A Merchant, and Even More So, a Demonic Beast

On the vast land, the green tents did not seem particularly conspicuous at first, but when hundreds upon hundreds of them were arranged in a massive circle, they became remarkably eye-catching even against the green grassland.

Within this green circle, ten tall pillars were evenly spaced around the perimeter. Two sentries stood atop each pillar, while the soldiers below rested, keeping a close watch on the surrounding movements.

"Whoosh!" Suddenly, a sharp arrow rapidly magnified in Ye Luo's field of vision...

"Boom..." Two seconds later, the image, which had lasted less than five seconds, vanished from Ye Luo's mind. Without needing to ask the Hive, he knew this Overlord had been taken out by the magic archers beside Yarman again.

"What an otherworldly sniper!" The sheer distance and intensity of the attack left Ye Luo sighing in admiration.

"My Emperor, if you are interested in this human, I shall capture him alive for you!" Ye You, standing beside Ye Luo, said with a beaming, excited expression.

Ye Luo cast a glance at him. "You're everywhere, aren't you?"

He then turned his gaze toward Ye Meng. "Ye Meng, is the army ready?"

Ye Meng nodded immediately. "My Emperor, the entire army has already assembled ten miles south of the city!"

Ye Luo looked at the setting red sun by the window; though its light was beginning to fade, it draped the rooftops of Morton in a layer of golden sand.

"It is time to strike."

Under the protection of Ye You, Ye Meng, and their party, Ye Luo did not notify Robert and rode his warhorse directly toward the south gate of Morton's main city. For this battle, Ye Luo still intended to command in person.

The warhorse, carefully selected for Ye Luo by Robert, struck the southern streets of Morton with its powerful limbs. Ye Luo's sudden appearance caused many who had not yet seen him to respectfully make way while observing him with cautious eyes.

Ye You, riding behind Ye Luo, kept chattering away. "My Emperor, Ye Yan has already successfully infiltrated with his Mimic guards. Tonight's war will be a harvest; there is really no need for you to participate in this battle personally. You are the Emperor of our Zerg; you only need to give a command, and we will manifest your will perfectly..."

Ye Luo rolled his eyes in silence. "Ye You, I finally understand why even the taciturn Zergling and the tiny Flying Ant possess vocal systems, yet the Larva cannot make a single sound..."

Ye You perked up, asking with great curiosity, "My Emperor, why is that?"

"Because... they all gave their mouths to you," Ye Luo glared at him irritably and squeezed his horse's flanks, causing the steed to pick up speed.

Ye You watched Ye Luo ride further away, scratching his head in confusion. "Um, what did the Emperor mean by that?"

Ye Meng passed by Ye You and, hearing his muttering, whispered, "The Emperor was complimenting you!"

"Really?"

"...Really..."

"Hehe, I understand now..." Ye You's mood instantly brightened. Ye Meng shook his head speechlessly, squeezed his own horse's flanks, and chose to distance himself from Ye You.

Upon learning of Ye Luo's departure, pedestrians on the main street of the South City consciously cleared a path, allowing for a swift exit. However, just as they were about to reach the city gate, Ye Luo frowned; the gate was blocked by a large number of carriages, making it impossible to pass!

Near the carriages, there were several people Ye Luo recognized!

"Alina, don't bring trouble upon yourself. Nowadays, our Barute Chamber of Commerce is the chamber personally supported by the great Emperor Ye Luo. The business scopes determined by our various chambers in the past became obsolete the moment Emperor Ye Luo descended. Now, the amount of income a chamber makes depends on our own abilities!" Adolph looked at the flushed woman before him with a sneer, speaking without mercy.

Alina was trembling with rage. She gritted her teeth and said, "Emperor Ye Luo supports you so you can earn magic cores for him. You are encroaching on the raw material sales of my Crimson Rose—is that also to earn magic cores? You are clearly using the authority Emperor Ye Luo gave you to seek private gain for your chamber!"

Adolph shook his head and said softly, "Alina, oh Alina, you really should learn from us. Seeking private gain? What a heavy accusation. You are welcome to report us to Emperor Ye Luo and see whose side the Emperor will take! The Emperor is the most brilliant businessman I have ever met; he understands the power of capital multiplication. Why do you think the Emperor had our major guilds bid for the right to earn magic cores? Did you think we were only competing for tax support in Morton during that banquet? No!"

Adolph circled around Alina, teaching her his experience with the posture of a victor. "Monopoly! Only that can create maximum efficiency. The Emperor understands this principle, which is why he chose one of our chambers to support. The chosen chamber will gradually replace all others, becoming the only chamber in Morton and the private chamber of Emperor Ye Luo! So, don't talk about us encroaching on your business scope; even the Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce cannot escape our grasp!"

"No! I will never sit by and watch Crimson Rose be squeezed out and swallowed by you!" Alina said firmly.

Adolph spread his hands, his face full of mocking smiles. "What a pity, this is the trend of the times. You cannot stop it, and Adonis cannot stop it. No one can stop the fate of you being swallowed..."

"He cannot stop it, but what about me!" Suddenly, a warhorse galloped over and stopped abruptly in front of Adolph!

"Hiiiii-ya..." The warhorse, pulled up sharply by Ye Luo, reared onto its hind legs and let out a deafening neigh!

"Emperor, Emperor Ye Luo!" Adolph had not expected Ye Luo to appear before him so suddenly.

At this moment, Ye You, Ye Meng, and the others slowly caught up; as Zerg, their horsemanship still needed more practice.

Ye Luo looked at the pitiful-looking Alina and turned his head. "Adolph, I heard part of what you just said. Very good, you have proven with your own wisdom that my trust was not misplaced..."

Ye Luo's words made Adolph beam with joy, while Alina turned pale and staggered back two steps...

"Only monopoly can achieve the greatest profit at the lowest cost, thereby earning the most magic cores for me. Without malicious internal competition and external attacks, you can integrate the entire commercial advantage of Morton to launch strikes abroad. However, I must add one more command: I don't care about other chambers, but you are not to touch Crimson Rose under any circumstances!"

"Ah?" Adolph and Alina were both stunned.

Adolph then said anxiously, "But Emperor Ye Luo, you are the most business-savvy merchant I have ever met; you should know that keeping a small chamber within my sphere of influence will bring me a lot of trouble..."

Ye Luo recalled the madness of last night, sighed, and looked at Adolph with a gradually stern expression. "Adolph, when others fear our identity as magical beasts, I am glad you can treat me as a human merchant. But I must also remind you: when you place me in the position of a merchant, you must remember that I am, first and foremost, a magical beast. So... are there any other questions?"

"..." Adolph knelt on the ground, his eyes vacant. "As you command, great Emperor Ye Luo..."