“I represent the Dream Dealer.”

“Oh, so you’re here for the Inky Nirvana Powder?”

“You were expecting me? I’m also here to sell goods, so we can settle the balance later.”

The man looked him up and down for a moment before nodding. The usual process of meeting with prospective large clients was discarded as it seemed there was already an understanding of Sage’s background, or at least as much of one as was needed to conduct a transaction. At the same time, Sage was curious if the gaze lingered a bit too long.

“The Dream Dealer forgot to inform me that I’d be both buying and selling at the same location. He enjoys keeping me on my toes.”

The Guru laughed, “I see. It seems even his employees are not safe from his machinations.”

Sage gave the man a bow and then left the tent, heading out to check on the unloading operation. Since they were on their way to sell goods, Sage filled the ship’s hold before they arrived, so it would fit their role as merchants. If Sage brought out the goods on the spot, there was more risk of being discovered, or they might make the connection that delays in unloading corresponded with him not being on the ship. It removed the option of changing what goods they offered for sale to match the needs of their buyers, and possibly higher returns, but they went for volume instead.

Along with some natural treasures that were farmed, there was also a considerable number of Spirit Pearls and Magical Tools created using Spirit Insects as materials. The Inner World still had a second continent dedicated to raising Beasts and Insects. The Dragoons were trained there and many materials were collected which were then used by the Prosperity Company to supply the other continent’s craftspeople. They also fished, farmed, mined, and hunted their own resources on the main continent, but the Prosperity Company had Sage’s support so they could use the whole second continent to build wealth for him to use on the outside world.

Sage returned to the ship to glare at Guan Zhenyan, which was of course exactly what he wanted. The item the Guru mentioned was the last item that he needed to acquire for Guan Zhenyan, yet the man didn’t tell him that in advance. It was actually a good idea, buying and selling at only one stop, but not telling him was just intended to make him look like a fool.

Guess he’s taking advantage of one of his last few opportunities to mess with me. That confirms it then. His nickel and dime training methods aren’t just to make money, but because he likes to mess with people.

After that little hiccup, things went without a hitch. He’d been brought to meet the leader of the place and had assumed it might be the precursor to something else that was going on, but after that initial meeting he was never called to meet with them again. They merely sent him a list of what they were buying and the prices they were offering for him to approve. He received another document listing how much they were selling the Inky Nirvana Powder for and since it was lower than the sales price he didn’t bother to negotiate. After everything that had happened to retrieve all these pieces, he wasn’t about to screw it up at the last moment over some Spirit Stones.

Stolen story; please report.

Sage almost went to explore the tents to see what else might be for sale, but he was eager to put this whole thing behind him so they finished the transaction, taking a small lock box as well as a few Storage Chests full of Spirit Stones along with them as they flew off. They met up in Guan Zhenyan’s large cabin. The lock box was handed over and Sage waited to see how the man was going to use all the ingredients they’d gathered so far.

A wide barrel appeared and an earthy scent filled the room. Then a table with small tools all over it appeared. A tall platform was next and Guan Zhenyan lifted the wide barrel up onto the platform. Then he started picking up the tools from the table, which Sage noticed were things to deal with liquids. Some looked like cooking implements while others had an alchemical or chemistry style to them. He pulled a plug near the bottom of the barrel and a dark liquid poured out the side where it flowed into a large funnel and through a mesh. Then there was another container to catch it and a Spirit Stone powered heater. The liquid was heated and moved up through a pipe to another container.

I know what this is.

Sage waited till Guan Zhenyan turned back towards them. A few drops started to fall out of the end of the contraption he’d set up, and that was when the full process was going. That’s when Sage fixed another glare on him.

“So you had me spend years risking my life in the Tianxia Capital so we could brew some booze for you?”

“That’s right, but not just any booze. This is a liquor beyond compare. Once this is finished, it’ll be time for your part.”

“More than what I’ve already done?”

Guan Zhenyan didn’t answer him at this point, turning back to check on the apparatus and storing away the bottle at the end of the process. Then he put a cask in its place, smaller than the original barrel, but still quite large. Sage couldn’t get any more answers out of him at that point so he left the room and went to his own cabin to train. A few hours later, one of the crew came to fetch him. Sage wasn’t sure how the minds of the crew worked. Had the Artifact Spirit given them all personalities? Were they a new form of created life? Or was the Spirit just puppeteering them all? Whatever the case, if it made Xiang Fei Long more effective, then he could deal with the weirdness.

As soon as he entered, Guan Zhenyan handed him the cask, pushing him back slightly, “Quickly store this on the Inner World. Put it somewhere safe and cool.”

Sage took it over to the Inner World where the researchers started examining the outside of the sealed cask for residue from the filling process. While they were studying the resulting liquid, Sage confronted Zhenyan, “Now that you’re finished, you’ll have to explain what’s going on.”

“It’s quite simple really. You will age my wine for ten thousand years, then I’m going to drink it and our deal will be complete. The debt you owe me will be repaid and we can go our separate ways.”

“So, do we have to go somewhere specific during the next ten years? Do we have to stay in the Tianxia Capital?”

“I’d prefer we not. The more distance I can put between these people and my wine the better.”

Sage laughed out loud hearing this answer as that meant he could finally make his way back home. No longer concerned with doing work in the Tianxia Capital, he could change his appearance back from the look he’d taken with the Master Seal and head back to the Lang Clan. Without being on the run and with the strength of his new rank, he no longer had to worry about a rank seven following or tracking him without his knowledge. The trip would take the better part of a year, even with the Shifting Jade Mountain, but he had ten to work with.