LWGP - Chapter 88
Chapter 88: Going Too Far
The book looked very thick, heavy enough to be used as a brick.
Liao Luo's expression turned ugly when he saw it. A slave? This thing looked domineering and vicious at a glance.
"What is this?" Zhao Shanxiao's heart sank, but his expression remained placid as he asked calmly.
"Something for you to sign. An official System agreement, a blank copy."
Zhao Shanxiao seemed thoughtful. "If this is Miss Wang's condition for turning hostility into friendship, why not tell me the contents?"
But Wang Jiu didn't say a word, seemingly in no hurry at all. Instead, she said unhurriedly, "As for the things you wanted from me before, I don't know about the rest, but one of them was a growth-type accessory, wasn't it?"
Zhao Shanxiao's brow furrowed. Based on the intelligence he had gathered through Pan Zhen and Liao Luo's reaction, he knew this woman's progress was incredibly fast. Running dungeons was profitable, no doubt, but even with her extraordinary skills and methods, her stamina and time couldn't possibly exceed others by that much. At most, she could clear one dungeon in an afternoon. In that case, even if she took all the resources for herself, it couldn't be that much.
He figured she must have obtained something that allowed her to grow stronger quickly.
A growth-type accessory.
He had one, and so did Liao Luo. Judging others by his own standards, he guessed she had one too, possibly even a silver-grade one. That was one of his objectives.
But there were others. To be blunt, the sole purpose of tonight's major operation was to kill her. The reason he had said otherwise on the surface was to leave himself an escape route, a way to maneuver if things went wrong.
Perhaps the escape route was too obvious, because in the end, he actually had to use it!
Frustration welled up in Zhao Shanxiao. "That's not the case. I just wanted to ask for Miss Wang's guidance on how to clear a normal-difficulty dungeon."
He made it sound so pleasant.
"You and I aren't even tackling the same vortex. What is there to guide? So you wanted to monopolize my dungeon and have me hand over the clear strategy, is that it?"
Seen through again, Zhao Shanxiao continued, "That's not the case."
As long as you don't admit it, it never happened, right?
He was truly a talent, as steady as an old ox.
Wang Jiu smiled. "You may not have such intentions, but unfortunately, I do."
A glint flashed in Zhao Shanxiao's eyes. She wanted to monopolize the dungeon his side had already cleared?
"If Miss Wang wants to run my dungeon, why don't we team up…"
"I never team up with the dead."
"…"
Her attitude had initially been more amicable than his, but now it seemed it was only because she was even more hypocritical.
After she spoke those words in a calm, cool tone, her gaze swept over them. One person facing more than two hundred, yet she looked at them as if they were a group of corpses.
"I said it was an agreement. Did you really think it was an agreement?"
"What I want is a slave."
"Be my slave for a day. Run a dungeon with me tomorrow, sign this, and we'll consider today's matter settled. Otherwise, this will never be over."
Her attitude was already crystal clear. A slave? Just hearing the word made it sound like an extremely harsh condition.
Work for free with no reward, all under her command?
Damn it!
Pan Zhen and the others were furious but dared not speak. Zhao Shanxiao, however, managed to suppress his surging emotions and smiled. "I'm afraid that will be difficult. In fact, Miss Wang, you should know that even with your formidable strength, you can block us, but you can't block us here forever. After all, our time is time, but your time is more precious, isn't it?"
It sounded very reasonable.
Wang Jiu put down her water and said lightly, "You've misunderstood. I don't intend to trap you all here to death. One shouldn't be so shortsighted. The days ahead are long. There are so many of you. If I just take an hour every day, that should be enough, right?"
The implication was—she would hunt them down in the future, killing them on sight.
Zhao Shanxiao's expression changed slightly, his tone sinking. "Isn't Miss Wang being a bit too harsh? In the long run, no one can maintain an advantage forever."
"That's true. When you get stronger and have more people, and everyone reaches level 10 with a class, the gap between us will shrink. I won't have the same suppressive power I have today."
Zhao Shanxiao relaxed slightly, thinking she was being rational, only to be stunned by her next sentence: "You're not really that naive, are you?"
