Chapter 9: When Gods Become Merchants

Lin Feng's talons tore through the last bounty hunter's mechanized armor, hydraulic fluid mixing with blood that sizzled against his obsidian-black scales. The Chaos Dragon Realm pulsed around him—a 300-meter radius where frostfire and dragonblood merged into violet mist that devoured *everything*. Trees aged to dust in seconds, armored mercenaries melted into screaming puddles, and the very air tasted like rusted coins.

"*Pathetic,*" he growled, the words distorted by his half-molten jaw. The Abyssal Frostflame in his chest cavity hissed—*Feed me more*.

A silver-haired girl no older than twelve stepped from the carnage, her doll-like face untouched by the carnage. "Mr. Dragon," she chirped, holding up a glowing contract, "The Heavenly Path Consortium offers 10% off Dragonbane weapons if you surrender no—"

Lin Feng's claw stopped an inch from her throat. The scent hit him first—honeysuckle and antiseptic, *exactly* like his mother's last embrace.

"Clever trick." His remaining human eye twitched. "Which Sainted bastard cooked up clones with *her* scent?"

The "girl" exploded into soul-shrapnel. Lin Feng staggered as shards pierced his Realm—each fragment whispering his mother's voice.

*"Weakness confirmed."* A mechanical voice boomed from the sky. *"Target's Dragon Realm destabilizes upon maternal wavelength exposure. Update bounty parameters."*

Qing Yuan materialized beside him, her crimson coin now cracked. "Told you not to hesitate." Blood dripped from her ears—payment for using the coin again.

"Why... help..." Lin Feng's words slurred as dragon vocal cords overwrote human speech.

She flicked a bloodstained contract at his feet—the original deal they'd made in Chapter 5. "I invested too much to let some Holy Land pawns collect interest."

The sky split. Nine Dragonbane Colossi descended—part-mech, part-resurrected dragon skeletons. Auctioned to the highest bidder by the Heavenly Merchant.

Colossus #7 fired first. A railgun spear meant to pierce dragon hearts.

Lin Feng *caught* it.

Frostfire crawled up the projectile as he ripped it from the air. "You think... *toys*... can kill me?"

Qing Yuan's laughter rang bitter. "They're not here to kill you." She pointed at the Colossi's glowing chests—each housed a child from nearby villages, wired into control nodes. "They're here to make you *choose*."

The Colossus pilot's voice sobbed through speakers: *"Please! My baby's in here! Don't—"*

Lin Feng's Realm faltered.

Colossus #3 struck. Its talons—forged from Lin Feng's own shed scales—sank into his side.

Qing Yuan's coin flared. "Kill them all! That's what they want you to—"

He *roared*. The Chaos Dragon Realm imploded, sucking the Colossi into a singularity of frost and rage. When the vortex cleared, the mechs stood intact—but hollow. Every pilot and child inside... *gone*.

"*Monster!*" A surviving mercenary aimed her rifle—with Qing Yuan's face. "You killed your own ally!"

Lin Feng blinked. Qing Yuan's body lay pierced by Dragonbane shrapnel, her hand still clutching the cracked coin. The real coin.

Her lips moved soundlessly: *"Checkmate."*

The battlefield fell silent. Even the Heavenly Merchant's hologram flickered.

Lin Feng cradled Qing Yuan's body. Her chest cavity was hollow—the crimson coin *was* her heart, now disintegrating.

*"Regrettable,"* the Merchant tutted. *"But data acquired: Target's 'humanity anchor' neutralized. Final auction item—"*

A vial appeared mid-air, filled with Qing Yuan's memories. *"—contains weakness blueprints. Starting bid: One continent."*

Lin Feng's remaining human skin sloughed off. The Abyssal Frostflame erupted uncontrolled—but this time, he *let* it burn.

"Keep the change," he rasped, and lunged.

When the frostfire storm cleared, the Merchant was gone. Only a receipt remained:

**Item: 1x Dragon God Incarnate

Payment Due: The World**

Qing Yuan's body had vanished. In its place—a single uncracked copper coin, warm as a heartbeat.