GAMMT - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Level Three!

The guard captain and the others, including the people from the Xie Clan, had already formed an opinion of this scummy young master.

He had a bit of street smarts, but not much.

However, when his own assets and interests were on the line, he could always think on his feet and launch an effective counterattack in his own favor.

But the guard captain was puzzled. Wasn't this scummy young master an uneducated delinquent on X5 Star? Though he was enrolled in a terrible school, he spent his days skipping class, fighting, and bullying others. He hadn't learned a thing. When they pulled his school records, they saw plenty of single-digit scores.

So how did he know about these legal regulations?

Had they misjudged him?

Yet, on second thought, the scummy young master's counterattack wasn't entirely unreasonable. As he himself had just said, the conflict between the Economic Department and the Li Corporation on X5 Star had broadened his horizons. He knew that low-to-mid-tier nobles couldn't possibly stand against government departments and had to act subserviently, let alone the Teng Family, who were merely Green Blood Nobles.

So, he was borrowing the government's authority to intimidate them.

But it worked.

Teng Yunli seemed to have short-circuited. When you utterly despise someone, and that ant suddenly erupts and backs you into a corner, the sense of humiliation multiplies. After his initial shock, he was filled with a hatred so intense he wanted to kill this vile illegitimate son on the spot.

But before he could act on his hatred, Fu Chuan's gaze swept over the hesitant crowd. She pointed a finger vaguely. "You few, and those others from before—you're not getting in even if you pay. For everyone else, it's the original price. As you all said, the locust swarm is coming. I have no time to waste on you. The gates close in half an hour, and no one else gets in. I'll take down the names of anyone who tries to force their way in and sue them for robbery later!"

"This is so annoying. My noodles are getting soggy."

After she spoke, she impatiently grabbed the instant noodles from the guard behind her, gave them a quick stir with her chopsticks, and began shoveling them into her mouth.

The moment she created a clear division between those "allowed in" and those "not allowed in," the wavering crowd panicked. Fearing they would be left with nothing, they reconsidered. The price wasn't even that high—just 100,000 copper coins for entry, with food and lodging as separate charges. It was well within what they, as Arcanists, could afford. Was all this fuss really necessary?

"Me, me, me! I'll buy a ticket!"

"I want in."

"Get out of the way! I was first in line to begin with!"

The crowd grew frantic, and the situation reversed.

Teng Yunli's expression was livid. He was on the verge of dropping all pretense and threatening these commoners, but a guard behind him held him back.

They had never considered the issue of food ownership. Otherwise, seizing the farm would have been a viable option.

Unfortunately, this was a disaster-type dungeon, and the state would certainly requisition food supplies afterward. Once a government department intervened, the matter would escalate. Robbery and murder were not only serious crimes—something the Teng Family couldn't afford to be charged with—but the public backlash would also be devastating. When weighed against the family's reputation, the potential gains from a minor dungeon were not even worth considering.

So they restrained Teng Yunli. Having received an elite education, he eventually calmed down, gritted his teeth, and decided to endure the humiliation.

But could he really afford not to enter? If he stayed outside, even if he survived, he would lose the most advantageous position for fighting the monsters.

Teng Yunli suddenly regretted his earlier recklessness. He had assumed the illegitimate son was an ignorant fool, but he never expected…

The situation was under control, and the collection of entry fees proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Fu Chuan was eating her noodles, ready to leave. In truth, her attention wasn't on Teng Yunli at all. To her, these arrogant young nobles might look elite, but 80% of that was just packaging from their family background and resources. Their privileged upbringing gave them an early advantage, but their minds were mediocre and not worth a second thought. The first people she had noticed upon arriving were Ah Qi and Groundhog in the corner. Their low-key observation was definitely Ah Qi's doing. A simpleton like Groundhog would have either paid immediately to save his own skin or followed the mob to attack the farm.

She was a little curious about this Ah Qi, but that was all.

