147: Chapter 147 He Took the Bait

As the Cloud Top Fortress slowly disappeared into the thick clouds high in the sky, a silver-gray aircraft with a compact body and sleek lines quietly slid out from a hidden hatch on the side of the fortress.

This was Shen Xingyue's private vehicle. Although rarely used in daily life, its tier had genuinely reached a staggering LV5. To perfectly fit into the fortress's internal hangar, this aircraft had sacrificed size and heavy firepower, instead pursuing ultimate compactness and substance in its core evolution.

Pushing open the airtight cabin door, the luxury inside was enough to make any scavenger struggling at the bottom of society stare in disbelief.

The cabin was lined with fluffy carpets that had faint spiritual energy fluctuations and could automatically adjust the temperature. Soft, warm-toned lighting made the otherwise cold metal walls feel exceptionally cozy. Although the place was a bit narrow, it was fully equipped with all necessary top-tier facilities.

Zhou An, Li Muzi, and Shen Xingyue were now seated on the circular sofa inside the cabin.

"Alright, let's get our stories straight."

Zhou An leaned back comfortably in the leather chair, his gaze shifting to Li Muzi, who had changed into a sharp black business outfit.

"From now on, Muzi, you are the 'boss' of our team, and Shen Xingyue and I are your accompanying bodyguards and exclusive medical experts."

Li Muzi pushed up the rimless glasses on the bridge of her nose—she had specifically borrowed them from Shen Xingyue to fit her persona. Paired with her form-fitting black uniform, she instantly shed some of her usual gentleness and grace, gaining an air of sharp, capable intellectualism.

"Understood. Our current persona is a secret private merchant team under a supervisor of an internal department of the Tianqing Guild."

Li Muzi calmly reviewed the details of the plan.

"As for why our ship doesn't bear the standard insignia of the Tianqing Guild... it's simple, because this is a shady 'private job'."

In the Cangyun Airspace, as the undisputed number one power of the Human Race, the Tianqing Guild's taxes on its members were shockingly high; every official transaction had at least 40% of its profits skimmed off by the guild. Therefore, many mid-level guild managers would secretly hire "private merchants" like them to resell scarce supplies under the guise of tax avoidance, earning high extra income.

This kind of thing was already an open secret among the major guilds and served as an excellent cover identity that was least likely to arouse suspicion.

"Let's go, let's see if that Grand Elder of the White Feather Guild buys our act."

Zhou An nodded slightly, a flash of sharpness in his eyes.

A dozen minutes later, twenty kilometers outside the airspace where the White Feather Guild was temporarily stationed.

When the silver-gray ship exited its cloaked state, the scene before them made even the experienced Zhou An raise an eyebrow. Ahead, surrounding the Winged Race fleet that blotted out the sky, hundreds of merchant ships of various shapes were densely packed, like cats that had smelled fish.

However, all the merchant ships tacitly stayed fifteen kilometers away from the fleet, not daring to step over the line. That was the recognized "extreme safety distance" in this airspace.

Having just experienced fierce warfare, the White Feather Guild was currently on high alert. Once any ship dared to enter the fifteen-kilometer range without permission, those Winged Race frigates, acting like birds startled by the mere twang of a bow, would very likely open fire without any warning, blasting the intruder into dust.

"Stop right at the twenty-kilometer mark, keep the engines idling."

Li Muzi calmly steered the ship, slowly decelerating to a hover. "First, connect to the White Feather Guild's diplomatic channel."

Li Muzi took a deep breath, composed herself, and pressed the communication request button.

The holographic screen flickered a few times, and a Winged Race diplomat with a deeply exhausted look and bloodshot eyes appeared in the projection.

"Human merchants again? Do you not understand warnings?"

The other party didn't even look directly at the camera, rubbing his temples while shooing them away with an extremely impatient tone.

Li Muzi's expression remained unchanged, her hands folded across her chest, her tone carrying a hint of the arrogance and composure befitting a major guild: "Officer, please do not lump us in with those scavengers outside. We are from the Tianqing Guild, representing the internal high-level management to conduct a real deal with your side. We have the top-tier healing potions you urgently need right now, as well as high-energy food of epic grade or higher."

On the other side of the holographic screen, Diplomat Kent of the White Feather Guild suddenly raised his head upon hearing this, narrowing his sharp eyes. Upon hearing the word "Tianqing", his originally arrogant and perfunctory expression instantly subsided a bit.

"People from Tianqing?"

Diplomat Kent sneered, his gaze fixed intently on Li Muzi through the screen.

"You humans really have long reach. But in this Cangyun Airspace, smooth talking is useless; I've seen plenty of scammers. Since you represent Tianqing, let me see your confidence. What good stuff are you selling that you dare say we urgently need?"

Li Muzi elegantly adjusted her rimless glasses, a professional and confident smile curling at the corners of her mouth: "We mainly provide high-end battlefield medical services and agricultural supplies of epic grade or higher. I'll speak plainly: we are well aware that your guild has just gone through an extremely fierce battle and is definitely full of wounded personnel right now. What you lack most right now is not basic building materials, but 'special medicine' and high-energy supplies that can quickly allow high-tier combatants to return to the battlefield."

She leaned forward slightly, looking the other party straight in the eye: "And it just so happens that we have these in stock."

As she spoke, Li Muzi tapped a few times on the console. "To show the sincerity of our 'private team', please accept this meeting gift, Diplomat Kent."

