Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 444 384 Great Advantage to the South_1

"The person you're talking about..."

Huai Shi pondered for a moment, then asked with some uncertainty, "It couldn't be Older Cousin, could it?"

"..."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Older Cousin my ass! In your heart, can't I even compare to some stinky man?"

"Heh."

With a cold laugh, Huai Shi scrutinized Raven as she revealed her true colors. "Waiting here for me, huh? Right? You lust after my body, and you even want my money!"

"Tsk," Raven said bluntly. "I'll help you fence the Pure Gold. Seventy-thirty split. Any problem with that?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Huai Shi sensed something was wrong and furrowed his brow. "Is that seventy for me, thirty for you?"

"Right!" Raven nodded. "It's settled then!"

Huai Shi's expression twitched again; he had been duped by this thieving shrew!

Before he could react, Raven continued, "Give me half of that box of Source Crystal Fragments, and I'll solve the Blood Revenge Crystal issue for you. I'll also take care of the Lin family problem, leaving you with no more worries!"

"...Alright."

After much hesitation, Huai Shi still nodded.

In theory, among the four advancement materials, the Blood Revenge Crystal should have been the easiest to obtain. Unfortunately... Huai Shi had thoroughly offended the Lin family, the biggest distributors in the Dongxia Genealogy.

It was more than just an offense; he'd nearly broadcast certain unspeakable scenes live.

The Lin family was famously vindictive.

Although he claimed not to be afraid, the prospect of a woman showing up one day to lecture him on how fortunes reverse was indeed tiring.

Well, that's assuming she still has the courage...

While Raven might be unreliable with her words, she had never failed to deliver on a promise.

Now that she'd spoken up, it meant the Blood Revenge Crystal was as good as secured.

Thus, of the four precious materials Huai Shi needed for advancement—the Blood Revenge Crystal, Holy Grace, Sinister Ashes, and Undying Flames—half were now taken care of.

But the remaining half was a real puzzle.

The Undying Flames, rarely seen in the Current Circumstances, and the Sinister Ashes, tightly controlled by the Existence Institute—one depended on luck, the other on connections, and neither could be obtained quickly.

The former, though not expensive, was hard to find; perhaps he'd stumble upon it someday. The latter wasn't hard to find, but why would they sell something that sounded so ominous to him?

The Existence Institute itself served as a prison, laboratory, and custodial organization for containing and researching various dangerous items and creatures. If Huai Shi's status wasn't high enough, or if he lacked a formal reason, it would be absolutely impossible to obtain these things from them.

There was a formal reason, of course. Huai Shi just had to say he needed them for advancement, and they would understand.

Well, they'd also learn that this rascal had obtained the Secret Ritual for the top-tier version of the Heavenly Inquiry Route through some unknown channel. Then, with a little deduction: 'Hmm, young man, do you happen to have a friend who's somewhat connected to the Golden Dawn? Come, have some tea, let's discuss this in detail...'

In the end, Huai Shi could only rely on himself.

He couldn't help but sigh to the heavens.

Is life always this difficult, or only when it's time for advancement?

"However, I do have a way."

Raven batted her innocent, large eyes, hopping around in front of him. "I can guide a lost soul like you and show you a clear path."

"Hmm?"

Huai Shi grew wary. "What crazy idea are you cooking up now?"

"Wow, the way you're so guarded against your kind big sister, it's truly disheartening, young man," Raven sighed. "I'm honestly just trying to help you."

As she spoke, a look of sorrow crossed her face, and she even shed two drops of disappointed tears.

"It would be more convincing if you hid the eyedrops under your wing *before* crying," Huai Shi kindly reminded her, then sighed deeply. "Forget it. If there's a trap, it's not like I won't jump in anyway... Just spit it out."

"Now, you can't say your big sis is deliberately trying to trick you this time."

Raven rummaged in the pocket of her miniature knitted sweater, then emerged with a slip of paper pinched in her wingtip, unfolding it before Huai Shi.

Huai Shi leaned in, squinted, and read out the words syllable by syllable:

"Great... Benefit... South... Direction?"

"Yes, that's right! Great benefit in the south!"

Raven's expression instantly became chibi-like as she said excitedly, "I specially performed a divination for you a few days ago. Although I haven't practiced in many years and I'm a bit rusty, after a dozen or so tries, I finally got a result. This is it!"

"..."

The corner of Huai Shi's eye twitched violently. "Hey, don't mess around with my soul's true name and birthdate!"

Even though Huai Shi knew nothing about divination, he understood that repeatedly divining the same question was an absolute taboo of taboos!

Even Xuan Niao, revered as the Controller of Sky's Command, would never perform a divination on the same question twice!

In essence, divination was an attempt to peer into the abstruse mysteries of Fate, like throwing a stone into the darkness to listen for an echo.

