The Starcom Consortium, the mightiest commercial empire across the seven continents of the Central Plains, was known for having the largest collection of treasures for sale and conducting its transactions fairly. Even the silver notes it issued were circulated across the world, and universally accepted as a form of currency. One could only imagine the terrifying power behind such an organization.
Absolute fairness? There are no absolutes in this world. The so-called absolute confidentiality only applies to small and ordinary transactions. Every time I utilized Transfiguration to procure valuable items at the Starcom Consortium in Li City, I found myself shadowed incessantly.
Wu Yuan shook his head slightly. I was even forced to temporarily halt my purchase of essential cultivation resources.
The numerous branches of the Starcom Consortium across the world were classified into four levels: headquarters, continent branches, province branches, and county branches. Naturally, the higher the level, the greater the branch's security.
For a county-level branch, a one-time purchase of 1000 silver taels was enough for one to be considered a VIP customer. But in a province-level branch? That wasn't a large transaction. After all, the Southdream Province teemed with experts and illustrious families, where transactions exceeding 10,000 silver taels occurred frequently. Transactions exceeding 100,000 taels were not uncommon either.
This was a big reason why Wu Yuan wanted to come to Southdream City. Compared to Li City, there were ten times more resources, treasures, and information gathered here. Additionally, concealing his true identity was far simpler.
After employing Transfiguration, Wu Yuan took on the appearance of a burly man and walked into the province-level Starcom Consortium.
"Welcome, esteemed customer," an attendant greeted.
Wu Yuan cast an appraising glance around him. The province-level Starcom Consortium proved several times grander than its county-level counterpart, with each floor spanning a significantly larger area. The decor was opulent and the clientele exuded an air of refinement. Many guests donned the attire of cavaliers, not appearing weak at all. Even the patrolling guards were much stronger than those in the Li City Starcom Consortium.
"I wish to visit the third floor," Wu Yuan declared coldly. His voice bore a magnetic quality, and was a stark contrast to his regular demeanor. For someone of his caliber, with martial skills at the level of a Great Grandmaster, altering his appearance and voice was a trivial matter.
"Very well. Esteemed customer, please follow me," said the attendant promptly without asking to verify his identity or strength.
Soon, Wu Yuan came to the third floor, where he was greeted by a graceful attendant radiating both modest charm and irresistible allure. Her beaming smile stirred a spontaneous fondness among those who beheld it.
Indeed, the Starcom Consortium lives up to its name. Wu Yuan silently praised.
The attendants on this floor alone were a cut above those in the Li City Starcom Consortium. They must have incurred no small expense to train them.
He entered a private reception room where a man in his 30s, wearing a black robe, awaited. His voice was gentle, striking a perfect balance between humility and confidence. 'Esteemed customer, may I know what you seek from our Starcom Consortium?'
"I require both fourth-grade and fifth-grade throwing knives, small ones will suffice," Wu Yuan stated straightforwardly. He had previously purchased standard throwing knives from the Starcom Consortium and found them very handy. However, after several major battles, many could not be recovered, and some were damaged after piercing through armor. Naturally, it was time to acquire a new batch.
"Fourth-grade throwing knives, Sir? These are weapons meant for stealth and surprise attacks. The material requirements are not high, and typically a fifth-grade throwing knife can threaten a first-rate Adept," the black-robed man couldn't resist offering his advice.
"Since when did the Starcom Consortium start prying into its customer’s affairs?" Wu Yuan's voice grew cold as an aura of power radiated from him, "How I use them is my business. You only need to answer one question: will you sell them to me or not?”
Instantly, the black-robed man felt as though he were being stalked by a ferocious beast, and a chilling sensation coursed through his body. Immediately realizing he had misspoken, he quickly corrected himself, "My apologies for overstepping, how many do you require?"
"Price." Wu Yuan's voice regained its calm.
“A fifth-grade throwing knife costs twenty taels, while a fourth-grade throwing knife is priced at 150 taels,” the black-robed man hastily answered.
