Qiu Shandian entered his assigned room on the fire cultivation floor. The atmosphere was thick with the fire-element Qi, the air shimmering with heat, creating an environment both challenging and invigorating. Beads of sweat formed on his brow as he settled into the room, the temperature a constant reminder of the element's dominance here.
Seating himself cross-legged on the floor, Bai Qi began to cultivate with the most basic method, breathing, drawing in the abundant fire-element Qi into his dantian via not only his mouth but also all of his being, courtesy of the [Chaotic Gathering] method he had used right after his rebirth. He focused on stabilizing his internal energy, mending the strains from his recent ordeals. The process was gradual, each breath bringing a slight improvement, a step closer to regaining his former strength, all while feeding the excess fire Qi obtained to the now nearly snuffed out [Ghostflame].
***
A soft knock interrupted his meditation. Rising, he opened the door to find an attendant holding a neatly folded set of clothes.
"Honored guest, your garments." The young maiden that brought the clothes bowed deeply as she extended her hands holding a bundle not smaller than her body.
Accepting the attire, Bai Qi laid them out for inspection. Among the clothing was a martial robe designated for formal meetings, distinguished by intricate embroidery depicting the four sacred beasts and swirling elemental patterns, a different mark for every element. As for the other garments, while simpler, the five sent to him were of commendable quality, made from durable materials and not losing at all to even a power-issued uniform.
Donning one of the standard martial robes, one colored in a deep gray so dark that it looked almost black, and adding a matching hood, Bai Qi made his way to the twelfth floor, known for its bustling information exchange.
***
The hall was filled with cultivators and richly dressed mortals, each engaged in hushed conversations, the air thick with the scent of ink and parchment, and a good deal of smoke from medicinal herbs used for relaxation.
Approaching the floor's reception, or essentially the information broker's desk, he addressed the woman behind the counter. "I seek comprehensive updates on several matters."
Without being asked, he discreetly slid a pouch containing spirit stones across the counter, the weight indicating a generous sum.
The clerk nodded, understanding the unspoken request. "Please specify the information you require."
"First, as I come from afar, any notable events, treasures, or occurrences in the region will be good. Also, I heard of an incident in [Eastern Inscription City], which is even more away from the frontlines, so it interests me as well." Bai Qi paused for a bit, before adding, "I also have a friend related to [Shoumen City], and he requested me to search for records of a young cultivator called Bai Qi, probably as he did so well in the arenas up north." Bai Qi paused once again as if thinking, before adding, "I am also interested in what happened to the [Seven Strokes Hall] people that lost their city but ended up drifting up here, after all, with this war, it is something that everyone traveling around should know..."
The clerk jotted down the requests and then gestured toward a side room.
"Please wait there. This will take some time. Or feel free to interact with the other guests for other information, and someone will find you with the results."
Bai Qi was also interested in the normal occurrences happening in the area, so he didn't settle into the waiting area but started traversing the open area of the floor - listening here and there, giving an opinion or staying silent in other places, all while simply accumulating information and giving out just some basic data to the questions he invited just by nearing any of the open-for-all tables.
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After a period, the clerk herself found him while holding a stack of scrolls.
"Here is the information you requested. Please peruse it in any of the available private rooms. If you require further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact me through any of the servants, this Xu Su is ready to provide any help you require."
Bai Qi accepted the scrolls with a nod.
"Thank you. I may seek some help indeed after reading all of this." While most of his face was hidden by the hood, Bai Qi's mouth was still visible, and so he flashed a genial smile before lightly bowing and retreating to one of the many private corners of this floor.
As soon as he sat down and confirmed that the security methods worked, he started on the documents, greedily absorbing the details about Li Xia and the recent turmoil in [Eastern Inscription City], the other stuff being still important but mainly fodder for his mind. What he did have to say, was that the reports were thorough, providing both overt facts and subtle nuances, as if the one who wrote these scrolls, even the treasure ones, was there. Movements, events, traps, strategies, everything was laid neatly.
***
As Bai Qi finished reading and memorizing the mountain of information provided, he didn't lose sight of his main goal, not even as he found out that now, his Bai Qi persona, was akin to a criminal,
Bai Qi thought about the matter deeply, considering it from every situation, especially with him unable to provide actual aid without revealing either his mind power prowess or his actual name and connections, the latter being a bad idea now that he was basically suspected of treason. He thought hard, and, abruptly, reached the easiest decision of all, using what he had just at his side.
His decision made Bai Qi decided to approach the clerk once more, not using the servants but actually walking towards the reception desk.
"The information was good, and I can pay if the initial deposit wasn't enough." Preempting the question that Xu Su would ask, Bai Qi started the talk directly, before adding in a slightly lower tone, "I wish to speak with Manager Xu Ming."
***
Just a few breaths later, a well-dressed giant of a man with an air of authority that felt more earned than put on for appearances approached.
"Honored guest, I am here to substitute for manager Xu Ming, my name is Xu Wang. How may I assist you?"
Bai Qi inclined his head respectfully.
"Manager Xu Ming told me that secrecy is one of the services, and I do require a discreet arrangement. With that as a reason, I felt a need to contact the first person who met me." With their surname being the same, and the man in front giving out the presence of a Warrior King, Bai Qi couldn't help but act a bit less arrogant. He wasn't here to get into a fight, and, well, the assurance of the old manager was sincere enough for Bai Qi to consider it and step back.
"Rest assured, our establishment values client privacy above all. And if my uncle told you to trust in us, how could I, fail on that belief?" The seven feet tall man laughed a bit as he bowed and reintroduced himself, "Xu Wang, manager of the 12th and 13th floors of the [Golden Hind], at your service."
"I see, then, I do not need to hold back, right?" Bai Qi also slightly bowed in response to the formal introduction before directly stating his request, far aware of the dozens of privacy formations activated right around him and the newly arrived manager Xu Wang, "I need to contract reliable individuals to ensure the protection of Li Xia, the young heir of the [Seven Strokes Hall] that drifted to this city after the attack on their hometown. Additionally, I seek to get a bodyguard for myself as well, but that can, and should be separate, right?." Bai Qi slightly pressed on the last words of his, as to show that his business was his own, while the protection should be far apart from both the person asking and his own identity, which the manager definitively already knew of.
Xu Ming's eyes gleamed with understanding.
"Rest assured, our establishment values client privacy above all. We can arrange for skilled cultivators to safeguard Li Xia, hell, even without her knowledge if that is your wish, and, in any case, not even the protectors will have an idea of the contractor, just that the money is paid through the [Golden Hind]."
"Precisely. That is my wish, and I trust in your reputation for it to happen like that." Bai Qi smiled slightly, only his uncovered mouth showing a small sign of smiling as he saluted the giant of a man that Xu Wang was, before adding a simple question, "How much?"
***
With the arrangements set, Bai Qi felt a measure of relief.
While the price wasn't even close to cheap, a Warrior Lord guard paid an entire medium spirit stone for a week, all while the normal tariff was something about 6 or 7 small spirit stones, and adding a commission for the [Golden Hind] in the amount of a tenth of anything spent on guards, a normal cultivator, even if of a higher level, would bite his lip and think about it for a good time, Bai Qi held no regret for money well-spent, at least in his opinion.
How would Bai Qi have acted if he knew the truth? If he had realized that even before his messages reached their targets, or even before he stepped into [Yuxuan City], his apparent demise and rumored treason had already begun to shake the region.
Would he have hesitated, rethought his plans, or rushed to contain the chaos? Would he have revealed himself right away just to avoid the events that would follow?
No one could know...
But the storm, one later recorded as the "Hunting Culprits Disaster" had already started!