Emma's icy whisper, coupled with her crushing and returning of the leather pouch, felt like a bucket of ice water dousing Gu Liang awake.
"Walk to the table myself..."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmZ2Oz3y0ow
This thought replaced the last vestiges of hope. Emma had drawn the bottom line of this world for him in the cruelest way possible: there was no free shelter here, only transactions with clearly marked prices. The only difference was whether you walked up to negotiate yourself or were dragged up to be sold.
He began reevaluating everything through the eyes of a "trader."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA975eQCpry
What could he put on the table? The fragments of knowledge in his mind that clashed with this world, the skill of making fire, the method of softening hides, those ideas deemed "odd" by the beastmen yet undeniably useful.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITSJMbHLr9
What did he need to get in return? The most urgent need wasn't food, but a sliver of safety—some proof that would prevent A Lie from dragging him off to be "sold" at will. As for going home... that felt more like a distant phantom lingering at the edge of the table, a thought he dared not dwell on for now.
And Emma—this recurring "middleman" who seemed to control the rhythm of the deal—what commission did she truly seek? The tribe's prosperity? Or some personal "benefit" that belonged solely to her? She always seemed to prevent A Lie from fully "buying" him out. Was this to safeguard the tribe's "assets," or to protect her own... "investment"?
Amidst the tumult of his thoughts, one thing remained crystal clear: that soft pelt was his first sample. It must never be shown lightly. He hid it in a place known only to himself, not even telling Fangclaw.
In the days that followed, Gu Liang observed in silence, learning through observation. A subtle tension hung over the tribe. He occasionally overheard returning patrols whispering that the wolves' howls from the woods across the river had grown denser and more brazen lately. Chief Mo Zong looked grim, having reinforced the sentry posts for several days straight.This news settled like a thin layer of frost over the tribe's daily life, sending an instinctive chill through Gu Liang—he knew all too well that external alarm often meant internal nooses tightening silently.
His ears functioned like the most precise instruments, capturing every possible "need." Orcs complained about stone axes chipping, clay pots shattering, food spoiling too quickly, wounds healing slowly... Each grievance sounded to him like a potential "business opportunity." Yet he fought the urge to show any reaction.Emma's "lessons" and Blacktooth's greed had both proven this: flashing your best goods when you couldn't defend your stall was like inviting every bandit in the land.
His unusual silence and those overly sharp, perpetually observing eyes did not escape A-Lie's notice.
A-Lie hadn't forgotten the little incident by the earthen kiln. Though Blacktooth had been scared off by Emma, he'd returned and recounted the entire affair to A-Lie. A-Lie stroked the scar on his face—long healed, now just a faint line—golden pupils flashing with interest and danger.
His little slave had claws sharper than he'd anticipated, and a mind far more agile than he'd imagined. This sense of being unable to fully control her infuriated him, yet it also stirred a peculiar excitement. Taming a small beast with claws, fangs, and a mind of its own was infinitely more intriguing than breaking a pliant reed.
He began to "run into" Gu Liang more frequently.
Sometimes, when Gu Liang was carrying heavy loads, A Lie would suddenly appear. One hand would effortlessly take the weight, while the other would slide suggestively along his waist. Feeling the momentary stiffness in the body beneath his touch, he would chuckle lowly: "My little slave, still so weak. But it doesn't matter. You have other 'uses'."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAzWbqvpC2
At other times, during meal sharing, A Lie would toss a large, meaty bone—gnawed clean but still substantial—at Gu Liang's feet, as if feeding a pet, then watch with keen interest to see how he would choose.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0JaVf7Ta6
Gu Liang would always pick it up in silence. Survival mattered more than his dignity in that moment. But he would etch every instance of humiliation into the ever-thickening ledger in his heart.
This pervasive oppression, laced with playful mockery and scrutinizing scrutiny, made Gu Liang feel as if thorns were piercing his back. He knew A Lie relished this process, savoring his fearful yet compliant reactions.He could only pour his entire being into studying and observing, like a parched sponge frantically soaking up knowledge about this world—especially language. When he could stumble through more complex expressions, he noticed even the overseer scolded him less often. A slave who understood words was far less troublesome than a dumb, blank-faced fool.
One day, an accident occurred on the training grounds. A young orc was cut by a sharp stone flake from a grinding stone spear, the wound deep and bleeding profusely. The elderly female orc in charge of healing applied a paste of wood ash and herbs, but the blood proved difficult to stem completely. The orc's face turned pale with pain.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPsfclw3jbL
Whispers of murmurs rose around them, tinged with the resigned acceptance of habitual pain.
