"Let's leave tonight!" Chen Quanxu was even more impatient than Wu Youren. "If I weren't afraid of being killed during the day, I would be leaving now."
"We really need to be careful about this," the boy nodded. "We don't know when we'll be able to get the next Shadow-Splitting Yue."
Let alone saying it's not advisable to take action now, even if all the conditions were met, there's still a probability issue when it comes to finding a suitable strange item.
"Back in the day..." Scops Owl hesitated, then sighed, "Never mind, I won't say anymore."
Chen Quanxu left overnight and then disappeared without a trace, leaving Wu Youren to endure the loneliness of his ordeal in the wilderness.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye, and on this day, a figure suddenly appeared.
The person who arrived was wearing a black mask, and his aura was elusive.
"Halt!" the boy called out early. " Kelvin, this place has been authorized by the New Army and is temporarily under my control!"
He recognized the aura; it belonged to the Ability User from the Far West, who specialized in puppetry. Chen Quanxu did not think highly of this person.
"I'm here to discuss a business deal with you," the man in the black mask stopped in his tracks. "Would you be interested in hearing about it?"
"He probably isn't interested," the boy said calmly. "But since we're in the middle of nowhere, after hearing what he says, I'm afraid I'll have to agree."
"What are you saying? We people of the Far West value contracts very much," the black-masked man replied in a deep voice.
"It's just a matter of bargaining. If you're not satisfied, you can raise the price."
Wu Youren remained silent for more than ten seconds before asking, "What if I don't want to make the deal?"
"What in the world is off-limits for trade?" Kelvin replied without hesitation, "In the end, it all comes down to price."
"Sorry, I don't want to make a deal," the young man refused decisively, clearly disliking the other party's style and content of the conversation.
In this life, some things cannot be traded!
"Your attitude is a bit unfriendly," the black-masked man scoffed. "Is it discrimination against us people from the Far West?"
"I'm sorry, maybe it really is a bit discriminatory," Wu Youren said calmly.
This is the middle of nowhere; there's no point in trying to show weakness. "There are some things I won't sell."
"It's really... incredibly foolish," the black-masked man shook his head, "You're not even willing to listen to my offer."
From the moment he appeared until now, his words have always carried a subtle air of superiority.
"I'm recording this," the boy said calmly. "It was a gift from Commander Jeff... Are you sure you want to force me to buy it?"
"Sigh, what a stereotype," the man in the black mask shook his head again, sighing inwardly, realizing he had been a bit hasty.
He wasn't sure if the other party had such equipment, but he wouldn't gamble. "I thought the people of Jin would be a bit smarter than the people of Liang."
"Are you planning to ruin the friendship between Liang and Jin?" Wu Youren scoffed. "Just wait, the New Army will have a talk with you!"
The man in the black mask remained silent for a few moments before speaking, "Are you forcing me to take action?"
"You can try," the young man chuckled, "Let me see how many puppets you've brought."
Kelvin fell silent again. He always liked to take big risks and was very careful about his health.
The other party's apparent identity was merely that of Knight Apprentice, but he had actually tricked the Barbarian Tribe's Great Knight.
Barbarians never think before they act, yet, he was still Great Knight.
The key point is that the other side already knows that he is a puppeteer, and under these circumstances, he still dares to say that he is not afraid of fighting.
"Fine," he decided to give up the attempt, "It was a misunderstanding. Just pretend I was never here."
"That's impossible," the boy said very decisively. "You were here... Kelvin, you were here."
The black mask vanished instantly, as if it hadn't heard him at all.
address:\\\\\\.\\\
After a moment, Wu Youren shook his head with a smile, "People from the Far West? Just you wait."
"Are you never going to stop?" Kelvin reappeared, gritting his teeth as he spoke, "It's just that the deal fell through."
"You threatened me," the boy replied calmly, "And I was indeed frightened."
The black mask couldn't hide the rage in his eyes. "I didn't see you being scared at all!"
"Then you can go," Wu Youren nodded. "I will report to the New Army."
Kelvin remained silent; he was truly enraged. After the Far West was largely occupied by the Weird Race, his people were scattered and adrift.
A people without roots will be bullied wherever they go, and the same is true in Liang.
He suppressed his anger and asked through gritted teeth, "What exactly do you want?"
"A deal," the boy said, his eyes clear and bright, "Didn't you say that as soon as you arrived?"
"No deal, it's over. Just pretend I wasn't here!"
"That's where you're wrong... You just said there's nothing in the world that can't be traded."
The man in the black mask gave him a deep look. "You said it yourself, some things aren't for sale."
"That's fine then. I never force anyone to buy or sell. But I'll have to inform the New Army later that the people from the Far West are trying to sow discord between Liang and Jin."
Kelvin laughed in exasperation, "You're really shameless."
The boy's face darkened. "Sir, what kind of manners are these! You can refuse the transaction, but insulting my... money!"