Zhao Shanxiao frowned.
She lowered her eyes, lightly tidying her dirty, blood-stained sleeves, and said hauntingly, "If I cripple you all now, it won't even take a day for your grand ambitions and your hundred-man army to have no future." "Perhaps they'd be more willing to follow me, you never know."
She raised her eyes and gave Zhao Shanxiao a charming, captivating smile.
"There is no absolute loyalty, only absolute benefit. Mr. Zhao, between you and me, who do you think is stronger?"
This time, it wasn't just Zhao Shanxiao; even ambitious people like He Ruguang and Chu Xiangsui turned pale.
Killing the person and attacking the heart!
They subconsciously looked at their subordinates and teammates.
But they only saw averted gazes.
It wasn't their fault. This woman was too strong. They were all level 10, yet the once-powerful Zhao Shanxiao was being completely dominated. One could only imagine how terrifying her future would be.
The reason they followed their leaders in the first place could now be the same reason they would follow her.
Did this even require a struggle?
Zhao Shanxiao, who had always been adept at reading people and situations, didn't even need to doubt like He Ruguang and Chu Xiangsui. He had already admitted she was right.
He was the one who had been naive.
Perhaps it was because he had surpassed those who were once stronger than him since the pioneer phase, and it had made him arrogant.
Zhao Shanxiao let out a breath. "Miss Wang is a terrifying opponent. You are right. As a leader, I am naturally unwilling to let my followers pay an eternal price for a single wrong decision of mine. Therefore, I am willing to bear the consequences."
His words won him a great deal of goodwill from his subordinates. Although they would have decisively left if Wang Jiu had been bent on slaughtering them all, they now felt a measure of gratitude and admiration for Zhao Shanxiao.
Heh, his true caliber was showing.
"Mr. Zhao is a good boss." Wang Jiu had to admit that Zhao Shanxiao was a man of substance. "And?"
"I agree to your terms."
"Alright, then I'll write up the agreement, and you can sign it. By the way, as for the others, it's 50 silver coins per person."
???
What the fuck!
She still wants money!
Before Zhao Shanxiao could say anything else, a middle-aged man at the resurrection point showed a guilty and pleading expression. "Miss Wang, we were in the wrong tonight. But we all have families to support, and this game is terrifying. We just want to live a stable life. Please, be merciful. We really don't have any money."
Wang Jiu, who was just opening the White Paper, picked up the pen that the System had naturally conjured. Hearing his words, she looked up, her originally cold expression seeming to melt, replaced by a touch of considerate gentleness.
"Would you like me to send your family in to reunite with you? Tell me where they are. Are they those few over there by the wall, watching you with teary eyes? Your son is quite fat."
The middle-aged man: "!"
The others, who had also been planning to play the sympathy card and engage in some moral blackmail, were scared out of their wits by her words.
Zhao Shanxiao's mouth opened slightly, wanting to plead for them, but Wang Jiu had already started writing. She looked up at him. "Are you paying for them?"
Zhao Shanxiao: "…"
He now understood why his friend in the capital had such a strange tone when mentioning Wang Jiu.
He had said something like: Brother, be careful. She's not easy to deal with. She's heartless!
At the time, he had thought that it was precisely because she was difficult to deal with that he needed to plan carefully and go big, not engage in petty skirmishes.
Looking at it now… he must have had his head stuffed with lard!
If Qian Cheng were here, he would probably have let out a couple of cold laughs: This bunch of idiots. When it comes to important matters, that Wang Jiu has never had the concepts of 'compromise' or 'negotiation' since she was a child. Because whatever the Old Lady demanded, she would do it, willing to be a marionette. But for anyone else, it's impossible.
Don't even think about it.
What she wants, if you don't give it to her, she'll take it herself.
As for how hard life is for your parents, wife, and children at home, whether your house is on fire or your septic tank explodes, she couldn't care less.
"Being a person is the same as doing business. Where there's a transaction, there's a killing. The reverse is also true."
"If you don't have enough money, sell something or borrow from someone. Surely you didn't work all day without even earning 50 silver coins."
