Chapter Thirty-Seven: Still Poor
Tianniu City
Fei Liuhuo gazed at the member of the Heavenly Blade Gang before him, his expression complex, even tinged with disbelief.
“Are you telling the truth?”
He had just learned from this man about Yan Dao’s whereabouts, as well as the deeds Yan Dao had committed in recent days.
To be honest, he could scarcely believe Yan Dao had slaughtered over a thousand people, sparing neither men, women, nor children.
If this were true, then Yan Dao’s plans to continue the massacre were undoubtedly real as well.
He could not fathom how a single setback could drive Yan Dao to such madness.
“Sir, everything I’ve told you is true. None of us in the Heavenly Blade Gang wish to follow Yan Dao any longer. If you move to intercept him, all of us will aid you!”
Fei Liuhuo’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “And why should I believe you?”
He suspected this might be a trap set by Yan Dao. If he were so gullible as to trust a few words from a lone visitor, he’d have died countless times already.
“Sir, Yan Dao has completely lost his mind. His actions are worse than any beast’s. If I have spoken a single falsehood, you may deal with me as you see fit!”
As he spoke, the man slammed his forehead to the ground with a dull thud. Blood trickled from his brow, seeping into the earth.
Fei Liuhuo’s suspicion faded from his face. “Very well. If Yan Dao has become such a monster, then no matter how I look at it, I must stop him.”
“Someone, take this brother from the Heavenly Blade Gang to rest.”
The man offered no resistance and followed them out.
He had already told Fei Liuhuo the route. Now Fei Liuhuo was effectively keeping him under house arrest—if his words proved false, he was as good as dead.
Fei Liuhuo sat deep in thought.
He had not agreed to this out of blind trust. At most, he believed sixty percent of the man’s story—and that was only because the details rang true.
His real reasons for agreeing were twofold.
First, his confidence in his own strength. Second, to avenge the brother who had been tortured to death.
These reasons alone were enough to make him act.
As for possible schemes or traps, he cared nothing for them. Strength was all that mattered.
“Someone! Spread the word, find Yan Dao’s whereabouts, and prepare to set out!”
Before long, Fei Liuhuo led over a hundred elite members of the Flowing Fire Gang out of Tianniu City.
“Boss, which way are we headed?”
“To Zihua Village.”
That was the first gathering place Yan Dao had slaughtered. He wanted to see for himself if the story was true.
They galloped forward, raising clouds of dust.
Half an hour later, they arrived at Zihua Village.
Even before they drew near, the stench of blood assailed their nostrils—thick and overwhelming.
Inside—
The ground was strewn with corpses. Some had been hacked in half, others decapitated, still others dismembered…
A vision of hell unfolded before Fei Liuhuo’s eyes.
It was the apocalypse; scenes like this no longer frightened them. But knowing this had been done by Yan Dao filled them with fury.
“Full speed ahead! Find Yan Dao!”
...
The Shi Jiu Squad had spent half a day traveling, and now stood outside the gates of Tianniu City.
Mu Kui grumbled as they entered, “How could the air on the way here reek so strongly of blood?”
Shi Jiu replied, “Who knows? Maybe a bunch of monsters died nearby.”
Once inside, they split up as planned—each to their own business.
Lu Sheng first visited a trading house, selling off a portion of the red pouches he carried, keeping only fifty—these he planned to give to Wei Liang later.
The sale of red pouches brought him a windfall: 612 first-order source pearls.
It was the largest haul he’d ever had.
Flushed with cash, he headed for the monster shop.
The owner was the same as before. Lu Sheng recognized him, but doubted the feeling was mutual.
The shop was large and bustling. Lu Sheng was just another ordinary customer—nothing about him merited a second glance.
This time, he was here to purchase monsters with special abilities for breeding.
He already had monsters suited for producing card drops; now he sought creatures like the Red Fire Ant, which could directly aid him.
Power was less important; he could always enhance them.
He fetched the monster catalogue from the owner. This time, the shop had added a seating area—perhaps because he’d stood too long last time.
Lu Sheng had a clear goal: monsters with special abilities.
After another half hour of browsing, only three monsters caught his eye.
It wasn’t that the shop lacked monsters—rather, there were too many. Many he fancied were far beyond his means. He’d thought himself rich, but now realized he was still a pauper.
True-Eye Moth
Quality: White
Order: First-order, mid-stage
Skill: Shared Vision
Price: 500 first-order source pearls
Shared Vision: The monster and its master can share vision within a hundred meters. Beyond that, the link breaks.
Muscle Dog
Quality: Green
Order: First-order, mid-stage
Skill: Exercise Synergy
Price: 500 first-order source pearls
Exercise Synergy: Half the benefits of Muscle Dog’s training are also bestowed on its master.
Limitation: Can be enhanced only up to second order, full mastery.
Water Sprite
Quality: Green
Order: First-order, mid-stage
Skill: Water Source
Price: 300 first-order source pearls
Water Source: Can create water and purify its quality.
He wanted all three. As for Muscle Dog’s limitation, he believed his “talent” could overcome it.
Unfortunately, he had only 612 source pearls. What could he do?
Lu Sheng found himself troubled.
He glanced around and noticed monster cards displayed for sale. An idea struck.
If monster cards could be sold, why couldn’t he sell his own cards to others?
He had another option—selling the corpses of Fangtooth Pigs.
But those were too cheap, and flooding the market might attract unwanted attention.
His strength had grown, but he still felt it wasn’t enough. Even at second order, he doubted he could defeat Li Kuang, let alone anyone in the main city.
Best to play it safe.
Selling cards carried risks, but was easier and more profitable than selling pig carcasses.
He’d noticed Red Fire Ant cards priced at five pearls each, because they produced red pouches.
With his mind made up, Lu Sheng approached the shopkeeper. “Do you accept monster cards here?”
The owner glanced at him. “A business is a business. We buy and sell. It depends on what cards you’re offering.”
Lu Sheng took out a Red Fire Ant card. “How would you price this?”
“Red Fire Ant? Each can produce about ten red pouches. I sell them for four source pearls per card, but I can only offer you three to buy.”
Seeing that Lu Sheng produced only one card, the owner’s initial interest faded instantly.