Trading Market (Part One)

The buildings in this camp could only be described as bizarre in every possible way. Some houses were made from the enormous ribs of Demonic Beasts, with gigantic fangs or bones planted in the ground and multicolored beast hides stitched together around them. Others were wooden, built crooked and askew. There were also straw huts, mounds of packed earth, piles of stone—rough buildings in every conceivable shape. The place resembled some slum or refugee camp in North Africa. There was no proper main road; if one word had to describe it, it would be chaos. Every creature moved through the gaps between houses, some wide, some narrow.

It seemed demons had no concept of urban planning. To Er Dongsheng, every last building here was an illegal structure! Still, with demons' strength, the buildings were quite sturdy.

The entire camp was filled with all sorts of demons, their variety so strange and fantastic that it opened Zhang Yiyang's eyes. Only then did he realize how pitifully little he knew about demon species. In truth, demons were a race capable of producing offspring with almost any race. To induce mutations, every race mated indiscriminately. Aside from the descendants of certain powerful Greater Demons, who might choose partners only within their own race to preserve the purity of their bloodline, ordinary Abyssal Species had no fixed mating partners. The lower the bloodlines of two demons, the more easily they produced offspring with muddled bloodlines. After generations of mutation upon mutation, perhaps even their parents would not know what they ought to be called...

As he walked, Er Dongsheng cautiously surveyed his surroundings, looking around with curiosity. Though crude, these exotic buildings and sights were things he had never seen before, making for a rather unique experience. In fact, he had insisted on coming alone this time because, should he encounter an irresistible danger, he could flee without a care in the world. If he brought the little Mutant Succubus along, she would only become a burden to him in this unfamiliar place.

That little Mutant Succubus was the only ray of sunlight in Er Dongsheng's painful struggle through the Abyss! She was the finest gift heaven had bestowed upon him! She was not yet ten years old. Because she was a Mutant Succubus, her own kind had kept her hidden away and protected her all along. Every Succubus had treated her well on the surface, so although she too was a Succubus, she had not developed the cunning, vicious nature of Succubi and ordinary Abyssal Creatures. On the contrary, having been well protected since childhood, she still possessed a trace of adorable innocence and purity. Such a nature was exceedingly rare in the Abyss! Even after being abandoned and forgotten by her race, the poor little thing still did not resent anyone!

In her own words, she was simply too stupid! She could not master any mutation skills! It was not her mother's or sisters' fault!

Perhaps such a personality was foolish and made survival in the Abyss difficult, but Er Dongsheng cherished it dearly. In this world of darkness, destruction, and cruelty, having even a glimmer of familial affection to hold onto was so beautiful, so precious. He had once sworn to preserve this hard-won bond, even if he were forever cast into a sea of suffering, even if he had to destroy the entire Abyss! He would not hesitate!

Could you imagine it? Deep in the heart of a demon that represented destruction, there was also a longing for familial affection! No matter how humble or fragile that sliver of affection might be, he would seize it tightly!

Er Dongsheng somewhat understood why demons were so obsessed with invading the Sunlight Plane. Because there were things there that they longed for but could never obtain!

Sunlight, resources, beautiful women, and familial affection!

"Come, take a look! Hard scales from an Abyss Snake! Don't miss out as you pass by—come and see!"

A fellow whose race could not be identified held up a piece of red leather armor and shouted. He was speaking the common tongue, a language understood by most intelligent races in the Abyss. Several more pieces lay piled on the stone beside him. Anyone attentive enough would notice that the scales on the armor were far too crude, and their color was exceedingly unnatural... Er Dongsheng laughed inwardly. He had personally hunted a formidable Abyss Snake before, so he could naturally tell at a glance whether those scales came from one. He had not expected to encounter someone selling counterfeit goods the moment he arrived. It reminded him of the noisy street markets from his previous life.

Yet quite a few demons flocked over like ducks to a pond, and some even stepped forward to ask what was needed for an exchange...

Er Dongsheng paid them no mind. He was not the one being swindled, so why should he meddle in others' affairs?

"Look! Half-Elves once belonging to the Sunlight Plane, a powerful race now dwelling upon the vast grasslands! Come and see! You don't see things like this often! Look at how beautiful and enchanting they are! Anything can be traded, and large quantities take priority!"

Several Abyssal Fairies had tied up several Half-Elves and were shouting without pause. Fairies and elves alike were beauties, and they attracted a large crowd of Abyssal Species who stopped to watch, with even one or two demons mixed among them.

It should be explained here that Abyssal Fairies and Abyssal Half-Elves were entirely different races. Apart from their skin color, the two races looked somewhat alike, but Abyssal Fairies were pure Abyssal Species who had existed in the Abyss since ancient times. Abyssal Half-Elves, meanwhile, had been plundered from the Sunlight Plane by a Devil Lord in ancient times. After countless years of evolution, the pure elves of that era had completely transformed into Abyssal Half-Elves carrying partial demon bloodlines, growing horns from their foreheads or tails from their bodies, for example.

However...

Abyssal Half-Elves are an extremely powerful race! They live upon the vast grasslands, are a social species, and possess formidable combat strength. They are no weaker than Abyssal Fairies! Could these ordinary Fairies really capture those Half-Elves? The grasslands are their home ground!

Er Dongsheng found it strange. Something about this did not feel right, so he carefully examined the captured Half-Elves again.

Beautiful women were always pleasing to the eye. Many "people" could not resist stopping to watch, though they all consciously made room for the few demons present.

That scent!!! A familiar body scent drifted into Er Dongsheng's nose. These Half-Elves actually carried a scent similar to that little Mutant Succubus at home! Could it be...

So that's it. They say Succubi are proficient in the arts of transformation and seduction, and their spiritual power is exceptionally developed! It seems that is indeed true!

These were clearly Succubi who had used magic to alter their forms... Er Dongsheng shook his head inwardly. It reminded him of a term—honey trap. Though he did not know what these demons intended to do, he could more or less guess what would happen...

Deception and conspiracy were everywhere—this was Er Dongsheng's first impression of the trading market.

Continuing onward, Er Dongsheng saw all kinds of demons, half-demons, and mixed-blood creatures along the way, all attempting to exchange the goods in their hands. Some had set up stalls inside houses, while others, like the ones he had seen earlier, simply held their wares aloft in the street and shouted to draw attention.

Likewise, there were many people squeezing through the crowd in hopes of making trades. There was no unified currency here. Anyone who wanted another's goods could only barter with items of equal value. They held up gemstones, rune stones, magical items, or all kinds of things acquired in battle, shouting out their offers in excitement.

Er Dongsheng stopped here, intending to take a good look around and gather some information while he was at it.