As a tycoon who could casually spend 3 gold coins on a grid, her contempt was genuine.
Everyone: "…"
They wanted to die!
To show his sincerity, and also fearing that his subordinates would beg him to cover their costs, Zhao Shanxiao stepped forward on his own initiative.
This was not an easy step to take, but he was clearly the most courageous of the lot, far better than the others.
He walked to the table. "Miss Wang is the most outstanding woman I have ever met."
"Luoyang is too small. You should get out and see more of the world."
"…"
Zhao Shanxiao felt this person was impregnable. He couldn't find an angle to praise her, nor could he find a weakness to exploit as an enemy. It was too difficult!
Oh, that wasn't right. It seemed her weakness was already gone.
His friend had mentioned Professor Lin Zi.
But she really hadn't attacked him and had even allowed him to approach.
Zhao Shanxiao looked at the head bent over the paper, so close to him… and felt a stirring inside.
"You want to kill me."
"?"
His heart skipped a beat. Wang Jiu finished writing a page of the Slave White Paper, put down her pen, and looked at Zhao Shanxiao.
"You want to kill me. Is it to gain reputation?"
He didn't know if he was misunderstanding or if she was speaking with a double meaning, but the way the words "want to kill me" rolled off her tongue had a certain charm, especially with that look in her eyes.
Zhao Shanxiao's heart tightened slightly. "I don't understand what you mean."
"To come after me with such a large force, just to kill me… Killing me once would at most make me drop some items, but it would make a mortal enemy of me. With such a large family to support, it's not worth such a huge investment unless there's a sufficiently large benefit."
"So I'm guessing that after level 10, the reputation gained is more than just from killing red-named players. That's very little. I only got 1 reputation point for killing Liao Luo. But I asked the System, and there's no such thing as plundering reputation by killing, unless there's a special item."
"I just looked through the things you dropped. Doesn't seem to be there."
"So it's still on you?"
Zhao Shanxiao's scalp tingled. He lowered his head, picked up the pen and the White Paper, and saw the contents she had filled in.
A slave for a day, running a dungeon with no reward, must obey commands, like a puppet.
She hadn't shown any mercy, but she hadn't set any hidden traps either. It was even noted that she wouldn't require them to use extra resources to help with the dungeon.
"Miss Wang misunderstands. There is no such item." Mr. Zhao, the professional denier, said solemnly, with an air of sincerity.
Since he put it that way, Wang Jiu had no choice but to sigh.
Her reputation was already at 60 points, because the reputation reward for a normal-difficulty dungeon was 40. She was only 40 points away from the 100 needed to exchange for a small territory.
She wasn't in a hurry to get another homestead (mainly because she couldn't). A territory was the way to go.
According to Wang Shu and the others, they had each received 10 points.
Reputation was also commonly known as pioneering reputation. A pioneering beast with high contribution like Wang Jiu had managed to get 60 points from two dungeons. People like Dao Dao who had succeeded in pioneering consecutively also got 15.
She heard that in the dungeon with He Ruguang's group, although it was a first clear, Qiao Xuejing wasn't the leader and only got a quarter of the reputation. He Ruguang, on the other hand, conveniently got 20, which was why Dao Dao was so annoyed.
But when it came to Wang Jiu, they were happy again.
It was just a matter of whether one deserved it or not.
"But as long as you're in the party, you get reputation?"
Wang Jiu felt this was another huge benefit of the human-wave tactic, but she estimated the System wouldn't allow it.
As expected.
System: "Only the top 10 contributors in the party get it."
By that calculation, the optimal party size should be 10 people.
Wang Jiu was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted. "I lost out?"
System: "Yes. The System gifted you a total of 60 reputation points for free. Also, a reminder: because you ran so fast, you didn't search the Mountain Bear's lair. The things inside were better than what was under the pool. But it's okay, it has already respawned. Forget it, and live a good life from now on."
Wang Jiu, who had known this all along but had been deliberately trying to forget: "…"
You're disgusting. Get lost.
Disgusted by the System, Wang Jiu looked at Zhao Shanxiao, who was still holding the pen and weighing whether there were any traps in the White Paper's contents.
