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Clementi steadied himself and then began to inquire about other matters from Greyscar. Although many considered him a complete nouveau riche, in a place like Gormouth... good fortune alone wasn't enough to make a fortune.
Besides that, you also need a keen business sense, the ability to judge assets, and a few ruthless, underhanded tactics...
"Mr. Graystain, what specific symptoms do you mean by 'timbering'?"
“嶽№◆费⊙羣＊～：釟五〔七6溜钐死‖＝驷◆贰字立意思。
Graymark responded succinctly.
"After consuming the Immortal Branch for the second time, tree-like patterns will appear on the user's body. This change actually begins in the internal organs and is therefore irreversible. In this case, the user can be buried in the soil and 'thrive'."
He didn't try to hide the dangers of the Immortal Branch; on the contrary, he explained it in considerable detail. The reason was simple... if anyone present were truly afraid of these things, they wouldn't have become disciples of the esoteric religion in the first place.
Of course, Grayscar wouldn't deliberately go into detail about those overly horrifying realities.
For example, when their cult was conducting relic tests on the immortal branch, they had a test subject who ingested the powdered immortal branch three times in a row.
Numerous white banyan roots gushed from his ears, nose, and eye sockets, the entire growth and spread process being rapid and violent, the swollen branches squeezing the guy's eyeballs out.
Moreover, after his autopsy, his internal organs had completely turned into wood. Sawing open his spine, one could even see faint rings of age...
"That being said, we have already conducted stability tests. The above situation will not occur before the second use."
"If any first-time users experience excessively strong adverse reactions, the Six-Eyed Raven Cult will provide a refund and medical treatment."
After emphasizing this point, Graymark quoted its bottom price.
"The starting price is 18 Mordway 'Crescent Moon Coins,' with a minimum increment of one coin. Exchange in Gol Silver is accepted, but the exchange rate will be 87 to 1."
Golmouth's standard silver coins were mostly pressed into thin sheets, and their purity was questionable. Although they could indeed be called silver coins, their actual purchasing power was not high... Therefore, when conducting large transactions, most secret orders preferred to accept ancient coins containing spiritual materials.
"19 pieces!"
After hearing Grayscar's assurance, Clemente promptly began making his bid. 9
He was a regular at the Third Habitat and had a general idea of the financial situation of most of the attendees. While there were a few wealthy patrons, most of them had family ties to consider and were unlikely to contribute a large sum of money at once like he had.
As long as those old fogies don't collude, the chances of me ultimately obtaining the immortal branch are very high.
Besides, one has to pray that the lady won't be interested in this relic, otherwise one's meager assets will be completely useless...
Thinking of this, Clement glanced nervously at Fran's location.
"Ah~" Five
Fran lightly touched the grey gauze gloves that came with the dress, then raised her hand to cover her mouth and yawned, appearing somewhat uninterested.
For this doctor, the lifespan limitation imposed by genetics was a problem she had already solved; she had envisioned more than one backup plan.
For example, the Primarchization experiment, the psionic traits of the "immortals" in the 40k universe, the special skills of the Bloodlings... or stepping onto the Seventh Staircase, which symbolizes the "prototype," can also grant one an endless life.
Of course, there are also some more primitive methods.
Like the immortal jellyfish, it can revert from an adult form back to a polyp through asexual reproduction, constantly resetting its lifespan by repeating this process. But that's a strange ability of ancient cnidarians, and replicating it in chordates would require extremely complex technological optimization.
"Detrika, can your order's 'Full Moon Auction' be withdrawn early?"
Not intending to participate in the auction of this last relic, Fran asked Detrica, who was beside him, about the relevant regulations of the Third Habitat.
The thief noticed the languidness in her tone and couldn't help but make a guess.
Ms. Vivian doesn't seem interested in the evergreen branch. Could she also possess a similar relic?
"You can leave now, but you must wait in the reception room in the courtyard until the auction is over."
Detrika offered an explanation before going on to explain the reasons for the rule.
"Hmm... This measure is mainly to prevent guests who leave midway from attracting law enforcement. I heard that this happened a long time ago."
"Then just wait."
For Fran, it didn't matter where he waited. Rather than waiting idly in the reception room, he might as well stay in the courtyard and watch the final auction. Consider it a bit of entertainment.
Oh, speaking of which, if it's just about extending time by five years, she could actually do that using honeydew extract from the Time Aphid. The side effects would even be fewer... However, the Time Aphid possesses worm-like properties, and excessive ingestion of its secretions can cause spiritual disorder.
After a series of psychological battles in the bidding auction, Clemente finally became the owner of the Everlasting Branch with a price of 33 Crescent Coins.
