“Wait… “

Yang Zicang turned his head to look at the onlookers gathered on the reef.

The argument he’d overheard earlier between the head of the Maritime Bureau’s Supply Station and the traveling merchant echoed in his mind. A realization began to dawn on him.

“Are you saying the transaction you mentioned is about… my extraordinary experiences? “

“That’s right. If I’m not mistaken, just a moment ago, a ‘Heroic Flash’ was born from within you. “

The captain raised his right arm, tilting it toward the sky before swiftly drawing it back to the side of his forehead, executing a perfectly standard military salute.

“Greetings, esteemed sir! I am Long. Chula, captain of the escort fleet’s Treasure Tower Guard. Thank you for delivering the death information regarding the Crossing People. Please, follow me. “

Escorted like honored guests amid a crowd of admirers, Yang Zicang and Xue Qi boarded the stone fortress lighthouse, which was soaked and glistening from the crashing waves.

“I originally thought there wouldn’t be many people in this interlayer of the Storm Belt. But it seems our little place here is quite lively. “

Their attitudes had subtly shifted.

“It just so happens that the people from the ‘Weiting Travel Merchant Association’ have arrived, so business here has been bustling these past couple of days. “

As he pushed open the old, arched wooden door of the lighthouse’s stone bastion, Yang Zicang spotted several swaying whale-oil lamps hanging by the entrance.

“Whoa, a big spender! ” The people inside warmly called out in greeting.

Xue Qi fanned the stale, stuffy air before her nostrils with her fair hand.

A blend of tobacco, leather, rum, and freshly baked bread lingered within this poorly ventilated room. Though the scents carried a hint of dampness and mildew, they at least bore the mark of human presence. Xue Qi waved her hand a few times before coming to terms with it.

“Didn’t expect us to be so lucky. To witness the birth of a Glimmer! ” Several sailors were gathered around a rough wooden table by the wall.

A man in a deerskin vest stood up, raising a steaming clay cup toward Yang Zicang and said:

“Hello there, young man. Mind if I ask how we should address you? Haha, don’t take our words earlier as a joke. It might be commonplace for you to wrap someone in a Holy Sword-grade item and get them aboard a ship, but here, that’s definitely big enough to set off a Glimmer! “

“Thanks. ” Yang Zicang nodded in acknowledgment, his face expressionless.

The group crossed the stone hall and disappeared, and even after the two of them ascended the winding stone staircase, the sound of discussion from the room behind them still reached their ears.

“Never thought we’d be so lucky—to witness that scene… “

“That young man seems pretty strong… Too bad… he’s too late. “

Half an hour later, Officer Lon. Chula rose from the small second-floor room after finishing his report, shook hands with Yang Zicang, then glanced at the woman sitting on the wooden bench against the wall and began:

“I’ve got the gist of everything. The death of a Crossing Man is something unforgivable to us. But since the killer’s been dealt with on the spot by you, this matter’s pretty much concluded here. I’ll report your info; if all goes well, you should get an award from the Maritime Bureau before long. That is… “

At the look of doubt flickering in Yang Zicang’s eyes, Lon. Chula chuckled.

“It’s just a badge. It represents the contribution of the Fog People to this continent. Probably doesn’t matter much to you, since you’re about to leave anyway. “

He handed a brass plaque from the table, similar to the one Yang Zicang had gotten from Aqiang, to the woman sitting on the wooden chair.

“This is proof of identity for this lady. If you lose it, you can get a replacement at the nearest Fog People’s leasing office. However, it will usually cost a sum of money from our world. Lastly, there is one most important matter. “

“What matter? “

“That is, never harm the Ferried Ones unless absolutely necessary. Doing so will permanently diminish your Fog People’s lifespan in this era. Also, if you get into a conflict with the locals and use temporal sequence to strike, there will be trouble—unless the other party also carries bloodline power, just like me. “

Long·Chula pointed to his eyes, then smiled lightly, “Alright, go to the supply room upstairs. I believe that Desianus bastard can’t wait to have a look at your so-called job well done’. “

Yang Zicang smiled and gave Xue Qi a wink. The woman nodded knowingly, stood up, shook hands with the native, and pushed the door to leave.

At the other end of the corridor outside the room, there was also a small supply station. Yang Zicang saw on the shelves inside were laid out ropes, wooden barrels, bread, and some vegetables; that was probably the actual place Aqiang and his crew would go.

The stairs were quite narrow. After Yang Zicang brushed past a man, Xue Qi said, “By the way, it’s so strange that we can even sell our experiences. “

“Indeed, it is strange. “

At the top of the stairs stood several people from the Travelers’ Guild.

“Hello, sir. Come with us, Withdin’ first. “

These four or five people were extraordinarily enthusiastic.

