Chapter 275: Monster Merchant

When the idea first came up, Cheng Shuili hadn't noticed any problem, until she recalled the miserable start and realized...

"Was overtime until sudden death in your past life not enough, Cheng Shuili? Calm down!"

Cheng Shuili almost wanted to hug her own head and shake it a couple of times, to hear whether there was any water inside.

Su Rui didn't know whether Cheng Shuili's head was filled with water; she only knew she needed to rehydrate.

She held the glass cup that Cheng Shuili had specially bought for her, stood before the high‑grade water condenser, and just as she was about to collect water, she suddenly heard Cheng Shuili ask, "Does this water taste a bit off? Want to try mountain spring water?"

"Mountain spring water?"

Su Rui's movement halted.

Anyway, she couldn't figure out where Cheng Shuili, out in the desolate hills, got mountain spring water. But she's the boss, so having a bit of a special ability is normal.

Su Rui already believed, "Did you find a spring in the manor?"

Cheng Shuili smiled without replying, took the glass cup from Su Rui's hand, and then, as if a prank had succeeded, revealed the answer: "Farmer Three Springs, of course."

Su Rui: "......"

It's boredom again, looking for fun at her expense.

Fine.

Got used to it.

Cheng Shuili, satisfied, saw Su Rui off as she drove away, then opened the system panel to check her Game Coin balance.

After buying Night Hunt, her Game Coin fell to just over 40,000, but now, after a few days of effort, her Game Coin has surpassed the 200,000 mark, reaching an unprecedented figure.

A full 223,000+ Game Coins!

Cheng Shuili didn't want to comment on that number.

Because the greatness of that number was obvious.

But... today really is a day off.

Cheng Shuili looked around inside the vehicle and reinstalled the radio battery.

Tomorrow is the Instance; if she doesn't use it today, she'll have to wait until the Instance ends.

The sooner the better; Cheng Shuili still hopes to use it now. Any special zone will do—once she can enter, she always has something to do.

Even the Shou Ren Xiao Zhen she just visited gives her a reason to go back.

She still doesn't know what the key given by Director Xiong Ji can unlock, and hasn't seen the NPC that Zhou Zhuxing mentioned who gives seeds.

Cheng Shuili can already foresee that the next two hours at the Shou Ren Xiao Zhen will be extremely urgent.

The radio's response this time was unusually fast; almost the instant Cheng Shuili installed the battery, it started broadcasting with a Zirra‑wa‑woo!

"Zzz... zzzzz..."

Cheng Shuili leaned in, listened carefully for half a minute, and finally heard three words among the endless "zzzz"—Jia You Zhan.

Jia You Zhan!

The last time Cheng Shuili went there dates back to when she first entered road survival, and, come to think of it, the radio was also found there.

She gently patted the incessantly beeping radio, got up, and went to tell Su Rui the latest situation.

The vehicle glided smoothly along the road, its tires rolling over tiny stones, producing a faint rustle.

Outside the window, the scenery receded at a steady pace, the gray‑white highway stretching like an endless ribbon, with occasional clumps of withered yellow shrubs flashing across the barren wilderness.

Su Rui placed both hands on the steering wheel, her gaze fixed scanning ahead, the engine humming low and steady, everything was utterly calm, until...

A vague outline appeared on the distant horizon.

It was a solitary building, its roof's red paint peeled away by more than half, yet the remaining "Jia You Zhan" lettering remained clearly visible.

Su Rui slowed the vehicle until it stopped.

Su Rui had been to the Jia You Zhan a few times, but that was before she became a servant.

These days aren't particularly many, but they're just too comfortable; this period has been unconsciously stretched in her mind, making the previous days feel even shorter.

Now, recalling many things, she can't remember them clearly.

Su Rui frowned, sat in the driver's seat for a while, stared at the sign for a long time but couldn't recall what she was supposed to think of.

She shook her head, about to sigh, when she heard Cheng Shuili call, "Want to go together?"

Of course, together!

Su Rui immediately stood up and got out of the vehicle with Cheng Shuili.

The view instantly opened up; neither of them was a first‑timer, so there was no nervousness, and they stepped out and entered the Jia You Zhan through the entrance.

It was still much like the last time they came; the moment they entered, a whiff of aged dust hit them.

The shelves were toppled, most goods long looted, leaving only worthless empty packaging bags scattered on the floor.

Cheng Shuili's gaze swept around and quickly spotted a figure. He was lazily leaning against a chair back, a flickering emergency lamp perched above his head.

The figure sat behind the cash register in the far corner, presumably the monster merchant NPC that was widely circulated on the regional channel.

It was a sturdy skeleton clad in a faded leather jacket, its whole body pristine white, a non‑lit cigarette clenched between its teeth, and a pair of hollow eyes staring unblinkingly at Cheng Shuili and the other.

When the two approached, he twisted a stiff smile from his mouth, his voice lazy: "Yo, rare guests."

His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken in ages, carrying a hint of nonchalance.

Su Rui finally remembered what she had forgotten.

"This guy..."

"Isn't this the monster merchant who bought her?"

After catching a thread, Su Rui's thoughts cleared; now that she thought about it, wasn't she the one sold in front of the Jia You Zhan back then?

What a terrible memory.

But... this guy also moonlights here delivering perks?

Su Rui whispered the matter to Cheng Shuili, who couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

The monster merchant didn't know what the two were whispering, but they had already arrived at his turf; being ignored by humans was still a bit embarrassing, so he cleared his throat, trying to draw their attention back:

I don't sell Mai Dong Xi here, I only sell information. Meeting is fate; I can give you a piece of information for free. Do you want to hear it now or later?

Cheng Shuili had heard of this before, and she also heard that the free information being given was the most useful for players.

Who wouldn't be curious?

Cheng Shuili and Su Rui exchanged a glance, the corners of their mouths slightly lifting: 'Let's hear it now.'

The skeleton merchant tapped the table with his finger bones, producing a crisp 'ka-da' sound.

He didn't rush to speak, but suddenly took out an irregularly shaped black stone from the drawer, pushing it in front of Cheng Shuili to show her.

Cheng Shuili didn't pick it up; just looking at its appearance reminded her what it was.

Abyssal Stone.

The golden treasure chest that dropped from the Screaming Chicken yielded one piece, while the special equipment evolution card requires exactly three pieces plus one shadow essence.

As for how to obtain this, she has had no clue so far.