Chapter 531: Interaction

Ke Lai'en lounged casually in the high‑backed chair, his gaze sweeping the faces of the crowd; on The Magician Foersi and The Chariot Andesen he saw a hint of eager anticipation.

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, and he couldn't help to mutter inwardly that the notion of premature consumption seemed about to swell at the Tarot gathering.

Under the tense stare of The Hanged Man A'erjie, Leikdun smiled lightly and nodded, "Sure."

Then, following the earlier procedure, he made a request to The Fool Ke Lai'en, manifesting the potion formula for the Ocean Singer that he knew.

A yellowish parchment floated automatically before The Hanged Man A'erjie, who eagerly unfolded it, read it carefully, and memorized its contents.

His expression shifted from excitement to confusion, then to helplessness. Ascending the Ocean Singer requires ingesting the potion inside the belly of an Obunice; wild Obunices are now virtually extinct in the sea, and those that can be found have been domesticated by the Storm Church. In the end, can one still bypass the Church? The Chariot Andesen, who had been unusually quiet all day, saw the silence, cleared his throat, and said:

"Everyone, does anyone know the potion formula for the Iron‑Blood Knight? Or any clues?"

Justice Odairi tilted her head in puzzlement. "Iron‑Blood Knight?" she asked. "Which path, which sequence?" The Moon Emrin, The Magician Foersi, and The Sun Daerik all shared the same question, as it was their first time hearing that potion name.

"Iron‑Blood Knight"—is that the name of sequence four of the Hunter path? It could belong to another sequence; perhaps he was merely testing the waters. The Hanged Man A'erjie gave Anderson a blank glance, then quickly averted his gaze.

The Hermit Jiadeliyia pondered briefly and said:

"You could try contacting the Iron‑Blood Cross; they hold the formula for the Hunter path."

Andesen grinned with his big white teeth, pulling a helpless smile and said, "I joined once, but I couldn't agree with some of those lunatics' ideas, so I left later."

"I think if I crawl back now and claim I've seen the light, only the Creator of All would be my genuine belief; they wouldn't believe me, and might even mock my clumsy kneeling."

"Creator of All"? Does the Iron‑Blood Cross that the Hermit mentioned also worship the Creator of All? Is it the same deity we worship in Silver City? The Sun Daerik, who had been sitting silently with his head down, suddenly looked up, his face astonished and slightly delighted as he gazed at Andesen.

The Chariot's mind is so unconventional; in everyday life he'd seem the type who easily gets along with others, yet he once joined a secret organization and left without trouble. He's cautious, clever, and adept at disguising himself. Justice Odairi subconsciously began to profile Anderson in her mind.

The Iron‑Blood Cross, who worship the True Creator, once counted The Chariot among its members; fortunately they hadn't chosen him earlier. The Hanged Man A'erjie's lowered gaze briefly flickered toward the figure shrouded in gray mist at the far end.

The Fool gave no indication, perhaps showing that The Chariot wasn't brainwashed nor tainted by the True Creator. Though he appears detached, this guy must not be underestimated.

"Do you want the Despair Witch's formula? I still have one trait left; if you're willing, tomorrow you could become an extremely beautiful demigod‑level witch."

Leikdun leaned back in the high‑backed chair, his gaze calmly fixed on Andesen.

Andesen's mouth twitched, and he waved his hands while shaking his head, "Um, thanks for the kindness, but I still prefer a male identity a bit more."

Still a witch trait left? You've killed too many witches, perhaps. Ke Lai'en gave Leikdun a subtle glance, then, manipulating The World, said:

"You could become a witch first, then switch back in the next sequence; that way you regain your gender while retaining the witch path's trait."

"Under the influence of different path traits, your extraordinary abilities will undergo a certain, positive mutation."

Leikdun glanced unexpectedly at The World at the far end. Is this enriching the character of Ge Erman Si Pa Luo?

He twitched his mouth, then, with The World's words, laughed lightly and said:

"I know the whereabouts of the Red Priestess in the Blasphemy deck; once I obtain it, you can shift from the Despair Witch path to become a War Bishop."

Anderson placed his right hand on his forehead, feeling that everyone was watching his spectacle.

He inhaled deeply and said gravely, "I think I could wait a bit longer; wouldn't it be better to ascend directly to Iron‑Blood Knight then?"

Leikdun gave a noncommittal gentle nod, tilted his head slightly upward toward the towering dome, and said, perhaps inadvertently:

"I'm familiar with the Iron‑Blood Knight ascension rite; it's not absurd, but it's especially difficult for Hunters, and I hope you succeed."

"What do you mean? What are the requirements of the Iron‑Blood Knight rite?" Anderson asked, somewhat skeptical.

"You'll know once you obtain the Iron‑Blood Knight formula later," Leikdun said, shaking his head lightly; his pitch for the witch had failed, and he lost interest in the topic.

Anderson opened his mouth, then closed it again, slumping back into the high‑backed chair, feeling a bit depressed, and fell silent.