“Get lost! ” A man of medium build, wearing a standard-issue military coat, came running. With a flurry of empty kicks, he scattered the group. “Hurry up and come along, honored guest. “

“And you are? “

“I am, pfft, I’m a distribution assistant. Hey, this ain’t the place to talk. Let’s hurry over to the store. “

He moved aside, blocking the stairwell. When he saw the men from the Travelers’ Guild trying to approach again, he immediately raised his fists with a string of curses, driving them far away.

At the end of the passage, on the left side, a massive doorway was carved into a stone that was as smooth and flat as a standing stele. Etched into it were the words: “Bristol Harbor Maritime Bureau & Mist Ocean Trading Company Joint Supply Station. “

This sign, written in the script of Earth, was clearly prepared for people like Yang Zicang.

“Welcome to our Mist Ocean Trading Company’s supply store. “

The supply station manager, who had been leaning against the windowsill, was already waiting at the door. He warmly enveloped Yang Zicang in a big hug.

He then reached out his arms to hug Xue Qi as well.

“Stop! ” the woman said, taking a step back, pressing herself close against the semi-arched wooden door. “You can spare me that. “

The man with a sharp yet gentle face let out a hearty laugh.

“Ahaha, alright, alright. Let me introduce myself first. My name is Dean. Someone once gave me a Chinese surname, but I forgot it. It was something like Zhu or Mu, I think. You won’t mind, will you? “

“Nothing to mind about. “

After a brief introduction, Yang Zicang and his companion followed Dean into the room. Around them, rows of shelves as tall as a man lined the walls, stocked with various everyday items like water flasks, climbing boots, and hooks.

In the middle of the room, a counter was cobbled together with wooden crates, displaying clothes, bed linens, weapons, and tools like hammers. The other half of the counter featured finely crafted nautical instruments, books, maps,;softly’ lustrous silk, and spices that could drive away tigers, wolves, and insects in the wild—clearly a premium goods section.

In short, this supply station operated by the so-called “Mist Ocean Trading Company ” was several notches above the place selling vegetables, bread, and cables downstairs; it was a supply area exclusively for the “Fogfolk. “

“Both of you, come over and sit down. “

Dean returned to his large desk, pointed at two chairs the assistant had brought over, and laced his fingers on the table, flashing a smile.

“Now both of you know my goal, so I won’t beat around the bush. Hmm… Just now, you mentioned that the ferryman who pulled you up was killed by someone trying to obtain the ‘Ling Ice.’ This means you probably didn’t get the chance to learn about merchants like me from him, am I right? “

“That’s correct. However, before arriving here, I met a sir who could extract the ‘Radiance’—what do you call it?—from my experiences. He even signed a temporary contract with me, using that Radiance to invest in the fading hope of a friend of mine, turning peril into safety. “

Xue Qi looked at the young man beside her with astonishment, his entire being shrouded in a dense, icy gloom.

She only now realized just how powerful the so-called ‘Radiance’ could be!

No wonder those people were so shocked.

“A lord capable of extracting Radiance? ” Dieu-An also wore an expression of surprise.

Then the stationmaster’s previously confident aura vanished into thin air, replaced by a visible trace of diffidence.

“So Mr. Bucheng knows such a wise man. In that case, I’ll be straightforward: I’m nothing but a second-tier distributor… With that in mind, are you still willing to sell me the rights to salvaging this lady and tonight’s self-assertion uproar? “

｛I, the Great Quadrilateral…｝

Yang Zicang’s face betrayed no emotion, but a flicker of thought passed through the depths of his eyes.

However… second-tier?

Yang Zicang glanced at Xue Qi, who sat demurely at his side, and spoke:

“This lady beside me isn’t quite familiar with these matters yet. Could I trouble you, Mr. Di’an, to explain this to Ms. Xue? “

“Before we truly begin these discussions, for procedural reasons, I must first see your ‘Fog Citizen IDs.’ “

Di’an took their two badges, gave them a perfunctory glance, then handed them to his assistant to return.

With a snap of the man’s fingers, the atmosphere in the room grew heavy and mysteriously serene.

Yang Zicang and Xue Qi looked up. Before the eyes of this military-suited Mr. Di’an, a strange, faint line now appeared, like the tear duct on a leopard’s face.

His voice became ethereal, echoing within the room.

“Good day, you two. I am now ‘Distributor Di’an.’ “

Xue Qi stared at him in astonishment.

“A distributor? What on earth is that? “

Despite her limited experience, she was now fully aware how abnormal this so-called ‘transaction’ was.

“I am a distributor for the Moon Realm merchants. We handle the distribution of Moonlight for each layer. And the currency for our trade is your life experiences. “

Xue Qi’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“There’s actually such a thing? You’re not lying to me, are you, old uncle? “