Xu Shu took a few steps, found a spot near the "airplane ticket" teleportation beam, and sat down. He opened his friend list and located the shopkeeper from "Pangu Machinery," with whom he had collaborated before.
"Boss free? Got a First-order Erosion Crystal for sale, fresh off the kill."
Xu Shu sent a holographic image of a crystal brimming with purple qi through Lie Zhenzi’s ’Mirror of Illusion and Reality.’
It was indeed freshly harvested; the victim, Zhuge Weiwo, had died about eight or nine hours ago.
Apart from this first-tier crystal, he also had one Second and Third Rank crystal each. Xu Shu didn’t plan to sell them just yet unless he was in urgent need of leveling up and truly short of money.
In actuality, it was more straightforward and simpler to display items on one’s own "shelf," but Xu Shu didn’t do so.
The reason was simple: the Promotion Network had a requirent for both parties in a transaction. Private sales could be anonymous and were not regulated, but if one were to "set up a stall," the seller had to reveal a na, be it a verified real na or a nickna. Complete anonymity was not allowed.
Buyers, however, were not subject to this restriction.
For example, at that mont, the ssage that Xu Shu sent was addressed to "Old Gang from Pangu Machinery," also known as Brother Gangzi.
This was clearly a nickna, and it could be inferred from this that the man was most likely a core mber of the Pangu Machinery faction, probably having joined the faction before becoming Transcendent.
In business, familiarity breeds warmth. Old Gang was enthusiastic.
"Brother, you’re impressive, with another Purple Crystal for sale. I bet you’ll be on the Heavenly List before long! Let’s not beat around the bush. The usual price is 310 a piece, how’s that?" He only ntioned the price and didn’t comnt on Xu Shu’s "anonymous" identity, not even asking what to call him—a true businessman.
Xu Shu smiled, intending to raise the price, but now felt embarrassed to speak up. He straightforwardly replied, "Brother Gangzi is quick to deal with. When I have more goods, I’ll co to you first."
Lie Zhenzi acted as the guarantor, money was exchanged in one hand, and goods in the other, with the other party even covering a "delivery fee" of 5 points.
After completing this sale and including the direct "kill contributions" from the morning’s monsters, Xu Shu’s wallet thickened again, boasting 542 points of Contribution—well, 543, but one point was used to buy a "Nuo mask" to cover for Qixi.
It was less than the last ti, but still quite good. Additionally, he still had the remaining seven crystals.
After so calculations, Xu Shu bought Second Rank crystals from Gangzi, not too particular about the quality, as long as they were between Level 6-10 to suffice.
These level crystals were sowhat more expensive than those between Levels 3-5 but were more suitable for his current level advancent.
Xu Shu wasn’t greedy; he only kept 50 points of Contribution for ergencies, trading the rest for crystals, ending up with 20 pieces.
"I should be able to ascend two or three levels. This is enough ti to follow the moves of the Judgent Departnt, and it won’t be too detrintal to my ntal state—just perfect!"
He left the Star Tower at top speed and sprinted towards the Cao Gang docks.
He feigned innocence, settling down in a cheap, convenient lodge nearby the docks.
—Most areas inside the safe zone didn’t have hotels or lodges because business was poor.
However, the docks were an exception; Cao Gang conducted a lot of shady business here, so there were quite a few establishnts around. The place was a mixed bag of all sorts, making for decent lodge business.
For instance, the lodge where Xu Shu stayed, on the sa street as the Cao Gang headquarters, upon scrutiny, confird that the basent dealt in contraband, such as seemingly tasty and delightful flour that in reality caused harm to both body and mind.
Good people don’t live long, yet harm lingers for millennia. It’s almost 2143, yet these things, like cults, are like unkillable cockroaches. Just when they seem on the brink of extinction, they reappear with a new skin in the sewers and gutters, can’t be completely eradicated.
Xu Shu didn’t go down to take care of it directly but quietly took note, planning to report it to the relevant departnts of the Judgent Departnt later. Instead, he checked into a well-placed room.
This room had a sun-facing bathroom window that offered a view of the Cao Gang headquarters at the end of the sa street, and from several hundred ters away, allowed surveillance of the container and warehouse district around the Heroic Society Underground Ruins entrance.
Although he couldn’t see everything clearly, especially the entrance to the ruins, which was even more concealed from all angles.
But to Xu Shu, it was enough. He just needed to monitor the periter to know when the people from the Judgent Departnt would act.
He planned to follow them amidst the chaos as soon as they appeared.
With more than an hour to go, the streets were quite peaceful, except for the laborers at the docks occasionally emitting a clear, uniform, heavy-laden cry of life.
Of course, being a safe zone, no lodge was without the creaks of rocking and moans from beds upstairs.
Nearby, there were the cries of vendors in the vegetable market, the sounds of soone’s daughter-in-law mourning her dead husband in the street, accompanied by competing suona and erhu musicians busking, and the smack-smack of playing cards.
Joy and sorrow are not the sa for everyone, and amidst this symphony of the seductive, the resolute, the wailing, and the despairing, Xu Shu stripped off his clothes, turned on the shower, and with a determined expression, stuffed several Erosion Crystals into the inner chamber and started doing sit-ups.
Sit-ups, they had to be done, there was no choice.
The Erosion ranking had to be raised, there was no other way!
Xu Shu was sweating profusely, his muscles bulging with the effort.
He bled more than the girl whose hyn was broken in the room next door, his expression more ferocious than that of a woman in the throes of passion, striving hard with each repetition to improve himself.
After more than an hour, when it was not far from six o’clock, Xu Shu fought the desire to continue, stopped, and washed himself clean.
This ti, the efficiency was quite good; he absorbed 17 crystals.
"The ti is about right."
Xu Shu sat by the window, watching the Cao Gang stronghold and the entrance to the ruins across the river, while casually checking the Promotion Drive.
——
*Gu Pan (Tai Chu), Second Order Iron Armor
*Contribution: 50
[First-tier Curse Seal: Warrior (Legendary) // Level: 20/20]
[Second-order Curse Seal: Iron Armor (Legendary) // Level: 10/20]
——
"I’ve reached level thirty..."
Although he hadn’t managed to have an epiphany and make a breakthrough in skills this ti, Xu Shu couldn’t help but smile.
Level 7 and 8 crystals were a bit more expensive, but the improvent in efficiency was indeed better than Level 3 and 4 crystals.
At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before Level 40 was in sight.
As he waited, the minutes ticked by, and around 5:50 PM, there was a sudden disturbance at the door.
Soone was standing outside, seemingly fiddling with the lock.
A thief?
Who cos to such a hotel to steal?
Xu Shu imdiately frowned and moved quietly closer, but then heard the person outside give up on opening the door after failing, coughed once, and a coquettish and seductive voice ca through:
"Hey, handso, it’s getting dark soon, interested in playing a ga together? Here’s the room number for and my bestie."
"Take a look at both of us, if you want to play, co knock on our door, we’re very open-minded, waiting for you to join us for a duo, the secret phrase is, ’Mandarins are ready to take flight.’"
"We are both very green and inexperienced, we really want to be swept off our feet by a skilled guy, I’ll be leaving now, waiting for you over there."
After speaking, two photos of beauties were slipped under the door, indeed with two room numbers written on them, one 301, the other 302.
"..." Xu Shu’s expression suddenly froze.
Hold on, I’ve co to this hotel to rent a room.
Why do you assu I’m here alone, a single dog without a partner?
What?!?!
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