986 Roundabout Breakthrough

However, Aiolos's impressive strength did not change the way everyone else looked down upon humans. Over the past year, a few humans that looked like beggars would borrow money from Aiolos every two months. Furthermore, Aiolos did not reject any of them. After all, he did not care about money.

In essence, Aiolos felt that power was the key to survival. Harsh conditions were a kind of experience to him, but he did not demand that others do the same. In reality, he was not muddled. If one observed him clearly, one would realize he was different from Wang Zhong in that he was too lazy to change others. He could only be a good person himself.

Every time he saw Aiolos pressed for money, Tsarilorhuan wanted to mock him. Although he ridiculed Aiolos, he respected him on the inside. A weak civilization had to be united. However, these people were far too useless. Not everyone had the luck to be born to an advanced civilization.

"Hm? When I think about it, it's been two months since your kind has come to find you," said Aiolos suddenly after he drank several cups of alcohol. Recently, Aiolos had treated him to a lot of alcohol.

Aiolos smiled and said, "Your prison term is almost up, right? What plans do you have after this?"

As a member of the Titans, a level-7 civilization, Tsarilorhuan evidently should not belong in a place like the Sandpit. However, this fellow had killed a few members of another aristocrat civilization. According to the rules of the divine territory, he would be demoted to a civilian and would have to work for a year!

Typically, if aristocrats were punished with work, they would typically serve in public facilities within the Star Alliance. For example, they would receive high-ranking members of the Star Alliance, or act as bodyguards for them… However, Tsarilorhuan was not willing to put the Titans to shame. Thus, he was willing to do manual work here.

"Do you want me to get information for you? However, to be honest, asking around will only disturb your cultivation. It would be better for you to cultivate as quickly as possible and become a true expert. This is the only way to change your status as humans. If you pursue individual strength, your civilization can advance to level-4. In reality, there are many level-5 civilizations like this in the Star Alliance. They were weak in general, but because there were several influential experts from their race in the Star Alliance, they allowed their entire civilization to advance."

"So when one has succeeded, even his chickens and dogs can go to heaven[1]?" Aiolos was impressed and could not help but express his thoughts.

"What chickens and dogs going to heaven? The chicken race and the dog race are much stronger than you humans… Forget it. You are right. You should be the one with the most potential among the humans."

Tsarilorhuan was surprised. "There are humans with even more potential than you? Are you boasting?"

He was full of doubt. Over the past year, he had tested Aiolos many times and discovered that his body was not normal. Not only were his recovery abilities shocking, his ability to resist radiation was also very strong. He could be nearly killed or be beaten into a pulp, and he would always recover. Most importantly, he was focussed on his goal and could endure. To be honest, Tsarilorhuan even wondered if he was a goblin wearing the skin of a human. He just did not have a tail or horns.

Aiolos laughed. "Tsari, do you dare to bid? Within three years, the entire divine territory will know about us three brothers."

This was the first time Tsarilorhuan felt deep pride from Aiolos's gaze. From the very beginning, this human had never cared about other advanced races.

...

When Wang Zhong slowly came to, he realized that he had been thrown into his tiny room. His head felt somewhat painful. He knew that he had been rash, but no matter what, he could not see Carolyn being sold like livestock.

In the distance, he could hear the large black cow scolding someone outside the flower shop. It seemed as if Little Lost Fox had made another mistake. Wang Zhong rubbed his forehead and stood up. He was still a little dizzy and felt pain at the back of his head. The blow he had suffered at the slave market had not been a light one.

He opened the door and walked out. The large black cow had stopped scolding and glanced at him? "Are you awake? Come up now!"

Then, the large black cow turned and walked up, while the Little Lost Fox cautiously looked up and stuck out her tongue. "Wang Zhong, did you cause trouble? Demon Cow seems to be in a particularly bad mood today! Just now, I… Hm? Why was I being scolded just now? Gah… In any case, you have to be careful!"

Wang Zhong wanted to laugh at Little Lost Fox's concerned expression. However, when he thought about Carolyn at the slave market, he felt heavy-hearted and could not smile. To the people in the divine territory, they were simply slaves that were no different from the ants on the ground or boxed meals from fast food restaurants. However, to Wang Zhong, they were familiar and living people. If he did not know them, it might have been better, but that was Carolyn. The current situation that humans faced in the divine territory was even worse than what the Patriarch Society had said.