Her other point of focus was the sound of distant airships, which her keen senses had detected.

Airships were approaching—one was close, the other farther away. She had a feeling one of them spelled trouble.

Sure enough, just as Fu Chuan was deliberately taking another two bites of her noodles, the guard captain's expression suddenly changed. "Young Master," he called out, "people from the family have arrived."

He had recognized the color of the vessel. The background of the Xie Clan's emblem was indigo, a very conspicuous color.

Others saw it too. Fu Chuan's eyes were sharp; a quick glance revealed Groundhog and Ah Qi instinctively shrinking away, as if afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.

Fu Chuan found it amusing, but she also thought the two were anything but foolish.

In fact, if these two strangers were willing to sacrifice their lives for a "captain" they had known for less than a few hours, she wouldn't have considered associating with them in the future.

Emotions that override reason, even if they inspire temporary loyalty, are a magnet for trouble. If they could become emotionally attached to her as their captain, they could do the same with anyone else. Should they feel sympathy or gratitude for someone in the future, the risk of being morally blackmailed would fall upon the entire team.

That was why Fu Chuan's initial invitation for them to join her had been a test.

While Fu Chuan calmly analyzed the girl and the rat, her expression shifted to one of extreme annoyance. She snapped at the guard captain, "So what if they're here? What's the panic? This is my territory!"

Teng Yunli hadn't been able to bring himself to shamelessly ask Fu Chuan for entry. But seeing the Xie Clan arrive and recalling recent rumors about them, he suddenly felt a glimmer of hope.

The Xie Clan didn't seem too fond of this illegitimate son. If a conflict broke out between them, there might be an opportunity for him.

Meanwhile, Groundhog and Ah Qi were also watching the scene unfold.

"The illegitimate son versus the Xie Clan," Groundhog muttered. He pulled a bag of sunflower seeds from his backpack and offered it to Ah Qi. "Want some?"

Ah Qi looked at him, bewildered. Is your backpack that big? You still have room for sunflower seeds.

Just as Ah Qi was about to refuse, Groundhog pulled his hand back. Clearly, the offer hadn't been serious.

The airship's hatch opened, and a group of people disembarked. Fu Chuan immediately identified three key figures among them.

According to the information she had looked up online, the man in his forties was Xie Yong, from a branch of the Jingyang Xie Clan. The arrogant nineteen-year-old youth beside him was his son, Xie Jun, who was decked out in impressive-looking gear.

The other was a fair, handsome boy with a cold and gloomy air—Xie Guangyu, Xie An's sixteen-year-old son. Judging by his looks, he must take after his mother.

That old bastard Xie An certainly had good taste when it came to choosing women, all for the sake of looks and the next generation.

The three of them descended with a group of guards, their presence even more imposing than Teng Yunli's. It wasn't that the Xie Clan was necessarily stronger than the Teng Family, but rather that no one had known the details of this dungeon at first. Everyone assumed it was a minor instance. The Teng Family had sent a single scion with a small retinue to grind some experience, but the Xie Clan had brought two, so the caliber and number of their guards were naturally higher.

Fu Chuan also noticed that Xie Yong bore a slight resemblance to the pilot who had caused trouble that day. They were likely brothers, which would make him Xie An's paternal cousin.

However, the way the man was looking at her felt off.

Fu Chuan thought to herself, Their airship must have a long-range audio-visual system. They saw the commotion at the gate from afar and probably heard what I said.

Are they wary of me again?

Fu Chuan had more confidence now, and the scope of her ambitions had grown. She wasn't too concerned with such minor details; her priority was to resolve the current standoff.

So, she fixed them with a wary, unfriendly gaze and offered a lukewarm greeting. "So you're here. To rescue me? You brought quite a crowd."

He sure knows how to flatter himself.

If Xie Jun hadn't already watched this guy chew out Teng Yunli on the monitor, he would have been tempted to mock him as the piece of trash he was. But now he held back, waiting for his father to make the first move.

