Connections and Background Are Also Part of One's Strength

Shisui sat in a small private room of the inn, drinking tea. A kettle beside him was being warmed by a small fire, containing freshly boiled spring water rich in Psychic Energy.

The residents of Moonwhite Shoal do not have the habit of sitting down to drink tea, so no one runs a teahouse here.

Shisui had no choice but to settle for second best, so he opened a small private room and brewed tea for himself using his own teapot, tea set, and tea leaves.

His technique lacked the skill and elegance of a professional tea master; it possessed a kind of casual, "as long as it's drinkable" kind of "beauty."

Tea leaves spilled to the bottom of the cup, Shisui's tea-brewing movements were somewhat stiff.

However, although his skills were rudimentary, the quality of the tea completely made up for it.

Therefore, when Bo Xiwan was led by the waiter to open the door to the small private room, he smelled a faint but distinct fragrance.

He walked over and sat down opposite Shisui, asked the waiter for an iced coffee, and then silently watched the person in front of him fiddling with the tea set.

Shisui ignored Bo Xiwan; the initiative was now in his hands, and he wasn't the one who was anxious.

And so, the private room fell silent, with only the occasional echo of soft water.

They didn't exchange a single word until the waiter brought Bo Xiwan his iced coffee.

Seeing that Shisui was unmoved by his arrival, Bo Xiwan took a sip of coffee and broke the tense atmosphere.

"Sir, let's get straight to the point and talk about what kind of return gift you would like?"

Shisui did not answer directly. He lifted the teapot, which was filled with hot tea, and poured the clear, golden-red tea into the teacup.

"Just give me back whatever you think my two gifts are worth."

Two items, one of which is Xue Jiuyao, whose study is surrounded by mandalas.

The other matter, of course, was the fate of Bo Xiwan outside the study.

Bo Xiwan, of course, knew what he was talking about, so he continued.

"This is really troubling; those two items aren't very practical."

We're just puppets on stage, we're not worth much.

"Using it in the wrong place is naturally useless."

To be someone else's puppet is obviously not going to be of any use.

What are your thoughts, sir?

"That depends on whether you're sincere."

Shisui deflected the question, took the brewed tea in his hand, and then leisurely swirled the teacup.

Bo Xiwan failed to regain the initiative, but he wasn't angry; he simply changed the subject.

"The fact that you're keeping me alive means you still consider me useful."

"Are you trying to use me to make contact with the 'upstream'?"

Before Shisui could speak, he continued, "Unfortunately, my existence is dispensable, and I also have no access to the 'upstream'."

"It sounds like you're quite conscientious about being a puppet."

Despite the Shisui, ambiguous look in Zisui's eyes, Bo Xiwan still wore a calm smile.

"What? Do you intend to get involved?"

"How about finding a different partner?"

"Sir, if I may be so bold, even if you possess the martial prowess to kill me, you are no match for Xue Jiuyao in this regard."

"It seems Xue Jiuyao has quite a background."

"Kaiyang Chou City, Yinling Sect," Bo Xiwan nodded.

The Yinling Sect is a powerful sect located in Kaiyang Chou City, and is a top-tier sect that dominates the region.

Xue Jiuyao, being from the Yinling Sect, is indeed a stronger collaborator than Shisui.

On Ruolan Star, connections and background are ultimately part of one's strength.

However, due to their different factions, Xue Jiuyao could not possibly have any genuine cooperation with Bo Xiwan of the Aristocratic Faction.

Given Bo Xiwan's current situation, someone like him, who lacks connections and background, is actually the best collaborator.

After all, "You don't want to become a puppet family head, do you?"

Whether you choose a foreign clan, a noble family, or a sect, you'll end up being a tool.

"I may have no one behind me, but I can still help you secure the victory in advance."

A glint flashed in Bo Xiwan's blue eyes. He took a sip of iced coffee and quickly returned to normal.

"If you're planning to use spatial attributes to eliminate dissidents, that might be a bit unrealistic."

"Unfair competition can attract the Heaven Realm."

They said it was unrealistic, but they were already going on to talk about it.

Shisui poured out the cold tea, brewed another cup, but still didn't drink it. Instead, he listened to what Bo Xiwan had said.

"The Heaven Realm? Do you think your aristocratic families can't handle it?"

Without direct evidence, the Heaven Realm cannot take action against "its own people."

That pitiful fellow in Qiongfang City, bound in chains, serves as a cautionary tale.

Once they secure the position of family head before being exposed, their freedom is limitless.

It seems like it might actually work.

Bo Xiwan thought.

This isn't even a conspiracy or trick; it's just navigating a maze and tearing down walls.

The main point is to ignore how you complete the game and just tell me whether you've completed it or not.

As for the referee? The referee has no evidence, so they can't just smear someone's innocence out of thin air!

Bo Xiwan understood, Bo Xiwan was engrossed in a brainstorming session.

The private room fell silent again.

The distant docks, however, were anything but quiet at this moment.

Unlike the previous nighttime visit to the mine, this time Shisui did not use spatial distortion to help the buildings avoid the attack.

As a result, the entire dock was smashed and left in a mess.

The meticulously carved pillars were either toppled or broken, and the cargo boxes and containers were smashed open, with their contents scattered everywhere.

The worst damage was to the floor, which was riddled with potholes and cracks, even affecting the intact outer pillars and indirectly causing the glazed tile roof above to teeter on the verge of collapse.

In an instant, the once beautiful dock became a huge, high-risk structure.

Inside the building, many construction workers were struggling to repair and secure the supporting columns.

They raced against time to prevent the dock from collapsing on the spot.

The search team from the local security forces in Moonwhite Shoal was busy collecting evidence at the scene.

The matter in the mine wasn't over yet, and an even bigger problem arose here. They were working overtime like crazy, and now they just wanted to finish it quickly so they could go to sleep.

"How is it? Did you detect Psychic Energy fluctuations?"

"Yes, I feel it, and it feels very familiar, as if I sensed it not long ago."

"Hmm? Did you happen to run into the prisoner while he was scouting the area?"

"I don't know, let me think about it... Ah! The residual Psychic Energy fluctuations belong to the Wealth-Bringing Caravan!"

"Make money?"

"Yes, the mine was attacked yesterday, didn't the Wealth-Bringing Caravan send people over?"

"They said, 'Mr. Bo Xiping is an important partner of theirs, so they wanted to understand the situation.'"

"So, the person who came?"

"That's right, Mr. Xue Jiuyao from Jincai, his Psychic Energy fluctuations match those remaining at the scene."

The search team member gave an affirmative answer, adding, "Furthermore, he was the only one emitting Psychic Energy at the scene."