59: Chapter 59 An unexpected encounter with a powerful being, obtaining a free token.

There was no wind in the grey boundary.

Yet, the cuffs of Lu Changyuan's sleeves still fluttered slightly.

It was not blown by the wind.

It was that energy presence radiating from the figure in the grey robe, which had already faintly affected the surrounding space.

This was a form of coercion.

Yet, it hadn't pushed him into a dead end.

If the other party truly wanted to search his soul, why waste words?

Since they were still asking, it meant that what they lacked was the very piece needed to complete the entire puzzle.

Many things flashed through Lu Changyuan's mind in an instant.

The Blood Shark Pirates had been pacified.

The Deep Sea Royal Clan was turning the sea upside down searching for a path.

The vassals of the sea clans were restless.

There were unusual movements on the periphery of the Dragon King Palace.

And there was that incomplete sea chart Loach had mentioned, as well as the fragmented clues the heavenly secret jade slip had provided earlier.

Taken individually, these might not be enough.

But if pieced together, they were enough to outline a direction.

He spoke slowly.

"I did not see how the Blood Shark Pirates were wiped out."

"But I know they were not just doing it to seize territory, nor were they just doing it to establish their prestige."

The figure in the grey robe did not speak.

Lu Changyuan continued.

"If Senior only wants to hear 'who killed the Blood Shark Pirates', then I cannot help."

"But if you want to know why the Deep Sea Royal Clan suddenly went mad, why they were sweeping through the Blood Shark Pirates while simultaneously turning the sea upside down to search for a path... I might be able to provide a direction."

The cross emblem on the chest of the figure in the grey robe glowed slightly.

"Speak."

Lu Changyuan looked up at him, speaking at a measured pace.

"Because they are afraid."

"They are not afraid of the Human Race in the near seas, nor are they afraid of maritime scum like the Blood Shark Pirates."

"They are afraid of something deeper."

The grey light around the figure in the grey robe trembled slightly.

Lu Changyuan knew he had guessed correctly.

He had won half the bet.

So, he wagered the other half as well.

"I once saw traces of contaminated sea demons on the east side of the Outer Sea."

"Not many, but strange enough."

"Their intelligence was chaotic, their ferocity had surged, and their Demonic Qi was tainted with an unnatural, cold, and turbid intent."

"Later, I obtained some fragmented information."

"The Deep Sea Royal Clan is not just searching for people; they are searching for a path, for a breach, for something that might be leaking out."

"If I am not mistaken, a calamity capable of corrupting the minds of sea demons has occurred deep within the eastern deep sea."

"It might even... be related to the unusual movements on the periphery of the Dragon King Palace."

The figure in the grey robe finally took a step forward.

As that step landed, ripples silently spread across the edge of the grey boundary.

"Do you know what you are saying?"

"I do," Lu Changyuan answered decisively.

"I also know that someone like you, Senior, would not personally get involved for just a few sea demons and a few pirate crews."

"For you, Senior, to set your sights on the Blood Shark Pirates and the Deep Sea Royal Clan, it can only be a much larger matter."

"And the lead I have provided can at least save you, Senior, from taking a detour."

The figure in the grey robe fell silent.

The next moment, the pressure within the grey boundary increased by another layer.

Lu Changyuan's shoulders and back sank slightly, and even the True Qi in his Meridians felt as though it had been crushed by an invisible millstone.

This was a warning.

It was also a test.

The other party was testing whether his words were merely desperate guesses or if he truly possessed pieces that fit the puzzle.

After a long time, he spoke again.

"Where did you hear the words 'Dragon King Palace'?"

Lu Changyuan felt a shiver in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged.

"I only know some fragments."

"Whether they are true or false, I dare not say."

"If you find them useless, Senior, just consider it my ramblings."

The figure in the grey robe looked at him, as if trying to see something deeper through this young face.

Lu Changyuan allowed him to look.

He neither panicked nor avoided the gaze.

He knew very well that the most taboo thing at such a time was to lose one's composure.

