I Am Overlord c1-962
Page 78
He was no longer the same Xiang Shaoyun who would act shamelessly just so he could be accepted into the Martial Hall Palace. He already had his cultivation foundation built and had a direction to strive for. Thus, he would be able to continue his cultivation even if he was all alone. After all, he still had an unimaginable number of battle techniques in his head. More importantly, his comprehension ability far surpassed an average person's. He would be able to comprehend the intricacies of cultivation even without guidance. Because of that, he did not have any intention to get a master for now.
When Du Xuanhao heard Xiang Shaoyun's words, he roared with laughter and said, "What a boastful kid. Do you think you can look down on everyone just because you are somewhat talented? Do you think this Emperor is just an ordinary King?"
A supreme power then erupted from Du Xuanhao's body before it pressed down on Xiang Shaoyun. Xiang Shaoyun was left unharmed, but he could clearly see that the rocks and pebbles around him had all been reduced to powder from the pressure. That was a terrifying presence, one that an ordinary King would not be able to release.
Xiang Shaoyun took in the pressure with complete calm. Not a trace of panic could be seen on his face. Rather, he waited until Du Xuanhao withdrew the pressure before unhurriedly saying, "I know senior is at least an Emperor, but still, that is not enough to be my master."
If someone else heard those words, they would most likely think that Xiang Shaoyun had gone crazy. Even an Emperor was not worthy of being his master? That was a tad bit too boastful, wasn't it? Even Du Xuanhao started to wonder if Xiang Shaoyun was actually mentally challenged.
"Tell me then, kid. What type of person is worthy of being your master?" Du Xuanhao asked with a frown.
He started wondering if Xiang Shaoyun was not as simple as he looked. Inwardly, he started questioning himself, Knowingly rejecting an Emperor like me as a master...is he the disciple of some major organization? Then again, even the kids of a tier-4 or tier-5 organization will still kneel down when meeting me.
"At the very least, one has to be a top Sovereign to be my master," Xiang Shaoyun answered seriously.
King Realm, Emperor Realm, Sovereign Realm, each realm was much more powerful than the realm before. The so-called Sovereign Realm was a realm after the Emperor Realm.
Even Du Xuanhao was visibly alarmed when he heard that. He sighed and said, "A person like that would be a supreme existence in tier-6 organizations. Do you think people like them would accept a mere second-stage Transformation Realm cultivator like you as a disciple? At your age, you need to at least be a King to catch their attention."
"I believe if they are not blind, they will come to the same conclusion as you, senior," Xiang Shaoyun replied confidently.
"Haha, I'm getting curious now. Where do you get all that confidence?" Du Xuanhao roared with laughter.
When Xiang Shaoyun saw Du Xuanhao's burning gaze, he quickly asked, "Senior, you aren't thinking of forcing me to be your disciple, right?"
Du Xuanhao immediately felt like a shameless person forcing a young man to be his disciple when he heard that. He quickly blurted, "Countless people are waiting to be my disciple. Since you are not interested, it's your loss. Just don't regret it in the future."
Right after saying that, he vanished.
"Hey, senior, you're not dumping me here, right? Come on! At least take me down the mountain!" Xiang Shaoyun cried out. Unfortunately, Du Xuanhao was nowhere to be seen.
Emperor my ass. Such an irresponsible person, Xiang Shaoyun grumbled inwardly. He stood on the mountain peak, not in any hurry to return to the stronghold. Instead, he lay down on a clean patch of grass and stared at the sky, thinking about his next step.
Apart from growing strong without stop, he really had no other options. But when he thought of the enemy he had to face in the future, he did not think that his strength alone would be enough.
I need to start building my own army. I need all sorts of people, and no matter the type of person they are, so long as they are useful, I will have a use for them. It is too tiring fighting alone. It's not like I stand a lot of chance fighting alone anyway, Xiang Shaoyun reached a decision.
After making up his mind, he got back up and headed to the Redwolf Bandits stronghold. The bandits there were already dispersing, and the stronghold was much more desolate compared to before.
