Free Web NovelChapter 122: Chapter 122: The Super Evil Fallen Merchant
"I’ve always been wondering what the biggest secret of the Manor is. At least your tragic experience, in my view, doesn’t count as a secret. In a post-apocalyptic world, the most important thing is survival resources, yet you can perfectly solve these problems. I need to know why."
Bai Wu emphasized the question again.
He had to figure out where the food was coming from.
"What does that have to do with you?"
"I want to save these people, while you want to keep them as bargaining chips. So, I must be sure they can survive, right? This is an issue I must know about. If you tell me the truth, I’ll do my best to ensure that your despicable father is brought into the Manor alive."
After a few seconds of silence, Violet asked,
"Do you keep your word?"
"I’m notoriously honest in our group."
Wu Jiu made no comment.
In the end, Violet nodded,
"After I became one with the Manor, I met two strange people in succession. They both proposed a trade to me. One of them had six dogs, wore a worn brown robe, and a strange hat."
Six dogs? Bai Wu thought this person might be related to the six dogs in the Manor, but his first thought was of the Traveler with three crows.
Although their only common feature was being surrounded by animals, Bai Wu still felt they were quite similar.
"What trade did he propose?"
"He left me with a mark. With this mark, I could obtain many items from him. Such as memories, food, various supplies, and even supernatural abilities, lifespans."
Currency of Fear?
When Bai Wu saw the term Currency of Fear on Violet, he was wondering if this ability was related to how Violet could obtain food.
The literal meaning is to trade fear as a bargaining chip in exchange for certain items.
But who to trade with?
Could it be that Evil Fallen even had the concept of a system store? Surely Violet hadn’t awoken as a novel protagonist, able to exchange items with fear points?
Now Bai Wu understood that this term wasn’t native but granted by some Evil Fallen.
This Evil Fallen with six dogs, it would grant certain Evil Fallen the perfect Mutation Entry of "Currency of Fear."
Turning them into objects of trade.
As long as fear could be provided on a long-term basis... a certain amount of supplies could be obtained.
Bai Wu’s guess was correct, and what Violet said next was largely in line with his speculation.
The reason for needing six households was because to trade with the granter of the Currency of Fear, there had to be a basic scale.
"He calls himself a merchant and will look for trade partners when the Source Well opens and the regional restrictions are lifted. He thought my Manor was good for trade, so he reached out to me. As long as I can provide fear, I can keep the Manor thriving."
The one with three crows is a Traveler, the one with six dogs is a Merchant...
Could there also be a Doctor? A Butcher? A Smith? A Judge?
Bai Wu was somewhat excited, feeling like he had accidentally come into contact with some mysterious organization.
"By the way, does he take anything other than fear?"
"I don’t know."
"I don’t know. In the afternoon, the Merchant’s six dogs will enter the Manor, and at night, after they have collected enough fear, they’ll leave. The supplies will arrive at dawn, replenished directly in the Manor."
Bai Wu suddenly realized.
Mom just needs to cook to produce delicious meals, so Dad just needs to work to complete the trade. Violet’s playhouse logic was still quite strict.
It was only then that Bai Wu understood that the trade books in the house even had this implication.
Too strong!
Bai Wu really wanted to meet this Merchant; he didn’t think the Merchant was simply trading in fear.
If there were coins for straight men, crazy coins, knowledge-seeking coins, death-courting coins, never-growing-taller coins, and poison-tongue coins, wouldn’t I have a steady supply of food? freeweɓnovel.cøm
If I could get in touch with the merchant, what use would I have for this broken pot?
But Bai Wu’s thoughts were quickly quenched by a cold splash of reality.
"Do you know where he is?"
"I don’t know. It’s said to be on Black Gold Island, but I don’t know that place."
Bai Wu had never heard of such a place, and the addition of the word ’black’... Wasn’t that a black area, perhaps?
The last time he was in the red area, he had seen the horror of a challenge beyond his level. Without Hong Yin, he wouldn’t have survived three seconds.
He put those thoughts aside and continued the conversation:
"But you still need people. There aren’t many who cross regions, and if these people have been enslaved by you for seven hundred years, they will gradually become desensitized to fear. So you need fresh users. Maybe change them every few years or so, or every decade?"
"Indeed, this problem, someone solved it for me. But I can’t tell you the details; it was his request."
It seemed like it was Cain.
Bai Wu didn’t care; he had already guessed the so-called details.
Cain was acting as a father or a mother in the manor and then discovered he couldn’t find any clues no matter what.
