Chapter 354
After the sale was completed, before Feng Tang could suggest a split, Yu Xunge took the initiative to say in the language of the oak owls, “I have a secret to sell you.”
Feng Tang didn’t underestimate this deal. She lightly tapped her toes on the ground, and golden lightning walls shot up around them, isolating their conversation from the prying eyes and ears of other players.
Inside the lightning walls, the space was utterly silent, as if they had entered a tranquil chamber. Feng Tang said, “Go ahead, what’s the secret?”
Yu Xunge replied, “The way to leave the Abandoned Zone and return to the Mining Zone.”
This was a piece of information she could only sell once, even if she didn’t sell it to Feng Tang.
Not only did she have little time to waste here, but any player stronger than her could easily ditch her and go solo if there was no force to keep them in check.
Moreover, if the news about needing precious gems to return to the mining area got out, she could face the risk of being extorted for gems by those players.
Selling it to someone weaker? She had just glanced around; before she left, there were several players with level 5 combat power, and now she had no idea where they had gone.
The optimal solution was to sell it to Feng Tang. Feng Tang’s combat power ensured that she could maximize the benefits of this information, and once the deal was done, Yu Xunge could make her escape while Feng Tang could fend off other players.
Sure enough, Feng Tang immediately recognized the immense profit behind this news. “What’s the price?”
Yu Xunge politely deferred, “You decide.”
Feng Tang handed back the untouched Cyber Roasted Goose in her hand. “Here, take this. It’s my most treasured item, a roasted goose made by my daughter, still warm.”
Yu Xunge: “…”
She had anticipated that Feng Tang might be shameless, but she hadn’t expected her to be this shameless.
---
Yu Xunge smoothly pretended that their previous conversation had never happened. “What’s the price? Ah… You’re my respected senior, I wouldn’t dream of cheating you. I want an SSS-level lockdown skill, an SSS-level teleportation skill, and an SSS-level time manipulation skill.”
Not wanting to waste time haggling, she directly stated her bottom line.
Feng Tang wasn’t one to waste time on trivial matters either. She shook her head. “Lockdown skills, time skills, teleportation skills—those are some of the rarest skills. I can’t give you any of those, and I can’t turn my existing skills into skill books for you.”
Yu Xunge quickly switched tactics. “How about ten pieces of Golden Tree Withered Leaves?”
Feng Tang rejected her again. “I haven’t received that kind of low-level reward in ages.”
Yu Xunge casually replied, “Then how about three high-level ones?”
Feng Tang: “Aren’t you in a hurry?”
No matter how many times it happened, Yu Xunge was always taken aback by Feng Tang’s keen observation. She felt she hadn’t shown any signs of urgency, but she sighed, “I am in a hurry.”
Feng Tang asked, “What’s the cost of leaving?”
Yu Xunge answered straightforwardly, “Fifty thousand precious gems.”
She wasn’t worried that Feng Tang would deduce anything from this; after all, there was still a procedure to follow once they found the gatekeeper. This was a backup plan left by B8017913, and the other mechanical beings were unaware of it.
Even if players and mechanical beings found the gatekeeper, they wouldn’t be able to leave.
Unless there was someone like her to pass on the information…
Yu Xunge’s pupils suddenly constricted, her back straightened, and her brow furrowed.
A few seconds later, with a sigh, her body relaxed again—she had indeed been outmaneuvered by B8017913!
No, it couldn’t be called a scheme; it was merely B8017913 calculating based on her personality and the current situation.
She didn’t know how mechanical beings communicated among themselves, but before she reached Garbage Mountain, they hadn’t spoken. It was only when she got closer that they began to chatter incessantly.
This indicated that their communication likely didn’t require language.
If B8017913 was aware of the situation here, then combining that with her personality…
If B8017913 had told her this information while there was still enough time, she would have definitely returned to sell it, rather than let such a huge profit slip through her fingers.
Given her combat power and cautious nature, she would have sought out the strongest player to sell the information in one go.
And how would a powerful player exiled to the Abandoned Zone act?
Whether it was to suppress all players and take the profits at once before revealing the information, or to rally players to counterattack the Mining Zone, it was the scenario B8017913 wanted to see.
At that time… a large number of players and mechanical beings would return to the Mining Zone simultaneously…
This was B8017913’s revenge on the Mining Zone!!!
Yu Xunge couldn’t help but clench her fists. She needed to hurry back, handle her affairs, and leave at the first opportunity; the Mining Zone was bound to descend into chaos!
