Chapter 196
This time, when Yu Xunge set out to gather information, she decided not to bring Tu Lan along. Although Tu Lan never held her back when it came to serious matters, scouting for information was best done alone for greater flexibility.
As usual, she left Tu Lan to guard the home. Yu Xunge transformed into a fish and swam through the formation, disguising herself as a yellow-skinned Minotaur to enter the waterless zone outside Yasi City. Her disguise skill could alter her scent, but she still checked her gear to ensure she hadn’t used anything in front of Tu Lan. Only after confirming this did she head towards the Dark City.
Now she understood why Wu Ren had been able to smell her before. Although her disguise skill could change her scent, anything she had used regularly would leave a trace. Whether it was equipment or items, to a master like Wu Ren, these were all clues.
It’s safe to say that there are no perfect tools or skills in this world.
She planned to ask He Qipa first. Since it concerned the Moon Sand, with her reputation that even Lu Qiya feared, He Qipa would surely have something to say.
He Qipa put down the book in his hands. “What do you mean my reputation is so bad that even Lu Qiya is afraid?”
The Minotaur, who went by the alias “Raven Xiao Pa,” explained, “I mean, the teacher isn’t the type to stick to the rules. He must have some information.”
He Qipa shot Yu Xunge a glare. “No, I’m not Lu Qiya, bold enough to set my sights on the clock tower in the Eternal Night City.”
Raven Xiao Pa replied, “Fine, then I guess we’ll just have to give the teacher a smaller share.”
He Qipa kept his eyes on the pages of his book, not looking up. “You can talk to Xiao Ma Qi. She’s spent some time in the Eternal Night City.”
Yu Xunge’s eyes lit up, and she headed straight for the counter.
Xiao Ma Qi, who had been resting her chin on her hand while gazing out the window, turned to glance at the Minotaur and lazily asked, “What do you want to know?” Clearly, she had been eavesdropping on the conversation between her and He Qipa.
Yu Xunge leaned in closer and whispered, “Information about the Eternal Night City. How much? I’ll buy it.”
Xiao Ma Qi leaned in as well, her small head nearly touching the Minotaur’s large nose. “What’s the package?”
Yu Xunge replied, “The most expensive one.”
Xiao Ma Qi said, “Follow me. For paid content, we should talk somewhere with fewer undead around.”
Yu Xunge nodded. “Makes sense.”
He Qipa, eavesdropping with perked ears, thought, “…”
How did Lu Qiya manage to tolerate so many disobedient students? She could hardly handle these two!
The little undead led the towering Minotaur to the backyard behind the shop.
Yu Xunge, understanding the unspoken rules, pulled out 10 gold coins and handed them over. “For your trouble.”
Xiao Ma Qi eagerly accepted the coins and asked, “What do you want to know?”
Yu Xunge recited the questions she had prepared on the way: “Who can I buy the latest and most comprehensive information about the Eternal Night City from? What are the rules in the Eternal Night City that outsiders don’t know? How much do you know about the high tower in the Eternal Night City?” Although Xiao Ma Qi had come from the Eternal Night City, many key pieces of information were likely better known by those who lived there, just as Xiao Ma Qi knew more about the Dark City than those who had long since left.
Xiao Ma Qi set her prices: “5 gold coins for the first question. For the second and third questions, you can go find the answer to the first one. What I know might be outdated, but I have two pieces of information related to the Oak Owl tribe that I can sell you for 50 gold coins. You won’t regret it.”
Half an hour later, Yu Xunge walked out of the alchemy shop with a serious expression. This trip had not been in vain.
—“At three o’clock from the clock tower in the Eternal Night City, there’s a gourd-shaped island. On that island, there’s a rundown tavern. Go inside and find a little undead named Guo Ta. He knows the Eternal Night City better than anyone. Just like me, as long as you can pay, he’ll be more than happy to sell you information.”
Whether this piece of information was worth 5 gold coins was debatable, but the two pieces of information Yu Xunge bought for 50 gold coins left her feeling quite conflicted. Her first thought after hearing it was, “I’m glad I bought it,” but her second thought quickly followed, “But I could have done without it…”
What was the difference between this and getting a red name in a game after killing someone? And it was a one-sided red name at that—how infuriating!
