Chapter 717: The Shadow Merchant

Yebusi reorganized his words and said:

"We can more keenly perceive certain needs, identify suitable parties to fulfill those needs, and facilitate corresponding transactions through language and relationships."

Lu Mi, possessing the "Conspirator" mind, thought carefully for two seconds before fully grasping Yebusi's true meaning, then chuckled and said:

"In simpler terms, and in a more esoteric expression."

Yebusi glanced at Fulanca and Jianna, then explained eagerly:

"There are two main abilities. One I call 'Perceiving Gray'—it allows me to perceive more keenly the gray areas between white and black, including intentions entangled in gray domains and needs tied to gray domains.

"The other is exceptional oratory skill, encompassing the art of language and the ability to observe others' expressions and interpret their words."

"That's it?" Lu Mi raised an eyebrow.

"That's it." Yebusi shook his head honestly.

"So brokers don't charge transaction fees?" Lu Mi smiled and pressed.

"Before any deal is made, we agree on compensation with both sides—sometimes even forgo compensation entirely, primarily to establish and maintain relationships," Yebusi answered seriously. "None of this involves supernatural power."

I thought the Broker's extraordinary ability allowed them to gain benefits from every transaction they facilitated, including enhancements on the supernatural level—but that would be absurd, clearly not fitting Sequence 9… Yebusi's two abilities, however, align perfectly with Sequence 9. So the Broker resembles the Audience—barely able to directly engage in supernatural combat, purely an auxiliary among auxiliaries… Lu Mi nodded with sudden understanding.

Fulanca asked with keen interest:

"What about Sequence 8?"

"It's the Shadow Merchant," Yebusi replied with a smile, gazing at the "Joyful Witch's" face.

Before Fulanca could ask further, he volunteered:

"We can detect mysterious beings and dangerous entities hidden in darkness and shadow, remain unharmed by their attacks, and negotiate certain transactions with them."

"Unharmed by hidden mysterious beings and dangerous entities?" Jianna couldn't help asking.

Isn't this trait too powerful?

Yebusi smiled and answered:

"Normally yes, but we cannot initiate attacks, covertly harm them, or harbor malice during negotiations if detected, and direct involvement in battle still exposes us to indiscriminate harm—we cannot force combatants to cease fighting."

"What if we see something we shouldn't?" Lu Mi asked thoughtfully.

"We suffer corresponding contamination," Yebusi replied without boasting.

"So the Shadow Merchant comes with a passive aura that reduces hostility from surrounding beings?" Fulanca realized.

Yebusi complimented her:

"Madam, you summarized it better than I did—but it's not that hostility vanishes, merely that it's reduced to some degree. The higher the entity's rank, the weaker the effect. Thus, contacting such beings for trade still carries risk and demands courage."

Here, Yebusi laughed:

"Courage to take risks is a necessary trait for any successful merchant."

"Looks like you've got it?" Lu Mi deliberately provoked.

"Of course," Yebusi answered proudly. "I've made deals with numerous dangerous entities, acquired valuable items, then traded them further—exchanging them with followers of the 'Great Mother,' followers of the 'Tree of Desire,' and other adepts for even more useful objects: bullets that drain life, bullets that cause internal explosions, bullets that impregnate a human, and so on, and so on."

Bullets that impregnate a human… Lu Mi was suddenly haunted by psychological shadows, deeply relieved he hadn't given Yebusi the chance to fire such a bullet at him.

Fulanca and Jianna also felt inexplicable dread, their bodies growing cold—even Anthony showed a subtle change in expression.

Yebusi's gaze swept over Fulanca, Jianna, Lu Mi, and his friend Anthony, then he declared solemnly:

"Through connections with all kinds of beings, the Shadow Merchant can help you obtain anything you desire, as long as you can pay the sufficient price.

"Of course, we cannot guarantee every transaction will succeed."

"I want the potion formula for Sequence 4 of the Hunter path," Lu Mi smiled.

Yebusi fell silent for a moment, then said:

"That would require an extremely long time—through countless rounds of exchanges to locate someone who possesses the corresponding formula.

"The one who finally deals with you might even bring you danger."

Lu Mi had only been joking; he sighed deliberately:

"Then let's put it on hold for now.

"What other abilities does the Shadow Merchant have? You surely don't only possess the power to reduce surrounding beings' hostility and detect hidden entities."

