Chapter 373: Cooperative Relationship

The Rat King finally swept his gaze over him, his tone still flat: "As for you, Grey Tail, have your limbs disabled, throw you out of the town, let you fend for yourself."

A casually written sentence decided a beastman's fate.

The guard, without any dithering, stepped forward; accompanied by two sharp, teeth‑aching cracks and Grey Tail's mournful, short wail, his limbs were cleanly cut off, then he was dragged out like a dead dog, leaving a winding blood trail on the ground and a fading howl.

The shop, inside and out, was silent.

Some beastmen watching from afar withdrew their heads, their hearts solemn.

The Rat King then looked at Bao Chi, his tone much softer: "Bao Chi, you've been wronged. From now on, your shop's rent will be reduced by thirty percent. Run your bakery well; I like your craft. If anyone dares to cause trouble again, just mention my name."

Bao Chi, flattered and startled, quickly bowed deeply, his voice choked with emotion: "Th‑thank you, Rat King! Thank you!"

The Rat King nodded slightly and smiled at Cheng Shuili: "Friend, are you satisfied with this arrangement?"

"The Rat King is just and strict, worthy of respect."

Cheng Shuili offered the praise at the right moment.

"Haha, easy enough." The Rat King tapped the ground lightly with his staff, "The matter is settled, I won't bother you further. If you have free time later, feel free to visit the town often."

Cheng Shuili felt a stir in her heart.

Having finally seen the Rat King himself, she wondered when the next chance would come—an opportunity not to be missed.

"Lord Rat King, please wait," she said immediately, "Do you still have any rocket‑propelled grenades in stock? I'd like to buy some more."

The Rat King paused, fished a pocket watch from his coat, glanced at the time, and smiled apologetically: "I'm afraid I don't have time to do business with you now."

He closed the metal cover of the watch, producing a crisp "clack" that rang distinctly in the silent shop.

"I have an urgent matter that must be dealt with immediately," the Rat King swept his gaze over Cheng Shuili, then politely added, "However, I've noted your demand for arms."

He lingered slightly on the word "demand," as if weighing Cheng Shuili's motives for buying shells.

"If it's not urgent, you can wait until our next meeting," the Rat King smiled faintly, straightening his posture with his staff, "If you are truly pressed for time, you may write me again."

He hinted that he wanted Cheng Shuili to exhaust those three chances quickly.

Cheng Shuili gave no reply, smiled, and saw the Rat King depart amid a crowd of beastmen.

Su Rui clicked her tongue twice, leaned toward Cheng Shuili's ear and asked, "Lao Da, do you like this front‑and‑back crowd? When we go back to the territory, should we summon a few members for you to try it out?"

Cheng Shuili: "…"

Then it's not necessary.

Cheng Shuili turned and met Bao Chi's grateful eyes.

Having just resolved to thank Cheng Shuili properly, now facing his benefactor's gaze, Bao Chi felt unable to speak, withdrew, and, showing only his ears, asked, "Is there anything else you want to eat? I can make it for you."

What a simple and sincere concern.

Cheng Shuili smiled and shook her head, "I'm in a hurry. Next time you need something, you can have a player who buys goods here deliver a message for me. They all know me and will surely pass it on."

Bao Chi nodded vigorously, committing the words to memory.

With the matter settled, Cheng Shuili was about to leave the bakery when she heard a clamor of shouting.

Cheng Shuili was about to leave the bakery when a noisy uproar approached from afar. A few hyena beastmen crowded at the doorway, peeking inside; they had evidently heard about the earlier clash, their faces a mix of curiosity, fear, and a hint of ingratiating expression.

"Boss Bao Chi! Is everything okay now?"

The leading hyena beastman shouted loudly, his skin thick, as if the trouble‑makers earlier were not them, yet now they came in groups to check on Bao Chi: "Hey, we're brothers, you know the situation well. We also work for money, no need to make things hard for us, right? Who would refuse Game Coin?"

A few underlings behind him immediately added, "Exactly, exactly, we're all friends, no need to make it so tense, right?"

