Chapter 146: Heart of Creation

Cheng Shuili stopped chatting with the rabbit beastman, got up and pulled Su Rui into the Ten Thousand Beasts Trade Association.

She had discussed with Qi Wan Yi yesterday about what food to buy at a trading station; Qi Wan Yi gave her a very detailed list, specifying what to eat each meal each day, what ingredients are needed, and what they currently have.

Cheng Shuili only needs to purchase according to the list.

The Ten Thousand Beasts shop's staff were no different from before, smiling broadly and especially enthusiastic. It seemed this "famine" had not yet affected the largest trading house.

"Long time no see, beautiful human miss."

Coincidentally, today's manager here is Hu Lai Lai.

Cheng Shuili modestly nodded, raised her hand and handed the list over, "I need the vegetables on this list; see if there's anything not available here."

Hu Lai Lai listened, smiled faintly, and without hesitation said through the channel, "There's nothing our Ten Thousand Beasts Trade Association doesn't have; only during special periods do we experience shortages."

That remark was interesting; Cheng Shuili climbed the pole and asked, "What special periods?"

Hu Lai Lai replied directly, "The most recent one is tomorrow, human miss; choosing to shop today is a very wise decision, you're a smart person."

Cheng Shuili deeply agreed, and her gaze at Hu Lai Lai even carried a hint of mutual respect between heroes; this beastman was also a clever beast.

She called a server, handed the list over, instructed them in front of Cheng Shuili to fetch the freshest vegetables, then enthusiastically pulled Cheng Shuili and said, "You're just in time; we just received a new shipment, interested in taking a look?"

Standing still is still standing; might as well go see what new items the trading station has.

It was still the booth where Cheng Shuili bought the staff badge, and now three brand‑new items were displayed on it.

The middle one looked very expensive.

It was a semi‑transparent heart‑shaped crystal.

From Cheng Shuili's spot one could clearly see rainbow‑like light pulsing inside the crystal, its color gradually shifting.

As Cheng Shuili approached, its hue transitioned from deep blue‑purple to blazing gold‑red.

It was an extremely dreamy and magical process.

In two lifetimes combined, this was Cheng Shuili's first time seeing something so dazzling.

Cheng Shuili had always thought heart‑shaped items were a bit tacky; the symbol was so common it had become ordinary.

But the moment she saw this item, her gaze fixed on it.

"What is this?"

Cheng Shuili finally shifted her eyes and asked Hu Lai Lai with a look.

Hu Lai Lai's slender fingers brushed the crystal display, and the glass case silently rose. The heart‑shaped crystal suddenly floated, slowly rotating about ten centimeters above the counter.

"This is the Heart of Creation," the fox‑tribe beastman said, his voice unusually sweet, expression full of satisfaction with the product, "Human, you should find it useful."

Heart of Creation?

The name sounded familiar—where had I seen it before?

Cheng Shuili tried to recall, and finally remembered: it was an upgrade item for the workbench; she had even searched the World Channel for it, but found nothing.

So it was obtained here.

Cheng Shuili glanced at the listed price.

Alright.

Seventy thousand.

No wonder Hu Lai Lai was so happy; if this deal went through, how many Game Coins would she earn?

Cheng Shuili's brows involuntarily knit; she truly felt the system was setting her up.

How could she have just earned over seventy thousand Game Coins, still cold in her hand, and already found a place to spend them?

But the item is for upgrading the workbench…

Cheng Shuili hesitated; upgrading the workbench was certainly necessary, yet the price was absurdly high, and she wondered whether now was the right time to buy it.

"Supervisor Hu! The vegetables the customer ordered are ready."

The server suddenly approached and reminded Hu Lai Lai.

Hu Lai Lai nodded, signaling him to go down first.

Cheng Shuili suddenly asked, "How many Game Coins for these vegetables?"

"You ordered a total of 15 potatoes, 10 carrots, 8 onions, 1 pumpkin…"

"The tuber vegetables each cost 8 Game Coins… altogether that's 889 Game Coins. As a distinguished Level‑2 VIP you receive a 20% discount, so the final payment is 711 Game Coins!"

Cheng Shuili nodded, not rushing to inspect the prepared vegetables, her gaze returning to the Heart of Creation. After a pause she asked, "If I buy this, could those vegetables be given to me as a gift?"

Hu Lai Lai perked up instantly, ears standing up, eyes sparkling, "If you wish to purchase it, I can, in my personal capacity, give you those vegetables as a gift! Moreover, the Heart of Creation qualifies for the trade association's discount, giving you a 20% off."

She paused to catch her breath, then said, "Did you like that watermelon last time? How about I give you another one this time?"

That would bring the total gifts to over a thousand.

The Heart of Creation's original price was, after the 20% discount it was, a total saving of Game Coins.

Very worth it!

But value aside, spending so many Game Coins at once made Cheng Shuili feel a real pang of regret.

The workbench definitely needs upgrading…

Cheng Shuili muttered the words a few times in her mind, closed her eyes and still felt reluctant, then asked, "Are the items on your booth random? I notice they're different each time I come."

Hu Lai Lai shook her head, "Both and not. Every week we acquire new items, and only the best qualify for this booth. We generally don't list the same item in the same area, which may be why the merchandise you see each visit differs."

The latter part was obvious: once you leave this village, there's no such shop.

Cheng Shuili's heart hardened, "Buy it!"

She's buying it!

"Wrap it up for me."

As Cheng Shuili finished speaking, Hu Lai Lai's fox ears instantly stood upright, golden pupils narrowed into thin slits in the sunlight, and the corners of her mouth almost stretched to her ears.

"A wise choice, human miss!" she clapped, calling over two servers, "Quickly pack the Heart of Creation in a gift box, the one padded with velvet!"

Cheng Shuili stared at the amount of Game Coin on the screen, and her fingertip hovered over the confirm button for three seconds before pressing it.

The balance turned into Game Coin.

Cheng Shuili watched helplessly as the Game Coin beginning with a seven became one beginning with a one, and the heartbreak she felt at that moment was truly indescribable to anyone.

Beside her, Su Rui was still dutifully playing the background role, yet she clicked her tongue inwardly, thinking, "56,000 Game Coin—this 'master' said to take it out and just took it out."

Cheng Shuili's money‑making prowess is truly terrifying.

"Pleasant transaction!" the big tail behind Hu Lailei swayed cheerfully, and she took a carved wooden box from the server's hand.