Mai Bao Xiao Lang Jun
Chapter 98 The Soldier's Whereabouts
“Items have a price, but information is priceless. If you’re involved in relatively confidential intelligence, or secrets of a high level, the price I ask may be beyond your means.”
Intelligence doesn’t have a fixed price; the cost is usually negotiated between the buyer and seller.
“I understand.” Zhang Yuanqing hefted the backpack on his shoulder, saying, “I will offer a price that satisfies you.”
The backpack was filled with many priceless materials and items—things he had taken from his inventory before putting on the Perfect Human Skin.
“So, what do you want to know?” Lian Sanyue flicked ash and leaned back in her chair, asking in a lazy manner.
Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment, then said:
“Do you know Shao Nian Bing Wang (Boy Soldier King)?”
Lian Sanyue’s eyes narrowed sharply. In an instant, the languor and carelessness vanished from her. She stared intently at the young man before her.
Instead of answering the question, she gracefully rose, walked out from behind the counter, and circled Zhang Yuanqing, twisting her hips alluringly. “Tsk,” she clicked.
“An ordinary person? No, what means did you use to conceal your aura? I can’t even see your true self.”
Zhang Yuanqing noticed that her gaze kept falling on his hands.
He let his arms hang naturally, making no attempt to hide his bare fingers.
*Of course. Although the Perfect Human Skin isn’t a rule-based item, it can graft karma. How could you possibly see through it…* Zhang Yuanqing said coldly:
“Who I am isn’t important. Are we doing business or not? Give me a straight answer.”
Lian Sanyue chuckled, returned behind the counter, and sat down again. “Why wouldn’t I?”
After a pause, she said, “I know him. A very interesting Fire Master.”
*A Fire Master? Sigh, so it is. The soldier with A’s in Strength and Speed and a C in Intelligence really became a Fire Master. I’ll never insult Fire Masters again…* Zhang Yuanqing thought sadly, maintaining a calm exterior.
“How did you meet him?”
Lian Sanyue slowly said:
“We met in a multi-player dungeon. We entered an S-ranked multi-player dungeon and encountered a great crisis inside. Teammates died one after another, and the only survivors were him and me.”
*They met in a dungeon?!* Zhang Yuanqing was shocked and blurted out, “He’s a Dominator?”
Lian Sanyue smiled and retorted, “What do you think?”
Refiner is the job title of a Dominator-level Scholar. Someone who can team up with a Dominator in a dungeon is naturally a Dominator.
Zhang Yuanqing, however, was stunned, standing motionless.
He had made a mistake. He had always thought that the soldier was a Saint, or at most a Level 6. But, but if the soldier was a Dominator… Although the Demon Lord hadn’t reached the demigod level, according to the audio content given by the Cat King Speaker, he claimed that he was only one step away from the Supreme level.
A half-step demigod and a Dominator-level Fire Master, the former also holding the "Little Sun" that could restrain the erosion of the Fallen Holy Grail. How could such a combination perish together with the Evil Eye Judge?
In the Dominator melee at the school that day, the Gu King's strength was obviously stronger than Zhi Shayanzhu, but weaker than the Dog Elder who controlled rule-based items, so the Gu King's level was probably around Level 8.
The Evil Eye Judge and the Gu King were rivals for many years, and it was impossible for him to be a Level 9 peak Dominator. How could an Level 8 Witch Gu Master be a match for the Demon Lord and the soldier when the Fallen Holy Grail was restrained?
The battle that led to the demise of both the Demon Lord and the Evil Eye Judge probably had other secrets.
It's a pity that Black Impermanence was killed by the mysterious person disguised as the Demon Lord, his soul scattered. Otherwise, as a survivor who witnessed the battle, Black Impermanence would definitely know something.
Looking at it this way, was the extermination of Black Impermanence inevitable?
Zhang Yuanqing felt inexplicably uneasy, a chill running down his spine.
He temporarily suppressed the complicated thoughts in his mind, returned to the topic, and asked:
“Did Shao Nian Bing Wang (Boy Soldier King) ask you about suppressing the Fallen Holy Grail? I want to know if he's dead or alive, and where he is.”
Lian Sanyue stared at him for a few seconds, then slowly shook her head. “I can’t answer that question.”
“The price is negotiable!” Zhang Yuanqing said.
Lian Sanyue still shook her head. “It's not a matter of money. Shao Nian Bing Wang (Boy Soldier King) did ask me, and I gave him the answer. I even know where he is and what state he's in, but this isn't information that can be sold.”