Then, Cain must have performed some ritual through those strange patterns on the wall, forcing a communication with Violet and, by the way, sweet-talking her into becoming his disciple.
In a way, Cain had that sort of eloquence Bai Wu believed he possessed.
In a sense, Cain and Violet had formed an alliance. Therefore, when Cain left the letter, it wasn’t his first time in the manor.
As for how long ago Cain entered the manor, Bai Wu couldn’t say for sure. It might have been decades ago, or maybe... seven hundred years earlier, shortly after the manor merged with Violet, he had arrived.
Furthermore, Cain might have known Violet’s father before her Evil Fallen Transformation.
This evil man, with a certain perverted desire for women, would surely have been a famous figure even seven hundred years ago.
Having understood all this, Bai Wu said:
"I’m done asking. There aren’t any secrets here for me anymore. So... goodbye?"
"Don’t forget your promise."
"Of course. By the way, may I come visit here often? Mainly to see you since you’re all alone. Actually, you don’t need to entertain me; just have a household prepare a few dozen dishes, that’s all."
Violet didn’t speak, she simply vanished.
The room, originally dim and swirling with purple light, suddenly brightened up, and the door opened.
Wu Jiu patted Bai Wu on the shoulder and said:
"Well done. My understanding of your honesty has deepened."
"Thanks for the praise, Captain. The exploration of this place is over, it’s time to go back."
...
...
After enjoying one last lavish lunch, Bai Wu felt somewhat reluctant to leave.
The psychic invasions on Yin Shuang, Lin Wurou, Bai Xiaoyu, and the others had also been lifted. Now, each person still had some shadow in their hearts, but the lunch didn’t feel as awkward anymore.
Bai Xiaoyu and Lin Wurou no longer had to play babies, and Yin Shuang looked at Bai Wu with gratitude.
She actually hadn’t figured out many things about the Manor’s puzzles. Bai Wu’s ability to keep his word and solve everything before the second nightfall had really impressed Yin Shuang.
"What if I had chosen incorrectly today, chosen the cake... when we returned to the High Tower, would there have been a rift between the Captain and Dwarf’s Wife?"
Dwarf: My dear, I was wrong!
Dwarf’s Wife: Victory is yours! You’re no longer pure.
As Bai Wu entertained these thoughts, he laughed out loud.
But it’s hard to say, what if nothing from the normal process happens tonight?
Having regained his freedom of movement, Lin Wurou looked sullen. Seeing Bai Wu suddenly laugh, he got angry:
"What are you laughing at now!"
"I just thought of something happy, my good son. What’s the matter? Can’t your dad even laugh?"
"I @￥##@!v...!"
Their friendship tipped over and sank.
Bai Wu was only teasing Lin Wurou a bit and didn’t bother Yin Shuang. But before the meal ended, he asked:
"By the way, did you memorize how to make these dishes in your head?"
"I don’t know, maybe I’ll forget it once I get back to the High Tower."
"Don’t! Make sure you remember it well!"
Yin Shuang paid no attention to Bai Wu.
Soon, Wu Jiu and the rest had also finished getting ready.
The small squad from the Investigation Corps regrouped, and the six people arrived at the manor gate.
The other residents, seeing people gathering at the gate, thought new guests had arrived. They ran out frantically, but quickly realized there was no one, then looked strangely at Bai Wu and the others.
In the past, naturally, people had tried to climb over the manor gate, mostly those playing the role of babies.
They would pretend to play around near the gate, then look for an opportunity to climb.
But once they touched the gate, they would immediately enter the most terrifying nightmare, and their bodies would be taken over directly.
So, everyone was waiting to see the spectacle, believing some things can only be understood through personal experience.
Yet as the gate slowly opened, the crowd was stunned.
Their faces were filled with shock.
As Bai Wu and the others walked out of the manor, some people finally snapped out of their surprise. They ran off at breakneck speed, even forgetting their luggage, not taking the Return Roulette with them.
Apart from Bai Wu, everyone watched these people with empathy, feeling sad for them.
The residents of the other four buildings, of course, couldn’t escape; their bodies were soon taken over by Violet’s consciousness.
The manor gate closed again.
The sound of the iron gate automatically locking sounded like a gavel declaring a life sentence without parole.
Seeing the expression of hopeless despair on the faces of the crowd, Lin Wurou, always known for his sharp tongue, rarely spoke seriously:
"We must rescue these people in the future."
