Chapter 484: 408 Zhang Shanhua
"Hello, Joey."
Chen Jichuan stepped out of the Dimension Gate and appeared in front of Joey.
"Dimensional Travel!"
"Legendary Mage!"
A Legendary Mage descending out of the blue shocked Joey out of his wits.
He had been sitting alone, sipping a cup of bitter black coffee while reading a magic book. But upon seeing the Dimension Gate open and a Legendary Mage arrive, Joey hurriedly stood up and respectfully said to the visitor, "Joey greets you, my lord."
In the presence of a Legendary Mage proficient in teleportation magic, even holding onto a Holy Artifact gave Joey no thought of escape.
His heart was filled with unease.
Chen Jichuan smiled and said directly, "Three years ago, you and Black Rope explored some ruins and found an earring. Take it out and let me see it."
This time, his first stop on the East Continent was at Joey’s home.
He hadn’t found Joey there, but the house was filled with traces of Joey’s life. Chen Jichuan, skilled in Astrological Positioning Techniques, found it somewhat difficult to track Legendary Mages, but pinpointing someone like Joey, a Third-level Mage, was a much easier task.
Using a few triangulation maneuvers, he quickly locked onto Joey’s location and opened a portal directly to him.
"An earring?!"
Joey’s heart tensed, but then he quickly responded to Chen Jichuan, "My lord, that earring is a Holy Artifact called ’Ashar’s Tears.’ My abilities are too weak, and I dared not keep it. I have already handed it over to my teacher."
Joey’s thoughts turned quickly.
He assumed that since Chen Jichuan had come looking for him, there was a high likelihood he knew the secrets of ’Ashar’s Tears.’ Instead of feigning ignorance, it was better to be forthcoming. However, he chose to conceal the fact that the earring was still in his possession and shifted the responsibility onto his teacher instead.
His teacher was also a Legendary Mage, possibly someone who could make this visitor hesitate.
But unfortunately.
"Is that so."
Chen Jichuan grinned, his heart brimming with delight.
Initially, he hadn’t been sure whether the earring was indeed a Holy Artifact. His visit this time was more out of curiosity. Unexpectedly, Joey’s reaction had given the game away without needing any further probing.
Now that its identity as a Holy Artifact was confirmed, Chen Jichuan stopped being polite. With a raised hand, the wind elements around them converged, quickly forming into a massive hand that scooped Joey up entirely within its grasp.
He rifled through Joey’s possessions from top to bottom.
Soon, a crystalline and translucent earring emerged in Chen Jichuan’s hand.
[Item: Ashar’s Tears]
[Level: Holy Artifact (Lower-tier)]
[Description: Seventeen thousand years ago, the thirteenth emperor of the Mag Empire on the East Continent crafted this Holy Artifact using the tears of the Medusa Queen. It is imbued with a Level 4 Magic spell, ’Holy Light Guardian,’ and possesses two Holy Marks, granting it the characteristic of ’Abundant Vitality.’]
...
"Another one."
Chen Jichuan took possession of ’Ashar’s Tears,’ his mood exceptionally good.
Beginning with the first Holy Artifact, ’Yisusi’s Staff,’ he had set traps and followed leads, amassing three Holy Artifacts in a remarkably short time.
This collection likely surpassed even many among the Extreme Legends.
Chen Jichuan looked at Joey, whose expression was a mix of terror and suppressed fury, resembling a bullied housewife.
"I’ll be taking the earring."
"This is for you."
Chen Jichuan pulled out a ring, placed it on the table, and without paying Joey any more attention, reopened the Dimension Gate and left gracefully.
As he departed, the Elemental Giant Hand clutching Joey faded away, granting him freedom once more.
"Legendary Mage!"
"Legendary Mage!!"
Joey gasped for air, both terrified and furious, his face shifting through a range of expressions.
Being forcibly robbed in his own home by a Legendary Mage—a situation so outrageous that no one would believe it if he told them?
Yet, he truly did not dare to spread the story.
"At least I got to keep my life."
"If I talk about this and they come back to silence me, what then?"
"Besides, my teacher—if he finds out I hid the Holy Artifact and didn’t mention it until after it was lost, he won’t be kind."
Though angry, Joey retained his composure.
Suppressing his humiliation and fury, he glanced at the table, picked up the ring, and probed it with his spiritual energy. His pupils contracted, and his face took on a complex and indecipherable expression.
Finally, he let out a long sigh and murmured, "Forget it, forget it! Losing wealth lightens the load!"
...
With ’Ashar’s Tears’ in hand, Chen Jichuan wasted no time and headed straight to the city of Jade City, a major hub within the Agaman Empire.
The economy in the Main Material Plane was highly developed, with even Legendary Mages among those engaging in commerce.
Organizations like various academies integrated education, research, trade, and warfare, excelling in all aspects.
In Moonlight City, there were numerous influential trade associations, among which the ’Moon Stream Commerce’ stood out. Its business network spanned over a dozen nations, including the Agaman Empire, and it was backed by considerable power.
Ordinary individuals might be unaware, but Chen Jichuan knew the truth: the ’Moon Stream Commerce’ was controlled by the ’Silver Alliance,’ based in the western part of the East Continent in the Silver Highlands.
Among the myriad mid-sized organizations with Immortals at their helm, the ’Silver Alliance’ wasn’t considered top-tier but would be ranked firmly in the second tier.
It was a force comparable to the ’Dawn Era,’ a Legendary organization.
And behind the scenes of the ’Silver Alliance’ was none other than the Yu Ming Immortal Court, one of the Eight Immortal Courts within the Chongming Realm.
With another bout of Dimensional Travel, Chen Jichuan appeared directly in the office of Rodney, one of the five Grand Mages in charge of the Moon Stream Commerce’s Agaman Empire headquarters.
...
"Greetings, Legendary Lord."
Rodney, possessing the composure needed to oversee the commerce of an entire empire alongside his four colleagues, was unfazed by the sudden intrusion of Chen Jichuan. Rising gracefully, he saluted the Legendary Mage with due respect.
"Steward Rodney."
Chen Jichuan smiled and directly stated his intent to Rodney, "I am Benage from Valgrion. I have come uninvited this time to establish contact with your organization’s ’Melting Furnace Sovereign’ or ’Shattered Star Goddess’ through this branch."