Vice-Guild Leader acquired (1)

Point out any errors I made in the chapters, as I'm very lazy and sometimes can't be bothered to reread them. Also give your opinions on something I should change or add

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[1]

After arriving at Blackwing City, Feng went to the appointed restaurant where he was supposed to conduct another trade with Aqua Rose. Though, Feng didn't really prepare any items to sell since he knew that Aqua won't show up.

'Wait... what if she does show up?' The thought suddenly crossed Feng's mind. He didn't know if the butterfly effect would somehow screw him over. It would be a bit inconvenient if Aqua really did show up and wanted to to trade for items as agreed, since he didn't prepare anything. Not to mention he'll lose his chance to recruit her.

Feng searched through his bags and concluded that he'll only be able to trade with the Intermediate Mana Armor Kits that he forgot to store if the world decides to play a joke on him and Aqua really does come.

Thankfully, Aqua Rose didn't show up even after a long time had passed. Instead, a pot-bellied man walked over and quietly sat opposite of Feng. With a gentle and elegant smile, he said, "Hello there, Master Black Flame. As Miss Aqua has some urgent matters to attend to today, she has sent me to represent her in this transaction. Miss Aqua expresses her sincerest apologies."

"Miss Aqua has some urgent matters?" Feng asked with an expressionless face

"That's right. Although I cannot reveal to Your Excellency what those matters are, I, Joking Scholar, can represent Miss Aqua in conducting the transaction with you."

"Since Miss Aqua has some matters to deal with, let us postpone our business transaction till next time, then." Feng said calmly before standing up, saying, "I still have some matters that I need to attend to, so I'll leave first."

Hearing that Feng had no intention to continue the trade and intended to leave, Joking Scholar's facial expression immediately changed. A hint of panic appeared in his friendly smile when Feng stood.

"Master Black Flame, don't be in such a rush! Although Miss Aqua is absent, Twilight Echo sincerely desires this trade's success. We are willing to pay 30% more than the previously mentioned price!" Joking Scholar hurriedly stood and held back Feng.

"Thirty percent? It seems that you guys really are sincere about this." Feng halted his steps, smiling. He then turned to face Joking Scholar, saying, "Since you've already made the offer, let us negotiate the price."

"Of course, of course!" Joking Scholar hurriedly nodded his head, once more revealing his friendly smile.

Following which, the two sat and resumed their business transaction.

"Do you have what I asked of Miss Aqua the last time?" Feng asked.

"Master Black Flame, please have a look," Joking Scholar retrieved several Ore Bags. Hard Stones and rare forging materials filled the majority of these bags.

Moreover, aside from taking out five 400-slot Ore Bags, which were the largest Ore Bags currently available to players, he had also taken out a black leather bag. There were many runes carved on the exterior of this bag, and one could tell that it was not an ordinary item with just a glance.

The Runic Ore Bag that Joking Scholar brought out was a Mysterious-Iron grade Ore Bag. It had a massive capacity of 1,200 slots, four times that of a Common grade Ore Bag.

However, this item was not easy to obtain. Only Lord ranked Bosses in mines had a chance of dropping this item.

Compared to the previous encounter, this transaction would be far larger. Joking Scholar had prepared over 2,000 stacks of Hard Stones, 300 stacks of Fine Iron Ore, 400 stacks of Silver Ore, and 200 stacks of Mithril Ore. Furthermore, there were also 100 stacks of Gold Ore, which was currently unavailable in Star-Moon Kingdom.

Just how much manpower and resources had they spent in the process of gathering such a large amount of precious ores?

Of course, Feng didn't really care about any of the items Joking Scholar brought out. He had gained plenty of these ores and even much rarer ones from the Holy Cavers' treasury. As for the Runic Ore Bag, he also didn't think much of it. After all, he had previously obtained an Epic rank ore bag and six Dark-Gold ones.

The only reason he was playing with Joking Scholar was that, for one, he wanted to kill some time until the auction at the Blackwing City's Auction House begins, as well as wanting to provoke Joking Scholar enough to go look for other people to trade with. Thus, he continued his act.

"Good, everything that I requested is here. Deducting all these ores, if we factor in the 30% increase in price you previously mentioned, you just need to pay me an additional 120 million Credits." Feng took out a letter that had been encrypted by the System and placed it on the table. Only a specified person could open this letter, and outsiders had no way to discover its contents.

When Joking Scholar heard the price of 120 million Credits, his smiling expression immediately froze. He had nearly spat the black tea that was in his mouth, the teacup in his hand nearly falling to the ground due to his trembling.

"The 120 million Credits is the price of this encrypted letter?" Joking Scholar looked at the white envelope on the table, his facial expression turning extraordinarily ugly. His previously beady eyes abruptly widened as he sent a chilling glare at Feng, coldly saying, "Master Black Flame, aren't you going a little too overboard? We of Twilight Echo have come here with the sincerest intentions to conduct business with you. Are you looking down on Twilight Echo? Or do you not take Miss Aqua seriously?"

No matter how stupid Joking Scholar was, he knew that no transaction in God's Domain could currently achieve such a frightening cost. That was 120 million Credits! Such an amount was sufficient for a normal person to live the rest of their life in luxury! Even Joking Scholar himself would not earn such an amount in this lifetime!

The only possibility was that Black Flame was toying with him, or that he's already been found out as a fake. However, as a preventive measure, he still used Aqua Rose's name to warn Black Flame.

Feng calmly smiled at the fatso's reaction. He paid no mind to Joking Scholar's chilling and threatening gaze, unhurriedly saying, "How could you say such a thing? Weren't you the one that suggested for the 30% increase in price?"

"I've fully followed our previous agreement and have brought what that Miss Aqua requested. Could Miss Aqua have forgotten to tell you about it? Or is it because you are fake?" A chilling light suddenly flashed in Feng's eyes as he loudly questioned.

"You!"

At this moment, Joking Scholar gnashed his teeth in anger.

Black Flame had clearly pretended to be the fool here. Yet, he could not just reveal Black Flames's act.

"Master Black Flame, of course, I was sent here by Miss Aqua! Please stop trying to probe me! Miss Rose never agreed to this!" Joking Scholar was no fool. He thought that Feng was currently trying to probe him, so he quickly cooled his temper.

"Probe? What reason would I have to probe you?" Feng smiled as he said, "I am very serious. If Aqua Rose didn't mention such an important agreement to you and you have no knowledge of it, then it seems you are indeed a fake. If that is so, then I am truly sorry. Our business transaction ends here."

Saying so, Feng stood and prepared to leave.

Joking Scholar immediately panicked. He could no longer discern whether Black Flame's words were true or not. In the beginning, he thought Black Flame was trying to swindle him. Now, however, it would seem that his previous preconception might be wrong.

'Have I really guessed wrong? Was this letter actually what they intended to trade?' Joking Scholar felt that his brain was no longer sufficient to process this matter. He could not see through Feng at all.

Previously, Black Flame had expressed immense interest in continuing the trade. Now, however, he was about to leave after scoffing. Just what was Joking Scholar supposed to do?

Joking Scholar had personally witnessed the benefits Aqua Rose had obtained through her transactions with Black Flame. If Twilight Echo could periodically conduct similar trades with Black Flame and obtain such immense profits every time, the other first-rate Guilds in their kingdom would have no chance to compete with them. They would become the tyrant of their empire.

Just by becoming the lord of a city, the benefits that ensued were enough to attract the world-class corporations' investments. Not to mention receiving a few hundred million, they could even receive tens of billions of Credits. If Twilight Echo could become the tyrant of an empire, they could receive investments from over ten major corporations. The Credits they could earn were unimaginable. In comparison, the 120 million Credit transaction right now could be considered negligible.

However, 120 million Credits was not pocket change either. Moreover, their Guild had only obtained the many ores before him through the painstaking work. If they gave them all to Black Flame, the losses would be mind-blowing.

Of course, if such a powerful benefit were truly available, it could greatly assist Twilight Echo in elevating its current position, becoming the tyrant of the capital city.

However, Joking Scholar could not see past Feng's thoughts at all. He did not know whether Black Flame had the sincerity to continue their current cooperation. With his status, he did not dare make this gamble.

"Master Black Flame, please wait a minute! Maybe Miss Aqua has forgotten to mention this to me. I'll have to ask Miss Aqua about this before making a decision. If there truly are no problems, then the 120 million Credits and these materials will all be yours." Joking Scholar decided to hold Feng back for now. He needed to report this matter to his superiors and let them decide what to do. That way, he won't have to take responsibility for this matter.

"Fine. I'll give you one minute. I'm in a hurry." Feng sat back down leisurely after saying so.

Since a lot was at stake, Joking Scholar dared not waste any more time. He immediately sent a message to his superior, awaiting the decision.

After waiting for half a minute or so, Joking Scholar received a reply.

Joking Scholar immediately felt his mood refresh when he read the reply.

"Master Black Flame, Miss Aqua has said that, due to the transaction being of such magnitude, if we are to conduct this trade, we need to verify the item that you have provided. Of course, I will preside over this verification. If there truly are no problems, we will immediately transfer the money to you," Joking Scholar confidently informed Feng.

