Chapter 90: The Arcanist’s Market and Astronomical Prices

The next morning, Bai Yu awoke in her own home.

Her head felt muddled and heavy; she had almost forgotten how she had returned home the previous night.

Only then did she recall that Cecilia had carried her back from the car.

The sheer embarrassment of it! She remembered her Mother’s astonished expression upon seeing Cecilia then.

While Tianyu was already aware of the relationship between Bai Yu and Lu Xingyao, she had no inkling of Bai Yu’s connection to Cecilia.

However, after Cecilia revealed her engagement to Bai Yu, Tianyu reluctantly accepted this new reality.

After all, Bai Yu’s father had arranged several engagements with various families for a multitude of reasons.

She could only hope that Bai Yu would be able to withstand the pressure from all those girls.

Tianyu offered a silent prayer.

After getting out of bed, Bai Yu picked up her phone, began replying to Cecilia’s and Lu Xingyao’s chat messages, and then promptly flopped back onto the mattress.

She started to ponder how to monetize the ‘stolen goods’—no, rather, the ‘confiscated supplies’—she had acquired at school yesterday.

After all, the cost to smelt that scythe was an astronomical sum, and even if she possessed the funds, she currently lacked the means to acquire the necessary resources.

In truth, she hadn’t yet truly entered the commercial sphere of Arcanists.

‘Who should I ask?’

Sitting on her bed, Bai Yu mused, ‘How could an official organization like the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau not have an official website or similar platform for Arcanists to use? Otherwise, it would be far too inconvenient.’

Even though she was merely an unregistered operative, surely they wouldn’t deny her access to such fundamental resources.

Suddenly, Bai Yu remembered she had Mo Lan’s contact information and quickly sent her a message.

[*Poke!*]

[Is there something you need, Little Bai Yu?]

[Hello]

A reply came back instantly!

Bai Yu’s hands trembled with excitement; she had initially assumed the Dragon Summer Guardians were all incredibly busy, requiring a considerable amount of time to respond.

[Yes, yes! I can’t believe you replied so quickly. Aren’t the Dragon Summer Guardians usually much busier?]

Bai Yu’s fingers flew across the screen, typing out a flurry of words in mere seconds.

[We are indeed very busy, but Little Bai Yu is special, so of course, I have to pay extra attention! Besides, Dragon Summer Guardians also need to check notifications frequently, otherwise, how would we avoid missing important intelligence?]

Upon seeing this, Bai Yu finally found an opening and quickly began to question Mo Lan.

[Sister Mo Lan, what special communication methods does the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau typically use? I have some unique artifacts I need to sell, and I’m currently struggling to find a suitable channel.]

Bai Yu quickly inquired, ensuring her message wouldn’t arouse any suspicion from Mo Lan.

[Ah, so that’s what it is! Of course, we have one. For communication, artifacts, and advancement resources, there’s an official trading platform, and it even offers recycling services!]

The moment Mo Lan realized what Bai Yu was asking about, a flicker of disappointment crossed her face; she had hoped Bai Yu was proactively seeking a meeting with her.

She had even entertained thoughts of a wonderful date, but it seemed she had been overthinking things.

[Just as I thought! So, Sister Mo Lan, where can I download this? An app from such a mysterious organization must surely be hidden, right?]

Bai Yu replied.

[That’s correct. The app can only be distributed by the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau. Little Bai Yu, you can contact the Bureau directly.]

[Alright, alright, thank you, Sister Mo Lan.]

Bai Yu ended the chat, then sought out the contact information for the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau headquarters.

She decided to contact the branch Director instead, fearing she might scare him to death otherwise.

Bai Yu was, at heart, too kind-hearted; she simply didn’t want to startle an elderly man.

After Bai Yu contacted the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau headquarters, she indeed received confirmation of its existence.

It was, however, a semi-open platform, typically accessible only to high-ranking Arcanists.

Yet, due to Bai Yu’s unique circumstances, it was made available to her in advance.

Soon, Bai Yu received a mysterious web address, utterly unlike any she had encountered before.

Upon entering, she was met with a series of verification redirects and prompts, making her wonder if there was something amiss with the whole process.

‘Perhaps I should get two phones in the future…’

Bai Yu felt a touch exasperated; one for her everyday life, and another dedicated solely to transactions involving such arcane materials.

After all, Bai Yu couldn’t exclusively rely on the official platform for her transactions; she would undoubtedly need to explore other avenues.

Moreover, as she wasn’t a member of the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau, she wasn’t bound by their regulations.

However, being discovered would be undesirable.

Thus, Bai Yu resolved to prepare for both contingencies, as her standing with the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau remained crucial.

Bai Yu had no interest in engaging with middlemen or profiteering; her primary objective was simply to enhance her strength.

After enduring multiple layers of verification, Bai Yu finally managed to download the official application.

An app bearing a dragon emblem was installed on her phone, named ‘Dragon’s Sky’.

‘What a tacky name…’

Bai Yu couldn’t help but mutter, yet she still tapped to open it.

‘As expected, identity verification is required…’

Bai Yu grumbled internally, realizing this meant she couldn’t employ any ‘clever tricks.’

Furthermore, if she were to sell supplies on a large scale here, she would likely face inquiries from the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau.

While Bai Yu’s status as an unregistered operative offered some leeway, exercising caution was still advisable.

After completing the identity verification, Bai Yu proceeded to locate the selling section within the app.

‘The selection of items is quite comprehensive, though I have no idea what the prices are like.’

Bai Yu, after all, had no concept of the true value of these items.

She then searched for the item she required: a container capable of withstanding Heaven’s Fire, or Holy Flame, and one that wasn’t too small in volume.

Upon completing her search, Bai Yu indeed found some results.

However, they were pitifully few, consisting mostly of instruments and resources purchasable only by Arcanists of Rank Seven or higher.

‘What in the world? There are purchase restrictions??’

Bai Yu was speechless; this was utterly preposterous.

Moreover, the prices were equally ‘beautiful,’ making Bai Yu reluctant to cast a second glance.

[Hellfire Brazier]

Price: 300 million Dragon Summer coins

Merit: 500,000 merit points

[Brain in a Jar]

Price: 280 million Dragon Summer coins

Merit: 400,000 merit points

[Heavenly Spring]

Price: 2 billion Dragon Summer coins

Merit: 5 million merit points

Bai Yu scrolled vigorously, yet even after reaching the very bottom, she couldn’t find a single item she could afford.

What’s more, all these items demanded ‘merit points,’ a currency that, combined with the rank requirements, effectively barred her from purchasing anything.

‘Are they trying to force me into working for the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau?’

Impossible! Bai Yu would rather starve to death than join the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau!

Consumed by fury, Bai Yu thought, ‘Just because I’m a loli doesn’t mean you can treat me like a soft persimmon!’

She abruptly shut off her phone and lay on the bed, fuming silently.

[That Heavenly Spring is crucial; it almost perfectly matches the scythe and is the ideal vessel for containing Heaven’s Fire, the Holy Flame. With it, your success rate for absorption will significantly increase.]

Moweila’s voice, grave and brooking no refusal, echoed in Bai Yu’s mind.