Xie Yong said flatly, his face stern, "We're aware of the situation. The farm is crucial right now. Keli, you're young and your Arcane level is low. You should hide for now. We'll call you out when it's over."

How nice of you, Uncle. So considerate of me.

Fu Chuan looked them up and down. "Alright. You look very capable, Uncle. You should all hurry out and fight the monsters. I'll wait here at the farm for your triumphant return."

So they did come for the farm. This old man is pretty sharp.

Xie Yong's expression darkened. "I said the farm is important. You're young; you must consider the family's interests…"

Fu Chuan lost her patience. She slammed her noodle cup down on the railing, splashing broth everywhere. "In that case, Uncle, why don't you fight the Teng Family?"

Xie Yong was speechless. Fu Chuan continued, "You both want it, so who should I give it to? Naturally, you have to compete. Only the survivor gets the prize—I've known that since I was a kid. Besides, our Xie Clan and the Teng Family are enemies, right? It's only natural. You even have more people, Uncle. This is the perfect chance to kill them all! I've even come up with the excuse for you—it was all for the farm… and to protect your dear nephew. What? Why are you looking at me like that, Uncle? Isn't my plan brilliant?"

In fact, it was a brilliant plan. Without the official food requisition in play, killing them was just killing them. If the Teng Family wanted to complain, they had a ready-made excuse.

"Go on, Uncle. For the good of the family."

Xie Keli was truly scum to the core, and it showed. With a look of sheer excitement, he clearly couldn't wait for them to fight Teng Yunli's group to the death so he could collect the bodies.

His scheming was so blatant the ancestors in the Xie Clan's ancestral tomb probably heard it.

Xie Yong was furious. He had been the one to bring up "the family's interests" to pressure an illegitimate son, but now that same illegitimate son had thrown a better justification back in his face. Could he really refute it?

But for Xie Yong, killing Teng Yunli offered no personal benefit. He would lose most of his men and become a target for the Teng Family. The losses far outweighed any potential gain.

The atmosphere grew awkward.

Xie Jun suddenly spoke up. "The monster swarm will be here soon. As humans, we should stick together. This isn't the time for fighting. Let's go inside first."

The son had saved his father from the predicament.

Xie Yong's face was grim. Feeling that he had lost face, he could only shoot Fu Chuan a venomous glare.

And then… Fu Chuan came down personally, reeking of instant noodles, and said to his face, "Uncle, you'll have to pay the entrance fee first. I made a big promise earlier that everyone who enters has to pay. And since I haven't been officially recognized by the Xie Clan yet, we're not exactly close family, are we? It's an awkward situation… How about you pay first, and you can ask me for a refund later."

This guy is unbelievable!

The Xie Clan members were stunned into silence. Even Xie Guangyu stared at Fu Chuan, as if trying to determine whether this shameless person could possibly be his half-brother.

Have Xie An's genes mutated to this degree?

But they could see what was happening. This Xie Keli was getting revenge. He held a grudge. After all, the Xie Clan had yet to acknowledge him or even issue him an ID. Moreover, members of the branch family had crossed him before, and he was clearly holding onto that resentment, seizing any opportunity for payback.

Xie Yong swallowed his anger, took out the money, and forced a smile. "It's not that the Xie Clan is short on cash, but you suffered on that garbage star. It's understandable. As your uncle, I certainly understand."

Then he casually tossed the money on the ground. Xie Jun and the others followed suit.

Heh. Fu Chuan glanced at them, then turned to the tenant farmers. "What are you all staring at? That's your wages. If you don't pick it up, do you expect me, the farm owner, to do it myself?"

The crowd froze for a moment before someone reacted, scrambling to pick up the copper notes from the ground. Then, Fu Chuan gestured imperiously toward the rest of the money that had been collected.

"This is all yours," she declared. "By the way, who did you say your farm owner was?" she asked, staring intently at the tenants.

