Far from the Solar System, the Behemoth was executing a jump through hyperspace. Before Yang Ying floated a series of golden pages, their exquisite illustrations in motion—not mere pictures, but video. Holographic video, even!

This was an e-book inscribed on a data chip. Its title was The Orion Arm Gazetteer: An Essential Beacon for Cargo Captains. Beside Yang Ying’s hand lay another chip, A Guide to Local Customs: Seemingly Innocent Gestures Can Harbor Danger, which he had just finished reading.

These books had been purchased in the marketplace of Planet Ba’ante, specifically from a bookstore catering to visiting captains. It offered every imaginable volume on interstellar navigation, detailing local resources, cultural environments, geography, and star charts—though everything there was outrageously expensive, priced from several thousand to hundreds of thousands of Ksing Coins apiece.

After all, information translated directly into wealth, and star charts were wealth of the highest order.

This time, Yang Ying’s target was a planet named Falu, a Class II supply world established by the low-level Hya civilization. It was rich in resources beneficial to higher civilizations. Coupled with the Hya’s natural aptitude for commerce, this planet hosted an immensely vast and comprehensive market.

In fact, it was the largest cargo distribution hub in the vicinity. Numerous races from higher civilizations traded here, buying and selling goods from their own cultures or those acquired from other lower civilizations, meeting diverse needs. The sheer volume and quality of goods far surpassed what was available on Planet Ba’ante.

Yang Ying had noted this point. According to a text describing Falu, the market there offered an unparalleled range of goods, second only to the great metropolitan centers of the higher civilizations. Many high-level races even sold technology to the Hya—though the most crucial warp-drive technology was impossible to impart, the Hya had certainly imported a substantial amount of advanced tech in other fields.

Many believed that at their current rate of rapid development, the Hya might achieve the feat of ascending to a higher civilization within two hundred planetary orbits of Falu.

Yang Ying intended to investigate, hoping to uncover some business opportunity or other advantage. He couldn't simply wait for his reserves to dwindle; he needed to actively generate wealth and convert it into productive power.

Moments later, the Behemoth exited hyperspace. They had arrived in the outer orbit of Falu.

The Behemoth descended onto the planet. Yang Ying, accompanied by Katerina and several Ghost operatives, disembarked. Before them lay a city of striking futurism.

Skyscrapers soared everywhere, shaped like spires or solid columns. Sky-lanes, suspended high above, weaved between the towers like flowing ribbons yet as solid as bedrock, filled with ceaseless traffic.

As soon as they stepped off the ship, many Hya approached them. Clearly, they were mediators or guides, much like Pipipnav. Yang Ying assessed them, finding most unsatisfactory. Perhaps due to Falu’s hyper-developed commerce, the Hya generally appeared slick and shrewd. Their speech was calculated, holding back as much as they revealed. Their eyes constantly drifted toward people’s purses. Using the sharp intuition of a Peak Master, Yang Ying selected one Hya who seemed relatively the most honest, though this individual still fell far short of Pipipnav.

The Hya had coarse, blue skin. Each of their six-fingered hands looked rough, their eyes bulbous like lamps, and they possessed a pointed, conical snout. When speaking, their voices were piercingly sharp.

“Esteemed visitor, our city is divided into an upper and lower stratum. Approximately twenty stories beneath your feet lies the lower world, while where we stand is the upper world. The ground level here is entirely artificial, fixed at this elevation to delineate the two tiers,” the Hya guide stated in sharp Ksing-tongue. The beautiful cadence of the language was utterly lost in his delivery.

“Why the division?” Katerina asked, curious.

The Hya guide grinned, “Naturally, to better construct the upper world. Do you not find the surrounding environment exceptionally clean and orderly?”

Yang Ying and Katerina surveyed their surroundings. Indeed, the streets were spotless, the artificial pavement even gleaming, reflecting light. Occasional cleanup drones passed by, discarding refuse, wiping away grime, and moving on as if nothing notable had occurred.

Seeing their assent, the Hya guide continued, “You must understand, cleanup drones alone cannot achieve such pristine conditions. The reason for this cleanliness is that those who disrupt the environment have been relegated to the lower world. Of course, environmental protection is only part of the equation. The population’s education level and criminal history are also factored in. Oh, and familial influence is another significant metric.”

“What a thoroughly… prejudiced and unforgiving city,” Katerina sighed quietly.

As they walked and talked, Yang Ying and Katerina learned of Falu’s severe polarization. Most cities were divided into two tiers. The lower world frequently launched rebellions against the upper, but due to their lack of technology and resources—which the upper world had controlled for centuries—these uprisings were always brutally suppressed. After each suppression, the oppression exerted by the upper world on the lower would only intensify.

