After Xiang Shaoyun and Mo Mo left the Cloud Margin Forging Pavilion, they started strolling around the city. Since Xiang Shaoyun no longer had to worry about someone recognizing him, he could have as much fun as he liked without worrying about his pursuers.
"Mo Mo, I need you to build a spy network for me. Will you be able to do that?" Xiang Shaoyun asked as they walked. Mo Mo blanked out.
She then answered honestly, "I don't have any relevant experience, so I'm not sure if I will end up disappointing you, young master."
"You are still too weak. I will give you a year to grow and reach the King Realm. Then, use Cloud Margin City as your base and build a spy network that can penetrate any place. As for the support you will need for the task, I will provide everything," Xiang Shaoyun said.
Xiang Shaoyun felt that the task would be too demanding for Mo Mo with her current strength. She was still too weak. It wouldn't be easy for her to build a spy network with her current cultivation level.
But after hearing Xiang Shaoyun's words, Mo Mo became excited, and she said, "If the young master trusts me, I will definitely be able to do it!"
"Um. We'll first buy a residence at Cloud Margin City. You can get started once you learn more about the city," Xiang Shaoyun said.
Thus, they started looking for a residence for sale. Suddenly, Xiang Shaoyun had a feeling that someone was tailing him.
Is it someone from the Cloud Margin Forging Pavilion? Xiang Shaoyun wondered. At that thought, he brought Mo Mo and dove into the crowd as he tried to break free of the surveillance.
Mo Mo noticed Xiang Shaoyun was suddenly behaving differently, and she asked nervously, "Young master, what happened?"
"Someone might be tailing us. We'll talk back at the restaurant," Xiang Shaoyun whispered.
But when the person tailing them noticed that he had been discovered, he decided to increase his speed and move directly into the open. When Xiang Shaoyun noticed that he couldn't shake away his follower, he turned around and stood still, waiting for his tail to arrive.
Not long after, an ordinary looking man approached him and laughed dryly, "Greetings. I am Wen Hong."
"Do you need anything?" Xiang Shaoyun frowned.
"I come from a blacksmithing clan, the Wen Clan. I wonder if you have heard of us before?" Wen Hong introduced himself.
Xiang Shaoyun and Mo Mo exchanged glances as they both knew that this blacksmith clan was the organization second only to the Cloud Margin Forging Pavilion in terms of blacksmithing in the city.
"And why are you tailing us?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.
"I accidentally overheard that you are selling top-quality goldsteel stone, so I am here to discuss it with you. Will it be possible for you to sell it to our Wen Clan instead? As for the price, do not worry. We are offering 10 percent more than what the Cloud Margin Pavilion is offering," Wen Hong said, going straight to the point.
"Can you speak on behalf of your clan, though?" Xiang Shaoyun asked with a faint smile.
If someone was willing to offer him a better price, he would not mind considering it.
"Um, I am not sure about that, that was why I had decided to tail you first. After figuring out where you stay, I could then return and inform my clan about this," Wen Hong gave his reasoning for tailing Xiang Shaoyun.
"Sure. I'll be waiting for you at the Cloud Margin Restaurant," Xiang Shaoyun said.
"You are a straightforward person. I will return and inform my clan first. I'll come look for you after that," Wen Hong said joyfully. Just as he was about to leave, he recalled something and said, "How many top-quality goldsteel stones do you have in your possession? Knowing that would make it easier for me to negotiate with my clan."
Xiang Shaoyun raised a finger and said, "At least 100 catties."
"That's good to hear. Please wait for my reply," said Wen Hong in excitement before he vanished amid the crowd on the street.
"Use whatever methods you have and gather some general information about the Wen Clan. I will be waiting for you at the restaurant," Xiang Shaoyun said.
This would be Mo Mo's first test. If she couldn't even complete this task, it would be pointless to have her build the spy network.
"Yes, master," Mo Mo answered and started thinking about her next step.
As for Xiang Shaoyun, he returned to the restaurant and ordered some food and liquor and started drinking alone. Since he had a lot of materials with him, he needed to clear some of them from his astral cosmos sea. If the Wen Clan was willing to offer a suitable price, he was willing to sell them all he had.
It is not hard to clear the goldsteel stones, but my main goal is to find a unique land where fire congregates so that I can refine the white tiger bone into my saber. Since those blacksmiths require all sorts of high-level flames to refine equipment, they might know something about a place like that, Xiang Shaoyun thought.
About an hour later, Mo Mo returned and told Xiang Shaoyun what she had discovered. The Wen Clan was a renowned clan within Cloud Margin City. They had King Realm cultivators and King Realm blacksmiths. In recent years, they had declined, resulting in a lack of new talents. Because of that, they no longer enjoyed the reputation they once had. One had to admit that Mo Mo did very well to be able to gather all that information in such a short span of time.
"Well done. You can start recruiting people for the spy network," Xiang Shaoyun praised.
"Thank you for the praise, young master. I will do well!" Mo Mo promised confidently. She was already slowly adapting to her new role and was filled with expectation for the future. As they waited, Wen Hong did not appear, but someone else he knew had appeared in the restaurant instead.
A young man and young woman had appeared in the restaurant. The young man looked decently handsome, but the air of arrogance surrounding him was rather annoying to look at. As for the young woman, she was akin to a tender flower that attracted all gazes the moment she stepped inside the restaurant.
"Qinyin, let's sit there," said the young man when he saw that there were still empty seats beside Xiang Shaoyun.
That's right. The person Xiang Shaoyun saw was none other than the number one beauty of Martial Hall Palace, Gong Qinyin. Her appearance in Cloud Margin City was quite surprising for Xiang Shaoyun.
Gong Qinyin seemed to have an unsightly expression on her face as she nodded and followed the young man over. After the two sat down, Xiang Shaoyun heard Gong Qinyin say, "Wen Jinnuo, is the information you found accurate?"
"Of course. It hasn't been easy to get that information at all. Some of my fellow apprentices in the pavilion have also noticed the same. If they decide to make a move, you stand no chance," Wen Jinnuo said.
When Wen Jinnuo looked at Gong Qinyin, the lust and desire in his eyes couldn't be hidden.
"How will I know without trying?" Gong Qinyin said resolutely.
"Haha, stop trying to force yourself. You have spent the past two years cultivating in a tiny town. Your speed has been too slow. All the fellow apprentices in the pavilion are in the Transformation Realm. Competing against them is the same as knocking an egg against a rock," said Wen Jinnuo. He added, "If you can agree to be my partner, perhaps I can give your Gong Clan some help and snatch it for you."