Chapter 392: Abyssal Home

Its sales indeed made her endure a lot of hardship, but if it didn't exist, Su Rui would probably still be staying beside the hybrid that turned her into a slave.

If you look at it that way, meeting it is also a good thing, but Su Rui still feels uneasy about it.

But if Lao Da agrees, she has no objection.

And Cheng Shuili's expression was ambiguous, a half‑smile as she retorted, "So you mean you want to follow me?"

The monster merchant, thinking there was a chance, looked even more sincere and nodded repeatedly, "Lord! As long as you are willing to take me in, I will certainly bring you huge profits!"

The more eager it was, the more Cheng Shuili sensed a problem.

Earlier Cheng Shuili had thought that there are four special structures in total; three belong to the Rat King, and only this Jia You Zhan counts as an abandoned building.

And the monster merchant happened to appear at the Jia You Zhan.

She couldn't infer anything else, but there was one thing she could be sure of:

This monster merchant is definitely not working for the Rat King.

That makes the whole matter interesting.

"Why do you want to join the safe zone I created?"

Cheng Shuili asked reasonably, as if a competent leader were evaluating whether a candidate qualifies to join her domain.

The monster merchant saw hope and hurriedly said respectfully, "That's how it is, Lao Da!"

It changed its wording very quickly, but Cheng Shuili didn't say much more.

"As you know, this is a Jia You Zhan. A Jia You Zhan is an abandoned building, belonging to no leader and no race, which means no creature of any race can come here at will."

Cheng Shuili quickly grasped the point of that sentence: "No creature of any race can come here at will? What does that mean?"

The monster merchant hadn't expected the new leader to be unclear about this, but leaders who can create safe zones in such a place are few, so it could only smile and explain to Cheng Shuili, "Safe zones work like this: creatures of the same race as the leader can enter at any time according to the conditions the leader sets."

So that's how it is.

Since the conditions were set, Cheng Shuili's account has continuously shown income; she originally thought the members of her faction were constantly paying Game Coin, but looking at it this way…

Is it that players from the entire server are wandering around Black Feather's territory?!

After that thought appeared in her mind, Cheng Shuili immediately opened the regional channel, and sure enough, it was filled with discussions about Black Feather's territory.

"No wonder the faction that took the New Talent Crown has such a huge territory. How much rent does Wuya Dalao have to pay each month?!"

"I said from the start I wanted to join Black Feather! You all blocked me, now Black Feather is getting more ambitious, who will compensate me?!"

"If they're not friends, who is blocking you?"

"Those few interviewees of Black Feather."

"…"

"I just paid in 100 Game Coin, and no one says it's all people inside! It feels like the whole server's population is here, black, white, yellow! They're going to squeeze me into a porn scene!"

"What exactly is worth visiting, and it even costs a ticket! Apart from the main building being grand, there's nothing else worth seeing, right?"

"You talk as if you've seen a complete faction building. My Lao Da has been raising funds for so long and still hasn't finished constructing the whole building; I can only say Wuya Dalao really has great power."

"A safe zone that's always packed isn't a problem; that 100 Game Coin was wasted. I'll wait and check again tomorrow."

"No one notices Black Feather's fields? I think the crops are almost ripe. Black Feather is already so wealthy; I can't imagine how rich he'll become later."

"I see. I wondered why those people from other zones were jealous; turns out they're jealous of Black Feather's wealth!"

"The safe zones built by our own people are different. Shou Ren Xiao Zhen and trade stations require a detour to enter, which is overly particular about chance. Our own safe zones can be entered anytime—so nice! I'm already looking forward to Wuya Dalao's fully built facilities; then medical care and shopping will be much more convenient. This is a boon for all humanity!"

"Sigh, it's true when you put it that way, but it's hard—really hard."

"I feel the same. Just thinking about it makes me sense how complex it is, yet Wuya Dalao herself wants to do it herself. Honestly, with so many big shots, I only recognize Wu Ya Zuo Fei Ji."

