Rogue

Li Ziran nodded. This kind of favor was common, usually used as an opening greeting.

Li Ziran often used such excuses to strike up conversations with strangers as well.

After all, as a social creature, getting to know others was also a kind of ability.

Those who possessed that ability often found it easier to survive the harsh life of the Wasteland.

"What can I do? If you need your back scrubbed, find yourself a little girl." Li Ziran sank his entire body into the bath, letting warmth seep through every inch of him.

To be honest, he liked this kind of environment. Soak comfortably in a bath, get a little girl to give him a blissful massage, then sleep. Once all his exhaustion had melted away, he would have enough energy to fight for what he wanted again.

Wolf came over carrying two cups of rum, his face wreathed in smiles. "Li, it's actually very simple. Could you transplant something into my body?"

That utterly ordinary sentence made Li Ziran freeze. This man actually knew him, yet he did not understand the gestures for dealing with him. He was not a member, nor did he know his trading rules.

He had probably only heard a few scraps here and there and had come to try his luck.

People like this had little oil to squeeze, and there was no need to cultivate ties with them.

What he needed most right now was to head to the Undead Nest and learn the arts of the Corpse Witch as quickly as possible. Then he could transplant magical organs into his own body.

He did not want to waste time on irrelevant people.

"I don't know anything about those strange things." Li Ziran refused outright, hoping Wolf would know when to stop.

But Wolf clearly did not want to let this opportunity slip away. He glanced around, saw that no one was paying attention to them, then leaned close to Li Ziran's ear and whispered, "I heard you need corpses. The more special, the better, right?"

Li Ziran gave him an odd look. This kid even knew that much. It seemed he had at least had some brief contact with Li Ziran's customers.

Li Ziran nodded, though he did not hold out much hope. People like this always loved using some special gimmick to lure others in, but when it came time to see the goods, they could always find an excuse.

That was the drawback of the Windmill. No one had to pay a price for anything they said here.

He would not waste time. Though he needed corpses, he could simply spend money to buy one from the Windmill later.

"You don't believe me?" Wolf was angered by Li Ziran's dismissive attitude. He said directly, "The place I know is Mading'er Town's warehouse. You should know how many rare slaves are stored there."

As a town rooted in the Wasteland for more than a decade, Mading'er Town naturally had an impressive collection of slaves in its warehouse. Yet precisely because of that, Li Ziran did not believe Wolf.

From his clothes and the way he spoke, he was a drifter through and through. Such a person could not possibly possess those resources.

A force as stable as Mading'er Town would certainly guard its warehouse tightly.

Even if there were opportunities for business, they would inevitably carry enormous risks. The gain would not be worth the loss.

On the Wasteland, the most frightening things were precisely these tidings that made one drool. The more alluring they were, the more dangerous they became.

To survive, living beings would always rack their brains to devise unimaginable methods. That was the first trap.

But the principle never changed. As long as one could keep greed under control, one could generally find a way to live.

Li Ziran could be greedy too, but only when his finances were desperately tight. Right now, however, he still had a batch of Medusa corpses on hand and had just harvested two Elfstones. Before those things were converted into cash, he did not intend to take risks.

"Sorry, I think you have the wrong person." Li Ziran stood up from the pool and gave the fish woman beside him a look, signaling that she could start scrubbing his back.

"I haven't got the wrong person!" Wolf said with unusual conviction. "Do you know Barbaro from Gray Wolf Town? He has the Petrifying Eye now. Word has spread everywhere. That was your handiwork..."

"I don't know him!" Li Ziran cut him off directly. "I'd like to rest for a while, may I, sir?"

He did not want to deal with this Wolf. There was nothing but greed on him, and he was desperately trying to squeeze value out of Li Ziran.

Li Ziran did not object to that. He himself had once been the same. But the premise was that it had to benefit him.

Li Ziran never paid attention to people who were of no use whatsoever.

"Li, listen to me. This is absolutely explosive news. I wouldn't tell just anyone. As long as we work together—no, as long as you make a move—you'll definitely get rare corpses. I only need you to transplant a special organ for me. This is a win-win deal." Wolf climbed into the bath and pressed close against Li Ziran's side, speaking with utter conviction. "Believe me, just like you believed Barbaro."

His eyes were pure and spotless, without the slightest trace of scheming. They reminded Li Ziran of people driven into a corner, who compressed all their hope into a single point.

More like a gambler who had lost everything but his final hand, desperately wanting to turn the tables.

