Chapter 134: I Am Truly No Profiteer

"I am planning to explore the toxic circle again. Everyone, prepare yourselves; we leave early tomorrow morning."

After the group gathered, Wei Cheng said this in a nonchalant tone. The others were not surprised, though only Bai Han asked, "Do we need to inform the others? If we are going to continue exploring the toxic circle, being only eight people feels a bit thin."

"That is fine. You and Chen Ce can go find Qin Douzi, Zhou Wu, Zhao Xiong, and Liu Wenli respectively, and see if they are willing to cooperate on this."

Wei Cheng agreed readily. After all, with the strength of the demons in the toxic circle boosted by the fifth wave of the Demon Shadow Curse, this expedition would only be more perilous. Being cautious was always for the best.

However, less than five minutes later, Bai Han and Chen Ce returned, looking furious.

"What? Did all four parties refuse? If so, then forget it." Wei Cheng was unfazed.

"Damn it, Brother Wei, it's not that simple. We've been in seclusion in the alleys for the past six days, so we had no idea. Two days ago, the City Lord’s Mansion posted a new bounty on the stone monument at the city gate. Those bastards took their teams and left that very day. Now, there are only about ten thousand novice trial-takers left in Cangwu City, and they've taken all the elites with them," Bai Han ranted.

In his view, as the current top Mountain-Moving class in the entire district, Wei Cheng—especially after the last battle—was someone others should always seek to align with for any major action. Yet, they had sneaked off behind his back.

According to the information they gathered, Liu Wenli took over five hundred people, Zhao Xiong took over five hundred, Zhou Wu took over two hundred, and Qin Douzi took a full thousand. Damn it, all the core trial-takers of Cangwu City had been taken away. If something went wrong, it would definitely affect the final clearing mission.

"Old Bai, calm down. They aren't as weak as you think. You have condensed a Spirit Seed, but the others aren't far behind. As far as I know, Qin Douzi, Zhou Wu, Xu Guoliang, Wen Yu, Liu Wenli, and Hu Weiye have all condensed Spirit Seeds. In their teams, there are at least twenty others who are on the verge of igniting their Spirit Fire," Wei Cheng said with a faint smile, offering comfort.

Bai Han’s face flushed. He hadn't even told Wei Cheng about igniting his Spirit Fire and condensing his Spirit Seed, keeping it secret even from the others. He hadn't expected Wei Cheng to have seen through it all along.

"If that’s the case, their strength is truly formidable. Especially with their numbers—they have more and stronger high-end Spirit Swallows and Zixia, and even no shortage of high-end Mountain-Movers. Our side only has four people who can be considered high-end combatants. We are at a disadvantage, so it's understandable they didn't come to us," Liu Sui interjected, and the others nodded in agreement.

"So what now? Are we going to snatch the boss?" Yu Liang asked anxiously. He felt his strength was now considerable and was eager for battle, especially since the rewards for these bounty bosses were truly high.

"We probably won't be able to snatch it. We're two days behind. We are completely in the dark about the Fog Demon; we don't even know how to fight it, but those people are different," Chen Ce sighed, feeling that the others were being ungracious, though perhaps it was intentional.

"That's right, I agree. And if those four parties join forces, the Fog Demon will likely be wiped out within these next few days," Tang Yuanshan added.

"Why don't we go explore elsewhere? The toxic circle is huge—five hundred miles in radius—there must be other demons," Chen Ce suggested. There was still a long time before the next Demon Shadow Curse, were they just going to stay in the city and cultivate?

Everyone turned their eyes back to Wei Cheng, as he was the one who had proposed the exploration. Wei Cheng seemed to be deep in thought, and after a long while, he nodded heavily.

"Alright, let's do that. Everyone, gather your supplies; we leave tomorrow morning. Old Mei, come with me."

With that, Wei Cheng headed straight for the East City Gate. The others looked at each other, feeling he was a bit distracted, as if he were plotting something. But it didn't matter; stocking up was the priority. This expedition was different from the past—they had money in their hands and no worries in their hearts. If they weren't fully prepared, wouldn't the demons laugh at them?

On the other side, Wei Cheng had already arrived at the city gate and found the bounty monument in the most conspicuous spot. The fact that it was still there meant the four parties hadn't completed the mission yet. The patterns on the stone were obscure and mysterious, shifting constantly, but after staring for a second, the pattern automatically generated text.

[Slay the Fog Demon, destroy the Fog Demon's nest: Each participant receives five Dragon Gold Coins, one City Guard Sergeant’s waist tag (stackable, two can be exchanged for one Captain’s waist tag), one mid-grade magic artifact, one house, and +100 merit points (limited to a team of one hundred).]

[Slay a Fog Demon Soldier: Each participant receives ten Dragon Silver Coins and +10 merit points (limited to a team of ten).]

[Slay a Fog Demon General: Each participant receives fifty Dragon Silver Coins, +50 merit points, and eligibility to purchase a house in Cangwu City (limited to a team of twenty).]

[Warning: When entering the area covered by the Demon Shadow, maintain a constant circulation of internal energy to avoid black mist contaminating the skin. If careless, use Azure Wood internal energy to purge the poison eggs.]

[Warning: Not recommended for those below the seventh cycle.]

—

"The difficulty has increased again." Wei Cheng wasn't surprised. The last bounty for the Fire Demon had been for those below the sixth cycle, requiring the leadership of a veteran trial-taker to enter the toxic circle. This time, it directly restricted anyone below the seventh cycle.