The tenants were stunned at first, but then they looked at the piles of money, then back at the scummy young master whose intentions were now crystal clear. They understood.

"It's you, it's you!"

"Young Master Keli, you are our master!"

"Of course you're the farm owner! It's written in the law."

Clearly, he was afraid Xie Yong and his group would try to win over the tenants. After all, this place had originally been Xie Clan property. If the deed hadn't been officially transferred to him, he would have no say at all.

The tenants sided with him completely, happily collecting and dividing the money before eagerly heading to the gate to collect fees from the normally arrogant Arcanists.

Fu Chuan walked away with the guard captain trailing behind her. After they went inside, the people outside suddenly heard the guard cry out in pain.

Inside, the guard captain, who had been caught off guard by Fu Chuan's angry kick, was still dazed. He heard her snort, "What was that all about, exchanging glances with them right in front of me? You're here to protect me. Stop cozying up to those other people."

The guard captain was flustered. "Young Master, you've misunderstood. This subordinate wouldn't dare." He felt truly wronged. He had only been worried he would offend them too deeply and drag everyone down with him.

In the Xie Clan's security division, they were at the bottom of the totem pole; otherwise, they wouldn't have been assigned to protect him.

"Good. Now go make preparations. With this many people, if we still can't defeat those giant locusts, we're all going to die." Fu Chuan thought for a moment before giving the guard captain a few orders.

The entire farm continued to let people in while making preparations.

Groundhog and Ah Qi paid their fee and entered. Since rooms were limited, the cash-rich Groundhog decisively offered a million to buy out the rights to a room for the duration and settled in.

Ah Qi stood by the window, thoughtfully observing the connected kitchen and warehouse below, and noting the signs that the doors and windows had already been fortified.

Groundhog found the farm's conditions lacking, but having a place to stay was a relief. He was organizing his supplies and ammunition when he noticed Ah Qi's contemplative expression. "Are you thinking that illegitimate son is actually pretty capable? I thought he was a total loser. Still, he's definitely no match for our captain."

Ah Qi replied, "Of course not. But something is strange."

Groundhog shook his head and scratched his soft fur. "I was wondering about that too. If he didn't care about the money and gave it all to the tenants, why did he bother collecting it in the first place?"

Ah Qi countered with a question. "What do you think is the difference between a guest and a customer?"

Groundhog was confused. He thought for a moment. "The words are different?"

Ah Qi was speechless. He wasn't wrong, technically.

Ah Qi smiled. "A host has to spend money to entertain a guest. A customer has to spend money to buy a service. That's the difference."

Realization dawned on Groundhog. "Ah, so that Xie Keli is pretty shrewd."

Ah Qi was dismissive. "Not really. Anyone from a garbage star, unless they're mentally deficient, is only lacking in knowledge and education. They're experts at protecting their own interests—they have to be in that kind of environment. I imagine he understood perfectly well that if he let these Arcanists in unconditionally, they would use 'protecting the farm' as an excuse to take over. They'd eat and drink as they pleased, and eventually, they'd probably take all the food for one reason or another. As the farm owner, he'd be powerless to stop them. The tenants wouldn't be able to resist, not when the Arcanists claim they're protecting their lives. But by making the farm a place of refuge that they paid to enter, the dynamic is completely different."

"The entry fee is trivial. What matters is establishing their roles within this dungeon. Do you really think those people at the gate couldn't afford the fee? They were all just being clever, trying to take advantage of the farm, blur the lines of authority, and prevent the farm owner from taking all the credit."

They were all just sophisticated egoists; it wasn't a matter of who was smarter.

The situation turned out this way simply because a prickly character like Xie Keli wasn't so easy to manipulate. More importantly, the property rights were legally in his name, and he had the Xie Clan backing him. As long as he stood his ground, no one could take advantage of him.

