Chapter 253: Deal

"You say you know the Stone Tablet's information?" Huo La's face showed a perfectly timed look of surprise, half feigned, half natural.

"I know a bit, but the price…" Wang Luo rubbed his hands, his face showing just the right merchant shrewdness, his tone drawn out excessively.

Huo La, upon hearing that, turned his head and left without another word—his pockets were empty now, and he couldn't afford anything that required money.

"Hey, hey, hey, Brother Huo La, don't go!" Wang Luo shouted quickly from behind, his voice tinged with urgency.

Huo La didn't look back, waved his hand and said, "I'm a broke pauper, I have no money, I can't buy anything!"

"Brother Huo La, no money, really no money!" Wang Luo's voice came from behind, carrying a hint of concession.

Huo La's steps halted; he turned back puzzled, eyes full of caution, and said, "Things that cost nothing are even more untouchable. The most expensive thing under the heavens is the free one."

A flash of shrewdness crossed Wang Luo's eyes; he smiled and waved his hand, "It's truly no money, but it's not free either. All I need is for Brother Huo La to agree to one condition."

"What condition?" Huo La walked back to the stall, his expression still guarded.

"Brother Huo La is collecting Stone Tablets; I suppose that's because he answered A'erzhousi's request, right?" Wang Luo didn't answer directly, but instead posed a question.

Huo La raised an eyebrow without a flicker of emotion, "How do you know?"

"I've said it, my Ginkgo Guild roams south and north; we can sniff out any piece of news," Wang Luo avoided his gaze and continued, "Do you know the hero from the Hisui legend? It's said he was also chosen by A'erzhousi."

He paused, his gaze locking onto Huo La again, and said with certainty, "Young brother, you are most likely as well."

"On what basis are you so sure?" Huo La's eyes grew cold, his mind becoming even more wary—Wang Luo seemed to know far too much, especially about him.

Wang Luo looked at him, then suddenly smiled, his grin carrying an unfathomable hint, "Because, young brother, you fell from the sky."

Huo La's heart tightened, his gaze burning as he forced composure, "Fell from the sky? Why don't you say I can fly?"

"Young brother, don't doubt it," Wang Luo's smile softened a bit, he raised his hand and pointed toward Huo La's right rear, "You fell through a crack like that."

Huo La turned his head in the indicated direction, his pupils suddenly contracting, and he couldn't help but shout, "Time and Space Rift!"

In the distant sky, a pitch‑black rift spanned between the clouds, its edges glowing with an eerie violet light, faint thunder and lightning crackling from within, and the warped spatial distortion could be felt from far away.

"Exactly, it's a Time and Space Rift," Wang Luo's voice sounded behind him, his tone terrifyingly calm, "Three years ago I saw you fall from such a rift, landing by a river in the Obsidian Fieldlands."

Huo La spun around sharply, staring intently at Wang Luo—though he never said it, he knew that Ma Jia Mu and the others doubted his origins.

He hadn't expected that when he fell into this Time and Space, Wang Luo would run straight into him!

Wang Luo looked at his shocked expression, his face returning to the merchant's grin, "Don't be nervous, I mean no harm. I'm merely curious what kind of storm a person from another Time and Space, chosen by A'erzhousi, can stir up in this world."

He shifted his tone and returned to the point, "My condition is simple—once you collect all the Stone Tablets and awaken A'erzhousi, take me to see it face‑to‑face."

Huo La stared at Wang Luo; indeed, his target was A'erzhousi.

Although having his status as a time‑traveler exposed shocked Huo La, fortunately his purpose for this trip was already fulfilled.

"You want to see A'erzhousi?" Huo La said, his tone much calmer.

"Exactly," Wang Luo nodded calmly, a trace of unhidden obsession in his eyes.

He paused, then added, "In exchange, I can tell you all the Stone Tablet information I know."

Huo La looked at him, a faint smile tugging his lips, "I already know the whereabouts of eleven Stone Tablets; they are in the hands of the Hisui kings. Unless you can provide clues to Stone Tablets beyond the kings, I cannot agree to you."

Wang Luo heard this, raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise on his face, "I didn't expect, young brother, that you've already uncovered the Hisui kings' possession of the Stone Tablets."

He gritted his teeth, feigned helplessness, placed a hand on his forehead and said, "It seems I can only bring out my ace information. As it happens, what I know is precisely the locations of the remaining seven Stone Tablets."

Huo La stared at him, also smiling, his tone resolute, "What a coincidence. Once I gather all the Stone Tablets, I will take you to see A'erzhousi."

"Now, you can tell me the Stone Tablet locations," Wang Luo shook his head, speaking slowly, "The places I know are the most dangerous spots and Ruins in Hisui; they hide not only Stone Tablets but also lethal hazards. With your current strength, going there would be a death sentence."

He paused again, then continued, "When you have gathered all eleven Stone Tablets from the kings and your power is sufficient, come back for the remaining clues. For now, don't disturb me while I sunbathe."

As the words faded, he plopped back onto the lounge chair under the shade, pulled his straw hat over his face again, looking utterly uninterested in further matters.

Huo La watched his actions, standing still for a while, without pressing further.

He knew Wang Luo was deliberately teasing him, testing his resolve. After all, gathering the kings' Stone Tablets was no easy task; it was a dual trial of his strength and character.

After a moment, Huo La turned, glanced up at the still‑subtly rippling Time and Space Rift in the sky, then headed back toward his dwelling.

Sensing Huo La's footsteps recede, Wang Luo slowly removed the straw hat from his face, his gaze sinking toward the sky‑borne rift, his fingertips idly tapping his knee, murmuring low, "A'erzhousi's Stone Tablet… A'erzhousi, A'erzhousi, what are you plotting now?"