Chapter 235 - Extreme Squeezing
Shi Feng's disguise looked extremely similar to the real deal. Moreover, the equipment he wore had also changed appearance. He now wore a complete Secret-Silver Set Equipment. On his back, he carried the Fine-Gold ranked Blood Red Longsword and Blood Red Cross Shield. Not to mention the Guild Leader of a second-rate Guild, even the Guild Leader of a first-rate Guild would find it difficult to obtain equipment as dazzling as Shi Feng's.
In addition, Shi Feng had completely replicated Lone Tyrant's arrogant air, creating a vivid image of the Guild Leader. Right now, even if someone familiar with Lone Tyrant stood before Shi Feng, they could not tell whether he was the real Lone Tyrant or not.
The players that walked past Shi Feng involuntarily found their heads turning towards him; both envy and admiration filled the gazes they sent his way.
The glowing effect of a Fine-Gold Weapon had nearly blinded their eyes.
At this moment, Joking Scholar was still blindly searching the streets for his target, a gloomy expression portrayed on his face. However, when his eyes landed on Lone Tyrant, who was Shi Feng in disguise, his eyes flashed with a glint of excitement.
His equipment! Not even our Guild Leader compares to him! The Guild he belongs to must be very powerful! I hope he is a player from Star-Moon Kingdom. Joking Scholar made a silent prayer as he walked towards Shi Feng.
"Hello! I am Joking Scholar of Twilight Echo. May I ask if Your Excellency comes from Star-Moon Kingdom?" Joking Scholar asked in anticipation.
"Are your eyes a decoration? Of course, I am from Star-Moon Kingdom! If you don't even know who I am, why are you even playing God's Domain?" Shi Feng arrogantly scoffed.
Contrary to expectations, not only did Shi Feng's scolding fail to anger Joking Scholar, but it had also made him rejoice. Immediately, Joking Scholar used an identification skill on Shi Feng.
[Lone Tyrant]
Affiliated Guild: Dark Star
After reading Shi Feng's basic information, Joking Scholarly immediately started a search through the official forums for information. Very quickly, Joking Scholar uncovered most of the information available about Lone Tyrant, and his mood instantly lifted higher than before.
"How careless of me! I did not expect to meet the well-renowned Guild Leader Lone Tyrant of Star-Moon Kingdom! I wonder if Your Excellency would be interested in purchasing some ores?" Joking Scholar spoke unhurriedly.
However, Shi Feng inwardly smiled at Joking Scholar's words.
Just as he had guessed, Joking Scholar was in a hurry to get rid of the ores in his hands.
"Ores? Are you looking down on our Guild?" Shi Feng angrily demanded.
"Guild Leader Tyrant has misunderstood me. Of course, I know that Your Excellency does not lack materials." Joking Scholar calmly said, "However, what about the other Guilds in Star-Moon Kingdom? If Guild Leader Tyrant can sell a large number of ores to those Guilds at a low price, wouldn't Your Excellency make a huge profit?"
At this moment, Shi Feng faked an interested expression.
"Guild Leader Tyrant, after the recent update of God's Domain, fighting monsters places a huge toll on a weapon's durability. Hence, I believe that every Guild would be very interested in Whetstones. Meanwhile, the main material needed to produce Whetstones is Hard Stones. I just happen to have plenty of Hard Stones with me right now, and I can sell all of them to Your Excellency at a very low price," Joking Scholar hurriedly said.
"Cheap Hard Stones?" Shi Feng appeared even more interested now, saying, "Speak, then."
"I can sell these Hard Stones to Your Excellency at a price of 10 Silver Coins a stack. Similarly, I can also sell the other ores I have with me for much cheaper than those found in Star-Moon Kingdom," Joking Scholar offered confidently.
"You call 10 Silver Coins per stack 'cheap?' Are you trying to toy with me? Do you think I have so much time to waste on you?" Shi Feng growled, "I will pay, at most, 5 Silver Coins a stack. Otherwise, we do not need to continue this conversation."
"Your Excellency, I know how much Hard Stones sell for in Star-Moon Kingdom. Normally, each stack can sell for 11 to 12 Silver Coins. By reselling the Hard Stones Your Excellency buys from me, Your Excellency can still make an effortless one to two Silver Coins. Moreover, the amount of Hard Stones I have with me is by no means small. They can allow Your Excellency to make an immense profit." Joking Scholar had done his homework, thoroughly researching the prices of ores in Star-Moon Kingdom. Hence, Joking Scholar felt confident that Lone Tyrant was interested in buying the Hard Stones; Lone Tyrant was simply trying to lower the prices to maximize his profits.
