Chapter 126 - 125: The Trade Begins

Chapter 126: Chapter 125: The Trade Begins

As the gates of the Paper City slowly swung open, a neat procession of Papermen emerged. Their gait was stiff and uniform, and the rustling of paper combined with their mechanical footsteps stood out starkly in the bustling trading post.

Among them, many Papermen carried heavy paper-craft loads on poles over their shoulders. The loads were covered with dark red paper, through which the faint outlines of the items stacked within could be seen, adding an air of mystery.

At the head of the procession, a particularly eye-catching Paperman advanced slowly, leaning on a white paper Battle Banner. The banner’s edges were slightly curled, and vague patterns outlined in Cinnabar drifted gently with the wind.

On this Paperman’s face were painted two large, blood-red circles. Their edges bled into faint red smudges which, combined with its pale paper visage, made it look both eerie and bizarre. It walked alongside the Papermen carrying the loads, its stiff gaze sweeping over every player present.

When Gu Su’s gaze fell upon the white paper Battle Banner, his eyes narrowed sharply, and a flicker of surprise rose in his heart.

’Minions carry triangular flags, and Bosses carry Four-sided Banners, but the one leaning on a Battle Banner is...’

"A hero,"

Gu Su murmured, almost to himself.

Just then, the Paperman leaning on the Battle Banner also halted. It turned to face the twenty-odd players present and slowly performed a formal bow. Though its movements were stiff, they possessed a certain solemnity.

Then, it spoke. Its voice was hoarse and dry, like the rasp of rubbing paper, yet it was unusually clear and carried throughout the entire trading post. "Greetings, Little City Lords. I am Zhi Xiang, the garrison hero of Paper Gold Mountain."

Zhi Xiang paused, then continued slowly, "My lord is currently occupied with upgrading Paper Gold Mountain to a Level 4 City and could not come in person. I ask for your forgiveness, Little City Lords.

The primary purpose of this trade gathering is to raise the funds required for Paper Gold Mountain’s upgrade. The items for sale today are mostly White Quality basic materials and practical tools, all offering excellent value for their price."

As soon as its voice fell, a low murmur of discussion spread through the players. While White Quality items were common, they were still worth acquiring if the price was right.

Zhi Xiang raised a hand, gesturing for silence. Once the crowd had quieted, it added, "Of course, to ensure that you Little City Lords haven’t made this trip for nothing, my lord has specially provided ten pieces of Green Quality equipment, as well as one piece of Blue Quality equipment, as the highlight of this gathering. We hope they are to your liking, Little City Lords."

At these words, the trading post instantly erupted into a frenzy. Given their current circumstances, even Green Quality items were quite rare, let alone a piece of Blue Quality equipment. Now, every single player’s interest was thoroughly piqued.

Seeing their reaction, Zhi Xiang’s tone remained level as it added a crucial piece of information. "A word of warning, however. Because Paper Gold Mountain urgently needs to upgrade, we will only be accepting Gold Coins, Yin Qi, and Metal in trade. We will not accept any other miscellaneous materials. We ask for your understanding, Little City Lords."

Having explained all the rules and the situation with the items, Zhi Xiang said no more. It simply raised a hand and waved to those behind it.

At the signal, the troop of Papermen dispersed in an orderly fashion. Each squad guarded a single pole, carefully lifting the red paper from the loads to reveal the trade goods within for all the players to inspect and select.

The surrounding players instantly swarmed forward, most making a beeline for the loads displaying Green and Blue Quality equipment. They stood on tiptoe to see the items’ Attributes, whispering to one another about prices, their faces alight with eagerness and greed.

In stark contrast, Gu Su didn’t join the throng. He remained where he was, his calm gaze sweeping over the various loads.

’He knew full well that with his current finances, he likely couldn’t afford the Blue and Green Quality equipment even if he pushed through the crowd to see their Attributes. Rather than embarrass himself for nothing, he might as well focus on what he actually needed.’

After just a few quick glances, Gu Su had a general idea of the offerings. He then walked straight through the crowd and up to Zhi Xiang, his expression placid as he began to ask his question.

"Hero Zhi Xiang, I’d like to ask if you have any White Quality building blueprints for sale?"

Zhi Xiang turned its head stiffly, its gaze sweeping over Gu Su. A bizarre smile immediately surfaced on its paper face with the blood-red circles, and its formerly parched voice softened a few degrees.

"We do. I can assure you, Little City Lord, my own lord has a background in drafting. He can produce all sorts of White Quality building blueprints and schematics himself. What’s more, our prices here are thirty percent lower than at other trading posts—an extremely good value."

At this, Zhi Xiang paused and leaned forward slightly, its tone turning inquisitive.

"What type of building blueprint might the Little City Lord require? Our selection is quite comprehensive and can generally satisfy any basic construction needs."

"A Control Room and a Watchtower," Gu Su replied without a moment’s hesitation, naming the two structures he needed most urgently.

’The Control Room was for steering the Mobile City, and the Watchtower was for navigation. He could manage without a Map Room, but without these two, his Graveyard Demon wouldn’t be able to move an inch.’

Upon hearing the words "Control Room," Zhi Xiang couldn’t help but slowly shake its head. It explained patiently, its tone tinged with apology.

"My apologies, Little City Lord, but a facility like the Control Room is quite special. It must be custom-built to suit each Little City Lord’s piloting style and the layout of their Mobile City. There are no standardized blueprints, so they cannot be mass-produced for sale."

After a pause, Zhi Xiang added, "However, I do have three different types of Watchtowers. All are of White Quality, and each has a different focus. The Little City Lord can examine them personally and choose the one that suits him best."

Having said this, Zhi Xiang simply reached a hand behind it. Two Papermen immediately hurried forward, holding three yellowed scrolls in both hands, and respectfully presented them to Zhi Xiang.

Zhi Xiang accepted the scrolls and passed them to Gu Su, gesturing for him to look them over.

Gu Su reached out and took the scrolls. His eyes swept over them, confirming they were indeed blueprints for three different styles of Watchtower. He gently unrolled one of them.

[Heaven-Reaching Bamboo Blueprint (White): A blueprint for constructing a Heaven-Reaching Bamboo (Watchtower). Once learned, you can construct it within your Mobile City by consuming the required materials.]

[Heaven-Reaching Bamboo (White): Use 10 units of Wood, 3 units of Stone, and 4 units of other materials to build one Heaven-Reaching Bamboo at a designated location (minimum footprint: 1x1 meter).

After construction, one Skeleton can be fixed to the top of the Heaven-Reaching Bamboo to serve as an observation post, allowing visibility of everything within a 5,000-meter radius.

Note: This is a hand-copied blueprint and can only be used once.]