The surrounding mercenaries immediately cleared out. These were old hands in the underground mercenary world, knowing what was considered appropriate. If they lingered while a business deal was being made, they would offend both parties. Only those who were tired of living would do such a thing.
"Oh, little friend, you're back from your mission? It's been quite a while," Lawrence greeted with a smile, gesturing for Li Xi to sit down.
"It was alright, a near-death experience, but I managed to survive. That's what we do, isn't it? Living with our heads on our belts, just trying to make a living," Li Xi replied.
Lawrence nodded, agreeing with Li Xi's words. Although he was involved in the underground mercenary world, he only dealt in information, never undertaking missions himself. While some mercenaries became rich overnight, more often than not, they died overnight. Having witnessed much of the world, he maintained his principles and was a rare clear-headed individual. "What information would you like to buy, little friend?"
Li Xi dipped a few drops of wine with his finger and wrote 'Tang Nashu' on the tabletop. Lawrence glanced at it and signaled with his eyes that he understood.
After confirming that Lawrence knew the information he wanted to buy, Li Xi wiped the table, and the wine-written characters disappeared without a trace.
"I've heard that Mr. Lawrence is famously tight-lipped, and has never made a mistake in the business of selling information. I hope this isn't just a rumor."
Lawrence smiled. "You can rest assured about that. Ever since I entered this line of work, I haven't made a single mistake. Keeping secrets for my clients is my operating principle."
"Good, then please give me a quote."
Lawrence held up five fingers. "Five thousand gold coins, no less, no more. I guarantee you'll think it's well worth the price after you see it."
In the small planes of the Abyss, he had slain ten Earls, one Duke, and even a Prince. The spatial rings they carried contained the treasures they had accumulated over thousands of years, wealth that could rival a nation. Even a single treasure could support thousands of people. Therefore, five thousand gold coins was not even a consideration for Li Xi.
He directly tossed a spatial ring over. Lawrence caught it and probed it with his spiritual power, a smile appearing on his face. Then, he took out a book from the spatial ring and threw it towards Li Xi. "This is the information you requested. It's very detailed, so take your time reading it."
Li Xi held the book in his hand. With over a hundred pages, it made him wonder if he had bought information or a textbook. How detailed could an information report be to fill a book? It probably even listed what color underwear they wore. "As expected of you, sir. These five thousand gold coins were not spent in vain."
"Hahaha, you can doubt my drinking capacity, but you must believe my information." Lawrence took out a large bottle of wine from the spatial ring and poured Li Xi a full glass. "To our first successful transaction, cheers."
"Alright."
Before the wine even reached his stomach, Li Xi knew it was a poor-quality, high-proof white wine from the Konoha Merchant Group, brewed for its alcoholic content—a distorted product. Never mind other things; for small life forms like gnomes, a pound of this could cause them to spontaneously combust.
It was only in this other world where everyone cultivated and their bodies possessed immense energy that such things as illnesses and injuries that ordinary people couldn't withstand were inconsequential to them.
Now, with several bloodlines within him, Li Xi had no fear of this small cup of high-proof liquor. His powerful stomach could handle sulfuric acid, let alone this drink. (The mask could move at the mouth, not hindering eating.)
So, when Lawrence saw Li Xi drain his cup of high-proof liquor without any reaction, as if he had drunk a glass of plain water, he clapped his thighs in delight and eagerly refilled Li Xi's cup. "Brother Li Cha, not many people in this world can drink 'Flowing Fire' without any reaction purely on their physical strength. You're amazing."
"This wine is called 'Flowing Fire'?"
"Yes. It's said that Princess Philin gave it that name after drinking it, to describe the sensation of fire flowing in one's stomach."
Li Xi praised, "A good name, the wine lives up to its name."
"Of course, it's a good name. The current Princess Philin is in Aisinger, above us. She's put aside the struggle for imperial power and is busy with her own business every day. Among the princes, she is the most approachable princess."
Li Xi seized the opportunity to ask his question. "Oh? Does she, a princess of her stature, still need to do business?"
Lawrence, without suspicion, began to chatter, explaining to Li Xi. "Who would have thought? Princess Philin didn't seem to like commerce before, but ever since the legendary mercenary Li Xi died, Princess Philin, as his fiancée, took over the Konoha Merchant Group and became obsessed with making money through business. The Konoha Merchant Group is no longer what it was. While it may not be one of the top ten merchant groups, if Princess Philin continues to manage it for a few more years, the Konoha Merchant Group will surely secure a place among the top ten."