*She really knows!!* Zhang Yuanqing felt a surge of excitement. He took a deep breath and pressed, “Why can’t it be sold? As long as you make a condition, I will try my best to satisfy you. You’re a merchant; there’s no need to refuse money.”
He knew that with Lian Sanyue’s personality, no amount of money would do, but he was still unwilling to give up.
“You misunderstood,” Lian Sanyue said, leisurely exhaling white smoke.
“I can’t sell this information because Shao Nian Bing Wang (Boy Soldier King) has already paid me to keep it. He said that in the near future, someone would find me and inquire about his news. At that time, he hopes that I can pass it on to him, but they must first give the password.”
“Password?” Zhang Yuanqing asked cautiously, “What password?”
Lian Sanyue stubbed out her cigarette and stared at him. “Please answer me now, who is Shao Nian Bing Wang (Boy Soldier King) to you? You only have one chance. If you answer incorrectly, I will never answer your questions again.”
*Brothers? Buddies? Friends? Best friends? Older brother?* A series of nouns flashed through Zhang Yuanqing’s mind, but he rejected them all.
These answers were too mediocre and too ordinary; they lacked confidentiality.
Although there was only one chance, if someone kept sending people to inquire, they would eventually guess correctly.
In addition, the soldier’s real identity wasn’t a secret to some people, such as the Evil Eye Judge, Black Impermanence, or someone he didn’t know.
And who was the soldier’s good brother?
If someone took the time to investigate, it wouldn’t be difficult to find out about the person named “Zhang Yuanqing.”
The soldier wouldn’t leave such obvious loopholes to implicate him.
As thoughts raced through his mind, Zhang Yuanqing got the answer in his heart. He took another deep breath and said in a tone of mixed sorrow and joy:
“Detective’s assistant!”
Lian Sanyue smiled and snapped her fingers.
“Congratulations, you answered correctly.”
After a pause, as Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief, she said:
“The methods that can restrain the power of the Fallen Holy Grail in this world are rare, and their levels are extremely high. It’s even rarer to want to suppress the erosion of the Fallen power for a long time. I’m afraid even Dominator-level Lingjing Xingzhe wouldn’t know.”
“But coincidentally, I do. That power isn’t in reality, but in the Lingjing. That day, Shao Nian Bing Wang (Boy Soldier King) asked me how to suppress the erosion of the Fallen Holy Grail for a long time, and my answer was Lingjing number 0019.”
*Lingjing number 0019…* Zhang Yuanqing repeated in his mind, then asked:
“Lingjing number? What kind of dungeon is 0019?”
“I’ve already answered the information that Shao Nian Bing Wang (Boy Soldier King) left with me. If you want to know the specific information about Lingjing number 0019, pay me one million. If you want its dungeon strategy, then you have to exchange it for a Dominator-level item,” Lian Sanyue said.
*Exchange for a Dominator-level item? You’re too greedy!* Zhang Yuanqing didn’t hesitate. “Just tell me the specific information.”
He could actually use Fu Qingyang’s account to query the information about that dungeon in the official database, but he also had to consider the possibility that the official database hadn’t collected it.
Number 0019. According to the numbering characteristics of the Lingjing, the Transcendence Realm dungeons are four digits long, with a total of 9999 dungeons, and the Saint Realm dungeons are three digits long, with a total of 999 dungeons.
By analogy, Dominator-level dungeons are two digits long, with a total of 99, and 0019 is among the top twenty dungeons at the Dominator level.
This level of dungeon, not to mention whether the official has it, even if it does, if Qian Gongzi asks about using Fu Qingyang’s account to check, he will definitely ask about it.
It’s worth it to get the specific information for one million; there’s no need to check through official channels.
He immediately took out a material at the Star Official level and handed it to the counter.
It was a handful of sand that emitted a dreamy starlight.
“Star Sand, 500 grams, worth 1.3 million.” Lian Sanyue put away the material and took out six stacks of paper money and placed them on the counter. “Your change.”
After Zhang Yuanqing put the 300,000 into his backpack, she said:
“Lingjing number 0019, name: The Secret of the Five Elements. Multi-player dungeon, S-rank, death type. This was the last dungeon I entered after I advanced to Dominator, and it was also the dungeon that Shao Nian Bing Wang (Boy Soldier King) and I teamed up in that day.”
“There are five bosses in the dungeon, each symbolizing Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. After defeating the bosses, you can go to the deepest part of the dungeon, which is a frozen abyss.”
“I don’t know what’s in the abyss, because the dungeon ended after we defeated the five bosses. But the power of the abyss is still fresh in my memory. It’s an aura that freezes everything and seals everything.”
*Freezes everything, seals everything?* Zhang Yuanqing half-guessed and half-asked:
“The Night Watcher job?”