"That won't do. If you guys get a look at the contents of this letter, then the information inside will no longer have any value. What if you decide not to pay me? Wouldn't I take a huge loss instead? Unless you give me the money first, I will not let you look at the contents." Feng sneered, "Since Twilight Echo doesn't have any sincerity in continuing this trade, so be it."

Contrary to Joking Scholar's belief, the information inside the encrypted letter was the real deal. It could instantly promote a large Guild to the next level.

The information was especially useful to a first-rate Guild.

Of course, this information would not actually sell for an astronomical price of 120 million Credits.

"Master Black Flame, we are very sincere in this matter. If you continue responding to our sincerity in such a way, we can only take it as you toying with Twilight Echo. None who attempt to make fools of Twilight Echo find a good ending. If Master Black Flame doesn't want a misunderstanding, please let me take a look at the information contained in the letter. As long as there are no problems, then based on Twilight Echo's credibility, we certainly will not go back on our word and ruin our own reputation." Although Joking Scholar spoke with an amicable tone, he did not try to hide the cold glint in his eyes in the least.

"Are you threatening me?" Feng's tone turned cold as he said, "Although Twilight Echo is a first-rate Guild, don't think that I, Black Flame, am someone you can easily mess around with. Since this matter has reached this point, our cooperation ends right here and now."

Feng immediately left the restaurant, leaving behind a dumbfounded Joking Scholar.

Even though Feng was merely pretending, the thing he hated the most was being threatened. If someone tried to force him to do something, he'll bite back immediately without any hesitation; even if the person was a god, and fighting back meant certain death.

There was not a single being in the entire universe that could force him to do something he himself didn't want to!

That's just how he rolled.

Joking Scholar never thought Black Flame would react so decisively.

In his opinion, Black Flame was only a forger. How could he possibly dare call shots with a first-rate Guild like Twilight Echo? Hence, Joking Scholar decided to threaten him. Yet, Black Flame had not reacted as he had expected at all, so much so that his threat had yielded the exact opposite effect he had wanted.

The higher ups of the Guild had tasked him with maintaining the current business relationship they had with Black Flame. If there were a possibility, the best case scenario would be to recruit Black Flame into Twilight Echo.

"How abominable! This Black Flame is simply impervious to reason!" Joking Scholar had originally intended to hold Feng back once more. However, doing so was simply too humiliating. After speaking those decisive words, if he had to suddenly change his tone and try to ingratiate himself with Black Flame... He simply could not do it. 'He is definitely toying with me! That's the only plausible reason why he isn't willing to show me the contents of that letter!'

Immediately after, Joking Scholar contacted his superior.

"Scholar, how did it go?" a dignified tone came through the communicator.

"Boss, that Black Flame rejected our proposal. He refused to let me take a look at the letter's contents. However, I am very sure that he is trying to play us for fools. There is nothing important in the letter," Scholar confidently assured.

"I understand. Although it is slightly unfortunate, Black Flame has also given us some enlightenment. Since Black Flame is unwilling to do business with us, we can just look for someone else. I hear that Star-Moon Kingdom, where Black Flame is from, should be in dire need of ores. Look for a powerful Guild from Star-Moon Kingdom at Blackwing City. I believe that they should be very willing to cooperate with us."

"Yes, Boss."

Currently, Joking Scholar felt exhilarated.

"Black Flame, did you really think that you are so amazing? Once I sell these ores to some other Guild in Star-Moon Kingdom, we'll see if you can still survive there!"

Soon after, Joking Scholar had departed from the restaurant as well. He started looking for a new business partner from Star-Moon Kingdom.

Meanwhile, after Feng left the restaurant, he immediately changed his appearance using the Demon Mask. He had long since waited for Joking Scholar's departure.

The time for swindling had come.

After all, it was not easy for him to obtain so many ores. Moreover, it was not his style to just let Joking Scholar escape.

Twilight Echo had spent a lot of wealth and manpower to procure the ores. If they failed to sell them, keeping those ores for their own use instead, they would need over ten days to exhaust such a large supply fully. Twilight Echo could not bear such a heavy cost. After all, these ores could not increase their Guild's battle prowess. They could only do so by turning these materials into currency.

However, If they wished to turn these ores into money, they had to sell them to a Guild that was in dire need of ores. As for independent players, they simply had no way to deplete such a stock.

No. Unless they paid with Credits, even a first-rate Guild could not afford so many ores. However, would Twilight Echo lack Credits?

That's right; they didn't lack Credits. If they could spend Credits to purchase a large amount of Gold Coins, they would have spent several hundred million Credits without hesitation. However, the Main God System had not activated an exchange system for Coins. As for the virtual trade center, there was simply not enough Gold Coins to satisfy their demands.

Most importantly, if they purchased Gold Coins in bulk, their actions would inflate the prices of Gold Coins endlessly, and doing so was not a worthwhile investment. This was also one of the reasons why large Guilds normally would not purchase Gold Coins in bulk.

If Twilight Echo could not sell these ores quickly, it would wound the Guild's development.

However, it would not be an easy task to find a business partner willing to purchase so many ores. The only possibility they had was to look for a Guild from Star-Moon Kingdom[2]. As long as Twilight Echo investigated, they would immediately discover that Black Flame was from Star-Moon Kingdom. Meanwhile, the fact that Black Flame purchased so many forging materials proved that Star-Moon Kingdom was in dire need. As long as the upper echelon of Twilight Echo had brains, they would naturally look for someone from Star-Moon Kingdom to cooperate with.

Unfortunately, Twilight Echo had miscalculated one point. It was not easy to obtain the pass required to enter Blackwing City. Even for a large Guild, they would need to spend a lot of time and effort to obtain one. Not to mention, the majority of the Guilds and players in Star-Moon Kingdom didn't even know about the existence of Blackwing City.

Quite some time had passed since the launch of God's Domain. However, the players from Star-Moon Kingdom who could enter Blackwing City were among the extreme minority. It went without saying there were even fewer players who could afford so many ores.

---

An hour quickly passed with Feng sight seeing while trailing Joking Scholar. Before Feng reincarnated, he hadn't been to Blackwing City in a long time. He was in a rush and had other things to do the last two times he came here, so he was unable to reminisce. This gave him a good opportunity to look around and remember how the place looked like.

After all, the last time he saw it in his previous life, the only thing left were ruins.

Joking Scholar naturally failed to find even a single player from Star-Moon Kingdom. The majority of the players he met were independent players from other kingdoms and empires. Even when he met players belonging to Guilds, these players were not part of their Guild's backbone. Most importantly, none of these players had any interest in Twilight Echo's ores.

This situation depressed Joking Scholar. He wondered just why he could not meet any players from Star-Moon Kingdom. It would be fine even if it were even an independent player!

At this moment, Feng took on Lone Tyrant's appearance using the Demon Mask and walked towards Joking Scholar casually.

Feng's disguise looked extremely similar to the real deal. Moreover, the equipment he wore had also changed appearance. He now wore a complete Secret-Silver Set Equipment. On his back, he carried the Fine-Gold ranked Blood Red Longsword and Blood Red Cross Shield. Not to mention the Guild Leader of a second-rate Guild, even the Guild Leader of a first-rate Guild would find it difficult to obtain equipment as dazzling as Feng's.

In addition, Feng had completely replicated Lone Tyrant's arrogant air, creating a vivid image of the Guild Leader. Right now, even if someone familiar with Lone Tyrant stood before Feng, they could not tell whether he was the real Lone Tyrant or not.

The players that walked past Feng involuntarily found their heads turning towards him; both envy and admiration filled the gazes they sent his way.

The glowing effect of a Fine-Gold Weapon had nearly blinded their eyes.

At this moment, Joking Scholar was still blindly searching the streets for his target, a gloomy expression portrayed on his face. However, when his eyes landed on Lone Tyrant, who was Feng in disguise, his eyes flashed with a glint of excitement.

'His equipment! Not even our Guild Leader compares to him! The Guild he belongs to must be very powerful! I hope he is a player from Star-Moon Kingdom.' Joking Scholar made a silent prayer as he walked towards Feng.

"Hello! I am Joking Scholar of Twilight Echo. May I ask if Your Excellency comes from Star-Moon Kingdom?" Joking Scholar asked in anticipation.

"Are your eyes a decoration? Of course, I am from Star-Moon Kingdom! If you don't even know who I am, why are you even playing God's Domain?" Feng arrogantly scoffed.

Contrary to expectations, not only did Feng's scolding fail to anger Joking Scholar, but it had also made him rejoice. Immediately, Joking Scholar used an identification skill on Feng.

[Lone Tyrant]

Affiliated Guild: Dark Star

After reading Feng's basic information, Joking Scholarly immediately started a search through the official forums for information. Very quickly, Joking Scholar uncovered most of the information available about Lone Tyrant, and his mood instantly lifted higher than before.

"How careless of me! I did not expect to meet the well-renowned Guild Leader Lone Tyrant of Star-Moon Kingdom! I wonder if Your Excellency would be interested in purchasing some ores?" Joking Scholar spoke unhurriedly.

"Ores? Are you looking down on our Guild?" Feng angrily demanded.

"Guild Leader Tyrant has misunderstood me. Of course, I know that Your Excellency does not lack materials." Joking Scholar calmly said, "However, what about the other Guilds in Star-Moon Kingdom? If Guild Leader Tyrant can sell a large number of ores to those Guilds at a low price, wouldn't Your Excellency make a huge profit?"

