The Empty City Stratagem

Zhang Tie looked at the man and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Come in. This place is big enough..."

The man walked in, glanced at the heavy metal crossbow in Zhang Tie's hand, and started toward him.

Zhang Tie pointed with the heavy metal crossbow at a spot more than ten meters away. "If you're a Prospector, then you should know the Prospectors' rules. You sleep over there. There's still some dry firewood in the cave—you can make your own fire. We don't know each other, and this is the middle of nowhere. To avoid any accidents, you'd better not get too close to me. I'm a timid person. I even sleepwalk when I'm asleep. It wouldn't be good if I accidentally did something excessive!"

At Zhang Tie's words, the smile on the man's face stiffened slightly before returning. "You're right. That's how it should be!" After saying that, he gathered some dry firewood and licorice from the cave floor. More than ten meters from Zhang Tie, he took out a windproof lighter and began making a fire.

Though the man was still some distance from Zhang Tie, he had vaguely blocked off the cave entrance. Anyone wishing to leave the cave would have to pass by him.

Once the man's fire was going, the chunks of Deep Sea Kraken meat Zhang Tie had skewered on a metal crossbow bolt had already turned golden. Drops of oil bubbled out and fell onto the fire below, making the flames leap up with sizzling crackles.

The enticing aroma in the cave grew even stronger.

Throughout the process, Zhang Tie and the man stared straight at each other. In the silence, the atmosphere inside the cave became faintly eerie.

Once the meat was done, Zhang Tie picked it up, blew on it briefly, and