"That impressive?"
The top ten merchant groups in this world were equivalent to the top ten on the Forbes list in his previous life. Lawrence claimed Philin was confident of reaching that level within a few years, so Li Xi was naturally astonished. People on the Forbes list in his previous life were figures he looked up to, and the assets of each could crush a crowd.
But looking at it now, it was nothing extraordinary. With his current strength, earning money would be simple. Perhaps this was the powerful foundation brought about by the convergence of myriad forces within himself.
Hearing Li Xi's doubt, Lawrence intensified his voice. "Of course. The competition between Crown Princess Femor and the First Prince Phil has reached a fever pitch. Princess Philin, in such an environment, was able to withdraw wisely, and neither of them would trouble her. Instead, they would constantly support her. Do you understand the reasoning?"
The reasoning was that although they couldn't be allies, they couldn't be enemies either. Knowing that the internal situation was more complex than Lawrence described, and based on their few simple encounters, Crown Princess Femor was clearly at a disadvantage against the First Prince Phil. Moreover, Philin and Femor couldn't be separated. However, Li Xi still pretended to be a receptive student and nodded humbly. "Thank you for your explanation, Mr. Lawrence. It seems Princess Philin is a person of great understanding."
"You've put it well. Brother Li Cha has remarkable insight. Let's drink, let's drink."
................
The night in Aisinger was not as cramped as in the large cities of his previous life, where the stars were invisible. The galaxy that filled the night sky was the universe's most magnificent spectacle. Among them, the brightest star at the center stood out, unmatched by any other. This was the divine kingdom of the God of Light, Apollo. Having returned to his divine kingdom before all other gods, Apollo's divine pressure commanded the four directions, and no one dared to challenge him. Even the full moon had to deviate westward, ceding the central position.
Li Xi, walking on the street for the first time, heard no roaring engines. There were only streams of people, the clamor of various races, and the slow-moving carriages.
In the northwest corner of Aisinger was an area dense with workshops, where rents were so exorbitant that even small merchant groups dared not inquire. The monthly rent could bankrupt an ordinary small merchant group. However, the products produced here supplied more than half of Aisinger. From royalty and nobles to ordinary citizens, everyone used products from here. Therefore, the goods produced here also set the trend for the development of goods worldwide.
Don't mention that dawn had not yet broken; it was just past nightfall. According to Li Xi's habits from his previous life, it was only ten o'clock. Merchant groups and shop assistants waiting to pick up goods blocked the streets so tightly that no one could move. Being able to pick up goods earlier than competitors meant being able to sell them earlier, and thus earn more money.
Therefore, everyone on the street was willing to wait there all night just to get their goods first. The northwest corner of Aisinger was the busiest at night.
Yet, this production base, crucial for the city's supply tomorrow, had a clear path on the main road, untouched by anyone, as if in anticipation of some important figure.
Long-absent burly men, who needed no cotton-padded clothes to ward off the cold winter, seemed impervious to the chill, their fronts open to reveal granite-like muscles. Such physiques were generally favored by noble ladies with particular tastes.
However, if a noble lady saw the man's face clearly, the one who could have easily swallowed him would turn and flee immediately. This was because the burly man, with his double-layered eyelids, was not a pure-blooded human but a Berserker who lived with barbarians on the icy highlands. They were renowned for their berserk rage and were considered elite cannon fodder. This Berserker was none other than Nuo Han, the bodyguard who had accompanied Philin when Li Xi first saw her in Cado City.
Li Xi, who had arrived much earlier and was sitting in a restaurant enjoying wine and food, overlooking the scene below, watched Nuo Han. He remembered that Nuo Han hadn't been present during the mission to protect the princess at the ancient castle. At the time, Li Xi had asked the other protector, the Magus Zuo Lin, about Nuo Han, but Zuo Lin had stammered for a long time without clearly explaining where Nuo Han had gone.
Fearing that Nuo Han might have been dispatched on a secret mission, Li Xi hadn't inquired further. He hadn't expected to encounter him here today. He felt a good impression of this Berserker, whose thought process was as simple as a barbarian's. Especially since Nuo Han had admired Li Xi intensely. In a human world filled with constant scheming, having straightforward warriors like the Berserker and barbarians made one believe that a pure land still existed in the world.
