Chapter 3: Going Our Own Ways (Part 2)

Outside the manor, there was a convoy of about a thousand people, consisting of dozens of large hover vehicles—clearly the distinctive hover vehicles of the Mechanical Clan, with a strong metallic appearance. Each vehicle had a metal cage, and from within them came occasional roars of beasts—young spiritual beasts.
At the front of the group stood several burly men, led by a middle-aged man who carried a broad long sword, its two-foot-long hilt visible over his shoulder. He was clad in metal armor. His expression was one of uncertainty as he watched Li Ran’s team fly in the air. He called out, “Excuse me… Is Master Hall at home?”
Ezek wanted to charge in and fight, but Li Ran stopped him. “Guo Shier, go and find out who they are,” he said. He didn’t want to kill innocents. Killing enemies or rivals didn’t cause him any hesitation, but killing innocents was beyond him.
Guo Shier flew over. Ezek followed, looking like a thug ready to fight at the slightest provocation.
“Who are you?”
The middle-aged man showed a puzzled expression. “We’re a merchant caravan from the Mechanical Clan. We’ve brought the goods ordered by Master Hall.”
Only then did Guo Shier notice that many in the convoy were armed with gun-like weapons. He quickly thought of a plan and said, “Master Hall is out. Deliver the goods to the manor. Well, you can wait for Master Hall to return… before settling the payment.”
Halechi happened to arrive just then. Hearing Guo Shier speak so convincingly, he almost laughed. This guy was really good at deceiving people.
The middle-aged man sighed in relief. The pressure from the people across from him had been immense. He wasn’t from the Mechanical Clan but the head guard hired by their caravan, belonging to the rather famous Sword Clan. Skilled with long swords, his combat strength was inferior to that of the Beast-Taming Clan. Facing Guo Shier, he could barely breathe.
He nodded and said, “Yes, sir!” Then he waved his hand, and his subordinates immediately ran toward the caravan. Guo Shier realized they were going to inform the real owner of the caravan.
Soon, a fat man emerged from one of the hover vehicles, accompanied by guards armed with long spears and firearms. He glanced at Li Ran’s team hovering a few meters above the ground, his pupils narrowing slightly. Those who could fly were considered experts even among the Star-Worshipping race. All nine of them could fly—this was a very powerful force.

The Mechanical Clan’s strength is rather average due to their long-term reliance on machinery; it is only with their mechanical skills that their strength can be greatly enhanced. Their power lies in gathering large numbers of people and weapons together to achieve a powerful killing force. However, the Mechanical Clan has two major flaws: their technology is far from the advanced level seen in the Greater World, and it is difficult for them to improve their own strength, resulting in a lack of top experts. Perhaps they can deal with ordinary experts when united, but they are powerless against the best. So when that fat man saw the opponent flying in the air, he was so frightened that he became confused and didn’t think carefully about why none of the Beast Tamer Clan members were there. He respectfully stepped forward and said, “I am Pang Po from the Mechanical Clan’s merchant caravan. May I ask who you all are?” Guo Shier said, “We are friends of Lord Hall and are only temporarily staying here.” Then he added with a smile, “Lord Hall instructed me to handle any issues that arise.” His serious expression made the others want to laugh. The fat man didn’t suspect anything, knowing that this area was under Hall’s control—Hall was the undisputed ruler here, and no one dared to be reckless in his estate. So he didn’t overthink it and replied, “Yes. We’ve brought quite a few spiritual beasts this time. Hehe, it took a lot of effort. Among them is a Golden Luo Beast, which is extremely precious.” Guo Shier nodded and said, “Good. Take them to the estate.” He gave Li Ran and the others a subtle signal. Li Ran understood immediately and said, “Let’s go back.” He knew Guo Shier’s intention—killing these merchants and blaming them wasn’t his style. Although Ezekiel and Meili wanted to kill them, most of the team disagreed, so the two had to hold back for now. Of course, they weren’t really opposed either, as the opponents were too weak to arouse any desire to kill. As top-tier Aberrant Symbol Beasts, they didn’t want to eat ordinary wild beasts or Symbol Beasts or Mutated Symbol Beasts; they only wanted high-level Aberrant Symbol Beasts. So Ezekiel and Meili silently followed back to the estate. As the large group entered the estate, although some of them were slightly puzzled because they couldn’t see any Beast Tamer Clan members, the empty estate appeared eerily quiet. It wasn’t until the merchants entered that the estate became lively again.

The middle-aged man led a few of his subordinates to Guo Shier’s side. By then, Guo Shier had already landed from the air and was standing quietly under a large tree, observing the busy caravan. When he saw the middle-aged man approaching, he glanced over. The man felt a chill run down his spine, his steps immediately slowing down as a look of reverence appeared on his face.

Guo Shier asked indifferently, “What do you want?”

The man bowed and said, “How will the goods be handed over? Should we unload them in the open area?”