Even He Qipa didn’t know how to deal with the plant Guo Jiu. According to her, she had been parasitized during her early years of study abroad and hadn’t been able to resolve the issue until last year.
What was even more absurd was that only those who had already been parasitized could hear this information. If someone hadn’t been parasitized, even if others spoke of it, they would quickly forget. Even advising everyone to avoid Oak Owl cuisine didn’t help much; sometimes, the more you warned someone not to eat something, the more they wanted to try it. So after Xiao Ma Qi shared this information, she said it was a gift for Ravenclaw.
—“The second piece of information is the real treasure. No one who has bought this information has ever said it wasn’t worth it. Many people know this secret, but they’re reluctant to share it. It’s that regardless of the race, anyone willing to swear an oath of partnership with an Oak Owl under the Bird’s Nest in the City of Seasons will grow a pair of wings just like the Oak Owl tribe. From then on, they will have the ability to fly. Even if you part ways, the wings won’t disappear; they’ll just shrink down… a testament to the love that once existed.”
—“How small?”
—“About the size of the McSpicy wings you treated me to before.”
—“…Can they be completely cut off?”
—“They can’t be cut off. Even if you do, they’ll grow back.”
At that moment, a terrifying title flashed through Yu Xunge’s mind: “After breaking up with the Oak Owl, I made a million a year running a fried chicken shop.”
Unable to help herself, she asked Xiao Ma Qi, “What if we get back together after breaking up?”
Xiao Ma Qi replied, “If you get back together, a new pair of large wings will grow back, but the small wings won’t be affected.”
Yu Xunge: …
Even a person from Blue Star couldn’t take it anymore… This was too much! You might as well just take them all back!
The two pieces of information she bought for 50 gold coins were not included in the materials from the Special Affairs Bureau. As soon as she stepped out of the alchemy shop, she notified Zhao Shuying—who also reimbursed her for the 50 gold coins spent on information.
Zhao Shuying’s response was a simple, “Well done, but don’t do it again next time.”
What a coincidence! That’s exactly what Yu Xunge had said to Xiao Ma Qi when she left the alchemy shop.
After leaving the Dark City and returning to the depths of the sea outside Yasi City, Yu Xunge transformed back and spent five hours hunting sea monsters. After enduring the cooldown time of the crab, she disguised herself again and headed towards the Eternal Night City. Following Xiao Ma Qi’s information, she found Guo Ta in the rundown tavern—he was a little undead who looked about the same size as Xiao Ma Qi.
However, Guo Ta was a completely different kind of undead child. While Xiao Ma Qi had clearly endured many hardships, leaving her disillusioned with the world yet still full of love for life, capable of laughter and mischief, and hopeful for the future, Guo Ta was different. His eyes were always filled with vigilance, hostility, and scrutiny. From the moment he laid eyes on Yu Xunge, it was as if he was assessing everything about her: her strength, wealth, intentions, preferences, true identity, and whether she was easy to deceive…
Yu Xunge unfolded the note Xiao Ma Qi had given her and showed it to Guo Ta. Only then did his expression soften slightly. He pointed outside the tavern, and they left the noisy place in unison, Guo Ta leading her around several corners until they reached a tree.
After skillfully using various skills and items to scan the surroundings, Guo Ta finally spoke, “What information do you want to buy?”
Yu Xunge, lacking any interest in socializing with unfamiliar races, replied directly, “All the information about the Eternal Night City. You choose what you think is worth selling. Tell me half first, name your price, and I’ll assess the value of the information to decide how much to pay. Once we agree on a price, I’ll pay you, and then you can give me the other half of the information. How does that sound?”
Guo Ta’s furrowed brow relaxed a bit. “You need to narrow it down; otherwise, we could talk about the Eternal Night City for three days and three nights.”
Yu Xunge said, “Then let’s talk about the high tower in the Eternal Night City.”
Guo Ta replied, “The high tower has only one entrance. From December 15th to 17th, it’s the Oak Owl’s Hazelnut Festival. Everyone will be out and about with the money they earned that year, so there will be fewer Oak Owls watching the tower. For more information about the tower, it’ll cost you 300 gold coins.”
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