183: Chapter 183 You Know How to Do Business

The Elf God Clan Guild Leader, whose beauty was as pure as moonlight, stared blankly at the figure that had suddenly appeared.

The fierce wind whipped up her long hair, and also stirred up the turbulent waves in her heart.

Five thousand two hundred kilometers.

He really came.

That flight mode... was that fierce?

Chen You nimbly leaped off his White Rabbit mount.

He casually brushed back the bangs that the high-altitude gale had messed up, a trace of perfectly balanced fatigue and composure on his face.

"I have troubled Guild Leader Yue to wait personally."

The ripples deep in Arrow of the Moon's eyes had not yet fully subsided.

She quickly suppressed the shock in her heart, regaining the composure and majesty befitting a top guild leader, and gently shook her head.

"It's good that you could come."

She stepped aside, extending her slender fingers to point toward the slovenly figure still squatting on the ground nearby, teasing ants with a twig.

"Handle your business first."

Despite saying that, she secretly felt that Chen You was probably going to be disappointed this time.

This so-called Mysterious Merchant looked more like a performance artist.

She had already scanned the goods he was selling earlier.

The items were indeed rare; many were blueprints and props unseen on the market.

But their practicality... was hard to describe.

Either the materials were too obscure, or the effects were too abstract, completely failing to meet the cost-performance principles of a major guild's resource allocation.

Chen You followed the direction she indicated, his gaze falling upon the slovenly merchant.

He strode over.

The merchant seemed to sense the arrival of a "major client" and lazily stood up.

He dusted off his backside, revealing teeth yellowed by tobacco, and grinned.

"Young man, want to get rich? Want to soar to the heavens in one step? Want to marry a princess and reach the pinnacle of life?"

The merchant spat enthusiastically, launching into his standard spiel for a street hustler.

"Here, I have secret treasures from ancient ruins, relics of fallen gods, every single piece is..."

"Stop."

Chen You held up one finger, interrupting his incessant speech.

What gibberish is he spouting? Take the money and leave!

Under the astonished gazes of the merchant, Arrow of the Moon, and the two core members of Moon Gods Radiance standing nearby, Chen You said calmly:

"No need for so much talk, get straight to the point."

"How much money to clear out all your stock?"

"..."

"..."

A rare crack appeared on Arrow of the Moon's eternally icy, beautiful face.

The two Elf Clan members behind her were dumbfounded, their mouths agape wide enough to fit an egg.

Clear... clear out everything?

What kind of outrageous words were those!

They had seen people buy things, but never seen someone buy things like this!

Even the silver-tongued Mysterious Merchant was silenced by Chen You's direct approach.

He blinked his cloudy eyes, seemingly confirming whether he had misheard.

"Esteemed customer, did you say... take everything?"

"Is there a problem?" Chen You countered.

"No! No problem! A distinguished guest like you is my destined confidant!"

The merchant's face instantly filled with a fawning smile, and he nimbly unfurled a virtual item interface in front of Chen You.

"Please take a look, I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

Chen You quickly scanned the item list.

[One-Time Arrow Tower Blueprint (Siege)]: Can construct a Siege Arrow Tower at a designated location. Construction time: 10 minutes, Duration: 30 minutes. Price: 500 Gold Coins.

[Goblin's Stinky Sock (Epic)]: Upon throwing, causes intense mental contamination and nausea to all units with a functioning sense of smell within a hundred-meter radius. Has a very low chance of inducing the 'Questioning Life' state in the target. Price: 20 Gold Coins.

[Cursed Rice Ball (Legendary)]: Upon consumption, grants a random powerful Debuff for the next hour. Including but not limited to: 'Guaranteed to trip when walking,' 'Attack always misses,' 'Healing effect halved,' etc. Price: 100 Gold Coins.

[Master Key (Counterfeit)]: Has a 0.01% chance to open any lock that is not Mythic grade or task-designated. Price: 50 Gold Coins.

[Mind Slap (Random Version)]: Use on a creature with a brain; has a certain probability of controlling the target's thoughts for 6 hours. Usable 6 times. Price: 200 Gold Coins.

...

Chen You's eye twitched uncontrollably upon reading the item descriptions.

Good heavens.

What kind of underworld junk is this?

He had originally hoped to pick up some good stuff, like something related to the 'Immortal's Throne' or similar.

And this is what he got?

Is this merchant's stock legitimate?

The only thing that looked somewhat useful was the one-time Arrow Tower Blueprint, but...

Two or three hundred attack power, and you dare call it 'Siege'?

"How is it? All good stuff, right!" The merchant rubbed his hands, looking expectant.

Chen You remained expressionless.

Forget it.

Since I came all this way.

Traveling over five thousand kilometers, I can't just go back empty-handed.

Time cost is also a cost.

"I'll take it all."

He calmly uttered three words and directly clicked the [Purchase All] button in the bottom right corner of the interface.

[Ding! You have spent 3780 Gold Coins and successfully purchased all goods from the Mysterious Merchant!]

The gold coins were deducted, and a pile of bizarre blueprints and props instantly filled his inventory.

Arrow of the Moon, standing beside him, frowned slightly when she saw this.

She truly could not comprehend Chen You's behavior. Who spends money like this?

"You truly are my esteemed guest. If possible, I would truly like to kiss your head..."

The Mysterious Merchant, having completed the transaction, suddenly jolted as if struck by lightning.

His gaze locked fiercely and intently onto the top of Chen You's head.

As if something extremely terrifying resided there.

The fawning greed on the merchant's face instantly vanished.

Replaced by a complex emotion mixed with terror, reverence, and fanaticism.

His whole body trembled.

"The... the Crown... it's that Crown..."

He muttered in a dreamlike tone, his cloudy eyeballs filled with blood vessels.

"The shadow of the old days, the immortal monarch... so the legends are true..."

"His will has never truly perished..."

Arrow of the Moon's heart tightened; she sharply sensed something was wrong.

Is this... triggering a hidden quest?

Chen You also narrowed his eyes.

He could feel an invisible, icy gaze being projected from the merchant.

This NPC definitely has an issue.

Could there be a massive trap?

Just as he was feeling suspicious, the Mysterious Merchant suddenly dropped to one knee with a 'thud'!

He bowed his slovenly head toward Chen You in an ancient and devout posture.

"Bearer of the Crown, agent of the Shadow... heed the final request of a Watcher!"

His voice became hoarse and solemn, completely devoid of its previous mercenary tone.

"The monarch's elegy is not yet over, the prelude to annihilation is about to sound!"

"Relics carrying the final power are scattered across unknown lands."

"If they cannot be retrieved, when the last ray of the setting sun falls, the shadow of the old days will fully awaken, devouring this land, and... everything you bear behind you!"

The moment his voice faded, a system prompt, scarlet as blood, exploded before Chen You's eyes!

[Ding!]

[Congratulations! You have successfully triggered the Unique Mythical Quest — 'The New Monarch'!]