"Fun fact: they don't care whether you recognize them or not."

All in all, it's sheer amazement at how vast Black Feather's territory is.

Cheng Shuili breathed a sigh of relief; after all, there are currently no buildings or facilities, and everything in the territory serves her own faction.

Whether it's establishing a trade station or a full‑scale city like Shou Ren Xiao Zhen, Black Feather is still far behind.

Although qualified, Black Feather now resembles a newborn sapling; as it truly grows and draws so much attention, it's both a blessing and a curse.

Yet Cheng Shuili's mindset remains as good as ever; let them talk, she'll seriously focus on her own affairs.

Turning her attention back to the monster merchant, Cheng Shuili watched the regional channel for a while; it kept spouting a long self‑recommendation and hadn't stopped: "As long as you allow me to join your territory, the tax revenue I can provide will far exceed that of others! My business, once completed, will be 100,000 Game Coin! Inside—"

Cheng Shuili cut in, "Then why didn't you join the Rat King's safe zone before?"

This question seemed to hit the crux; the monster merchant froze oddly, and after a long pause stammered, "That black rat doesn't seem to like me very much."

If that's true, it's really strange.

"Do you think I seem to like you?" Cheng Shuili snapped back, her tone firm, "You have one more chance; if you don't tell the truth…"

The unsaid implication was obvious.

The monster merchant clearly grew nervous; it wanted to join the safe zone this person created simply to earn more Game Coin.

The clever uses of Game Coin aren't widely known, but this monster, having roamed both the black and white paths for years, knows them all too well.

As long as you join a safe zone, it means a constant stream of customers! A constant stream of customers equals a constant flow of Game Coin! Who can resist Game Coin?

The monster merchant forced a smile, "What other reason could there be? You and that black rat are certainly different; it's been in a high position for so long that it can't tolerate things it dislikes, so giving up some profit is fine. But you just established a safe zone, and you need people right now…"

"So you think I want the kind of goods the Rat King rejects?" Cheng Shuili said bluntly, yet her tone remained gentle.

The monster merchant heard that and didn't immediately realize Cheng Shuili was mocking it; it laughed and echoed, "Yeah, yeah."

After realizing what Cheng Shuili had just said, it adopted a skeletal posture, but now even its bones seemed frozen.

It truly hadn't expected Cheng Shuili to be so blunt, and a spark of anger rose within it. Remembering her earlier question, it decided to be forthright:

"Because I offended it, it refused me. Anyone with eyes can see that accepting me means accepting a lot of Game Coin! If safe zones weren't so rare, why would I want to follow you? You, an unsophisticated human, still reject me! It's downright stupid."

Cheng Shuili ignored its remarks about stupidity and casually retorted, "So you finally decided to tell the truth?"

She leisurely took a step forward, curiously examining the bone frame that trembled slightly with anger.

"Offended the Rat King?" Her tone was light yet imposing, "How did you offend him? Explain clearly."

The monster merchant still hesitated a bit, struggled for a moment, then finally gritted their teeth and said, "Do you know the black rat's business?"

Although Cheng Shuili didn't much like the Rat King either now, hearing this guy constantly call it "black rat" still felt a bit awkward.

Although the Rat King is now her enemy, Cheng Shuili couldn't help but admit that the guy at least maintains outward decorum.

By comparison, this angry, ragged skeleton before us looks rather unsuitable for refined company.

"I know a little." Cheng Shuili said in a flat tone, playing the straight man competently.

The monster merchant instantly perked up like they'd been injected with chicken blood, "I'm not talking about tax revenue! That damned black rat's business is only one thing—selling arms! Do you know where its gunpowder and steel come from? Do you know where it built its arms factory?! The black market! Beneath the black market is my hometown!"

"Most abyssal creatures, from the moment they're born before they even gain awareness, are put to work in its factory, and only when they realize this is wrong do they, like me, seek another path."

