Chapter 170 - 127: "Mortal Realm Level 1 Trusted Influence
Today was destined to be a madhouse in Mortal City.
It was a day of frenzy.
After the rainy season, the factions arriving in Mortal City each had their own objectives. For instance, many had only heard of the Mortal Realm after it annihilated the Pill Sect, and they had originally planned to come and scope things out.
But as it turned out...
Once they arrived, they too were irresistibly swept up in the frenzy.
No one could control themselves.
It was a frenzied banquet.
...
The Jiangbei Wilderness.
Ten waystations, established by the Mortal Realm for traveling merchants to rest, appeared across the Wilderness. There weren’t many, but since Skeleton Horses were so fast, the stations could be spaced far apart.
They were mainly intended to serve the major factions.
As for the stations for ordinary merchant guilds, they would need to be more numerous. That slice of the pie could be left for the factions of Jiangbei City; it was good to let others have a taste of the profits.
At all stations under the Mortal Realm’s control,
"Level 1 Trusted Influences" of the Mortal Realm could stay for free.
The sky gradually darkened.
Many factions chose not to wait for the auction being held in a few days.
They arrived in the afternoon.
After buying their Skeleton Horses, they rushed to one of the Mortal Realm’s waystations before nightfall. Every extra mile covered was a small victory. The sooner they brought the Skeleton Horses back, the sooner they could make a profit.
And earn more Ghost Stones.
"The Mortal Realm’s waystation is just ahead."
The middle-aged man riding a Skeleton Horse glanced back at the one he was leading, grinning. He pulled up outside the waystation and called out, "We need lodging!"
Soon—
A white-haired old man walked out from inside.
"We are the Wang Clan, a Level 1 Trusted Influence of the Mortal Realm."
The middle-aged man pulled a Token from his robes. "Does this mean we can stay for free?"
"Of course."
This old man was none other than Patriarch Wang of the Hill and Valley Royal Family. He took the man’s Token and placed it next to his own Life Token. The identical Mortal Realm aura imbued in both tokens during their creation resonated, causing them to emit a faint glow and verifying the visitor’s authenticity.
"But according to the rules of the Eternal Night, everyone must enter the station holding a Ghost Stone."
"Of course, of course."
The middle-aged man cheerfully dismounted, entered a room in the waystation, and started to brew himself a pot of tea. Outside, the station’s attendants were leading the Skeleton Horses into the corral.
Before the water had even boiled,
he couldn’t resist taking out a Sound Transmission Talisman to report back to his clan.
"Patriarch, everything went smoothly. I sold our goods to the Mortal Realm for 8,000 Ghost Stones and successfully made us a Level 1 Trusted Influence."
"I have reached Mortal Realm Waystation 10 in the Jiangbei Wilderness. I estimate I’ll reach Jiangdong the day after tomorrow in the afternoon. Patriarch, how are the pre-orders coming along?"
An old man’s voice soon came through the Sound Transmission Talisman.
"They’re all spoken for. We’ve already collected the Ghost Stones; we’re just waiting for you to bring that batch of Skeleton Horses back. To be safe, the clan has already sent people to rendezvous with you. Traveling with that many Skeleton Horses is too conspicuous. Don’t let yourself get ambushed."
"Stick to the main roads as much as possible. Don’t be afraid to spend extra Ghost Stones; no cutting through back roads this time."
"Pay all the necessary tolls."
"Fly the Wang Clan’s Death Banner. You absolutely cannot be ambushed!"
"Understood."
The middle-aged man clearly understood the importance of this trip. He took a deep breath before continuing his report. "There’s more news. The Mortal Realm will be holding an auction in seven days. They’ve released a partial list of lots, and one of them is an ’Architect’s Order.’ It can turn an Ordinary person into an Architect."
The moment he finished speaking,
an incredulous roar from the Patriarch erupted from the other end of the Sound Transmission Talisman. "WHAT?!"
...
The middle-aged man held the Sound Transmission Talisman away from his face and picked at his ear. ’The Patriarch is getting a little carried away,’ he thought, though he could certainly understand why.
To this day, the Wang Clan did not have an Architect of its own.
After all, awakening as an Architect was a completely random affair. They only had two retained Architects, but those two were ultimately outsiders, not members of the family. If one of their own could become an Architect, the benefit to the Wang Clan would be immense.
If the Skeleton Horses were merely a way for the Wang Clan to earn enough Ghost Stones,
then this Architect’s Order was a chance to vastly deepen the Wang Clan’s foundation.
The Wang Clan could pour massive resources into training this new Architect, raising them to become one of the clan’s own venerable Ancestors.
Soon,
the Patriarch’s excited voice came through the talisman again. "We must choose a bright, young clan member to become the Architect. We have to win that Architect’s Order, no matter the cost!"
"Get back here as fast as you can. Try to make another round trip within these seven days."
"Then, using the profits from both trips and the clan’s entire foundation, we will buy that Architect’s Order at any price!"
"Be careful on the road. I’m going to summon the Elders for a meeting."
The Patriarch had completely lost his usual composure.
Then again,
all of Jiangnan had suspected that the World Pavilion might possess a way to turn an Ordinary person into an Architect. It was only a suspicion, however; no one had seen it for themselves. The truth was not confirmed until the Mortal Realm announced the headline item for its upcoming auction.
That night.
News of the day’s events in Mortal City, especially the headline item of the auction—the Architect’s Order—spread like wildfire throughout the surrounding regions of Jiangnan and Jiangxi. Countless factions packed through the night, gathering their wealth, preparing to rush to the Jiangbei Mortal Realm at the break of dawn.
...
That night, some were thrilled, some were agitated, and some could not sleep.
「Jiangnan, West Lake Tower」
An exceptionally famous faction. Not many powers in Jiangnan possessed a High Level structure like a Vehicle Workshop. There were only two, in fact, and West Lake Tower was one of them. For years, they had grown rich selling Skeleton Horses and other Vehicles.
But tonight,
their world came crashing down.
News had arrived from Jiangbei: the Jiangbei Mortal Realm was selling Skeleton Horses for a mere 1,500 Ghost Stones each. Furthermore, they weren’t selling them individually, only in bulk to other factions. A great number of factions had already purchased these low-priced Skeleton Horses, preparing to take them back to their own territories for resale.