Chapter 405: Black Moon Seventh Layer

Upon entering the seventh floor of the Black Moon Merchant Guild, before he could even fully take in his surroundings, an overwhelmingly fresh aroma washed over him. Yes, it was indeed a refreshing scent! In a large merchant guild, one would typically expect a heavy, antique atmosphere. Yet, Yun Che felt as if he had been instantly transported into pure, pristine nature, completely losing any sense of being within a commercial establishment.

He opened his eyes and looked forward. What lay before him was a vast, endless garden. Vibrant green foliage was interspersed with exotic, brightly colored flowers and plants, while tall trees towered majestically. Numerous streams meandered through the landscape, their ceaseless babbling filling the air.

Yun Che’s senses reeled for a moment. Was this truly the seventh floor of the Black Moon Merchant Guild, the interior of a building? This was clearly a secluded paradise, like something out of a fairy tale!

Ahead, three young women, dressed in robes of different colors, approached Yun Che with graceful steps. Each was stunningly beautiful, a rare sight among thousands, and their bearing exuded nobility and elegance. Moreover, their profound energy aura reached the Sky Profound realm!

The three young women stopped before Yun Che and bowed gracefully. "Esteemed guest, welcome to the Black Moon Merchant Guild. Please do not hesitate to command us if you have any needs." The level of service on the Black Moon's seventh floor was truly exceptional. Given the remarkable strength of these three young women, any one of them could be a revered grandmaster capable of commanding an entire region in the Azure Wind Nation, yet here, they served merely as attendants.

Yun Che quickly scanned his surroundings but found no discernible area for selling goods, not even a trace of what one would expect in a merchant guild. After a brief thought, he spoke, "Esteemed ladies, may I ask where the senior I was just speaking with is now?"

"Hehe," a gentle laugh resonated from an unknown direction. "Bring him over."

"Yes... This way, honored guest," the three young women replied crisply. One went ahead, one to his left, and one to his right, respectfully leading Yun Che forward.

They passed through the garden, flowerbeds, a small cluster of hills, and a miniature waterfall. Soon, a simple yet extraordinarily tasteful courtyard came into view. In the center of the courtyard stood a pavilion. In front of it, an elderly man of medium build, dressed entirely in purple, stood smiling as he observed Yun Che.

Yun Che stepped forward and politely stated, "Junior Ling Yun pays his respects to senior." Naturally, Yun Che would not use his real name, so he conveniently borrowed Ling Yun's.

"Hehe, please take a seat," the purple-robed elder said, gesturing before sitting on a stone bench in the pavilion. Yun Che nodded slightly and sat opposite him. One young woman gracefully departed, while the other two positioned themselves on either side of Yun Che, heads slightly bowed, lips curved in faint smiles, their postures respectful and ready to attend to his every command.

"May I ask your esteemed name, senior?" Yun Che inquired.

"This old man's surname is Zi, and my given name is Ji," the elder replied with a smile.

"Zi?" Yun Che was slightly taken aback; it was the first time he had ever heard that surname. He promptly nodded and said, "Senior Zi, thank you for speaking up earlier."

"Regarding that matter, there was no need for me to speak, let alone call it assistance," Zi Ji responded. "I was merely helping the Black Moon avoid a minor inconvenience." Zi Ji looked up, meeting Yun Che's eyes directly, and smiled as he asked, "Young man, should I address you as Yun Che, or Prince Consort Yun, or, as you prefer, Ling Yun?"

Yun Che’s expression stiffened slightly, then he burst into hearty laughter, saying without a trace of panic, "As expected of the Black Moon Merchant Guild, your intelligence-gathering capabilities are indeed unparalleled. It was truly laughable for a junior like Yun Che to try and play tricks under Senior Zi's discerning eye. I hope Senior Zi will not take offense."

"Hehe," Zi Ji chuckled calmly. "The Black Moon’s intelligence capabilities aren’t quite that exaggerated. It’s simply that your identity is rather easy to discern. This old man has had long-term contact with members of the Phoenix Divine Sect and is extremely familiar with Phoenix profound energy. Although you tried your best to suppress it, I could still sense a faint Phoenix aura from you. And currently, outside of the Phoenix Divine Sect, the only person possessing the Phoenix bloodline is Yun Che, the Prince Consort of the Azure Wind Nation."

The young woman who had left returned, carrying freshly brewed tea. Its rich aroma permeated the air, invigorating Yun Che’s mind. Though not a tea connoisseur, he knew this tea was extraordinarily valuable. He picked up the cup, took a small sip, and praised, "Excellent tea. After hearing senior’s words, it seems impossible for this junior to hide his identity in Divine Phoenix City."

"You use ice profound energy as a cover; unless someone conducts a detailed investigation, even the elders of the Phoenix Divine Sect would likely find it difficult to detect your Phoenix profound flames." Zi Ji smiled slightly. "You lit up the purple crystal on my Black Moon Profound Array; your talent is truly astonishing. This old man focused all his attention on you just now, otherwise, I wouldn't have noticed your Phoenix profound flames. However, in my opinion, you don't seem to be deliberately hiding your identity. Otherwise, you wouldn't have paid attention to that Phoenix Divine Sect junior just now, nor would you have displayed your talent without reservation on this crystal platform."

"As expected of the master of the Black Moon Merchant Guild's seventh floor, your discernment is truly sharp," Yun Che praised sincerely. On this seventh floor, Zi Ji dealt with top-tier figures from across the Profound Sky Continent, and his insight and ability to judge people were far beyond ordinary. Yun Che stated nonchalantly, "This junior has been pursued for many years and is already tired of constantly hiding. In another half month, I will inevitably confront the Phoenix Divine Sect. Since that's the case, why should I live in fear and restraint for these mere two weeks? It would naturally be best not to be noticed by the Phoenix Divine Sect, but if I am, it makes no difference. If I were cautious about everything, wouldn't that imply I'm afraid of them?"

