Chapter 263 - 179: Spiritual Material

He didn’t know what kind of deal the Shadow of Deceit and the Candlekeepers had struck.

But there was no doubt that this Le Ti—Le Ti #2, he supposed—was the "liaison" responsible for dealing with Candle Island.

As the liaison, Le Ti couldn’t possibly let the Storyteller, the representative of the Candlekeepers, come to harm—unless the Candlekeepers themselves planned to sell him out.

But that was clearly impossible.

This was the source of the Storyteller’s confidence.

Of course, his greatest source of confidence was knowing he couldn’t die.

’What’s there for a player to be afraid of?’

’I don’t care if you’re the Ancient God Cthulhu. My life is cheap, so bring it on!’

As he followed Le Ti,

the Storyteller observed his surroundings.

Based on the information from that smoking skull earlier, this place was called the Shadow Cave. He figured it was one of the Shadow of Deceit’s outposts.

But now, it seemed to be more than just a simple outpost.

It was more like a trading post, or perhaps a way station, a place to rest.

Lining both sides of the cave were numerous figures, some humanoid in cloaks and hoods, others with indistinct silhouettes. They sat cross-legged with cloths—some tattered, some whole—spread before them. Peculiar objects were displayed on the cloths, awaiting the arrival of potential buyers.

Of course, since the Shadow Cave was so dark, they also placed candles or torches beside them. These not only provided light but also alerted passersby to the presence of their stalls.

As the Storyteller continued to follow Le Ti,

he suddenly spotted another Le Ti walking toward them. He decided to call this one "Le Ti #3."

Surprisingly, this Le Ti #3, who looked identical to Le Ti #2, didn’t seem to be on good terms with him.

"Heh, so you actually brought these wretched Candle Spirits here..."

"I hope you’re not just wasting your time."

Le Ti #3 said, sizing up the Storyteller. Though he was smiling, his tone was clearly mocking.

"Why, thank you for your concern."

"At least I get to *try* wasting my time, don’t I?"

Le Ti #2 seemed unbothered by the taunt, instead retorting with a cheerful grin.

Hearing this, the smile on Le Ti #3’s face froze. He then walked past the pair without another word.

Watching this scene unfold,

the Storyteller was baffled. He glanced from Le Ti #2 to Le Ti #3; the whole interaction felt incredibly awkward.

He was naturally reminded of the Le Ti that Li Miao had encountered and everything that had happened afterward.

After a moment of thought, the Storyteller couldn’t resist asking Le Ti, "Do... all of you look the same?"

At this, Le Ti shot him an annoyed glare.

"What do you mean, ’look the same’? Are you face-blind? The difference is huge, okay? Could he ever be as handsome as me?"

Now that they were in the Shadow Cave—his home turf—the Storyteller could clearly feel Le Ti carrying himself with more confidence. His attitude was nowhere near as polite as before. His whole demeanor had changed.

The Storyteller was speechless.

Seeing his speechless expression, Le Ti could only sigh and shake his head. "Forget it. It’s pointless to expect you people, who have eyes but cannot see, to tell the difference."

’Have eyes but cannot see...’

The Storyteller was speechless once more.

"So, you’re all named Le Ti? How do you tell each other apart by name?" the Storyteller asked, curious.

Le Ti shot him a look and retorted, "Do fish in a school need names to tell each other apart?"

The Storyteller was at a loss for words.

’He had to admit, that actually made a lot of sense.’

’In that case, ’Le Ti’ probably isn’t a name. It’s more like a designation for a group or a species...’

’They must have some unique way of telling each other apart. Maybe... scent?’

"Alright, don’t try to probe any further. That’s all I can tell you."

Le Ti said with a lazy stretch.

"Since the master of the Candlefire sent a clever one over, my job should be a little easier. I won’t keep you in suspense."

"...As you heard earlier, this place is called the ’Shadow Cave.’"

"It used to be a place where creatures of shadow ran rampant, but now... well, it’s our turf."

With that, Le Ti walked to an empty spot and stopped.

"You can set up a stall here to sell things to others, or you can go and buy things from the other stalls..."

"I suggest you buy from our stall. We have everything you could want, and most importantly, you can purchase information."

"Rest assured, compared to these small-time vendors, we value integrity above all else. Honest dealing, no tricks. You can buy with confidence."

Le Ti pointed to the largest and most conspicuous stall in the Shadow Cave, offering a practiced, polite smile.

"But all of this is on one condition: you have to have enough money."

As he listened to Le Ti, the Storyteller continued to observe the Shadow Cave.

Le Ti made it sound grand, but in reality, the place wasn’t very large. There were only a few scattered vendors.

Even Le Ti’s own stall looked quite crude—like a small tent cobbled together from scraps of cloth.

"...What’s the ’money’ here?" the Storyteller asked after a moment’s consideration, pulling his gaze back.

"Spiritual Material."

Le Ti replied, producing a clump of something that emitted a dim white light. Looking closer, one could see it was actually a small, white object resembling a piece of kindling.

"Spiritual Material can be highly condensed. The more powerful one’s Fire of Life, the more Spiritual Material they can condense, and the greater its value. Furthermore, its quality cannot deceive your own Fire of Life."