At this moment, Feng faked an interested expression.

"Guild Leader Tyrant, after the recent update of God's Domain, fighting monsters places a huge toll on a weapon's durability. Hence, I believe that every Guild would be very interested in Whetstones. Meanwhile, the main material needed to produce Whetstones is Hard Stones. I just happen to have plenty of Hard Stones with me right now, and I can sell all of them to Your Excellency at a very low price," Joking Scholar hurriedly said.

"Cheap Hard Stones?" Feng appeared even more interested now, saying, "Speak, then."

"I can sell these Hard Stones to Your Excellency at a price of 12 Silver Coins a stack. Similarly, I can also sell the other ores I have with me for much cheaper than those found in Star-Moon Kingdom," Joking Scholar offered confidently.

"You call 12 Silver Coins per stack cheap? Are you trying to toy with me? Do you think I have so much time to waste on you?" Feng growled, "I will pay, at most, 5 Silver Coins a stack. Otherwise, we do not need to continue this conversation."

"Your Excellency, I know how much Hard Stones sell for in Star-Moon Kingdom. Normally, each stack can sell for 13 to 14 Silver Coins. By reselling the Hard Stones Your Excellency buys from me, Your Excellency can still make an effortless one to two Silver Coins. Moreover, the amount of Hard Stones I have with me is by no means small. They can allow Your Excellency to make an immense profit." Joking Scholar had done his homework, thoroughly researching the prices of ores in Star-Moon Kingdom. Hence, Joking Scholar felt confident that Lone Tyrant was interested in buying the Hard Stones; Lone Tyrant was simply trying to lower the prices to maximize his profits.

"Fourteen Silver Coins?" Feng disdainfully said, "That was the price two days ago. Now that everyone's level is higher, the available locations they can farm Hard Stones from has also increased. It is absolutely impossible to sell them at such a high price anymore. I'll repeat myself one more time: 5 Silver Coins a stack. If you don't want to sell, then so be it."

Immediately, Joking Scholar grew flustered at Feng's words. Indeed, he had investigated the ore prices in Star-Moon Kingdom two days ago. Moreover, just as Feng had said, players' levels rose constantly. Not only would the drop rate of Hard Stones from monsters increase, but players could also obtain quite a number from mining ores.

Take the Hard Stones Twilight Echo had gathered, for example. Twilight Echo had previously paid around 3 to 4 Silver Coins per stack while gathering the Hard Stones. If they sold them for only 5 Silver Coins a stack to Feng, they wouldn't make a huge profit.

"Your Excellency drives a hard bargain. How about this; what do you think about 8 Silver Coins a stack?" Joking Scholar probed.

"Scram! If you're not going to sell them, then forget it!" Feng pretended to grow angry.

Although Feng stated that the prices of Hard Stones had fallen, the prices in White River City had not decreased by much. Each stack could still sell for around 13 Silver Coins right now. However, Feng was in no hurry. He knew that Twilight Echo was deeply afraid of keeping the Hard Stones and having their value depreciate as time passed. Such a loss could greatly hamper Twilight Echo's growth, letting the other Guilds surpass them.

"Your Excellency, please wait a moment. How about 7 Silver Coins per stack?" Joking Scholar hurriedly bargained when he noticed Feng about to walk away.

However, his offer failed to halt Feng's steps.

"Alright, alright; 6 Silver Coins. I can't lower the price any further than that." Joking Scholar felt helpless at Feng's unyielding attitude. However, it was simply too difficult to find players from Star-Moon Kingdom in Blackwing City. It was especially true for a Guild Leader like Lone Tyrant. If Joking Scholar could not sell these Hard Stones as quickly as possible, their value would continue to depreciate.

However, reality was cruel. Feng did not halt his steps at all.

Joking Scholar started to panic now. He hurriedly ran to stop Feng, saying in an urgent tone, "Your Excellency! Are you really not going to consider it? Six Silver coins is already a very low price! You can't find such an offer anywhere else!"

"Can't find?" Feng smiled. Although Star-Moon Kingdom ranked above average among kingdoms that produced herbs, regarding mineral production, Star-Moon Kingdom ranked below average. Thus, the mineral supply in Star-Moon Kingdom lacked constantly. However, not every kingdom and empire was in a similar situation to the Star-Moon Kingdom.

Immediately, Feng loudly yelled, "Selling Hard Stones for 6 Silver Coins a stack! You definitely can't find a price lower than this!"

Feng's actions dumbfounded Joking Scholar.

However, many players on the street sent gazes of contempt towards Feng.

"Stop joking around! You call 6 Silver Coins a stack cheap? Even 5, Silver 30 Coppers is expensive where I come from! If you want to purchase in bulk, I can sell them to you at 5 Silver Coins a stack!"

"Ah! I nearly died from laughter just now!"

Many players on the street started laughing at Feng.

However, the one who was truly embarrassed was Joking Scholar. At this moment, he felt so ashamed that he could not even raise his head to face Lone Tyrant. His absolute confidence from before had returned to slap him in the face.

Moreover, someone had already made an offer of 5 Silver Coins per stack. Nothing could have a more powerful impact than this.

"How about it? Didn't you say that your Hard Stones were the cheapest? Didn't you say that I absolutely couldn't find a lower price than yours?" Feng snorted as he asked, "Why is everyone offering me a lower price, then? Did you really think that I am a fool?"

"This is a misunderstanding! Really!" Joking Scholar hurriedly said, "Just like Your Excellency suggested before, how about 5 Silver Coins a stack?"

"Too late. I'll offer, at best, 2 Silver Coins now. Before, I had only casually asked around on the street, and already, someone has offered me a price of 5 Silver Coins. If I ask even more people, I might even find a cheaper offer than that. There are plenty of kingdoms rich in ores." Feng smiled contemptuously.

Feng's offer this time truly shocked Joking Scholar.

However, Joking Scholar knew that it was no longer possible for him to sell the forging materials for a good price.

At this moment, Joking Scholar had finally realized that making money in Blackwing City was not an easy task.

Although Blackwing City provided players with various opportunities, the competition here was more intense than any other city in God's Domain. The players in Blackwing City came from various kingdoms and empires, and each one of these kingdoms and empires had their own specialties. Although Twilight Echo was a first-rate Guild, they held no advantage whatsoever in this city. Even the forging materials they were so proud of held no advantage in this city.

Joking Scholar honestly wondered how Aqua Rose had managed to make so much money from her trips to Blackwing City.

"Your Excellency, can you give me some time? After all, the price you offered is simply too low. I need to consult with my superiors before making a decision," Joking Scholar persuaded Feng.

"Fine. It just so happens that I need to purchase some items. We'll meet up in this plaza in 30 minutes." Feng nodded.

The two promptly added each other as friends.

After parting, Feng immediately walked into an empty alley.

The reason he had offered an extremely low price of 2 Silver Coins was to force Joking Scholar to contact his superiors. More importantly, he had done so to part with Joking Scholar. Otherwise, he would have no way of realizing his plan.

Naturally, he was planning to do the same thing as in his previous life. Since it was so effective, there was no need to change anything[3].

Glancing at his surroundings and making sure that he had not been followed, Feng changed into a new appearance again. This time, he disguised himself as an old man with white hair. He then donned a black hooded cloak and changed his name to Carlos. Aside from his name, he had concealed his information.

Regarding outward appearance or temperament, both looked extremely mysterious. Moreover, his body also exuded a frightening aura. He did not look like a player at all.

After confirming that there were no problems with his disguise, Feng walked towards a relatively populated street.

On the street, he discovered a relatively well-equipped Guardian Knight, and without hesitation, he walked towards this Guardian Knight. While he walked past this man, Feng pretended to accidentally bump into him, knocking the man down to the ground.

Originally, the Guardian Knight was enraged from being knocked down. However, just before he started cursing, he noticed that the old man before him had a shockingly powerful aura, so much so that he could feel his own body trembling slightly before this elder. Immediately, he used an identification skill on this old man and found out that the old man was called Carlos. Meanwhile, any remaining information about the old man displayed as "Unknown."

In God's Domain, there were only two scenarios that resulted in an unknown return from an identification skill. One was when the targeted player used a special item to conceal their information, while the other was due to a large gap in strength. In both cases, a normal identification skill would not suffice to determine the target's information.

Meanwhile, the old man before him was clearly not a player, but an NPC. Hence, the Guardian Knight determined that the old man named Carlos was very powerful. Afraid that he would earn the ire of this mysterious NPC and get himself killed, the Guardian Knight immediately swallowed his words.

"Young man, are you alright?" Feng spoke in a dignified tone, casting an overlooking gaze at the Guardian Knight.

"No, there are no problems at all," the Guardian Knight hurriedly said.

"It's good that you're alright. However, it is still my fault for bumping into you. As compensation, you can come to my place to purchase items in the future. I will sell them to you at a discount," Feng said. Immediately, he started walking towards a nearby alleyway.

"Could my luck have come?" The Guardian Knight reacted quickly as he immediately followed Feng into the alleyway.

The old man was shrouded in mystery, and the aura he exuded was extremely frightening. Coupling that with the fact that he had bumped into a player, he would naturally attract the attention of many players on the street. Although Feng's words had not been loud, many of the surrounding players had clearly heard him.