And B8017913… even though everything was her choice, looking back now, she still couldn’t escape the feeling of being outmaneuvered, which left her with mixed emotions.
She wasn’t afraid of B8017913; since B8017913 was useful to her, the stronger B8017913 became, the happier she was. What she needed to do was to keep B8017913 in check in the days to come and always be wary of being outsmarted.
What frightened her was the path B8017913 had deduced based on her personality, and how she was “obediently” following it.
This made her feel an uncontrollable sense of anxiety and unease.
B8017913 had known her for such a short time, yet it could analyze her personality, instincts, and methods to outmaneuver her. What about other beings or skills? Could they also reach such a level?
As Yu Xunge fell into deep thought, Feng Tang was also weighing the pros and cons of the situation.
She knew that Zai Jiu Xun Ge’s answer was incomplete, but that was normal; otherwise, she would have to question Zai Jiu Xun Ge’s intelligence.
The price of leaving was steep, but not too steep; at least most players who had managed to survive in the Abandoned Zone could afford it.
Feng Tang glanced at the nearby and distant clusters of players, which numbered at least two thousand, and there might be more players further away, with new ones continuously arriving.
As long as she could control the situation, this would be an astonishing fortune.
No wonder Zai Jiu Xun Ge chose to sell this opportunity to her; it maximized her benefits. If she dared to sell this information herself, she wouldn’t even be able to leave the Abandoned Zone, let alone make a profit.
Feng Tang closed her eyes, hesitating between making a big score or rallying these players to fight back to the Mining Zone, causing a massive upheaval.
For a moment, both the real and fake oak owls fell into silence.
At that moment, the B8017913 hanging around Yu Xunge’s neck vibrated, seemingly reminding her to hurry.
This was their signal; it vibrated when there was only half an hour left.
Yu Xunge snapped back to reality and looked at Feng Tang. “So, what’s the deal?”
Feng Tang replied, “A self-created skill on par with [Cheers]. Interested?”
Yu Xunge immediately responded, “Absolutely!!!”
Feng Tang chuckled, but there was no disdain in her laughter; rather, it was filled with resignation. “You haven’t even learned [Cheers], and you want to learn something new without even asking what it is?”
Yu Xunge said, “Anything you create is bound to be a divine skill!”
Feng Tang: “... Is this how you’ve been fooling Wu Ren?”
Yu Xunge: “No, I don’t need to use this on Wu Ren Yuehuang.”
Feng Tang nodded in satisfaction.
Yu Xunge added, “Wu Ren Yuehuang isn’t as easy to fool as you.”
Feng Tang: “…” You really have no fear, do you?
Feng Tang handed over a feather. “Here, take it back and learn. This move is called [Drunkard].”
Yu Xunge took the feather and quickly created a temporary pocket inside her clothing near her heart, placing the orange feather labeled [Drunkard: Skill Memory Feather] inside and patting it with care.
Feng Tang crossed her arms, quietly watching Yu Xunge’s antics. “Do you want to come back to the Extreme Day City with me? I know what you’re worried about. I’m not as obsessive and crazy as you think. I’ll take you on as my student.”
Yu Xunge looked up, meeting Feng Tang’s gaze. “I’ll come when Zelan merges with Zai Jiu.”
Feng Tang clicked her tongue, and Yu Xunge’s words made her laugh in frustration, cursing under her breath in a dialect from Senhai, something akin to “little brat” or “stinky bird egg.”
---
After securing the feather and exchanging a few more jabs, Yu Xunge happily revealed the method of leaving to Feng Tang.
Not only did it require fifty thousand precious gems, but they also needed to find a mechanical being in Garbage Mountain. Under its guidance, they would obtain its chip and present it to the gatekeeper.
Feng Tang lowered the lightning walls and looked at the surrounding players and mechanical beings, as if seeing a flock of lambs ready for slaughter.
She patted Yu Xunge’s shoulder firmly. “Go ahead! With me here, no one will chase after you.”
Yu Xunge thanked her and took off without looking back, finding a garbage spaceship to follow to the gatekeeper’s location.
On the way, she asked B8017913, “Are you sure I won’t have to hand you over?”
B8017913 replied, “Yes, no one can force a mechanical being to relinquish its self-will and recognize anyone other than a deity as a new master. As long as you show me to it, it will understand my choice, and it will let you go.”
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