144: Searching for ancient centipedes

The newly opened food stalls and accommodation were not expensive, which was acceptable to the exhausted people.

In just two or three days, leaning against the Trading Center, many stalls providing food and lodging services emerged and quickly took shape.

During this period, smashing, looting, and robbing were inevitable. Fortunately, Gong Qiuqiu realized the importance of food and lodging, so he specifically set aside a large area next to the Trading Center and dispatched armed personnel to maintain order.

Those who came out of the Safety Tower to do business now had a safe place and were no longer afraid of being robbed, which also provided great convenience to those who traveled long distances and had no place to sleep or eat.

Under Gong Qiuqiu's deterrence, the new street of food and lodging built around the Trading Center was very safe. For a time, it was orderly and well-organized.

Ai Yue greatly admired Gong Qiuqiu, not expecting him to resolve such a major safety hazard cleanly and efficiently in just a few days.

While major hidden dangers were gone, minor safety issues persisted. Due to the large number of people, some couldn't keep an eye on their valuables, which were stolen.

Some people also got into fights over disagreements, causing widespread damage and significant losses. Those caught were either directly dealt with by the law enforcement team or expelled, forbidden to return.

However, people's hot tempers couldn't be suppressed. Since causing trouble was not allowed here, they would agree to meet outside the jurisdiction of the law enforcement team for a fight to the death.

In short, there was no major chaos, but minor disturbances were constant.

Ai Yue also encountered several instances of being robbed or bullied.

Most thought she was alone and a woman, assuming she was an easy target, but she turned out to be a tough nut to crack.

Those who dared to trouble Ai Yue naturally met with no good end.

For those with bad character or whom she disliked, she would drag them to a secluded spot and send them to their demise. For less serious offenses, she would break their fingers as a warning.

Over time, rumors spread throughout the Trading Center that a murderous female demon had appeared, so terrifying that even the law enforcement team had to avoid her, unable to do anything about her.

It was said that she had an extremely violent temper. Just making eye contact with her was considered an offense, and one would be immediately dragged away, with no one able to resist.

It was also said that she was incredibly skilled, with ten or eight people being no match for her. She especially loved to eat human fingers, and anyone who fell into her hands, no matter how many, none could escape unharmed.

Other rumors claimed she was a psychopath, a madwoman who would attack indiscriminately when her illness flared up, dragging people away at random, torturing them in a particularly perverse way before killing them, making her even more terrifying than large groups of Devil Frogs.

Consequently, later on, no one dared to approach any woman wearing black clothes and a mask.

Even stall owners felt uneasy seeing her, looking nervous and frightened.

Hearing the escalating rumors, Ai Yue reluctantly changed her clothes and disguised herself anew before she could quietly browse stalls and trade items.

Ai Yue's notorious reputation had spread throughout the Trading Center; even people from Songzhou Safety Tower knew that a formidable person had emerged outside the Safety Tower.

Those who opposed her disappeared without a trace, leaving no evidence.

Because of her appearance, lone adventurers and single women, who were previously easy targets, were now unapproachable. For a time, destabilizing factors in places like the Trading Center significantly decreased, making it much safer.

Ai Yue merely smiled wryly at this phenomenon. She hadn't expected that simply killing a few people and breaking a few fingers would have such an impact.

However, Ai Yue didn't care about any of this. She was focused on the Auction two months later, where she heard the cold weapons she needed would be available.

She patiently waited here, simply wanting to bid on the items she needed.

However, to bid on items, she would need a large quantity of valuable goods for exchange or the Safety Tower's universal currency.

Ai Yue did not plan to bring out other overly conspicuous items, and she didn't have universal currency. Her only option was to find a way to obtain Devil Frog skins or Ancient Centipede's transparent stone.

As for Devil Frog skins, they couldn't be peeled off without a sharp weapon. As for money, she had none, so she could only find a way to get more transparent stones.

Ai Yue had already looked through everything at all the stalls and shops in the Trading Center. The items she was interested in were too expensive, and she felt they weren't worth trading for.

Other things were not essential for her, so she decided to spend the remaining month and a half searching for Ancient Centipedes to collect more transparent stones for the Auction.

The next day, Ai Yue left Songzhou Safety Tower from a distance, avoided the crowd, and used her Superpower Earth Evasion Technique to burrow underground, checking for Ancient Centipedes nearby.

Even more fortunately, she found many oxygen tanks when organizing her space last time, not knowing when they were collected, but they came in handy underground this time.

The Earth Evasion Technique was very effective in Ai Yue's hands, fully serving its purpose.

It allowed Ai Yue to move unimpeded underground. For others, searching for Ancient Centipedes and collecting transparent stones was incredibly difficult, but for her, it was very easy.

Soon, she discovered an Ancient Centipede heading deeper underground.

Ai Yue did not rush to take its life; instead, she followed it all the way.

The Ancient Centipede had no idea Ai Yue was following it.

Very smoothly, Ai Yue followed it to its main den.

This was a huge cave, filled with countless Ancient Centipedes. Ai Yue was amazed by the scene before her.

Good heavens, this vast cavern was hollowed out by the Ancient Centipedes themselves, and they were quite clever, leaving two-meter-thick earth pillars every few meters in the cave to ensure it wouldn't easily collapse.

Ai Yue used the invisibility she obtained from Gu Xitian to enter the cave. As Ai Yue stepped in, the Ancient Centipedes throughout the entire space instantly stirred.

Ai Yue held her breath, not daring to move.

After a long while, the Ancient Centipedes, having found nothing, stopped stirring and quieted down.

Ai Yue looked at the countless Ancient Centipedes, her eyes narrowing into a slit, feeling that her luck was truly too good to find so many centipedes so quickly.

One must know that Ancient Centipedes are rarely seen outside now, causing the price of transparent stone to soar and become quite valuable.

With so many here, if she wiped them all out, wouldn't she strike it rich?

Thinking of this, Ai Yue could no longer control her joyful emotions, and a determined smile involuntarily curled at the corner of her mouth.

Ai Yue pondered which Superpower she could use to inflict widespread damage on the centipedes, rendering them immobile so she could extract the transparent stones.

Ai Yue's mind quickly replayed the Superpowers she had acquired. Suddenly, her eyes lit up—she had it!

The Lightning Power she obtained from Ye Rui!

Lightning Power could temporarily paralyze the Ancient Centipedes, making them lose their ability to move, and most importantly, it could cause widespread damage.

Ai Yue held her breath and concentrated most of her attention between her palms. As her mind moved, a "crackling" sound emanated from between her palms.

Instantly, a basketball-sized blue orb of light formed between her palms, with blue electric arcs constantly jumping at her fingertips.

Ai Yue looked at the light orb before her, knowing it couldn't get any larger. Any bigger, and she would lose control, causing it to explode prematurely!