"Twelve Silver Coins?" Shi Feng disdainfully said, "That was the price two days ago. Now that everyone's level is higher, the available locations they can farm Hard Stones from has also increased. It is absolutely impossible to sell them at such a high price anymore. I'll repeat myself one more time: 5 Silver Coins a stack. If you don't want to sell, then so be it."
Immediately, Joking Scholar grew flustered at Shi Feng's words. Indeed, he had investigated the ore prices in Star-Moon Kingdom two days ago. Moreover, just as Shi Feng had said, players' levels rose constantly. Not only would the drop rate of Hard Stones from monsters increase, but players could also obtain quite a number from mining ores.
Take the Hard Stones Twilight Echo had gathered, for example. Twilight Echo had previously paid around 3 to 4 Silver Coins per stack while gathering the Hard Stones. If they sold them for only 5 Silver Coins a stack to Shi Feng, they wouldn't make a huge profit.
"Your Excellency drives a hard bargain. How about this; what do you think about 8 Silver Coins a stack?" Joking Scholar probed.
"Scram! If you're not going to sell them, then forget it!" Shi Feng pretended to grow angry.
Although Shi Feng stated that the prices of Hard Stones had fallen, the prices in White River City had not decreased by much. Each stack could still sell for around 11 Silver Coins right now. However, Shi Feng was in no hurry. He knew that Twilight Echo was deeply afraid of keeping the Hard Stones and having their value depreciate as time passed. Such a loss could greatly hamper Twilight Echo's growth, letting the other Guilds surpass them.
"Your Excellency, please wait a moment. How about 7 Silver Coins per stack?" Joking Scholar hurriedly bargained when he noticed Shi Feng about to walk away.
However, his offer failed to halt Shi Feng's steps.
"Alright, alright; 6 Silver Coins. I can't lower the price any further than that." Joking Scholar felt helpless at Shi Feng's unyielding attitude. However, it was simply too difficult to find players from Star-Moon Kingdom in Blackwing City. It was especially true for a Guild Leader like Lone Tyrant. If Joking Scholar could not sell these Hard Stones as quickly as possible, their value would continue to depreciate.
However, reality was cruel. Shi Feng did not halt his steps at all.
Joking Scholar started to panic now. He hurriedly ran to stop Shi Feng, saying in an urgent tone, "Your Excellency! Are you really not going to consider it? Six Silver coins is already a very low price! You can't find such an offer anywhere else!"
"Can't find?" Shi Feng smiled. Although Star-Moon Kingdom ranked above average among kingdoms that produced herbs, regarding mineral production, Star-Moon Kingdom ranked below average. Thus, the mineral supply in Star-Moon Kingdom lacked constantly. However, not every kingdom and empire was in a similar situation to the Star-Moon Kingdom.
Immediately, Shi Feng loudly yelled, "Selling Hard Stones for 6 Silver Coins a stack! You definitely can't find a price lower than this!"
Shi Feng's actions dumbfounded Joking Scholar.
However, many players on the street sent gazes of contempt towards Shi Feng.
"Stop joking around! You call 6 Silver Coins a stack 'cheap?' Even 5, Silver 30 Coppers is expensive where I come from! If you want to purchase in bulk, I can sell them to you at 5 Silver Coins a stack!"
"Ah! I nearly died from laughter just now!"
Many players on the street started laughing at Shi Feng.
However, the one who was truly embarrassed was Joking Scholar. At this moment, he felt so ashamed that he could not even raise his head to face Shi Feng. His absolute confidence from before had returned to slap him in the face.
Moreover, someone had already made an offer of 5 Silver Coins per stack. Nothing could have a more powerful impact than this.
"How about it? Didn't you say that your Hard Stones were the cheapest? Didn't you say that I absolutely couldn't find a lower price than yours?" Shi Feng snorted as he asked, "Why is everyone offering me a lower price, then? Did you really think that I am a fool?"
"This is a misunderstanding! Really!" Joking Scholar hurriedly said, "Just like Your Excellency suggested before, how about 5 Silver Coins a stack?"
