A Man Like None Other (Jared Chance) novel Chapter 6585

"The chapter master wants to meet with you, Mr. Chance."

Claire's voice stayed perfectly even, as if she were discussing something ordinary. "The Abyssal Exchange is willing to work with you against the celestials. If you're interested, come with me to the Abyssal Exchange so we can talk."

Work with him against the celestials.

Jared's brow lifted slightly.

The Abyssal Exchange wanted to oppose the celestials?

They weren't afraid of retaliation?

"The Abyssal Exchange has a grudge against the celestials?" Jared asked.

Claire shook her head. "No. The Abyssal Exchange does business as business. We don't make enemies of any faction.

But in many places, the Exchange's interests and the celestials' interests collide."

"The celestials like monopoly. They like control. They like keeping every resource in their own hands.

"The Exchange needs circulation. It needs trade. It needs resources to move freely.

"So from the standpoint of profit, the Abyssal Exchange and the celestials are natural enemies."

She paused, and a knowing smile touched the corner of her mouth. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend, Mr. Chance. Wouldn't you agree?"

Jared said nothing for a moment.

The saying wasn't wrong.

But only if that "friend" wasn't the kind to stick a knife in his back.

Master Alaric Vale had been right. Agents of the Abyssal Exchange couldn't be trusted.

But right now, Jared needed them.

"Lead the way," Jared said.

A glint flashed through Claire's eyes, then vanished as quickly as it had come.

She dipped in a slight bow and turned toward outside the shrine-complex.

Jared followed behind her, violet eyes sweeping the surroundings as his spirit sense spread for 50 miles.

The slightest disturbance wouldn't escape him.

Stormhaven lay tens of thousands of miles from Ashford Hollow.

To get there from Ashford Hollow, they had to cross the Ashford Range, pass over the Godfall Wastes, then continue several thousand more miles north before reaching Stormhaven's sphere of influence.

Claire didn't choose to walk or fly.

Instead, she drew out a silver-white jade talisman from her sleeve and poured spiritual power into it.

The jade talisman burst in midair and transformed into a silver-white sky-barge.

It was about 10 yards long and 3 yards wide, its hull carved all over with spatial sigils.

At the prow was the Abyssal Exchange sigil—a treasure ship crossing the void: a treasure ship built to travel the void.

"Mr. Chance, please." Claire leaped onto the sky-barge first.

Only a power like the Abyssal Exchange could afford something like this.

For ordinary cultivators, keeping up with cultivation resources was hard enough. No one had extra to burn on a sky-barge.

The Abyssal Exchange, on the other hand, didn't have to care. It was all public property anyway—might as well use it.

Jared followed her aboard, then took his place at the prow, his violet eyes fixed on the distance.

The sky-barge rose into the air and shot north at astonishing speed.

Underfoot, the Ashford Range shrank fast.

The endless peaks blurred into green waves, and the snow on their summits flashed white in the sun.

The shrine-complex of Ashford Hollow lay half-hidden in the rolling mist, there and not there, like the finishing touch in an ink-wash painting.

Claire stood behind Jared, watching his back. Her slate-green gown stirred in the wind.

She had a hundred things she wanted to say.

She knew better than to say any of them now.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify