Chapter 278: Threatening an NPC?

The monster merchant looked nervous.

Cheng Shuili wasn't sure how she could tell the skull‑faced merchant was nervous, but that didn't matter; what mattered was...

The monster merchant actually still tried to struggle.

"I… I'm still an NPC! How can you lay a hand on me?! Aren't you afraid you'll end up on the NPC blacklist and be unable to do anything later?"

NPC blacklist?

If this were elsewhere, Cheng Shuili might believe it, but now she's become the king of the wolf tribe!

That's a king!

So the wolf‑tribe orcs aren't NPCs?

Absolutely!

Thus, NPC favor is affected by many factors, so a "blacklist" could never exist; it's a baseless notion.

Cheng Shuili remained unflustered, tapping Night Hunt against him a few times, and couldn't suppress a light laugh.

That reaction was too bizarre.

The monster merchant's eyes wouldn't stay open; he lacked the courage to look at the knife lodged in the gap of his bones.

But being a skeleton has that drawback—fear makes even closing his eyes impossible.

In truth, he didn't care much about whether he could earn a hundred thousand Game Coins from Cheng Shuili…

No, he'd cared before; when this guy drew his knife and brandished it at him, the monster merchant no longer wanted to make the deal.

Now his only worry is that, having set this precedent, what will other players do if they come to threaten him?

Game Coins are his life!

If he loses his life, he'll be forced to live a muddled, aimless existence like those monsters!

Living like that…

The monster merchant lifted his neck, assuming a "die rather than submit" pose, opened his mouth and growled, "Cut here!"

Huh?

He isn't scared; could Cheng Shuili be?

Others might be fooled—who is Cheng Shuili?

Cheng Shuili could be called the player who deals with NPCs the most—whether she was the first to cooperate with an NPC or the first to hand an NPC over to the police…

There's nothing she hasn't experienced that others can't imagine.

Today she adds another!

The first player to subject an "NPC" to brutal interrogation!

Since this skull is shouting for her to cut, she won't be polite.

Cheng Shuili's gaze hardened; she flicked her wrist, and Night Hunt's icy blade, without hesitation, sliced precisely at the junction of the monster merchant's gaping jawbone. If the cut landed, his arrogant skull would instantly separate from his neck.

Before the blade reached, Cheng Shuili's decisive expression and Night Hunt's sharp edge already made every bone in the monster merchant's skeleton scream.

"Wait! I'll tell! I'll say anything!!"

At the hair‑breadth moment, the monster merchant erupted at a startling speed, his voice so sharp it nearly cracked, and the pretended "die rather than submit" façade shattered completely.

Night Hunt's tip barely halted before his jawbone, the wind pressure lifting his entire skull back slightly.

Cheng Shuili slowly withdrew the blade, expression neutral, and signaled with her eyes: speak.

Su Rui's finger still rested on his scapula, pressing lightly, producing a tooth‑aching "creak", silently urging him.

The monster merchant was terrified, his soul scattering—if he still had one.

His skeleton trembled with a clack, daring no more tricks, and he rattled off at breakneck speed: "Abyssal Stone! Abyssal Stone isn't only found in golden chests! It's actually a product of condensed Abyssal power, and can naturally crystallize in extremely dark places or deep within monster lairs heavily corrupted by the Abyss!"

"Anything else?" Cheng Shuili asked coldly, "Specific locations? How to find them? How exactly do you obtain Shadow Essence from Abyssal Stone? Break it open? Cultivate it?"

"Location… locations aren't fixed! But they usually appear alongside powerful shadow‑type monsters! They like guarding this stuff!"

The monster merchant hurriedly said, "Shadow Essence… isn't the seed itself! The seed you get by breaking Abyssal Stone must be planted in soil rich in shadow energy; when it sprouts, the first fruit you harvest, once peeled, contains the Shadow Essence!"

"Soil rich in shadow energy? Where to find it?"

"These places are equally rare… maybe beneath ancient battlefield ruins, or… or where many shadow monsters have died…"

The monster merchant's voice grew softer, as if fearing Cheng Shuili would think the information insufficient and strike again.

Cheng Shuili squinted, digesting the information.

Though still vague, it was clearer than merely knowing about golden chests.

And moreover…

For the monster merchant, those are extremely dark places or battlefield ruins; for Cheng Shuili, they're just Instances.

As long as she has a Designated Dungeon Activation Card, Cheng Shuili can probably sense the descriptive clues an Instance provides and locate the matching one.

But she no longer has any Designated Dungeon Activation Card on hand.

Thinking of that, Cheng Shuili looked back at the monster merchant.

"Here," she tapped the shabby counter with the tip of her blade, "do you sell that kind of soil? Or Abyssal Stone?"

"No sale, no sale!" the monster merchant shook his head like a rattle, "Once I get my hands on that stuff I absorb it myself, why would I sell! Game Coins are nice, but that pure shadow energy is a huge tonic for beings like us!"

Oh? I see.

There's one more thing.

"Do you sell cards here?"

Yes, Cheng Shuili still hoped to buy something here.

His demeanor was odd, and after a while he said, "I only sell information here; those magical things seem to appear only in the hands of you and the orcs."

The monster merchant NPC does not sell physical items.

Fine.

Cheng Shuili got the information she wanted, finally taking back the night hunt.

Su Rui also let go of her hand, quietly retreating to Cheng Shuili's side.

The pressure suddenly eased, the monster merchant seemed to faint, his skeleton loosened a bit, and he collapsed behind the counter.

Cheng Shuili glanced at him one last time, turned and walked toward the Jia You Zhan exit.

Reaching the doorway, she seemed to suddenly remember something, turning back to say: "Thanks, friend."

Her tone was flat, not showing much gratitude, instead carrying a hint of warning.

The monster merchant shuddered, hastily squeezing out a smile uglier than crying.

Although whatever expression he made was pretty much the same.

"No, no problem… welcome next time… uh…"

He had originally intended to habitually say "Welcome next time for your patronage", but he forced it back, changing his words to: "... be careful on the road."

He truly feared that this killing god would come again.

Cheng Shuili curled the corner of her mouth, and together with Su Rui left this already abandoned Jia You Zhan.

The current goal is at least clear: purchase a Designated Dungeon Activation Card from other players.

This thing, if it can be opened by radiant ability, others can also open it, so there won't be a shortage.

Cheng Shuili thought for a moment, then simply posted this message in the area channel.