There were countless fortuitous encounters in God's Domain. It was especially so for a place like Blackwing City. It was not strange for players to purchase some rare items from a Hidden NPC.

The elderly man before them was such a powerful NPC; it would not be odd for him to sell some powerful, rare item. So, how could they possibly miss out on such a good opportunity? Hence, every player on the street followed Feng and the Guardian Knight.

"Damn, why are there so many people following us?" The Guardian Knight felt depressed when he noticed the crowd of players trailing behind him and the old man. However, his feet did not stop as he continued after Feng.

Meanwhile, when Feng noticed the large number of players following him, his lips curled into a smile. He had already achieved his goal.

Soon after, Feng led the crowd of players past the street where Joking Scholar was.

As Joking Scholar had only needed to notify his superiors about the current situation, he had not wandered too far from his original location. Naturally, he also noticed the strange sight of a crowd of players following a mysterious old man. Hence, he hurried after one of the players trailing Feng.

After making a short inquiry, Joking Scholar learned the reason for this strange situation. His face lit up with joy as he, too, joined this army of players.

Seeing that Joking Scholar had taken the bait, Feng located an unoccupied gazebo and took a seat there. His expression remained indifferent as he gazed at the players following him.

The Guardian Knight from before immediately walked up to Feng without hesitation. He intended to find out what items he could purchase from the old man.

In response to the Guardian Knight's actions, Feng revealed a faint smile as he retrieved Hard Stones and many other types of rare ores that he had prepared for this occasion before coming to Blackwing City. He then quoted extremely low prices for all these ores.

Feng quoted one stack of Hard Stones for 40 Copper Coins, a stack of 200 Iron Ore for 4 Silver Coins, a stack of 200 Fine Iron Ore for 6 Silver Coins, 200 Silver Ore for 10 Silver Coins, and 200 Mithril Ore for 12 Silver Coins.

The Guardian Knight was immediately dumbfounded when he heard these prices. The prices Feng quoted were far lower than the current market prices. It was especially true for the Hard Stones that were currently in high demand.

"Your Excellency Carlos, I wish to purchase 30 stacks of Hard Stones," the Guardian Knight said, excitement clear in his voice.

After all, if he returned to his own country and resold these Hard Stones at 5 Silver Coins, he would make an immense profit. Anyone would grow excited over such a situation.

Hence, the Guardian Knight spent all of the money he had on him to purchase Hard Stones from Feng.

Meanwhile, the players that arrived a tad bit later were immediately stunned by the Guardian Knight's transaction. Immediately, they rushed forward to purchase Hard Stones from Feng.

A majority of the players currently in Blackwing City were independent players. The money they carried did not amount to much, so the number of Hard Stones they could buy was limited. Most of the players only bought a dozen or so stacks of Hard Stones from Feng. In the blink of an eye, Feng had already sold over 200 stacks.

The players who managed to purchase Hard Stones from Feng left with wide smiles. Some had even purchased Gold Coins using Credits, shouting their offer on the streets.

If they were to purchase Coins through the virtual trade center, the Coins would need at least 2 hours to arrive in their accounts. If it were a private transaction between players, however, they could immediately pay and receive the Coins. Hence, these players immediately started yelling on the streets, going so far as to offer double the market price.

Joking Scholar immediately panicked. This mysterious NPC was actually selling these items and at such a low price. There were even so many players purchasing Coins on the streets.

If news of this matter reached Dark Star's Guild Leader, Lone Tyrant's ears...

If that happened, he would never get rid of the forging materials in his hands!

Immediately, Joking Scholar sent this information back to his superior, and just as quickly, he received a reply. They ordered him to sell as many of the materials as he could at a low price. Following which, Joking Scholar immediately rushed towards the meeting location he had agreed upon with Feng. He then sent Feng a message, stating that they could conduct their trade immediately. Joking Scholar was deeply afraid of Lone Tyrant discovering the matter with the mysterious NPC. If Lone Tyrant found out about it, he wouldn't even be able to sell his Hard Stones for 2 Silver Coins a stack.

Feng revealed a faint smile after seeing receiving Joking Scholar's message. Immediately, he told the players that he had sold out for the day and that he would return tomorrow. Many of the new arrivals were gravely disappointed. They lamented over the fact that they had been so slow, and they had no choice but to return tomorrow.

Soon after, Feng vanished from the players' sight. He searched for a secluded location and donned the appearance of Lone Tyrant once more, before hurrying over to the meeting location.

In the central plaza of Blackwing City, many players wandered, sightseeing. Blackwing City was a must-see destination as it had been built atop the peak of a mountain. Meanwhile, the Stargazing Tower loomed in the central plaza of the city. Through the usage of a floating platform, players could arrive at the top of the tower and witness the full beauty of Blackwing City.

Beneath the Stargazing Tower, Feng located Joking Scholar.

At this moment, panic painted Joking Scholar's face. His eyes were like searchlights as they scanned the plaza. When he finally spotted Feng, he hurried over.

"Guild Leader Tyrant, the higher-ups have given me my instructions. To maintain long-term cooperations with Guild Leader Tyrant, we agree to sell the Hard Stones to you at 2 Silver Coins a stack. As long as you take these forging materials back to Star-Moon Kingdom, you can earn back at least three to four times the cost," Joking Scholar said as he walked up to Feng, a smile filling his face.

Twilight Echo had spent a lot of time to obtain these forging materials. They had even spent an impressive sum of Coins and Credits in the process. Meanwhile, their main goal was to turn these forging materials into Coins. If luck would have it, they could even make a small profit from the trade.

By the looks of it, however, that would not happen. After all, not only were the forging materials of other kingdoms and empires similarly cheap, but there was also a mysterious NPC in Blackwing City selling these materials far below bottom-line prices now. The only thing Joking Scholar could do now was turn all these forging materials into Coins, even at the cost of taking a small loss. He could then head to the Blackwing City Auction and purchase some items that would benefit the Guild's development.

However, although ideals were wonderful, reality was very cruel.

"Two Silver Coins a stack, now that's what I call sincere. However, just before I came here, someone mentioned to me that they are willing to sell a large amount of Hard Stones for 1 Silver Coin a stack. Moreover, if I am willing to purchase over a thousand stacks, they will lower that price even further." Feng shook his head, feigning disinterest.

"What? One Silver Coin a stack? Who said that?" Joking Scholar was already on the brink of insanity. He had only found a large transaction after much difficulty. Now, however, someone was trying to undersell him. Moreover, that person clearly knew about the mysterious NPC selling forging materials.

If he had to sell each stack of Hard Stones for only 1 Silver Coin, he might as well take them back to his own empire and sell them there.

Yet, the various Guilds in Storm Empire, the empire Twilight Echo belonged to, was far from lacking forging materials. As for the independent players there, most were self-sufficient. As a result, the players purchasing Hard Stones were very few. On the contrary, there were plenty of players selling them. However, due to Twilight Echo's recent mass purchase, the prices of Hard Stones in the Storm Empire had increased. Originally, 2 Silver Coins would be more than enough to purchase one stack of Hard Stones.

If these Hard Stones were forged into Whetstones, though, the demand would slightly increase.

"You will have to investigate this person yourself. If there aren't any more matters here, I'll be going. I still have to discuss the exact pricing with that person. If I buy several thousand stacks, I wonder if he will sell at an even lower price?" Feng laughed.

"Guild Leader Tyrant, please wait a moment!" Joking Scholar hurriedly said, "If you are willing to purchase a large amount, Twilight Echo is willing to offer the same price as that person! If you are willing to buy more than 20,000 stacks, I can offer you a price of 60 Copper Coins a stack! Take it as a sign of friendship!"

Currently, Joking Scholar no longer cared about price. The only fortunate matter to him right now was the fact that Lone Tyrant had yet to discover the mysterious NPC. Although Twilight Echo would incur an astronomical loss by selling the 2,000 stacks of Hard Stones they currently had at a price of 60 Copper, they could simply purchase more Hard Stones at a price of 40 Coppers from the mysterious NPC. If they resold those Hard Stones at 60 Coppers, they would make a clean profit of 20 Coppers per stack. If they resold 18,000 stacks, they could easily recoup their losses.

Hence, Joking Scholar needed to take action quickly. If Lone Tyrant found out about this matter, he might not even be able to sell the Hard Stones he had for 40 Coppers a stack.

"Sixty Copper Coins a stack? Moreover, you guys actually have over 20,000 stacks?!" Feng feigned astonishment as he spoke.

"Of course! This is our way of showing sincerity! However, you have to buy 20,000 stacks to get such a low price." Joking Scholar nodded his head, smiling.

"Hold on a minute. I'll ask that person what price he is willing to offer if I buy 20,000 stacks," Feng said.

Hearing that Lone Tyrant was about to contact the person who knew about the mysterious NPC, Joking Scholar's panic grew. Anyone aware of this information only needed to spend as much effort as flipping a hand over in this transaction. Even if they made a profit of 1 Copper Coin per stack, they could still earn 2 Gold Coins from selling 20,000 stacks. However, Joking Scholar's situation was different. Hence, he hurriedly shouted, "Guild Leader Tyrant, please wait a minute! I don't wish to waste time competing with those people, so I'll offer you a cost price of 50 Copper Coins! Take it as me trying to befriend you! However, you have to purchase 50,000 stacks! I'll even gift you 300 stacks of Iron Ore, 400 stacks of Silver Ore, 200 stacks of Mithril Ore, 100 stacks of Gold Ore, and also a Mysterious-Iron ranked Runic Ore Bag! Nobody can offer you a lower price than me!"

