In response to the goodwill displayed by Knight Jinshan, Li Yelaie expressed an appropriate amount of trepidation and excitement.
This was the inevitable mindset of a wild psion facing a great figure—especially one facing a powerful entity from a Calamity Forbidden Zone.
Originally, the Calamity Mist had swept across the world, devouring seventy percent of humanity. It was only after humans discovered a way to defend against the mist that its advance finally halted, with the mist receding into various Calamity Forbidden Zones, occupying distinct territories.
Border City No. 3, where Li Yelaie was located, along with two other border cities, were fortress cities established specifically to resist the expansion of three such Forbidden Zones.
Facing such an existence, "Copper Face" should naturally be filled with awe and fear.
However, this also drew some disdain from the other Ark Elects who were purchasing intelligence alongside him.
"Selling Old Mad King's intelligence to the Forbidden Zone... what a traitor!"
"Don't you know how important Old Mad King's intelligence is to humanity?"
Li Yelaie did not respond to their curses. Having already become a mole, being called a traitor was well within the realm of expectation.
Knight Jinshan didn't care at all; instead, he spoke to Li Yelaie: "Copper Face, I will contact you in the future. We might have opportunities to cooperate again."
"Of course, Lord Jinshan," Li Yelaie sneered inwardly while responding aloud, "But I cannot guarantee I will be able to gather intelligence on Old Mad King again. As you know, Lord Golden Armor is heavily injured. If we run into even a single Captain-level Handler, we are finished."
His words were a subtle way of demanding more benefits, which perfectly suited the persona of "Copper Face."
"No rush. For now, just focus on hiding carefully and protecting yourselves," Jinshan said, slowly shaking his head. "The intelligence you brought is already significant enough. Next time, I will not only bring the medicine I promised but also some materials. Your organization might find them useful."
*A freebie? Great! Since the intelligence was forged by the authorities anyway, this is essentially getting something for nothing!*
Li Yelaie thought to himself and then nodded. "Thank you, Lord Jinshan."
The transaction concluded. The private conversation was lifted, and the surrounding noise resumed.
Li Yelaie began checking his harvest—the rewards obtained by "Golden Armor."
Among them were two potions, said to be the Fifth and Sixth Sense potions of the Zero Path. The potions were contained in translucent glass bottles; one was amber-colored, and the other was a purplish-blue. Just holding them, Li Yelaie could feel the wondrous power contained within.
There was also a piece of psionic equipment of unknown grade—a set of armor that could autonomously change its size. It was somewhat similar to Li Yelaie's Dual Blade Knight armor and was likely a defensive-type psionic armament forged within a Forbidden Zone.
Additionally, there were several materials from unknown transcendent creatures.
It was for these very rewards that Golden Armor had used the taboo item, the "God's Whip," directly resulting in the deaths of a large number of Handlers and administrative staff.
And in the end, all these rewards ended up in Li Yelaie's hands. How ironic...
*Just for these...*
*“What beasts!”* Li Yelaie suppressed his anger and continued to look silently at the hall, watching the various Elects trading and discussing.
At that moment, Black Umbrella suddenly spoke: "Which of you are still in Border City No. 3?"
Li Yelaie's heart stirred; this was exactly what he wanted to know.
In the Phantom Band incident, five Ark Elects and their factions had been involved: Black Umbrella, Star, Phantom, Golden Armor, and Wolf Map.
Black Umbrella had exited early, and Golden Armor had already been apprehended. The other three might still be in the Megacity, which could be a golden opportunity for the authorities to capture them.
Star looked at Black Umbrella: "Don't count on me. Phantom and I are still being wanted by the major Megacity authorities; how could we still be in the Megacity? You could ask Golden Armor or Wolf Map instead."
Li Yelaie spoke up at the right moment: "We are indeed active near Border City No. 3, but since Lord Golden Armor is injured, he may not be able to cooperate with you."
Then, a figure wearing a wolf-head cloak, sitting not far from Black Umbrella, spoke: "I am currently in Border Megacity No. 2. I have no subordinates, and I will not be visiting Border City No. 3 for at least six months."
*That should be Wolf Map!*
*Wolf Map is in Border City No. 2?*
Li Yelaie pondered. If he cooperated with Border City No. 2, he might be able to find Wolf Map among those traveling from Border City No. 3 to No. 2. Of course, there was no telling if this was true; Wolf Map might have provided false intelligence to hide his identity.
