Chapter 34: Back to the City District! Caged?

West City Slaughterhouse.

3:00 PM.

Hoo—

Su Ming stood in the empty factory's center and let out a long breath of foul air.

Over a thousand chickens, all processed!

He lowered his head, the Eye of Truth activated, and he looked at the Soul Dagger in his hand.

Its whole body swirled with black aura, exuding swagger.

【Growth Progress: 197/1000】

About to break the two‑hundred mark!

"Over a thousand chickens, that's about a 100‑point increase!"

"He's also a very hard master to feed!"

Su Ming muttered to himself.

He turned and cradled the Black Egg in his hand.

【Incubation Progress: 54%】

The Black Egg seemed to be full; its tail, ending in a tiny heart, thumped repeatedly against Su Ming's arm.

"Little Black, little Black, how did you end up with such a good master like me?"

3:30 PM.

Su Ming slung his backpack on his shoulders, ready to leave.

Compared with the past two days, it was much earlier.

If he stuck to the plan, he should keep heading deeper into the suburbs.

But…

Su Ming narrowed his eyes slightly, a cold glint flashing in his pitch‑black pupils.

The successive sounds gave him a vague sense—

The West Suburb now resembled a hunting ground littered with animal traps.

"So…"

"Today, back to the city!"

Do the opposite!

On the other hand.

These past days he's either been struggling on the brink of death or mingling with blood in the Slaughterhouse.

If nerves stay too tight, a person will break.

He needs a buffer.

To see with his own eyes what this society, still maintaining a fragile balance amid the upheaval, has become.

Online information is hard to verify, and there are many thrill‑seekers.

Only by entering personally can one discern the truth.

And while at it…

Buy supplies and improve the meals!

5:00 PM, Jiangcheng, West District, Pedestrian Street.

The streetlights flickered on, neon glimmering.

Crowds surged along the street, flowing endlessly.

If not for the towering altars of varied styles, this place would be almost unchanged from before the anomaly.

Su Ming wore an ordinary trench coat, blending into the crowd.

On the surface, people still maintained their daily routines.

But deep in their eyes lingered an inescapable anxiety and frenzy.

Like a tightrope walker.

Balancing on one side.

While greedily eyeing the treasure across the abyss.

"Let me go! Let me die! I have nothing left!!"

A hoarse, desperate scream ripped through the Pedestrian Street's clamor.

Su Ming halted, looked up.

The central plaza of the Pedestrian Street was packed with people on all sides.

A middle‑aged man, his hair a tangled nest, his face smeared with grime and tear stains.

Was being held tightly by two broad‑shouldered, stout security guards.

In his hand he still clutched a now‑empty brocade box.

"Let me die! Let me die!"

"My wife ran away, my daughter doesn't even recognize me! What's the point of me staying alive!!"

The man screamed hoarsely, desperately trying to crash into a nearby altar.

"If you want to die, die somewhere else! Don't dirty this place!"

The security captain, looking sullen, shoved him away with disgust.

"Which one is it today? Do you really think we're a suicide machine?"

Onlookers around pointed and whispered, their chatter filled with numb indifference.

"Tsk! Another Gambling Dog! Son, don't follow that uncle!"

"I heard he sold all his houses, exchanged for a Jade Pendant, just for today's gamble…"

"And the result? Just a White Light, supposedly a hard club, completely useless!"

"Serves him right, greedy enough to have a snake swallow an elephant."

"I know this question! Win and get the club's young model; lose and go to the sea to work!"

"Eating, drinking, and prostitution are all losses; only gambling has give‑and‑take."

Su Ming ignored the discussion.

His gaze fell on the altar that had caused the tragedy.

The altar's design was extremely unique—

Like a skin leather purse, enlarged several times, bulging and swollen.

Its mouth was inlaid with glittering gold coins.

"This design… no wonder they're willing to gamble here!"

Focusing, the Eye of Truth instantly pierced the illusion.

Altar Number:

Connection Marker: Goblin's Abandoned Treasury

Karma Overview: an extremely picky, novelty‑loving Goblin collector. It has grown tired of ancient gold, silver and jewels, yearning to gather the world's most advanced, futuristic technological creations.

Su Ming's mouth twitched.

"South‑bound carriage, north‑bound axle…"

That middle‑aged man, for the sake of fortune, sold everything to buy a Jade Ring.

Only to present it before a Goblin that only accepts high‑tech…

This outcome was predetermined from the start!

"The altar number is a bit later; behind it is just a Goblin!"

"The altar's ceiling is just like that!"

"All flash, no substance; ordinary people can't afford it!"

Su Ming sighed inwardly.

"Take it away, take it away! It's an eyesore!"

The security captain completely lost patience, signaling his subordinates to forcibly drag the person away.

"Hold on!"

Suddenly, a voice tinged with three parts sarcasm and seven parts arrogance cut through the crowd.

The crowd automatically split.

A meticulously dressed figure, like a proud peacock, sauntered over.

"Hmm?"

Su Ming was slightly stunned.

It wasn't someone else.

It was Xia Weiwei.

At this moment, she lifted her chin, savoring the myriad gazes around her.

Then, with a trash‑looking stare, she glanced at the middle‑aged man.

"Seeking death? Once dead, you truly have nothing."

"Do you want… to take back what you lost?"

The middle‑aged man lifted his head; a spark burst from his desperate eyes.

"Want! I want!"

"Very well."

Xia Weiwei smiled, her smile full of amusement and arrogance.

"If you want daily offerings to gamble with, then come with me."

He snapped his fingers; several bodyguards behind him immediately stepped forward.

Like dragging a dead dog, they hoisted the middle‑aged man.

The onlookers whispered.

"Who's this beauty? Such a kind heart—are they doing charity?"

"No? Does that make sense? Weren't the old plots about rich second‑generation guys sponsoring decent girls? Why the reversal!"

"Sss… I'm way more handsome than that old man, right? What kind of taste is this?!"

"Charity? Heh heh!"

At the crowd's edge, a skinny man with thief‑like eyebrows and mouse eyes crouched by the flowerbed, sneered and spat.

"You don't understand a damn thing! This is called 'captive breeding'!"

Captive breeding?!

Seeing the surrounding people look, the skinny man proudly showed off.

"Imagine, each person can only offer sacrifices three times a day!"

"Many have no money to exchange for offerings!"

"But others have plenty of money for offerings, yet lack that many chances!"

"These losers who can't survive after losing their bets are the best heads!"

He lowered his voice, yet it was clear enough for those nearby to hear.

"Corral these waste and raise them, manage their meals each day, give them sacrificial offerings so they can draw a lottery!"

"Everything drawn must be turned over!"

"If something good is drawn, present mountain delicacies and sea delicacies, let them feel thrilled, let them enjoy, and keep drawing thereafter!"

"If they keep drawing nothing good…"

Shou Zi paused, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.

"Then treat them like pigs! Just give them a place to stay, and casually give them something to eat each day!"

"Eat and sleep, sleep and eat, completely raise them into waste, until every last ounce of value is squeezed out!"

"Sss—!"

A chorus of sharp, inhaled breaths rose around.

This damn… human‑slot machine!

Su Ming heard it clearly from afar and wasn't overly surprised.

This is the new Rule under order!

The weak are devoured by the strong, naked and blood‑soaked.

He felt little turbulence in his heart and turned to leave.

Other people's fates are none of his concern.

But at that moment—

"Who's that! Wait!"