At that moment, the seven Bone Spikes on Little Skeleton's back suddenly began swaying with a series of creaks. Just as the skyful of javelins, spears, and battle-axes was about to land on him, all seven detached from his spine, spiraling out one by one. They whistled through the air, weaving together as they spun in front of him and above his head.
Little Skeleton stood in place with his Bone Blade in hand, his small body flailing as though he were having an epileptic fit. Under his control, the seven Bone Spikes traced arcane curves through the air, as though wielded by invisible hands.
A succession of sharp cracks rang out. Amid the crisscrossing movements of the seven Bone Spikes, every incoming javelin, spear, and battle-axe was knocked down or broken. Not a single one managed to approach Little Skeleton's scrawny body.
Han Shuo pinched his own waist, and only after feeling the pain did he know that this moment was actually real. Little Skeleton could not only control his Bone Blade to fight enemies, but even manipulate the seven Bone Spikes behind him, turning them into terrifying instruments of death. To Han Shuo, Little Skeleton seemed utterly inconceivable at that moment.
The Demon-Control Art was a method within the Demonic Cultivation Art for controlling Demonic Treasures to attack. The last time Han Shuo had inexplicably transferred those memories to Little Skeleton, he had immediately seen him send the Bone Blade flying. That alone had been startling enough. But now Little Skeleton could even control all seven Bone Spikes on his back, leaving Han Shuo thoroughly stunned.
To perform the Demon-Control Art, understanding it was not enough. One also needed a Demonic Treasure cultivated together with one's own life and essence. Only by uniting one's mind with the Demonic Treasure could one execute it with perfect naturalness. Apparently, without their noticing, the seven Bone Spikes and the Bone Blade had already become Little Skeleton's own unique Demonic Treasures through the constant tempering of Demonic Essence.
Without a Demonic Treasure, Han Shuo still could not perform the Demon-Control Art. He had never expected Little Skeleton, a mere Dark Creature, to get ahead of him and successfully put it into practice first.
"Heavens! Wh-what kind of monster is this Little Skeleton?!" Fubin'en let out an excited, slightly hysterical groan, muttering in tongue-tied astonishment.
After all the incoming javelins, spears, and battle-axes had been smashed or broken, the Forest Trolls were completely dumbstruck as well. Then the seven Bone Spikes that had been circling Little Skeleton suddenly shot out in every direction, instantly piercing seven Forest Trolls standing blankly nearby.
"A demon! This is a demon with a skeleton's body! Run!"
An utterly terrified scream suddenly burst desperately from a Forest Troll's mouth. It was like a signal to retreat. As soon as those words rang out, the Forest Trolls began fleeing for their lives in every direction like beaten dogs. Even the Troll Chief from earlier fled without a word, racing away without caring which direction he took.
Events always took such unexpected turns. Han Shuo had originally intended only to break through and escape, and had never imagined that Little Skeleton's seven Bone Spikes could possess such terrifying power. By the time he recovered, there was not a single living Forest Troll nearby, only a dozen or so corpses.
"Wahahaha! Good boy, good boy!" Han Shuo suddenly felt vindicated and could not stop himself from roaring with laughter.
Meanwhile, after circling once through the air, the seven Bone Blades settled precisely back into Little Skeleton's spine. Then Little Skeleton straightened his bent legs and, carrying his Bone Blade, expertly began looting the first Forest Troll's corpse, taking everything except its clothing.
"Hand it over. The other hundred gold coins." Han Shuo set Fubin'en down and, smiling, asked the seemingly stupefied man for the rest of his payment.
Even now, Fubin'en's gaze was still roaming over Little Skeleton. Only when Han Shuo spoke did he suddenly come to his senses. He was about to take out the gold coins when something occurred to him. Glaring at Han Shuo, he said, "No! When you were fighting the Forest Trolls just now, you actually used me as a shield! That behavior was completely against your employer's interests, and you still expect another hundred gold coins?"
Han Shuo's expression instantly turned cold. His icy gaze swept over Fubin'en as he casually pulled out a nearby javelin. "Mr. Fubin'en, are you trying to go back on your payment?" he asked flatly.
Off to the side, Little Skeleton also suddenly stopped gathering the spoils and turned his hollow eye sockets toward Fubin'en.
A chill suddenly ran through Fubin'en's entire body. His heart trembled, and he hastily forced a smile, shrinking back a few steps. "A joke! I was only joking. Hehe, haha. Here are a hundred gold coins, not one short. Thank you for your hard work."
Han Shuo put away the hundred gold coins and gave a quiet "Mm," without wasting any more words. An exhilarating sense of satisfaction rose within him. With formidable strength, things really do go your way everywhere.
"Esteemed warrior, the things on those Forest Trolls..."
"Mine. They're all mine."
Before Fubin'en could finish, Han Shuo bluntly cut him off, treating those things as his own spoils as a matter of course.