"You're offering 50 Copper Coins a stack, and they come with a gift of rare ores as well? There are even 100 stacks of Gold Ore, a high-quality ore that I have never seen before. It seems that you are indeed sincere. I doubt that the other side can offer a price lower than this. Alright, then. I'll buy 50,000 stacks of Hard Stones from you! Let's sign a contract." Feng smiled contently while taking out an electronic contract and writing the terms.

At the expense of selling over 200 stacks of Hard Stones at a price of 40 Copper Coins a stack, he could purchase over 2,000 stacks at a price of 50 Copper Coins in return. He had made a huge profit out of this transaction. As for the remaining 48,000 stacks of Hard Stones, when Joking Scholar uncovered the truth, he would never sell him Hard Stones for such a low price again. Basically, there wouldn't be another business transaction between him and Twilight Echo. However, Feng paid no mind to this.

The ores weren't what he actually cared about. Instead, it was this contract that would get him Credits.

"Let's sign a contract then, Guild Leader Tyrant," Joking Scholar didn't expect Lone Tyrant to propose a contract. He had initially thought that he would have to persuade Lone Tyrant into signing one, but this saved him the trouble. With the Main God System bearing testimony to this contract, neither party involved was allowed to violate the conditions set.

But when he saw that Lone Tyrant had wrote that the transaction had to be done within ten days, while setting the penalty for reneging the contract to 100,000 Gold Coins or 1 billion Credits, with Gold Coins as priority, he inwardly sweated bullets. However, upon considering that this would only keep Lone Tyrant from going back on the contract even more, he immediately forwarded it to his Guild Leader.

If Joking Scholar had been in his normal state of mind, he would have stopped for a moment to reconsider and think things through while consoling with Twilight Echo's Guild Leader. But with how panicked and stressed out he was that Lone Tyrant would find out about the mysterious NPC, he didn't consider the possible consequences and immediately went through with it.

As expected, Twilight Echo's Guild Leader quickly signed the contract, marking that neither party could go back on the agreement anymore without paying the huge amount Feng had written down.

When Feng saw both signatures on the contract, he knew that he didn't need to worry about Credits for quite some time. Naturally, there'll be no mysterious NPC to sell Joking Scholar any more hard stones, and with how much they've previously bought in the Storm Empire, there was no way they'll be able to gather another 48,000 stacks of Hard Stones.

It was also impossible for Twilight Echo to gather 100,000 Gold Coins. In fact, even if all of the current First-rate Guilds in God's Domain pulled in all of their money, they still wouldn't be able to gather 100,000 Gold Coins.

Thus, their only option will be to pay with Credits. 

However, Joking Scholar was far more excited than Feng; his heart was about to break out of his chest. As he watched the contract receiving the recognition of the Main God System, he simultaneously revealed a cold smile.

"Let's first trade the 2,000 stacks that I have with me, then," Joking Scholar felt fully relieved now.

"Sure," Feng revealed a faint smile, nodding.

Joking Scholar then called up the trade interface, initiating the trade.

With the agreement in effect now, even if Lone Tyrant discovered the secret, he would not dare renege on the deal. If he did so, he had to pay 100,000 Gold Coins or 1 billion Credits, with Gold Coins set the priority. Hence, he could only gnash his teeth as he purchased 50,000 stacks of Hard Stones for 50 Copper Coins a stack.

The full transaction would total to 250 Gold Coins. Meanwhile, by reselling the 48,000 stacks of Hard Stones he would obtain from the mysterious NPC, Joking Scholar could make a clean profit of 48 Gold. In addition to the 10 Gold he just obtained, he would have a total profit of 58 Gold. Such an amount could allow him to purchase quite a lot of items at the Blackwing City Auction. He could also use the leftovers to increase the Guild's fluid funds.

Joking Scholar nearly roared with excitement.

This feeling is great!

However, Joking Scholar suppressed his excitement. He still needed to maintain a proper outward appearance.

Now that Twilight Echo had such fluid funds, they could develop at a much faster rate. Also, since his contribution in this matter was so great, Joking Scholar wondered just what sort of reward the Guild Leader would give him.

"Guild Leader Tyrant, please hold on a moment. I'll go and retrieve the remaining Hard Stones." Joking Scholar was satisfied after receiving the money. He would immediately use this money to purchase even more Hard Stones from that mysterious NPC.

"Fine. Let's meet up at the Bank, then."

Although players could not retrieve their personal belongings from the Bank of Blackwing City, they were still allowed to store items.

As for the remaining forging materials he had been promised, Feng no longer held any hopes of receiving them. After all, he could already envision the end result.

Very quickly, Joking Scholar ran over to the gazebo the mysterious NPC had previously occupied.

"Where is he?" Joking Scholar looked at the scarcely populated alley. Aside from a few players, the mysterious NPC was nowhere to be found.

"Are you referring to that NPC that sold the forging materials? You came late. That NPC sold out of materials a while ago. He said he would only return tomorrow after restocking."

"You guys are gullible. Did you really think such things will happen every day? I bet this was a one-time event triggered by some sort of quest. I highly doubt that old man will return. Otherwise, if the old man sold so many Hard Stones every single day, wouldn't it break the market? The Main God System shouldn't make such a mistake."

Two "kind-hearted" players passing by suddenly started chatting about this incident.

"How could this be?" Hearing the words of the two "kind-hearted" players, Joking Scholar's face instantly turned ashen. Words could no longer describe his current mood. "God, just what have I done...?"

Whether the mysterious NPC sold the Hard Stones in limited amounts every day or stopped selling altogether, to Joking Scholar, there was no difference between the two. No matter which scenario occurred, it was impossible for him to put together 48,000 stacks of Hard Stones within ten days.

If he failed to do so, then he would break the terms of the contract. If so, he would have to compensate Lone Tyrant with 100,000 Gold Coins, or 1 billion Credits. Faced with such a heavy price, Joking Scholar had instantly fallen from heaven directly into hell.

If he had known such a situation would occur, he absolutely would not have sold those forging materials he had for such a low price. In the end, he had only gained 10 Gold Coins for all those precious materials. Moreover, he had even dug his own grave and bought his own coffin by signing that 50,000-stack contract with Lone Tyrant. What was he supposed to do now?

"This won't do. I need to contact Lone Tyrant immediately! I have to think of a way to scrap that contract!" At the end of the day, Joking Scholar was still a veteran businessman. Now that he knew what he should do, he hurriedly ran towards the Bank of Blackwing City.

If he had only lost this batch of forging materials, Twilight Echo could still bear such a loss; it would not greatly hamper the Guild's overall development. Furthermore, he had at least received 10 Gold Coins for those materials. However, the remaining 48,000 stacks of Hard Stones would take Twilight Echo's life. If he took Twilight Echo's life, the Guild Leader would take his!

Just after Feng stored all the materials in the Bank, he noticed Joking Scholar running over to him in a flurry. Although Joking Scholar tried to feign calmness, with the immense pressure and fear bearing down on him, he failed.

"Brother Scholar is fast. It must be exhausting for you to transport the stones back and forth. I wonder how many stacks you have brought this time?" Feng decided to poke fun at Joking Scholar some more.

"Your Excellency Tyrant, I need to discuss a certain matter with you." Joking Scholar no longer had the confidence from before. He even started using honorifics in his speech. However, he had no choice as his life was now in Feng's hands.

"We are already business partners. If you have anything to say, just say it." Feng nodded.

"Your Excellency Tyrant is right. We at Twilight Echo have always been villains before gentlemen. Since we are business partners, we have to consider each other. If we trade 50,000 stacks of Hard Stones in a single go, I'm assuming that Your Excellency Tyrant won't have enough Gold Coins. Even if given ten days, that should not be possible. Hence, after careful consideration, we have decided to alter the contract, loosening the conditions stated on it. How do you feel about this, Your Excellency Tyrant?" Joking Scholar slowly explained, his words sounding very logical.

If Feng hadn't known that Joking Scholar was trying to renege on the contract, he might have been moved to tears by Joking Scholar's words.

"Many thanks for Brother Scholar's worries. However, Brother Scholar can rest assured that, as long as I return to my kingdom with these materials and resell them, I can earn the money back very quickly. I guarantee that I can clear the debt within ten days, so there is no need for the extra trouble of altering the contract." Feng faintly smiled, saying, "Let's hurry and finish the trade, then. The auction is about to start."

Following which, Joking Scholar gave a dozen more reasons to cancel the agreement, such as lowering the price even further, or increasing the trade amount, and so on. Unfortunately, Feng had rejected each and every one of them. This situation had pushed Joking Scholar to the brink of insanity. However, Joking Scholar didn't wish to reveal his intentions accidentally, so even though he was close to the point of vomiting blood out of anger, he chose to hold it in.