"Ding—"

The trading terminal in front of Diplomat Kent lit up with a green light, and an anonymous free trade request popped up. He clicked to accept in confusion, and the next second, a small temperature-controlled preservation box emitting rich spiritual energy fluctuations was teleported to his side.

Diplomat Kent opened the box, his pupils shrinking sharply.

Inside the box lay ten fruits as crystal clear as rubies, their skins even wreathed in tiny, visible air currents, and an extremely pure aura of life wafted out.

"This is... legendary grade [wind spirit berry]?!" Diplomat Kent couldn't help but gasp.

This level of spiritual fruit, let alone their current crippled state, even in the White Feather Guild's prime, was a top-tier luxury that only the Grand Elder and Guild Master levels could enjoy! Yet the other party had actually taken out ten of them and sent them over for free as "samples" like they were cheap cabbage!

"The purity is extremely high, with no traces of contamination." Li Muzi spoke at the right moment, her tone conveying the composure of someone with deep pockets. "This is just the tip of the iceberg of our agricultural [product category]."

Diplomat Kent swallowed, and his eyes changed completely when he looked at Li Muzi and her group. He didn't bother to verify their identities further, because in this airspace, anyone who could casually throw out ten legendary grade wind spirit berries as a stepping stone was definitely no nobody. Only major capital groups controlling massive ecological parks possessed such terrifying foundations.

"Then... what about the medical side?" Diplomat Kent's tone unconsciously carried a hint of respect.

"legendary healing pod." Shen Xingyue pushed up her glasses. "Built-in gene repair fluid, single treatment session is two hours. As long as the wounded person's brain and heart are not completely destroyed, no matter how severe the physical tearing, it can forcibly stabilize and restore over seventy percent of combat power; it is applicable even for Tier 5 powerhouses."

Looking at the parameters of that healing pod, Diplomat Kent's heart pounded wildly. This was exactly what they needed most right now!

"Please wait a moment!" Diplomat Kent took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart. "I must report this to the Grand Elder personally!"

After cutting the communication, Diplomat Kent scrambled out of the communication room and quickly hopped onto an internal transport vehicle. The transport vehicle sped along the flagship's massive internal tracks and soon arrived at the Grand Elder's exclusive lounge located in the core area.

The lounge door slowly slid open, and a luxurious scent of wine accompanied by soft music drifted into his nose.

Completely different from the glorious image in Sheila's mind of someone "working day and night for the guild, dutiful and responsible," Cormac was currently leaning lazily on a soft exotic beast skin sofa. He swirled the crimson wine in his goblet, while two beautiful Winged Race girls knelt on either side, carefully pounding his legs and peeling spiritual fruits for him, their expressions humble and trembling with fear.

"Grand Elder!" Diplomat Kent walked in quickly and knelt on one knee.

Cormac frowned slightly, waved his hand to dismiss the two Winged Race girls, and glanced at Diplomat Kent with some displeasure: "Didn't I say, unless it's an urgent matter, do not disturb my rest?"

"Grand Elder, a private merchant team claiming to be insiders of the Tianqing Guild has arrived outside." Diplomat Kent held the temperature-controlled preservation box high with both hands. "They want to do a big deal with us, and this is the stepping stone they sent."

Cormac glanced at it nonchalantly, but when he saw the contents of the box, he sat up straight abruptly.

"legendary grade wind spirit berry?"

Cormac walked up quickly, picked up a fruit, and examined it carefully in front of his eyes. Feeling the pure energy, a flash of brilliance erupted in his eyes.

"Good stuff... truly top-tier goods!"

Cormac swallowed the wind spirit berry in one bite, feeling the spiritual energy in his body being quickly nourished, and couldn't help but let out a sigh of satisfaction.

"This fruit is plump, and the energy has no impurities; it is definitely not picked in the wild. Very few races can cultivate such legendary grade plants this well. Those with this kind of capability are either the old monsters of the Elf Race who tinker with flowers and plants every day, or those financial magnates of the Human Race who have mastered ecological technology."

"They do claim to be from the Tianqing Guild." Diplomat Kent reported immediately, "According to the woman leading them, they are 'black gloves' under some high-level executive of Tianqing, specializing in taking private jobs outside and avoiding the guild's high taxes. Besides these top-tier agricultural products, they also have extremely advanced legendary healing pods that can quickly cure the severe injuries of high-tier combatants!"

"Tianqing's black gloves... 'private jobs' behind the guild's back to make extra money?"

Cormac's eyes rolled, and a smile instantly emerged beneath his elegant mask. He knew the inner workings of these major guilds too well.

"Diplomat Kent, your brain still turns too slowly."

Cormac sneered and carefully put the remaining nine wind spirit berries into his own storage space.

"Since it is a secret merchant team taking private jobs and avoiding taxes behind their masters' backs, that means... their movements cannot see the light of day."

Diplomat Kent was stunned.

"Grand Elder, what do you mean..."

"Our guild treasury is empty right now, what can we use to buy so many of their high-tier supplies?"

Cormac's eyes were like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, staring viciously at the direction of the sea of clouds outside the cabin.

"Since a piece of fatty meat that cannot see the light of day has voluntarily delivered itself to our mouths, even if this merchant team completely disappears in this airspace, the Tianqing Guild would absolutely not dare to make a big fuss and come to us demanding people."

Cormac straightened his luxurious robe, restoring his dignified and elegant appearance.

"Pass on my order, withdraw the outer defensive line, and let that ship in. Invite them to the first reception hall; I want to personally 'verify' this batch of goods. If they are really as miraculous as they say..."

"Then I will swallow this batch of goods, along with their people, whole!"