Chapter 98: The Offer
I turned slowly, despite not recognising the voice, I somehow had an idea of who I would see.
Sure enough, Old Man Bu stood there in the empty hallway, looking exactly as he had in his warehouse – the same wrinkly face, the same simple merchant's robes, even the same slight stoop that made him appear older and frailer than he likely was.
"Senior Bu?" I couldn't quite keep the surprise from my voice. The registration hall was one of the last places I'd expected to run into the crippled merchant.
He looked me up and down, studying me with far more intensity than he had during our previous meeting. "It seems you really put that water essence to good use, young friend."
Something about the way he said it made me think he wasn't just making casual conversation.
"I... didn't expect to see you here," I said carefully as I tried to figure out what he was doing here. A merchant with access to the inner areas of the sect, appearing right after I'd drawn attention to myself? "You being here means..."
"That I'm not just a simple merchant?" he smiled. "Indeed. Though I do enjoy the role – it's much more relaxing than my actual duties."
"You're an elder," I breathed, the pieces finally clicking into place. The restricted materials in his warehouse, his deep knowledge of cultivation techniques, the way he'd seemed to know exactly what I needed... it all made sense now.
He nodded, then, with a casual wave of his hand that somehow managed to convey both 'follow me' and 'this isn't really a request,' he said, "Let's go somewhere more private to talk."