The large black cow was looking at him with his legs crossed and one foot sticking upwards.

Old Cow had stayed in the Heavenly Treasures Street for a long time and had seen far too many people of this kind. They had been outstanding in their own civilizations and were part of a generation of geniuses. They were arrogant and so-called persistent, and felt that they could press forward courageously as they wished. Old Cow could understand the pride in their hearts, but these people often did not live for long in the divine territory.

Wang Zhong felt awkward being stared at, mainly because of the flared nostrils in front of him.

"Brother Cow, your attack was slightly harsh." Wang Zhong rubbed the back of his head.

"You bastard," Old Cow said. "A thousand Star Coins? You actually dared to call for such a price? Do you want to sell yourself? You're not even worth that much."

Wang Zhong helplessly shrugged his shoulders. "That girl was my first love. Although we have broken up, what do you think I should do as a man?"

Old Cow was dumbfounded. It was no wonder he felt that Wang Zhong was not foolish from the very beginning. The rage in his heart gradually subsided. He had wanted to chase out Wang Zhong, but he reconsidered it. If Wang Zhong was able to leave under these conditions that he was about to propose, he would look down upon him.

"People like you," said Old Cow as he shook his head, "get yourselves in life-threatening disasters."

Pa.

A small but heavy pouch was thrown on the table.

"To be honest, ever since you started to work at the flower shop, you have saved me a lot of trouble. You are a nimble assistant. So, I will give you two choices," Old Cow said. "Firstly, I will not take in anyone who does not know who their owner is. Take these 50 Star Coins and look for a job. It will be a mutual split. I am rather fair when I do things."

Was this severance pay? Frankly speaking, considering Old Cow's personality, this was like seeing the sun rise in the west. However, Wang Zhong was not surprised. Since Old Cow had been here for a long time, he could make a proper judgment.

Old Cow's miserly actions were part of his habits. He was also very miserly toward himself, but to be honest, he did not have evil intentions. If not, considering everything that Little Lost Fox had broken in the flower shop, her pay would not be enough to make up for his losses. However, Old Cow still let her stay.

If he was truly a cold and emotionless person, he would not have taken Wang Zhong in either. Wang Zhong knew that Old Cow was putting on an act by allowing him to work and pay back for the flower pot he had broken. Old Cow could have completely not cared after the latest incident, but he had still taken Wang Zhong back. After all, from what Old Cow had seen, Wang Zhong did not have 1,000 Star Coins to buy a slave. If he made empty promises and could not pay the money, he would die a tragic death.

There were not many bosses like him in the divine territory.

"What's the second choice?" Wang Zhong asked.

Old Cow threw out another small pouch. It was also filled with Star Coins, but there were significantly fewer Star Coins inside. "I will give you a salary of 10 Star Coins every month. You can say that I will officially employ you. If you stay here and do a good job, you can gather enough money in ten years to buy a female slave for 1,000 Star Coins. But let me remind you, with your strength and identity, if you actually bring 1,000 Star Coins to a place like the slave market, you will not be able to buy anything. Your money will be robbed!

"Showing goodwill without any prior judgment will only bring harm to the people around you. You have to estimate your own strength for everything you do. I will not take in fools who cannot support themselves and constantly look for death.

"Okay." Old Cow knocked on the table. "There are two pouches. Take your pick."

Wang Zhong did not hesitate further. He took the pouch with 10 Star Coins and bowed at Old Cow with his hands clasped. "Thank you, Boss."

When Old Cow saw that Wang Zhong had made his decision, he nodded in satisfaction. "Then what are you standing around for? Do you think that you can take a break after being beaten up? Go to work!"

Life continued as usual in the flower shop. Old Cow was right. In a place like the divine territory, showing goodwill without any prior judgment would only bring about disaster for the people around him. However, could he ignore Carolyn just like that?

Wang Zhong could not stand this, but what else could he do? Exchange her for a fragment world? He might be eliminated even before exchanging the goods.