"Brother Scholar, you don't have to waste any more words in trying to change the agreement. I will not change it no matter what. After all, I can purchase 50,000 stacks of Hard Stones at a price of 50 Coppers a stack. That is a rare opportunity that I won't find even if I try. Even if I bought them from an NPC, I definitely couldn't buy so many!"

"You knew all along!"

"Of course. Who wouldn't know about such a huge incident? Is there something wrong with your head? You wanted to resell the Hard Stones you bought from that NPC and make a huge profit off of me? Keep that in your dreams. I already felt that the NPC was unreliable. Thus, I agreed to your offer. Seeing your frustration, as expected, that NPC really was unreliable. I eagerly anticipate the arrival of the remaining 48,000 Hard Stones!"

"You swindled me! I am representing Twilight Echo! Aren't you afraid of angering Twilight Echo with your actions?! We can extinguish a third-rate Guild like Dark Star at any given minute!"

"Oooh! Twilight Echo is a first-rate Guild! I'm so scared! Unfortunately for you, Twilight Echo is based in the distant Storm Empire. You guys are simply too far away from Star-Moon Kingdom. So what if you are amazing? Can you do anything to me? What can you do to Dark Star? If you have the ability, then come to Star-Moon Kingdom! I'll gladly exterminate Twilight Echo and remove its name from God's Domain permanently! However, for now, you guys best think of a plan to deal with the compensation! Hahaha!"

Saying so, Feng departed from Blackwing City's Bank, laughing loudly and leaving behind an utterly dazed Joking Scholar.

Joking Scholar was completely unable to accept the reality that he had been swindled.

However, compared to being swindled, he felt more humiliated over the fact that Feng had been toying with him from the beginning. Moreover, he had gladly jumped for joy like a monkey. When Joking Scholar thought about this, he felt utterly humiliated.

After a good while had passed, Joking Scholar bellowed, "Lone Tyrant, just you wait! Twilight Echo's power far exceeds your imagination! We will definitely destroy you and Dark Star!"

After Joking Scholar recovered from his shock, he immediately called up the system communication interface and reported to Twilight Echo's Guild Leader, Glorious Echo.

"Guild Leader, that Lone Tyrant clearly looks down on Twilight Echo! He has already resolved to swindle 100,000 Gold Coins from us!" Joking Scholar reported everything that happened to Glorious Echo, trembling as he spoke. Although he was one of the core members of Twilight Echo, he had caused a huge loss to the Guild this time. Who knew what the Guild Leader would do to him?

"I understand. However, a mere third-rate Guild is not yet worthy of me taking action personally. I'll send Brilliant Wargod to deal with the corporation standing behind Dark Star in reality. If Lone Tyrant is sensible, he should know what to do. If he thinks he can easily take 100,000 Gold Coins from me, he should think again."

"However, Scholar, your performance this time has disappointed me. After you're done with the auction, return and hand over your duties to Green Wave."

"Yes, Guild Leader. I will meet with Green Wave once I return."

Although Glorious Echo had not scolded Joking Scholar, he had made his intentions clear. Instantly, Joking Scholar's outward appearance seemed to age by over a decade. Even if he inwardly felt reluctant, he could only accept this conclusion.

At this moment, hatred of Lone Tyrant filled Joking Scholar's very soul. If it weren't for Lone Tyrant, he would not have fallen to such a fate.

Unless he could perform astonishingly, bringing a huge benefit to the Guild, the Guild would no longer regard him with any importance.

"No! I can't just give up! As long as I can buy an item at the Blackwing Auction that will surprise the Guild Leader, he might even decide to rescind my punishment!" A final trace of hope ignited in Joking Scholar.

With the 8 Gold he had brought from the Guild, in addition to the 10 Gold he previously obtained, he currently had 18 Gold on him. With so much money, not even a first-rate Guild could contest him in the auction.

---

Elsewhere, Feng had already arrived at the Blackwing Auction House under the guise of Black Flame.

Feng's plan had succeeded magnificently. Not only had he earned a large sum of Coins and Credits, but he also helped Dark Star make a powerful enemy.

Just as Feng was about to take a seat in the auction hall, his system communicator rang out. The person contacting him was none other than Aqua Rose, who had been out of reach all this time.

"Miss Aqua, you sure are a busy person. You actually sent a representative for such an important business transaction," Feng teased.

"Master Black Flame, you must be joking. I've only managed to log into God's Domain after much difficulty. However, it seems that I am still too late." Aqua Rose's tone was helpless as she spoke.

"What happened?" Feng asked.

"It's nothing much. I only left Twilight Echo; that's all," Aqua Rose casually replied.

"Oh? And I thought it was something big. You scared me for a second." Feng replied "Though, what caused you to leave?"

Aqua was briefly speechless at Feng's reply, before responding "My family tried to force me to do something that I didn't want to do. I refused, so I was expelled from Twilight Echo as a result. In a fit of rage, I also ran away from home. I am penniless now after buying a new virtual reality helmet. I wonder if Master Black Flame would be willing to shelter me?" Aqua Rose giggled as she joked. Laugh away the pain, as they say.

She had only been joking about her current financial state. After all, it was a fact that she was the princess of a major corporation. It was inevitable that she would have some money saved up. Even if she ran away from home and did not rely on her parents, the money she had in her bank account could allow her to live the rest of her life in peace without working.

"Sure. I would gladly welcome a powerful helper like Miss Rose. How does an annual salary of one million Credits, in addition to 5% of my Workshop's shares sound to you?" Feng took the opportunity to recruit Aqua.

Aqua Rose was immediately dumbfounded by Feng's offer.

Normally, it was already impressive for a Guild to offer an annual salary in the millions. Yet, Black Flame went as far as to offer her 5% of his Guild's shares willingly. This was an unimaginable offer, and it clearly showed how highly Feng viewed her.

Aqua Rose suddenly felt bewildered.

Originally, she had intended to start up her own Workshop from scratch. After all, some of her loyal subordinates had left Twilight Echo with her after learning of her expulsion. With this group of people under her command, she could still establish a relatively strong Workshop. In the future, she intended to build a Guild powerful enough to rival Twilight Echo. She wanted to teach her family that their decision was a mistake.

The only problem remaining would be Twilight Echo's oppression. It was also why she currently had a massive headache. If she wished to continue developing herself and her Workshop in the Storm Empire, they would have to face the full brunt of Twilight Echo. Meanwhile, Aqua Rose was very clear on just how amazing Twilight Echo was as a Guild.

But now that Black Flame had invited her with such sincerity, she was at a loss on what to do.

"If that is still not enough, you can become the Vice Leader of the Guild. You can also form your own elite team and maintain independence. How about it?" Feng added.

"Even if I agreed to your offer, I still have a group of subordinates in the Storm Empire. I might be able to afford the expensive teleportation fee for myself, but they won't be able to. Moreover, for my sake, they chose to leave Twilight Echo and abandon their bright futures there. I can't just abandon them for my own selfish reasons. I am truly sorry about this." Although Feng's offer was very attractive, Aqua Rose was not willing to abandon her subordinates.

"Are there a lot of them?" Feng asked.

"There should be over a hundred people. Master Black Flame, you should just give up. Not even Twilight Echo can afford the teleportation fee for so many people," Aqua Rose naturally understood Feng's intentions behind the question.

Teleportation across countries was costly. Moreover, the Storm Empire was very far away from Star-Moon Kingdom, so the teleportation fee involved would be far more expensive. A rough estimate for a single player was 2 to 3 Gold Coins, while the total for a hundred players would be at least 200 to 300 Gold Coins.

Not to mention just one first-rate Guild, even ten first-rate Guilds combined couldn't afford such a price.

It was impossible that Feng would possess so many Gold Coins.

"So, it's only a hundred or so. Fortunately, there aren't too many. Come to Star-Moon Kingdom, then. I'll pay the teleportation fees."

"Master Black Flame, that's 300-hundred-Gold Coins, not 3 Gold Coins," Aqua Rose reminded Feng.

"Yes, I know that. I'll send 300 Gold to you in a moment. After you arrive in White River City, head to the Starstreak Trading Firm to look for me." As the Blackwing Auction had already started, Feng disconnected the call after saying so.

Feng's words left Aqua Rose utterly shocked.

"Just what kind of power is behind Master Black Flame? How could he have such astonishing wealth? To casually hand over 300 Gold Coins... Could it be one of those Super Guilds?" Feng's tone when he spoke had been very casual as if the 300 Gold Coins he mentioned were merely 3 Gold Coins. Aqua Rose shook her head. "No, even those Super Guilds can't spend 300 Gold Coins with such ease."

"This is interesting. Anyway, I'll get my answers as long as I arrive at White River City." Aqua Rose revealed a faint smile, anticipation filling her heart.

---

Meanwhile, the venue of today's Blackwing Auction was already packed with players. Among all these players, a majority consisted of the upper echelons of large Guilds.

These Guilds had scraped up every single Coin they could for today's auction.

From their inquiries, they learned that the Auction House sold many astonishing items. Even if it was only in the normal auction, items such as Fine-Gold Equipment and materials required to forge Dark-Gold Equipment would be available. There was also a small possibility for items such as Dark-Gold Weapons and Epic ranked items to appear in the auction. One only needed sufficient Coins to purchase these precious items.