Turning around and glancing toward the direction of Floating Cloud City, Wei Cheng was lost in thought. After the previous battle, the area outside the East City had become a minefield for Flame Stones. No wonder the price had dropped to a single Copper Dragon Coin. Even so, the novice trial-takers below the seventh cycle were still flocking to it.

There was no other reason; there were just too many. Anyone could dig up dozens of Flame Stones in half a day, and if they were lucky, they might run into a few stray Magma Minions. The mined Flame Stones could be sold to the profiteer merchants. After selling one thousand stones, one could receive a Flame Ring. This basic passive artifact had become something almost everyone possessed.

Everyone was teaming up, clustering together, dividing loot, and trading—it felt just like playing an online game. However, the essence was different. Everyone was working hard; after the previous battle, even those who had harbored delusions understood that if they didn't work to improve their strength, it was a dead end.

Still, these novices' pockets were incredibly fat. The trial mechanism treated them too well, like favored children.

Wei Cheng, feeling the pinch in his own pockets, dragged Mei Renli to the East Gate to observe for a while. Once he had a plan, he whispered it to Mei Renli, who immediately understood.

Wei Cheng intercepted a few novices who were mining and easily bought two hundred Flame Stones for two copper coins, mentioning that he wanted to strengthen his Flame Ring.

"Brother Wei, even a high-end Mountain-Mover like you needs Flame Stones to strengthen a Flame Ring?" one novice asked curiously. Wei Cheng was a celebrity now, the top Mountain-Mover in the district, and many recognized him.

"You could say that. I have a little trick for strengthening Flame Rings," Wei Cheng said casually, truly without any ulterior motive. However, the speaker had no intention, but the listeners did.

He had only collected a few rounds of Flame Stones at the gate before he was surrounded by a group of novices who had heard the news.

"Brother Wei, help us out! The basic Flame Rings from the profiteer can only be strengthened to +15. Further strengthening requires killing the Magma Giant Boss. We’re so weak, how could we kill a Magma Giant? I don't have high expectations; I'd be satisfied with +16."

"What +16? What nonsense are you talking about? Did you misunderstand something?" Wei Cheng looked sincere and innocent, but the +20 Flame Ring on his hand betrayed him. It had a unique pattern; one only needed to stare at it to see the corresponding information. That +20 fire resistance was a blatant show-off, making the novices’ eyes light up.

"Brother Wei, this is 200 Copper Dragon Coins I earned from mining and working hard this month. It’s all yours, please help me!" A thick-skinned novice shoved a money bag into Wei Cheng's hands.

"This—alright, I'll try. If it doesn't work, I won't take a cent. If it fails, I'll compensate you in full," Wei Cheng said with righteous indignation. He was a man of integrity!

"Cough, cough! Everyone, please make some space." Wei Cheng acted like a street performer, very formally setting up shop. Since this was the only path to the East City, within a short time, there were three layers of people inside and outside.

Of course, most were just watching. Even though they were all novices, even the top Mountain-Mover in the district couldn't just mess around with people's core interests. So, he had the low-profile Mei Renli act as a shill. So far, it was going smoothly.

Wei Cheng smiled, activated the flame barrier of the ring, and within two seconds—the blink of an eye—completed a Flame Rune. With the barrier's cover, those without high enough spirit power couldn't detect it. He then took ten Flame Stones and forcibly activated them. The flames flashed but didn't explode; the energy was perfectly absorbed by the rune.

This was undeniable proof. The novices watched nervously. A novice Mountain-Mover was even ready to cast an Immovable Golden Bell on Wei Cheng—damn it, the top Mountain-Mover couldn't just cause destruction on the street!

But then, it was time to witness a miracle. As the flame energy was injected, the rune turned into a wisp of golden flame, dancing in the air according to his gestures. This feat drew loud cheers from the crowd.

"Wait? This looks like the blood of a Magma Giant!" Mei Renli spoke up at the perfect moment, explaining it to the novices, most of whom had never seen a Magma Giant Boss.

Wei Cheng cooperated. Once the explanation was done, he wrapped the golden flame around the ring. Suddenly, mysterious and complex ancient fire scripts emerged, layer upon layer. When they fused with the ring, it looked brand new, especially the golden flame halo flowing on its surface—it looked miraculous, with +100 to aesthetics.

It had been strengthened to +18!

"Brother Wei, I'll add a Silver Dragon Coin! Sell me that ring!" someone shouted excitedly.

"To hell with you, that's mine!" Mei Renli finally panicked, forgetting his role as a shill. He shoved through the crowd, grabbed the ring, and ran. It was terrifying—Brother Wei actually knew how to strengthen artifacts! If he ever became a cultivator, Mei Renli wouldn't be surprised.

When a few novices chased him, trying to snatch it, Mei Renli used his Immovable Golden Bell to trap them. *Damn it, do you think I have no presence? Stay in there for a day and a night!*

Back at Wei Cheng’s side, he didn't need a shill anymore; the scene was explosive.

"Brother Wei, please strengthen my ring too! I don't need +17, just make it look good. We can discuss the price!"

"Brother Wei, I am your loyal follower!"

"Everyone, calm down, line up! Also, I solemnly declare: I am not a professional. I'm just bored today. For the strengthening, I'm only charging the cost: 99 copper coins or one silver coin. I won't take more, and it doesn't matter if you give less."

Wei Cheng originally wanted 100 copper coins, but his conscience wouldn't allow it. Besides, he was worried about the novices having too much pocket money—that wasn't good.