"Too late. I'll offer, at best, 2 Silver Coins now. Before, I had only casually asked around on the street, and already, someone has offered me a price of 5 Silver Coins. If I ask even more people, I might even find a cheaper offer than that. There are plenty of kingdoms rich in ores." Shi Feng smiled contemptuously.
Chapter 236 - Mysterious NPC
Shi Feng's offer this time truly shocked Joking Scholar.
However, Joking Scholar knew that it was no longer possible for him to sell the forging materials for a good price.
At this moment, Joking Scholar had finally realized that making money in Blackwing City was not an easy task.
Although Blackwing City provided players with various opportunities, the competition here was more intense than any other city in God's Domain. The players in Blackwing City came from various kingdoms and empires, and each one of these kingdoms and empires had their own specialties. Although Twilight Echo was a first-rate Guild, they held no advantage whatsoever in this city. Even the forging materials they were so proud of held no advantage in this city.
Joking Scholar honestly wondered how Aqua Rose had managed to make so much money from her trips to Blackwing City.
"Your Excellency, can you give me some time? After all, the price you offered is simply too low. I need to consult with my superiors before making a decision," Joking Scholar persuaded Shi Feng.
"Fine. It just so happens that I need to purchase some items. We'll meet up in this plaza in 30 minutes." Shi Feng nodded.
The two promptly added each other as friends.
After parting, Shi Feng immediately walked into an empty alley.
The reason he had offered an extremely low price of 2 Silver Coins was to force Joking Scholar to contact his superiors. More importantly, he had done so to part with Joking Scholar. Otherwise, he would have no way of realizing his plan.
After walking into the alley, Shi Feng immediately used the Seven Luminaries Crystal and returned to White River City. He then rushed to the Bank, retrieving several hundred stacks of Hard Stones and other ores, before using the Seven Luminaries Crystal again to travel to Blackwing City.
Afterward, Shi Feng looked for a dark, narrow alley. Glancing at his surroundings and making sure that he had not been followed, Shi Feng changed into a new appearance again. This time, he disguised himself as an old man with white hair. He then donned a black hooded cloak and changed his name to Carlos. Aside from his name, he had concealed his information.
"That should be about it." Shi Feng examined his disguise. Regarding outward appearance or temperament, both looked extremely mysterious. Moreover, his body also exuded a frightening aura. He did not look like a player at all.
After confirming that there were no problems with his disguise, Shi Feng walked towards a relatively populated street.
On the street, he discovered a relatively well-equipped Guardian Knight, and without hesitation, he walked towards this Guardian Knight. While he walked past this man, Shi Feng pretended to accidentally bump into him, knocking the man down to the ground.
Originally, the Guardian Knight was enraged from being knocked down. However, just before he started cursing, he noticed that the old man before him had a shockingly powerful aura, so much so that he could feel his own body trembling slightly before this elder. Immediately, he used an identification skill on this old man and found out that the old man was called Carlos. Meanwhile, any remaining information about the old man displayed as "Unknown."
In God's Domain, there were only two scenarios that resulted in an unknown return from an identification skill. One was when the targeted player used a special item to conceal their information, while the other was due to a large gap in strength. In both cases, a normal identification skill would not suffice to determine the target's information.
Meanwhile, the old man before him was clearly not a player, but an NPC. Hence, the Guardian Knight determined that the old man named Carlos was very powerful. Afraid that he would earn the ire of this mysterious NPC and get himself killed, the Guardian Knight immediately swallowed his words.
"Young man, are you alright?" Shi Feng spoke in a dignified tone, casting an overlooking gaze at the Guardian Knight.
"No, there are no problems at all," the Guardian Knight hurriedly said.
"It's good that you're alright. However, it is still my fault for bumping into you. As compensation, you can come to my place to purchase items in the future. I will sell them to you at a discount," Shi Feng said. Immediately, he started walking towards a nearby alleyway.
"Could my luck have come?" The Guardian Knight reacted quickly as he immediately followed Shi Feng into the alleyway.
Shi Feng was shrouded in mystery, and the aura he exuded was extremely frightening. Coupling that with the fact that he had bumped into a player, he would naturally attract the attention of many players on the street. Although Shi Feng's words had not been loud, many of the surrounding players had clearly heard him.
There were countless fortuitous encounters in God's Domain. It was especially so for a place like Blackwing City. It was not strange for players to purchase some rare items from a Hidden NPC.