After going through several warm-up auctions, the fiery atmosphere in the auction venue reached its zenith.

From the start, players desired every item that had been up for auction. However, none of these items piqued Feng's interest, as all of them were only Mysterious-Iron rank. Although such items were useful to a Guild's elite members, they were no use to him.

Meanwhile, the following item that appeared on stage instantly caused the eyes of every player present to shine. They all expressed great interest in this item.

This item was a Fine-Gold ranked dagger.

[Ice Thorn] (Dagger, Fine-Gold Rank)

Level 15

Attack +134

Strength +18, Agility +24, Endurance +15

Additional Passive Skill-

Power of Frost: Deals 50% frost damage to the target, reducing target's Movement Speed and Attack Speed by 50% for 4 seconds.

If an Assassin equipped this dagger, they would be like a tiger that had grown wings. Even if the Assassin failed to kill the enemy with a single hit, with the speed reduction in effect, they could continue linking skills to destroy their enemy.

Aside from the Ice Thorn, there was also a dagger called Raging Flames Dagger.

[Raging Flames Dagger] (Dagger, Fine-Gold Rank)

Level 15

Attack +134

Strength +18, Agility +24, Endurance +15

Additional Skill-

Power of Flames: Deals 50% flame damage to the target, reducing the target's Defense by 10% for 20 seconds. Effect stacks up to a maximum of 5 times.

All Assassins in the auction venue grew excited at the appearance of these two daggers. They practically drooled, wishing they could equip these blades.

Regarding the speed reduction, the armor break effect, or the additional 50% magic damage, they were all precious to Assassins. One could say that these two daggers were the best weapons for Assassins at this stage of the game, and they were second to none.

However, the minimum bid also caused the players to feel helpless and frustrated.

The bidding started at 5 Gold Coins. Moreover, the minimum increment for each bid was 10 Silver Coins. If they were to compete for this item, the price would still increase by a lot. If one of the large Guilds present bid on these daggers, that Guild would lose the ability to compete for the following items to show up in the auction.

Unless they had a particular need for these daggers, none of the Guilds present would insist on buying them.

Feng glanced at the daggers, but didn't intend to buy them. After all, he had plenty of much better and higher level weapons in his Bank.

"Great! Heaven has yet to forsake me! If I can present these daggers to the Guild Leader, he would definitely be very happy! He might even decide to my repeal punishment!" Sitting at the forefront of the auction hall, Joking Scholar's eyes turned crimson as he looked at the Ice Thorn and Raging Flames Dagger displayed on the stage. If Level 200 guards were not present, he might have rushed onto the stage to snatch the weapons.

After the auctioneer announced the start of the bidding, the entire auction hall exploded.

"Five Gold!"

"Five Gold, 50 Silvers!"

"Six Gold!"

...

Before a minute had passed, the price of the daggers had reached 7 Gold 20 Silvers. When the majority of the Guilds saw such a price, they quickly gave up on the daggers.

'Hahaha! You all can compete with each other all you want, but don't even think that you can win against me!' Joking Scholar was completely confident at the moment. He was not afraid that someone could bid higher than he could. Moreover, this was only the start of the auction; many more items would appear later on, and no one knew how powerful the following items would be. Everyone would hold back their bids. Hence, Joking Scholar was not afraid of someone competing with him over the daggers.

Just as the gavel was about to be hit a third time, a new bid was heard "10 Gold Coins."

Naturally it was Feng. He wasn't originally planning to bid for the daggers, but when he saw that Joking Scholar was going to get them, he couldn't resist the urge to snatch them from the fatso.

The auction venue instantly fell silent. Although these daggers were top-tier weapons for an Assassin, that price was simply too high. However, that was not to say that these daggers were worth such a price tag. Rather, not many players currently present could afford such a price. They had not brought that many Coins with them to the auction. If the auction were conducted using Credits, many players would be more than willing to spend 500,000 Credits to buy these daggers.

"Black Flame? Shit! He is actually trying to compete with me! How could he have so much money?!" Joking Scholar was on the brink of insanity. If he offered an even higher price for the daggers, then he could not afford to bid on later items. Yet, if he did not buy these daggers, his future would be bleak.

In the end, Joking Scholar made a decision, loudly shouting, "10 Gold 20 Silvers!"

In response, Feng merely smiled as he casually said, "15 Gold."

"18 Gold!" Joking Scholar gripped his chest in pain as he bid with all the money he had on him, his hatred for Black Flame growing by tenfold.

Feng's lips curled even higher when he heard the bid "18 Gold 10 Silvers" Feng increased the bid with the minimum amount, knowing full well that Joking Scholar didn't have any more Gold Coins.

"Black Flame!" Joking Scholar glared at Feng, a hint of despair hidden within his eyes. He only had 18 Gold on him right now, so he had no way to compete for the daggers at all. He never imagined that, in the very end, the Black Flame he had looked down on would give him the final blow, sending him into the abyss of despair.

On the other hand, Feng quickly grew bored of Joking Scholar. He did not even glance at the fatso as he focused on the next auctioned item.

All the players present at the auction venue were awestruck by Feng's bid of over 18 Gold Coins.

Players who could attend the Blackwing Auction all had extraordinary backgrounds. Even so, none of them could afford such a price.

Although plenty of the players present were provided funding by their own Guilds, that only amounted to 10 Gold or so. Even the wealthiest Guild present had brought only a little more than 20 Gold. Hence, nobody present would be willing to go all-out just for a pair of Level 15 daggers, even if they were weapons of supreme quality. Although these daggers could instantly turn an expert Assassin into an apex Assassin, they would not be of much help to the Guild in the long run.

Even if the players present could afford to buy these daggers, they would not spend 18 Gold to do so.

After the auctioneer slammed his hammer for the third time, everyone in the audience started laughing maniacally.

"What a stupid guy! He actually spent over 18 Gold for those two daggers! I wonder who he is trying to impress, for him to willingly part with so much money?"

"Hahaha! At least I have one less competitor now!"

"Eighteen Gold! What a rich tycoon!"

While ignoring everyone's mockery, Feng paid 18 Gold and 10 Silvers to the Auction House and received the two daggers. He then shifted his focus to the next item up for bid.

Purgatory's Shadow!

This was one of the three treasures one could only find in the Blackwing Auction House!

[Purgatory's Shadow] (One-handed Sword, Dark-Gold Rank)

Level 20 (Can be upgraded twice)

Attack +273

Strength+30, Agility +25, Endurance +22

Attack Speed +2

20% chance to cause 300% damage.

10% chance to reduce damage dealt by target by 20%. Effect not stackable.

Additional Skill-

Purgatory Power: When activated, increases Attack Speed by 100% and damage dealt by 30% for 15 seconds.

Cooldown: 2 minutes

Normally, only items of Epic rank or above could grow along with a player's level, and very rarely would any item below Epic rank possess such a capability.

Not only was the Purgatory's Shadow suited to Swordsmen, it was also suitable for Shield Warriors and Guardian Knights. If an MT equipped this sword, not only would their maximum HP greatly increase, their damage output would similarly increase by a huge margin; they could aggro monsters much more firmly. However, the most important feature of this sword was its ability to reduce a target's damage-dealing by 20%. This weapon was practically made to counter Boss monsters. If used inside a Team Dungeon, its effect would be decisive.

Compared to the two Fine-Gold ranked daggers from before, the Dark-Gold ranked Purgatory's Shadow would be of much greater help to a Guild.

However, the minimum price for the Purgatory's Shadow was likewise greater.

Many Guilds were overwhelmed by the sword's starting bid of 15 Gold. With the funds they possessed, they could only sit on the sidelines in this auction.

"This sword belongs to me! Everyone else, don't even think of trying to compete against me for it!"

"Who the fuck are you? We, World Dominators, have taken a liking to this sword! Whoever dares to bid will be looking for trouble with us!"

"Do you guys think you are the only first-rate Guild present in this auction? Our Guild is the Bloodthirsty War God! Anyone who dares to bid will be dead meat!"

...

Although the price of the Purgatory's Shadow was high, the competition for it was still intense. It made one truly wonder just what price it would achieve in this auction. Hence, the many first-rate Guilds present started sending warnings to the other Guilds in the hopes of buying the Purgatory's Shadow at a cheap price.

"25 Gold" As soon as the bidding started, a familiar, indifferent voice resounded in the auction hall. Every player in the venue immediately turned their gazes toward the origin of this indifferent voice. However, their eyes were immediately filled with both shock and disbelief when they discovered the owner of the voice. start bidding

Although the minimum bid for the Purgatory's Shadow was 15 Gold, according to Feng's understanding, one needed to bid at least 25 Gold in order to secure the item. Otherwise, it would be bought out by NPCs.

So, he immediately raised the price to what he thought was necessary [4]

"How much money does this fellow have?" Everyone started making speculations that Feng might have robbed an NPC noble. Otherwise, how could he have so much money?

As Feng had predicted, the NPCs didn't start bidding after he raised it to 25 Gold Coins, and he easily won the bid

Since the Purgatory's Shadow could be upgraded twice, and it has higher attributes, Feng switched out the Level 20 Dark-Gold sword he previously got from Faust and equipped it.

Following which, several rounds of auction passed without much commotion. Compared to Feng's 25 Gold purchase, the other auctioned items were sold at much lower prices.

