136: 35,500 slaves

Shen Xiaochuan stopped in his tracks and did not follow the Gray-Robed Man.

He stood where he was, still gripping the severed piece of the electric whip in his hand.

Sparks jumped from the frayed end, and his fingers were scorched black.

The wind was strong, blowing dust all over the alley.

The girl in the cage raised her head and moved her lips, but made no sound.

The others also looked at him, their eyes empty, as if they had lost their souls.

"Are you really going to buy them all?" the werewolf finally spoke. "There are 35,500 people in this batch; the shipping costs alone are terrifyingly high."

Shen Xiaochuan tucked the purple gold card into his inner pocket, the fabric rustling against the card.

"You said you wanted to find someone in charge; I am here now."

The werewolf stared at him for a few seconds, then turned and walked toward the wooden house, his pace faster than before.

Shen Xiaochuan did not move.

He looked at the cage and asked, "Is there any water?"

An older woman slowly shuffled over, her voice raspy: "We haven't been given water for three days."

He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his clothes, took a sealed bottle of nutrient solution from the lining, and handed it to the nearest railing.

The woman hesitated for a moment before reaching out a withered hand, shaking so violently that she could barely hold the bottle.

"Just take a sip," he said. "Use it sparingly."

The woman nodded, unscrewed the cap, took a small sip, and immediately passed it to the person beside her.

After it went around the circle, a little was left at the bottom, and she tried to return it.

"Keep it," Shen Xiaochuan waved his hand. "When they come to negotiate, don't let them see how weak you are."

The woman froze, her eyes turning red. She bit her lip and lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Ten minutes later, the wooden door opened.

A Gray-Robed Man walked out, his face clean, with golden chain patterns embroidered on his cuffs.

Behind him were two mechanical-armed guards, their joints glowing with blue light.

The werewolf hurried up to meet him and whispered a few words.

The Gray-Robed Man looked at Shen Xiaochuan, his gaze falling on the purple gold card still exposed on his chest, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

"You are qualified to discuss large-scale transactions," he said. "The quantity is too large; we need to follow procedure. I will release a portion of the people first so you can inspect the situation."

Shen Xiaochuan said, "First, release those two hundred girls over there; they have been kneeling for too long."

The Gray-Robed Man nodded, "Fine, I'll arrange it now."

He gestured, and the werewolf kicked open the cage lock.

The girls crawled out one by one, their movements stiff.

Someone's legs gave way just as she stood up, and she almost fell.

Shen Xiaochuan stepped forward to steady her and discovered her ankle was severely swollen and the skin was purple.

"Get some tents," he told the guards he brought with him. "Also, boil two pots of hot water; it doesn't need to be scalding, just enough to wash hands and faces."

The Gray-Robed Man watched him work, and only after the tents were set up and the hot towels distributed did he walk closer and say, "You are very meticulous."

"When people are alive, they must have some dignity," Shen Xiaochuan looked at him. "Now, let's talk price."

The Gray-Robed Man raised his hand to signal the guard, and a screen of light appeared in the air.

He pointed at it and said, "A total of 35,500 people, with a base price of 68,000 gold coins."

"Since you have a purple gold card, you get a 20% discount. If you pay immediately, we will deduct another 2% in service fees."

"The actual payment is 55,552 gold coins," he said. "Delivery within 350 kilometers will cost an additional 50,000."

Shen Xiaochuan glanced at it and closed it. "I will pay double the shipping fee, provided they arrive at the eastern suburbs of Skydome City by noon tomorrow."

"The route cannot pass through the battlefield, and they must not be transferred to other vehicles or handed over to anyone else during the entire journey."

The Gray-Robed Man raised an eyebrow, "You are very thorough."

"I don't trust you," Shen Xiaochuan said directly. "I only trust money and contracts."

The other party smiled and pulled a metal sheet from his sleeve: "A standard contract; breach of contract results in double compensation. You can inject faith points on the spot to lock it."

Shen Xiaochuan took it and made a cut on his palm. Golden light emerged and wrapped around the edges of the metal sheet. The sheet vibrated slightly and made a soft sound.

"It's effective," he said.

The Gray-Robed Man also cut his finger and pressed it onto the sheet. The blood seeped into the patterns, and the contract sank into the ground and disappeared.

"The first batch will board within ten minutes," he said. "The flying beasts are Mountain-Carrying Lizards, each trip holds 3,000 people, for a total of twelve trips. Will you be joining them?"

"I'll take the first flight," Shen Xiaochuan said. "I'll see how they load the people while I'm at it."

The Gray-Robed Man nodded and waved for the guards to lead the way.

Shen Xiaochuan took one last look at the girls in the tents; they were holding bowls and drinking water, some coughing, some silently weeping.

He turned and followed.

The first transport ship was parked on the northern plateau, shaped like a flatfish with iron chains hanging from its belly.

When the hatch opened, a foul stench rushed out.

It was already packed with over three hundred people, all squatting back-to-back, with no one speaking.

"This is the lowest-tier cabin," the Gray-Robed Man explained. "The ventilation is normal, and water will be provided once during the journey."

Shen Xiaochuan walked in and stomped on the floor. There were grates underneath, with dark red substances seeping through. "What was transported here before?"

"Prisoners of war," the Gray-Robed Man said. "It has been cleaned."

"Change it," Shen Xiaochuan turned back. "I want a new one, one where no one has died."

The Gray-Robed Man frowned: "I can't arrange that on such short notice."

"Then I'm leaving now," Shen Xiaochuan walked out. "I'll go to another market."