After sending everyone on their way, Mo Mo went looking for Xiang Shaoyun. When she couldn't find him, she became extremely dispirited. Her initial plan was to live on with a decent backer. Unfortunately, that new backer did not seem to care about her at all. Thus, she was overjoyed when Xiang Shaoyun returned.
"Well done. You may stay by my side in the future. If you do well, I won't let you down," Xiang Shaoyun said.
"Thank you, y-young master!" Mo Mo said happily.
"Um. Pack up and come with me to Cloud Margin City," Xiang Shaoyun said with a nod.
Chapter 173: Arriving at Cloud Margin City
Cloud Margin City was only a small and remote city within the Soaring Dragon Province. But compared to towns, the city was already fairly large. The city occupied an expansive area and was filled with numerous ancient constructions. Wide streets and roads trailed all over the city, and a large crowd could be seen on the streets at all times. The streets were large enough to allow a large number of people to speed around on their mounts without feeling like they were squeezing at all.
The first feeling one would have upon entering the city was that there were a lot of people here, the city was large, and shops were everywhere. Xiang Shaoyun had just arrived with Mo Mo after a long journey.
They were each mounted on an ordinary red wolf and did not stand out among the crowd. After all, Xiang Shaoyun was using the human skin mask and currently had the appearance of a young adult. With his new look, when the two walked together, they resembled a pair of lovers.
"The Cloud Margin City is so big," Mo Mo exclaimed in admiration. This was not her first time here, yet she still couldn't help but be awed by the city.
On the other hand, Xiang Shaoyun was completely nonchalant as he said, "Just a tiny city. You will know how big the world is when you see a truly large city."
"You must have been to even larger cities, young master," Mo Mo said curiously. After spending some time with Xiang Shaoyun, she found that he was like a deep pond that she couldn't read at all.
At times, he would behave like a rash young master. At other times, he would behave like he had an ancient soul within his young body, behaving with the dignity of a sovereign above all others. Sometimes, he would be a cheerful and honest regular young man.
The many sides of him enveloped him in a thick mist that caused Mo Mo to be unable to judge what kind of person he was, which caused her to be completely devoted to him, not emotionally, but through her loyalty. She had a feeling that by following this young man, a beautiful future would await her.
"Yes, compared to the places I've been to, this city is too small." Xiang Shaoyun nodded.
They found a restaurant that also acted as a tavern and settled down before Mo Mo was sent out to look for the most famous blacksmith store in the city. Xiang Shaoyun wasn't looking to forge a weapon, but he was looking for a place to sell his goldsteel stones for some spirit crystals.
Firstly, he needed to empty some space in his astral cosmos sea. Secondly, by accumulating more spirit crystals, things would be easier if he needed to buy something in the future. The spirit crystals he had gotten from the Wu Clan had nearly been finished by now. Although he had gotten a lot from the Redwolf Bandits, that number was still nothing in his eyes.
Soon, Mo Mo returned and told him that there were three famed blacksmith stores in Cloud Margin City. The first store was naturally the Cloud Margin Forging Pavilion run by the Cloud Margin Pavilion, and it had a top tier-4 blacksmith. The other two stores were quite decent as well, but they were somewhat lacking in comparison.
Xiang Shaoyun then took several hundred catties of o
rdinary goldsteel stones from his astral cosmos sea before heading toward the Cloud Margin Forging Pavilion with Mo Mo. Mo Mo was astonished when she saw the large number of materials Xiang Shaoyun had taken out. Inwardly, she felt doubtful, Has the young master been carrying these materials all along? Perhaps he has a legendary storage item on him?
At that thought, she became even more curious about Xiang Shaoyun's identity.
The Cloud Margin Forging Pavilion was located in the central area of the city, which was also the city's most flourishing area. Every single day, countless cultivators would come to trade in all sorts of weapons. The business there was extremely good. After arriving, Xiang Shaoyun and Mo Mo headed straight to the materials trading section.
"Guests, are you here to purchase or sell materials?" asked a middle-aged man politely.
Xiang Shaoyun went straight to the point and took out a goldsteel stone. "I'm here to sell this."
When Xiang Shaoyun removed the cloth covering the stone, the middle-aged man smiled and said, "What a large goldsteel stone."
