Frostgate City was a marvel of brutal, pragmatic engineering. It was less a city and more a colossal, fortified military camp carved from the very ice of the mountains. The great wall was not just a barrier; it was a living glacier, its surface constantly repaired and reshaped by powerful water and ice cultivators.
The air was thin and bitingly cold, and the streets were filled not with the cheerful bustle of a city like Coralspire, but with the grim, efficient movements of soldiers, their armored footsteps a constant, rhythmic crunch on the snow-packed ground.
Yet, it was a city of contrasts. Because it was the only safe passage through the southern mountains for hundreds of miles, it had also become a vital, if tense, commercial hub. A sprawling market district thrived in the city's sheltered core, a place where merchants from a dozen different clans and territories braved the political climate to trade for the unique resources of the frozen north.
It was into this complex, frozen world that the Golden Shell Guild made its grand entrance.
Fat Pig, accompanied by the silent, imposing human form of Spine, was escorted to a grand, ice-carved citadel that served as the Third Prince's military headquarters. They were not brought before the Prince himself—such a meeting was reserved for the conclusion of any deals—but to a formal, heavily guarded reception hall to meet with his chief steward. The steward was a shrewd, middle-aged man with the powerful aura of a Peak Foundation Establishment expert, his eyes holding a deep, wary intelligence.
"Vice Guild Master Zhu," the steward began, his tone polite but cold. "Your Guild has caused quite a stir. And now, you come to us. You must understand that our current… political situation is delicate. We have little time for simple pleasantries."
Fat Pig's cheerful, fawning smile was a perfect mask of commercial goodwill. "Of course, of course, Lord Steward! This one would not dream of wasting your precious time! We are merchants! We are here for one reason and one reason only: mutual profit!"
He launched into his pitch, a masterclass in mercantile diplomacy. He spoke not of war, but of need. He spoke of the vast armies the Third Prince now commanded, armies that needed a constant, reliable supply of high-grade healing elixirs, durable beast-hide for armor, and, most importantly, a massive quantity of high-energy spirit beast flesh to maintain their stamina and strength.
"Your Highness is engaged in a grand and noble enterprise," Fat Pig said, his voice dripping with admiration. "But a war of this scale is a hungry beast. The lands you control are rich in minerals and frost-herbs, but they are poor in high-quality beasts. Your supply lines are stretched thin. We, the Golden Shell Guild, can help solve this problem. We have direct trade agreements with the southern sects and the northern demonic clans. We can provide you with a river of resources, delivered safely and discreetly, to fuel your glorious campaign."
The steward listened, his wary expression slowly being replaced by one of calculating interest. The portly merchant was right. Logistics, not battles, was what was truly costing them the war.
"And what would you ask in return, Guild Master?" the steward asked, his voice now holding a hint of genuine curiosity.
"A fair price, of course!" Fat Pig declared. "A long-term, stable trade partnership. You provide us with a steady supply of your unique northern resources such as: your Frost-Jade, your Ice-Vein Steel, the pelts of your Snow-mane Lions. We will buy them from you at a fair market price, and in turn, sell you the southern goods you so desperately need at an equally fair price. We do not seek to drain you; we seek to become your most reliable and profitable partner."
The probing then began. "Your Guild is powerful," the steward said, his gaze sharp. "So powerful that your… displeasure with my Prince has already cost him dearly. Why would a power like yours not simply choose a side? The rewards for aiding us to victory would be far greater than simple trade."
Fat Pig's smile did not waver. "Lord Steward, you misunderstand our nature. We are merchants, not warriors. Our only allegiance is to profit. We have no interest in who sits on the throne of this empire. But we have a profound interest in ensuring that our business partners are stable and prosperous. We will trade with anyone who is willing to do business in good faith. And," his voice dropped, "we will, of course, retaliate with overwhelming force against anyone who seeks to disrupt our business or harm our partners. We do not take sides. But we do protect our investments."
The message was clear, delivered with a perfect blend of commercial goodwill and absolute, terrifying menace.
The negotiations continued for hours. By the end of the day, a preliminary agreement was struck. The Guild would begin with a small, trial shipment of spirit beasts for food and healing salves. It was a beginning.
That very evening, a different envoy arrived at the grand guesthouse that had been assigned to the Guild delegation. It was a woman, a cunning and elegant diplomat from the Seventh Princess's faction. She had come with gifts, and with a nearly identical line of questioning.