Yun Che drained the tea in his cup in one gulp. When discussing the Phoenix Divine Sect, his face showed no trace of apprehension. This bold spirit earned Zi Ji’s secret admiration. He nodded in approval. "Although the Phoenix Divine Sect became aware of your existence two years ago due to your exposed Phoenix bloodline, they haven’t paid much attention to you. In their eyes, profound practitioners from the six nations outside the Divine Phoenix Empire are all mere ants, unworthy of their direct regard. However, after just a few words with you, this old man suddenly feels that the Phoenix Divine Sect might suffer a great loss by underestimating you... but not at this moment. Though you are fearless, it doesn't mean you have the power to resist the Phoenix Divine Sect’s might. Your talent is exceptionally high, but you are far from having fully matured. You will be much stronger than the Phoenix Divine Sect anticipates, but you still pose no threat to them."

"This junior is well aware of that," Yun Che nodded, then proceeded to the main purpose of his visit. "I came to the Black Moon Merchant Guild today to purchase two items and two pieces of information. However..." Yun Che's gaze swept around, as the place indeed bore no resemblance to a commercial establishment.

Zi Ji knew what Yun Che was wondering and said with a chuckle, "Whatever you need, simply tell this old man. This seventh floor is different from the previous six. The first six floors are not much different from the Black Moon Merchant Guild you already know. However, honored guests rarely come here, and when they do, I personally attend to them. Whatever an honored guest needs, they only need to ask. Whether the Black Moon possesses it or not, as long as the guest asks and can afford the price, the Black Moon will spare no effort to fulfill the request. If you wish to browse for items, someone will naturally accompany you to the first through sixth floors."

So that’s how it is... Yun Che no longer hesitated and stated directly, "The two items this junior needs are: first, Celestial Brahma Jade, the purer the better, and second, a well-preserved Phoenix Sunflower."

Zi Ji closed his eyes and reopened them a few breaths later. He reached out and lightly swept his hand across a purple jade ring. A jade box emitting a chilly aura appeared and was placed before Yun Che. "This is the largest and purest piece of Celestial Brahma Jade that the Black Moon possesses."

One young woman stepped forward and gently placed the ice jade box before Yun Che. "Honored guest, please examine it." Yun Che didn't hesitate, opening the ice jade box directly. Amidst the swirling cold mist, he saw a lightly glowing, silvery jade stone, interlaced with blood-red, vein-like patterns. Yun Che extended his left hand and, with a quick sweep in the air, used the Sky Poison Pearl to sense its purity. Naturally, items from the Black Moon Guild would not be counterfeit. Yun Che immediately closed the ice jade box and said, "Good, please state your price, senior."

"Celestial Brahma Jade costs 600 purple profound coins per liang. This piece weighs one jin and three liang, totaling 7,800 purple profound coins," Zi Ji quoted leisurely. "Wow, so expensive!" Yun Che’s mouth twitched slightly, but with millions of purple profound coins in his possession, he could certainly afford it. He immediately transferred 7,800 purple profound coins from his purple-gold card and then stored the Celestial Brahma Jade in the Sky Poison Pearl.

"As for the Phoenix Sunflower, the Black Moon’s last thirteen stalks were all purchased by the Phoenix Divine Sect three hours ago," Zi Ji stated. "If you urgently need this item, there is a place outside the Black Moon where you might acquire it."

"Where?"

"Three hundred li south from here, there is a merchant guild called the 'Falling Flame Merchant Guild,' Zi Ji slowly replied. "That guild will be publicly auctioning several precious items tomorrow at 3 PM, and one of them is a Phoenix Sunflower." Yun Che nodded. "This junior has noted it. Thank you for informing me, senior... Um, does this information cost money?"

"Hehe, no, it’s not needed," Zi Ji smiled faintly, then added a reminder. "However, although the Falling Flame Merchant Guild is named a 'merchant guild,' it is actually a black market. Its auctions are not formal public auctions; you’ll understand once you’re there. But this old man trusts that with your intelligence, you will certainly not suffer any losses. So, what are the two pieces of information you desire?"

"This junior hopes the Black Moon can help me ascertain the whereabouts of two individuals," Yun Che said earnestly. "One is named Chu Yuechan, formerly a disciple of the Ice Cloud Asgard in the Azure Wind Nation and one of the Seven Ice Cloud Fairies. The other is named Xia Yuanba..."

Yun Che described the two individuals to Zi Ji as thoroughly as possible. Zi Ji closed his eyes slightly, memorized everything, then nodded and said, "Regarding the information on these two individuals, this old man will personally arrange for someone to investigate. However, the Black Moon's network in the Azure Wind Nation is the most sparse, so I cannot guarantee quick results. Leave your sound transmission imprint, and this old man will contact you immediately once there is confirmed information. Because you are an honored guest, you don't need to pay the information fee in advance; payment can be settled on the day the information is confirmed. Among this, although I don't know Xia Yuanba's current whereabouts, I can tell you a thing or two about him."

Yun Che's spirits lifted, and he stood up abruptly. "You know Yuanba?"

"Not only do I know him, but many people in Divine Phoenix City know that name," Zi Ji slowly replied. "Back then, his name resonated through half of Divine Phoenix City in a short amount of time; he was a lunatic-like madman. But soon after, he suddenly vanished without a trace. Not long after that, his father also rushed to Divine Phoenix City and remained here in the Black Moon Headquarters... Hehe, if this old man isn't mistaken, Xia Hongyi, Xia Yuanba's father, should be one of your fathers-in-law, correct?"