Windsor eyed Gu Ning enviously. She'd been starry-eyed when she saw Huohuo that morning, but the fire sprite clung to Gu Ning, refusing even her hugs. Noticing Windsor's longing gaze, Gu Ning gently lifted Huohuo from his shoulder and placed her in Windsor's arms.
Windsor cradled the sprite carefully, her heart melting at Huohuo's adorable form. Gu Ning shook his head with a smile—while he found the sprite cute, Windsor was彻底 (completely) smitten.
Shortly after, Gu Ning used his last resource rod draw of the day, reeling in Fertile Soil (Green): Boosts crop growth by 10x. Useless for now, but vital for improving farmland once his territory was established. This reminded him to stock up on seeds—cheap now, but invaluable later. He spent 100 white stones on various vegetable, fruit, and grain seeds from the trading channel, where they sold for next to nothing.
As a civilian stored the seeds in the warehouse, a trio of announcements from Heavenly Mother flashed:
ALL ANNOUNCEMENT: Increased probability of underwater sea beast attacks for all novice lords.
ALL ANNOUNCEMENT: Increased loot drop rate from slain sea beasts.
ALL ANNOUNCEMENT: Personal mall updated—acquisitions no longer limited to fish.
Opportunity lies within danger. Strive to establish your unique territory as soon as possible.
The chat channel exploded, but Gu Ning focused on decoding the messages. The first公告 (announcement) hinted at future threats beyond the water—likely aerial attacks. The second meant sea beasts would vanish after dropping loot, ending their use as a direct white stone source. The third tied it together: with the mall now buying all items, lords could profit from both beast corpses and loot, turning survival into a high-stakes gamble of growth or death.
Gu Ning welcomed the challenge, though he silently hoped the beasts wouldn't be too strong. A friend request ping interrupted his thoughts—it was Wang Mu.
"Lord, my friend wants to trade with you. Interested?" Wang Mu attached a photo: Militia Troop Nest (White): Summons militia units.
"Why not sell it in the mall?" Gu Ning asked.
"He heard about our deal yesterday. Thinks you'll pay better," Wang Mu replied.
Gu Ning sighed—he was being marked as a deep pocket. "What's his price?"
"Not sure, Lord. His name's Lin Xi—chat with him directly?"
"Alright. Spread the word: I'm buying good items, paying more than the mall. Have traders contact you first. Organize a list and send it to me nightly." Gu Ning wanted to secure rare items before the mall update drained the market.
"Got it, Lord!" Wang Mu thrilled at the trust.
"Take a cut from profits. If an item sells for 20 in the mall but 30 to me, you keep a share of the extra 10. Decide the percentage."
Wang Mu grinned—this was a patron's favor. Unlike Li Chong, he worshipped Gu Ning unconditionally, eager to prove himself.
Closing Wang Mu's chat, Gu Ning found Lin Xi's message: "Lord, Wang Mu said you're interested in the nest?"
"Name your price," Gu Ning replied bluntly.
"Mall sells it for 100. Could you do 110?" Lin Xi asked, tense.