The merchant’s voice, sharp with surprise, resonated from the stiff, middle-aged puppet standing before Li Ya.

Han Yu’s puppet, clad in black robes, remained motionless. It offered no physical reaction.

Realizing his slip, the merchant quickly switched to a private voice transmission. “Yes, yes! Honored Guest! Should we move this discussion? The Green Grain Market? Or perhaps a Small Gathering? Talking out here feels… exposed.”

“Especially concerning the Thousand-Year Sunkwood Heart. That item is too precious. My source, Zhu San, mentioned that your piece was a reward for a Major Merit from the Sect. If your Sect finds out you’re selling it, there will be consequences.”

Han Yu, controlling Li Ya from the shadows of the forest, sent a calm mental response. “You are correct. The Sunkwood Heart is a treasure. I am taking a significant risk by bringing it out. However…”

Li Ya paused, his glass eyes staring coldly at the merchant. “You do not possess the items I require. The trade is over.”

The conversation had fully shifted to telepathic transmission, ensuring not a whisper leaked to the bystanders at the gate.

The merchant sounded pained. “Guest, please understand. I truly cannot transport fresh Jade Spirit Berries; they rot too quickly. As for the Qi Refining Spirit Boosting Pills… I cannot guarantee stock. Outside the major sects of the Central Heaven Region, only a handful of rogue alchemists can refine them. They are rarer than phoenix feathers.”

The merchant’s tone turned wheedling. “If I manage to secure just one pill, would you part with the Sunkwood Heart? Or perhaps… ten Jade Spirit Berry seeds?”

Han Yu’s reply was instant and unyielding. “Three Qi Refining Spirit Boosting Pills. That is the price. As for seeds, I would pay for those with lesser items, not a Sunkwood Heart.”

“Three…” The merchant groaned. “That is… exceptionally difficult. I can only promise to try my best.”

Sensing the deal slipping away, the merchant quickly pivoted. “Guest, if your goal is simply rapid cultivation, why fixate on the Spirit Boosting Pill? There are other paths.”

“For instance, the Southern Region has the Blood Refining Technique. The Central Heaven Region has the Soul Devouring Art, the Bone Demon Form, the Flesh and Blood Heart Method… all of them offer explosive growth.”

The merchant’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “If you purchase these techniques from me, I can even supply the necessary materials—essence blood, remnant souls, bone marrow. I guarantee your progress will be faster than any pill could offer.”

Han Yu felt a flicker of surprise. The Blood Refining Technique wasn’t unique to the Southern Region? It seemed the cancer of demonic cultivation had metastasized across the world.

He quickly masked his intrigue with righteous indignation.

“You try to peddle demonic arts to me?” Han Yu’s voice turned icy. “You highlight the speed but conveniently omit the corruption. You have ill intentions. How can I conduct business with a man who actively seeks to harm me?”

Han Yu commanded Li Ya to turn around and walk away.

“Wait! Honored Guest, wait!” The merchant panicked. “I spoke recklessly! I saw your anxiety for power and offered a solution, that is all!”

“Setting aside the… moral flaws… it is a fact that these techniques are the fastest path to power, provided one has enough fuel. It is common knowledge! I meant no harm!”

Li Ya stopped but didn’t turn back. “‘Moral flaws’? You act as if losing one’s humanity is a minor inconvenience. You are pretending to be ignorant.”

The merchant heaped on the flattery. “Of course, of course! The Guest possesses the righteous and grand aura of a Great Sect disciple. Naturally, you disdain such crooked paths. I am a foolish, clumsy man who spoke without thinking. Please, forgive my offense.”

He added a whispered defense, unable to help himself. “For rogue cultivators who starve today and die tomorrow, a hideous appearance or inner demons are trivial prices to pay for survival. But for a noble disciple like yourself… yes, quite unsuitable.”

Han Yu let the silence stretch, making the merchant sweat. Finally, he spoke. “You ask for forgiveness. Should you not offer compensation?”

The merchant let out a dry, nervous laugh. “This… mine is a small business with thin margins. I have nothing valuable to give away.”

“However… if the Guest wishes to chat, I can offer information. My knowledge is vast. Consider it an apology.”