The man in the black mask remained silent for more than ten seconds before speaking again, "What if I want to silence you?"
"That's worth a try. I've heard that puppeteers... are very powerful."
Kelvin ultimately shook his head. "I don't want to try. Name your price."
"Ten Resentment Qi Crystal!"
"Well... alright," Kelvin a deep breath, "Perfect timing, I'm also a bit tired of living, let's go together."
He didn't know what cards the other party had up their sleeve, but to be able to outmaneuver the Great Knight, there must be some reason behind it.
But he had no doubt that as long as he was willing to risk everything, he would fight to the death with the enemy.
"Wait, I haven't finished stating my conditions yet."
"It's alright, keep going," the man in the black mask nodded. "We're going to die anyway, I don't need to hear another word."
"I want to know, who gave you this information, and what... what's the real grudge between you two?"
Kelvin paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, "So, that's what you wanted to know?"
"I can tell you, and then we'll be even!"
"Impossible!" Wu Youren refused flatly. "You came to me of your own accord, and people from the Far West... are all rich!"
Chen Quanxu did indeed provide a detailed account of the situation of these people in the Far West.
They are indeed very rich, but they are greedy and forget morality, value their lives but are even more greedy for money, and like to stick together for mutual support. They have no bottom line when it comes to making money.
The people of Great Liang revered martial prowess, and from time to time, they would treat them like easy prey and be harvested, which made them feel somewhat pitiful.
However, by draining blood without limit, he can recover quickly.
However, Wu Youren felt no pity for such ethnic groups.
He had a strong sense of déjà vu about this group—it was before he time-traveled.
"That's it then," Kelvin scoffed, his body flickering as he vanished once more.
He really won't shed a tear until he sees the coffin... Wu Youren smiled nonchalantly, raised his hand, and grabbed a shotgun from the wall.
He had no heavy weapons at hand, not even a sniper rifle, let alone a machine gun, but shotguns weren't considered heavy weapons.
He casually gestured with the muzzle of his gun a couple of times, then raised his hand to press the switch on his wristwatch.
The next moment, a gunshot rang out, a burst of fire erupted, and he coldly snorted, "Behave yourself, don't force me to kill you."
The puppeteer can manifest his form at any time in a pre-set location, but coincidentally, Wu Youren is least afraid of sensing the opponent's location.
The location where the opponent's aura is revealed may not be their true form, but that's not important.
As long as the opponent cannot manifest, a sufficiently strong attack cannot be launched.
The next moment, Kelvin's voice rang out leisurely, "Sigh, young man, can't you be less short-tempered?"
"This was just a bargaining tactic of mine. You know so much about the Far West, you must know that, right?"
If he doesn't show himself, Wu Youren's attacks won't be able to inflict effective damage, but at the same time, he can't harm Wu Youren either.
Of course, even if it were an ordinary Knight Apprentice, Kelvin would still be capable of eliminating him without showing himself.
That's shameless enough... The young man smiled. Yes, that's the recipe, that's the taste!
"I don't haggle; it's a fixed price."
Kelvin's answer was equally straightforward, "Intelligence is fine, but no crystals."
"Then I don't need any more intelligence," Wu Youren said, starting to input information on his wristwatch without putting down his shotgun.
"Two crystals!" Kelvin actually started bargaining, "Plus intelligence."
That shot from the other party made him realize that the boy's perception ability was extraordinary.
If it weren't for that shot, he would have seriously considered risking his life to fight the other side.
People in the Far West love money, but they also value life and respect the strong.
If the former strong become weak, they will also turn their backs without mercy and take everything they can.
"No bargaining," the boy said expressionlessly. "It's the rule in the Far West. You came to me first; it's not my fault."
Kelvin was taken aback. "Where in the Far West is there such a rule?"
"So you're not even keeping your contracts anymore? That makes sense," Wu Youren chuckled. "Then, the ultimate rule of the Far West is: the strong prevail!"
Kelvin remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a soft sigh, "You really do know the Far West!"
"I only know how locusts think!" the boy calmly replied. "I don't have time to listen to your nonsense."
For a Knight Apprentice to say such things to Ability User is practically suicide.
However, this is also the case with people from the Far West; they simply don't have the concept of "face" in their minds.
"Five crystals," Kelvin was still haggling, "Plus I'll help you take out the messenger!"
Wow, you can do that?! Wu Youren was slightly surprised.
He knew the other party had low standards, but he didn't expect them to proactively offer such a condition.
He thought for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "I sensed some sincerity from them. Who leaked the information?"
"You haven't said yes or no yet," Kelvin's reaction was more like that of a businessman than Ability User.
He doesn't mind betraying someone, but he must confirm whether it counts as leverage.
The boy's answer, ironically, sounded exactly like someone from the Far West: "I told you, I don't like haggling!"