"Oh, so I misunderstood. You don't have to be afraid. I wouldn't assassinate you over something like this."
She disgusted him right back.
"…"
Zhao Shanxiao, his body slightly stiff, said nothing and could only pick up the pen. Just as he was about to sign his name.
"By the way, I see that although you have class skills, they don't seem that powerful, and you don't use your two skills very frequently. It seems your spirit power is very low—you don't have a homestead, do you?"
Humiliated and now being shown up for not having a house, Zhao Shanxiao said, "I haven't had the honor of obtaining a homestead like Miss Wang."
"So you came to kill me tonight mainly to plot for my homestead?"
The pen fell. He had only written half of the character for 'Zhao' when his entire body froze.
"I just asked the System and found out that although a homestead has a protective shield, it becomes attackable once the owner is away. Other homestead owners can launch spirit power attacks against it, though the owner can teleport back in an emergency. If the owner doesn't return, once its HP is depleted, the attacker can use their own homestead to devour it, or just take the homestead directly. Unless it's protected by territory rules, a homestead in the wild isn't 100% safe."
As she spoke, Wang Jiu leaned over, her slender, snake-like waist bending slightly, bringing her face-to-face with Zhao Shanxiao, who was bent over signing but now stood motionless, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead.
Her features were picturesque, her breath fragrant as an orchid.
"They say a woman's heart is as deep as the ocean, but I think men are the same."
You're the deep ocean?
You're a fucking golden-hooped rod!
Zhao Shanxiao couldn't write anymore. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Wang Jiu stand up straight.
He jumped, almost thinking she was about to strike.
But she didn't.
"You don't have to worry. I haven't received any notification that my homestead is under attack, which means the person you invited is very cautious. He won't make a move until he's sure you've taken me down. He's probably still waiting for news."
"I'll go back and meet this friend of yours. Can't keep him waiting."
She didn't even take the White Paper. It was already bound to her, and only she could use it. Unless she was killed and it dropped, it couldn't be taken.
However, as she stood talking to Zhao Shanxiao, her gaze fell to the agreement where the character 'Zhao' was still incomplete. She tapped her finger on the White Paper. Tap, tap, tap.
"No rush. Take your time writing. I'll give you time to change your mind. Wait for me to come back."
And just like that, Wang Jiu left.
She didn't even camp the resurrection point.
That's it?
She… but the people inside didn't dare to come out.
They were afraid she was hiding nearby, or that she would hunt them down later.
Besides, they wouldn't know where to hide even if they did come out.
With families to support, even if they dared to leave, Zhao Shanxiao would never risk it.
They had already found suitable dungeons for leveling or farming in the nearby villages. Leaving this area meant starting over. Not to mention the dangers on the road, they would also have to compete with others in new villages, infringing on their interests, leading to endless trouble.
The first day was actually very important. Those who dared to take risks and reaped the benefits had already surpassed those who stayed cooped up in the novice village. If they broke this stability, they would quickly be overtaken.
Unless absolutely necessary, no one was willing to take that path.
Besides, that beautiful woman and the pig who were with the Demon King were still around.
So for now, all they could do was… sell things to raise money.
Actually, when they calculated it, 50 silver coins wasn't that much. She had deliberately set a price that would make them feel the pain but was still affordable.
However, after Wang Jiu left, Zhao Shanxiao discreetly scanned the surroundings and noticed Qiao Xuejing was also looking at him.
Their eyes met, and Zhao Shanxiao looked away.
Without certainty, he wouldn't take the risk.
Tonight's events were enough to make him reflect for three years.
But what gave him an even bigger headache was his friend, that idiot… he would probably come after him for revenge in the future.
Five minutes later, the people who had finally gathered the money heard a strange sound.
It was a miserable, horrifying sound, coming from far to near.
Someone was being dragged through the darkness by one leg, half-dead, clawing at the dirt and crying out.
"Sister, sister, I didn't do anything! I really didn't do anything!"
"I was just looking to see whose house this was, so high-end, grand, and classy!"
"I was just curious, I'm begging you…"
"Zhao Shanxiao, you bastard! You've gotten me killed!"