Only when the Second Gray Mark announced that the final nine rights belonged to the Fourth Power did he finally breathe a long sigh of relief. His tense nerves immediately relaxed.
Fortunately, the woman didn't make a move at the last minute like before. Moreover, her presence seemed to create some kind of invisible deterrent, making those who always liked to compete with her much more restrained.
Based on what the waiter had said, the "Hermit" lady was most likely a high priestess who worshipped the Moth, and perhaps even a priestess of the Misty Society. Fortunately, the reminder came in time, before I could even say anything offensive…
If I get involved with that group of strange scammers, I'm afraid I'll never have peace of mind again.
……
With the completion of the sale of the last item, the full-moon auction officially came to an end.
Just as Fran was about to leave, the waiter who had spoken to her earlier approached her with a respectful expression.
“Mrs. Hermit, Mr. Grayscar has something to say to you. And since this is your first time participating in the Third Habitat gathering, we have prepared a gift for you.”
"Oh? Are you sure it's a 'gift'?"
Fran did not make a move, but instead asked a question in an almost indifferent manner.
“Ah, please don’t misunderstand! Mr. Gray Mark only wanted to express his goodwill for your generosity... Our order has always enjoyed a good reputation in transactions.”
"In that case, let's go."
In fact, Fran also wanted to know Gray Mark's specific intentions, so he did not make excuses.
Following the waiter's footsteps, she and Detricka soon arrived at a secluded meeting room in the old courtyard.
Knowing she was probably not qualified to eavesdrop on their conversation, Detrick waited quietly at the door without entering the room.
Upon seeing Fran enter the meeting room, Grey Stain suppressed a surge of excitement and was the first to offer his greetings.
"Welcome, Hermit Lady, please have a seat."
"Ah."
Fran nodded slightly, then sat down on the sofa in the meeting room, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor.
She glanced at the tea prepared for her on the square table, and could faintly smell the unique and refreshing aroma of "Winter Buds." This treatment suggested that she was indeed considered a distinguished guest in the eyes of the Six-Eyed Raven Cult.
Seeing that the hermit lady wasn't going to engage in idle chatter, Gray Scar didn't continue with pleasantries either, and immediately explained his reason for inviting her.
“Madam, the book ‘The Forest of Crows’ that you have provided is of immeasurable value to our order… It would be too stingy of us to offer only a single raven’s eye as a reward.”
"Therefore, I have prepared some free gifts for you."
As he spoke, he took out a sealed box, inside which was also a tender green branch. It was the same evergreen branch that had been the grand finale item in the full moon auction.
Fran looked at the expensive spirit-infused material, a hint of intriguing amusement appearing in his amber eyes.
"Being able to quickly grasp the true value of that book shows that Mr. Gray Scars does indeed possess considerable knowledge of the occult."
Upon hearing this, Graymark chuckled softly and then waved his hand modestly.
"I'm ashamed to admit that, as the High Priest of Ravenfeather, when I was reading the first half, I thought it was no different from those absurd ancient books..."
Oh, of course.
Because "The Deep Forest Where Crows Perch" is essentially a collection of ancient anecdotes that are difficult to verify, it has little value other than providing some knowledge. The esoteric information in the latter half was extracted by Fran himself from "The Night Ballad of Wunia" and "The Secret Sequel of Black Feathers".
However, she concealed some details, preventing the Six-Eyed Raven Cult from directly using the esoteric texts upon obtaining them.
“In addition to the Everlasting Branch, I have also prepared a token of the ‘First Habitat’ for you. If you have similar trading ideas in the future, you can follow the token’s guidance to the First Habitat during the full moon.”
As he spoke, Graymark took out an exquisite feather-shaped brooch and handed it to Fran along with the box.
"I have felt your sincerity."
Fran took the two items, then picked up the "Winter Bud" cup and took a small sip.
“However, I have not come to Golmouth solely to sell this book to your church. I also need to learn some other things from you.”
"Please speak, Lady Hermit, search ● Qun: 佴;_臼!△四'lin＂寺^?三〖〓呜瘤°★柶."
The value of "The Forest Where Crows Perch" to the Six-Eyed Raven Cult is immeasurable; even adding a branch of immortality cannot equal its worth. Greymark was well aware of this, so his extra demands on the person before him were not surprising.
In fact, he had already vaguely guessed the other party's purpose for this trip and their possible identity...
“In early January of this year, a wanted criminal appeared in Norrington. He used some kind of raven feather magic to attack my priestess Dorothy and her servant Tonn… During the attack, Dorothy had one of her eyes taken, while Tonn suffered a spirit displacement.”
