Chapter 1087: Ji Ruyan's Request

Yun Che's hand slowly loosened.

Ji Ruyan collapsed onto the ground, covering her neck and coughing painfully. Yun Che turned his back to her, speaking coldly: "I personally witnessed the mournful plight of the Wood Spirits, and I personally saw the tragic fate they suffered... In the very place where they had carefully huddled, all the Wood Spirits, regardless of gender or age, were brutally slaughtered..."

"They were far from evil; on the contrary, their pure kindness could cleanse one's soul with even brief contact... Yet they met such a tragic end at the hands of the Soul Sect! Before this, who knows how many other Wood Spirits and living beings suffered the same fate. Your Blackfeather Merchant Guild might not have directly participated, but you have always been aiding evil... You truly deserve to die!"

"..." The pain gradually receded, but Ji Ruyan remained slumped on the ground, her lips pale, breathing heavily, offering no rebuttal.

"I returned to Blackflame City specifically to kill! People from the Soul Sect, people from the Blackfeather Merchant Guild... and, of course, you!"

Ji Ruyan: "..."

"I won't kill you for now because I want to hear why you wanted to meet me alone. You'd better give me a sufficient reason, otherwise, I'll be the first to use your blood to pay tribute to the souls of those Wood Spirits!" Yun Che's cold voice carried an even colder killing intent.

Ji Ruyan slowly raised her head and softly asked, "Young Master... are you truly going to kill the people of the Soul Sect? Just because they hunted Wood Spirits?"

"They deserve to die!" Yun Che's words were grim.

Feeling Yun Che's chilling, bone-piercing killing intent at such close proximity, Ji Ruyan's face showed not fear, but delight. "If that's the case, then Ruyan truly made the right gamble."

She stood up, her bright eyes rippling slightly. "Young Master Lingyun, I beg you... please save the Blackfeather Merchant Guild."

"???" Yun Che frowned. "Save the Blackfeather Merchant Guild? Are you joking?"

"Young Master is a righteous person. Since you hate the Soul Sect so much, you must also deeply detest the Blackfeather Merchant Guild for 'aiding evil.' But things are not as simple as they appear to you."

Ji Ruyan lightly bit her lip, a hint of sadness entering her eyes. "The rise and fall of a merchant guild often happens overnight. A guild's long-term prosperity is far more challenging to maintain than that of dynasties or sects. My Blackfeather Merchant Guild has existed for fifty thousand years, longer than any sect in the Blackflame Realm. Even across the entire God Realm, very few merchant guilds have flourished for so many years, and in the Lower Star Realm, they are practically nonexistent."

"With such a profound history and foundation, the Blackfeather Merchant Guild's roots are deeply entrenched. Its wealth and reputation are self-evident... But, Young Master, have you ever considered why such a guild would risk destruction and utter ruin to engage in dirty underground transactions, earning utterly insignificant profits?"

"..." Indeed, after learning about the Blackfeather Merchant Guild's standing and witnessing its grandeur, Yun Che had questioned this more than once. He said coldly, "Don't tell me you're going to claim you were forced by the Soul Sect?"

"It was more than just coercion," Ji Ruyan said. "Before, in the Blackflame Realm, the Blackfeather Merchant Guild and the Black Soul Divine Sect were both powerful entities and generally coexisted peacefully. However, a thousand years ago, the Soul Sect suddenly launched an attack. They vilely kidnapped my father, who was still a child at the time, forcing my grandfather to agree to integrate their illicit underground business into the Blackfeather Merchant Guild."

"My grandfather had nine children in total, but all except my father died young. Under duress, my grandfather ultimately had no choice but to agree... Soon after, my father was released, but only after the Blackfeather Merchant Guild sold its first Wood Spirit Pearl. From then on, the Soul Sect held this leverage firmly, forcing the Blackfeather Merchant Guild deeper into a dark mire. With every forced underground transaction, the Soul Sect would use Profound Shadow Stones to record full evidence... pushing the Blackfeather Merchant Guild further and further into ruin."

"From then on, the Blackfeather Merchant Guild was subjected to the Soul Sect's control. Otherwise, if the Soul Sect were to publicly expose those records, everything the Blackfeather Merchant Guild possessed would be destroyed, and we would face a tragic fate, condemned and reviled by the world, even by future generations."

"The Soul Sect did this not merely to control our Blackfeather Merchant Guild, but to firmly grasp the entire Blackflame Realm. Because every dirty, illicit underground transaction left not only leverage over the Blackfeather Merchant Guild, but also over the clients! All client information and desired items had to be meticulously reported to the Soul Sect by the Blackfeather Merchant Guild. Even the transaction sites were secretly recorded in full with Profound Shadow Stones..."