Groundhog understood. "Then I guess this isn't so bad. It's better to have a legitimate owner in charge than to let this group descend into infighting. Humans love fighting their own kind, after all."

Ah Qi agreed, but she kept another puzzle to herself. She had overheard the tenants talking about Xie Keli, saying he was terrified of dying and had been hiding in his room with a pot at the ready.

That raised a question. Why would someone so selfish and constantly on guard against being murdered be wearing a bathrobe? Shouldn't he be fully armed and ready to flee at a moment's notice?

Just then, however, Ah Qi saw the farm tenants bringing out animal pelts from the warehouse. There was a huge amount of them—an enormous amount.

Ah Qi's eyes narrowed. She suddenly yanked Groundhog's tail. "Let's go."

Groundhog, who had been in the middle of eating a small cake, was dragged away, still clutching it.

---

Everyone was preparing for battle. After Xie Guangyu's group entered the farm, the malicious Xie Yong began to praise Xie Keli's shrewdness, making pointed remarks about how Xie An would surely be very fond of him in the future.

Xie Guangyu, with his cold temperament, offered a few perfunctory replies before retreating to his room. There, he took out a palm-sized device. It had its own network connection. He entered his credentials and accessed an account…

If Fu Chuan had been there, she would have recognized it immediately. It was the account linked to the communicator and computer Xie An had given her. From this device, one could see everything she had ever searched for.

In other words, Xie An had been monitoring her all along, and now he had even passed the means of surveillance to another one of his sons.

As the page refreshed, Xie Guangyu's mind replayed what he had witnessed earlier. Xie Keli… he seems to know a lot. Has he been playing dumb all this time? But he had no opportunity to learn these things on X5 Star, and he apparently didn't even know he was part of the Xie Clan. In that case, his current words and actions…

Just as his suspicion grew, the page finished loading. At a glance, he saw his newfound brother's recent search history.

"Meeting my dad soon, so nervous. What should I prepare? Should I wear something festive? What's the custom in Jingyang for acknowledging a new son? How much money do they give in a red envelope? Will I get shares?"

"How much is the Xie Clan worth? How many sons does Xie An have? When he dies, how much will each kid get?"

"《Imperial Property Protection Law》, is wealth given by a father to an illegitimate son legally protected? How to liquidate assets quickly?"

"《Imperial Agricultural Protection Ordinance》, how to sell farm products for the highest price and avoid taxes?"

"《Imperial Penal Code》, how to kill someone legally and not go to jail?"

"I own a farm. How many wives can I get? Do I have a claim on my wife's family's assets? How much would I get?"

The timestamps on these searches were all from before the dungeon appeared.

Smack. Xie Guangyu shut off the device and pressed a hand to his forehead. He had overestimated this scumbag.

But it was clear that this search history was the tip of the iceberg, explaining all of the scumbag's recent behavior—including asking his father for the farm and harvesting the crops ahead of schedule. It was all about securing his own interests and cashing in early…

---

The door to the room was open, as the head tenant was in the middle of a respectful report. When he saw Ah Qi and her companion arrive, he couldn't help but stare at Groundhog. It was rare to see a member of another sentient race in such a small place, and he wondered what a little girl and a fat rat wanted.

When Ah Qi entered, she found Xie Keli with his legs propped up, feasting on several plates of food. Apparently, the instant noodles hadn't been enough to satisfy him.

He was also fiddling with an old communicator, listening distractedly to the head tenant. When he saw them enter, his gaze shifted, and a smile seemed to play on his lips, but his eyes held a greedy, green glint.

Only later, when Ah Qi recalled that look, did she realize it was the smile of a predator watching prey deliver itself to his doorstep, not the lecherous gaze Groundhog had assumed it was.

In truth, she had misunderstood at the time as well. His eyes did seem to glow green, but it was only because a painting of a lush, green field on the wall was reflecting in them.