Guo Shier wasn’t interested in the goods at all and casually replied, “Over there… unload them over there.” He pointed to an open space in the estate and added, “There’s also a row of empty rooms over there. Place the spirit beasts in the open area and the goods in the rooms.”

The man clearly breathed a sigh of relief, nodded in agreement, and immediately left with his subordinates. He didn’t dare to talk further with Guo Shier, as the pressure he felt in his presence was unbearable. He had no desire to continue the conversation and just wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Soon, a large number of metal cages were set down, with the roars of beasts filling the air, along with plenty of goods being placed in the rooms.

Guo Shier went over to Ezekiel and Mei Li. Both of them were staring at the metal cages, looking pensive, seemingly feeling a sense of empathy. Guo Shier asked, “What plans do you have for these young spirit beasts?”

Ezekiel replied, “Either let me eat them or set them free. These bastards…” For him, death wasn’t a shame; being kept as a pet was the shame.

Guo Shier shook his head and said, “Forget it. Let me take care of them. I have a sacrificial altar sanctuary. Well, these spirit beasts are too small; they won’t survive long if released.”

Ezekiel said, “It’s up to you, as long as you don’t keep them in cages.”

Although spirit beasts were somewhat similar to mutated rune beasts, there were differences. Spirit beasts didn’t have clearly formed natural runes, so even though Ezekiel felt empathy for them, he wasn’t willing to sacrifice anything for them.

Guo Shier slowly approached the metal cages and examined the spirit beasts carefully. The largest one was only about ten meters long, with most being small beasts a few meters long. Behind the thick metal bars, they appeared listless.

What happened next left everyone in the caravan stunned. Guo Shier walked over and touched each of the giant metal cages. With each touch, one cage disappeared, and soon all the cages were taken away.

A member of the caravan rushed over anxiously, his face showing fear and hesitation, but he still went in front of Guo Shier and said pitifully, “Sir, sir, this… this cage… it’s… it’s part of the set… it belongs to the floating vehicle… No, it can’t be taken away! It must not be taken!”
Guo Shier found it amusing. He casually said, “Oh? It’s fine. When Lord Hall returns, you can settle the bill as usual. Just say… it was my decision—double the price for each item! Also, buy these metal cages too. As for the price, Lord Hall will pay whatever you ask. No problem.”
The man was stunned—this was far too generous. He didn’t dare speak anymore and turned to run off to find the caravan owner.
After hearing his subordinates’ report, the fat man Dudu felt a hint of unease. It wasn’t that he had seen through Guo Shier’s trickery, but rather Guo Shier’s price was simply terrifying. After all, Hall was never generous and always liked to haggle. How could he possibly pay double the price? But Hall wasn’t there; only a group of experts lived in his manor. Could their words be wrong?
Though puzzled, Dudu wasn’t stupid. He wouldn’t dare go to Guo Shier and raise his doubts. Even if there were problems, he couldn’t speak up. He knew very well that experts couldn’t be provoked—unless one wanted to die. In this world, no one would intervene if someone killed someone else.
He said, “Do as they say! Whatever they say, that’s what to do!” He couldn’t figure out the mystery, but that didn’t stop him from making the right decision.
Guo Shier walked around, collecting the metal cages, then entered the room and took away all kinds of goods, including a large amount of food and daily necessities. To keep the manor running, at least a thousand people were needed, and their food, clothing, and other needs consumed a huge amount of supplies. The caravan came once a year, bringing enough goods to cover the manor’s annual requirements.
Guo Shier collected all of Hall’s ordered items. With the space he had, he could store even more. He possessed a small secret realm—not to mention storing a year’s worth of supplies, he could even fit the entire caravan inside.
Guo Shier quickly returned to the hall. The team members were all there, smiling at him. Halechi said, “If that Hall comes back, he’ll be furious.”
Ezek said, “He’d better have the guts. Hmph… Before he gets angry, I’ll kill him first!”

Halechi muttered, “But we still need to find the right person first.”
Meili said, “We’ll find that guy…”
The fat man Dudu came to the entrance of the hall and said cautiously, “My lords, the goods… have all been paid for. Um… the payment?” He stared nervously at Guo Shier, as he had seen with his own eyes Guo Shier take away the goods, including those young spirit beasts.
Everyone’s gaze turned to Guo Shier.
Guo Shier smiled and said, “No problem. The payment can be settled. Lord Hall will be back in three days, and he’ll handle the payment with you. Well, your caravan can stay in the manor. You can use anything in the manor. Don’t worry; the manor is right here. Do you have any other questions?”
His face appeared kind and friendly, but his powerful presence pressed down on the fat man Dudu, making him feel breathless.
After thinking for a while, the fat man Dudu could only nod and say, “Yes, that works. Our caravan really needs a rest. Then we’ll settle the payment in three days.” With that, he took his leave.
After the fat man left, Aizek immediately asked, “How do you know that bastard Hall will be back in three days?”
Guo Shier chuckled.