Something must have happened to this man.

Or perhaps something had provoked him.

There were many people like this on the Wasteland.

Naturally, Li Ziran would not concern himself with such irrelevant messes. Right now, he only wanted to rest properly and conserve his strength.

Standing by the bathhouse, Li Ziran could not help feeling a strange illusion. The one before him did not seem like a fierce Wolf at all, but rather a little white rabbit during the Spring Festival.

Li Ziran snorted with laughter, patted this Wolf on the shoulder, then casually tossed a copper coin to the fish woman beside him. "Scrub this old brother's back. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little easier for him."

Wolf stared blankly at Li Ziran, who had already left the bath, then at the slightly rusted copper coin in the fish woman's hand. As though he had suffered an enormous humiliation, he snatched the coin away and threw it into the pool, shouting, "Li Ziran, I've begged you so humbly. Why still won't you give me a chance? Can't you trust me?"

The sudden shout drew the attention of the entire bath. In particular, several rather plump hippos in the distance laughed so wide their huge mouths could nearly swallow an entire head, while several quick-witted Munk Monkeys dove straight underwater to search for that copper coin.

Li Ziran did not turn around. Once upon a time, had he not longed for such an opportunity too? Even now, he hoped some great wizard would notice his outstanding talent for transformation and accept him as a disciple.

If someone were willing, he too would be willing to give them a sincere look with a dry face and beg in a low voice.

Unfortunately—

There was no one!

He knew there never would be.

If he wanted an opportunity, he could only exchange value of equal measure—or even value far greater than the opportunity itself—for it.

"What can you give me?" Li Ziran turned around and questioned him before every living creature in the bath. "Five gold coins. Can you give me that right now?"

Wolf fell silent. He did not have them, and he had never expected such a sharp reply. Even if he sold himself, he would not be worth that much. Yet this was an opportunity he had found with great difficulty.

He was Barbaro's friend. Now, with his petrifying talent, Barbaro had become vice-captain of Gray Wolf Territory. Within two years, Barbaro would have his own wolf squad and begin an independent career of raiding.

It was his dream—the life he had dreamed of since childhood.

He had learned Li Ziran's name during an accidental drinking session, when Barbaro had bragged about Li Ziran's wonders with worship in his voice. From then on, he had branded the name Li Ziran firmly into his mind.

He had thought it nearly impossible to ever meet Li Ziran. Yet the god of fate had favored him and given him a slave transaction with Li Ziran.

The opportunity had appeared, but now he could not seize it.

Aggrieved and miserable, he stood stiffly beside the bath, tears spilling out uncontrollably.

He knew that once Li Ziran walked out of here, the opportunity would be gone for good.

"I can sell myself to you!" After hesitating for a long time, Wolf spoke firmly. "I'll sign a slave contract never to betray you!"

That calm, restrained sentence stunned everyone in the bath. They had never seen someone so ruthless, someone willing to sell himself of his own accord.

Li Ziran was somewhat moved as well. He could see his former self in Wolf, willing to pay everything just to become a little stronger.

Li Ziran shook his head and refused. Precisely because he had lived through that, he knew how bitter it was.

Once one signed a lifelong slave contract of non-betrayal, it was equivalent to losing the most basic humanity.

Perhaps one could gain something, but the person would basically be ruined.

This man was annoying, but he had the potential to become strong. That potential was barely enough to make Li Ziran view him in a different light, but it was not enough to make Li Ziran waste precious time performing surgery.

Seeing Li Ziran start walking again, Wolf could no longer restrain himself. He ran over and clung tightly to Li Ziran's calf. "I won't let you go! Please, give me a chance—just one chance."

This was the first time Li Ziran had seen someone so shameless. Though Wolf's desire to grow stronger was worthy of respect, that did not mean he could casually interfere with someone else's life.

Li Ziran drew out his staff and gave a light tap.

An oily green membrane slowly wrapped around Wolf. His body rapidly shrank, and before everyone's eyes, he became an emerald-green frog.

Li Ziran bent down, pinched one of his hind legs, and gave a gentle swing. After tracing a beautiful arc through the air, he landed smoothly in the steaming pool.

Then Li Ziran turned around and climbed the stairs without looking back, leaving only a clumsy frog at the bottom of the pool, kicking its hind legs desperately.

Li Ziran had already shown him great respect by not twisting off his head and turning him into a corpse.

Li Ziran would stake everything on it: this Wolf would definitely fetch one silver coin at the slave market.