"Wait," the Gray-Robed Man called him back. "It can be coordinated... but it will cost an extra 2,000 gold coins."

"Write it into the supplementary terms," Shen Xiaochuan stopped. "Include compensation for delays."

Ten minutes later, a new transport ship was towed over. Its hull was silver-gray, numbered 07, with non-slip mats laid in the cabin, and lights and oxygen valves in the corners.

"This one was just retired yesterday," the Gray-Robed Man said. "It has never carried living people."

Shen Xiaochuan checked the ventilation and escape hatches, then nodded: "This will do."

Boarding began. The slaves lined up, wearing positioning collars around their necks.

Shen Xiaochuan stood at the gangway, looking at everyone as they passed.

There were thin ones, injured ones, and ones with vacant eyes; most were under thirty.

A boy walked up to him, suddenly knelt, touched his forehead to the ground, and shook violently.

"Get up," Shen Xiaochuan pulled his arm. "Here, you don't need to kneel."

The boy looked up, tears streaming down his dirty face: "They killed my father... just three days ago..."

"I know," Shen Xiaochuan patted his back. "But you are safe now."

The boy bit his lip and stopped crying, standing up on his own.

The last one to come up was a pregnant woman, her belly very large, walking unsteadily.

As soon as she stepped onto the deck, she was about to fall, but Shen Xiaochuan caught her.

"Sit inside," he said. "I'll have someone get you a cushion."

The woman nodded, panting, and whispered, "Thank you... thank you, divine being..."

The hatch closed, and the engines started. Through the window, Shen Xiaochuan watched the ground recede, the black market turning into gray specks.

During the flight, he went to the cockpit.

"Is the route set?" he asked the pilot.

"Following the agreement, we are heading northwest, bypassing three conflict zones," the pilot pointed at the map. "We expect to land in five hours."

Shen Xiaochuan grunted and looked down at the wilderness below.

In the third hour of the flight, he had the ship descend one hundred meters.

"What's in that ditch over there?" he asked, pointing at the slope.

The pilot took a look: "The disposal area. Don't look."

"Descend!" Shen Xiaochuan ordered.

"Sir, that place—"

"Descend!" His voice was not loud, but firm.

The ship descended. The ravine appeared before them. Dozens of naked corpses were piled on the dry riverbed, their chests sliced open, some reduced to skeletons, their internal organs gone.

"Organs harvested?" Shen Xiaochuan asked.

"The ones that can't be sold, or the sick ones," the pilot said calmly. "Hearts, livers, eyeballs—they all sell for money. The rest are thrown here."

Shen Xiaochuan looked at those faces. Some had their eyes open, others were pecked beyond recognition by birds.

"Will our group... end up like this?"

"No," the pilot shook his head. "You paid in full and signed a contract. Unless you breach the contract, no one would dare touch them."

Shen Xiaochuan didn't speak. He returned to the passenger cabin, sat in a corner, and took out the copper gear pendant, holding it in his hand. The metal was icy, and the edges were a bit rough.

He never let go.

Four hours later, the second transport fleet departed.

Shen Xiaochuan did not accompany them again, staying on the ground to supervise the loading.

Before each trip departed, he would personally check if the cabin was clean and arrange for doctors to bring first-aid kits.

By the tenth trip, the Gray-Robed Man walked over: "There are still 5,000 people locked in the underground warehouse; the ventilation is poor, and they might not hold out."

"Open it," Shen Xiaochuan said. "Move everyone to the surface. I will pay an extra 30,000 gold coins, but they must be gone today."

The Gray-Robed Man hesitated: "The underground warehouse requires authorization to enter and exit."

"Report it now," Shen Xiaochuan stared at him. "Otherwise, I will immediately terminate the contract and report you for concealing assets."

The other party was silent for a few seconds, then nodded and left.

Half an hour later, the iron door rose. The crowd was driven out; many could not walk and were supported or dragged out. The air was filled with the smell of urine and rot.

Shen Xiaochuan had the medical team stand by. Those with abnormal body temperatures were marked separately, and the severely injured were sent directly to the medical transport.

When the last flight took off, it was already dark.

He boarded the escort airship alone and sat in the command seat. The stars were bright outside the window, and the silhouette of Skydome City was faintly visible in the distance.

"Accelerate," he said. "I want to see the city walls before dawn."

The ship vibrated, and the thrusters opened to full power.

The next day at 9:17 AM, the first transport ship landed in the open space in the eastern suburbs of Skydome City.

The hatch opened, and the slaves walked out one by one. The sunlight was blinding; some raised their hands to shield their eyes, while others squatted on the ground, afraid to move.

Shen Xiaochuan stood on a high platform, watching. Logistics personnel pushed carts over, distributing dry rations and water bags. The tents were divided into areas, separating men and women, with the sick and injured isolated separately.

No one spoke. There were only footsteps, coughing, and occasional sobbing.

An old woman walked to the distribution point, and after receiving bread, suddenly knelt and kowtowed. Then a second, a third... more and more people knelt down.

Shen Xiaochuan did not make them get up. He turned to the person beside him and said, "Build a platform; we'll use it tomorrow morning."

When the sun reached its zenith, the last batch of people landed. The total count was completed: 35,500 people, all arrived.

He walked around the camp once. He saw mothers holding children drinking water, teenagers curled up in blankets shivering, and a couple embracing and weeping. No one laughed, and no one shouted.

When night fell, he climbed up to the city tower. The wind blew from the east, carrying the scent of dust and hay.