Chapter 132: Su Rui

The guide was a tactful beastman; seeing that Cheng Shuili had no intention to answer, he proactively steered clear of the topic.

There are still forty minutes left until two hours; where would you like to go next?

Cheng Shuili's gaze swept over the stalls on both sides, then suddenly stopped at an inconspicuous corner.

There, five or six raggedly clothed humans were crowded together, metal collars around their necks, bound by iron chains.

The slender, tall female figure among them gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

"Are those also slaves?" Cheng Shuili pointed in that direction.

The guide followed her gaze, shook his head, and said, "Yes and no. Over there they sell servants, and the price is cheaper."

"Speaking of which, it's strange—before, the black market never had servants, but they suddenly appeared yesterday. The slave market is the same; before, you humans seemed unable to see those slaves, turning a blind eye each time you passed, until yesterday someone asked me what those were."

"Yesterday?"

If we were to say what happened yesterday, it's probably that Cheng Shuili activated the "Territory" system.

So... slaves and servants are both meant to serve the territory?

Cheng Shuili felt a wave of nausea in her stomach.

She forced herself to step toward that stall; hearing the footsteps, the slave with her back turned slowly turned her head.

A familiar face appeared before Cheng Shuili—the person who had given her the tactical belt; what was his name again?

Su Rui?

That should be the name.

The other person obviously still remembered her, showing a natural surprise on her face, but the surprise lasted only a moment before she quickly regained composure.

Back then, she gave Cheng Shuili a gift merely hoping that someday the other would return a small favor; now, in her current situation, helping her would be a big favor.

The value is completely unequal.

Looking at Cheng Shuili's demeanor, she doesn't seem like someone who would make a loss-making deal; the odds of her buying her are too slim.

Cheng Shuili didn't go over directly; instead, she asked the guide, "You explained the origin of slaves—what about servants?"

The guide shook his head. "Servants have only appeared for a day; aside from the stall owner, nobody knows their exact source."

Cheng Shuili nodded, thought for a moment, then went forward to ask about Su Rui's price.

After all, she had helped her before; now that the other was in trouble, if she could lend a hand, it would still be good to help.

At least her conscience would be clear.

Moreover, it only required spending a little Game Coin, which for Cheng Shuili was the easiest thing to earn.

Cheng Shuili raised her hand and pointed, asking, "Her—how many Game Coins?"

Su Rui hadn't expected this person to come over; pretending to forget wouldn't that be the best choice?

She moved her lips a few times, but no sound came out.

A not-so-familiar stranger was willing to spend Game Coins to buy her, yet her comrades, whom she regarded as close friends, could sell her as a servant!

How ironic.

The servant stall owner's build was twice that of other stall owners; he likewise wore a black cloak, revealing only a pair of eyes.

He sat motionless in front of the stall, looking like a dark, oppressive cloud, very intimidating.

But Cheng Shuili herself had an equally intimidating presence; a person and a beast were evenly matched.

The servant stall owner seemingly hadn't expected such a human either; a flicker of clear interest crossed his eyes: "If you want, I can give you a discount."

Cheng Shuili wasn't polite: "Then how about half price?"

What discount isn't fifty percent off?

The servant stall owner hadn't expected Cheng Shuili to be so direct; his eyes beneath the cloak narrowed slightly, and he let out a low, muffled laugh.

"Human, you sure know how to haggle." His thick finger tapped the ground, as if thinking, "But... she's not ordinary."

Cheng Shuili raised an eyebrow: "Oh? In what way is she not ordinary?"

The stall owner slowly said, "She is the best merchandise I have here. The best—you understand what those three words mean? Whether you buy her back as a bodyguard or to attend to your daily life, she can do it well. So, her price is naturally double that of other servants."

Su Rui's face instantly turned pale; her fingers clenched the hem of her clothes so tightly her joints whitened.

If she had still held a sliver of hope before, hearing this sentence shattered that last hope completely.

Cheng Shuili glanced at her, her tone still flat: "So? Half price—will you sell?"

Cheng Shuili was indeed very calm.

After buying pastries in Shou Ren Xiao Zhen, she had only 1,293 Game Coins left. But the magistrate's ruling took effect immediately, having Hu Ge compensate her with 3,000 Game Coins, plus the 10 Game Coins awarded for completing today's mileage, giving her a total of 4,303 Game Coins.

She spent 10 Game Coins on the entry fee, another 10 Game Coins to hire a guide, and 30 Game Coins to purchase a medal.

Cheng Shuili now has 4,253 Game Coins left.

If Su Rui were really too expensive...

She is indeed good at earning Game Coins, but her Game Coins don't just blow in from the wind; if the stall owner demanded five thousand or ten thousand Game Coins, all she could do was ask Su Rui to understand her helplessness.

The stall owner stared at her for a few seconds, then burst out laughing: "Interesting! Fine, as you said—800 Game Coins, take her away."

800?

Cheng Shuili: "......"

Buying a servant for the first time feels unfamiliar.

Turns out it's only 800? Cheng Shuili had prepared to pull out two thousand or even three thousand Game Coins.

Cheng Shuili wasted no words and directly deducted the amount.

Now the Game Coin balance is: 3,453!

The iron chain clicked open with a "clack," and Su Rui staggered slightly, almost losing her footing.

Cheng Shuili casually steadied her with a hand and said lightly, "Can you walk?"

Su Rui's throat tightened, her voice hoarse: "... Yes."

The guide stood to the side, wanting to speak but hesitating, and in the end didn't say anything.

This human employer is different from any he has seen before—decisive, opinionated, and there's no need for him to chatter on.

After leaving the stall, Cheng Shuili finally spoke: "How did you become a servant?"

Su Rui fell silent for a moment, then said softly: "The captain sold me; he has a servant contract card, and once both parties acknowledge it, a servant relationship can be established."

"I was tricked."

"After the contract took effect, a monster merchant came and asked if he wanted to sell me, his servant; the monster merchant offered two hundred Game Coin, and he agreed."

"I see."

Cheng Shuili nodded, taking to heart the servant contract card she mentioned.

"That thing is still quite dangerous."

"Without realizing it, after signing, one becomes another person's servant."

"It can even be bought and sold—too dangerous."

"How many people are there in your team altogether?"

Cheng Shuili asked this purely out of curiosity.

Su Rui still seemed somewhat upset, perhaps because she hadn't had water in a while, and her voice was a little hoarse.

"Five people in total."

"Aside from me, no one is a match for the captain."

"The youngest in the team found a special item; we had agreed to use it together, but the captain is unwilling, wanting to monopolize it himself, and I am clearly the biggest obstacle."