"Heh, playing with such a massive fire, aren't they afraid of burning themselves first?" Yun Che scoffed.

"Of course not... because it is never the Soul Sect that carries out these underground transactions, but always our Blackfeather Merchant Guild. If anything were to truly happen, the Blackfeather Merchant Guild would be destroyed, but the Soul Sect would remain completely unharmed."

Ji Ruyan sighed softly. "Not long after that, my grandfather, feeling he had shamed our ancestors, passed away in depression. After my father inherited the Blackfeather Merchant Guild, the only thing he could do was to be extra cautious, ensuring the world never learned of the guild's sordid side. For this, he personally managed the underground operations, personally meeting and vetting every client, especially new ones, daring not to overlook the slightest detail."

"So, the 'Mr. Ji' I met that day was your father... the current Guild Master of the Blackfeather Merchant Guild?" Yun Che asked. He truly hadn't expected this. No one would have imagined that the head of such a massive merchant guild would personally "receive guests."

It was no wonder that when Yun Che directly mentioned "Wood Spirit Pearls," Mr. Ji displayed deep revulsion and disgust... and his subsequent change in demeanor felt highly unnatural.

"Yes, that's my father," Ji Ruyan nodded, seeing the surprise flicker in Yun Che's eyes. She smiled bitterly. "It concerns the reputation and survival of the Blackfeather Merchant Guild, so my father had no choice but to handle it himself. He couldn't truly trust anyone else with it."

"However, please rest assured, Young Master, that the information we gave the Soul Sect about you was false and fabricated. We told the Soul Sect you were from the distant Pure Moon Realm, so even if they were to investigate there, it would take a long time. Only my father and I know your true origins. You must be wondering how we could deceive the Soul Sect so easily... In truth, the Soul Sect's primary goal is to control the major sects of the Blackflame Realm. They don't pay too much attention to external clients, unless their identity is particularly special. Furthermore... you used the Blackfeather Stone of Sect Master Huo of the Blazing Heaven Realm, and Sect Master Huo's identity was also fabricated... He was the only person before you who dared to use a false identity, and his fabricated origin was precisely the Pure Moon Realm."

"..." Yun Che's eyes narrowed. Hearing this, he finally understood something. He said with a faint, unreadable smile, "So that's how it is. No wonder, no wonder. I knew something was strange about the way you looked at me and your voice transmission last night, and just now you even asked me to save your Blackfeather Merchant Guild... It turns out you weren't asking for my help, but rather trying to leverage the power of the Blazing Heaven Realm to help your Blackfeather Merchant Guild escape this predicament."

"Precisely!" Ji Ruyan responded excitedly. "While carefully managing the underground merchant guild, my father had also been desperately searching for a way out. That is, until... several hundred years ago, my father met Sect Master Huo Rulie, who was urgently seeking a Wood Spirit Pearl."

"It's common for experts from the Middle Star Realm to come to the Blackflame Realm to search for items, but those in high positions never deign to descend personally, especially for prohibited items like Wood Spirit Pearls. Yet, Huo Rulie, as a supreme existence of the Blazing Heaven Realm, personally came to seek a Wood Spirit Pearl. My father had never encountered such a situation before, and it perfectly illustrated Sect Master Huo's character."

"After easily discerning Sect Master Huo's identity, my father had an idea. For the first time, he fabricated a 'client's' background and sold the best Wood Spirit Pearl available at the time to Sect Master Huo. After that, my father would deliberately reserve a Wood Spirit Pearl every so often, readily providing one whenever Sect Master Huo requested it."

"Your father wanted to put Sect Master Huo in his debt?" Yun Che immediately understood.

"Precisely," Ji Ruyan nodded. "My father said that Sect Master Huo has a righteous and fiery temperament, he distinguishes clearly between favors and grudges, and he upholds the righteous path. Such a person will always repay kindness and avenge wrongs, absolutely unwilling to owe anyone a favor. For years, my father has been desperately trying to accumulate enough favors with Sect Master Huo, so that at an opportune moment, he could ask Sect Master Huo to help the Blackfeather Merchant Guild escape the Soul Sect's control... Although the Soul Sect holds absolute power in the Blackflame Realm, for an existence like the Blazing Heaven Realm, suppressing the Soul Sect would be as easy as turning over one's hand."