Once again, Fat Pig played his part. He was charming, he was receptive, and he was utterly, unshakeably neutral. He offered the Princess the exact same deal he had offered the Prince. He was not choosing a side; he was opening a store, and all were welcome, as long as they had the spirit stones to pay. Both sides left the initial meetings wary, but intrigued. They did not have a new, powerful ally, but they did have a new, desperately needed source of supplies, and a new, terrifying power that they could not afford to make an enemy of.
While Fat Pig was engaged in his high-stakes game of diplomacy, Li Yu and Cyra were exploring the city. Li Yu, with his aura suppressed to that of a simple Qi Condensation disciple, was just another face in the crowd. He was fascinated by the unique culture of this frozen, military city. The markets were a treasure trove of new sights and sounds.
He saw merchants selling thick, warm cloaks made from the white fur of Snow-mane Lions. He saw blacksmiths forging weapons not with fire, but with a unique, cold-forging technique that used the ambient ice energy to shape and temper a special kind of bluish steel.
He bought several small, beautifully crafted trinkets: a fishing lure carved from the iridescent scale of some local river fish for Uncle Wei, some random trinkets that looked interesting for friends, and a small, intricate puzzle box of frosted wood for himself, something to occupy his mind during quiet moments. For Cyra, he bought a simple but elegant comb carved from the pearlescent inner shell of a Glacier Oyster, its surface shimmering with the colors of a winter dawn.
It was in a dusty, overlooked corner of the market, in a small stall run by a grizzled old prospector, that Cyra's serene expression finally broke with a flicker of genuine surprise. Her luminous, silver eyes were fixed on a small, unassuming stone in a tray of cheap, low-grade mineral ores. The stone was a dull, lumpy black, like a piece of hardened tar, and had no discernible spiritual energy. It was priced at a mere ten low-grade spirit stones.
"Master," she said, her voice a low, quiet murmur. "That stone. There is something… familiar about it. I believe it would be beneficial to my cultivation."
Li Yu did not question her. He walked to the stall and bought the stone at its listed price, the old prospector looking at him as if he were a fool for buying such a worthless piece of rock.
They returned to their guesthouse, and Cyra held the stone in her palm. She closed her eyes, and a faint, silvery light began to emanate from her, flowing into the black stone. The dull, outer layer of the stone began to flake away, revealing a beautiful, translucent, ink-black object within. It was shaped like a piece of dried, hardened coral and pulsed with a soft, gentle light that seemed to resonate with the very essence of her soul.
"A Tidal Heart Inkstone," she whispered, a look of profound, wondering joy on her face. "A treasure of my family, formed from the spiritual ink of an ancestor of my species over the years of pressure in the deep sea. It can help to stabilize and purify a sovereign's spiritual sea. I never thought I would see one so far from home."
Li Yu simply smiled, happy for his friend's good fortune.
Their explorations continued. In the city's beast market, a place filled with the roars and cries of powerful, frost-aspected demonic beasts, Li Yu's spiritual sea was a symphony of new, exciting energies. He found a merchant selling a pair of Frost-Crystal Crabs, strange, beautiful creatures whose entire bodies were made of a living, translucent blue ice.
In another stall, he found a tank containing a group of Glacier-Bore Worms, bizarre, segmented creatures with drill-like heads that could tunnel through solid ice. He acquired them all, new, precious additions to the ever-growing diversity of his Koi's Sanctuary.
It was at the very back of the market, in a large, heavily warded enclosure, that Cyra suddenly stopped. Her serene expression was replaced by one of profound, almost maternal, sadness.
Inside the enclosure were a dozen different species of cephalopods, all captured from the southern seas and brought here as exotic, high-priced delicacies. There were Phantasmal Reef Octopuses like Mirage, Mind-Weaver Squids, and even a small, juvenile Azure-Ringed Cuttlefish, a rare offshoot of her own noble bloodline. They were all crammed into tanks that were too small, their beautiful, intelligent eyes full of a weary, resigned despair.
Cyra turned to Li Yu, a silent, pleading look in her luminous, silver eyes.
Li Yu simply sighed, a slow, weary, and profoundly amused expression on his face. First Kui and his turtles. Then Xylia and her bears. Then Fat Pig and his boars. And now, Cyra and her octopuses. He was no longer just a cultivator. He was the reluctant zookeeper for a pantheon of gods and their ever-expanding extended families.
He walked to the stall owner, a large, intimidating man from a powerful merchant clan.
"How much," Li Yu asked, his voice calm, "for all of them?"