I Know What You Want

Madam N? Xialuote repeated the strange title in her mind. Northern Continent languages like the Yindisi language and the Luen language all originated from Ancient Fusake, using alphabets to spell out words with specific meanings. But "N" was not near the beginning of the alphabet, nor did it carry any particular symbolic significance. Was it the initial of her surname, or a standardized codename within some organization—meaning that besides her, there were also people like Mr. A and Madam B? Because Walunting had warned her that believers of the True Creator had recently been frequenting this gathering, Xialuote had been on her guard and immediately suspected the organizer. Yet, aside from her codename, the black-robed lady showed no signs of abnormality for now. She could only suppress her doubts and continue listening. Madam N, seated on the single-seat sofa, shifted her posture slightly and continued: "Second, brawling or covert attacks against anyone within this building are strictly prohibited, nor may anyone tail other participants after the gathering ends; otherwise, I will enforce punishment. "Finally, transactions may be conducted openly, or written down on paper and handed to the attendant in the corner, who will pass it to the other party." With that, she raised a hand and pointed toward the window curtain. Standing there was a figure wearing a white mask that revealed only his facial features. His hands were concealed in gloves, and he wore nondescript black clothes, standing completely motionless as if hidden within the shadows. "Transactions witnessed by me are guaranteed to have authentic information and items. For those that are not witnessed, you will be solely responsible should any problems arise." At this point, she paused and added: "No brokerage fees are charged here." No fee? Xialuote was somewhat surprised. Underground gatherings in Suxite took a commission on transactions, and they could not fully guarantee the authenticity of formulas or items. In comparison, this gathering in Telier provided guarantees and was completely free, and the entire process sounded quite proper. As expected of the capital—even underground organizations offered more thorough services. But that meant Madam N's purpose in organizing this gathering was clearly not to make money, but something else... Could it be spreading faith in the True Creator? Xialuote pondered until the masked attendant wheeled a blackboard under the candlelight and lifted the cloth draped over it, revealing pre-written trading requests. Setting aside further guesses about Madam N's identity, Xialuote looked closely: "Seeking the heart and gallbladder of a giant black bear." "Seeking the ears and tail tip of a hunter fox; must be intact." "Selling star crystal, 800 feierjin per 10 grams." ... Following those were requests to buy or sell common materials like essential oils, mineral powders, and herbs. Having gained some understanding of mysticism, Xialuote could guess that the earlier materials—unfamiliar in name and explicitly specifying parts and quantities—were very likely requirements for certain potion formulas. As for essential oils and herbs, those listings probably came from mysticism enthusiasts wanting to attempt ritual magic. According to the mysticism knowledge provided by the Church, even ordinary people who had not consumed a potion could attempt certain simple rituals if their Inspiration was relatively high, though success could never be guaranteed. Many mysticism enthusiasts pursued this tirelessly; even if a ritual yielded no response, a sudden flicker of a candle or a slight breeze passing nearby was enough to convince them that they had touched another realm. After the attendant displayed the information on the blackboard, the room remained quiet, with no one stepping forward to make a trade. Observing her surroundings, Xialuote noticed the shoulders of a participant diagonally across from her visibly slump before quickly recovering—evidently one of the prospective buyers, and not for the first time disappointed. A moment later, Madam N announced the start of open trading, the phase where participants could state their requests publicly and await responses. Someone offered a medicine that temporarily boosted Inspiration, while another sought locations where shadow creatures lurked. The attendant picked up a piece of chalk and jotted each new listing onto the blackboard, and the previously quiet room quickly grew lively. Only after several transactions concluded did Xialuote clear her throat, deliberately lowering her voice: "Does anyone have the Arbiter potion formula?" She had already become an Arbiter and naturally had no need to buy the formula itself. But if someone were willing to sell, it would mean that person likely possessed more information on this pathway, perhaps even knowing the name and formula for Sequence 8. Xialuote could use