Chapter 89: The Price of Salvation

“So, what can you give me?”

Feisi City.

Legend has it that deep within the alleys of Feisi City, there exists a peculiar shop.

As long as you are willing to pay the price.

She can give you anything.

Ah Lei stood outside the shop window.

The shopkeeper only opened a narrow slit, communicating with customers through the gap.

“You don’t even ask what I want first, and you jump straight to what price I can pay… Definitely not an ordinary shop.”

“This place is the fairest in the whole world. Whatever you are willing to pay, I can give you accordingly.” The witch smiled enticingly, “For example, if you want to save a life, you must exchange it for a life…”

“Hm, I want to save someone, and also let him start over with a new identity. As for the price…”

Ah Lei thought for a moment, eyes lighting up:

“How about turning me into a 145cm tall blonde nine-tailed beast-eared loli?”

“……”

The shopkeeper was speechless.

“You’re dreaming. For the otaku types like you, that’s simply not a price.”

“Then what should I do…”

Ah Lei furrowed his brows, anxiously pacing in circles.

He muttered to himself.

“I really want to save Ar Kang, but I don’t want to die. Exchange my life for his? No way!”

“But equal exchange requires a life. To save Ar Kang, a life must be used…”

“I still need my life to date Miss Tentacle! Finally met such a rare catch like her!”

After much deliberation and hesitation, Ah Lei stomped his foot hard:

“Sorry to bother you, goodbye!”

He turned and walked away.

Life for life?

No thanks.

“……”

…

“Knock knock knock—”

Only five minutes had passed when the shop window was knocked on again.

“Will this do?”

Ah Lei smiled brightly, giving a thumbs-up to the group of people behind him.

“If we each give up one year of our lifespans, wouldn’t that add up to one life?”

You’re really trying to cheat the system?

“Equal exchange doesn’t work like that. By your logic, if everyone just keeps having kids, everyone can live forever.”

“Ah? That doesn’t work either?”

“Definitely not.”

The window closed.

But Ah Lei pulled it open again.

He pressed his face close to the window slit, grinning: “Ar Kang probably isn’t dead yet. Maybe it’s just a small injury, like a pierced heart…

Could you give me a discount? How about half a life?”

“Not dead yet, huh… Then we can treat it as a serious injury.”

“Yay—”

Cheers erupted from outside the shop.

“The rule of life exchange is not one-to-one.” The witch shook a glowing little vial in her hand and said indifferently, “Any energy transmitted suffers loss. Healing near-death wounds will only leave your life flickering like a candle in the wind… Can you accept that?”

“No. Goodbye.”

She closed the window again.

Another ten minutes passed.

Ah Lei “proudly” opened the window once more.

He was covered in feathers and chicken droppings, hair messy like a bird’s nest, holding a large rooster, and smiled at the witch:

“How about exchanging its life for Ar Kang’s? It’s still a living creature—surely that’s enough for you now?”

“……”

The door closed; she didn’t want to speak.

But Ah Lei opened it again.

“Sister, that’s unfair. Buddha says all living beings are equal. A chicken’s life is also life, so why can’t it be exchanged for Ar Kang’s?”

“We don’t believe in that here.”

“You can believe! Buddha said the sea of suffering is boundless; turning back is the shore. Whenever you want to believe, Buddha will protect you. I brought the Chant of Great Compassion, let’s start believing now…”

“Bang!”

“Ah—”

The witch slammed the window shut hard, biting Ah Lei’s finger, causing him to yell in pain.

After a while.

Noises came from outside.

“Oo—oh—”

The ground vibrated rhythmically, followed by a loud crash as the shop window was smashed.

“Sorry, sorry! Not on purpose! Come help me—”

Ah Lei held a steel cable in his hand; the other end was connected to an irritable Rhinoceros-Horned Dragon.

The dragon shook its head, sending half of the Season Wind Knight Order flying.

“Do~es~this~work~for~you?”

Ah Lei shouted from mid-air.

“Ar Kang’s life is worth more than this!”

“If this still isn’t good enough, then I really have no other options!”

“Boom—”

Ah Lei crashed down into the shop, breaking through the ceiling.

“If this doesn’t work, then so be it. Hah—”

“Tired. Let’s destroy.”

Lying in the half-ruined Witch’s Shop, Ah Lei looked up at the sky.

There really was no other way.

But exchanging his life for Ar Kang’s? Absolutely impossible!

Good brothers are good brothers, but taking a bullet? No thanks.

Huh? Speaking of which, why does the temperature around here feel a bit cold?

“You destroyed my house, and you still want to do business with me?!”

Vines wrapped tightly around Ah Lei’s arms and legs, hoisting him into the air.

“Ooo000oooo—”

Outside came a chorus of envious cheers.

Looking up, Ah Lei’s cheeks were flushed, a few traces of shyness mixed with anticipation as he stared at the vines.

The master of torture.

The witch shuddered in disgust, burning the vines with a flame, causing Ah Lei to crash heavily onto the ground, his face bruised and battered.

“Someone has to pay the price. If you’re unwilling to give anything, you get nothing.”

Ah Lei sagged, staring blankly at the shattered ceiling:

“Fine then, use my life…”

“But I do have some stock left.” The witch placed the vial on the table. “If you agree to one condition, I can make this deal.”

“What condition?!” Ah Lei jumped up excitedly.

“Bring me a Sequence Seed. It can’t be from the Spirit of Abundance Sequence, nor from the Spirit of the Wild Sequence, or Sequence 117 Blooming Flowers… It has to be from any other sequence.”

“Deal! Where do I find one?”

“You’ll encounter it in a few days… Use this.”

The witch handed Ah Lei a small bottle.

“Open it only when you meet a Sequence Seed.”

“Got it!”

“Alright then, you can leave.”

The witch glared fiercely at the mess in her shop.

Those damned strategy players…

They just finished off an entire cabinet of my potions last time.

Then someone staged an assassination in the room, splattering blood everywhere.

And this time, they just went ahead and smashed the whole house.

“If you can bring me a Vital Source Seed, we’re square. If not, hehe…”

Though her eyes were hidden beneath the umbrella, every member of the Season Wind Knight Order shivered all over.

But the witch suddenly shifted tone: “…If you can’t bring it, I’ll kill Wu Xiaomi.”

“No——!!!”

Kill me if you want, but don’t hurt the cute girl—Season Wind Knight Order.

…

Kang Jiearei had already been gone for several days.

At the man’s grave, Wu Xiaomi kicked the tombstone and cursed, “Bastard,” before storming off angrily.

Then she arrived.

Because today was the day of her appointment with the witch.

“Your eyelids are so swollen… they’re almost thick as walls. How do you expect to go to the gathering?”

[You have your ways anyway…]

Tilting her head back and pouting, she slouched on the spot.

The witch grabbed the chain around Wu Xiaomi’s neck.

Last time, the small radish end had rotted off, but Wu Xiaomi’s collar and the remaining chain were still there.

It was easy to grip.

“Remember, today you are my pet, my toy. Behave obediently.”

[What kind of toy?] Wu Xiaomi smiled foolishly without care, [Do I need to glow?]

“I am the Witch of Lust.”

[…]

Damn it, how could I forget this…