As Li Yelaie was thinking, Black Umbrella continued: "Then, Copper Face, I would like to ask you for a favor. I will provide sufficient compensation."
Li Yelaie froze, then asked, "I'm not sure if we can help. As you know, Lord Golden Armor..."
Although he desperately wanted to know Black Umbrella's plan, given Golden Armor's injuries, the persona of "Copper Face" dictated that he shouldn't take on tasks recklessly.
"It doesn't matter. This task is not dangerous!" Black Umbrella's tone was cold. "If my subordinates hadn't acted without authorization and been arrested, forcing the rest to flee Border City No. 3, I wouldn't want to trouble you."
"Then what is it you want?" Li Yelaie asked from a distance, testing the waters. "Do you require privacy?"
"Privacy is unnecessary; it's nothing major," Black Umbrella said coldly. "I need your organization to help me investigate an official Handler."
"That's dangerous!" Li Yelaie's heart raced as a suspicion surfaced, but he refused verbally, "We are currently struggling just to evade the authorities."
"Don't be so quick to refuse. The target is merely a First-Sense psion, a newcomer to the authorities!" Black Umbrella sneered. "Of course, he might have reached the Second-Sense by now, but that is all. He is nothing to worry about!"
"You want to..."
"I need you to investigate him—the Handler codenamed 'Night General'!" Black Umbrella declared. "Investigating a psion who is at most a Second-Sense should not be difficult for you, right?"
"Oh? You mean that rookie Handler who secretly called for backup and beat you senseless in an alleyway?"
"Hahaha, Black Umbrella, oh Black Umbrella. You are a Sixth-Sense powerhouse and possess a taboo item, yet how did you capsize at the hands of a rookie?"
"I heard Black Umbrella was swarmed by three Captain-level Handlers and had to abandon a physical body just to escape!"
The Ark Elects laughed boisterously. Clearly, they were all gloating.
Although he couldn't see Black Umbrella's face, he could tell from his trembling body that he was extremely enraged. A Sixth-Sense psion being played by a First-Sense psion—it was an immense humiliation!
*Hahahaha!* Li Yelaie laughed inwardly as well, feeling fortunate that Black Umbrella had only met him once and still didn't recognize him. Outwardly, he said, "If it's just an ordinary Handler, investigating him might not be difficult. What else do you require?"
Black Umbrella said in a heavy voice, "He is somewhat special."
"Special abilities?" one Ark Elect laughed. "While rare, special psions aren't unheard of. For instance, among the official Handlers of Kunlun Megacity, there is a newcomer whose ability is the 'Void-Breaking Demon Eye,' which can directly distort and tear space with a glance. A newcomer became a strategic weapon for Kunlun. What ability does this Night General have?"
"I don't know; I couldn't determine his ability at the time. But I do know that he shattered a taboo item, the 'Ghost Immortal Altar,' without triggering any crisis," Black Umbrella said. "The Ghost Immortal was on the verge of descending into the physical universe, but then suddenly retreated."
This caused many to fall silent. That was indeed very unusual. Many taboo items are indestructible, and even those that can be destroyed often trigger catastrophic calamities.
"I suspect there is something about that Night General that caused the Ghost Immortal to abandon the attack. I am curious, which is why I didn't strike immediately. That is why I failed," Black Umbrella explained, looking at Li Yelaie. "Copper Face, help me investigate him. If necessary, test his methods. I can pay the reward."
"Night General... a psion of the First or at most Second-Sense," Li Yelaie feigned a thoughtful expression before responding, "What kind of reward can you offer?"
Black Umbrella chuckled. "You should know that I possess special crafting skills and can forge ashes for summons. I am willing to craft a summon for you as payment for your actions. Of course, you must provide the corpse. How about it? Or do you want to ask Golden Armor first?"
*There's no need to ask Lord Golden Armor about such a small matter,* Li Yelaie laughed internally, then nodded in agreement. "I will investigate Night General."
*Making me investigate myself? Is there a better way to get something for nothing? Hahahaha!*
Many people laughed when they heard Copper Face accepting a task by bypassing Golden Armor.
"Taking on tasks himself... this Copper Face really has a rebellious streak!"
"Is he already starting to demand personal benefits? Hmph!"