Nuo Han was still guarding the magic carriage, accompanied by twenty members of the Royal Guard and, of course, Magus Zuo Lin.
The horseshoe treads on the flagstone path made crisp clattering sounds. Everyone along the way, regardless of their status, knelt silently when the carriage passed.
In front of a merchant group trademark shaped like a leaf, the carriage stopped.
"Your Highness, we have arrived," Nuo Han said softly to the carriage after stopping it.
The curtain was pulled back, and a graceful figure emerged. She was as beautiful as ever, with a hint of playfulness in her dignity, and a touch of vitality in her playfulness, as if nothing in the world could trouble her. A small, beautiful black bat pet perched quietly on her shoulder.
"Damn it, she's defected to Philin too?" Li Xi almost spat out the food he was eating. Why was he so shocked? It was because he recognized the little bat instantly. This was Aivril's pet, the adult black dragon, Amandla, a level six creature.
At the time, to fake his death and escape, Li Xi had only informed Bronzebeard Ironhammer, fearing that the dwarves, who had been enslaved for a hundred years, would be implicated as soon as they gained their freedom.
As for Amandla, a black dragon who had never truly pledged loyalty, Li Xi hadn't notified her. In Li Xi's impression, this black dragon, upon learning of Aivril's death and regaining her freedom, would have been the first to flee. If she had known he was alive, the whole world would likely have discovered his secret. But after all his calculations, he never expected Amandla to defect to Philin. What was going on?
Li Xi naturally didn't know the reason. At the time, Bronzebeard Ironhammer, knowing Li Xi was alive, had deliberately intended to trick Amandla as revenge for his tribe's hundred years of enslavement. Before he could even trick Amandla to her death, Philin arrived. Amandla, accustomed to changing with the wind, naturally pledged allegiance to Philin. It was as simple as that.
Philin, stooping to condescend and arriving late at night to inspect the workshops, was here at the Konoha Merchant Group's base. Philin had poured her heart into the affairs of the Konoha Merchant Group. The fact that it occupied an entire street in the northwest corner of Aisinger was capital that no other merchant group could envy. Especially since the thriving Konoha Merchant Group's current earnings weren't even enough to cover the rent, other bosses' eyes turned green just thinking about it.
Philin first surveyed her surroundings. Everyone within her sight offered a smiling face. The number of merchant groups and shop owners coming to purchase Konoha Merchant Group's products was numerous. With dwarf-crafted weapons and Flowing Fire as their two flagship products, the Konoha Merchant Group had firmly established itself in Aisinger. As the boss, Philin was naturally a figure that other bosses vied to associate with.
Philin showed no joy or anger in the face of their enthusiasm. She treated everyone as if they were invisible, and as a princess, she had the capital to do so.
"Let's go. Come with me to inspect the progress of Flowing Fire."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Li Xi sat in the second-floor restaurant, his non-human senses able to hear familiar sounds from the air.
Unlike her cold demeanor outside, Philin, upon entering the Konoha Merchant Group's base, greeted everyone with meticulous care and distributed numerous gifts, earning universal praise. Of course, the title 'Matriarch' made Li Xi's expression darken further. What was this all about?
Li Xi was certain that the unreliable dwarf, Bronzebeard Ironhammer, had revealed the news of his survival to Philin. Philin, taking advantage of his absence, had employed a strategy of appeasing the masses to win hearts and minds.
Do not underestimate such simple and direct methods. A princess of the human empire personally befriending a small merchant group, suddenly laying aside her lofty status, was terrifyingly effective. Li Xi even suspected that if he were to appear before the Konoha Merchant Group now, his orders might not be as effective as Philin's.
He heard:
The cheerful laughter of the little dwarves,
The reporting voice of Bronzebeard Ironhammer,
The recording and narrative voice of Bolikansai,
The enthusiastic greetings of Philin from the Konoha Merchant Group guards like Xinis and Taichi.
From these sounds, he knew that these people had already sincerely pledged allegiance to Philin.
Li Xi chewed on a piece of meat slowly, feeling grateful. He thanked Philin for safeguarding his last connection to the world.