"Offer your price," Xiang Shaoyun said.
"We need to weigh it first," answered the middle-aged man. After weighing the goldsteel stone, the middle-aged man said, "We can offer you 3,000 low-grade spirit crystals for this."
Xiang Shaoyun frowned. "That price is too low."
The piece of goldsteel stone he had taken out was enough to forge more than 10 king-grade weapons. Thus, Xiang Shaoyun was not satisfied with the price offered.
"Goldsteel stones are rare but not impossible to find. I am already offering you a fair price," said the middle-aged man.
"You guys can have the goldsteel stone for 500 mid-grade spirit crystals. Otherwise, I will take the stone back," Xiang Shaoyun said.
"Brother, that is too expensive." The middle-aged man was still trying to haggle.
Xiang Shaoyun did not bother saying anything else and directly left with the goldsteel stone. Suddenly, an old voice rang out, "Deal. We're buying it for 500 mid-grade spirit crystals."
"Master," the middle-aged man turned around and greeted respectfully.
The healthy looking old man who had just appeared was none other than the master of the Cloud Margin Forging Pavilion, and he was also a high-level elder in the Cloud Margin Pavilion. His name was Tao Ran, the King Realm blacksmith of Cloud Margin City. He rarely came here, and he was coincidentally here just to look around today.
"You know your stuff, lord," said Xiang Shaoyun respectfully.
"Don't bother buttering up to me. The quality of your goldsteel stone is worth that price," said Tao Ran. After saying that, he ignored Xiang Shaoyun and walked away.
Xiang Shaoyun hastily called out, "Lord, please don't leave first. What price would you offer for a top-quality goldsteel stone?"
Tao Ran immediately stopped walking and turned around before hastily asking, "You have a top-quality goldsteel stone on you?"
"Maybe, if the price is acceptable, of course," Xiang Shaoyun tossed out bait.
"Sure, if you really have some, I will buy all that you have. I will even offer 10 percent more than the market price," said Tao Ran in excitement.
"If it's only 10 percent more, I might as well sell it in an auction," said Xiang Shaoyun, dissatisfied with the offer.
"You need to know that although a top-quality goldsteel stone is an excellent material, not many people here can afford to buy it," said Tao Ran. He was somewhat unhappy with Xiang Shaoyun's greed. He was an elder of Cloud Margin Pavilion. This young man was merely a second-stage Transformation Realm kid, and he dared to haggle around unendingly?
"Sure, but there is still a possibility that someone will buy it, right?" Xiang Shaoyun said.
"Fine, you make a good case. How about this, I'll offer an additional 10 percent on top of that. Moreover, you will enjoy a 10 percent discount when you buy weapons here in the future," said Tao Ran.
A top-quality goldsteel stone was in fact an emperor-grade material. It was extremely rare, and Tao Ran did not wish to miss out on it. He also started wondering if this kid had stumbled upon some mine. Otherwise, how would he have a top-quality goldsteel stone on him?
Xiang Shaoyun did not take out the top-quality goldsteel stone directly. Instead, he left with the 500 mid-grade spirit crystals. But of course, a tail had appeared behind him.
Chapter 174: Building a Spy Network
After Xiang Shaoyun and Mo Mo left the Cloud Margin Forging Pavilion, they started strolling around the city. Since Xiang Shaoyun no longer had to worry about someone recognizing him, he could have as much fun as he liked without worrying about his pursuers.
"Mo Mo, I need you to build a spy network for me. Will you be able to do that?" Xiang Shaoyun asked as they walked. Mo Mo blanked out.
She then answered honestly, "I don't have any relevant experience, so I'm not sure if I will end up disappointing you, young master."
"You are still too weak. I will give you a year to grow and reach the King Realm. Then, use Cloud Margin City as your base and build a spy network that can penetrate any place. As for the support you will need for the task, I will provide everything," Xiang Shaoyun said.
Xiang Shaoyun felt that the task would be too demanding for Mo Mo with her current strength. She was still too weak. It wouldn't be easy for her to build a spy network with her current cultivation level.
But after hearing Xiang Shaoyun's words, Mo Mo became excited, and she said, "If the young master trusts me, I will definitely be able to do it!"
