While Shi Feng silently harvested Yixiao Qingcheng's players one by one across the map, the whole of White River City had become the focal point of the entire Star Moon Kingdom. High-ranking members from numerous first-rate and second-rate guilds had flooded into the city, instantly making it buzz with activity.
"What's going on? Why are there so many guilds in White River City? I haven't even heard of half of them."
"I heard they're all here to negotiate deals with the Candlelight Trading House. Forget the Star Moon Kingdom—even guilds from neighboring kingdoms, and some from the Black Dragon Empire, have shown up."
"People always say players from the Empire are stronger than those from the Kingdoms, but it doesn't look like it. In the end, they're the ones coming to us."
"That's because the Candlelight Trading House is something else. Name one shop in any other kingdom that sells Intermediate Mana Essence Armor Plates? Twenty-five-level Epic Equipment isn't even on the market right now, and Intermediate Mana Essence Armor Plates are better than that. On top of that, they can be mass-produced. If one guild's players have them and another doesn't, the difference in dungeon runs and PvP would be night and day. These big guilds have no choice but to take it seriously."
The streets and alleyways of White River City were alive with chatter about the matter. The townsfolk felt a genuine sense of pride at the convergence of so many powerful guilds. No one had ever imagined that a simple life-skills guild could wield such enormous influence.
"How annoying—why are there so many of them?" Feng Xuanyang muttered, watching the growing stream of guild representatives pour into the Candlelight Trading House, a flicker of barely contained anger in his eyes.
He had gone through considerable trouble to sell off his Light Stones at a loss, hemorrhaging a mountain of Credit Points just to scrape together 1,500 gold. And now all these major guilds had shown up, each one clearly after the same thing: Intermediate Mana Essence Armor Plates.
The scarcity of Intermediate Mana Essence Armor Plates went without saying. Originally, his plan to buy 300 of them had already been a tall order. Now, with a crowd of competitors muscling in, his chances had shrunk even further. How could he not be furious?
Among the arrivals, the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion from the Black Dragon Empire was the most formidable—a first-rate top-tier guild closest to achieving super-guild status, held back only by its relatively short history. Given more time, it would have been one already.
The resources and financial muscle backing the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion were in no way inferior to the Underworld organization. It had already secured an unassailable first place across the entire Black Dragon Empire, putting it head and shoulders above other first-rate guilds.
The representative who had come this time was none other than one of the two Pavilion Masters of the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion—the Dragon Pavilion Master, whose rank within the guild was second only to the Grand Pavilion Master.
The Dragon Phoenix Pavilion's management structure differed from ordinary guilds. While most guilds operated with a president, vice presidents, and elders, the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion was divided into two pavilions: the Dragon Pavilion and the Phoenix Pavilion. Each one functioned like an independent guild, developing on its own. In effect, each Pavilion Master was the equivalent of a guild leader, and the strength of a single pavilion rivaled that of a first-rate top-tier guild. Combined, their power was staggering.
Both pavilions fell under the authority of the Grand Pavilion Master, a figure of deep mystery. To this day, no one knew the Grand Pavilion Master's true identity. But the ability to command two first-rate top-tier guilds spoke volumes about their capabilities.
"Young Master Feng, this is actually a good thing," said a slightly portly man standing beside Feng Xuanyang with a cheerful grin. This was Qin Jiu.
"Qin Jiu, what exactly do you mean?" Feng Xuanyang furrowed his brows. "With so many competitors, how am I supposed to get my hands on 300 Intermediate Mana Essence Armor Plates?"
"Young Master Feng, wasn't our original goal to crush the Candlelight Trading House and establish our own commercial empire in White River City?" Qin Jiu explained at an unhurried pace. "If only small-timers had shown up, that would have been good news for the Candlelight Trading House. But now that a pack of wolves and tigers has descended, things are a very different story."
"Think about it—everyone here is either trying to acquire or partner with the Candlelight Trading House. But who wouldn't want Intermediate Mana Essence Armor Plates locked firmly in their own hands? Especially the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion. They've invested massive resources to become a super-guild, recruiting a huge number of elite players. They even poached five of last year's Top Ten Rookies in the virtual gaming world, to say nothing of the established veterans they've lured over."
"Right now, Intermediate Mana Essence Armor Plates are the key to the Dragon Phoenix Pavilion's next leap forward. Naturally, they'll do whatever it takes to seize them. The other guilds are no different."
"But from the Candlelight Trading House's perspective—you've met that manager yourself, Young Master Feng. You've experienced that personality firsthand. She's overwhelmingly aggressive. Even Miss Youlan couldn't do anything with her, and that tells you everything. So when all these guilds come knocking, it'll end in disaster. The Candlelight Trading House will end up at odds with every major guild in the region. When that happens, not only will we have a chance to complete our mission—we can use the fallout to bring down the Candlelight Trading House as well."
The moment Qin Jiu finished, realization dawned on Feng Xuanyang.
"You're right. This is going to be quite the show," Feng Xuanyang said, breaking into a broad grin.
Beneath the glittering facade of this grand gathering, killing intent seeped through every crack.
Offend these guilds, and they would throw their full weight into suppressing the Candlelight Trading House on every front. Add the Underworld's stirring from the shadows, and who would dare supply materials to the Candlelight Trading House? Who would dare sell them anything? Any guild or workshop that did would find itself unable to survive in the Divine Realm. Even if the Candlelight Trading House was only a life-skills guild, without materials, without design schematics and recipes, it couldn't possibly run on what it had forever. It would be finished.
"Youyou-jie, the main hall on the first floor is packed with guilds today—I've nearly lost count. Over a hundred guilds have registered for meetings, and more than ten of them are first-rate. They all look like they're here with an agenda. What are we supposed to do?" said a female assistant to Melancholy Smile, her voice tense with anxiety.
For an ordinary player, a spectacle of this magnitude was the stuff of dreams.
The Star Moon Kingdom only had a handful of first-rate guilds in total, and every single one had shown up. On top of that, first-rate and second-rate guilds from other kingdoms and the Empire had descended as well. This was practically a grand assembly representing every major power across several kingdoms and an empire.
And the organizer was nothing more than a modest trading house. The sheer weight of that pressure was almost incomprehensible.
"I understand. Have the NPCs attend to the guests for now. I'll figure something out."
Melancholy Smile's brow was deeply creased as well. She had never anticipated that Intermediate Mana Essence Armor Plates would have this level of influence, drawing in a horde of ravenous predators.
Had she known this would happen, she would never have suggested that Shi Feng sell the Intermediate Mana Essence Armor Plates. Even if he had to sell them, it should have waited until the Candlelight Trading House had firmly planted its feet across the entire Star Moon Kingdom.
Now it was a case of moving forward or retreating—either way, the blade was at her throat.
After the assistant left, Melancholy Smile desperately wanted to solve this crisis herself, but she had no means to do so. This time was nothing like before. If she tried to push back aggressively, she would be offending the combined might of every major power across several kingdoms and the Empire. It would be like throwing an egg against a rock.
Left with no other option, Melancholy Smile reached out to Shi Feng. She was completely out of ideas, and the only person she could count on was him.