The law of the jungle was more apparent in the Star Alliance as compared to the Holy City as there was no compassion between races. If you wanted to possess something, you also needed to have the qualifications to protect it. Wang Zhong silently heaved a long sigh. It looked like he could only think of another method.

When the flower shop closed for the day, the sky had completely darkened. He packed up the shop and returned to his room. His consciousness shifted, and light and shadows fluctuated around him. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in the fragment world. Perhaps being here would allow him to be more clear-headed.

The bright space replaced the pitch-dark haze outside. Wang Zhong was about to lie down when he suddenly saw a reddish purple thing poking out from the ground.

What was that?

Wang Zhong looked at it, full of doubt. "Is that the lantern fire wick?"

He could not be blamed for his slow reaction. The thing that was poking out from the ground seemed similar to the lantern fire wick, but it was much larger. Furthermore, the lantern fire wick was red, but this thing was purple. Back then, he had casually thrown it in here. How did it start growing here?

"Ah…" With Wang Zhong's current state of mind, there were very few things that could surprise him. But at that moment, he could not help but widen his mouth.

He had thrown in a strand of lantern fire wick that was half dead, but not only did it seem like this plant had not withered, it was also full of vigor. It even looked like it had transformed!

However, he could clearly sense that the spiritual energy contained in this lantern fire wick was extremely rich. Not only was it rich in spiritual energy, the lantern fire wick was also used to make elixirs. It was called the lantern fire wick mainly because of its four red petals that were long and thin. These petals were the best feature of the plant as they contained rich fire elemental power. However, the plant in front of him was strange. It had 11 stamens which were much thicker than normal. The entire flower was reddish-purple, and it seemed as if the spiritual energy that gathered around the flower was thick enough to extract the water in the air!

The thick fragrance of flowers wafted in the air, containing the strong smell of flames. The surrounding temperature also increased significantly.

It had purple petals and 11 stamens. Furthermore, it was very thick…

Frankly speaking, Lao Wang did not dare to confirm what species this plant was. This strange variant had never appeared among countless lantern fire wicks that Old Cow owned. However, there was no doubt that this was far more valuable than the lantern fire wick.

What was this? What was happening?

After a series of surprises, Wang Zhong was slightly dumbfounded. The only thing he could think of that could cause this was the Fate Stone overhead!

Even the collapsed fragment world had been rebuilt by the Fate Stone. Restoring a plant was nothing in comparison. However, the dignified, high-end, and impressive Fate Stone was completely useless after revealing its true form. Wang Zhong was aware, but it was not the time to explore this.

Perhaps Carolyn could be saved. Even though he had not sold this plant before, from his experience in working at Old Cow's flower shop, Wang Zhong could estimate the value of this lantern fire wick variant. It would be worth at least 300 Star Coins.

Saving Carolyn was the most urgent matter now. In the hands of the slave vendors, every minute of delay could result in various changes.

Of course, there was definitely danger involved in this. Just like Old Cow had said, it was obvious that the wolf goblin was greedy. If he brought this plant over to make a deal, it was not impossible for the wolf goblin to have evil intentions and aggressively attack him at the sight of money. Wang Zhong needed a complete plan.

Wang Zhong muttered to himself and recalled what he felt when he had faced the wolf goblin in the afternoon. He sensed the weak Soul Power that activated in his body. Then, a hasty plan slowly took form.

He could give it a try, but he had to hide this from Old Cow.

He patiently waited in his room for over one hour. When he heard the thick and terrifying snore of Old Cow that sounded like thunder, Wang Zhong discreetly crawled over and then softly walked out of the flower shop.

In the Heavenly Treasures slave market…

This was the slave market and the red light district in Heavenly Treasures Street. There was no lack of a nightlife.

Although the sky had turned dark, there was feasting and revelry everywhere. However, the sheds that contained slaves in the day had been emptied as very few people came to buy slaves at night. The majority of people who came at this time only sought fun. He relied on his memory and looked for the platform that the wolf goblin had been selling Carolyn on. As expected, he could not find anyone. Thus, he started asking around the shops in the red light district.