"I want twenty fifth-grade knives and ten fourth-grade knives," Wu Yuan replied indifferently.
Though he was purchasing small throwing knives, they had to be large enough to penetrate heavy armor. Weight was a secondary concern. With Wu Yuan's current strength, carrying several thousand catties of weight over long distances was a breeze.
His primary concern was space! Concealing 30 throwing knives was the maximum amount Wu Yuan could manage without compromising his combat abilities or drawing attention.
"Very well, I will arrange for someone to retrieve them," the black-robed man responded.
"No need to rush," Wu Yuan coolly replied. "I also require fourth-grade soft body armor. It must not hinder my agility."
"Fourth-grade soft body armor?" The eyes of the man in black robes lit up. This was going to be a huge transaction!
Minimal materials were used in the construction of throwing knives, even for superior rated ones. And as a stealth weapon, it couldn't be priced too high. Otherwise, customers would turn to other weapon shops.
But soft armor was different. It demanded more materials and skilled craftsmanship, which naturally drove up the prices. A high quality fourth-grade soft armor could easily fetch tens of thousands of silver taels.
"Sir, since armors vary depending on an individual's physique, most are tailored," the black-robed man explained.
"No need, I want a pre-made piece," Wu Yuan replied with a hint of indifference.
Custom-made? His current figure differed significantly from his original form after Transfiguration, hence custom-made armor was out of the question.
"Then, Sir, I would like to invite you to our armory to try on each one and determine which fits you best," the man in black robes proposed.
"Sure," Wu Yuan casually replied. He wasn’t worried that the Starcom Consortium might pull tricks on him. The two went up directly to the fourth floor through a small door behind the reception room and came to a hidden room.
"Sir, our armory is connected to various rooms, and is occasionally visited by other customers choosing their weapons. If you seek to maintain anonymity, you may don a mask," the black-robed man motioned towards the nearby wall, where an assortment of masks adorned with fierce or ghoulish expressions hung. Through these masks, only a pair of eyes would be visible.
"Mm," Wu Yuan nodded, casually selecting a mask to wear.
As he pushed open the door, an expansive arsenal unfurled before Wu Yuan's eyes. Sabers, spears, swords, halberds, axes, shields, bows... a myriad of weapons were presented, each one a fine masterpiece.
"Sir..." The robed man watched as Wu Yuan finally selected a piece of soft armor after trying on more than a dozen armors. He couldn't help but offer a gentle reminder, "Although this armor is relatively inexpensive, it may not be the most suitable choice for you."
Hearing this, two guests standing a short distance away turned to look. Indeed, it was a rather poor fit.
"Hmm?" Wu Yuan cast a cold glance over.
"Nothing, whatever you say goes," the black-robed man shut his mouth and quickly wrapped up the piece of armor, leading Wu Yuan back downstairs. They returned to the reception room and took their seats.
"Sir, this armor is priced at 6300 silver taels, and the throwing knives are 1900 silver taels, bringing the total to 8200 silver taels," the black-robed man looked somewhat expectant as he calculated the price. A one-time transaction of nearly 10,000 silver taels was not too common for him.
"There’s no need to rush," Wu Yuan remarked, tapping the table lightly with indifference. "I also require a significant quantity of bone forging pills."
"Bone forging pills?" The black-robed man's eyes sparked with interest. "In what quantity, Sir?"
The bone forging pill was a more advanced version of the body tempering pill with higher efficacy. It was usually targeted at Adepts and thus carried a higher price tag.
A high-grade bone forging pill was priced at a hundred silver taels. A medium-grade bone forging pill cost twenty silver taels.
"1000, medium-grade," Wu Yuan said softly.
"1000?" The black-robed man inhaled sharply. This was indeed a big transaction, these medicinal pills alone amounted to 20,000 silver taels. Adding the armor and weapons, it was nearly 30,000 taels in total.
