Bai Ye’s thoughts weren’t actually disparaging Gao Ming.
Gao Ming had actually done quite well, at least in keeping tabs on Liu Shiyue.
In comparison, Bai Ye found Hua Zhixiao to be far more terrifying.
Liu Shiyue had a large entourage, and trailing them, or making inquiries, was certainly possible, which Gao Ming had indeed accomplished.
However, the fact that Hua Zhixiao could know Liu Shiyue’s objective, including hidden mission details, or trigger content for forbidden zones, and even the rewards for objectives, was quite frightening.
This was because these things didn’t manifest on the surface.
To put it more directly, this information wasn’t something that could be known by simply looking, nor something that could be discovered by following Liu Shiyue and investigating places he had visited. Liu Shiyue wasn’t foolish enough to broadcast the details of his hidden missions to the entire world, letting everyone know what he was up to.
What good would that do?
If Gao Ming’s methods were merely at the level of trailing, then Hua Zhixiao’s was genuine intelligence gathering.
Bai Ye couldn’t help but ask, "How did you know?"
Hua Zhixiao hesitated and replied, "I asked."
Bai Ye frowned, "Asked?"
That sounded a bit preposterous.
You just asked, and they answered?
Hua Zhixiao’s face showed a hint of sadness and pain, then she said pitifully, "When men are asleep, they can’t always control their minds, and naturally, they can’t quite control their mouths."
"Uh!"
Bai Ye twitched his lips. Hearing this, he understood how Hua Zhixiao obtained her information.
Bai Ye said, "That’s not an easy feat, nor something just anyone can accomplish. You did well."
Hua Zhixiao paused and asked, "Don’t you think we’re dirty?"
"Hah!" Bai Ye showed a trace of disdain and looked at Hua Zhixiao, saying, "Some people believe dignity is above life and death, some refuse to eat charity. What do you think?"
Bai Ye didn’t expect Hua Zhixiao to answer and continued speaking.
"That’s because they haven’t died, nor have they starved," Bai Ye said. "Is struggling to survive a mistake? Or, for someone who doesn’t even dare to live, how can they talk about dignity?"
As Bai Ye spoke, he lifted Hua Zhixiao’s chin.
"In my opinion, anything is permissible to survive."
"You are beautiful, and your body is alluring. These are your weapons, and what you’ve done is simply pick up your weapons and fight."
"It’s all about survival, isn’t it?"
"Dirty?"
"Do you think your corpse lying by the roadside, covered in mud and gnawed by insects and vermin, would be any cleaner?"
"You don’t need to care what others think, but you need to know what you need."
"Or, when you become strong enough to kill anyone, no one in this world will dare to point fingers at you, because..."
Bai Ye’s expression suddenly turned playful, with a clear hint of mockery.
"They fear death; they want to live!"
As Bai Ye spoke, he stood up, retrieved his lightsaber, and placed it on the coffee table.
"Trade it for your mount."
Hua Zhixiao quickly said, "It was just a small favor, I... right now..."
"I don’t need you to do these small favors for me," Bai Ye interrupted. "Because I am greedy, and I want more."
After speaking, Bai Ye ignored Hua Zhixiao, opened the door, and left the private room, exiting the tea house.
Then…
"The romance of men is gone!"
Outside the tea house, Bai Ye tilted his head back forty-five degrees and began to feel melancholic.
Trading a red-quality lightsaber for a blue-quality beast tamer, he had "sucker" practically branded on his forehead.
Indeed, showing off for a moment feels good, but the aftermath is hell…
Bai Ye sighed. Although he regretted it the moment he walked out, he was too embarrassed to turn back and ask for the item. Forget it, forget it, it is what it is.
Helplessly, Bai Ye returned to the trading market.
He now had his mount, and could go out to sea, but some preparations were still necessary.
First, food.
The mount could catch fish itself, but Bai Ye also needed to eat. Moreover, specialized food for beast tamer cultivation was custom-made and beneficial for improving the beast’s loyalty and abilities.
He was going out to sea and would naturally rely on his mount long-term, so he should treat it well.
In addition, some daily necessities were required.
For example, a special sleeping bag for the sea, which could be secured to the beast's body for sleeping, and a seawater filter. A compass was also essential, as it was easy to get lost at sea without a sense of direction.
After finally gathering all the necessary items, in the evening, a large-billed gull crashed into the inn’s glass window.
Bai Ye opened the window and retrieved a box from the gull’s leg. It was a map of the sea routes mailed by Gao Ming, two in total. One was how to reach the sea area where Liu Shiyue was currently located, and the other was the sea area where the turtle riders resided.
With this, everything was ready.
Bai Ye slept a night in the town’s inn and arrived at the seaside early the next morning, ready to set off.
But at this moment…
"Ring, ring, ring..."
Bai Ye’s den-den mushi suddenly rang.
Bai Ye was speechless. Gao Ming was really putting in a lot of effort. Did he really need to call about two sea charts, or was it to avoid paying for the large-billed gull courier service?
However, when Bai Ye answered the call, he found it wasn’t Gao Ming.
"Brother, Uncle, I’ll call you Grandpa if you want. What exactly do you want?" Li Jiayi’s voice came from the other end of the den-den mushi.
"Hmm?" Bai Ye frowned. "Why is it you?"
Li Jiayi replied, "I’m the one who should ask. Why is it you again? Can you just leave me alone?"
Bai Ye looked confused. "What do you mean, ‘again me’? No, you’re also in the coastal beast tamer area? Is there anything good here?"
"Hmm?" Li Jiayi asked, "What are you doing here?"
Bai Ye said, "Looking for Fang Hu, just passing through."
"Ah?" Li Jiayi blinked, then decisively said, "Goodbye!"
Li Jiayi hung up the phone directly. Immediately, Bai Ye heard a busy tone from his receiver.
"Hello, hello, hello, you bastard…"
Bai Ye shouted a couple of times, but it was clearly too late. He could only angrily put down the receiver.
Li Jiayi could contact Bai Ye, but Bai Ye couldn't contact Li Jiayi. This was because Li Jiayi had some communication ability that wasn't a tool, and Bai Ye didn't have this ability, nor Li Jiayi's contact information.
"This guy doesn’t do anything without reason. Could something good be appearing in this place?"
Bai Ye rubbed his chin. Should he get involved?
Or, could he use getting involved to blackmail Li Jiayi?
Bai Ye’s attitude towards Li Jiayi had changed somewhat. This was because Bai Ye found this guy to be quite useful.
This was because Li Jiayi knew a lot.
…