Greedy for profit, riddled with sharp conflicts, and rapidly advancing—this was the consensus evaluation of the Hya civilization from others.

Upon reaching the market, they found dense buildings and throngs of people. The number of higher civilization races present exceeded even that on Ba’ante. Yang Ying subtly influenced the guide’s mind, prompting him to disclose the backgrounds of various factions. The guide’s knowledge was incomplete, covering perhaps only a fraction, and data on races with minor influence was entirely absent from his mind.

Having gained a preliminary grasp of Class II supply worlds and the various factions of the Orion Arm, Yang Ying now understood the permissible boundaries for conduct in such locales. He began to act more freely, shedding the caution he exercised on Planet Ba’ante.

Most shops here were large-scale operations, unlike the scattered storefronts on Ba’ante. Similar categories of goods were grouped together in dedicated zones. The entire market concentrated specialized products from across the galaxy, a dazzling, overwhelming spectacle.

Yang Ying and his group spent the entire day exploring, yet covered less than a tenth of the area. Yang Ying made selective purchases, choosing only items that were unique, highly practical, or things Katerina particularly favored. Even so, by the day’s end, they had spent nearly a hundred million Ksing Coins.

“These things are too expensive! We won’t use them forever, it’s not worth it,” Katerina exclaimed, her eyes dazzled by a crate filled with exquisitely crafted, variously shaped, eccentrically styled, and brilliantly glittering jewelry. She forced her gaze away, looking pained.

“If you wore all of this, wouldn't you become a Jewel Person?”

“Gems from all corners of the galaxy, perfectly matched with you,” Yang Ying smiled.

“If you don’t want to become a Jewel Person, then wear one piece per day, rotating them until they’re all seen. You’ll eventually wear them all out.”

“Classic nouveau riche mentality!” Katerina chuckled playfully.

“This is all for you. Let me be extravagant just this once,” Yang Ying laughed.

Starting the second day, Yang Ying streamlined his process. He merely glanced at repetitive items, no longer lingering, and his pace increased significantly, growing faster still.

Falu truly lived up to its reputation; even high-level races from the Perseus Arm were visible, including five or six experts at the Level III Apex. Due to the dense crowds and complex inter-racial relations, several incidents occurred, though they mostly involved races Yang Ying didn't recognize. Adopting a policy of avoiding trouble, he ignored them entirely, focusing on his own objectives.

By the fourth day, Yang Ying’s party had explored the majority of the market. They could return home within the next two days.

“There aren’t many more things worth noting, but Falu certainly has many fine goods,” Yang Ying turned to Katerina, speaking as the magnetic levitation pad beneath his feet carried him slowly along the automated corridor, Katerina beside him.

“After we finish Falu, we should head back early. The inventory here is already comprehensive; going elsewhere now would be inefficient,” Katerina murmured.

“A Master Langdon has arrived at the estate, and Bai Bai has actually become a princess—the princess of the galaxy’s largest empire! It’s too surprising. We should return soon. Bai Bai must miss us,” she added.

“A displaced princess,” Yang Ying corrected with a smile.

“And currently displaced! She’s being drilled mercilessly by Master Langdon, tearfully practicing movements required for imperial etiquette. Every action must be repeated thousands of times until it becomes instinct. Even Bai Bai, with her talent, is being drilled to death. It’s quite amusing.”

Blade’s eyes saw everything, so Yang Ying was already aware.

While speaking, Yang Ying kept observing his surroundings. Countless dazzling commodities filled the display cases, but as a Master of several peaks, he needed only a single sweep of his gaze to engrave them all into his memory.

Suddenly, Yang Ying’s gaze sharpened, fixing like a blade on the far corner of the same floor—specifically, on a pile of ore heaped against the wall, where several crystal-like stones rested.

“Could it be…” Yang Ying felt a profound tremor. Those stones looked exactly like the substance he knew.

Yang Ying tapped Katerina and led his group across the floor directly to the corner. He picked up a crystalline stone and examined it closely. His sight pierced almost to the molecular arrangement of the crystal; while he couldn't achieve true molecular disassembly yet, it was enough to clearly identify the stone in his hand.

An unprecedented joy flooded Yang Ying’s mind, first rippling outward, then swelling into a towering, surging wave!

“We might be delayed in our return,” Yang Ying said, turning back to Katerina, holding up the crystal stone.

“This is Silicon Ore.”