It was his first time this year handling such a significant transaction, and even the nearby female attendant couldn't hide her astonishment. She wasn't expecting the individual she casually assisted to be such a lavish customer.
"On top of that, I require some information," Wu Yuan said casually, his eyes shifting to the attendant behind him. With tact, she immediately bowed her head and withdrew from the reception room.
"Please speak freely, Sir," the man in black robes said.
"I want detailed information about the Ninedragon Peaks, the Pleiades Guild, and the Ninedeaths Circle," Wu Yuan spoke indifferently.
"No problem," the black-robed man smiled.
"But don't think you can fool me with simple summaries and historical events," Wu Yuan calmly continued. "What I’m looking for are the locations of these three major forces in the Southdream Province, their contact methods, the strength of their leaders, internal organizational structure, and other information."
"The price is negotiable," Wu Yuan declared, keeping an unwavering gaze on the black-robed man.
The black-robed man's expression shifted slightly, but he soon regained his composure. "Sir, our Starcom Consortium abides by the rules of the Cloudstride Sect, we cannot possibly probe into these..."
Wu Yuan stood up abruptly. "Very well, if the Starcom Consortium is unwilling to conduct business, then I will have to spend additional effort to slowly gather weapons and information."
Abide by the rules of the Cloudstride Sect? Only a fool would believe that!
The black-robed man immediately grew anxious. He could sense that Wu Yuan was not joking around. Not only was he refusing to purchase the intelligence, but even the transaction involving tens of thousands of silver taels was now off the table.
"Sir, please do not be in a hurry to leave. Have a seat, let us talk this out." The black-robed man implored.
"Why, do you have the information?" Wu Yuan halted and turned around, his voice dripping with icy disdain, "I have no patience. If you continue to mess with me, there will be no more opportunities."
"Esteemed customer, I will be honest with you." The man in black robes gritted out, "Information regarding these underground organizations might be known to the upper echelons of the Starcom Consortium, but it cannot be freely sold to outsiders. I must make a request, and even if the upper echelons agree, they will certainly need to verify your identity first."
Wu Yuan gave a slight nod. "I know. However, I shall not authenticate my identity."
"Understood," the black-robed man nodded, "The only thing I can do within my limited authority is to mix in some speculations concerning the bases and general structure of these underground organizations together with regular intelligence."
The black-robed man placed a great deal of emphasis on the word 'speculations'. Wu Yuan, of course, understood his meaning.
After pondering for a while, he replied, "Alright."
"Sir, please wait a moment. I will organize the related information and present it to you. You may only peruse it within the confines of the Starcom Consortium." The black-robed man said, "Three pieces of intelligence are priced at a total of 1000 silver taels."
"No issue." Wu Yuan nodded. Secret intelligence could not be brought out of the shop - this was a consistent rule of the Starcom Consortium. How much a customer could remember depended on their ability.
Was 1000 silver taels a hefty sum? Of course! But since ancient times, knowledge and information have always been extraordinarily precious.
Wu Yuan didn't have to wait long. The black-robed man promptly delivered a few slim volumes and over ten separate parchments. Wu Yuan began reading immediately. Ever since he had unlocked his upper dantian lobe, his soul had grown steadily stronger. When it came to memorization, Wu Yuan could achieve total recall with just a glance.
After less than an hour, Wu Yuan put down the last parchment, having gained a preliminary understanding of major underground organizations like the Ninedragon Peaks, the Ninedeaths Circle, and the Pleiades Guild. A loose plan began to take shape in his mind.
"Prepare my weapons and bone forging pills." Wu Yuan took out a sufficient number of silver notes and placed them on the table. As an ‘afterthought’, he mentioned, "By the way, bring me the latest issues of the Land Rankings, Human Rankings, and Genius Rankings published by the Starcom Consortium."
The sight of the large stacks of silver notes ignited a gleam of anticipation in the eyes of the black-robed man. Filled with delight, he responded cheerfully, "A small matter, I’ll bring them at once."