“That’s right!” Lian Sanyue gave an affirmative answer. “But this is only part of the aura of the abyss. The power to freeze everything, I guess, belongs to the Water Ghost job, and its level directly reaches the demigod. Heh, you know about demigods, right? If you don’t know, spend another million.”
“The five leaders of the official are demigods. If there are no surprises, the leaders of the major organizations are also demigods,” Zhang Yuanqing said calmly. “The demigods in the two Lingjing districts add up to nearly twenty.”
Lian Sanyue was a little surprised and looked at him a few times. “You know a lot. Your level must be high, or you hold a high position in a certain organization?”
“But you shouldn’t be at the Dominator level. If you were a Dominator, you would know that the evil jobs don’t have demigods; they only have combat power comparable to demigods.”
*Evil jobs don’t have demigods?* So demigod, like Dominator, Saint, and Transcendence, is the name of a certain stage, rather than a title divided by combat power. Zhang Yuanqing asked curiously:
“Why don’t evil jobs have demigods?”
After asking, he considered and said, “How much money do you need?”
Lian Sanyue shook her head. “No amount of money is useful, because I don’t know either.”
She didn’t continue this topic and said:
“As a Refiner, I’m extremely sensitive to the power and characteristics of various jobs, so I told Shao Nian Bing Wang (Boy Soldier King) that as long as he returned to Lingjing number 0019 and entered the abyss, the power of the Fallen Holy Grail would be sealed. Of course, he would also be sealed.”
“The erosion of the Fallen Holy Grail is unsolvable unless he dies, but he seems to believe that one day he will return to normal. Okay, I’ve told you everything I know.”
*So that’s how it is!* Zhang Yuanqing understood.
It seemed that the soldier had mostly used the Demon Lord’s teleportation jade talisman to re-enter dungeon 0019 after killing the Evil Eye Judge, which was consistent with the characteristics of the teleportation jade talisman.
As long as he had been to a place before, he could use the teleportation jade talisman to return there.
“Why does the main mission end after killing the bosses? Is the abyss a hidden mission?” Zhang Yuanqing asked, adding, “This is an extension of the dungeon’s detailed information; you can’t charge money.”
“It’s not a hidden dungeon.” Lian Sanyue shook her head.
“The aura of the abyss made us Dominators tremble. It’s obviously not a dungeon that Dominators can clear. My guess is that Lingjing number 0019 may be the product of the combination of two dungeons. The first half belongs to the Dominator level, and the abyss belongs to the demigod level.”
“Another guess is that it may be a bug.”
“How do you mean?” Zhang Yuanqing asked curiously.
Lian Sanyue worded her explanation carefully:
“The background of the Secret of the Five Elements is in the Tang Dynasty. At that time, he and I wandered near the abyss. In addition to those two terrifying auras, I also heard breathing, breathing coming from the bottom of the abyss. Something may be sleeping inside.”Your level is not low, you should know that the dungeon is built on the basis of ancient practitioners. And according to the characteristics of the abyss sealing everything, do you think there is such a possibility."
"The bottom of the abyss seals a Tang Dynasty practitioner. Because of the characteristics of freezing everything and sealing everything, he (she) survived the long years without dying and lived until the appearance of the Lingjing."
"The Lingjing incorporated his (her) sealed place into the dungeon, and because of the seal, that existence could not be born, so 0019 is just a Dominator-level dungeon, because it is impossible to confront the existence in the abyss."
*So this is a bug? That makes sense…* Zhang Yuanqing nodded slowly, but new doubts welled up in his heart:
“Why does the power of the Night Watcher job appear in the Lingjing dungeon of our district?”
After asking this, he knew the answer himself.
In ancient times, transcendent power had no borders. Foreign superpower users could come to Middle Earth, and Middle Earth practitioners could also travel overseas. It was not impossible for that Tang Dynasty practitioner to go overseas and obtain some kind of treasure from the Night Watcher job.
“I already know, you don’t need to answer,” Zhang Yuanqing added.
Lian Sanyue nodded slightly and waved her hand. “We’re closing up. If there’s nothing else, you can leave. I don’t want to do business today.”
"Wait,"
Zhang Yuanqing said, "You are one of the largest intelligence centers in the south. I have another piece of information I want to inquire about."
"So many things!" Lian Sanyue said unhappily: "Say it."
"You know the Dog Elder of the Songhai branch, right? Do you know if he has a rule-based item called Zoo."
Lian Sanyue nodded.
Zhang Yuanqing’s heart was inexplicably excited. He took a step forward and said:
“I want to know, who was the previous owner of that rule-based item?”