Chapter 270: We Are Merchants

"Ancient Hidden Residence..." Huo La chewed the name repeatedly, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the bed rail, then he lifted his eyes and spoke, tone carrying a hint of certainty, "This place is at the border between Tian Guan Mountain Foothills and Red Lotus Wetland, right?"

Wang Luo heard him and slowly nodded, with not a trace of surprise on his face.

"That's right, the general area lies between the two, but the terrain there is complex and hides many powerful Wild Pokemon; no one can pinpoint the exact location."

Huo La rubbed his swollen temples, the lingering soreness still nagging his whole body, and gently waved his hand: "Got it, give me a moment to sort things out."

Wang Luo, seeing this, stood up, smoothed the wrinkles on his robe, and his tone regained a hint of a merchant's casualness: "Fine, I've told you everything I need to. Whether you go for the Stone Tablet, and when, is up to your own schedule. I should return to my stall to sell goods; I can't stay here forever."

Having said that, he turned and walked toward the door, his blond hair swaying lightly with each step.

"Wait." Huo La's voice suddenly came from behind, calling him.

Wang Luo halted, turned his head toward Huo La on the bed, a hint of puzzlement in his eyes.

Huo La leaned slightly against the headboard, a tentative smile curling his lips: "Your Ginkgo Guild claims 'everything can be sold', right? Could I directly commission you to fetch those three Stone Tablets and bring them to me?"

"Heh." Wang Luo snorted, his eyes full of knowing mockery, "You wish. We're merchants, the shrewdest of all, and this kind of reckless, thankless trade—let's not even discuss whether we have the ability to get the Stone Tablets from the Pokémon King or from Wusi Lady— even if we could, do you think you could pay the corresponding price?"

He paused, his tone deepening, losing some of the jest: "So I advise you, if you truly want those Stone Tablets, recuperate for a few days, and when your vitality is restored, go fetch them yourself. This isn't just about the tablets; it's a trial given after Arceus chose you—no one can take this step for you."

Huo La watched Wang Luo's departing back as he pushed the door, and the room instantly fell into silence.

He slowly leaned back against the headboard, let out a long sigh, his tone mixing resignation and certainty: "It seems, no matter how thorny the road ahead, I must first meet Wusi Lady."

The thought of the poised, cool‑aura, mature lady from his memory made Huo La's heart involuntarily tighten.

He silently prayed that the current Wusi would differ from his recollection, at least not be utterly unapproachable.

He inhaled deeply again, exhaled slowly, and his gaze fell on the nightstand—three Pokeballs holding Pokemon sat quietly, emitting a warm sheen, next to his canvas backpack, its corners still stained with jungle soil.

Huo La slowly spread his right palm, and the once faint, tiny Purple-Gold Dot had now expanded considerably, resembling a cluster of tiny stars embedded in his hand.

Even stranger, he could clearly see with the naked eye faint ripples swirling around the dot, a barely perceptible sense of spatial distortion, and touching it still felt that familiar slight chill.

"System, are there any hidden risks in the residual energy within my body?" he asked silently in his mind.

"System is scanning Host's bodily status... Scan complete. Host's Spacetime Energy residue is stable, bodily functions normal, no obvious abnormal risks," the cold mechanical voice announced as scheduled.

"Energy normal..." Huo La lowered his head, staring at the distorted Purple-Gold Dot in his palm, brows slightly furrowed, and a figure suddenly flashed in his mind—Sakaki.

He clearly recalled Sakaki once wielding a compact sphere of Spatial Power in his hand, a sight that bore a vague resemblance to the energy in his own palm.

Could it be... I'm developing toward Sakaki's path?

Or, to some extent, already possessing a potential to control such energy?

Once that thought arose, it lingered in his mind, plunging him into deep contemplation.

At that moment, a soft knock came, followed by a crisp female voice: "Huo La, are you awake? I heard Wang Luo say you woke up; may I come in?"

Huo La snapped back to attention, recognizing the voice, a faint smile tugging his lips as he called out, "Xiao Zhao, come in."

The door was gently pushed open, Xiao Zhao entered first, followed by a young man wearing a beret, tall and upright, his brows and eyes exuding a crisp vigor.

Xiao Zhao hurried to the bedside, her gaze landing on Huo La's still slightly pale face, her tone full of genuine concern: "You finally woke up! You've been unconscious for seven days; everyone in Zhuqing Village was almost worried to death. Captain Gangshi and Miss Zhu Bei were eager to check on you daily, fearing something might happen to you."

Huo La reached up to rub his brow, smiled at Xiao Zhao, his tone lightening to reassure her: "Nothing serious, I just overexerted myself handling the Mysterious Antler Deer King, passed out from fatigue, and a couple of days of rest will fix it."

Speaking, his gaze shifted to the young man behind Xiao Zhao, a hint of amusement in his eyes: "Ming Yao, you also returned from outside?"

The youth known as Ming Yao stepped forward, nodded at Huo La, his eyes beneath the beret showing a touch of approval and a barely perceptible awe: "I just finished the survey task assigned by Xingyue Squad Leader, and as soon as I got back to Zhuqing Village I heard about your coma. I inquired a bit and learned what you did... I must say, you're truly unlike us ordinary investigation team members."

Ming Yao's words contained no hint of mockery or doubt; every sentence was heartfelt praise, and his gaze's approval was entirely sincere.

"It's nothing," Huo La raised an eyebrow, his tone half‑jokingly calm, "It's just what a hero chosen by Arceus like me should do."

"Yes, yes, the great hero who's been chosen," Ming Yao laughed, shaking his head, his tone turning a bit serious, "But even heroes must watch their own safety, right? Don't sacrifice your life before the world is saved; that would be a loss not worth it."

Huo La heard that, shrugged helplessly, yet understood Ming Yao's genuine concern, and said nothing more.

From the side, Xiao Zhao, seeing the two had talked enough, spoke at the right moment, her tone a bit brighter: "Alright, alright, Huo La, you look spirited, so it seems nothing serious. Coincidentally, when I came, I heard Captain Majamu and Xingyue Captain still discussing you in the council hall, saying that once you wake up and are in good condition, they'll have someone call you over. Want to go check it out now?"