Chapter 292, The Neighbor

Chapter 292, The Neighbor

The next day, Wu Heng woke up from his sleep.

On his left was Minnie, still fast asleep.

He pulled back the thin blanket covering him, and Andviel, curled up beneath it, looked up at him.

She whimpered softly, blinking her eyes.

Wu Heng reached out and gently touched her soft cheek, then covered her back up with the blanket.

He continued to enjoy the girls' morning wake-up service.

After Andviel finished, Minnie woke up from her deep sleep, yawning groggily.

She frowned at the fox girl beside her, asking in confusion, "Did you catch a cold? Why is your face so red?"

"No!" Andviel touched her own face.

"Oh, maybe you caught a chill last night." Minnie got dressed and then helped Wu Heng get dressed as well.

After washing up, they went downstairs together.

...…

After breakfast,

Andviel went to the Guild, while Wu Heng found a secluded spot, put on the [Conductor's Hat], and summoned the ghost train.

After writing "Netare City" on the itinerary, he entered the carriage.

Last time in Netare City, he had ordered a batch of crossbows and leather armor.

It was now the promised delivery time.

Wu Heng first went to the port to rent a temporary warehouse.

The shortest rental period was three days.

He didn't need it for three days; it was just to temporarily serve as a spot to open the realm gate.

After renting the warehouse, he headed to the weapon shop on the commercial street.

Walking into the shop, a clerk immediately came forward, "What would you like to see, sir? Long swords, shields, or some crossbows for overseas trade?"

Wu Heng handed over the order form, "I ordered some goods here last time; can you check if they're ready?"

The clerk took the order and glanced at it, "Please wait a moment, sir."

Wu Heng sat aside, with his two skeleton attendants standing guard.

Not long after, the weapon shop owner, whom he had seen before, hurried over, carefully looking Wu Heng over before putting away the order form, "Sir, your weapons are ready. Please come with me to inspect them."

"Sure!"

Wu Heng followed him to the backyard warehouse.

As the door opened, the smell of oil filled the air.

"These weapons here are yours, five hundred crossbows, all inspected," the owner pointed to the left.

Wu Heng nodded, picked up a couple to examine.

The quality was decent, matching what was displayed in the shop.

Wu Heng said directly, "Send them to warehouse 32 at the port. Also, write me another order for 500 more crossbows."

"Sir, I wanted to mention earlier; the previous order is fine, but the price has gone up for future orders."

Wu Heng squinted his eyes, scrutinizing the owner.

Earlier, he thought the man was confirming his identity, but it turned out he was hesitant about raising the price.

The previous order had already been paid with a deposit, and the price had been agreed upon.

Even if the owner brought it up, Wu Heng wouldn't pay him more.

"How much did it go up?"

"35 silver coins per crossbow!"

The original price was 28 silver coins; that was quite a hike.

"We'll discuss future orders later. For now, deliver these to the warehouse, and I'll settle the remaining payment once they arrive," Wu Heng said.

"Alright!"

Wu Heng exited the shop while the owner called for help to transport the weapons to the designated warehouse.

...…

After leaving the weapon shop, Wu Heng headed to the armor shop across the street.

Inside, the plump and graceful shopkeeper was wiping down the counter.

The armor shop was surprisingly empty of customers.

"Are you here to pick up your goods?" the shopkeeper greeted with a smile.

"Yes, are they ready?"

"They are! Please come with me."

The shopkeeper led him to the warehouse, opening the door to reveal the prepared goods.

Wu Heng inspected a couple of pieces, and they were fine.

"I'm pleased with the quality."

"I'm glad you're satisfied," the shopkeeper smiled.

"Have the prices of the leather armor gone up?"

"Yes, each type has increased by about 20%," she said directly.

Wu Heng glanced around, then asked, "Could you tell me why?"

The shopkeeper hesitated before lowering her voice, "The Yeko Kingdom is buying a large quantity of weapons and armor, which has driven up market prices."

The Yeko Kingdom buying supplies?

For the military?

"Are they going to war?"

"Don't say such things recklessly; it could cause trouble," the shopkeeper warned, looking around nervously.

Wu Heng had already heard some rumors from Gold-Silver Island.

The old king of the Yeko Kingdom was rumored to be on his last legs, and the princes might fight over the throne.

It seemed the situation was worsening.

Prices were being affected even in distant markets.

"When will the market stabilize?" Wu Heng asked.

"I'm just a woman; how would I know?" The shopkeeper hesitated, then added, "If you'd like to order again, leave me an address, and I'll send you a letter when things settle."

Wu Heng found the shopkeeper rather chatty.

He replied, "Sure, send it to the Guild on Gold-Silver Island, addressed to Andviel."

The shopkeeper's eyes widened, "You're with the Guild?"

"Yes, and keep me updated on any changes in the situation."

"Oh, alright, but please keep it to yourself; I don't want to lose my head."

After chatting briefly, Wu Heng paid the balance for the leather armor.

The shopkeeper called workers to transport the armor to the rented warehouse.

Wu Heng went along with the workers.

The people from the weapon shop were already waiting at the door.

After paying the balance to the weapon shop, Wu Heng instructed Skull-Crusher and Blood Axe to close the doors.

The warehouse had two layers of space.

The outer area was for guards, furnished with wooden tables and chairs.

The inner layer was the actual storage.

Wu Heng opened the inner door and commanded the skeletons to transport all the goods to the zombie world.

The items were stacked in the corridors on both sides of the hotel.

After all the goods were moved,

Wu Heng left the warehouse.

After exiting the city, he found a secluded spot, summoned the ghost train, and returned to Gold-Silver Island.

...…

Back at his residence.

It was already late.

The ghost train could significantly shorten the journey, but it still took a whole day to travel to and from Netare City.

Entering the house, Wu Heng saw Minnie and Andviel chatting on the sofa.

As soon as she saw Wu Heng come in, Minnie bounced up and ran over, "Master, someone moved in next door and invited us to dinner tonight. Should we go?"

"Someone moved in?"

The neighboring house had been under renovation for several days, taking much longer than Wu Heng's place.

It was finally occupied.

"Yes, it's a beautiful elf lady. Should we go?" Minnie asked again.

"They're just being polite; we don't even know them. Who invites strangers to dinner at their house?" Wu Heng said as he sat down on the sofa.

"But she said she knows you!" Minnie continued.

Wu Heng raised an eyebrow and looked at Andviel.

She shook her head, "Minnie told me about it. I haven't seen the neighbor yet."

Wu Heng asked, "Did she mention her name?"

"No."

"What does she look like?"

"She's a beautiful elf lady with grayish-blue hair, about this long." Minnie gestured to show the length.

Wu Heng's eyebrows lifted.

Shanella?

The president of the Starflower Merchant Guild.