Capítulo 19: Scarlet
"What... what's wrong?" Luo Ning stuttered, her voice trembling in fear.
Bai Yi paused, momentarily calming his surprise. Luo Ning was just an ordinary person—how could she have precognitive dreams? No wonder even Night Rose hadn't been able to stop her from peeking.
"Can you tell me more about that dream?" Bai Yi asked gently, his tone softening. With his elegant demeanor and handsome appearance, he transformed from a cold, aloof figure into a warm and approachable presence.
Luo Ning's face flushed under his gaze, though the dirt on her face hid it.
"Three days ago, after I finished my mother's funeral, I had a nightmare," she began. "In the dream, I saw a place turned scarlet. The color spread quickly, and within moments, half the city was drenched in it. The feeling was so ominous, and then I woke up in fear."
She spoke quickly, her voice dropping at the end as if ashamed.
Bai Yi's eyes narrowed in thought. He didn't doubt Luo Ning's words. After all, she had survived a city-destroying crisis a year later and lived for another thirty years. That alone proved the accuracy of her premonitions.
The situation in Dongwu City was indeed complicated, and it was very likely that everything she'd dreamed of would come true.
The Will family, a powerful faction in the Senate, had recently allied with the Scarlet Sect. There were two possible reasons for this: either the Scarlet Sect had stolen something valuable from the Will family, or there was some deep-seated hatred between them. The second reason could be ruled out—there was no personal vendetta strong enough to send the Will family's direct descendants into such danger.
It was more likely that the Scarlet Sect had something valuable, something so important that it could incite the Will family to defy the Federation.
This became clearer with the discovery that the mysterious and powerful Night Rose organization was also targeting the Scarlet Sect. Additionally, there were many powerful forces, including the enigmatic old city lord, vying for something, although Bai Yi himself could not quite understand the full picture.
It was chaos, a brewing storm of competition for an unknown treasure.
Sabo, the quartermaster, had hinted at such a treasure when he offered the 500,000 gold coins, confirming that it existed. Bai Yi now suspected that the scarlet color Luo Ning had seen in her dream was linked to this very treasure.
"Mr. White Plague!"
A few familiar faces greeted Bai Yi as he walked down the street. He snapped out of his thoughts, offering polite nods before turning to Luo Ning and saying, "Let's go back to the store first. I have something to ask you."
Luo Ning trailed closely behind, just reaching the height of Bai Yi's chest, looking like his little shadow. The sight attracted curious glances, but no one dared to interrupt, especially since Bai Yi was known for his recent accomplishments. His breakthrough to silver rank at the age of eighteen had made waves, and now people respected him even more, knowing that he could afford better equipment and ensure greater safety.
They soon reached the pharmacy. Under the watchful eye of Orna's scarlet soul fire, Bai Yi led Luo Ning to his laboratory. He gestured for her to sit down, then summoned a worker bee from his windbreaker. The bee projected a holographic map of Dongwu City.
"Think carefully. Where did the scarlet you mentioned first appear?" Bai Yi asked, his voice calm and unhurried.
Luo Ning stared at the high-tech projection with awe before pointing to the eastern civilian district without hesitation. "Here," she said.
She remembered the dream vividly—her survival instinct, honed through years of experience, had led her to buy the [Astrological Observation] book immediately. She believed that, like dreams, the stars could guide her.
Bai Yi smiled and reached out, patting her head. "You're now officially a clerk here, with a monthly salary of 100 gold coins. Your pay will be given to you on the 30th. Remember that."
Luo Ning froze in shock. "One hundred gold coins?"
The book in her hand had been worth just 0.08 contribution points, and she had already spent all the savings she and her mother had scraped together. Now, here she was, about to be paid 100 gold coins. She could hardly believe it—she was going to be rich!
Bai Yi smiled, satisfied with her reaction. It was a stark contrast to the elves, who would have been more demanding. The human race, however, was much more grounded and reliable.
"Okay, follow this bee out," Bai Yi instructed. "Someone will take you to change clothes, give you a shower, and introduce you to your new duties. I have other things to take care of."
The little girl shyly lowered her head before following the worker bee out of the laboratory.
As the door closed behind her, Bai Yi spoke calmly, "Connect me with Mr. Sabo."
"Understood, please wait a moment."
A mechanical voice responded from inside Bai Yi's windbreaker. After a brief pause, Sabo's voice came through, shrill but unmistakably familiar. "Oh, my friend, what can I do for you?"
"I have some news, but it will require one kilogram of mithril and one hundred soul crystals. Are you interested?" Bai Yi asked with a smile, knowing well how wealthy Sabo was. Over the past six months of cooperation, Bai Yi had undoubtedly taken a fair share of Sabo's fortune. It was time to make a profit of his own.
"Let me guess... it's about the Scarlet Cult, isn't it?" Sabo said, his voice dripping with an almost amused exasperation. "My friend, you've practically drained me dry. I don't have that much money left. You've already taken 300,000 gold coins. Consider that your payment for helping me out this time. At least the Scarlet Cult info should be covered under that."
Bai Yi paused, a flicker of unease crossing his face. After a moment's consideration, he gave in. He didn't want to push Sabo too hard.
"You've got me there. But I'll settle for 100 soul essences and one kilogram of mithril. That should be enough, right? You know the rules—no free information here."
Soul Crystals were a more advanced form of Soul Essence, costing over 300 gold coins each, while Soul Essence cost around 30 gold coins. As for Mithril, it was incredibly valuable—10,000 gold coins per kilogram. Both materials were expensive and essential for their respective uses.
"In ten minutes, your transmission device will receive what you need," Sabo replied, his tone now tinged with cunning. "But before I cut the connection, my friend—are you ready to share your news?"
"There's an 80% chance that the Scarlet Cult's lair is in the eastern civilian district," Bai Yi said gently. "Alright, Mr. Sabo, I'll need those supplies soon. I have some preparations to make as well."
Sabo's voice became more serious, though still laced with his usual treachery. "Your news never ceases to amaze me. Don't worry, I'll take care of it."
The line went dead as Sabo ended the communication abruptly.
As the quartermaster of the city, Sabo had to divert his resources away from investigating Night Rose and focus them on the Scarlet Sect. Failure to do so could be catastrophic for him.
Bai Yi sat back, deep in thought. He still had 320,000 contribution points left—wealth that needed to be converted into combat power as soon as possible. Dealing with Xinghong would require strength, and he couldn't afford to be caught unprepared.
He sent some messages, then waited in silence.
It was time to use his connections in Dongwu City to acquire the materials he needed, the ones that couldn't be obtained through normal means. All he could do now was wait.
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