"Apologies for not welcoming Alliance Leader Shangguan earlier. Please forgive my oversight."
On the top floor of the Alto Chamber of Commerce, a middle-aged man dressed in a purple cloak greeted Shangguan Wei'er. The man exuded an aura of authority, his eyes gleaming with sharpness, resembling not a merchant but a seasoned official long accustomed to high positions.
"President An is too courteous. The Alto Chamber of Commerce has seized control of more than half of Mingdu's market in less than a month. It is I, Wei'er, who should have come to pay my respects sooner."
Shangguan Wei'er sized up An Litong with a glance, her tone growing softer. Though the president of the Alto Chamber of Commerce had a cultivation level below the ninth ring, the figure behind him was not someone to be trifled with lightly.
An Litong, in turn, was quietly assessing the situation. He had heard of the Ordinary Alliance's reputation, with its influence stretching from high-ranking nobles to common folk, their presence ubiquitous. Even amidst the recent upheaval in Mingdu, the Ordinary Alliance had remained largely unaffected.
For Shangguan Wei'er to visit him so openly, her intentions likely extended beyond a mere courtesy call. Though the Alto Chamber of Commerce dealt in other businesses behind the scenes, those should have no overlap with the Ordinary Alliance.
"Alliance Leader Shangguan, you flatter me. I, An, am but a humble merchant. How could I trouble you to make such a visit?"
Shangguan Wei'er covered her mouth with a light chuckle, clearly catching the subtext in An Litong's words. "President An need not overthink. I am here precisely for a matter of business."
"Please, Alliance Leader Shangguan, speak plainly."
"I hear the Alto Chamber of Commerce is well-informed…" Shangguan Wei'er slightly raised her head, and after An Litong met her gaze, he subtly averted his eyes.
"I lost a shipment of goods at the border of the Heavenly Soul Empire. I wonder if President An could help trace its whereabouts?"
An Litong's heart tightened at her words. To outsiders, the Alto Chamber of Commerce was known for its close ties to the imperial family, but few were aware of its true operations.
In truth, the Alto Chamber of Commerce was not directly under the imperial family but served the military forces under Xu Jing. Bandits, assassins… these shadowy forces, unfit for public scrutiny, were managed by the Alto Chamber of Commerce.
For Shangguan Wei'er to bring up matters near the border, it was clear she had uncovered their origins in this short time.
To lead the Ordinary Alliance for decades, she indeed had some skill.
"What kind of goods?" An Litong pondered, neither confirming nor denying their connection to the border.
"They are two dragon maidens."
"Dragon maidens?" An Litong's tone shifted slightly. "It is said that dragon maidens dwell in deep mountains and great marshes, their bodies covered in scales that only shed during moments of utmost joy. Not only are they peerless beauties, but those who share their company can see their strength greatly enhanced."
"President An is indeed well-versed. That is exactly what they are."
An Litong's expression flickered. Legends spoke of dragon maidens capable of improving a soul master's physique, granting them a trace of true dragon blood, and even triggering beneficial evolutions in their martial souls. Even he had never seen one in person. The Ordinary Alliance's methods were beyond his expectations.
"If President An can locate these goods, the Ordinary Alliance will offer generous rewards." As she spoke, Shangguan Wei'er suddenly stood and approached, disregarding her status as an alliance leader to personally refill An Litong's teacup.
An Litong straightened, the faint fragrance lingering in his nose. Though he knew the woman before him was likely decades old, his heart stirred uncontrollably.
"Furthermore—" Shangguan Wei'er smiled again, gently removing the veil from her face, "the Ordinary Alliance conducts some small business from time to time. Now that the Alto Chamber of Commerce dominates much of Mingdu's market, would President An be interested in handling some business together?"
An Litong's heart jolted, and he quickly regained his composure. The earlier mention of the lost goods was likely a casual remark, a way to flex the Ordinary Alliance's strength. Shangguan Wei'er's true purpose lay in this latter proposal.
"What kind of business requires Alliance Leader Shangguan to come in person?"
"A trade in rare metals."
Shangguan Wei'er spoke lightly, but her words made it impossible for An Litong to remain seated calmly.
The Sun Moon Empire strictly prohibited the trade of rare metals. Yet, it was precisely because of this ban that so many were willing to risk everything for profit. That the Ordinary Alliance was involved came as no surprise, but he hadn't expected her to bring it up so directly before him.
"President An need not be so tense. Some things cannot be entirely suppressed. Rather than trying to block them everywhere, why not take control of them? What does President An think?"
The conversation between Shangguan Wei'er and An Litong was destined to remain known to few. Meanwhile, Lin Xiao, having changed into a different set of clothes somewhere, entered an unremarkable building.
"Holy Envoy."
Two holy servants in the room bowed respectfully toward him.
"Where is Teacher?"
"The Elder is below."
Hearing this, Lin Xiao walked to a table, activated a mechanism, and descended underground.
After walking four or five meters through a straight passage, he emerged into a spacious hall. Unlike the surface above, this place was bathed in dim purple light, vast yet imbued with an eerie, oppressive atmosphere.
At the far end, Nightmare Douluo was slightly tilting his head, gazing at a flag hanging on the wall.
Lin Xiao glanced briefly at the flag, sensing the wails of countless souls within it. The familiar surroundings stirred memories of his childhood in his mind.
"Teacher."
"Hm." Nightmare Douluo turned around. "What's the matter?"
"Teacher, when I passed by the Alto Chamber of Commerce just now, I saw Shangguan Wei'er of the Ordinary Alliance."
"The Ordinary Alliance? Hmph." Nightmare Douluo let out a cold snort. "Recently, many disciples in the sect have encountered people suspected to be from the Ordinary Alliance. It seems our arrival has made that old woman uneasy."
From Nightmare Douluo's words, Lin Xiao understood that, beyond Shangguan Qing's attempt to approach him at the academy, the Ordinary Alliance had likely targeted others as well.
However, it seemed their tactics had not succeeded and had instead alerted the Holy Spirit Cult to their movements.
"With your connection to Jing Hongchen and your apprenticeship under Lin Jiayi at the Sun Moon Imperial Academy, the Ordinary Alliance will likely take notice of you. Be mindful of those around you lately."
"Yes." Lin Xiao nodded, closely observing Nightmare Douluo's expression. For some reason, his teacher's face remained as calm as ever, seemingly unconcerned about the possibility of Lin Xiao exposing the Holy Spirit Cult's affairs.
"Teacher, should I take this opportunity to probe into the Ordinary Alliance's matters?"
"They are specially trained; extracting information from them won't be easy." Nightmare Douluo pondered for a moment. "But if you have some confidence, you may try. The Ordinary Alliance has controlled the underground trade for so long—it's time for our Holy Cult to take over."
Nightmare Douluo's words were clear enough, but from Lin Xiao's memories, this process was likely far from smooth. Otherwise, the future would not have seen the three major underground forces dividing the trade among themselves.