25: Chapter 25 Intimidation

"Do you see it? Tribe-level. Population over five hundred, with city walls, barracks, and a Barbarian General-level combatant."

The burly man stowed the token back at his waist, his dark red eyes looking down at Wang Sheng from a superior height.

"That pathetic camp of yours wouldn't last an hour against my Blood Wolf Tribe. If you're smart, let these two chicks beside you come with me to serve as handmaidens for my Blood Wolf Tribe, and I might consider sparing your Bright Tribe."

His gaze swept over Murong Xue again, then passed over her shoulder to look at Liu Ruyan, who was weaving through the crowd in the distance.

Liu Ruyan happened to turn back, her phoenix eyes colliding with the burly man's gaze for a fleeting moment. Her willowy, slender figure was faintly discernible beneath her greyish-brown short outfit.

That classic Eastern beauty's face, as picturesque as a painting, stood out like a solitary orchid amidst the chaotic backdrop of the market.

The burly man's eyes visibly brightened, and he licked his lips. "Two? Three? Is that all the people you have in your Camp-level settlement? Is it just all women?"

His words drew a burst of jeering laughter from the tribal warriors behind him, the vulgar sound echoing along the main thoroughfare of the market.

Murong Xue's silver spear trembled slightly, its tip pointing at the burly man's throat, while fury surged like magma within her brown eyes.

Her voice squeezed through her teeth, every word laced with icy killing intent. "Say that again?"

"Murong," Wang Sheng said softly.

But Murong Xue heard the calmness in his tone—not retreat, not fear, but the composure of someone in complete control of the situation.

She took a deep breath and retracted the silver spear to her side, though her spiritual energy continued to circulate rapidly within her, ready to erupt at any moment.

Wang Sheng looked at the burly man.

His gaze held no anger, no humiliation, and not even any unnecessary emotion—it was as if he were looking at a rock, a tree, or a Savage Beast that would be slaughtered sooner or later.

That calmness caused the burly man's laughter to falter, and a flicker of unease flashed across his dark red eyes. Why was this Camp-level chieftain not afraid?

"Blood Wolf Tribe, I'll remember that," Wang Sheng said. His voice was not loud, but every word was as clear as an engraving. "My name is Wang Sheng, Chieftain of the Bright Tribe. I have remembered every single word you said."

The burly man froze for a moment, then burst into laughter, his voice filled with contempt and mockery. "Remembered? So what if you remember? You, a Rank 2 Barbarian Warrior and Camp-level chieftain, aren't even an ant in front of me! What can you do even if you remember?"

Wang Sheng did not answer. Spiritual energy circulated rapidly within him as the Holy Light formed an immense pressure, instantly pinning the insolent burly man firmly to the ground. The burly man struggled painfully to resist this pressure, breaking into a cold sweat, his teeth clenched until they bled, but in the end, he could not resist.

With a "thud," he fell to his knees on the ground, his face full of terror, unable to utter a single word.

The surrounding crowd was chilled with fear at this sight, as they all knew that within the neutral barrier of the Myriad Races Market, all attacks would be silently absorbed by the silvery-white barrier energy. Yet, the man before them was an exception.

The rules of the Myriad Races Market's neutral barrier did not constrain him at all; in fact, it seemed to be helping him.

In fact, when Wang Sheng had first stepped into the neutral barrier of the Myriad Races Market, the Holy Light within him had resonated with the silvery-white barrier energy, feeling warm.

The energy of the Myriad Races Market's neutral barrier had an extraordinary affinity for the Holy Light, much like a loving mother doting on her child.

Wang Sheng felt that he could even borrow the barrier's energy to deliver an earth-shattering punch. The pressure he had just exerted on the burly man was borrowed from the power of the Myriad Races Market's neutral barrier.

He turned around and said one word to Murong Xue: "Let's go."

Murong Xue followed behind him, her silver armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight, every step she took steady and powerful.

Her anger had not yet dissipated, and dark flames still burned in her brown eyes, but Wang Sheng's calmness helped her suppress her impulses. He was never one to swallow his anger; since he had chosen to leave, he must have his reasons.

The three of them crossed the main thoroughfare of the market and turned into a relatively quiet alleyway.

Liu Ruyan appeared from nowhere, merging into their formation like a silent shadow.

"Blood Wolf Tribe, Zhao Mang, Rank 1 Barbarian General."

Liu Ruyan's voice was soft, her phoenix eyes gleaming with a cold light beneath her greyish-brown hood. "Tribe-level, population of about seven hundred, with city walls and barracks. They have about fifty main combatants, all Rank 1 Barbarian Warrior or higher. They are a medium-to-upper-tier power in the Central Wasteland Region, having built their foundation by hunting Savage Beasts and plundering small tribes."

