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On the second floor of the Spirit Hall
After so formalities, Gu La's clone, wearing a mask, successfully verified his identity and received the royalties—a total of five thousand gold spirit coins.
Just as the clone was about to leave, a purple-robed bishop of the Spirit Hall stopped him:
"Wait a mont. Her Holiness the Pope greatly admires clever individuals like yourself and has generously bestowed an additional ten thousand gold coins."
The fifty-year-old purple-robed bishop took out an anonymous gold card, placed it on the table, and slid it toward Gu La's clone.
"Please convey my gratitude to Her Holiness the Pope."
Gu La wasn't one to stand on ceremony. He picked up the gold card and placed it with the others, casually adding:
"In the future, I will send new papers via different thods. Simply convert the royalties into anonymous gold cards and hold them for . I'll co to collect them when I have ti."
Anonymous gold cards, backed by the two great empires and issued jointly by major rchant guilds, could be used or cashed at any rchant guild across the continent—far more convenient than carrying heavy gold coins.
"Your request is simple enough. On behalf of the Spirit Hall, I can agree." The purple-robed bishop nodded in assent, but then shifted the conversation:
"Why don't you join the Spirit Hall? Soone with your talents, staying outside without proper resources and books, won't be able to make aningful progress in martial soul research. Only within the Spirit Hall can we help you fully realize your potential."
The purple-robed bishop extended the invitation, though he suspected that Gu La's tightly sealed attire ant their mission had likely failed.
As expected, Gu La outright rejected him and turned to leave.
Before departing, he left behind a parting remark: "Do not attempt to investigate . Otherwise, future papers will only be sent to the top three sects."
Once the clone exited the room, the purple-robed bishop sneered: "Just because he managed to write one paper and earned the Pope's praise, he thinks he's sobody important."
He picked up the paper Gu La had left behind and slamd it onto the table to vent his frustration.
"What audacity, threatening the Spirit Hall like that! From this alone, I know you're no good. Pretending to be mysterious… let see what nonsense you've written this ti."
The purple-robed bishop held the highest rank below the black-robed bishops in main cities. Accustod to having the final say in smaller towns, he couldn't tolerate Gu La's refusal.
He flipped open the paper and skimd through the introduction. When he reached the section detailing the effects of the Bone-Fortifying Ointnt, he suddenly fell silent.
He wanted to mock the author for lying, but the data was clearly written in the paper, leaving no room for fabrication. If it were false, it would be easily exposed.
He continued flipping through, his hands beginning to tremble, the pace of turning pages growing slower. By the ti he reached the middle, he couldn't continue.
Abruptly standing up, he shouted:
"Soone co! I must personally go to Spirit City. In my absence, Bishop Gao Jielun of the yellow robes will manage the affairs of the hall."
Carefully tucking away the paper, he left the room, gave instructions for various matters, mounted a horse, and galloped toward Spirit City.
Strictly speaking, the purple-robed bishop's superior was the black-robed bishop of the main city, above whom were the red-robed and platinum bishops. He didn't have the authority to report directly to Spirit City.
But fearing the paper might leak, he knew he'd lose his head if that happened. In his urgency, he disregarded protocol and decisively chose to report upward.
Moreover, this was also his opportunity. Reporting beyond his rank was a mistake, but if the paper proved genuine, it would significantly enhance the Spirit Hall's strength, making him a hero of the organization!
---
On the streets
The Double Team clone left the Spirit Hall, zigzagging through alleys until it reached a secluded spot. Dropping the gold card, it vanished without a trace.
Not long after, an arm erged from the moss-covered corner, grabbed the gold card, and disappeared in the blink of an eye. The alley remained eerily quiet, as if nothing had happened.
"The person's gone!"
Two Spirit Hall soul masters entered the alley, looking around but failing to find how Gu La had disappeared. After a thorough search, they found no hidden passages nearby and reluctantly returned to the Spirit Hall.
Of course, by the ti they got back, they'd learn that their own bishop had fled—that was another matter entirely.
---
anwhile, Gu La arrived at the bustling comrcial district of Xin Ya City. Surrounding the area were large warehouses storing goods destined for nearby cities.
Using his psychic powers to sense the surroundings, Gu La quickly located Tang San and Xiao Wu. Following their direction, he found them in front of a warehouse.
The street was dusty, with carriages coming and going, creating a lively and busy scene.
Tang San was conversing with a portly rchant. Upon seeing Gu La, his eyes lit up, and he said: "Boss, our elder has arrived. You can discuss with him."
Gu La had changed his attire, wearing a gray robe and a silver mask, revealing no skin. His voice was icy: "You haven't settled yet?"
Tang San feigned an indignant expression: "These people think I'm young and inflate their prices. This Boss Sun here is at least sowhat sincere."
Boss Sun clasped his hands and smiled warmly: "May I ask what you need Bone Jade Bamboo for? It's hardly considered dicinal material, nor can it beco a spirit beast. Its hard texture makes it suitable as building material. Without further clarification, we can't just supply it arbitrarily."
Gu La imdiately saw through the lie. The nearby warehouse was just a few steps away, and the scent of herbs lingered in the air. There was no need to fetch supplies from elsewhere.
"Is this your first ti doing business? You don't even understand the rules."
Gu La's voice grew colder, and with the aid of psychic pressure, he forced Boss Sun, an ordinary man, to take a step back.
The two soul master guards behind him stepped forward—both two-ring Soul Grandmasters, each with one white and one yellow soul ring.
Gu La sneered and increased gravity to three tis its normal level. The two soul masters bent involuntarily, struggling to stay upright.
Just as Gu La was about to intensify the gravity further, Boss Sun spoke up from behind: "Soul Master, please forgive . It was my overreach. Please, for the sake of the Seven Treasures rchant Guild, spare this once."
Boss Sun forced a bitter smile, realizing he had underestimated his opponent.
Earlier, he had seen Tang San haggling with other herb rchants and thought to toy with the two children. However, he quickly realized they were seeking sothing related to a formula, which piqued his curiosity.
After pretending to agree, he tried to stall for ti, hoping to uncover the specifics of the formula and its effects.
Regardless of whether the formula was useful or not, he figured he could still make a profit by supplying materials.
What he hadn't anticipated was that the soul master behind these two children was so powerful. Though he hadn't seen any soul rings, the sheer pressure alone was enough to suppress Soul Grandmasters. At the very least, this person had to be a five-ring Soul King. The only mystery was why such a figure would personally co to purchase herbs.
"Are you part of the Seven Treasures rchant Guild?"
Gu La asked in surprise, glancing at Tang San. What luck—wasn't this typical of the protagonist? A random outing led to an unexpected twist.
Boss Sun bowed deeply: "I wouldn't dare claim such honor. I rely hold a nominal position in the guild. Without a backing, one cannot survive long in business."
"I am willing to apologize for the earlier misunderstanding. I will gift you one hundred portions of the herbs for free, clarify the misunderstanding, and supply the herbs at cost price. Let's maintain harmony and mutual benefit."
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