Wu Jiu and Yin Shuang also nodded unconsciously.
Bai Wu said:
"The bargaining chip that could get them out is a big fish, and we couldn’t reel him in even if we broke our fishing rods right now."
Only Wu Jiu knew that the big fish came from the fifth level.
Bai Wu thought to himself that this round ended in a tie with Cain.
Although he solved the Manor puzzle that even Cain himself couldn’t solve, Cain, in turn, had caused both him and Dwarf to despise the rulers of the High Tower.
It wasn’t a big problem though. From Dwarf’s previous remarks, Bai Wu felt that Dwarf might have had some ideas for a while, just gathering strength.
"We still need to rescue them. You’re all happy being a dad, but do you know how miserable I am?" Lin Wurou said.
Bai Wu shrugged and replied:
"If you were the dad, we probably wouldn’t have had the chance to get out."
Unexpectedly, Lin Wurou didn’t retort, just snorted coldly.
"Let’s go back, the investigation here is over," Wu Jiu said as he activated the Return Roulette.
Bai Wu nodded, still feeling somewhat regretful inside. After all, this investigation had not yielded any substantial benefits, although it revealed some of Cain’s "failures."
At the moment the Return Roulette was activated, Bai Wu caught sight of the conclusion again.
[Current area exploration completion: 89 percent. One Evil Fallen remains. This area is subordinate to another area; the fragment is not here. My evaluation: Meticulous performance always draws attention. You have caught the attention of a certain super Evil Fallen.]
Hmm?
An unexpected surprise?
The only one who knows about this place is the owner of those six dogs, that is, the merchant. Super Evil Fallen...
Indeed, on the same level as Traveler and Hong Yin.
"It’s a pity the danger level of Black Gold Island is unclear, not even knowing how to go there..."
An Evil Fallen capable of selling food, goods, and even memories and abilities, in Bai Wu’s view, the origin entry for the Currency of Fear must be a legendary entry.
He was not averse to Evil Fallen and saw gaining acquaintance with a profit-minded merchant as a form of self-protection.
"I can’t find him, but perhaps he can find me? If I could contact this merchant, then the trip wouldn’t be in vain."
...
...
High Tower.
The investigator breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Bai Wu, Wu Jiu, and others returning, followed by a hint of disappointment—the entry was blue, and the return was also blue.
Compared to previous times, it seemed rather ordinary, though the duration was a bit lengthy.
Not long after Bai Wu and Wu Jiu arrived at the High Tower, Liu Mu and several other Investigation Corps squad leaders hurried over.
Upon seeing Bai Wu, the scale of the procession seemed considerable. The squad leaders of the Investigation Corps, the strongest force of the entire corps, had come nearly in half.
Liu Mu walked at the forefront and said:
"Wu Jiu, you’re really laid-back, taking on a long-term mission at this time. Hurry up, in the two days you’ve been away, the Garrison Corps has seen a batch of young powerhouses emerge!"
Wu Jiu furrowed his brows.
Even though this had become a traditional skill of the Garrison Corps, he still couldn’t understand how they managed to... regularly cultivate rare Sequence talents?
"Hurry up, we need to have a meeting. You can’t participate in this year’s two-army military drill; you’ve got to pick your people immediately. Registration starts the day after tomorrow."
Wu Jiu nodded his head and assigned some tasks to Lin Wurou and Yin Shuang as he prepared to leave, then he suddenly turned to look at Bai Wu:
"Bai Wu, come with me."
"I’m going too?" Bai Wu was slightly surprised.
Wu Jiu cared about, even valued Bai Wu’s suggestions, he didn’t explain much, just nodded.
Liu Mu asked:
"Why bring this kid to a captains’ meeting?"
"I’m tired, he’ll make decisions for me."
The crowd of squad leaders exchanged puzzled glances.
Wu Jiu, in everyone’s eyes, was surely the future deputy legion commander; it was just a matter of time. So, were Wu Jiu’s words hinting that Bai Wu would eventually take over as captain of the Investigation Corps’ Squad Seven?
Bai Wu also felt that Dwarf held him in exceedingly high regard. Being able to spot subordinates’ strengths, valuing their talents, not being jealous, and even willing to support them greatly.
After some thought, Bai Wu realized that although he encountered a life and death situation right from the start, he also ended up with a good boss.
After leaving the tower this time, it seems that Dwarf trusts me even more...
Well, it’s a good thing I’m not Dwarf’s wife or son, otherwise... there probably wouldn’t be this scene today.