"How do you know that?" Murong Xue asked, somewhat surprised.

"Information in the market is more transparent than the beast paths in the Savage Beast Forest," Liu Ruyan said, tilting her head slightly, the smoky, misty luster of her phoenix eyes deepening in the shadows of the alley. "As long as you know who to ask and how to ask."

Wang Sheng nodded, his gaze as calm as water. "Continue gathering intelligence. Not just the Blood Wolf Tribe; I want to know about every power in the Central Wasteland Region that appears in the market—their chieftains, combat strength, resources, and networks."

"Understood." Liu Ruyan's figure vanished into the crowd once more, blending into the market's chaos like a wisp of smoke.

Wang Sheng continued trading in the market with Murong Xue. The price of spirit potato seeds was too high, so he ended up exchanging three hundred gold crystals for ten bags of ordinary seeds. He also spent one hundred gold crystals at a Savage Beast bone material stall to buy a set of Iron-Armored Bear bones—the remains of a kin to the Iron-Armored Bear they had killed last time, which were perfect for crafting bracers and shoulder guards.

As for spirit herbs, he gritted his teeth and used the remaining gold crystals to buy three jade heart herbs and two red flame flowers; these were the varieties most lacking in their herb garden. Once the transactions were complete, Wang Sheng's gold crystal balance hit zero.

"We're too poor," Murong Xue said, standing beside him and sighing rarely. "A Camp-level tribe that can barely afford spirit potato seeds."

"It will get better," Wang Sheng said, stowing the Savage Beast bones into his backpack and looking toward the distance of the market. "Once the tribe upgrades to Village-level and unlocks more buildings and resource production, we won't need to rely on buying everything with gold crystals."

"That Zhao Mang..." Murong Xue's voice deepened, a hint of unwillingness flashing in her brown eyes. "Don't you feel angry about what he said?"

"I am," Wang Sheng's reply was concise and frank. "But the Bright Tribe is indeed only Camp-level right now, we really only have over sixty people, and I really am the only Rank 2 Barbarian Warrior. Every word he said was a fact; when your strength is inferior to others, you have to endure the insults."

Murong Xue's fists clenched, the muscular lines of her toned arms bulging slightly beneath her silver armor, her brown ponytail swaying behind her like a she-wolf ready to pounce. She bit her lower lip, her voice filled with a grit-toothed ferocity. "One day, I will use this spear to drive his arrogance back into his gut."

"That day will come," Wang Sheng said, glancing at her with a slight curve of his lips. "But not today."

The market was even livelier in the afternoon. Streams of people from various races surged between the stalls, with hawking cries rising and falling in succession.

Wang Sheng and Murong Xue found a quiet corner on the edge of the market to rest while waiting for Liu Ruyan's intelligence.

Murong Xue unslung the silver spear from her back and leaned it beside her, her silver armor shining like a blinding mirror in the afternoon sun. Her tall, toned figure looked even more heroic and spirited encased in the silver armor—the full, upright breastplate, the slender yet powerful waistline, and her long, straight legs. Every curve was sculpted to perfection, outlined by the silver armor.

Many men in the market—humans, beast-kin, and even a few Dragon-kin—let their gazes linger on her for longer or shorter periods. Murong Xue was completely unaware, or perhaps she simply didn't care. Her brown eyes scanned the surroundings vigilantly at all times; the duty of a guardian was etched into her bones.

"There's a beast-kin stall selling Savage Beast cubs," Murong Xue said suddenly. "Did you see it?"

"I saw it," Wang Sheng nodded. "But we can't afford it. A Savage Beast cub costs at least five hundred gold crystals, and those of good quality cost over a thousand."

"It's not about buying," a gleam of sharp insight flashed in Murong Xue's brown eyes. "It's about observation. The breeds and ranks of those Savage Beast cubs can reflect the distribution of Savage Beasts in the Savage Beast Forest of the Central Wasteland Region. If we are to venture deep into the Savage Beast Forest in the future, this intelligence will be very useful."

Wang Sheng looked at her, a glimmer of appreciation flashing in his eyes. "As expected of a knight, your strategic vision is excellent."

Murong Xue's lips curved slightly, and she shrugged her shoulders beneath the silver armor. "Did you think I only knew how to fight and kill?"

"I never thought that."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. Liu Ruyan emerged from the crowd, a few fallen leaves clinging to her greyish-brown short outfit, the smoky, misty luster in her phoenix eyes more solemn than before.

"I have a discovery," her voice was very low, audible only to the three of them. "But I won't say it here. Let's talk when we get back."

Wang Sheng glanced at her expression. Liu Ruyan was the type of person who would remain unperturbed even if Mount Tai collapsed before her. If her expression had become solemn, it meant that what she had discovered was of great significance.

"Alright. Let's go."