Although another treasure appeared during the auction, it was a Dark-Gold ranked leather armor that failed to pique Feng's interest. In the end, the equipment was bought by an NPC for 32 Gold, enraging the players who thought they could get the armor after Feng didn't bid for it.

When the auction reached its peak, the bid for the third treasure finally started.

This third treasure could also be considered the grand finale of this auction. Just the starting bid of this item was already set at 30 Gold, causing every Guild present to give up on bidding for it. After all, they already knew that, in order to secure this item, they would have to bid at least 50 Gold or above. Unless several first-rate Guilds pooled their funds together, it would be an impossible feat. However, the notion of forming such an alliance was simply unimaginable for the many first-rate Guilds present.

Lending money to other Guilds at this point in time would be no different from lending money to an enemy. Even if they did join together and purchased the item, there would only be one copy of the item. How were they supposed to split it? Hence, it was impossible for any of the Guilds present to form an alliance.

Originally, the Guilds attending the Blackwing Auction had already given up on bidding for the final item. They merely stayed to take a look at how high the price of the final item would reach.

The minimum price for the item was 30 Gold. None of the Guilds present were that flush with fluid funds.

However, the moment their sights landed on the final item, they instantly had a change of heart.

The reason being, the item displayed on stage was simply too important to a Guild. The final item was neither weapon nor equipment. Instead, it was a Forging Design. If the Forging Design was for a normal weapon or equipment, nobody would have paid any attention to it.

However, the Forging Design being auctioned was for the Arclight Shield, a Level 15 Fine-Gold ranked shield. If they could produce this item, it would definitely provide a huge improvement for the MTs in their Guilds. This shield was especially useful during this crucial period of the game.

With more and more First Clears of 10-man and 20-man Dungeons taken, the various large Guilds had already started challenging 50-man Team Dungeons. However, there was one problem that vexed them without end: their MTs could not even tank the first Boss of the Dungeon.

If their MTs couldn't even survive the attacks of the Boss, how were they supposed to raid it?

However, if a handful of MTs equipped this Arclight Shield, raiding the Dungeon would become a much easier endeavor.

"This won't do! Our Guild needs to get this item! I have to contact the Guild Leader immediately!"

"This shield is simply too good! I must have it!"

The representatives of the first-rate Guilds present had, at the first moment, contacted their respective Guild Leaders and reported this matter to them. The answer these representatives received was also one of confirmation. They were told to obtain the Forging Design at all costs. These representatives were also told to contact the other second-rate and third-rate Guilds present at the auction venue, to seek their cooperation. In return, the first-rate Guilds would produce the appropriate amount of Arclight Shields for them based on the amount of money they contributed.

Originally, the second-rate and third-rate Guilds present had long since given up on bidding for the Arclight Shield Forging Design. After all, they could not even afford the minimum price of the item. Now that they were given new hope, they would naturally be more than willing to lend their help.

One... Two... Three... More and more second-rate and third-rate Guilds started allying themselves with first-rate Guilds. They pooled together all the funds they had, and very quickly, plenty of first-rate Guilds had managed to collect a total sum of around 50 Gold. They then proceeded to place bids one after another.

Starting from the minimum bid of 30 Gold, its price quickly increased to 51 Gold.

"100 Gold" Since it was the final item, Feng decided to not waste any more time here and immediately nearly doubled the current bid.

"Why do you have so much money?"

"Just who is this brat?"

Previously, they had already been shocked by Feng's wealth. Now, however, they started feeling frightened.

After spending 43 Gold to purchase three weapons, Feng was still able to place a bid of 100 Gold. If they had not been aware of the fact that players were not allowed to place a bid without having the corresponding amount of money, they would definitely have thought that Feng was just joking around.

Faced with the pressure of 100 Gold, two first-rate Guilds immediately joined hands to place a new bid. Meanwhile, the Guild to take the lead in this alliance was World Dominators. The representative for this Guild yelled out his bid of 101 Gold right away.

"110 Gold" However, Feng immediately placed a bid higher than the money the alliance gathered.

If such an amount was converted into Credits, that would be more than 1 million Credits. If one took into account the inflation that would occur due to the volume purchase of Coins, then the value of 110 Gold Coins might even reach 2 million Credits.

Two million Credits just for a Forging Design. If a normal player were to learn about this, they would definitely consider Feng insane, a spendthrift that had nowhere to spend his money.

"Damn! To actually run out of money at this crucial time!"

"We definitely can't fall short at this final moment! Who else has money?!"

Overlord War Bear, the Berserker from World Dominators, started panicking. His Guild Leader had already given him the command to obtain the Forging Design at all costs. However, even after joining hands with another first-rate Guild and more than a dozen second-rate and third-rate Guilds, they still could not outbid a single Black Flame. War Bear was truly at a loss on what to do now.

He had even secretly contacted Black Flame before. As long as Black Flame was willing to let World Dominators have the Forging Design, he was willing to compensate Black Flame with a million Credits. Yet, the price of the Forging Design still continued to increase higher and higher. He was already nearing the brink of insanity right now.

"I can lend you a hand. I have 18 Gold with me here. This should be enough to suppress that Black Flame." Joking Scholar walked over to War Bear at this moment.

"What conditions do you have? I advise you to give up if they are too outrageous. I won't hand over this Forging Design no matter what."

"Of course I know this. My conditions are simple; after World Dominators obtains the Forging Design, just give me the Arclight Shield that I deserve. In addition, I also wish for you guys to take care of that Black Flame. He is affiliated with the Star-Moon Kingdom, and I know World Dominators has quite a number of members there. Dealing with Black Flame should be no problem for you all." Aside from his hatred for Lone Tyrant, Joking Scholar's remaining hatred was targeted at Black Flame. Unfortunately, Joking Scholar did not know that both persons were actually one.

"Fine, I'll agree to your conditions. In truth, without needing your mention, World Dominators would similarly take care of him." Overlord War Bear revealed a faint smile.

The two of them quickly reached an agreement. Joking Scholar then traded all his Gold Coins over to Overlord War Bear.

Just as the auctioneer was about to slam the hammer for the second time, Overlord War Bear hurriedly shouted, "111 Gold!"

Feng immediately indifferently said, "120 Gold."

"One hundred twenty-one Gold! I don't believe that I can't surpass you even after I bid everything I have!" Although Overlord War Bear said that, he wasn't at all confident. He held onto the hope that Feng had placed everything he had on that last bid with a poker face.

However, reality was often disappointing.

"122 Gold. You really shouldn't have shouted out that you placed all of your money. I might have wasted a few more Gold Coins if you hadn't. Those are just bad bidding skills." Feng couldn't help but give life advise to Overlord War Bear.

Though, it didn't seem like his kindness was appreciated, as Overlord War Bear got so mad he almost spat out blood, even forgetting to contact other guilds for more money.

"One hundred twenty-two Gold going once!"

"One hundred twenty-two Gold going twice!"

...

Even when the auctioneer's hammer landed for the second time, not a single Guild present was able to place a new bid. They watched blankly as the auction proceeded toward its end, powerless to do anything about it.

"One hundred twenty-two Gold going thrice!"

"Let us congratulate Mister Black Flame for obtaining this Arclight Shield Forging Design!"

Following which, a beautiful hostess brought the Forging Design to Feng. After Feng paid the 122 Gold to the Auction House, the hostess similarly handed the Forging Design over to Feng.

Overlord War Bear and Joking Scholar felt great resentment for Feng when they saw him inspecting the Forging Design.

However, compared to when Overlord War Bear and Joking Scholar first met Black Flame, they dared not underestimate him any longer. On the contrary, their eyes were filled with vigilance now.

Black Flame showed everyone that he was more than capable of spending such a large amount of Coins. If someone were to say that Black Flame did not possess any major power supporting him from behind, not even a ghost would believe them. The only question that remained was, what sort of power backed Black Flame?

Since War Bear failed to complete the task given to him by his Guild Leader, his expression looked extremely bad right now. However, he was simply helpless in this matter.

One hundred twenty-two Gold. Even if every member of World Dominators pooled their Coins together, they still wouldn't be able to collect such an amount. It was only natural that he lost the bid.

Compared to Overlord War Bear, Joking Scholar was in a much more tragic situation.

First, he had ruined the matter of the business transaction. Now, he didn't even manage to buy a single item in the Blackwing Auction. What kind of explanation was he supposed to give his Guild Leader, Glorious Echo?

Meanwhile, Feng was checking the Arclight Shield's attributes and materials needed to make one to see if they were still the same

[Arclight Shield] (Shield, Fine-Gold Rank) [5]

Level 15

Equipment Requirement: Strength 90

Defense +460

Block Rate: 37%

Strength +15, Endurance +25

Evasion +8

Additional Passive Skill 1-

Sound of Life: Every attack received will grant user a stack of Power of Life, increasing maximum HP by 3% and received healing by 1% for 1 minute. Maximum of 10 stacks.

Additional Passive Skill 2-

Refraction: Triggers once every 30 seconds. Becomes immune to one attack.

While the materials needed to forge one were Mithril Ore, Gold Ore and Magic Crystals. After seeing that everything was the same, Feng departed the Blackwing Auction House, and immediately mailed 300 Gold to Aqua Rose.