"Sis, sis, my face hurts… Can I get up and walk by myself?"
"If you drag me, your hand will hurt…"
It was truly tragic. Those who heard it were heartbroken, and those who saw it shed tears.
Jiang Kaikai, with one leg broken and his face so bruised and swollen he was unrecognizable, was thrown to the ground by Wang Jiu. She glanced at the resurrection point and saw that Liao Luo was still there.
"You're still here."
Liao Luo said expressionlessly, "Thanks to you, I can't even beat that woman under your command now."
He was alone and not afraid of Wang Jiu; he could have gone to another novice village. But Qiao Xuejing had him marked.
Every time he died, his strength and level dropped a notch. Now that he saw how powerful level 10 was, he was even more reluctant to die.
So he could only wait, which was incredibly frustrating.
Qiao Xuejing, who had been standing guard, raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
"It's fine. From now on, you'll never be able to beat her. Thinking of it that way, doesn't it bring you a sense of balance?"
Liao Luo's face darkened. "Let's talk. What are your plans for me?"
For the first time, such a ruthless person was humbly asking to bury the hatchet.
Mainly, the gap between them was too large now. He wasn't a fool; he could only compromise.
Wang Jiu didn't answer, but instead wrote two more agreements.
One for Jiang Kaikai, one for Liao Luo.
The contents were identical to Zhao Shanxiao's.
Slave, slave, slave!
All for one day.
"Sister, my attributes are really low. Even though I'm past level ten, I'm really afraid I'll hold you back." Jiang Kaikai was a bit resistant, but he put it tactfully.
Tact had its effect.
Wang Jiu kicked out, breaking his other leg.
Truly a beauty with a wild streak, ruthless and a woman of few words.
Jiang Kaikai wailed and screamed, signing his name through tears.
Seeing the miserable state of this idiot, Liao Luo also quickly picked up the pen. Even Zhao Shanxiao took a deep breath and began to sign.
The three men all wore the same expression as if they were at their father's funeral, and one was even sobbing.
"I'm not running a gigolo club. I'm not asking you to sell your bodies. I'm just borrowing your bodies to do something without paying. Why the drama?"
"It's late at night, I haven't even eaten, and you're crying like it's a funeral? Do you want me to make it a reality?"
Wang Jiu's tone was soft, but it was clear she was not in a good mood. Zhao Shanxiao immediately clamped a hand over Jiang Kaikai's mouth.
This woman was a demon.
Speaking of food, she was genuinely hungry, which explained her bad mood. In fact, everyone here was exhausted.
It was said that when people were hungry, their tempers were three to four times worse than normal.
The planners of this damn game were despicable.
People who used to have poor appetites or anorexia were all miraculously cured, because they couldn't resist their body's basic instincts.
But they soon discovered that the fatty next to this Demon King was also despicable. He had specifically brought over two large pots of seafood and cured meat rice, placed them right next to the resurrection point, and asked the three "slaves," "Finished signing? Hurry up, move aside, we're going to eat."
You motherfucker!
Liao Luo and the other two could only quickly sign their names. The White Paper returned to Wang Jiu's hand, while Wang Shu and Dao Dao swiftly set out bowls, chopsticks, and chairs, finally getting ready to eat.
After getting the White Paper back, Wang Jiu was about to activate the three agreements when she received a notification from the System.
She paused and looked up at the three men.
Her gaze was a little strange.
What now!
Liao Luo was on guard. "What do you mean?"
The agreements were signed. Was she going back on her word?
"The System just reminded me that generating the agreements costs one gold coin each. One per person."
Only now did they realize her gaze wasn't strange at all. It was blatant.
Fuck! You're the one who set the terms, and now you want us slaves to pay for it? In your dreams!
Perhaps the three men's expressions were too unified, too resolute. Wang Jiu sighed. "Alright, then I'll pay for it myself."
And you're acting all aggrieved about it!
Wang Jiu really did pay the three gold coins herself. The agreements were generated, and all three received a system notification. The agreement would be effective for one day tomorrow, not today, but the contract was already formed. The System warned them to have contract spirit; if they violated it, they would be directly obliterated by the System.