the transaction to identify a target and attempt private contact without easily exposing that she had already consumed a potion. The attendant showed no suspicion, turning to write the entry on the blackboard. Beside him, Madam N merely glanced in her direction before looking away. Yet in that instant, Xialuote felt another gaze fall upon her. When she casually looked back, she found that the participants in that direction were either looking at the blackboard or gazing around; none were staring at her. That person is very cautious, and likely knows something... Xialuote waited with some anticipation, but even after others completed two more inquiries, no one came forward to sell the Arbiter formula. Trading continued. A figure draped entirely in a black cloak with a cloth covering their face suddenly spoke up: "Selling a mysticism knowledge handbook. It includes verified ritual magic, identification methods for Extraordinary materials, and foundational knowledge. One hundred and fifty feierjin per copy. "The only requirement is that buyers cannot resell the information within this gathering." A mysticism booklet... Xialuote was immediately reminded of the one Weiyefu had given her, and her interest was piqued. One hundred and fifty feierjin was not cheap for information that could be sold repeatedly, but as long as she found a bit of knowledge absent from the Church's booklet, it would not be a loss. After a moment's thought, she followed the example of earlier traders: "I would like Madam N to witness this transaction." The cloaked figure raised no objection and handed the handbook to the masked attendant to pass to Madam N. Upon taking it, Madam N flipped through it from beginning to end at great speed, barely pausing, before nodding. "The information inside is authentic." Xialuote produced six gold coins, added a "Grand Ecu" with a face value of 6 feierjin to make up exactly one hundred and fifty feierjin, and handed them to the attendant. In return, she received the slim booklet bound in cheap, coarse paper and began flipping through it on the spot. The handwriting inside was fairly neat, though there was not much information on each page. It included things that could be gathered with a little effort, such as the complete Honorable Names of the Seven Gods, sacred emblem symbolism, and the taboos of various Churches, as well as several so-called rituals for spirit mediumship with the dead. If ordinary people with high Inspiration tried them, they might actually have a chance to see a deceased spirit body, though most likely they would not learn anything from it and might even attract passing spirit world creatures. This indicated that the seller was most likely a Beyonder who possessed relatively systematic knowledge of mysticism. More importantly, knowledge could be copied and sold repeatedly. While each handbook was not priced exorbitantly, selling one to every newcomer at the gathering would still earn a considerable sum, without the risk of hunting monsters or gathering materials. Just like newspapers, it's content that can be sold again and again... Xialuote put the booklet away thoughtfully, feeling that spending 150 feierjin had been a bit of a waste. After that, several more transactions concluded one after another. When the room fell quiet once more, Madam N clapped her hands twice lightly. "Open trading concludes here. Next is free communication time. "If anyone still wishes to make commissions or transactions while keeping their identity concealed, you may write it down on paper and have the attendant deliver it." The masked attendant then picked up a wooden tray, walked past each participant in turn, and handed out an identically sized slip of paper and a sharpened pencil to everyone. So that's how it works—handing them out and collecting them uniformly, so no one can tell who wrote what; at most, only the attendant would know... Looking at the blank slip of paper, Xialuote considered for a moment and decided not to write anything. She had initially intended to draw out someone who possessed the subsequent Sequence by asking for the Arbiter formula, but since no one had responded, asking directly for Sequence 8 might instead expose that she had already consumed a potion. When the attendant passed by a second time, he collected all the slips, including Xialuote's blank one, then returned to Madam N's side and handed her several slips of paper. A short while later, he circled the room again, delivering folded slips to various participants. When he passed by Xialuote, a gloved hand reached out from beneath the tray and quietly slipped a piece of paper into her palm. Someone left a message for me? Xialuote did not look up immediately to search for the sender. Instead, shielding her hands with her cloak, she slowly unfolded the slip. On it were written just two lines: "I know what you truly want." "It's called 'magistrate'—ten thousand feierjin."