Fors's first reaction was to wonder if she had misheard. That mysterious man she had met only twice had actually become the host of a Beyonder gathering.
What kind of figure was capable of hosting such a meeting?
At the very least, they had to be a Sequence 7 powerhouse, right?
Furthermore, this gathering originally had a master,the infamous Mr. A!
In the mysterious world, acquiring an established secret gathering meant either being trusted and entrusted by the owner or killing them and seizing it from their grasp.
Either way, it meant this man was absolutely not simple.
While the "salted fish" novelist's brain raced at full speed, Snow continued speaking:
"Mr. A has some matters to handle recently, so he has temporarily handed the gathering over to me. You may call me Mr. V. The rules of the gathering remain the same as before. However, I also provide intelligence collection and organization services. Based on the involved level and difficulty of the information, I will purchase intelligence at corresponding rates. If there is any information you wish to acquire, you can also trade via slips. This is the price list. If no one has any objections... we can proceed to the next round of trading."
Snow waved his hand, and the steward distributed the pre-prepared price lists. Just like his offer to Xio, he didn't accept cash for sales but instead exchanged for mystical items, potion formulas, or Beyonder materials based on the intelligence's level and complexity. However, if the person selling information wanted cash, that was also fine.
"How do we know you won't cheat us of our intelligence? What if we tell you, and then you just say you already knew it?" Suddenly, a man with his face hidden in a hood asked. Snow offered a smile in return, "A very good question. But please rest assured; during the intelligence exchange, I will provide a contract that guarantees fairness for both sides. If the information provided is indeed valuable and the receiving party hasn't already mastered it, the contract will bind them to complete the transaction."
After hearing Snow's words, the small meeting room became somewhat noisy.
For non-official Beyonders, intelligence was extremely important. For those without an organization to rely on, having an additional channel for information was undoubtedly a great boon.
Seeing that no one had emerged to pick a fight as he had imagined, Snow couldn't help but feel that taking over an existing gathering was indeed more stable than building a new one. At the same time, he felt a bit of regret that he couldn't kill a few Beyonders to showcase his and Lily's combat prowess.
Transaction details were written on the blackboard one by one. From time to time, people were led to side halls or guest rooms to complete trades. The order of the gathering was quite good, but some people were still hesitating,
For example, Fors.
'If this Mr. V truly is Mr. Snow, then could I buy information regarding the "Full Moon Ravings" from him? I wonder what the price would be?'
Fors felt apprehensive. On one hand, she desperately wanted to know about the Full Moon Ravings; on the other, she was worried the other party would give a quote she couldn't afford.
Well, in truth, she was more worried the other party would simply say they didn't know.
After all, as long as there was information available, even if she couldn't afford it temporarily, she would at least know how to obtain it.
She had just used a [Teleportation Stone]. It was predictable that the pain of the next Full Moon Ravings would far exceed the previous ones.
After thinking for a long time, she ultimately failed to make a decision,just like most of the Beyonders attending the gathering.
After all, this Mr. V,who had suddenly taken over the gathering,was a stranger to everyone. No one had a clear positioning of his credibility or abilities.
At such a time, whether they wanted to buy or sell intelligence, everyone preferred to wait and see.
It wasn't just intelligence trading; even normal exchanges became cautious. At least regarding potion formulas, not a single transaction was completed today. Unquestionably, they didn't quite trust Snow's appraisal abilities yet.
However, Snow wasn't surprised by this at all. Or rather, it met his expectations. A Beyonder gathering was a circle that required a breaking-in period. Changing a branch was one thing, but once the core host was replaced, it would inevitably bring a period of stagnation.
After several more rounds of quotes and trades, Snow clapped his hands. Just as everyone thought he was about to dissolve the gathering, he suddenly spoke, "I wish to issue a bounty to everyone. I'm looking for a Sequence 8 Swindler named Lanevus. Here is his general profile. Anyone who can provide effective clues can receive a bounty of £100 or exchange it for a 'Sequence 7' rated piece of intelligence. Additionally, he is extremely dangerous and likely possesses a high-power mystical item. I hope everyone will act with caution. This concludes tonight's gathering."
Snow didn't kindly create a time gap like Eye of Wisdom did, as Mr. A never had that habit.
But it was certain that there wouldn't be many people lying in wait for others. The reason was simple,this was the border between the West District and the Empress District.
Once a battle occurred here, regardless of how overwhelming it was, even the slightest noise would quickly attract the official Beyonders.
This was Backlund, the Capital of Capitals. It was full of wealthy merchants and nobles. No low-sequence Beyonder dared to cause trouble in such a place.
One by one, the Beyonders and mysticism enthusiasts departed. Snow didn't wait for a moment to "show off." He reached out and touched Lily's head, removed his hood, Dispelled his disguise, and restored his original persona as the social butterfly, Snow.
"Backlund hasn't been peaceful lately. There might be official inspections coming up. Remember to pack away anything sensitive." Snow instructed the butler. The butler nodded immediately; as Mr. A's butler, he didn't lack experience in dealing with such matters. After giving instructions to the two maids, he escorted Snow to the door.
At that moment, the sound of a commotion came from the Empress District. The corners of Snow's mouth curled up slightly as he turned to walk toward his "mansion."
Although he knew exactly where Qilangos would appear and that he could talk to Mr. Azik if he went there, there were social events one could join and those one couldn't.
Setting aside the fact that he couldn't reveal any information to Mr. Azik,lest he awaken that Death Consul prematurely,the bigger issue was that if he went, he would have to face the "Tarot Club Political Commissar" (Alger) who would arrive shortly after, and the "Storm Old Pigeons" (Sealers) he brought along.
Currently, even if he used "White Horse is Not a Horse," he could only advance-order Sequence 5 abilities. Setting aside whether he could escape from a demigod, he simply had no reason to wade into this muddy water that offered no benefit whatsoever.
"Let's go. Tomorrow I'll have to teach you how to be an [Instigator]!"
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika Kagura]
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A/N: "Sequence 7 Intelligence" - Refers to Snow's classification system. An intelligence credit of this level is extremely valuable for low-sequence Beyonders.
A/N: "Instigator" (教唆者) - As mentioned in Ch 71, this is the Sequence 8 of the Demoness pathway. Snow plans to train his cat, Lily, in this field.
T/N: "Empress District" (皇后区) - One of the wealthiest districts in Backlund, home to the Hall family and other high nobility.
T/N: "Tarot Club Political Commissar" - A fan-nickname for Alger Wilson (The Hanged Man), referring to his role in coordinating and "politically" guiding the club's early actions.
T/N: "Storm Old Pigeons" (风暴老鸽) - A humorous term for the upper management/Sealers of the Church of Storms, who are known for their hot tempers and sometimes "pigeoning" (delaying) their arrivals.