Han Yu considered this. “Very well. Tell me the current situation of the Southern Region. I want a detailed breakdown of every Sect, every market, and every kingdom, including their locations.”

“Ah, is that all?” The merchant sounded relieved. “You wish to know the geopolitical landscape? That, I can certainly explain. I have spent most of my life here, only occasionally traveling to the Central Heaven Region.”

“But before I begin… would the Guest like to purchase a detailed Jade Slip of the Southern Region? Only ten Spirit Stones. It would make the explanation much clearer.”

Li Ya turned slowly to face the merchant’s puppet. “You haggle over every penny, even while apologizing for trying to corrupt me? Perhaps I should take my Sunkwood Heart elsewhere.”

“Fine! Fine!” The merchant gritted his teeth. “The Jade Slip is yours! A gift! A distinct apology for my rudeness!”

Moments later, a mortal child darted out from the market gates. He shoved a jade slip into Li Ya’s hand and sprinted back inside before the puppet could even react.

Han Yu noted the origin. The merchant was controlling his puppet from within the safety of the market.

Li Ya tucked the jade slip into his robes and stood waiting.

The merchant began his briefing, his voice transmission painting a grim picture of the continent.

“The Southern Region is divided into two Major Kingdoms and six Minor Kingdoms.”

“The heavyweights are the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Great Desert Dynasty. The six smaller powers are the Nanli, Eastern Sea, Western Moon, Jade Forest, Southern Sea, and Boyi Kingdoms. It used to be a mess of dozens of warring states, but centuries of conflict have ground them down to these eight.”

“Your Wanchun Valley sits between the Nanli and Western Moon Kingdoms. The Green Grain Market is right there with you.”

“The Spirit Sword Sect and the Spirit Beast Sect flank the Great Zhou Dynasty on either side like guardian lions—or perhaps wolves.”

“The Black Mountain Market lies within the Great Zhou. The Ten Thousand Beasts Market sits on the border of the Great Zhou and the Great Desert, right on the Spirit Beast Sect’s doorstep.”

“The Mystic One Sect controls the land between the Jade Forest and Southern Sea Kingdoms. The Little Sky Net Sect is nestled between the Boyi Kingdom and the Great Desert. Both have their own markets nearby.”

“Aside from the Sect-controlled trade hubs, there are two massive black markets run by rogue cultivators. They are chaotic, lawless places, but the scale is impressive.”

The merchant paused for effect. “As for the balance of power… aside from the Five Great Sects, the only other faction is the Demon Blood Sect, which scurries like rats in the dark. The rest of us are just rogue cultivators.”

“Most rogues pass down scraps of heritage from father to son. If they are lucky, a family produces a few cultivators. If they keep their heads down, they survive. But if they join the Demon Blood Sect or start slaughtering mortals, the Five Sects wipe them out.”

The merchant’s tone darkened. “However, the winds have shifted. The era of the Five Sects united against the Demon Blood Sect is over.”

“Ye Guxing of the Spirit Sword Sect has been aggressively suppressing the Eastern Sea Kingdom, vowing to purge all demonic cultivators with his sword. Meanwhile, the Spirit Beast Sect is playing a dangerous game. They are funneling mortals into the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range by the thousands. It smells exactly like the rise of the old Demon Blood Sect.”

“This isn’t subtle. Everyone sees it. But the Little Sky Net Sect and the Mystic One Sect? They are pretending not to understand. They are sitting on the mountain, watching the tigers fight, waiting to reap the benefits.”

“They are waiting for the Spirit Beast Sect to destroy Wanchun Valley.”

“A great war is brewing in the Southern Region. It is already at the breaking point. The only question is when the dam will burst. And when it does… I do not know if your Wanchun Valley will survive the flood.”

Han Yu was impressed. This merchant saw the board clearly—perhaps even more clearly than some of the Elders in the valley.

He decided to probe deeper.

“Why?” Han Yu asked. “Why are the Spirit Beast Sect, Little Sky Net Sect, and Mystic One Sect all targeting Wanchun Valley specifically?”

“Do you know the root cause?”