"Brother Bao Chi, you wouldn't really hold a grudge against us, would you? It's lucky you got the Rat King to visit once. I advise you to see the situation clearly. We few brothers, though we work for money, after all these days we've truly been impressed by your craft."

"How about this: we become your apprentices? Pay us the normal wages; we won't demand more. But this skill, as a master you can't keep it hidden, right?"

The hyena beastman finished speaking, winking at his brothers.

Then, as if reaching some consensus, they shared a private joke and suddenly burst into laughter together.

How shameless.

Cheng Shuili felt that listening to a few more sentences would require cleaning her ears.

They wanted to moral‑blackmail with the pretense of "brothers" and "friends," while trying to learn Bao Chi's livelihood skills without paying.

What a clever thought.

Bao Chi's ears trembled from their shameless remarks; he was tongue‑tongued and timid, shrinking his head, at a loss for a retort, only clutching his apron tightly.

Seeing his pathetic demeanor, Cheng Shuili knew she had to step in again and let out a soft laugh.

The laugh was low, yet like a bucket of ice water, instantly dousing the hyenas' self‑satisfied chuckles.

Only then did a few hyenas notice Cheng Shuili and Su Rui standing in the shadows; especially Cheng Shuili, whose face was expressionless, her gaze calm, yet it gave them an inexplicable chill.

"Brothers?" Cheng Shuili stepped forward, her tone even but laced with biting sarcasm, "Friends? When you block doors and smash shops, threaten and intimidate, why not think of yourselves as brothers or friends? Now you see Bao Chi has earned the Rat King's favor, and you try to curry favor and profit?"

She scanned the hyenas' embarrassed faces, finally fixing on the leader's: "The sky hasn't even darkened, and you're already dreaming?"

The leading hyena's face flushed red and white as he stuck his neck out, retorting, "W‑who are you? We're talking to Boss Bao Chi, what does it have to do with you? Do you know our relationship? You come meddle?! You shameless human should stay far away!"

"Me?" Cheng Shuili raised an eyebrow, "I'm his partner, and I was the one who invited the Rat King to arbitrate. Does that concern you?"

The title "partner" might not sound impressive, but the moment "invite the Rat King" was mentioned, the hyena beastmen exchanged glances, then, as if hearing a joke, each threw his head back and laughed.

"What is this human saying?"

"Huh? The illustrious Rat King! How could he be summoned by a petty human like you?"

"Stop joking!"

"I think you're scared stiff!" The leading hyena, as if seizing a foothold, raised his voice sharply, with a boastful grin, "The Rat King handles countless affairs; would he make a special trip for an insignificant human like you? That's bragging without a draft!"

The hyenas behind him joined in, emitting harsh, raucous laughter.

Only one hyena beastman looked uneasy, tugged the leader's sleeve, and whispered a few words softly.

That brat's swagger visibly shrank.

He stared at Cheng Shuili uncertainly, glanced again at the still‑wet bloodstain, and his throat strained as he tried to speak.

"You… you…" he opened his mouth but could not produce a full sound.

The other hyenas beside him, seeing his appearance, gradually stopped laughing and exchanged uneasy glances.

Cheng Shuili was not angry; she merely looked at them as if they were clowns jumping on a beam.

Only after they had completely quieted down did she slowly speak, her voice clear to each hyena's ear: "Figured it out?"

Her gaze calmly swept over the lead hyena, whose face had shifted from arrogance to a deathly pallor.

"Looks like you've figured it out."

Cheng Shuili didn't need his answer, nodding to herself, "So, about what you just mentioned—wanting to become apprentices…"

She deliberately drew out her tone, making the hyenas' hearts leap to their throats.

"Are you talking in your sleep?"

Cheng Shuili's tone suddenly turned cold, her threat evident.

These few hyena beastfolk are seasoned mixers; they may not know much else, but they're experts at reading people's expressions.

Their talent for going with the flow is ingrained in their bones. The lead hyena's face instantly broke into a fawning, almost distorted smile, his waist bending nearly double.

"Yes yes yes! We were just talking in our sleep! We're like toads craving swan meat! You're magnanimous—please don't stoop to our level!" He said while slapping his own head hard, as if that could knock out his foolish words.