After a moment of silence, The Hermit Jiadeliyia raised her hand, looked at The Magician Foersi seated beside her, and said:

"The cursed relic of the ancient vengeful spirit is secured, 1700 pounds."

"So fast—The Hermit's efficiency is truly high!"

Foersi, while admiring Jiadeliyia's efficiency, calculated the cash he could spare, and after a moment, calmly said:

"No problem, we'll trade at this time tomorrow." After a brief silence, The Moon Emrin, with an awkward expression, turned his head, his gaze passing Leikdun toward The Sun Daerik, and said, "Mr. Sun, I'd like you to inscribe some Sun‑domain extraordinary abilities onto Miss The Magician's mysterious item."

"Huh? Sure, which extraordinary abilities do you need?" The Sun Daerik was taken aback, not expecting The Moon to initiate a trade, and after regaining his composure, he asked what abilities needed to be recorded.

The Moon Emrin pondered briefly, indifferent, and said, "Well, whatever you have, just record it all."

He needed to deal with artificial vampires of the same path; any Sun‑domain extraordinary ability would work quite well.

After The Moon Emrin and The Sun Daerik completed their trade, Leikdun suddenly thought of something, turned his head thoughtfully toward Emrin on his left and said:

"Ask your bloodline's leaders whether they'd be willing to reclaim some Moon‑path traits; I'm in the God‑Abandoned Land, and vampires aren't rare among the deep‑dark monsters."

"We are bloodline!" Emrin gritted his teeth, correcting, "As the Moon's favored, we'll certainly reclaim Moon traits; what do you seek?"

Leikdun said without hesitation:

"Joining the Pas River Valley regime in the Southern Continent is also possible; we'll then move toward the Star Plateau and the Northern State, which will inevitably be blocked by the Rose School and the Spirit Sect, so we need allies."

The Moon Emrin's expression darkened; instinctively he wanted to refuse the deal. Even as a newly turned reclusive bloodline, he knew that agreeing would plunge the clan back into a vortex of conflict.

He paused, inhaled deeply, and said, "I'll report to our bloodline's elders; whether we cooperate isn't my decision."

"Fine." Leikdun gave a gentle nod.

At the end of the trading segment, Ke Lai'en, manipulating The World, said:

"I have some extraordinary traits for sale, corresponding to the Sailor, the Furious Folk, and the Hunter sequences."

After brief negotiations, Jiadeliyia purchased the Sailor and Furious Folk traits; at sea, Sailor‑path extraordinary beings are always in demand, and the ship "Future" happened to have a sailor who had amassed enough merit for promotion and recently applied to her for advancement.

After another silence, The Fool Ke Lai'en lightly tapped the edge of the mottled long table, signaling the start of the free‑talk segment.

The crowd's gazes, vague yet focused, fell on Leikdun and The Sun Daerik, seeking updates on the God‑Abandoned Land.

Daerik looked around, then began to explain:

"The Chief plans to resume exploration of Afternoon Town; Mr. White Tower has already prophesied this, so we shouldn't encounter unforeseen dangers or gains."

He paused, then recalled his earlier talk with the Chief, awkwardly scratched the back of his head and said, "Hmm, food in Silver City is being consumed quickly; we'd like to buy some grain from you, offering monster materials or occult knowledge in exchange. If you're willing, tell me your price."

Since the trading phase had passed, Daerik's words sounded very hesitant, his head drooping lower and his voice growing softer.

"It's a tender," he thought, "the Tarot Society's business is getting more and more expansive, more and more absurd," Ke Lai'en silently sighed in his mind at the far end of the mottled table.

He didn't mind the Sun's trade question raised during free talk; after learning the details from Leikdun, he privately hoped the people of Silver City could live a bit better.

Because he had just concluded a transaction with Xiao Taiyang, "Yue Liang" Ai Mulin, unusually enthusiastic this time, let out a light laugh and said:

"Bulk purchase of grain requires suitable channels; I can try to get in touch with Fei Neibo Te's blood clan, and if possible, I will later draw up a price list for you."

"Yin Zhe" Jia De Li Ya also calmly spoke:

"Later I will have someone compile a list for you; if you agree to the deal, just tell me the grain you need and the quantity. However, this will take a considerable amount of time—I am still at sea, and contacting grain merchants and gathering supplies also requires time."

"Thank you! Thank you both!" "Tai Yang" Dai Li Ke rose gratefully and bowed toward "Yue Liang" Ai Mulin and "Yin Zhe" Jia De Li Ya in thanks.

After sitting down, he looked toward Lei Ke Dun with some apology; the latter smiled and nodded at him, indicating he didn't mind.

A few seconds later, "Shi Jie" broke the silence, turned his head toward Lei Ke Dun and let out a low laugh, saying:

"What have you been planning to do lately?"

Lei Ke Dun, after a brief recollection, said:

"To the far east of Shen Qi Zhi Di, I sensed some vague summons; I intend to go there to achieve advancement."

"By the way, Shen Qi Zhi Di has a Wu An Mo Lang, which corresponds to sequence two 'Miracle Master' of the Diviner path."

(End of chapter)