I shifted my attention to Ignacio Richard. "Commander Richard, can you guarantee he''ll actually help us? Better yet—do you trust this guypletely?"


    Ignacio Richard let out a stream of smoke. "He''s been my friend for years. No question about that."


    Relief washed over me, and I stepped out of the car right away.


    We both headed into the Mystic Realm Master''s house together.


    I took in the room''s setup. A massive piece of calligraphy dominated the north wall, while a mystical artifact sat disyed on the southern side.


    Beyond that, I spotted tons of rare treasures and materials scattered throughout this courtyard.


    Taking in all the expensive stuff around us, I stayed quiet and followed behind Ignacio Richard into the Great Hall.


    An elderly man sat brewing tea in the Great Hall''s center.


    His hair had gonepletely white, and a long beard framed his face, giving him an otherworldly presence.


    Ignacio Richard brought me straight to the old man. "Meet Master Happy Ferguson."


    I quickly bowed. "Pleasure to meet you, Master Ferguson."


    Happy Ferguson gave a slight nod, then faced Ignacio Richard with augh. "Commander Richard never drops by without a reason. What do you need?"


    Ignacio Richard got straight to business, gesturing toward me and exining why we''de.


    "You need a Mystic Realm Master?" Happy Ferguson''s eyebrows rose slightly.


    I nodded. "That''s right. If Master Ferguson could lend a hand, I''d owe you big time."


    Happy Ferguson studied me from head to toe. "What''s your purpose with a Mystic Realm Master?"


    "I''ve got to crack open an ownerless Mystic Realm," I answered.


    Happy Ferguson pressed on. "An ownerless one? Where''s this Mystic Realm located?"


    I almost blurted out the truth, but quickly switched gears with a grin. "South Ind."


    "South Ind?" Happy Ferguson went quiet for a moment, then chuckled. "I''m getting old, stepped back from all this business long ago."


    Ignacio Richard smacked Happy Ferguson''s shoulder. "What''s this? You want me to get down on my knees and beg? I''m telling you, this isn''t just me asking."


    Ignacio Richard didn''t spell it out, but his meaning came through loud and clear.


    Happy Ferguson understood exactly who Ignacio Richard worked for.


    "Hehe, if Commander Richard''s making the request, I can''t exactly turn my back on it," Happy Ferguson chuckled.


    Right away, Happy Ferguson gestured, and a young guy emerged from the shadows.


    "Master." The young man approached Happy Ferguson and bowed slightly.


    Happy Ferguson nodded and made introductions. "Meet my student Spike Viktor. He''s got over eight thousand mystic keys down pat—can crack open most Mystic Realms."


    "If it works for you, he can tag along."


    My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Mr. Ferguson, you''re not kidding?"


    "Since Commander Richard asked, I ought to pull my weight," Happy Ferguson said with a smile.


    I immediately expressed my gratitude. "Thanks a lot, Mr. Ferguson."


    Happy Ferguson nodded. "You two head out first. Tomorrow I''ll have Spike track you down."


    "Sounds good." I agreed with a nod.


    After that, Ignacio Richard and Happy Ferguson said their goodbyes, and I walked out of Ferguson''s ce.


    Back in the car, I said quietly, "Commander Richard, I''ve got to ask one more time—can we really trust this Mr. Ferguson?"


    Ignacio Richard looked my way. "If you don''t trust him, go ahead and hunt down your own Mystic Realm Master."


    "That''s not what I''m getting at." I shook my head.


    "I just feel like...everything''s working out too easily, and plus..."


    "Plus what?" Ignacio Richard asked.


    I shook my head andughed. "Probably just me overthinking things."


    "I''ll have Spikee find you tomorrow," Ignacio Richard cut in.


    I just nodded, keeping my thoughts to myself.


    ——


    Back in the Great Hall of the Ferguson house, Happy Ferguson slowly got to his feet.


    With his hands sped behind his back, he spoke calmly. "You must have heard about this guy."


    Spike Viktor answered respectfully, "Mason Raymond, the Capital City Martial Arts Association''s enemy."


    "Exactly." Happy Ferguson nodded.


    "Now that I''m cing you next to him, you can track his every move."


    "Whether it''s his Mystic Realm''s location or the mystic keys."


    Spike Viktor quickly questioned, "Master, should I report the Mystic Realm location to the Capital City Martial Arts Association?"


    "No." Happy Ferguson shook his head.


    "Based on Ignacio Richard''s words, the higher-ups seem to be backing Mason Raymond."


    "If Mason Raymond seeds, everyone wins. If he falls short, we can instantly switch sides with the Capital City Martial Arts Association and eliminate Mason Raymond!"


    "That way, we''ll alwayse out on top!"


    Spike Viktor got the picture and nodded quickly. "Master, I get it."


    ——


    Meanwhile, I found a hotel room for the night.


    Sitting in my room, I couldn''t shake the feeling that something felt wrong.


    This Happy Ferguson acted like he''d withdrawn from the world, but his house was packed with all kinds of treasures and artwork—nothing like what you''d expect from a hermit.


    Plus, for such a skilled Mystic Realm Master, there''s no way the Capital City Martial Arts Association wouldn''t know about him.


    While Ignacio Richard trusts Happy Ferguson, most of Richard''s focus stays on the war zone. He doesn''t seem to pay much attention to martial arts politics.


    "Even with my doubts, looks like I don''t have many other choices right now," I sighed quietly.


    Tracking down a Mystic Realm Master was incredibly tough, and finding one you could actually trust was nearly impossible.


    "I need to figure out how to keep him in check," I muttered.


    The following day, Commander Richard showed up with Spike Viktor at my ce.


    "I''m putting him in your hands," Ignacio Richard said seriously.


    "What happens next is up to you."


    I simply nodded, then said, "Thanks, Commander Richard."


    Ignacio Richard didn''t stick around, said his goodbyes, and took off in a hurry.


    I didn''t waste any time—I immediately headed out with Spike Viktor toward Green Moon Vi.


    When we got to Green Moon Vi, Spike Viktor asked in confusion, "Didn''t you mention the ownerless Mystic Realm was on South Ind?"


    I nced at him. "That''s correct. South Ind just happens to have one of the ownerless Mystic Realms."


    "Two ownerless Mystic Realms?" This news caught Spike Viktor off guard.


    I didn''t bother responding to that. I brought Spike Viktor over to the Spiritual Spring.


    Right now, several cultivators were training near the Spiritual Spring.


    After getting the people to clear out, I took Spike Viktor and walked toward the ownerless Mystic Realm''s area.


    "Here it is," I said, pointing at what looked like empty space in front of us.


    Spike Viktor nodded, raised his palm, and shut his eyes. His hand moved in rhythmic patterns through the air.


    After a few minutes, a soft glow starteding from his palm.


    The light was pretty dim, but incredibly mystical.


    "So, can you crack it open?" I asked.


    Spike Viktor pulled his hand back. "Yeah, but...it''s going to take a while."


    "How long?" I pressed.


    Spike Viktor paused. "Maybe a week."


    "A week?" My frown deepened.


    Thest guy Leigh Simpson brought to open a Mystic Realm took half a day at most!


    But Spike Viktor wants a full week right off the bat! That immediately made me suspicious!