Fran briefly recounted the case that occurred at the Mirror of Enlightenment Club before raising his own question.
"The Hunters gave him the codename 'Nightmare Guest.' Mr. Graystain, do you know anything about him?"
After hearing her description, his eyes, hidden behind the gray mask, narrowed and revealed an expression of "I knew it."
The robes woven from Yahanta silk, the humble demeanor of the inchworms, and the possession of extremely valuable esoteric texts... Clearly, the Hermit Lady is a high-ranking priest of the Misty Society.
So, her real purpose in coming to the Third Habitat was probably to investigate the attack... Although the information about that heretic was subject to a certain level of secrecy, the value of the scriptures provided by the Hermit Lady was enough to exchange for this information.
However, the fact that the eccentric priestess of the Misty Society was willing to pay such a price for this matter... perhaps the victim is related to her by blood?
Dispelling strange distracting thoughts, Graymark carefully considered his words and began to speak about what he knew.
"We do know something about that guy."
"That so-called 'Nightmare' is actually a fanatic in our sect, Lyons Houghton. He participated in one of our explorations in Norrington several years ago and has become increasingly strange ever since."
As the high priest, Ash's knowledge was on a level far beyond that of ordinary disciples. Therefore, when explaining the relevant information to Fran, his explanations were detailed and comprehensive, almost like a familiar treasure.
"for example?"
Fran pressed for details about the unusual condition on Lyons.
"He mastered the lost second-class superior secret technique, [Kiss of the Crow's Beak], in just under a year. It can peel away the limbs and organs of others, and even their spirits, through touch."
"This secret technique is very powerful, but it requires many prerequisites. For example, the spiritual difference between the caster and the recipient cannot be too great, they cannot be separated by clothing or armor, and too much flesh and blood cannot be removed."
As he said this, Graymark's tone couldn't help but carry a hint of anger.
"In order to study this secret art, Lyons murdered several of his comrades in the past year, just to extract spiritual essence from their flesh and marrow. In the days before the incident was exposed, he had already gone into hiding and was constantly on the run."
"That's it."
Fran nodded to indicate that he understood, and then gestured for Gray to continue.
“Lyons had several dangerous encounters with his pursuers during his escape, and he was seriously injured. But we haven’t heard from him since… We only found out a few months ago that he had gone to Norrington.”
Even if the Six-Eyed Raven Cult had a wide network of informants, it would be difficult for them to reach that hunter's city. In a sense, this was a case of "blind spots."
"As a result, that guy committed two offenses in Norrington, directly offending the Secret Hunters, and is now on the Funeral Court's wanted list... He had no choice but to flee back to Gormouth again."
Graymark felt a bit schadenfreude about this, but when he thought that one of the victims might be the subordinate of the person in front of him, he quickly suppressed his emotions.
"So, you don't know his exact location either?"
Fran lifted his cheek with one hand, a hint of disappointment showing in his amber eyes.
Although the Ravenfeather High Priest provided a lot of useful information, he did not mention the most important thing.
"You could say that. But... we've already made some progress." 3∨~叁〓△零〓￠【
After speaking, Graymark paused briefly before recounting the latest intelligence he possessed.
"It seems to be a side effect of studying lost secret arts. Leons's spirituality is disordered and prone to going out of control. Every time he uses the secret arts, he faces a considerable risk of losing control. Now that he has the eyes of the Light Priest, he will surely try to set up an ascension ceremony to climb to the fourth level."
“Recently, our spies have found some traces of him… Ultimately, those traces were cut off on the outskirts of the fallen city of Morion.”
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soup!
Chapter Eighty: The Ant-Snake Key
Foy, the Sleeping Sand Bell Tower.
In Golmouth, the Star Abyss Society erects at least one clock tower in almost every city. Although they never explain the purpose of these structures, most residents believe that the clock towers blocked the curse of the Abyss, bringing over a hundred years of peace to the Abyss Kingdom amidst its chaos.
As a result, some strange rumors related to the clock tower... won't attract much attention anymore.
Compared to the precious stability of life, who cares about some unfounded rumors?
Heda was now dressed in a Gormouth-style leather robe, rough and thick in texture, and quite oversized. This robe effectively concealed her power sword "Nirvana," which was as tall as a person, on her back, as well as the features of a funeral maid on her body.
"This is the clock tower..."
Gazing at the towering, ancient buildings in the distance, Haida closed her eyes slightly, her gray-chestnut gaze becoming somewhat somber.
To the naked eye, the distant clock tower appears no different from any other building, perhaps only conveying a sense of confinement due to its lost-era style. Since there is no spiritual energy emanating from it, even awakening one's spiritual vision would not reveal anything unusual.