Chapter 247: Win-win? One Person Winning Twice?
The valley was dense with forest.
As the convoy leader two-headed Lizardman stepped out of the transport vehicle, Luo Wu Shang and the others who had been waiting by the roadside followed along.
“The Hall Master actually came in person. It seems this caravan really can trigger the plot.” Zhang Qing Wei looked at the ten transport vehicles parked there and said regretfully, “This operation is such a loss. We did not earn a single cent and wasted a lot of time. Had I known, we should have chosen a different route.”
Earlier they had made a transaction with Yi Ye Fu Yun. They obtained a transportation route map, but their harvest had to be split in half with Yi Ye Fu Yun. Yet on the route they chose, before they had robbed much at all, a two-headed Lizardman who could speak human language suddenly appeared and opened by saying he wanted to see the leader to discuss a deal.
That made it impossible for them to make a move even if they wanted to.
“This is not bad either. Although we did not gain much, we are the first team to advance the main storyline. Maybe we can get some useful information.” Luo Wu Shang looked at the two-headed Lizardman walking toward Lin Qi, unconcerned. “Nowadays these caravans transporting supplies are getting more and more crafty. Once they discover us, they leave a large number of people to cover the retreat, the convoy speeds up and runs, and our harvest is getting smaller.”
“I guess it will not be long before the transportation route map Yi Ye Fu Yun got becomes invalid. After all, no game manufacturer would leave such a good thing forever and let us scale up without limit. Following the main storyline next is the true king’s way.”
“True. I wonder what this main storyline update will add this time.” Zhang Qing Wei recalled a caravan of more than thirty people where, even with all six of them dying once, they only managed to seize half a truck of goods. After deducting the consumption of Type 2 Energy Potions, they indeed earned less and less compared to before.
Up to now they had only just barely gathered five hundred thousand contribution points to become core disciples. To raise Crimson Moon Town’s reputation to Revered, the six of them were still far from enough.
“Since this main storyline involves trading with caravans from beyond the region, I expect the martial arts hall will add many new goods this time.” Twilight of the Gods adjusted his nonexistent glasses and analyzed, “Maybe the martial arts hall will put Type Three Potions up for sale, along with Tier 2 Battle Armor and Tier 2 Weapons dropped in the Mountain of the Dead. I feel that while Tier 2 Battle Armor and Tier 2 Weapons can still be sold at a high price, we should quickly sell off a batch. Once the martial arts hall starts selling them, the price will probably be pushed down a lot.”
“That is indeed possible.” Luo Wu Shang nodded. “Then when we go back this time, we will quickly get rid of all the extra Tier 2 Battle Armor and Tier 2 Weapons we are holding.”
Right now, the Tier 2 Battle Armor and Tier 2 Weapons produced in the Mountain of the Dead were hot-selling items in short supply. Many newly joined rich players wanted to buy a full set so they could have a perfect game start, directly skip the boring novice phase, and go alone into the wilderness to experience fighting monsters.
Tier 2 Battle Armor could increase strength by six tons, equivalent to the level of a peak high-level strength system martial artist. With such strength, one could almost sweep the wilderness outside the City of Light Chasing.
One could say that having Tier 2 Battle Armor at the start or not made it feel like two completely different games.
Of course, to fully bring out the effect of Tier 2 Battle Armor, a player still needed to become a martial artist. After all, Tier 2 Battle Armor was not light. Although it could increase strength and speed, and even greatly boost reaction ability, moving in battle armor still required one’s own strength. It was considered growth-type equipment, capped at the martial artist stage.
While Luo Wu Shang and the others were chatting behind, the two-headed Lizardman at the front quietly had the dozen plus advanced Bone Forging Realm guards accompanying him keep a close watch on Luo Wu Shang and her group. At the slightest disturbance, three or four were to block one person at once so he could escape immediately.
However, at this moment these Bone Forging Realm guards from the Tianhe Region felt that their boss was being overly cautious.
It was only six advanced martial artists. Although the reputation of the grey-clothed people was quite big in the Mountain of the Dead, and facing them head-on would be troublesome, they had over a hundred Bone Forging Realm experts here. No matter how strong six advanced martial artists were, how could they possibly overturn things in front of so many advanced Bone Forging Realm martial artists?
But the two-headed Lizardman did not care about their thoughts.
Because in the entire convoy, only he knew the true situation of the grey-clothed people. The others only knew that the grey-clothed people had robbed many caravans in the Mountain of the Dead.
“Being able to change combat power during battle, I really did not expect the human race to be such a species. Had I known earlier, I should have cultivated some human geniuses.” The two-headed Lizardman thought of the video data of the grey-clothed people he had watched before coming, and still felt terrified.
Just a few martial artists in grey dared to brazenly rob a convoy escorted by dozens of Bone Forging Realm experts, something that looked like a joke at first glance.
Yet the outcome was that nearly half of those dozens of Bone Forging Realm experts were killed, while the few grey-clothed martial artists fought to the last man, dying one by one. Their playstyle was completely suicidal.