Nine times out of ten, it yielded no results, but if even a tiny glimpse was caught, it was a massive net gain.

However, divination itself could disturb a person's Fate. This was especially true for a mysterious being of transcendent status like Raven. With her typically crude methods, it was practically like grabbing Huai Shi's thread of Fate and yanking it hard seventeen or eighteen times in a row!

Even if some result was obtained, the process in between would most likely be altered beyond recognition, possibly even leading to significant negative consequences.

Who knew what kind of attention it might attract, or what sort of damned situations he might get entangled in.

If his luck was bad, he could step outside and be killed by a meteorite; a few thousand years later, his ashes might even be made into a Border Relic related to the Soloist!

"Relax, relax, trust me!" Raven lifted her wing and patted his shoulder, "I do this all the time. Haven't you managed to stay alive until now?"

"..."

Huai Shi rolled his eyes, completely losing the desire to deal with her.

"Then I promise I won't go behind your back and act recklessly anymore, okay? Okay?"

Raven adopted a tone that practically screamed, 'But I didn't mean to!', nearly transforming into her human form to tug at Huai Shi's sleeve and apologize pitifully—Huai Shi stopped her just before she could.

He couldn't take it.

For the sake of his own heart, it was better not to get worked up over this with her.

"So... if I want to advance quickly, I need to head south?"

Huai Shi pinched his chin, scrutinizing the note. "But you have to be clear about *where* exactly, right?"

South of Xinhai is Jin Hua. South of Jin Hua is Fu Zhou. Further south from Fu Zhou is Yue Zhou, and then... I'd be out of the country!

Or is she suggesting I make a trip to Myanmar?

Even further? Siam?

Just saying 'great benefit in the south' isn't enough; I need to figure out precisely which direction to head.

"You don't have to worry about that. I've already arranged everything."

Raven pulled another Black Card from her small satchel and passed it to Huai Shi, announcing, "The Star, a luxury touring train! A four-day, three-night journey with breathtaking views!

Choose Star, choose prestige!

Hurry and embark on a trip you'll never forget, a journey you'll never regret!"

"What the heck is this?"

Huai Shi was thoroughly confused, having no idea what she was talking about.

Examining the Black Card over and over, he eventually confirmed it seemed to be a travel card. It was embossed with the emblem of a star; its simple yet elegant design and the gold-stamped logo were unforgettable.

On the back was a very modern QR code.

After scanning the code, a webpage automatically popped up.

It was an introduction to a luxury train called the Star. It had a distinct vintage charm; from the old-fashioned black locomotive to the exquisite furnishings and decor in the private compartments, one could sense a strong atmosphere of a bygone era.

There was a more detailed introduction below, mentioning things like how the Star was a precious creation made with the assistance of numerous Alchemists, spearheaded by a Great Grandmaster; how unique it was; and how meticulous and luxurious the onboard dining, beverages, and services were.

Most importantly, it stated that after recent revisions, the train had embarked on a new journey. It would follow a new route over four days and three nights, carrying passengers through the Current Circumstances and various Borders, allowing them to feast their eyes on the magnificent scenery of Hell and enjoy this unique, marvelous trip...

Huai Shi's eyes widened as he scrolled through for a long time, feeling exasperated. "Isn't this just a freaking tour group?"

"It's a *luxury* tour group!" Raven corrected him, "Four days and three nights cost three million US dollars, you know!"

Huai Shi scoffed and shook his head. "Who on earth would be bored enough to spend three million on this thing!"

"Of course, there are such people."

Raven lifted her wing, pointing at him. "You, for example."

"Not me!"

Huai Shi reflexively refused. Even though he knew it was futile, he still didn't want to spend a single dime on such a ridiculous thing!

"Even if I had no transport and had to carry my luggage all the way to Siam on foot, I still wouldn't ride this piece of junk!"

"But this train makes a stop at the Permanent Neutrality Border·Shambhala, where all passengers receive a VIP invitation to an auction—"

Raven said calmly, "At this auction, there's a high probability of finding Sinister Ashes, and Undying Flames will definitely be available. Hmm, and you can also sell those Folding Knives of yours."

"...Rea... Really..."

In the silence, Huai Shi bit his lip, holding back his words. After a long while, he finally sighed feebly. "Fine, I'm eating my words, okay? You win! Is this what you wanted? For me to go there and buy the items?"

No wonder this black-hearted woman hadn't taken all his money!

Turns out she left him some so he could run errands for her at the auction!

"Don't worry, your big sis will be going with you too."

Raven drew closer, her tone turning sweet and seductive as she whispered in his ear, "A four-day, three-night sweet trip with a beautiful and cute big sister, and we'll even sleep in the same room at night, hmm? Aren't you excited? Isn't it thrilling? Who knows, maybe some naughty things will happen..."

Huai Shi rolled his eyes, flopped onto the bed, and completely gave up on dealing with her.