Chapter 56: What Kind of Mountain is Cangyun Mountain?

As I stepped out of the Lingyin Merchant Association’s entrance, twilight had already settled in. Donning the Mask of the God Fox once again, I, transformed as Miss Xī, hesitated alone on the street for a moment. In the end, however, I chose not to head towards the hotel where my companions were, but took an entirely different direction.

Not towards the Summerfield Family’s private castle, nor the Mingguang City Temple or similar places, taking advantage of this discreet moment away from my companions, I planned to investigate something… that had been on my mind for quite some time.

Although Mingguang City is one of the premier cities in the Holy Empire, fundamentally, its layout doesn’t differ much from most cities in the United Kingdom of Humans. After all, even as a multi-racial nation, humans still make up the absolute majority, accounting for at least over half of the population.

Therefore, the language of the United Kingdom of Humans here is quite common, and the architectural styles exhibit great similarities. They certainly haven’t formed the uniquely distinctive sky-pavilion structure like that of the Kingdom of Azure.

Walking along a road wide enough for several carriages to traverse side by side for a long while, I bypassed the bustling city network and finally arrived in front of a quaintly beautiful building that, though not small in area, had an overall petite and delicate layout.

On the wooden plaque in front, four powerful black characters—Lingyin Merchant Association—were emphatically painted.

At the entrance stood two young human men, despite the winter chill, dressed in thin clothes without any weapons, yet they exuded an air suggesting they were no mere characters, guarding the entrance like sentinels. When I approached, one of them immediately raised a hand to stop me and politely explained.

“Miss, our sale will not start for another two hours, and due to special circumstances today, we cannot entertain any guests. We hope for your understanding.”

“Sale?”

While I had already anticipated that it wouldn’t be so simple to get in, the guards’ words startled me momentarily before I quickly processed the information.

It must be something similar to the fragrance auction conducted by the Free Wings in the Kingdom of Azure. It seemed the Lingyin Merchant Association was indeed an organization dedicated to selling all sorts of extraordinary treasures while not dealing in mundane goods, so a sale was not unexpected.

However, being directly denied entry was quite a headache. After all, having come all this way, would I have to return empty-handed?

Thinking this, I decided to give it another shot.

“I’m here to find Ming Lan; he should be your Vice President. Is he here now? If not, I’d be happy to meet your President directly.”

“Uh, you want to see Mr. Ming Lan right away? The President too…? That’s… possible…?”

Clearly taken aback by the unexpected words of the girl in the White Fox mask, the guard who had initially stopped me seemed unsure of how to respond while the other gave me an odd yet curious glance.

“Little girl, even if you ask us like this, the whereabouts of the Vice President are confidential. Not to mention, we merely guard the door and wouldn’t know. Even if we did, we couldn’t casually reveal it. You bear some resemblance to Lingyin, but I’ve certainly never seen you… How about this: you wait here at the entrance, and I will inform the manager.”

“This sounds too troublesome…”

Rationally speaking, their attitude and response were quite friendly, but the problem was that even if the gatekeeper reported, the so-called manager would likely still need to come out, waste time confirming identities, and who knows how long that would take.

Fortunately, I was prepared.

I casually waved my hand in the air, and when I opened my palm, a finely crafted peculiar pendant appeared, which I then presented before the two.

“Do you recognize this?”

“Uh…?”

“…May I ask what this is? A little fox? It looks quite similar to the mask on your face; does it hold any special meaning?”

“Huh?”

The Priestess was dumbfounded.

Hey, this isn’t how it’s supposed to go! That guy, Ming Lan, said that if I showed this, I could get the highest treatment in any Lingyin Merchant Association and its branches! That’s terrible, was I tricked?! Cheater! Stalker! Old fossil!

Feeling an overwhelming sense of embarrassment almost compelling enough to make me flee instantly, I was fortunate to be behind the mask, as they couldn’t discern my mood changes. Although I stood there like a statue, unsure of how to speak, I didn’t fully expose myself to embarrassment.

Seeing me silent for a moment, the two guards exchanged glances, just about to ask something else…

But suddenly, a calm and aged voice resonated from within the building.

“No wonder today’s omens are so chaotic and indistinct; turns out a distinguished guest from Lingyin is visiting. My apologies for not welcoming you properly… Miss Xī, please come in promptly.”

Upon hearing this, the two guards’ expressions changed simultaneously, almost instinctively moving aside to clear a path.

“My goodness, it really is Lingyin…”

“Shh! Shut up! Do you want to get fired?! Ahem, this Miss… Just now, we didn’t recognize the esteemed Cangyun Mountain, so we misidentified your status. Please forgive our rudeness, and don’t take it to heart.”

“Huh?”

By the way, what kind of mountain is Cangyun Mountain? I don’t think I’ve heard of that place…

Looking at the two guards, whose attitudes did a complete 180, I felt quite puzzled, yet I understood it surely stemmed from that venerable voice I just heard. But anyway, getting to enter smoothly is already good.

Let’s go see what kind of divine being I can find inside.

Walking past the guards, who seemed transfixed and dared not glance back at me, I slowly entered this place, the origin of all Lingyin Merchant Associations, located in the western capital of Mingguang.

Once inside, an array of brilliant colors filled my vision, with rare treasures displayed in wooden bowls, shining brightly as though I had stepped into a treasure trove overflowing with wealth. It made my head spin, and merely trying to focus on all this dazzling light was exhausting.

However, Miss Vilyric wasn’t attracted by these magical items at least of superior quality; to be honest, I had already seen even brighter things in the games. Instead, my gaze quickly scanned the sparsely populated hall, eventually zeroing in on a white-haired old man standing not far away, with an archaic abacus in hand.

He embodied the very essence of “immortal demeanor.” The old man’s distinct flowing white hair was tied up with a long pin, while his long, neatly groomed white beard reflected a lustrous glow amidst the multicolored treasures. Though his face showed age, his posture remained upright, shifting the impression of his gradience to a calm and elegant presence that was already impressive at first sight.

Most peculiar was that the old man’s eyes were not exposed but sealed with opaque black cloth, making it seem he was blind, yet the moment I cast my gaze his way, he seemed to sense something, smiling and nodding in greeting.

“Miss Xī, I have awaited your arrival for quite some time. I have heard that the Spiritual Fox Priestess can communicate with the God Fox, possessing an extraordinary ability that is beyond the comprehension of mere mortals. An encounter today, truly remarkable.”

Observing the old man’s fully covered eyes for a moment, I slightly frowned and asked, “Did Ming Lan tell you my name? Where did the others go? Who are you?”

The old man raised his hand slightly, and the surrounding radiant treasures suddenly dimmed, returning the environment to its normal state, and he nodded.

“My name has been erased as the price for knowing the heavenly secrets; you may call me Oracle. I currently serve as the President of the Lingyin Merchant Association. I shall look forward to your guidance.”

   

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