"But in its eyes we're fugitives! After being enslaved for so long, are we just its property?"

As the monster merchant spoke, its jawbone shook violently, making Su Rui worry that its jaw might fall off again.

Its emotions haven't calmed yet; if it had flesh on its face, its eyes would probably be red now.

"Miss Human, we're fugitives, so we can't possibly join its safe zone. To it, we're beings that should be executed before all abyssal creatures as a warning, using our lives to set an example! Tax revenue? Compared to the profits from its factory, it certainly doesn't care."

The monster merchant's words were clearly spoken with genuine feeling; they must be true.

But what Cheng Shuili was thinking was, are the Rat King's assets in the Abyss also recognized by the system?

Or are they black-market operations outside the system's recognition?

But it seems, no matter whether it's that…

As long as it continues oppressing like this, it will only provoke stronger resistance.

Cheng Shuili watched the agitated monster merchant, thoughts racing in her mind.

This might be an opportunity, right?

This guy's greed for wealth shows that game coins are useful to it, and indeed to its entire race.

If that's the case, if someone could give the Rat King's factory workers a nine‑to‑five job with timely wages, would they rebel?

Cheng Shuili seemed to glimpse a hope of resisting the Rat King, and naturally linking that hope was the skeleton before her.

Moreover, about making money, what it said is indeed correct.

Taking it in seems to be all benefit and no harm.

But the harm seems quite apparent as well.

She's already opposed the Rat King; if she accepts this fugitive on the Rat King's kill‑list, their relationship would surely worsen further.

But what would worsening even matter?

Cheng Shuili didn't respond to the monster merchant's accusation, instead turning to Su Rui: "Su Rui, are you willing to work with it as a colleague?"

This wasn't just a polite question.

Cheng Shuili's gaze was very gentle, carrying a convincing tone.

Su Rui had no doubt that if she said she wasn't willing, Cheng Shuili would certainly reject this stinking skeleton before her.

The skeleton itself seemed to realize this too; its gaze toward Su Rui was openly pleading, even instinctively bending its body as if to kowtow and beg for mercy.

Su Rui's disgust and aversion toward the monster merchant were genuine, but…

She took a deep breath, looked at Cheng Shuili, and said firmly: "Boss, I really don't like it—I could even say I hate it for initially treating me as merchandise. But this sort of thing is all too common in this damned place. Moreover, the root of my ordeal isn't it. If it's useful to the territory, and if its abilities are truly as it claims, then my personal likes and dislikes shouldn't affect your decision."

Hearing this, the monster merchant's bones seemed to loosen a bit, and it quickly gave Su Rui a grateful look.

Cheng Shuili nodded, turned back to the monster merchant, the gentleness on her face receding, replaced by a leader's distinctive scrutiny and sternness: "You can join the territory, but you don't meet my standards for safe‑zone merchants."

Cheng Shuili was saying the monster merchant isn't honest enough—aside from the unpleasant first meeting, when she just asked it to tell the truth, it was being vague, trying to brush things off.

Such a monster, Cheng Shuili naturally couldn't trust.

Since she can't trust it, she needs to impose restrictions.

The monster merchant also caught on—it's originally in the business of deceiving people, mixing truth and falsehood, claiming to earn game coins when it's really just scamming them. Having dealt with humans often, its emotional intelligence naturally rose, and upon hearing Cheng Shuili say that, it hurried to pledge loyalty:

"Lord! If you're willing to take me in, I'm willing to sign the strictest contract!" it said eagerly, "I can hand over half of my earnings to the territory—no, fifty‑fifty! Sixty percent is also negotiable!"

Cheng Shuili lightly shook her head: "I don't care how much tax you pay."

These words landed in the monster merchant's ears, and it almost instinctively asked: "Then what do you care about?"

What Cheng Shuili cares about, of course, is its hometown—the Rat King's factory.

"What I want is your absolute obedience to my orders."