Chapter 165: A Maiden’s Prayer

150 goblin right ears, at 5 copper coins each, for a total of 7 silver and 50 copper.

50 Kobold right ears, at 15 copper coins each, also for 7 silver and 50 copper.

Plus one bear goblin and two Elite Level goblins, for 2 gold and 2 silver.

So, the total bounty is 3 gold and 7 silver.

‘Round it up and it’s 4 gold coins.’

‘That’s an entire week’s sales for the general store.’

‘No, I have to find a way to salvage this…’

A few minutes later, Lu Wei started walking again, continuing on his way.

He mumbled in anguish as he walked, looking utterly heartbroken.

Monster ears were considered “fresh meat” and had a very limited shelf life.

If it were a more valuable organ like a “Giant Troll Eye,” it could be stored separately in a glass jar to extend its preservation period.

But with so many ears all together, and it being summer, they would rot and spoil in no time.

And if that happened, the Adventurer Association would absolutely not pay the bounty.

So he had to return to the Dome Pillar as quickly as possible and turn in the ears.

“Why don’t you head back now?”

At this thought, Lu Wei suddenly turned to Bai Ya and said with great seriousness,

“You can bring the ears back tomorrow morning. There’s still time.”

“Huh?”

Bai Ya’s jaw dropped, her face a picture of disbelief.

“But we’re almost back to town, and it’s about to get dark…”

“So what if it’s dark?”

Lu Wei frowned. “Didn’t we bring a torch?”

“We do have a torch, but don’t you think this is a bit much…?”

Bai Ya bit her lip, her tone resentful. “It’s such a long way, and through a dangerous forest, yet you want me to travel alone at night.”

“I doubt even a Slave Master would be so cruel.”

‘What does she mean?’

‘This is cruel?’

‘What about all those companies from my past life that made everyone work overtime every day?’

‘She has absolutely no drive!’

“Fine, fine, if you don’t want to, then don’t. I’m not forcing you.”

Lu Wei waved his hand in annoyance, thinking that Bai Ya had been getting far too arrogant lately.

She was even making all sorts of excuses to get out of a little overtime.

Since it had come to this, his only option was to return to the Dome Pillar as early as possible.

Before that, however, a pile of troublesome matters was waiting for him to handle.

His to-do list for this evening alone was a long one.

1. Notify the engineering team to enter the forest.

2. Report his safe return to Aryan.

3. Find Clara to explain Furen’s situation.

Oh, right, he also had to meet that Evil Daughter from Kaling Port.

‘I’m too busy.’

‘Tomorrow I have to see Sebas and deal with the loot I brought back.’

‘I also need to do a deep dive into the matter of the general store’s damaged reputation.’ ℯ𝐥.

‘And there’s the new business with the Equipment blind boxes.’

‘This won’t do. It looks like I really need to hire more people.’

‘I can’t possibly do everything myself.’

With these thoughts in mind, Lu Wei glanced at the setting sun, already sinking below the horizon, and couldn’t help but quicken his pace.

Dusk was probably the shortest part of the day.

Like a girlfriend who changes her mood as quickly as flipping through a book.

Just a moment ago, the sky could still be considered bright, but in the blink of an eye, it had grown dim.

Birds chirped as they returned to their nests, and the calls of unknown insects rose from the grass.

The last ray of daylight struggled through the gaps in the leaves. Hess trotted eagerly behind Lu Wei and Bai Ya, the two of them and the ball making their way through the woods, hurrying toward the setting sun.

“When we get back, we’ll split up. You go find the engineering team and Clara, and I’ll go find Aryan and Freya.”

“Oh… No! I’m going with you to find Aryan!”

“What for? Aryan’s worried about me, not you.”

“That’s exactly why I have to go!”

“Why?”

“Be-because…”

“I get it, you have a crush on Aryan!”

“???”

…

…

The night was black as ink, and the smell of grass and wood on the wind had been replaced by the aroma of malt and roasted meat.

“Are you sure you’re just going to let Aryan know you’re safe? You’re not going to do anything else?”

“Seriously, are you ever going to drop it? What else would I do?”

“I was just asking, no need to be so mean…”

Around 7 PM, Lu Wei and Bai Ya finally made it back to Heitai Town.

After grabbing a quick dinner at a roadside eatery, the two prepared to go their separate ways.

Lu Wei wasn’t an idiot; of course he could tell that Bai Ya was interested in him.

But according to the “revised edition” of Rule #5 of the *Rules for Crafty Merchants*—

[Women are useful, but marriage and romance (newly added) are by far the biggest stumbling blocks on the road to success!]

For now, he needed to play dumb.

It was hard to say for how long.

In any case, he definitely wouldn’t be getting into a relationship anytime soon.

Unless the other party was a princess or a female Dragon.

‘Whether it’s a princess or a female Dragon, you have no hope in this lifetime.’

‘But if it’s the Chief Grandmaster, I guess I could make do.’

‘Otherwise, a toad shouldn’t dream of eating swan meat.’

‘That’s right, I’m the swan.’

Watching Bai Ya’s retreating figure, Lu Wei grumbled to himself internally for a moment before setting off in the direction of “Sawing and Sewing.”

Returning to the town after half a month, nothing had changed.

The air was still thick with the smell of mud and rot, the taverns were still bustling with noise, and the kerosene lamp hanging outside a small clinic was still dim.

However, compared to usual, today there was a young girl in a linen dress under that dim yellow halo of light.

She sat on the stone steps by the door, hugging her knees, looking up whenever someone passed by.

Then, under the puzzled gazes of the passersby, she would lower her head again.