Gu Liang watched from afar, his mind instantly flashing through concepts of pressure to stop bleeding, debridement, even suturing. His body moved faster than his thoughts, and he almost instinctively stepped forward—but the moment his foot lifted, an alarm blared in his mind!
He saw A Lie.
A Lie stood not far away, his gaze lingering not on the wounded man but fixed squarely on Gu Liang. A faint, knowing smile played at the corners of his mouth, as if he saw through everything.
Gu Liang's heart sank. He immediately lowered his head, feigning indifference, and turned back to his work.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNsgCQOyGnr
But he knew A Lie had caught that fleeting impulse.
That night, he was summoned to A Lie's tent.
Only Ah Lie was inside, seated on a fur rug, polishing the massive bone battle-axe. The flickering firelight cast shifting shadows across his deeply wild features and sharp golden pupils.
"I hear," A Lie began in a low voice, "you tried to treat Lynx's wound today?"
Gu Liang's heart skipped a beat, his blood turning to ice. He had seen it after all!
"No... no..." Gu Liang denied it vehemently, his voice dry.
"Oh?" A Lie set down the axe, rising to his feet. He strode toward Gu Liang, his towering form nearly engulfing him. "Then what were you going there for? Hmm?" He extended a finger, lifting Gu Liang's chin to force him to meet his gaze. "My little slave, you seem to know many... strange things. Tell me, what else are you hiding?"
His grip was brutal, the pressure making Gu Liang's jaw ache. The golden pupils were filled with probing curiosity and an unyielding pressure that brooked no refusal.
Gu Liang was so terrified he could barely breathe, his mind going blank. Admit it? Deny it? Either choice seemed to lead straight into an abyss.
Just as he was about to break, footsteps sounded outside the tent, followed by Emma's clear, calm voice.
"A-Lie, Father requests your presence immediately. The western sentry post has just reported new signs of wolf tribe activity—significant in scale. We must discuss this at once."
A Lie's movements froze. His brow furrowed tightly, his face flashing with extreme irritation. Mo Zong again! Emma again! Always at the most crucial moments! The west... Recent disturbances there were indeed unsettling.
He shoved Gu Liang aside roughly and growled, "Wait! I'll settle this with you when I get back!" With that, he grabbed his battle axe, angrily pulled back the curtain, and stormed out.
Gu Liang slumped exhausted against the cold tent wall, gasping for breath as cold sweat soaked his back. The numbness of narrowly escaping death hadn't yet faded when a colder thought suddenly struck him:14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL2Lg0VnN4n
New wolf tribe tracks? Such a coincidence? Right when A Lie was pressing for answers?14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkP7hnsSOj
Had Emma once again precisely leveraged existing intelligence, or... did her grasp of information run far deeper and more timely than it appeared? How many eyes had she planted to "just happen" to interrupt A Lie time and again?
Outside the tent, A-Lie glared at Emma, his tone sharp. "The Chieftain's messages always arrive so 'timely'?"14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlDjUPKi1Lc
Emma's expression remained calm. "The wolf pack is repeatedly testing our defenses. Father needs all battle chiefs to assess the situation immediately." Her gaze swept across the tent. "Has your slave caused trouble again?"14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DR7clKaI1
"None of your concern," A Lie snorted coldly, striding away.
Emma remained rooted to the spot, watching his retreating figure, her eyes darkening slightly.
[System Alert: Target Gu Liang subjected to intense interrogation by A Lie. Psychological defenses nearing collapse. Fear levels sharply elevated. Positive dependency requirements significantly increased. Warning: Recurrence may result in trust breakdown or stress-induced darkening.]
Emma clenched her fists. A Lie's pressure was intensifying. She had to act faster—find Gu Liang a safer "value" outlet. Otherwise, she might truly be unable to protect him.
She needed an "accidental" discovery—one where the tribe's higher-ups "voluntarily" uncovered Gu Liang's value. He couldn't remain exposed to A Lie's greedy gaze any longer.
Inside the tent, Gu Liang slowly slid to the floor.
A Lie's relentless interrogation and Emma's "coincidences" had pushed his sense of crisis to its peak. Passively waiting for a "transaction opportunity" or relying on elusive "coincidences" for salvation was far too dangerous.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh9q55Kyjhh
He must proactively create an opportunity to conduct a secure "transaction."14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXC7VBemDuA
And that hidden soft pelt might be the only decent "sample" he could offer right now.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQLIuDgFYZ
But with whom should he negotiate? The priest? The leader of the Black Mane tribe? Or... someone else who might be interested in the "soft hide" and capable of temporarily shielding him from A Lie?14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpNANcsBImi
Leaning against the cold tent wall, he sank into deep, icy calculations in the dim light.
and then Add to home screen.