Chapter 21: Troublemaker

Seeing Gu Ran's demeanor, the stall owner understood that Gu Ran was indeed interested in buying and thus spoke up:

"Brother, let me lay it out for you, I've got quite a few 'Flame Frogs', so if you're worried about not being able to collect them, as long as this trading meeting is still on next time, I guarantee there will be no fewer than three Fire Keeper fragments. Just come over early then!!"

Hearing this, Gu Ran's gaze firmed up, and he didn't hesitate any longer:

"Okay, I'll take this card. How much?"

Seeing that Gu Ran agreed, the stall owner's face lit up with joy and he quoted his price.

"10 card points, that's the fixed price!!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than he hurriedly added another sentence when he caught a glimpse of Gu Ran's slightly furrowed brow from the corner of his eye:

"If you have any card fragments that you can't use, we can also do a fragment exchange."

Hearing this, Gu Ran thought for a moment, then nodded slightly.

He remembered that he still had a nearly forgotten Black Rock Axe fragment in his card album.

...…

After reviewing the attributes of the Black Rock Axe fragment that Gu Ran had taken out, the stall owner spoke:

"This fragment of yours has quite a few usage restrictions, and it's only suitable for a small crowd. How about this, you just add 4 more card points!"

"1 point!"

"Brother, 1 point really won't do. I'll make another concession, how about 3 points?"

...…

In the end, Gu Ran successfully acquired the Fire Keeper fragment with 2 additional card points and the Black Rock Axe card and continued on to the other stalls after adding it to his album.

While Gu Ran was casually strolling around, a loud argument erupted from one of the trading stalls.

"I said no exchange, your fragment doesn't match with mine at all. What, you want to force a trade?"

"Fuck you motherfucker, don't make me lose face, I already leveled up twice yesterday, believe it or not I'll fucking end you!!"

...…

Hearing this latter remark, the faces of many changed simultaneously, their bodies unconsciously moving back quite a bit, quickly creating a vacuum around the two arguing individuals, as if they were afraid of getting involved.

After all, the majority of people present were only at level 0 or 1, and hearing that the troublemaker had suddenly reached level 2 undoubtedly instilled fear in them.

Even the stall owner facing the troublemaker turned pale, for his strength was certainly not weak; otherwise, he wouldn't have had access to such coveted card fragments.

However, compared to the level 2 the boisterous person claimed to be, he still lacked a few points of elemental energy.

Whoosh!

A flash of cold light streaked by, and a Copper-Colored Long Knife had suddenly appeared in the hands of the troublemaker, and the occasional flashes of cold light on the knife indicated its clear quality.

Seemingly noticing the wariness in the stall owner's eyes, the troublemaker seemed even more arrogant.

With several sweeps of the Copper-Colored Long Knife, the piercing cold light was enough to send shivers down the spine, and the threat was undisguised.

Seeing this, the middle-aged stall owner felt a tinge of bitterness, surrounded by many spectators, yet not a single person stepped forward, all watching the commotion unfold.

Regrets began to creep up from the bottom of his heart.

"I should never have come to this so-called trade meet." This was the only thought in his mind at the moment.

...…

Seeing the stall owner remaining silent, the rowdy yellow-haired youth could no longer restrain himself and walked forward with the Copper-Colored Long Knife in his hand.

As the distance between the two men rapidly closed, a fiery glint flashed through the eyes of the yellow-haired youth. He was very covetous of the card fragment in the opponent's hand.

Just as the conflict seemed inevitable and the surrounding crowd's eyes betrayed a hint of schadenfreude, an unexpected change occurred in the market.

Suddenly, the space directly between the yellow-haired youth and the stall owner twisted, and then a black figure appeared out of nowhere.

Witnessing this scene, everyone on-site widened their eyes in astonishment, as the sight seemed nothing short of a miracle to them.

...…

The black figure was shrouded in darkness, rendering its face completely obscured and indiscernible.

However, this wasn't the focus; at this moment, everyone's attention was almost entirely drawn to the vast and majestic power emanating from the figure's body.

Faced with this terrifying pressure, everyone present had but one thought in their minds.

They felt as if they were facing an indescribable deity of the present world, and not a single trace of rebellious thoughts could arise in their hearts.

...

And if anyone was to ask who felt this most profoundly at the moment, it would undoubtedly be the yellow-haired youth in the center because it was clear to all that the black figure's gaze was fixed upon "him."

The yellow-haired youth's previous arrogance had vanished completely.

His face turned ashen, and his body trembled as if he were carrying a mountain on his back.

"You, who the hell are you!!"

The difficult inquiry received no response; the only reply he got was the sight of the black figure raising its hand slightly.

As the black figure's hand was raised, a detached voice resonated through the entire trading space.

[After judgment, your actions have violated the first and second rules of this space's trading guidelines. The following punishments will now be applied to you:

1: Your remaining time in this trading session is reset to zero, and you will be expelled.

2: You are deprived of the right to participate in the next three trading sessions.

3: You are added to the space's red list. If you violate the trading rules again, you will be permanently banned from this trading space.]

As soon as the voice faded, before the yellow-haired youth could voice his retort, the black figure snapped its fingers.

The next second, the yellow-haired youth's figure vanished on the spot, completely disappearing from the trading space.

...…

After accomplishing this, the black figure did not dissipate. Instead, it circled around once, scanning everyone with its gaze, and then its eyes settled on the middle-aged stall owner behind it as a calm voice emerged from him.

"I apologize for your experience. As compensation, you will be granted free entry to the next trading session without the need to pay in card points."

Hearing this from the black figure, the middle-aged stall owner instantly felt flattered. His face reddened, and he was at loss for words for a moment.

As for the people around, they almost subconsciously nodded when they heard these words. Although it was just a waiver of 2 card points, what it represented was an attitude, an assurance of fair and just trading that could put people at ease.

Having finished speaking to the middle-aged stall owner, the black figure turned again, and its words resonated once more, this time addressing everyone in the trading space.

[First, I would like to thank you all for participating in this space's inaugural trading session and for your trust. In the upcoming sessions, I will do my utmost to maintain order and will certainly not betray your trust and support.

Additionally, if there are any doubts, you may raise them now, and I will do my best to provide answers.]

With that, the black figure stood silently on the spot, saying no more.

Seeing this, the eyes of the vast majority in the trading space began to flicker as if they were organizing their thoughts.