What was most shocking was that these grey-clothed people could transform. After transformation, almost every grey-clothed martial artist had at least the combat level of an Extreme Advanced Level Bone Forging Realm martial artist. The stronger ones had even mastered extraordinary martial skills and could rival a vice city lord of a city.
Vice city lord level experts.
There were only a few in each city, yet the grey-clothed people sent out such experts as if they cost nothing, wave after wave attacking convoys, and forcibly annihilating that convoy escorted by dozens of Bone Forging Realm experts. They were simply a group of lunatics.
If the grey-clothed people had opened with more than ten vice city lord level experts at once, that convoy would have surrendered immediately. But they did not do that, as if they wanted to watch the convoy resist and struggle, slowly consuming its living strength until the survivors fell into despair, and did not even care about their own casualties.
He had roamed far and wide for many years, and in his life he had never seen such a crazy and cruel faction.
This was why he chose to give up fighting at the first moment he encountered the grey-clothed people and instead planned to make a deal. He did not want to be slowly exhausted to death by them like other convoys, serving as entertainment for these madmen.
Could he not just surrender right away?
Led by the guards, the two-headed Lizardman soon arrived by a stream. There he saw a human youth in dark blue alloy battle armor standing quietly. Whether in qi and blood or spirit, he could not sense anything at all from him; only his eyes could see him.
“What kind of existence is this person?” The moment the two-headed Lizardman saw Lin Qi, he was stunned.
His own strength was that of a vice city lord level expert of a city, just one step away from the Blood Condensation Realm.
But facing Lin Qi, he felt an indescribable sense of danger, yet he could not sense any qi and blood from Lin Qi at all, as if this person did not exist.
One must know that even a Blood Condensation Realm expert could not completely conceal their qi and blood. At most, they could gather it within the body and reduce the natural leakage, but that was tiring and not something a normal martial artist would do all the time.
Under normal circumstances, the clash of qi and blood alone was enough to sense the opponent’s level.
Just like the six grey-clothed martial artists behind him: from the collision of qi and blood and experience, it was clear they were roughly at the advanced martial artist level. One of them even had more qi and blood than an ordinary Bone Forging Realm martial artist, though with insufficient qi and blood intensity, showing they had not yet reached the Bone Forging Realm.
Yet from Lin Qi, he felt no feedback from any qi and blood clash at all, as if his probing qi and blood had sunk into the sea without a trace.
The two-headed Lizardman did not know that Lin Qi’s spirit had already broken through its shackles and formed a mental domain. The energy flowing within the domain could be controlled to some extent, allowing him to divert all qi and blood impacts within the domain so they could not touch him.
Of course, this diversion was limited. If the two-headed Lizardman exploded with all his qi and blood, Lin Qi could not fully deflect it with the free energy within his domain.
“Are you the leader?” Lin Qi looked at the two-headed Lizardman at the front and asked softly, “Tell me, what did you come to discuss with me?”
“Respected Your Excellency, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Dyson, vice president of the Lionheart Merchant Guild.” The two-headed Lizardman spoke very respectfully. “Our Lionheart Merchant Guild most loves making friends, so we would like to be friends with Your Excellency. To show our sincerity, our Lionheart Merchant Guild is willing to offer five hundred energy crystals. In the future, if Your Excellency wants to purchase anything from the Tianhe Region, we can offer you a ten percent discount.”
“Spend five hundred energy crystals to be friends with us?” Lin Qi looked at the two-headed Lizardman, shook his head, and said calmly, “Please take back your energy crystals. Our Obsidian Martial Arts Hall is willing to make friends, but we never take advantage.”
“Your Excellency misunderstands. These five hundred energy crystals are just my personal gift.” Dyson, seeing Lin Qi’s refusal, assumed he was dissatisfied with this toll. He then took out a palm-sized instrument and, gritting his teeth, said, “Our Lionheart Merchant Guild only wishes to trade fairly with Your Excellency. For example, our guild produces medium portable life detectors that can scan a five-kilometer radius. The external price is two hundred energy crystals per unit. Right now I can decide to sell twenty units to Your Excellency at half price.”
The medium portable life detector was only palm-sized, essential for wilderness exploration. Its cost alone was one hundred energy crystals. Whenever sold to cities in the Wushan Region, each unit was worth four hundred energy crystals and still in short supply.
But now he could only grit his teeth and sell at cost to Lin Qi. Since Lin Qi had said the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall did not take advantage, that meant he wanted a “fair” transaction.
A total of six thousand five hundred energy crystals. This price was already close to the toll he had paid the Smiling Skull.
“This medium portable life detector is indeed good.” Looking at the palm-sized detector, Lin Qi’s eyes lit up. This thing was practically a divine tool for wilderness hunting, far better than what he had exchanged from Wanxing City. But he quickly shook his head again. “Mr. Dyson, I am sorry. As good as this instrument is, our Obsidian Martial Arts Hall does not have that many energy crystals.”