"We'll get out right now! Immediately! We'll never dirty your sight again!"

The hyenas behind him also reacted, bowing and scraping while apologizing, retreating on hands and feet, wishing they had more legs to flee faster.

"Stop." Cheng Shuili said lightly.

The hyenas froze as if immobilized by a spell, cold sweat trickling down.

Cheng Shuili's gaze fell on them: "Remember, Bao Chi's shop is now under the Rat King's protection. You, and whatever demonic acquaintances you know, keep your eyes sharp and your claws sheathed. If I learn anyone is scheming here……

She paused, leaving a fearful imagination to fill the silence.

"If the Rat King can dispose of one gray-tailed one, he can dispose of a second."

Seeing them shiver, Cheng Shuili satisfiedly said, "Scram."

"Yes yes yes! Remembered! Absolutely remembered!"

The hyenas, as if pardoned, scrambled away on all fours, running several times faster than they had come, vanishing at the street corner in a blink, leaving only a few trails of rising dust.

Inside and outside the shop, silence finally fell completely.

Bao Chi watched the scene, exhaling a long, genuine breath as his perpetually tense nerves finally relaxed.

He looked at Cheng Shuili, his amber eyes brimming with inexpressible gratitude: "Really… thank you so much. If it weren't for you, I… I'd surely suffer a loss. My secret recipe is a family heirloom, absolutely not to be told to anyone. Without you, I'd become a sinner to my clan."

His voice was soft, and he spoke with a stutter.

Cheng Shuili could imagine how much he would have to give up today if she weren't here.

"Let the past be." Cheng Shuili whispered, actually not wanting to hear any more regret or lingering fear.

Too cowardly.

If he weren't a partner, Cheng Shuili wouldn't say another word to him.

But precisely because he is a partner, Cheng Shuili added: "Remember this lesson, be firmer from now on. You're now a shop owner personally approved and protected by the Rat King—you need to back yourself up. Otherwise, all sorts of demons will come looking for a bite, and if you're not fierce, they'll devour your shop, your recipe, even you."

Bao Chi nodded firmly.

But looking at his demeanor, he seems to be just this sort of person.

"It's easy to change rivers and mountains, but hard to alter one's nature—how could changing oneself be so easy?"

Cheng Shuili furrowed her brows, stared at him in thought, then suddenly said: "If you feel the Beastfolk Town is no longer suitable for your development and want to move to a dispute‑free place to open a shop…"

She paused, then spoke sincerely: "Black Feather welcomes you."

Cheng Shuili's words made Bao Chi jerk his head up; his amber eyes flashed with surprise, then gave way to intense turmoil.

He instinctively glanced around the small shop, shabby yet full of memories.

The oven, the wooden counter smoothed by touch, the familiar scent of wheat drifting in the air…

"I… I…" Bao Chi's claws unconsciously clutched his apron, his voice a mosquito's whisper: "This shop was handed down by my father… I never thought of leaving…"

His gaze was filled with fear of the unknown and longing for stability.

Cheng Shuili took in his reaction, not surprised.

Her intention was merely to give him an option, a retreat.

But it's still hard not to feel it a pity.

Many don't realize that constant change is for the sake of greater stability.

Bao Chi obviously doesn't understand either.

"It's fine." Cheng Shuili said calmly, "I'm just telling you that if one day you can't stay here, you still have a place to go. Black Feather will offer you refuge, give you a place where you can bake bread in peace."

Those words were like a calming pill, easing Bao Chi's tense expression somewhat.

He drew a deep breath, nodded firmly again, his eyes now holding gratitude and added reassurance: "Thank… thank you. I'll remember."

"All right, we should be going too."

Cheng Shuili turned and said no more.

"Wait!"

Bao Chi stopped her again, producing a plump, warm‑scented large parcel, which he solemnly pressed into Cheng Shuili's arms: "For the road… freshly baked, unseen by them, all clean—eat what you can't finish later."

Cheng Shuili accepted this weighty gesture, the corners of her mouth lifting: "Thanks."

She nodded at Bao Chi, then left the bakery together with Su Rui.