"Um. We'll first buy a residence at Cloud Margin City. You can get started once you learn more about the city," Xiang Shaoyun said.
Thus, they started looking for a residence for sale. Suddenly, Xiang Shaoyun had a feeling that someone was tailing him.
Is it someone from the Cloud Margin Forging Pavilion? Xiang Shaoyun wondered. At that thought, he brought Mo Mo and dove into the crowd as he tried to break free of the surveillance.
Mo Mo noticed Xiang Shaoyun was suddenly behaving differently, and she asked nervously, "Young master, what happened?"
"Someone might be tailing us. We'll talk back at the restaurant," Xiang Shaoyun whispered.
But when the person tailing them noticed that he had been discovered, he decided to increase his speed and move directly into the open. When Xiang Shaoyun noticed that he couldn't shake away his follower, he turned around and stood still, waiting for his tail to arrive.
Not long after, an ordinary looking man approached him and laughed dryly, "Greetings. I am Wen Hong."
"Do you need anything?" Xiang Shaoyun frowned.
"I come from a blacksmithing clan, the Wen Clan. I wonder if you have heard of us before?" Wen Hong introduced himself.
Xiang Shaoyun and Mo Mo exchanged glances as they both knew that this blacksmith clan was the organization second only to the Cloud Margin Forging Pavilion in terms of blacksmithing in the city.
"And why are you tailing us?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.
"I accidentally overheard that you are selling top-quality goldsteel stone, so I am here to discuss it with you. Will it be possible for you to sell it to our Wen Clan instead? As for the price, do not worry. We are offering 10 percent more than what the Cloud Margin Pavilion is offering," Wen Hong said, going straight to the point.
"Can you speak on behalf of your clan, though?" Xiang Shaoyun asked with a faint smile.
If someone was willing to offer him a better price, he would not mind considering it.
"Um, I am not sure about that, that was why I had decided to tail you first. After figuring out where you stay, I could then return and inform my clan about this," Wen Hong gave his reasoning for tailing Xiang Shaoyun.
"Sure. I'll be waiting for you at the Cloud Margin Restaurant," Xiang Shaoyun said.
"You are a straightforward person. I will return and inform my clan first. I'll come look for you after that," Wen Hong said joyfully. Just as he was about to leave, he recalled something and said, "How many top-quality goldsteel stones
do you have in your possession? Knowing that would make it easier for me to negotiate with my clan."
Xiang Shaoyun raised a finger and said, "At least 100 catties."
"That's good to hear. Please wait for my reply," said Wen Hong in excitement before he vanished amid the crowd on the street.
"Use whatever methods you have and gather some general information about the Wen Clan. I will be waiting for you at the restaurant," Xiang Shaoyun said.
This would be Mo Mo's first test. If she couldn't even complete this task, it would be pointless to have her build the spy network.
"Yes, master," Mo Mo answered and started thinking about her next step.
As for Xiang Shaoyun, he returned to the restaurant and ordered some food and liquor and started drinking alone. Since he had a lot of materials with him, he needed to clear some of them from his astral cosmos sea. If the Wen Clan was willing to offer a suitable price, he was willing to sell them all he had.
It is not hard to clear the goldsteel stones, but my main goal is to find a unique land where fire congregates so that I can refine the white tiger bone into my saber. Since those blacksmiths require all sorts of high-level flames to refine equipment, they might know something about a place like that, Xiang Shaoyun thought.
About an hour later, Mo Mo returned and told Xiang Shaoyun what she had discovered. The Wen Clan was a renowned clan within Cloud Margin City. They had King Realm cultivators and King Realm blacksmiths. In recent years, they had declined, resulting in a lack of new talents. Because of that, they no longer enjoyed the reputation they once had. One had to admit that Mo Mo did very well to be able to gather all that information in such a short span of time.
"Well done. You can start recruiting people for the spy network," Xiang Shaoyun praised.
"Thank you for the praise, young master. I will do well!" Mo Mo promised confidently. She was already slowly adapting to her new role and was filled with expectation for the future. As they waited, Wen Hong did not appear, but someone else he knew had appeared in the restaurant instead.