The other party did not want all his trump cards.

They wanted an exchange that was significant enough yet left room for both parties.

So he added another sentence.

"What I know is only enough to point in a direction."

"Any deeper, and I lack the ability, nor would I dare to probe."

"If you, Senior, follow this lead and investigate the deep sea to the southeast, it will likely be more useful than continuing to fixate on these scraps in the near seas."

"As for me—"

Lu Changyuan paused, his tone remaining calm.

"I only want to take my trade caravan safely out of Xingyan and bring back what needs to be brought back."

After a long while, the figure in the grey robe slowly withdrew his gaze.

"You are very good with words."

Lu Changyuan said indifferently, "I just want to live."

"People who only want to live do not voluntarily get themselves involved in these matters." The figure in the grey robe's voice remained hoarse. "You are greedier than I thought."

Lu Changyuan did not refute this.

Because this was true.

If he only wanted to live, he would not have walked the path to this day, and he certainly would not have wagered the last lotus seed on Luo Qingcheng.

Greed for life, greed for power, greed for the future.

This was, after all, the biggest difference between him and ordinary people.

The figure in the grey robe raised his hand.

A silver-white emblem shimmering with starlight flew through the air and hovered before Lu Changyuan.

The emblem was cast entirely from star iron, crossed into a cross shape, with hair-thin patterns flowing across it. Although it was just an inanimate object, one glance was enough to evoke a sense of calm and solemnity.

"A token for the outer ring of the Witch Star Pavilion, the Star Brilliance Cross Emblem."

The figure in the grey robe said indifferently, "With this emblem, you can act with convenience regarding the Witch Star Pavilion's outer trade routes, intelligence, and certain city defense nodes."

"Consider it the price for your words today."

A trace of genuine joy finally flashed in Lu Changyuan's eyes.

Something like this was not just a token.

It was an invisible path.

He did not feign politeness and reached out to take the emblem.

"Many thanks, Senior."

The figure in the grey robe added one more thing.

"What was said today ends today."

"If you speak of it to others, the disaster will not be yours alone."

Lu Changyuan's expression turned solemn, and he nodded. "Understood."

The figure in the grey robe gave a grunt of acknowledgement, and the grey light around him began to slowly dissipate.

But just at that moment, a piercing bell toll came from outside!

"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The sound of the bell penetrated the grey boundary, even making one's eardrums ache.

Immediately after, a heavy, murderous military Spiritual Pressure suddenly descended from above the Xingyan Grand Market.

The figure in the grey robe looked up slightly, seemingly sensing something, and for the first time, his tone carried a hint of coldness.

"They arrived quickly."

The next moment, the grey boundary shattered suddenly.

Lu Changyuan's vision blurred, and the noise of the entire narrow alley instantly flooded back in.

Vendors were shouting.

Pedestrians were running away.

Above the sky, dozens of armored patrol spirit boats were rising from the inner city of the market, and a large number of heavily armored Cultivators were rapidly spreading out over the various market districts.

A loud, thunderous voice spread throughout the entire market in the blink of an eye.

"The General of Zhenhai has ordered!"

"Seal the market immediately! All merchants are to cease business, and all Cultivators are to halt!"

"Without verification, no one is allowed to leave the market district by even a single step!"

The entire street instantly erupted in chaos.

"Martial law?"

"What happened!"

"Damn it, why now of all times!"

"Could it be that something happened on the Outer Sea battlefront again?"

The crowd scattered.

The Spiritual Pressure of the armored soldiers above the market pressed down even lower.

Lu Changyuan had just tucked the Star Brilliance Cross Emblem into his sleeve when he saw a squad of heavily armored guards rapidly approaching from the street corner.

The leader shouted coldly, "Stop right there! Everyone will be checked one by one!"

Lu Changyuan narrowed his eyes, but his heart actually steadied.

The more chaotic it was, the less one could afford to be chaotic.

If he were just an ordinary merchant, tonight's martial law might not be easy to get through.

Unfortunately.

He was not.