The Second Piece of Property

Inside his chest, a churning, metallic tang of blood continued to stir, a lingering reminder of the trauma.

Su Chen leaned against the cold wall, every breath pulling at the needle-like stabs of pain radiating from the depths of his soul.

He had failed.

That insane experiment, an attempt to usurp the authority of the gods, had ended in a near-catastrophic collapse.

The backlash of the Heavenly Flame was like a ruthless hammer, striking him awake and shattering his composure.

It instantly cooled the mind that had been clouded by greed and ambition.

He looked down at the dark, congealed pool of blood on the floor; the fanaticism in his eyes had vanished, replaced by the hollow silence of one who had narrowly escaped death.

Directly replicating Heavenly Flames—that path was impassable, at least for the short term.

The mysterious powerhouse lurking within Xiao Yan was like an insurmountable abyss; any rash probing would result in his total annihilation.

So, what was his retreat?

Continue selling the Rock Fire Seed?

Su Chen's fingertips traced unconsciously along the rough edge of his bed.

No.

The source was too singular.

He was like a farmer with only one well; though the water was sweet, it meant that once someone set their sights on it, or filled it in, he would be plunged into a desperate situation.

The venomous gaze of the Jialie Clan and the probing eyes of Ya Fei were like swords hanging over his head.

He needed a new well.

A new well that could diversify his risks and provide the perfect cover for his "divine well."

He slowly closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking once more into the chaotic, ruined space of his mind.

The light of the Stone Platform remained dim.

That failed experiment had drained nearly all of its energy.

Su Chen's consciousness did not dare touch the data model representing the Bone Chilling Flame; to him, that thing was now lethal poison.

With a flicker of his intent, he tentatively spread the Stone Platform's weak sensory capabilities outward.

This time, he deliberately steered clear of the Xiao Clan's direction in the city.

Like a cast fishing net, he drifted aimlessly, blanketing the vast mountain ranges surrounding Wutan City.

In the past, all his attention had been focused on that brilliant "Lighthouse," causing him to dismiss the faint "candlelight" of the surroundings.

But now...

Hum.

The Stone Platform trembled slightly.

A faint speck of light, carrying the aura of fire-attribute energy, appeared at the edge of his perception.

That speck was located in a mountain hollow thirty miles east of the city, its energy chaotic and violent.

First-order Magical Beast: Fire Rock Lizard.

A blurred line of information flashed across the Stone Platform.

Su Chen's consciousness paused.

His perception continued to extend.

Soon, a second and a third speck of light lit up in succession.

First-order Magical Beast: Blazing Fire Wolf, pack activity.

Second-order Magical Beast: Crimson Flame Tiger, strong energy fluctuations, suspected to be in a dormant state.

One by one, the specks representing fire-attribute magical beasts appeared like stars in the night sky—dim, yet clearly marked on his mental map.

Their locations, their ranks, their general activity patterns...

All the intelligence that mercenaries had to trade their blood and lives to uncover was now laid out before him like an exam paper filled with all the answers.

Su Chen's breath hitched.

Within the space of his consciousness, the dead silence of the darkness was suddenly illuminated, as if by a lightning bolt tearing through the night sky!

A brand new idea—one even more insane than directly replicating Heavenly Flames, yet far safer—exploded in his mind!

Who said his golden finger could only be used to create fire?

Why couldn't he become a... merchant who sold intelligence?

Over the next few days, Su Chen's life returned to a routine.

During the day, he no longer stayed locked away. Instead, he donned the most inconspicuous gray tunic and a tattered bamboo hat that obscured most of his face, wandering through every corner of Wutan City like a ghost.

He spread out the maps of the areas surrounding Wutan City, which he had collected from the Miteer Auction House and various shops, across his dilapidated courtyard.

Then, holding a piece of charcoal, he began his true "work."

Every day, he expended a vast amount of mental energy to activate the Stone Platform, conducting a carpet-style "scan" of the mountain ranges within a hundred-mile radius of the city.

Afterward, he would map the marked light points of fire-attribute magical beasts one by one onto that rough map.

Black Rock Mountain Range, north of the city, Cave Number Three, a peak Rank 1 Fire Rock Lion; it goes out to hunt every afternoon.

Phoenix Fall Slope to the west, inside a hidden valley covered by vines, a pack of Blazing Fire Wolves lies in wait, numbering around twenty.

To the east...

His movements were meticulous, focused, and fully immersed.

Every stroke was like that of the most precise craftsman drawing his magnum opus.

A crude, yet terrifyingly accurate "Magical Beast Intelligence Map" gradually took shape under his pen.

This would be the foundation of his second business.

It was also the perfect disguise he had prepared for the mysterious origin of the Rock Fire Seed.

* * *

Dusk.

The blood-red setting sun painted the silhouette of Wutan City in a layer of gold.

In the west of the city, a tavern named "Crimson Rose" was at its most boisterous.

This was a gathering place for mercenaries.

The air was thick with the sour stench of cheap ale, the strange odor of fermented sweat and dried blood, and the harsh clanging of metal weapons colliding.

