Huo Yuhao from The Peerless Tang Sect is incredibly talented.

As he spoke, Huo Yuhao took out a scroll and handed it to Ning Shun, the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, indicating that Ning Shun should take a look.

Ning Shun took the scroll, bent down and opened it, his pupils suddenly contracted.

The list above contained dozens of items: provisions, refined iron, copper ingots, saltpeter, medicinal herbs, cloth, salt, and medicinal plants… Each item was marked with an astonishing quantity. These supplies combined were enough to arm a large army, feed a city, and even sustain a siege lasting more than six months.

Ning Shun's eyelids twitched suddenly.

He had been in charge of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School for decades; what storms hadn't he weathered? But the list before him still sent a chill down his spine. This wasn't the amount of goods hoarded by merchants; this was... the amount needed for war.

"The second business deal," Huo Yuhao said calmly, as if discussing a trivial matter, "is about to undergo a major upheaval in Tiandou City. I need a large amount of supplies—food, rare metals, and all sorts of necessities for the residents, the more the better."

Tiandou City has undergone a major transformation.

Ning Shun quickly processed these four words in his mind. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was not far from Tian Dou City. He was aware of the recent miracles that had occurred in Tian Dou City. Judging from the mysterious expert's words, this was just the beginning.

This unfathomable powerhouse actually came to our door in person to purchase supplies at an exorbitant price?

This matter was far more significant than he had anticipated.

Ning Shun raised his head and glanced at Huo Yuhao. His aura was calm, like that of an ordinary person. He showed no trace of the power he had displayed when he sealed the Soul Douluo and Title Douluo of the sect with his previous attack, nor did he possess the unfathomable aura that had previously overwhelmed the entire sect.

All that remains is ordinariness.

But it was this very ordinariness that sent a chill down Ning Shun's spine.

Because he couldn't see through them. Having led the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School for decades, Ning Shun had seen far too many powerful figures. Title Douluos, Super Douluos, but not one of them, even when concealing their aura and appearing like a truly ordinary person, possessed a calm and unassuming presence, blending seamlessly into the world.

This batch of supplies is ridiculously large. If someone else had been negotiating this deal, Ning Shun would have definitely tried to probe, lower the price, delay, and subtly negotiate, trying to squeeze every last penny of profit and to negotiate every clause in his favor. This is a businessman's instinct, and also the duty of a sect leader.

But Ning Shun dared not face the person in front of him.

A powerful figure of unparalleled strength, instead of directly robbing you, sits politely before you, discussing business with real money—that's already an immense show of respect. If you're still ungrateful and insist on haggling, testing your limits, or playing those common business tricks—that's not shrewdness, that's courting death.

Ning Shun cherished his life. He valued even more the ten-thousand-year-old legacy of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School.

He clearly remembered that ten years ago, a mid-sized sect, relying on the backing of a Title Douluo, refused to give concessions to the stronger party in a business deal.

And what happened? Overnight, the sect disbanded, its disciples fled to distant lands, and its local territory was completely devoured by others.

No prize for this quiz: guess which Super Douluo is so stingy and shameless.

The answer is revealed: Yan Shaozhe and Xuanzi.

This is reputation, the stingy Yan Shaozhe and the Supreme Elder Xuanzi of the Holy Spirit Sect.

From then on, Ning Shun set an ironclad rule for himself: never try to be clever in front of the strong.

Huo Yuhao is clearly a strong person.

"Sir," Ning Shun took a deep breath, suppressing the turbulent thoughts in his heart, his voice steady and respectful, "This batch of supplies is enormous, and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School needs time to procure them. But since you have spoken, the sect will certainly do its utmost."

He paused, his gaze falling on the list, quickly calculating in his mind. The provisions were manageable; the sect had granaries in major cities, so allocating them wouldn't be difficult. However, refined iron and copper ingots needed to be urgently mined from the affiliated mines, and the output might not be enough, so they would have to be purchased from the market.

The medicinal herbs and fabrics weren't a problem; the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School had been operating for over a century, and these channels were readily available. The troublesome ones were rare metals—these items were strictly controlled by the empire and couldn't be openly bought and sold on the market; they had to be traded through clandestine channels.

But Ning Shun didn't complain. He only hesitated briefly before giving a reasonable deadline: "The first batch of supplies can be prepared within three days. Subsequent batches will be supplied monthly, how about that?"

Huo Yuhao nodded slightly, seemingly quite satisfied with his tact.

"Twice the market price, deduct the payment directly from the Replenishing Essence Pill business."

Huo Yuhao took out another pre-prepared contract from his robes and laid it on the table. His slender fingers gently pressed a corner of the parchment. "I have written the contract terms. Sect Leader Ning, please review them. If there are no objections, let's sign them together today."

Ning Shun picked up the contract and read it word by word.

The terms are clear, the rights and responsibilities are well-defined, and there are no traps or word games. Huo Yuhao clearly outlined the obligations and benefits that the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School would bear, and even left a considerable buffer in the delivery period—in case of force majeure, the delivery period could be extended without pursuing liability for breach of contract.

This contract was much fairer than Ning Shun had expected; in fact, it could be described as generous.

His last trace of unease dissipated. This young man, though unfathomable, acted with integrity and was not the treacherous type who would hide a knife behind a smile or betray someone after using them. Doing business with such a person, while stressful, at least meant not having to worry about being taken advantage of.

Ning Shun picked up the pen and signed his name at the end of the contract, his strokes steady and powerful. Then he took the sect leader's seal, dipped it in vermilion ink, and stamped it down heavily.

"Snap—"

With a crisp sound, the dust settled.

"It's a pleasure to cooperate, Sect Master Ning." Huo Yuhao put away the contract, stood up, and said, "Once the first batch of supplies is ready, place it in Tiandou City, and I will come to collect it myself. At that time, the Replenishing Yuan Pill will also be delivered."

Ning Shun nodded without asking any further questions. He knew that with Huo Yuhao's methods, the person picking up the goods would naturally find him. He only needed to do his job—prepare the goods, collect the money, and then keep quiet.

"Oh, right." Huo Yuhao stood up, took a few steps, and suddenly turned around.

"Sect Leader Ning, you'd better... pretend you don't know anything about what happened in Heaven Dou City."

His gaze was calm as still water, and his tone was as gentle as if he were advising an old friend. But Ning Shun sensed the weight behind his words—this wasn't a discussion, it was an instruction. It wasn't a threat, it was a well-intentioned reminder.

Knowing too much is never a good thing.

Ning Shun's heart skipped a beat, and he nodded solemnly: "Understood. What happened today is only known to me and to you, sir. No one else will know. I can control what people say in the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School."

At this moment, as soon as business began, all other irrelevant personnel were cleared away by Wu Ya, leaving only Wu Ya, the sect leader of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile School, the Sixth Elder, the medicine testing steward, and a few servants.

This is called a professional.

Huo Yuhao smiled slightly, a hint of approval in his smile. He said no more, his figure gradually fading into the sunlight and disappearing into the world.

No trace can be found, no clue can be found.

The square fell silent once more.

A great change is coming.

As he watched the mysterious figure depart, this thought flashed through Ning Shun's mind.

I wonder where the world will go from here.