"Wolf goblin Basir? The one that sells female slaves? Heh heh, brother, why spend such effort at night? The girls in our shop range from eight to eight hundred years old. Some can fly in the air, but others can run on the ground…"

One Star Coin was shoved into the goblin with a whisker-like mustache. The goblin touched the Star Coin in his hand and flashed a profound smile.

Wang Zhong simply threw another two Star Coins into his hands.

"Aiyo, anyone with money is family!" The goblin said, "Go out and turn left. Go to No. 381 on Rear Hall Street!"

Rear Hall Street was a residential area here. Those who were able to buy a house in Catanlyke District were evidently not ordinary people. Money was secondary. Most importantly, they had status and background. There were many nouveaux riches from level-4 and level-5 civilizations in the divine territory. They could spend large amounts of Star Coins to buy a house but did not dare to write their names on their houses. They lived in fear and were not protected under the Star Alliance law. If they offended someone, they would be reported. If it was a minor punishment, they would be fined and ordered by the authorities to sell their houses within several months. If it was a serious offense, their house would be confiscated. The authorities did not care whether you would suffer.

Bang bang bang.

After knocking the door for a long time, he finally heard heavy footsteps from inside. Bang bang bang. Closely after, the door was forcefully pulled open from inside. "Why are you knocking in the dead of the night?!"

Wolf goblin Basir had opened the door. He was naked and had an unhappy expression on his face. When he saw that the person knocking was the human from earlier in the day, he was even more unhappy. This bastard had shouted a high price of 1,000 Star Coins and disturbed his business with that large black cow. If he had not known that he could not offend that cow goblin, he would have killed this fellow.

"You again?!" Wolf goblin Basir opened its mouth and revealed dense teeth that looked like those of a shark's. A thick stench surged out from his mouth, and a terrifying aura naturally diffused from his body. He made Wang Zhong feel as if he was facing an ancient beast that released a powerful sense of oppression and power, and was choosing who to eat. "I never caused any trouble for you, but you actually dared to come here voluntarily?! What do you want? I'll give you a chance. You'd better have something good. If not, I have never tasted human meat before!"

Wang Zhong smiled. "Let's talk business. I want to buy that human."

The wolf goblin was slightly dumbfounded. He had not sold Carolyn. In the afternoon, after the uproar that was caused by Old Cow, a few had offered their prices. However, the highest bid was only 150 Star Coins, which was not enough for him to cover the cost price. He was so angry that he dragged Carolyn to the auction house. However, the prices there were even lower, with the highest being 100 Star Coins. According to the auction house, this human was far too weak. The quality of her body did not even meet the standards of ordinary civilians in the divine territory. He would definitely not be able to sell her for a high price. Thus, Basir was dejected. He had been drinking to drown his sorrows and pondered about whether he should just sell this product cheap once and for all. If he made a loss, then so be it. He would treat it as a lesson that humans were a bringer of bad luck. He pledged to never touch them again!

However, he never expected that a foolish spender would come.

"Do you have money?" Basir's aura dispersed slightly. He expected this fellow to have come with money. He could tell that he and the woman were from the same race and recognized each other. They might even be lovers. Doing business with this kind of person was the most profitable as he could state a random price.

"I have no money." Wang Zhong's words caused Basir's expression to sink. But closely after…

"But I have something else." Wang Zhong took out the lantern fire wick variant. "It just depends on whether you have the eye for this."

When the reddish-purple lantern fire wick was exposed to the air, thick fire spiritual energy was immediately released, dispersing the harsh cold of the night. Basir's eyes lit up.

He recognized this. After all, he used the established places to deal in high-end female slaves. Thus, Basir often dealt with auction houses and participated in countless auctions of all sizes. He had seen the plant that Wang Zhong was holding at an auction before. It was called the "flourishing red-purple stamen", a variant of the lantern fire wick. It contained rich spiritual energy and was a good material for making elixirs.

The flower that Basir had previously seen at an auction house only had nine stamens, and its color was a far cry from the deep purple flower in front of him. In the end, it was sold for a high price of 300 Star Coins. However, this flower with 11 stamens that was of perfect quality could reach prices of at least 400 Star Coins.

[1] Chinese saying that means to ride on someone else's successes