A burly man with a thick, bushy beard had one foot propped on a table, chugging a mug of ale before slamming the wooden cup down hard.

"Damn it! Came up empty-handed again!"

The burly man's roar, like an enraged wild bear, caused the surrounding clamor to fall silent for a moment.

"That godforsaken Explosive Flame Boar is slipperier than an eel! My brothers and I staked out Black Wind Mountain for three days and three nights, and we didn't even see a hair! If this keeps up, we'll be pawning our pants next!"

The surrounding mercenaries mostly burst into laughter at these words, though a few sighs of shared frustration were mixed in.

Making a living in these mountains required strength, certainly, but sometimes, luck was even more important than strength.

Just then.

A thin figure wove through the noisy crowd and walked up to the burly man's table.

The person wore a wide gray cloak and a bamboo hat pulled down low, the shadows shrouding his entire face, revealing only a chin with a cold, hard line.

"You looking for fire-attribute magical beasts?"

A hoarse voice, as if polished by sandpaper, emanated from beneath the bamboo hat.

The voice was not loud, yet like a cold needle, it easily pierced through all the noise in the tavern.

The bearded man whipped his head around, his copper-bell-sized eyes staring fixedly at the mysterious person with a mix of vigilance and hostility.

"What kind of thing are you?"

"An intelligence seller."

The voice beneath the hat remained devoid of any ripples.

"Pfft..."

The surrounding mercenaries burst into laughter once more.

"Haha! Where did this swindler come from, trying to scam our Mad Lion Barker!"

"Kid, get lost! Otherwise, Captain Barker will smash you into meat paste with one punch!"

The burly man known as Barker also wore a cruel, mocking sneer on his face.

He had been looking for a place to vent his pent-up rage.

However, the person beneath the hat remained deaf to the surrounding mockery.

He simply extended a thin, long finger and, with his fingernail, lightly traced a mark onto the grease-stained table.

"Black Rock Mountain Range, east side, the third valley."

The hoarse voice sounded again, every word crystal clear.

"There is a boulder shaped like a crouching tiger at the valley entrance. Go three hundred paces inside, and on the left-hand side, there is a cave hidden by a waterfall."

"Inside the cave is a peak Rank 1 Fire Rock Lion."

"It goes out to hunt every afternoon and returns at dusk. It will definitely be there tonight."

The tavern fell instantly silent.

Expressions of astonishment appeared on everyone's faces.

This intelligence was far too detailed.

It was so detailed that it didn't sound like hearsay; it sounded more like... something seen with one's own eyes!

Barker's expression shifted as well.

He stared fixedly at the mark traced onto the tabletop, his eyes filled with shock and suspicion.

He had been to the Black Rock Mountain Range more than once, yet he had never heard of any cave hidden behind a waterfall.

"How... how do you know this?"

His voice sounded somewhat parched.

"You don't need to know."

The figure beneath the bamboo hat slowly raised his head; within the shadows, it felt as if two sharp gazes pierced through the air.

"The deposit is one gold coin."

"After the job is done, I want half of its value."

"If the intelligence is false..."

The hoarse voice paused.

"You may come to take my life at any time."

Barker's heart gave a violent jolt.

He looked at this mysterious person before him, observing that unquestionable confidence, and the doubt in his heart began to waver violently.

One gold coin to gamble on half the spoils.

This deal...

"Fine!"

Barker gritted his teeth, fished a gold coin from his bosom, and slammed it heavily onto the table.

"I'll trust you this once!"

"If you dare to lie to me, I'll chop you up and feed you to the dogs!"

The figure beneath the bamboo hat did not say another word.

He reached out, swept the gold coin into his sleeve, then turned and, without a hint of hesitation, merged back into the crowd, vanishing into the dim corners of the tavern.

Three days later.

It was the same Crimson Rose tavern.

Mad Lion Barker was surrounded by a group of mercenaries, spraying spit as he boasted about something.

His face was filled with unconcealable excitement and wild joy.

At his feet lay a massive, blood-streaked lion's head!

The fangs and the mane were proof enough that this was a genuine peak Tier 1 Magical Beast!

"I'm telling you all! That place is bizarre! It was exactly as that kid said! If he hadn't pointed the way, I could have hunted for a lifetime and never found it!"

Amidst the envious and jealous gazes of the crowd, Barker quietly slipped a heavy coin purse into the hands of the hooded figure who had reappeared in the corner.

"Brother, if there are any more good jobs like this in the future, come find me again!"

The figure beneath the bamboo hat merely gave a slight nod.

He weighed the purse, which represented fifty gold coins, in his hand, then turned and vanished silently into the night.

From that day on.

A legend began to circulate within the mercenary circles of Wutan City.

A legend about a mysterious "treasure hunter."

No one knew his name, and no one had seen his true face.

People only knew that he could always find the most hidden treasure troves where fire-attribute Magical Beasts lurked.

And Su Chen had finally created the perfect identity for himself.

A lone traveler with incredible luck, skilled at tracking fire-attribute Magical Beasts.

In this way, whenever he occasionally brought out high-quality beast flames or beast cores to sell, it became...

Nothing could be more reasonable.