"Hmph." Yun Che gave a half-smile. "But unfortunately, Sect Master Huo's Blackfeather Stone ended up in my hands, proving he won't be coming back. So you shifted your focus to me?"

"Yes," Ji Ruyan nodded, a deep plea welling up in her eyes. "The Blackfeather Stone not only symbolizes the identity of a special 'distinguished guest,' but also carries profound taboos. A figure like Sect Master Huo would absolutely not want anyone to know that he repeatedly came to the Lower Star Realm to purchase forbidden items like Wood Spirit Pearls. Yet, he handed it to you, which is enough to prove that you must be someone extremely close to and trusted by Sect Master Huo."

"Last night, Young Master casually spent hundreds of millions without batting an eyelid, as if discarding ordinary stones; you knew the other party was a branch master of the Soul Sect, yet you severely wounded him without any hesitation, indicating that you don't even consider the Soul Sect worth your attention. Furthermore, with your initial Divine Soul Realm cultivation, you can easily defeat a Divine Tribulation Realm practitioner. Such talent is unheard of by both my father and Ruyan... My father and I are absolutely convinced that your origin must be extraordinary, perhaps even surpassing the Blazing Heaven Realm itself."

Yun Che raised a hand to pinch his chin, momentarily speechless.

This was a colossal misunderstanding.

Throwing away four hundred million Violet Profound Stones without batting an eyelid was because they were merely items he had casually scooped from the Ice Wind Empire's treasure vault, not something he had worked hard to earn, so he felt no pain whatsoever. As for severely injuring the black-clad middle-aged man, it was simply to remove an obstacle to him acquiring the Wood Spirit Pearl. At that moment, he had no idea what the Soul Sect even was.

"With Young Master's capabilities, you can certainly rescue our Blackfeather Merchant Guild from this quagmire. Alternatively, if you speak to Sect Master Huo on our behalf, I believe that with my father's years of acquaintance with him, and your personal endorsement, Sect Master Huo will definitely lend his aid."

"Young Master, this action would be far more than just saving our Blackfeather Merchant Guild," Ji Ruyan continued to plead. "Innumerable sects and merchant guilds, both large and small, in the Blackflame Realm are trapped under the Soul Sect's control. The all-powerful Soul Sect runs rampant in the Blackflame Realm, and the evil deeds they commit extend far beyond just hunting Wood Spirits... For example, the Folded Wind Manor mentioned at last night's trade fair was actually annihilated by the Soul Sect! The reason was simply their desire to monopolize the manor's forging capabilities. After brutally slaughtering the Folded Wind Manor, they imprisoned the sword-smiths like cattle-slaves within the Soul Sect, forcing them to forge artifacts for the sect day and night. And the tragic fate of the Folded Wind Manor's young mistress, Young Master also witnessed with your own eyes last night."

"Young Master spent billions to acquire a Royal Wood Spirit, yet you magnanimously released it. And upon witnessing the Soul Sect's brutal massacre of Wood Spirits, you became enraged and sought to destroy the Soul Sect. This clearly shows that you are a person of great righteousness and principle... I beg you, Young Master, save our Blackfeather Merchant Guild. The Blackfeather Merchant Guild... and indeed the entire Blackflame Realm, will never forget your immense kindness."

Speaking mournfully, Ji Ruyan bowed deeply.

"..." Yun Che remained silent for a long time. It was clear that Ji Ruyan had completely misunderstood... yet her misunderstanding was based on logical reasoning.

But unfortunately...

Yun Che's gaze shifted downwards as he coldly addressed Ji Ruyan: "Miss Ruyan, do you... think I'm particularly stupid?"

Ji Ruyan looked up. "Why would Young Master say that?"

"Although I've only been in the Blackflame Realm for a few days, I know that in terms of history and foundation, the Blackfeather Merchant Guild, having stood for fifty thousand years, absolutely surpasses the Soul Sect; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it far excels them. Earlier, outside Blackflame City, I personally overheard that the Soul Sect still relies on your Blackfeather Merchant Guild's intelligence network. How could such a powerful merchant guild have been so easily controlled by the Soul Sect a thousand years ago, and since then, not only lacked the means to counteract them but even the strength to resist?" Yun Che gave a faint smile. "Do you think I'd believe that?"

Ji Ruyan hurriedly said, "No, no, Ruyan would never deceive Young Master..."

"I believe you didn't lie to me." Yun Che's voice remained cold. "Let me rephrase: did you omit something, such as..."

Yun Che's voice turned grim: "The Divine Martial Realm!"