Yebusi finally looked directly at Lu Mi:

"I used them against you: abilities like hiding within shadows, becoming a shadow, creating false shadows—all protective in nature. I collectively call them 'Utilizing Shadows.'"

"So the Shadow Merchant can utilize not just symbolic shadows, but real, physical shadows too," Fulanca marveled.

Encouraged, Yebusi continued:

"We can also sign contracts witnessed by both parties' shadows, directly binding their souls—breach the contract, and the shadow inflicts harm upon the soul, like a potent curse."

"I see…" Fulanca recalled the man she'd encountered before.

That man, seemingly a member of the "School of Truth," had claimed he had a way to ensure contractual binding on both sides.

"And then?" Jianna pressed.

Yebusi suddenly looked embarrassed, cleared his throat twice, then said:

"We can also subtly alter key clauses of the contract at the moment of signing, using symbolic shadow power—making the other party pay more or receive less."

"No wonder…" Fulanca finally understood how the suspected "School of Truth" member had planned to cheat her and Jianna.

No wonder he reacted strangely when she mentioned wanting to divinely foretell the contract terms!

The Shadow Merchant is perfectly suited to deal with adepts of the Thief path—wonder which side will ultimately lose… Lu Mi didn't give Fulanca a chance to condemn the Shadow Merchant; he chuckled and said:

"What about Sequence 7?"

"Sequence 7 is the Prosecutor," Yebusi launched straight in, as if trying to offset the Shadow Merchant's dark image. "The Prosecutor has two abilities: one lets him see what crimes a target has committed, though not the process of the crimes; the other builds on the first—he declares the target guilty, then names the specific crime…"

Hearing this, Fulanca suddenly had a question:

"How is this crime determined?

"It can't be based on Intis law—if we met in the Kingdom of Ruin, wouldn't your ability become useless?

"Does it automatically adapt to local laws?"

Yebusi seemed to be asked this for the first time; after thinking for over ten seconds, he replied:

"It's based on actions most humans universally recognize as crimes: blasphemy, murder, rape, fraud, theft—no finer or more nuanced distinctions."

"That still doesn't make sense," Fulanca remained unconvinced. "Suppose we enter a bizarre world where anything is permitted—including killing and blasphemy—wouldn't your ability become useless?"

She was thinking of the just-ended "Dream Festival."

Yebusi fell silent. After a long while, he answered:

"I don't know…"

"Perhaps those crimes stem from something more fundamental," Lu Mi ventured a guess.

Yebusi couldn't confirm.

Fulanca simply looked at him and said:

"Continue."

Yebusi took a moment to recall where he'd left off:

"After naming the crime, the target receives corresponding punishment—from the world itself or some entity. The exact nature of the punishment depends on the severity of the crime; we cannot predict it in advance. From my experience, the most terrifying punishments are immediate death and sudden loss of control.

"Also, for crimes currently in progress, we can directly declare the target guilty without naming the crime—saving considerable time."

Fulanca nodded slightly, gaining new insight into that earlier battle.

"What language did you use when declaring the crime?" Lu Mi recalled the detail.

"It's the 'Language of Order,' learned automatically upon receiving the Prosecutor's blessing," Yebusi didn't hide it.

Lu Mi grunted:

"What about Sequence 6?"

"It's the Ambitious One," Yebusi's eyes seemed to ignite with flame. "Unending ambition grants a powerful physique, keen perception, and outstanding spirituality, driving us to constantly pursue combat enhancement. The burning ambition keeps us perpetually awake—we never rest unless we choose to sleep; no one can force us into sleep or unconsciousness…"

"In other words, you can effectively resist forced dreaming or unconsciousness-inducing abilities—or are you immune?" Lu Mi instantly understood why Yebusi had woken so quickly from the "Hengha Technique."

"Resistance," Yebusi answered frankly.

Lu Mi asked a few more questions about the Ambitious One, then said:

"You're Sequence 5, right?"

"Yes," Yebusi straightened his chest slightly before the two witches.

Fulanca asked curiously:

"What is Sequence 5?"

Yebusi smiled and answered:

"The Dark Box."

"Dark Box?" Fulanca, Lu Mi, and the others simultaneously recalled the "Dark Box of the Powerholder" obtained from General Philip.

Was that the Sequence 5 blessing of the Broker path?

Lu Mi looked at Yebusi, not rushing to learn the Dark Box's abilities, and asked thoughtfully:

"What's your relationship with the Charcoal Burners?"

(End of Chapter)