Chapter 220: Purchasing Underground Information

At the address given by the sleazy man, there was a building exuding a dark aura.

The whole building covered a large area, yet it had only one floor, standing in stark contrast to the surrounding structures that seemed to beg for four or five stories.

Moreover, when all the shops in the Capital City had their doors shut, this place remained open for business, and two verses were written on either side of its doorway.

"Erudite in ancient and modern knowledge, eight dou of talent; learned as five carts, the sea of knowledge broad. Is the tone really that grand?"

Chen Shicheng, though doubtful about the authenticity of the verses, breathed a sigh of relief inside, at least that guy named Zhao Si hadn't deceived him; perhaps he could indeed obtain some clues about the copper plates here.

Perhaps because he had been observing at the doorway for too long, a pale‑skinned man soon lifted the curtain and stepped out, gesturing a "please" sign toward him.

And as Chen Shicheng passed in front of him, the man whispered, "Is the tone grand or not? You'll find out soon, sir."

It seems he heard his muttering at the doorway.

Chen Shicheng stopped in his tracks, and said softly, "Whether it's a mule or a horse pulling a cart, just saying it won't make anyone believe it."

After speaking, he walked straight into the unremarkable building.

Such places were not unfamiliar to Chen Shicheng; countless novels and films have featured them, essentially underground information‑selling organizations.

By his guess, the interior should be filled with broad‑shouldered men with fleshy faces, but upon entering he found the décor surprisingly elegant.

The moment he entered, there was a hexagonal hall, and at its center stood a faux mountain as tall as the building; its summit, through some unknown Spell, had a pool of clear spring water, with several waterfalls continuously cascading down the mountain.

At the six corners of the hall were six wooden doors concealed by black curtains, seemingly imbued with Spell; not only could no sound be heard, but even Divine Perception was blocked outside.

"Some skill there."

Chen Shicheng surveyed the layout, nodding inwardly, feeling a faint hope of obtaining clues about the copper plates.

"Sir, this way."

The pale‑skinned man lifted the curtain beside the main door, the cloth bearing the character "Jia".

Chen Shicheng glanced inside, but it was pitch black, seeing nothing.

Yet, bold and skilled, he merely glanced at the expressionless man at the doorway, let out a light laugh, lifted his leg and stepped in.

In an instant of darkness and light, a refined study appeared before him; behind a desk sat an elderly man cradling bamboo slips, his white hair and chest‑length beard giving an air of erudition.

"I have long admired your reputation; please, have a seat."

Noticing someone had entered, the old man set down the bamboo slips and said calmly.

"Hmm? You know me?"

Seeing the old man who seemed to recognize him, Chen Shicheng was somewhat startled.

Is this a line he says to everyone?

Or does he truly have his own information? The old man's demeanor left him uncertain.

"By wielding an unnamed formation, I struck down the Great Cloud Temple Elder with a wave, and single‑handedly drove back the Head of the Great Cloud Temple Dharma Hall; who in the Capital City does not know this?" The old man seemed to see through everything, a profound smile appearing on his face.

"Yo‑ho, some skill there." It wasn't surprising that he repelled the Dharma Hall Head; after all, generals and hundreds of soldiers were present, but the killing of Jian Kong outside the city was only circulating among players—how did the locals know? Could there be informants among the players? Chen Shicheng watched the old man's gaze with interest but saw nothing, and simply sat down in the chair opposite him.

Whether or not there were player informants, the fact that he could learn these matters so quickly suggested this place had its connections; perhaps the copper‑plate issue truly had a chance.

He unabashedly took out a copper plate, placed it on the table, and said, "Since you know so much, do you know what this is?"

"Patience."

The old man didn't even glance at the copper plate, instead covering it with a bamboo slip, "I suppose you, fellow Daoist, already had some knowledge before coming. According to the intelligence level, our fees vary; the highest is uncapped, the lowest still costs a gold or two."

Chen Shicheng glanced at his panel, where his gold balance was nearing five figures, and his inventory was nearly full, and he confidently tapped the table.

"Money's no issue, go ahead."

"Very well, forgive this old fool for being forward."

Saying so, the old man retrieved the copper plate from beneath the bamboo slip and examined it repeatedly.

One second, ten seconds, a minute—five minutes passed, yet the old man still said nothing, his brows furrowing and a thin sheen of sweat appearing on his forehead.

"Can you identify its origin or not?" Chen Shicheng, a bit impatient, patted the table.

"This… sir, please wait a moment."

The old man gave Chen Shicheng an apologetic look, then closed his eyes, and an invisible ripple emanated, as if contacting someone.

After a moment, the old man exhaled, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said, "Fortunately I have not failed my mission; I now know this item's origin."

"Oh!"

Chen Shicheng leaned forward quickly, his gaze burning at the old man.

"This is a token, pointing to an ancient lost Heavenly Cave Paradise," the old man said, stroking his beard, his voice resonant.

"And then?" Seeing the old man fall silent after that, Chen Shicheng quickly asked.

"Then nothing."

Chen Shicheng: "."

"This damn thing is what you claim to know the origin of? This place is just a money‑grabbing scam, isn't it!"

Seeing Chen Shicheng's intent to act, the old man hurriedly explained, "This item is extremely rare; in ten thousand years only four fragments have ever appeared. Countless cultivators have handled them without issue. Yet a year ago, a Returnee managed to gather three pieces, and that's how the rumor began."

"Someone assembled them? Who was that person? Where?"

Chen Shicheng hadn't expected that he wasn't the first player seeking to collect the copper plates; a year ago someone had thought of it alongside him, and astonishingly that person actually gathered three pieces! "That individual merely said the copper plates were token pointing to the Heavenly Cave Paradise, then vanished and was never seen again," the old man said with a regretful shake of his head.

"How is that different from saying nothing?" Chen Shicheng complained.

"However—" the old man continued, breathing heavily, "though we lack specific details, we know who holds a copper plate like yours. Of course, you may continue asking for other information, or spend money to purchase the location of the copper plates."

As he spoke, he extended his hand to Chen Shicheng, indicating that the choice was free. (End of chapter)