Fu Chuan was unaware of the misunderstanding. She simply sighed to herself, pleased that her judgment had been correct. Ah Qi was indeed perceptive.

She had only instructed the guard captain to have the tenants bring out the pelts, and this girl had immediately seized the opportunity.

"What does a little girl and a fat, yellow rat want with me?" Fu Chuan asked, feigning impatience.

Ah Qi looked very young, mainly due to her small, thin frame and her clear, high-pitched voice. Her mature demeanor was just an act.

Fat and yellow, fine, but he called me plain! Groundhog fumed. This damn scumbag isn't even one-ten-thousandth as good as his sister. Ptooey!

Ah Qi pressed down on Groundhog's indignant head. "I want to buy those pelts," she said.

Fu Chuan feigned confusion. "What do you want them for?"

"I need them. I can pay fifty percent above market price. We can make the deal right now; we just need to draw up a sales agreement."

The head tenant was immediately tempted. That was a huge profit! Agree, Young Master, agree!

But Farm Owner Xie was sharp, greedy, and never acted without a clear benefit. She looked them up and down. "I won't sell unless you tell me what you're using them for. I'm not an idiot."

Ah Qi fell silent.

Fu Chuan adopted a coaxing tone. "Have you figured out some brilliant way to use these pelts to kill the locusts? Don't worry, just tell me, and I'll pay you a fee for the information."

This person is so obnoxious, Groundhog thought. Insatiably greedy. Trying to get a monster-killing technique for cheap?

Disgusted, Groundhog tugged on Ah Qi's sleeve. But after a moment of thought, Ah Qi said, "I'm afraid that won't work. You can't afford my price, Farm Owner. But let me offer a reminder: if I could think of this method, so can others. That might be bad for me, but it would be even worse for you."

Fu Chuan's expression soured. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "Then let me join your team. We'll share the dungeon score. I'm an Arcanist, too. It wouldn't be an insult to you."

Groundhog asked, "What level?"

"Level three!" Fu Chuan announced proudly.

The head tenant, whose family had been cursing Scum Xie just yesterday, immediately changed his tune and clapped his hands in praise. "You're amazing, Young Master! A true genius!"

Groundhog and Ah Qi were speechless. They had no idea how to continue the negotiation.

Ah Qi changed the subject. "Let's forget about teaming up. We'll have to fight later, and we wouldn't want to endanger a noble young master like yourself. Instead, let's sign a profit-sharing agreement. We provide the technique, and the three of us will form a joint venture to use these pelts. When we kill monsters with them, the dungeon system will recognize our cooperation, and you'll also receive experience and rewards."

Fu Chuan agreed, and the two parties quickly drew up an agreement.

"From now on, if anyone comes looking for me, just tell them I'm sleeping," Fu Chuan instructed the head tenant. "That way, they won't keep asking me for things, and you'll have an excuse to deflect them."

While signing the agreement, Ah Qi surveyed the room. It was sealed on all sides, and the doors and windows were fortified with metal plates, two grades higher than anywhere else on the farm. Even a BOSS-level monster would have to blast through the walls to get in. The room was indeed very secure—except for the chimney.

As Fu Chuan watched them sign, she wondered about something. Why hasn't that ruthless group shown up at the farm yet? Strange.

After signing, Ah Qi was about to follow the head tenant down with Groundhog to handle the pelts when, suddenly—

What was that sound? All of them turned to look out the window.

Through the window, which hadn't been fully shut, they could see a black cloud surging in from the distant fields—a dark, oppressive mass that seemed to stretch on forever.

It was a swarm of at least half a million Scorpion-Tail Locusts.

Fu Chuan and the others were stunned.

"This isn't right! How could so many gather at once?" Groundhog shrieked, covering his face. "The captain said they were still in their gestation period! They should only be coming out in waves to hunt for food, not gathering all the males in one place…"

Fu Chuan frowned. Something was clearly wrong, but there was no time to figure out what. The slaughter was about to begin.

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