The elderly man before them was such a powerful NPC; it would not be odd for him to sell some powerful, rare item. So, how could they possibly miss out on such a good opportunity? Hence, every player on the street followed Shi Feng and the Guardian Knight.
"Damn, why are there so many people following us?" The Guardian Knight felt depressed when he noticed the crowd of players trailing behind him and the old man. However, his feet did not stop as he continued after Shi Feng.
Meanwhile, when Shi Feng noticed the large number of players following him, his lips curled into a smile. He had already achieved his goal.
Soon after, Shi Feng led the crowd of players past the street where Joking Scholar was.
As Joking Scholar had only needed to notify his superiors about the current situation, he had not wandered too far from his original location. Naturally, he also noticed the strange sight of a crowd of players following a mysterious old man. Hence, he hurried after one of the players trailing Shi Feng.
After making a short inquiry, Joking Scholar learned the reason for this strange situation. His face lit up with joy as he, too, joined this army of players.
Seeing that Joking Scholar had taken the bait, Shi Feng located an unoccupied gazebo and took a seat there. His expression remained indifferent as he gazed at the players following him.
The Guardian Knight from before immediately walked up to Shi Feng without hesitation. He intended to find out what items he could purchase from the old man.
In response to the Guardian Knight's actions, Shi Feng revealed a faint smile as he retrieved Hard Stones and many other types of rare ores. He then quoted extremely low prices for all these ores.
Shi Feng quoted one stack of Hard Stones for 40 Copper Coins, a stack of 200 Iron Ore for 4 Silver Coins, a stack of 200 Fine Iron Ore for 6 Silver Coins, 200 Silver Ore for 10 Silver Coins, and 200 Mithril Ore for 12 Silver Coins.
The Guardian Knight was immediately dumbfounded when he heard these prices. The prices Shi Feng quoted were far lower than the current market prices. It was especially true for the Hard Stones that were currently in high demand.
"Your Excellency Carlos, I wish to purchase 30 stacks of Hard Stones," the Guardian Knight said, excitement clear in his voice.
After all, if he returned to his own country and resold these Hard Stones at 5 Silver Coins, he would make an immense profit. Anyone would grow excited over such a situation.
Hence, the Guardian Knight spent all of the money he had on him to purchase Hard Stones from Shi Feng.
Meanwhile, the players that arrived a tad bit later were immediately stunned by the Guardian Knight's transaction. Immediately, they rushed forward to purchase Hard Stones from Shi Feng.
A majority of the players currently in Blackwing City were independent players. The money they carried did not amount to much, so the number of Hard Stones they could buy was limited. Most of the players only bought a dozen or so stacks of Hard Stones from Shi Feng. In the blink of an eye, Shi Feng had already sold over 200 stacks.
The players who managed to purchase Hard Stones from Shi Feng left with wide smiles. Some had even purchased Gold Coins using Credits, shouting their offer on the streets.
If they were to purchase Coins through the virtual trade center, the Coins would need at least 2 hours to arrive in their accounts. If it were a private transaction between players, however, they could immediately pay and receive the Coins. Hence, these players immediately started yelling on the streets, going so far as to offer double the market price.
Joking Scholar immediately panicked. This mysterious NPC was actually selling these items and at such a low price. There were even so many players purchasing Coins on the streets.
If news of this matter reached Dark Star's Guild Leader, Lone Tyrant's ears...
If that happened, he would never get rid of the forging materials in his hands!
Immediately, Joking Scholar sent this information back to his superior, and just as quickly, he received a reply. They ordered him to sell as many of the materials as he could at a low price. Following which, Joking Scholar immediately rushed towards the meeting location he had agreed upon with Shi Feng. He then sent Shi Feng a message, stating that they could conduct their trade immediately. Joking Scholar was deeply afraid of Shi Feng discovering the matter with the mysterious NPC. If Shi Feng found out about it, he wouldn't even be able to sell his Hard Stones for 2 Silver Coins a stack.
Shi Feng revealed a faint smile after seeing receiving Joking Scholar's message. Immediately, he told the players that he had sold out for the day and that he would return tomorrow. Many of the new arrivals were gravely disappointed. They lamented over the fact that they had been so slow, and they had no choice but to return tomorrow.
Soon after, Shi Feng vanished from the players' sight. He searched for a secluded location and donned the appearance of Lone Tyrant once more, before hurrying over to the meeting location.