10: I am slowly filling his world.

Li was sharpening his knife.

This was part of the weapon maintenance routine he performed every day when someone knocked on the cave door.

Tu Nan immediately ran to open the door.

Gray Hoffman, the boss of the River Valley Underground City, was standing outside.

He ignored Tu Nan as she opened the door and spoke directly to Li.

"Li. We have a big job tonight, do you want to join..."

But immediately, something soft and delicate drifted in front of him, blocking his path.

The burly man was frozen in place just like that.

He grabbed the pure white lace that had fallen onto his face, his gaze dull as he observed it for a long time, only then confirming he wasn't hallucinating.

"Dammit, what on earth is this?"

He began to curse.

Good, Tu Nan thought, recalling her own feelings when she first saw this thing a few days ago. The only difference was that she hadn't said it out loud.

While cursing, Gray carefully "placed" the door curtain back in its original position, not even daring to let it drift back at its natural speed.

But this was only the beginning; he was left speechless, shocked by the overly elaborate sight inside the cave.

This place, which should have been cold, harsh, monotonous, and practical like any other cave, was now decorated like the boudoir of a nouveau riche's daughter.

Without looking up, Li asked, "What job? I just spotted the tracks of a giant Sand Scorpion yesterday."

Gray wiped his face, calmed down for a moment, and looked around again.

There was a wardrobe with carved lattice doors and fabric curtains, through which one could see mostly dresses hanging inside; a set of vanity tables with mirrors and cushioned stools; and the iron bed had been fitted with a headboard, a soft mattress, and thick pillows and quilts.

On the table sat a carved tablecloth and delicate cups and saucers; steam curled from the cups, and red fruits were scattered upon them like jewels.

"..."

Gray asked dreamily, "pulu fruit?"

This guest looks like he really wants to eat it, Tu Nan thought.

Although it was her favorite thing to eat, since Li brought back a plate every day, there was no need to be stingy.

She picked up the plate and offered, "There aren't many, but if you don't mind..."

If it weren't for the fact that the visitor was the boss of this place, she wouldn't have wanted to approach him. After all, Gray's disregard and dislike for her were written clearly on his face.

Li crossed the room in two steps, snatched the plate from her hand, put it back on the table, and pushed her down to sit on the stool.

"He doesn't need any, eat it yourself." Li looked very unhappy. "You can only eat this kind of stuff; you're incredibly difficult to raise."

Tu Nan let out a shy smile and sat down obediently under his pressure.

Gray suddenly spoke, "You eat this every day?"

For the first time since entering, his gaze fell upon Tu Nan.

Tu Nan tilted her head, a bit confused.

"Yes, it's quite delicious, there's just not enough of it."

"Heh," Gray sneered, "Not enough?"

"Do you know how much this costs?" Without waiting for Tu Nan to react, he spat out the answer, "One Sand Scorpion is probably enough to trade for what's in your hand."

That expensive?

One Sand Scorpion... wasn't that the daily expense for one person here?

"You really are raising a precious little thing." Gray turned to Li, looking absolutely distressed.

"You've been busy from dawn till dusk lately for this? What, are giant Sand Scorpions that easy to kill?"

"You run out every day and even get injured just to feed her a few pulu fruits? Is it worth it?"

Tu Nan was genuinely stunned. She didn't care about Gray's contempt for her; she cared about the information she had gleaned from it.

Li was injured?

He hadn't said anything.

Tu Nan hadn't noticed either... where was he hurt? Why didn't he tell her? Had she not earned his trust yet?

Tu Nan stood up abruptly, rushed to Li's side, and lifted the hem of his clothes.

The moment her fingertips touched that scar, she froze.

"It's a minor injury, it's fine."

Li didn't push her away, but he pressed down on her fingers and cursed under his breath. For a moment, he actually seemed... at a loss.

He turned his head in annoyance and glared at Gray, venting his anger directly on him.

"What did you come here for? If you wait any longer, that giant scorpion will move. Don't delay my departure."

"Don't go." Gray rolled his eyes helplessly, glanced at Tu Nan with displeasure, and suppressed his temper to speak: "This is serious business."

"Through the Black Tiger Gang, we got our hands on a batch of weapons and armor—good stuff diverted from the border Patrol Army."

"Tonight is the first transaction. Will you give us a hand?"

"Patrol Army? Not going."

Li's refusal was blunt.

"Don't be so quick to refuse. You've lived here for half a month now, haven't you?"

"Tell me, what's so bad about our River Valley? There's no conflict, right? Isn't that because of the reputation we've fought for outside?"

Gray pleaded earnestly.

"With your high combat power, why bother with Sand Scorpions every day? Help us with this big deal, and I guarantee the price will satisfy you."

"Getting involved with the military brings endless trouble." Li remained unmoved. "I don't care whether you do it or not. I just want to earn enough to eat and drink; hunting Sand Scorpions is enough."

Gray frowned.

This time was truly critical.

Although the Black Tiger Gang's reputation wasn't good, this batch of weapons was too tempting—if they could actually get the items on the list, the security of River Valley would be greatly improved.

So even knowing there were risks, he had to take the bait.

Li's combat power was unexpectedly high, even Heaven-Defying; he didn't seem like a Chaotic Beast at all. He could actually crush all the beastmen in River Valley using only his human form.

When a Beastman's Children are born, they only inherit the Bloodline of one parent, usually the one with the stronger Bloodline.

A Chaotic Beast meant that the different Bloodlines from both parents had not reached a conclusion within the body.

They could not perform an Awakening of any Bloodline abilities, nor could they transform into a beast form.

Gray wondered if he could defeat Li—maybe he could have tried when he was younger?

He made a guilty guess, but regardless, he didn't rely on martial force to make a living now; managing a River Valley Underground City wasn't something that could be done purely through force.

But a faction absolutely needed martial suppression. Especially in such a critical transaction, they lacked deterrent force.

He needed Li's help, but Li seemed completely impervious to persuasion.

Gray's gaze fell on Tu Nan, who was quietly drinking water to the side, and his eyes narrowed.

"Among the items in this transaction is an Adaptive Biological Soft Armor—I specifically ordered it for Fiona."

He threw out the bait.

"If you participate in this operation, this soft armor will be yours."

Gray gestured toward Tu Nan and snorted.

"With such a fragile Foster Mother, what if there's an accident? You can't guard her every day."

"With that, she essentially has an extra life."

"How about it?"

Li also looked at Tu Nan, who was sitting nearby quietly drinking water.

That's right, something almost happened to her last time. If he hadn't arrived in time, what would the consequences have been? If she... He hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now, Li felt it was unbearable.

Frowning, he moved swiftly and sheathed his knife.

"Deal."

He took the bait Gray had thrown.

Tu Nan pursed her lips, her eyes darkening slightly.

Although she enjoyed Li's efforts for her, she didn't want him to get into trouble now, no matter the reason.

"Don't go." Tu Nan grabbed Li, her tone calmer than she had imagined. "I don't need soft armor."

She lowered her head and bit her lip, shaking her head gently.

"If something happens to you, what's the use of me wearing that?"