Chapter 562: Chapter 238: Buying Intelligence, Marketplace Transaction

"First, tell me what the difference is between these two places."

Xiao Chen asked unhurriedly, taking in the island’s scenery.

Guo Pan quickly began his explanation. "Cangming Tower is backed by the Cangming Immortal Sect. All their intelligence is strictly vetted by the Sect, so it’s authentic and reliable, with absolutely no falsehoods."

"But for that very reason, their information is a bit slower to come out."

"Their prices are also a little higher."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "The Spiritual Communication Pavilion has a wide range of sources. They know about any disturbance, no matter how small, almost immediately. Their prices are also lower."

"However, their intel is mixed with a lot of rumors, some true and some false. You have to spend extra effort sorting them out."

"The two aren’t far from each other, just two streets apart. Which one would you like to visit, Senior?"

’That’s allowed?’

Xiao Chen was a bit surprised. By all rights, authenticity and reliability should be the most basic requirements for intelligence. ’Does anyone actually pay for what the Spiritual Communication Pavilion sells? Or is there more to it than meets the eye?’

"Let’s go to the closest one first."

Since they weren’t far apart, he decided to buy a set of intelligence from both.

For one, he was genuinely curious about the Spiritual Communication Pavilion.

For another, cross-referencing information from different sources might provide a more complete picture.

"Right away!"

Guo Pan agreed and skillfully led him through streets and alleys. Before long, they arrived in front of a distinctive tower.

It was constructed entirely of Cyan Jade. Though it only had three stories, each was a full ten feet high.

A massive plaque hung from the tower, bearing the word "Cangming" written in characters as large as two wagon wheels.

In the bottom right corner of the plaque, a line of smaller text read: "Carefully selected, thoroughly vetted, clearly priced. No refunds or exchanges."

"Senior, just take your time choosing. Give me a shout when you’re done."

Guo Pan had explained the rules on the way over. To enter Cangming Tower, one first had to pay a fee of ten Spirit Stones.

This fee was non-negotiable, whether a transaction was completed or not.

They also prohibited guides from waiting at the entrance; instead, they had to wait for their clients in the alley diagonally across the street.

The gatekeeper was a middle-aged Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

When he saw Xiao Chen approach, he merely extended a hand for the Spirit Stones as a matter of routine, then stepped aside to let him pass.

His expression was placid and his eyes were dull, making him seem almost like a puppet.

The manager inside seemed equally listless. "Are you here to buy intelligence or to sell it?"

Perhaps it was because they were backed by an Immortal Sect, or because they had a near-monopoly, or perhaps they had simply seen it all before.

In any case, they remained completely unfazed, even in the presence of a Golden Core Cultivator.

Xiao Chen, however, didn’t care about their attitude. He got straight to the point, stating that he needed the latest and most detailed Nautical Chart.

He also requested a summary of all significant intelligence concerning the entire Compassion Sea over the past decade.

Finally, he needed a list of recent major events.

"Sir, you can’t be serious, can you?"

The manager was taken aback for a moment, then asked, "Are you certain you need a summary of all significant intelligence for the *entire* Compassion Sea? I must warn you, that won’t be cheap."

"It would start at this amount, at the very least."

He held up five fingers and wiggled them. Xiao Chen estimated he meant fifty thousand Spirit Stones.

For intelligence alone, that was certainly not a low price.

After all, what Xiao Chen was asking for was essentially public information.

It was the sort of information a Golden Core Cultivator could gather on their own if they were willing to spend three to five years asking around.

Guo Pan’s earlier comment that this place was "a little higher" in price was quite an understatement.

But it didn’t matter. Xiao Chen had recently made a fortune on Celestial Star Island; to him, this was pocket change.

So he nodded calmly. "Just bring me the intelligence I asked for."

It was worth noting that Cangming Tower’s efficiency was quite impressive.

In less than half an hour, the manager had tallied and gathered all the intelligence, placing it in three separate boxes on the counter.

"Thank you for your patience. The total comes to fifty-five thousand Spirit Stones."

Due to the special nature of such transactions, payment was always required before the intelligence was handed over.

With a wave of his hand, Xiao Chen set down the Spirit Stones and began to inspect the information on the spot.

It was crucial to examine everything carefully right then and there.

For instance, he had to check for any obviously missing words or phrases, or any sections with what looked like clerical errors.

Any questions asked on the spot would be answered for free. Once he left, however, any further inquiries would come at an additional cost.

First was the stack of Nautical Charts, valued at twenty thousand Spirit Stones.

That’s right. Because the Compassion Sea was so vast, it required fourteen scrolls—each ten feet long and two feet wide—to map it in any reasonable detail.

It turned out that Xiao Chen’s decision to buy the intelligence first had been the right one.

On the Nautical Chart, which was updated at the end of last month, there were over three hundred areas circled in red.

These locations were all plagued by disasters such as thunderstorms or the Frost and Mist Lock. If a Cultivator were to wander into one, it would be a matter of Life and Death.

Xiao Chen particularly noted forty-seven areas marked in a distinct dark red.

All of them were new danger zones that had appeared within the last five years.

If a Cultivator used an old Nautical Chart or relied on past experience to travel, they could very well find themselves trapped in a perilous area.

"So many new disaster zones in just five years?"

Xiao Chen sensed something unusual about this. "Have the changes been this frequent over the past hundred years?"

The manager raised his right hand, wagging his index finger toward the ceiling. "That piece of information will cost you one hundred Spirit Stones."

...

After accepting the Spirit Stones, he shook his head. "Excluding the last five years, a total of seven disaster zones disappeared and nineteen new ones appeared over the past century."

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