Energy crystals were the mainstream currency in all regions, since martial artists all needed them, and Bone Forging Realm martial artists were no exception. But he had only just become a vice city lord. The residential area he gained in the city center could not be converted to funds so quickly, and the small energy vein in Crimson Moon Mountain could not produce many energy crystals either.
During this period, although players had seized quite a lot of energy crystals, few were willing to hand them over to the martial arts hall. Counting everything, he only had a bit more than six hundred energy crystals on hand, nowhere near enough to buy Dyson’s twenty medium portable life detectors.
“This…” Dyson looked at Lin Qi, still refusing, and could not help cursing in his heart.
Just flipping those twenty medium portable life detectors would net a pure profit of six thousand energy crystals.
Including the five hundred energy crystals he had already offered, that was six thousand five hundred energy crystals, and still it was not enough. The appetite was terrifying.
“How about this then.” Seeing Dyson’s unpleasant expression, Lin Qi thought for a moment and said, “Since the Lionheart Merchant Guild is willing to be friends with our Obsidian Martial Arts Hall, I naturally cannot refuse this kindness. We may be short on money, but as a martial arts hall, we can help the Lionheart Merchant Guild cultivate experts. To train Bone Forging Realm experts, for one hundred energy crystals a month, we can help train twenty Bone Forging Realm experts of the Lionheart Merchant Guild for one month in exchange for those twenty medium portable life detectors. How about that? This way we both win.”
“A win-win?” Dyson looked at the smiling Lin Qi and felt he was facing a demon.
Was this not one person winning twice?
This was basically making him send those twenty medium portable life detectors for free and, on top of that, hand over twenty hostages to be harvested again next time, unless he no longer cared about those twenty Bone Forging Realm experts.
“Of course, if Vice President Dyson is unwilling, we can drop it.” Lin Qi saw Dyson’s hesitation and assumed he did not trust the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall’s ability to train Bone Forging Realm experts. He could understand that. After all, the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall only had some fame in the City of Light Chasing. Outside of it, it was nothing.
“No, Your Excellency misunderstands. I only feel this transaction is too fair. I am deeply moved.” Dyson shook his head with difficulty, then looked at a young long-eared tribe member behind him and said, “Wuka, as an outstanding employee of our Lionheart Merchant Guild, I have decided that you and your companions will go to the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall to receive their training. I will come for you in a month.”
“We are going?” The young man named Wuka was dumbfounded.
Anyone with sense knew what this conversation meant. In plain terms, they were to go as hostages.
“Yes. Do not worry. This esteemed one of the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall will not do anything to you. You are only going for one month of training.” Dyson nodded, his gaze tinged with apology, but he had no better choice.
Humans were very rare in the Tianhe Region, and about the same in the Wushan Region.
The grey-clothed people were all human. The long-eared tribe’s appearance was similar to humans, except their ears were pointed. They were naturally handsome or beautiful, with lifespans twice that of humans, and in the Tianhe Region they were considered one of the races closest to humans.
In Dyson’s view, these grey-clothed people should not be too harsh on the long-eared tribe.
“Yes, sir!” After hearing this, Wuka could only agree.
They were not a suicide squad, but their lives belonged to the Lionheart Merchant Guild. They had grown up under the guild’s cultivation. Since the vice president had decided, naturally they could not object.
Soon after, Lin Qi and Dyson finalized the transaction. Wuka and nineteen other long-eared tribe Bone Forging Realm experts stayed, while Dyson led the others toward the Wushan Region. Next time he would bring a batch of instruments for producing Type Three Energy Potions for the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
“This damned demon. Sooner or later I will earn all this money back from them.” Sitting in the vehicle, Dyson watched Lin Qi and the others seeing them off and made up his mind that his next offer would definitely not be so generous.
After Dyson left, Lin Qi led Wuka and the twenty Bone Forging Realm experts back to the City of Light Chasing overnight, instantly adding twenty advanced Bone Forging Realm martial artists to the Obsidian Martial Arts Hall.
“Hall Master, what is the situation with these people?” Qin Mu looked at the twenty advanced Bone Forging Realm martial artists he was told to take in and was stunned.
A single advanced Bone Forging Realm martial artist was a major figure among any race and could even serve as clan leader for weaker races. Now twenty advanced Bone Forging Realm martial artists had suddenly descended on the martial arts hall, and he was supposed to manage them. It was impossible not to panic.
“We have happily reached a cooperation with the Lionheart Merchant Guild. From today, they will receive one month of training from the martial arts hall. You must manage them well. You can allocate some beginner meditation room quotas for their use so they do not call our Obsidian Martial Arts Hall stingy.” Lin Qi said calmly. “By the way, you suddenly came to me. What is the matter?”
“It is a message from Lord City Lord, inviting all vice city lords and clan leaders of the major powerful races to come discuss an important matter. I heard it is related to Star Tower City.” Qin Mu said.
“About Star Tower City?” Lin Qi nodded. “Alright, I will go now.”