Forcing an awkward laugh, Fubin'en hurriedly said, "Of course, of course they're all yours. What I meant was that I could buy the things looted from those Forest Trolls."
Han Shuo frowned and gave Fubin'en a suspicious look. Then a smile returned to his face, and, imitating Clark, he bowed courteously. "Do you mean you intend to buy these things with gold coins, Mr. Fubin'en?"
His expression certainly changes quickly, Fubin'en cursed inwardly. Wearing a smile himself, he nodded. "That's right. I'm a merchant. I travel in and out of the Dark Forest to buy things found here, then take them back to the Empire for a profit. As notorious thugs and robbers in the Dark Forest, the Forest Trolls should have some things I need. If you don't mind, warrior, I'd like to buy them."
Just then, Little Skeleton silently came to stand beside Han Shuo, with eight bags hanging from the bones of his two hands. At Han Shuo's command, he put the eight bags down and slit them open one by one with his Bone Blade. Han Shuo also placed everything he had gathered along the way from his own pockets onto the ground, then looked at Fubin'en and waited for his appraisal.
"Eight level-five Magic Beast Cores, six level-four ones, one level-three one, three complete Wind Blade Demon Wolf pelts, three Venom Lizard fangs, one Deepwater Venom Python egg, and five stalks of lunar eclipse grass. I can pay you a thousand gold coins for all of this. How about it?" After sorting the items into categories, Fubin'en silently calculated for a while, then looked up at Han Shuo with a smile.
Han Shuo shook his head and said sarcastically, "Not good enough. A Deepwater Venom Python is a level-three magic beast. Its egg alone should be worth quite a bit, and there's a level-three Magic Core too. You're offering just a thousand gold coins? Do you take me for an idiot?"
Han Shuo knew that a level-three magic beast should fetch a high price. Since he did not know the exact prices, he did not name a specific figure. But a merchant's opening offer was bound to be far below market value, so naturally he would not let Fubin'en have everything so easily.
"A Deepwater Venom Python is a level-three magic beast, but the chances of successfully raising one from an egg are pitifully small. And even then, it might not acknowledge you as its master, so the price can't be too high. How about this? I'll offer fifteen hundred gold coins. What do you think?"
Han Shuo said nothing, merely watching Fubin'en with a smile.
"Two thousand gold coins. That's my limit. If you really aren't willing to sell, forget it. I'll leave right now!" Gritting his teeth, Fubin'en finally raised his own offer by another five hundred gold coins.
Deciding that was about enough, Han Shuo chuckled softly and said evenly, "Two thousand it is. The things are yours now. Where's the money?"
These things would certainly fetch more than that in the Empire, but Han Shuo was still in the Dark Forest and had no Spatial Ring, making them inconvenient to carry. Besides, he was only an errand boy at the Babylon Academy of Magic and Martial Arts. Selling them in the Empire would be difficult as well. Handing them directly to Fubin'en was simpler and more convenient.
"This Crystal Card holds two thousand gold coins. You can exchange it for gold coins at any Savings House. Oh, right, what's your name? I can imprint it onto the Crystal Card for you." Fubin'en took out a thin, golden crystalline card and asked Han Shuo.
"Brian."
"Oh, all right, Brian." After taking out the Crystal Card, Fubin'en produced something like a fine needle and gently drew it through a narrow slit at the card's edge. A faint golden light flickered briefly, and the Crystal Card returned to normal.
Han Shuo had been in this world for some time. After deliberately learning about it, he already understood that Crystal Cards were much like bank cards in his original world. Gold, silver, and copper coins all had weight, and no one could carry thousands upon thousands of gold coins around. Such Crystal Cards were necessities for nobles. They could use them to deposit or withdraw gold coins at any of the Savings Houses found throughout the Empire.
"Here you are, Brian. From now on, this Crystal Card is yours." After handing the card to Han Shuo, Fubin'en smiled slightly and said, "My name is Fubin'en. I'm with the Empire's Buster Merchant Guild. If you ever have anything else to sell or buy, you can find me at the Buster Merchant Guild. Here's my address. Keep it safe."
The Buster Merchant Guild was one of the Empire's largest merchant guilds and was controlled by the Buster Family. Even someone as poorly informed as Han Shuo had heard something of its extensive influence. Hearing Fubin'en's words, Han Shuo immediately put away the piece of stiff paper he handed over, then smiled. "Mr. Fubin'en, it's a pleasure to meet you. Perhaps I'll really have to trouble you sometime in the future. The Forest Trolls won't dare bother you again now, so our business ends here. Goodbye."
With that, Han Shuo said nothing more. After giving Little Skeleton a command, the man and skeleton quickly disappeared into the distance.
"Hey, brave mercenaries! I think we can continue our business!" Seeing Han Shuo leave so abruptly, Fubin'en called out cheerfully and walked toward the mercenaries treating their injuries in the distance.
Before you continue