"What's there to say? Among those present, aren't many of you originally spokespersons who later established your own operations?"
The Elects gossiped, but that was all.
Seeing that "Copper Face" had agreed, Black Umbrella nodded. "Very well. Next time, you only need to bring the corpse to me."
Afterward, the group exchanged more intelligence. Li Yelaie watched the void starry sky outside the window, silently committing all the information to memory.
The confrontation between the Calamity Forbidden Zone, Guixu Mountain, and Kunlun Megacity was becoming increasingly intense. On the other side of the world, fighting had broken out between Ford Megacity and San Francisco Megacity; humans were attacking each other to seize certain resources. The Forbidden Zones there were laughing like dogs.
In Yaoqing Megacity, a suspected Eighth-Sense powerhouse had appeared; a new king might be rising among humanity. In the Coral Sea City toward the direction of Nanyue, a Class-A taboo item had gone out of control, resulting in heavy losses.
These pieces of information came from all over the world, and Li Yelaie recorded them all. For the authorities, this would allow for a better understanding of the global situation.
Soon, once the intelligence sharing was complete and no one else needed to trade, the Ark let out a piercing whistle.
A white light flashed before Li Yelaie's eyes, followed by a sensation of weightlessness. The next second, his consciousness returned to the secret room at the headquarters.
In his hands were the rewards he had brought back.
In his field of vision, over a dozen powerful psions were surrounding him, standing on high alert. They were there specifically to prevent him from losing his way if he were discovered and forced to break away from the Ark. In the worst-case scenario, they could pull his consciousness back.
Seeing Li Yelaie open his eyes, the psions clearly breathed a sigh of relief.
"You're back?" Yin Huo quickly approached. "How was it? Did you encounter any danger? Are you injured?"
Li Yelaie shook his head and placed the large pile of items on the ground. "I wasn't discovered. And according to plan, I sold Old Mad King's intelligence. I also unexpectedly obtained a recipe for a Fourth-Sense potion of the Whispering Path."
"Excellent. Then the first step was a success."
Yin Huo breathed a sigh of relief, took the potion recipe Li Yelaie handed him, and nodded slightly. "A new recipe for the Whispering Path... I'll arrange to test its effectiveness. If it works, you've done a great service. You'll also get this potion for free."
*Getting a Fourth-Sense potion for free? That's not cheap.*
Whether selling intelligence for potions or for materials, it was a massive boost for him. Li Yelaie knew what those materials were—they were transcendent creatures from the periphery or even from within the Forbidden Zones. Without a large number of powerful experts, it was impossible to collect them. This reward was excellent.
In the original plan, Li Yelaie only needed to bring back Golden Armor's rewards; obtaining a recipe was an unexpected bonus.
Li Yelaie nodded. "I'm just glad I could help."
"Of course, we cannot release the news of obtaining this recipe for a while. Otherwise, your identity as a mole would be exposed," Yin Huo said.
Li Yelaie understood; this was the authorities' way of protecting him. Otherwise, if "Copper Face" from Border City No. 3 obtained a recipe and the authorities suddenly had it, wouldn't it be obvious that he was an undercover agent?
After leaving the room, Li Yelaie informed Yin Huo of everything he had seen and heard. Yin Huo's expression turned solemn; he likely realized the terrifying strength of the Ark and the importance of its capabilities.
Then, Li Yelaie asked, "Since we sold Old Mad King's intelligence, will he be in danger?"
"It's fine. This was intelligence Old Mad King wanted them to know anyway." Yin Huo's expression returned to normal, and he smiled. "You've worked hard this time."
Li Yelaie shook his head slightly. In truth, he had gained quite a lot. Although Golden Armor's rewards had nothing to do with him, he was reaping all the unexpected benefits.
He gave the recipe to the authorities and could get a potion in return. The next time he boarded the Ark, he would obtain a B-grade psionic armament and the materials promised by Jinshan. Then, he could bring a corpse to have Black Umbrella craft him a summon.
His harvest was immense.
Li Yelaie mused: next time, once he obtained the B-grade armament, he would keep what was useful and sell what wasn't for merit points. Then, he could use those merit points to hire the official "Night Uncollected" to hunt a transcendent creature, and then take that corpse to Black Umbrella.
That way, he would have another summon. And he wouldn't have to pay anything for it.
*Investigating himself... what danger could there be?*