The so-called obliteration meant having your HP completely wiped out.
Terrifying, wasn't it!
Liao Luo, being a smartass, privately asked the System what would happen if Wang Jiu violated it.
If she would also be obliterated…
"Financial compensation."
The System replied.
Liao Luo: "?"
What does that mean? Just financial compensation?!!
"How much?"
"One gold. To her, you're only worth one gold right now, and she seemed very reluctant to part with it."
"…"
Son of a bitch.
Liao Luo's mood suddenly turned foul, and then his stomach rumbled, because he smelled a powerful aroma.
He looked over and saw a pot of seafood containing squid, mantis shrimp, nine-section shrimp, large crabs, and more. And it wasn't just boiled; there were vegetables and seasonings in it too.
The cured meat rice next to it was the same. It was fried rice with shredded carrots, corn, and slices of cured meat.
The aroma was simply divine, dragging more than half of the 443 Novice Village residential area into a state of gustatory torment.
It wasn't just Liao Luo and his men who were staring blankly; even Qiao Xuejing was surprised. She asked Wang Shu, "Where did you get so many things?"
Wang Shu: "The corn and carrots? They dropped from those people inside. It's so weird. You guys get equipment and stuff, but I mostly get food and daily necessities. It's so annoying."
Just as he finished speaking, Wang Jiu took a spoonful of fried rice, tasted it, and then sent Wang Shu a trade request.
Wang Shu: "Master?"
Wang Jiu: "Accept."
Wang Shu accepted. Inside were twenty pieces of bronze equipment. "Master, this is too much. It's not necessary. Cooking is my hobby, and it's my honor to cook for you and Sister Qiao. I…"
Before he could finish, he suddenly saw that Wang Jiu, still holding the spoon in one hand, had a silver longblade appear in the other.
Liao Luo's eyes lit up when he saw the blade that once belonged to him, but before he could reminisce, he saw the silver blade erupt with a blood-red glow.
Zhao Shanxiao was the strongest and sensed it, but he was too late to stop it. Bang!!
Jiang Kaikai was struck by a Blood Wrath slash.
It was a burst damage skill with no weapon restriction, instantly activated with 20 spirit power. Zhao Shanxiao couldn't withstand it, and neither could he.
Jiang Kaikai, with tears still on his face, was instantly turned into a bloody, mangled corpse.
This sudden turn of events shocked everyone, including Wang Shu and the others. They were stunned, not to mention the other novice village players nearby who thought the dust had settled and had started cooking again.
Qiao Xuejing and Dao Dao were splattered with blood.
But thankfully, the two large pots of food were on the other side. Wang Jiu had controlled the force.
Zhao Shanxiao was furious and was about to question her when Wang Jiu spoke first.
"I killed you twice, and you didn't drop anything good. The most conspicuous thing was your red underwear. Isn't that funny?"
"However, I can see that you two have a good relationship and trust each other. He cursed you, but he was actually deliberately showing weakness and playing cute. So I thought… the thing I wanted that you were so reluctant to give me must be in his homestead."
Wang Jiu bent down and picked up the most conspicuous item among the pile that dropped from Jiang Kaikai's corpse—a cube.
A 45-square-meter homestead.
She held it between her five fingers, long and pale. She twirled her fingers, making it spin in her hand.
Her gaze drifted from Jiang Kaikai's corpse, which didn't dare to resurrect, to Zhao Shanxiao, who had already drawn his silver gun.
"I wanted it, you wouldn't give it to me, so I could only take it myself."
Zhao Shanxiao's face was pale, his eyes cold. "The agreement is already signed. For Miss Wang to still do this… isn't this going too far?"
Would she explain? Would she debate with him?
Wang Jiu raised her blade, resting its tip on the table, the edge pointing at him.
A cold light flickered.
"The agreement is signed anyway. I can go even further. Want to try me?"
It's not the ruthless you have to fear, but the one who is so ruthless she thinks it's perfectly natural.
Zhao Shanxiao + Jiang Kaikai + Liao Luo + two hundred-plus people: "…"
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