Chapter 625: Spending Money (7/10, bonus chapter for

"Customer, if you have no other questions…"

"At least tell me, do the Fox Caravan, the Old City Caravan, the Empty Mountain Caravan, and the Phoenix Organization have any connection? And where exactly can I find any trace of the Phoenix Organization?"

"The former is 100 Calamity Stones, the latter is 500 Calamity Stones."

Are you slaughtering a pig?!

Fang Yue was stunned. What kind of outrageous price was this!

The information merchant, however, shrugged: "You must have asked around quite a bit before finding your way to me, right? In all of Chunuan City, the only ones daring enough to sell Phoenix Organization intel is our 【Xudou】 Information Organization."

"And under the gag fee, any intel on the Phoenix Organization is worth a pretty penny. Some intel we don't even know ourselves, or simply refuse to sell."

"The Phoenix Organization's mystery is far more complicated than you imagine."

Fang Yue fell silent.

Compared to the earlier quotes that casually ran into Gold Stones, Calamity Stones were indeed within what he could bear.

At least, they weren't quoted in Silver Stones.

After some thought, Fang Yue finally handed over the Calamity Stones.

Watching a large chunk of Calamity Stones vanish in an instant, Fang Yue's heart ached terribly.

And looking at the intel he got, Fang Yue's face darkened unpleasantly.

"The three great caravans are all entangled with the Phoenix Organization."

I'm done!

My 100 Calamity Stones, just for that one sentence??

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"I… can I hack you to death?"

"Be my guest, if you can bear the retaliation of the 【Xudou】 Organization, which has put down roots across several nations…"

Seeing that Fang Yue's fury was about to explode and he really was about to cut him down regardless, the information merchant's expression stiffened. He modified part of another document and pushed it over.

"The many Green-Clad officers of the Green Division, the Blue Guards invited by Blue Coral, the top hundred merchant houses of the Heaven Commerce Alliance, and the top hundred Night Thieves on the Thief Ranking—all are suspected of being entangled with the Phoenix Organization. The top of the Thief Ranking, Ming Wuzei, was once rumored to have traveled a stretch of road with the Phoenix Organization's Rabbit Seat, suspected of having some connection."

Oh~ wow~

Seeing this document, Fang Yue finally felt he got his money's worth.

Look at that previous document—what kind of nonsense was that one line!

Just telling me they're entangled and that's it? How are they entangled? How do the two sides interact? Can we dig out the Phoenix Organization through those three trash merchant houses? None of that information was even mentioned.

If the next document hadn't actually revealed something, Fang Yue really would have hacked him to death.

Most importantly, it actually mentioned Rabbit Seat—the Phoenix Organization's Rabbit Seat of the Twelve Seats!

Didn't this guy say intel on the Twelve Seats was very expensive? As expected, the fear of death is the way of kings.

Fang Yue's gaze turned dangerous. The information merchant's face darkened: "If you really want to kill me, then do it. The moment I die, it won't just be you who has trouble—your family and friends will all be implicated. An information organization can't stand on intel alone."

The information merchant's pointed words made Fang Yue calm down.

He remembered now—earlier, the merchant had said the Ox Seat's movements were highly valuable, not intel on the Twelve Seats in general.

In other words, the Twelve Seats' distribution of strength, or their importance, actually has a very clear hierarchical division?

For a Twelve Seat like Rabbit Seat that sounds weak, leaking a bit of intel is no big deal.

Put it on the Ox Seat, and the price would skyrocket.

Regardless, after spending this round on materials, it was still well worth it.

"By the way, you keep your clients' information confidential, right?"

"…"

"…You're not going to sell the fact that I bought intel to the Phoenix Organization, are you?"

Fang Yue grew anxious. He hadn't planned to go head-to-head with the Phoenix Organization just yet.

"…If anyone commissions us, or inquires, we will send people to investigate your identity. If the customer finds this inappropriate, you may pay a gag fee for your own identity. If others can't afford the gag fee, we won't hand over your information."

That works, then. Fang Yue thought it over and paid one Calamity Stone as his own gag fee.

With the Phoenix Organization's financial resources, wanting to investigate him couldn't be blocked by money.

But using it to block the probing of other small organizations and small fry should be enough.

Compared to any gag fee, concealing one's own identity is what matters most.

Ever since entering Chunuan City, Fang Yue had been wearing a fogging black robe, and his Human Skin Mask was that of a subordinate of the Great Sun Caravan.

Even if someone stripped off his fogging black robe, his true identity wouldn't be exposed—this is what you call double insurance!

But frequently going in and out of the Great Sun Caravan does indeed risk problems. Looks like he still needs to find an inn to stay at.

After leaving the information merchant's place of business and confirming no one was tailing him, Fang Yue quickly headed outward.

Not far into his walk, Fang Yue suddenly frowned. Among the crowd on the street, his black blade flashed and slashed once through empty air.

He glared at the empty space behind him and spat out one word: "Scram."

Then he left without looking back.

And at the 【Xudou】 Information Organization, the information merchant stared dumbfounded at the surface, watching Fang Yue's departing figure.

"Colorless, odorless, soundless, formless, bodiless Void Wraith—and he can see it? What kind of strength does he actually have?"

After a moment of silence, the information merchant controlled the remaining 【Void Wraith】 back.

No wonder the killing intent he felt just now was so real and so wild.

Looks like the other party really did have killing intent… and indeed had the arrogant strength to back it.

The information merchant understood that, unless someone commissioned it, he probably wouldn't investigate any intel on Fang Yue again.

When facing the strong, one must always keep a humble heart—otherwise, one day you'll die without even knowing how.

……

After leaving the information broker, Fang Yue first reunited with Mang Liuzi, then led the group back to the Great Sun Merchant Caravan.

That's right—Mang Niuzi isn't actually called Mang Niuzi. His real name is Mang Liuzi. He only later changed it to Mang Niuzi after hearing the vagrants constantly bragging about "Niuzi this, Niuzi that."

Fang Yue wasn't about to indulge him, and immediately started calling him Mang Liuzi again.

Upon returning to the Great Sun Merchant Caravan, Fang Yue found Hai Guanjia already waiting at the gate, looking anxious.

"Hai Guanjia?"

"Lord Ye, thank heavens! You're finally back! Come with me quickly, the young lady has something she needs to discuss with you…"

He pulled Fang Yue inside. After only two steps, he suddenly stopped, whipped his head around, and looked at Mang Liuzi.

"I remember this fellow is…"

"A Guest of the Fox Merchant Caravan," Fang Yue said. "He's quit. Now he wants to mooch a Guest position at the Great Sun Merchant Caravan—see if he's a fit? Also, we might be able to squeeze some intel on the Fox Merchant Caravan out of him."

Mang Liuzi hurriedly said: "Bro, I'm right here."

"You think I was saying that just for Hai Guanjia's ears?"

"…But I have professional ethics!"

"Hai Guanjia, use whatever punishment you like. I'll cover for you—he can't run."

Oh heavens!

Mang Liuzi was stunned.

Wasn't this a lamb walking into a tiger's mouth?

Hai Guanjia said glumly: "His business can wait. How the Fox Merchant Caravan is doing isn't important for now. Lord Ye, come with me first. Everyone else stays here."

Hearing this, Fang Yue told the others to stay put and followed Hai Guanjia to the young lady's room.

Soon, he heard the sound of things being smashed in a tantrum coming from inside the room—clatter, bang, crash.

The young lady?

Going out to buy breakfast, will update the remaining 3 chapters after I'm back

PS: The previous one was Taurus, not the dead Sagittarius. (Typo on my part.)

(End of this chapter)