to hugging the thigh of his “deceased sister”, his formation apprentice status…

  In a nutshell, any noteworthy info that enhanced his net worth was mentioned, except matters correting to his secrets and hidden strength.

  If Bubai didn’t know better, he would’ve thought Qian Bage was painting a target on his back!

  But with his current strength, these small fries after his meager wealth were no longer the ones he was worried about. Instead…

  Bubai cast a thoughtful gnce at Qian Bage. “Are there any details about the inner sect disciples?”

  Qian Bage’s grin widened, as if he’d been waiting for that very question. "I was hoping you’d ask!"

  Qian Bage eagerly helped Bubai flipped through more than half the booklet, stopping at a new section marked with bold characters.

  "Here it is, the Sun Dragon List. It doesn’t include all inner disciples, but almost everyone who should be participating this time is listed here, including the newly promoted batch…"

  "Some notable highlights are Long Batian of the Mo Cn and Ge Tianqi of the Taiyin Cn. Newly promoted ones like them will probably make a show of their might this time around."

  Bubai took note of the names, well… just the one belong to the not dead guy.

  Nodding along, Bubai flipped through the pages, skimming through and archiving all the details with a few gnces.

  But soon, a particur entry brought his scanning to a pause.

  The quality of the portrait on this page was crude at best, hardly recognizable as a matter of fact, yet the unmistakable name leapt out at him like a beacon. Jia Shizi!

  From the Jia Cn. Great Grandson of Grand Elder Jia Wunan. Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment. Surmised to practice the Pleasurewood Body Scripture.

  Every word in his description screamed of his prestigious status!

  Noticing Bubai’s overstay on the page, Qian Bage leaned in for a peek. "Know him?"

  Bubai didn’t bother hiding his recognition. "You could say he’s an acquaintance."

  Qian Bage’s gaze darted back and forth between the crude image and Bubai’s face, cautiously broaching the topic. “I don’t know how you’re connected to him, but I’d advise Brother Bai to be careful.”

  "Oh?" Bubai raised an eyebrow. "Mind telling me more, Brother Ba?"

  "Ouhem." Qian Bage cleared his throat, looking around cautiously before lowering his voice.

  "It’s not good to gossip about big cn members like this, but for Brother Bai’s sake, Bage will make an exception this time. Just remember. These are rumors. Only rumors."

  Bubai nodded along. "Uh huh. Rumors."

  Qian Bage leaned in closer, his voice transmission reaching Bubai’s ears.

  "It’s said this guy has a rather... peculiar temper. Besides his overly eccentric obsession with... his bizarre sharing hobbies, rumors has it that many geniuses who’ve disappeared are his handiwork."

  Bubai’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he wasn’t overly surprised because these rumors aligned too well with the grim dungeon scenes he fished up from Jia Fei’s memories.

  Farming others like pigs, crazy fetishes... Truly, that Jia Shizi was a man with dangerous practices.

  Well, danger or not, it was too te to debate this.

  What held his interest now was...

  Bubai flipped to the next pages and back. Sensing there was more on his mind, Qian Bage’s curiosity got the better of him. "What cha looking for, Brother Bai?"

  Bubai didn’t immediately respond, his thoughts still turning over the possibilities. Finally, he looked up at Qian Bage. "There’s nothing here about his weaknesses?"

  Qian Bage gave an exaggerated eye roll.

  "Brother Bai, if I dared to put that in the book, believe it or not, there would be more people knocking on my cn’s gate than the angry hens that chased after me st month."

  His tone was half-serious, half-joking, but Bubai could see the truth behind his words.

  Selling information about someone’s abilities could be seen as helping build their reputation, but directly exposing their weaknesses?

  That was an entirely different matter, one that could earn someone a world of trouble.

  Still, Bubai couldn’t help but look at Qian Bage with a hopeful expression. "Really nothing at all?"

  Qian Bage’s expression shifted to a sneaky grin. "Hard to say, hard to say..."

  "Ou… But I’ve heard that practitioners of demonic body arts tend to have their willpower eroded and don’t do so well against illusions... if you can find a way to break through their defenses, that is."

  Qian Bage batted his eyes innocently, as though he hadn’t just said anything important.

  Before Bubai can attempt to wheedle anything else out from him, Qian Bage patted his shoulder and took the initiative into his hands.

  "Ouu, Brother Bai, let’s not waste time on dull gossip during these festive times. Let’s talk about something more interesting!"

  A vulgar smile surfaced on the man’s face. "I heard the lead escort of Bai Hua Lou is set to give a special performance to celebrate the Blue Moon Festival…"

  The mention of the Blue Moon Festival stirred something deep within Bubai.

  For most, it was just another festive night, but for him... it held a much deeper significance.

  The night of the Blue Moon. This night wasn’t like any other. This was a very special, fateful night.

  Why?

  Because this was the anniversary of his transmigration into this world!