Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 96: Chapter 2 “The Authority of the 10 Cities

“Accepted,”

Li Yan did not hesitate.

The water orb spun smoothly for a moment, then burst open, and the woman’s visage leapt out from within it, her watery features extremely vague and indistinct.

Li Yan and the woman locked eyes for a while, both momentarily speechless.

What happened to the fiery-haired woman in black…

Li Yan thought silently.

“I’ve read that novel too,”

Li Yan’s heart skipped a beat as his mind raced to blank, trying to think of nothing.

The fiery-haired woman in black was the protagonist of a popular serial novel he used to like a lot, also named Yu Shiqie, whose experiences were… enticing.

But the remark just now was only Li Yan’s inner monologue, yet it was pointed out directly by this woman made of clear water before him.

Upon returning, he was prepared to be held accountable by Mo or others. In fact, there were no loopholes in his actions; the entire Yan Fu incident had been shielded from the start by Taishuai, leaving no record, and no one could accuse Li Yan and Yu Shu of premeditation based solely on the fragmented records within the “Judy” fruit.

However, if the visitor possessed mind-reading abilities, that would be a different story…

“Don’t be nervous, I don’t have whatever thing you’re imagining; I just made a guess about what you were thinking when you heard my name. That novel is quite famous among our age group,”

Li Yan blinked, but noted the emphasis on our age group.

Thinking it over, spending just one year in Yan Fu means experiencing a full six Yan Fu incidents, so it was normal to find veterans around his age.

“But, what are you hiding?”

The woman’s voice carried a strange magnetism.

Li Yan ignored her question, “Do you want something from me?”

“I was just curious. Someone whose personal strength is below ‘Ten Cities’, yet manages to get a ‘Great Luck’ rating within the top fifty fruits and a 200% purchase authority limit as a newcomer. What kind of person is that? Although, your performance just now was not particularly interesting,”

Li Yan stretched with a yawn, half-closing one eye as he spoke, “I’m ashamed, truly ashamed.”

The woman proceeded at her leisurely pace.

“Your actions in Yan Fu have been a wasted effort for many, including myself,”

“Are you referring to Taishuai?”

Li Yan played dumb.

“I would really like to know that woman’s whereabouts. If you’re willing to tell me, I can provide some assistance within my capacity,”

“I don’t know her whereabouts either. That woman appeared out of nowhere, killed my assistant Comrades, and then vanished. Mo can retrieve my walking records in the world of Yan Fu; if you don’t believe me, you can ask him.”

“You’re well aware that due to Taishuai, this Yan Fu incident left no records. Besides, the observational records only sporadically include some of the walkers’ combat data for performance assessment and are far from comprehensive,”

“From your tone, are you suggesting that I colluded with Taishuai to aim for a higher evaluation and reward?”

“Although you’re dull, you are not that shortsighted. After all, if you consorted with a Renegade, you would face the wrath of all Yan Fu walkers,”

Li Yan’s face relaxed slightly, as if acknowledging Yu Shiqie’s words.

“I’m more inclined to believe that Taishuai took the initiative to find you.”

Li Yan’s face remained expressionless, his heartbeat steady.

“If she had controlled you with something like poison, we would have noticed when you returned. My conjecture is that she threatened to kill you and shared some information with you that you aren’t presently authorized to know. With that, she made initial contact with you and interfered forcefully with the content of your Yan Fu incident, forcing you to cooperate with her,”

“Having seen your current record, it’s clear that you are a man of strong resolve, and daring enough to take risks; thus, my conclusion is you hit it off with Taishuai straightaway,”

Li Yan shook his head, “You’ve made up your mind about me; should I just confess and sign off in resignation?”

Yu Shiqie spoke for herself, “Taishuai is volatile. This time she’s taken a big hit, all her innate fierceness aroused, so it’s foreseeable she would go on a killing spree upon her return. But she didn’t kill you, which implies she views you favorably, and it’s very likely she wants you to become a Renegade. Of course, knowing her character, she might have just mentioned it in passing, perhaps suggesting you join her side,”

Yu Shiqie mimicked Yu Shu’s speech, with uncanny accuracy.

“And your presence here means you’ve declined, suggesting you’re not yet ready to turn against us,”

The woman’s tone softened.

“What I want is the truth, and I won’t make things difficult for you. Just tell me what you know, and that will be the end of it for you.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,”

Li Yan said with a relaxed tone, smiling and shaking his head.

“In that case, we shall wait and see.”

The water sphere shook violently,

“Wait.”

Li Yan spoke.

The shaking of the water sphere stopped.

“Have you changed your mind?”

“You said that Taishuai was once a wanderer, even a Proxy Traveler. When she was in the Yan Fu, did she have any close friends?”

Yu Shiqie didn’t speak.

“If she did, I think they’re most likely women.”

“…You’d better pray for good luck.”

The water sphere burst violently. Water droplets splattered onto the ground.

“Are the women of Yan Fu all so decisive?”

Li Yan smacked his lips, his gaze deep.

…

“You have obtained the ‘Ten Cities’ level wanderer title.”

You have gained the following privileges:

1. Privilege Freeze: Retain your acquired purchasing privileges, spend 100 Yan Fu points to conserve time during a Yan Fu event once, 200 points for twice, 400 points for thrice, and so on.

2. Worldview Acquisition: Without the need for exploration, immediately obtain the basic exploratory notes of all Yan Fu wanderers. Additionally, spend Yan Fu points to acquire some high-value exploratory note contents.

3. A twenty-cubic Seal Space, suitable for storing items, but not for containing living beings.

4. Unmanned Auction House: You can list all of your possessions for sale.

It features a search option, allowing wanderers to find the items they want through searching, or to filter needs and browse them one by one.

This Unmanned Auction House is quite interesting. It allows you to list the purchasing rights of items you no longer need. Of course, if they are not sold by the next refresh, the rights automatically expire.

On the other hand, since it displays everything for sale, many items seem incredibly nonsensical.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Li Yan casually clicked to look and saw several entries like this:

[A Lump of Shit]

Selling Price: 10,000 Yan Fu points.

“…”

A jiefa-braided girl around fourteen or fifteen years old, with red lips and white teeth, and a delicate appearance.

[Temporary Comrade Wanderer]

Selling Price: 50,000 Yan Fu points.

Note: “I’m broke, so I’m selling myself. A Seven Palaces level Yan Fu wanderer, I’ll perform but won’t sell my body, idiots piss off.”

A round crystal slice

[Private Water Mirror Shadow Record]

Selling Price: 100 Yan Fu points

Note: The uncensored version of the current Scales Lord and Madam Baihua’s private Water Mirror Shadow Record with True Martial Law Fruit (Scale · Jiazi 226), explosive content, absolutely real, 100 Yan Fu points per copy, preview available.

However, this message disappeared after a short while, the reason being it didn’t comply with the auction house’s standards. But judging by the transaction volume Li Yan saw just now, there were at least over five thousand copies sold…