A trade with the Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord actually scored two rare Divine-Given Origin Force Foods for strength enhancement: the Giant Plate Fruit and the Fenghuai Seed.

Top quality, and not a small amount either.

An unexpected harvest.

Dragon Cypress was highly satisfied, and almost reluctant to swap out Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple.

This year, Melde was coming over.

Mountain Lord Melde also carried plenty of good stuff.

…

…

…

The morning light slanted down, the Divine Force Barrier refracting a dazzling halo of colors.

White Ivy and Spider King Spurge walked side by side at the very front of the caravan, entering the dirt plaza.

Spider King Spurge stopped.

White Ivy behaved properly, halted, and chose a spot right beside Spurge.

Spider King Spurge spat out a Life Seed…

White Ivy followed, spitting out her Life Seed, which quickly rooted and grew.

The spider silk ropes binding goods to White Ivy's carapace loosened one after another, piling up spider silk bags three or four meters high. Bag by bag, she unloaded them, stacking them into a small mountain, finally draping a giant spider silk cloth over the whole heap to keep it covered.

Red Peach picked up four stones to weigh down the four corners of the spider silk cloth.

"Spider King Spurge, I'm off to trade!"

White Ivy seemed to have changed personalities, dutifully greeted Spider King Spurge before leaving.

Spider King Spurge stared coldly and indifferently.

White Ivy tiptoed, craning her body to look around, locked onto Atractylodes Spider King's trading zone, then led Red Peach in a sprint over…

Melde and Grass Dragon watched White Ivy with equally frosty stares from afar.

Melde was furious—and puzzled.

"Grass Dragon, go follow them and see what White Ivy's up to this time?"

"What could she be up to?"

"You know?"

"Far as I know, she works with Dragon Cypress Ant King, basic deal is helping transport ten thousand Source Stones each year. Look closely, White Ivy didn't bring Source Stones this year."

"She found another spider for hauling?"

"What else?"

"Who's that dumb?"

"Probably just old Atractylodes Spider King being senile."

Melde, annoyed, snapped, "Talk to me in spider language properly!"

Grass Dragon sulked, "Up until two years ago, I could still get a bottle or two of Bee King Jelly from Atractylodes Spider King. Last year it suddenly told me that the stuff was gone, wouldn't have it anymore, and not to come to it again."

"So, you mean…"

Melde glanced at the unloaded goods from White Ivy, then at Grass Dragon—whose carapace was loaded with goods stacked comically over two meters high—making Melde even angrier.

"Planning to join up with White Ivy?"

"Me and White Ivy are sworn enemies."

"I'm seriously talking to you! White Ivy's Origin Force Honey deal is curbed by all sorts of factors, it'll always have a ceiling. No future in that business."

"Me and Lupine agree. Lupine follows you."

"Both of you are idiots."

Melde impatiently swung their pincer limbs, then called out:

"Come on! Let's go trade up the mountain first."

…

——I bet one Divine-Given Mountain Cherry Fruit.

——What's the bet?

——How much cargo Mountain Lord White Ivy can bring this year.

——How much do you bet?

——Value won't exceed a million Source Stones.

——Not betting.

——Eight hundred thousand?

——No idea what method Red Peach has come up with to carry cargo, but the Bee King Jelly and presale numbers put a dead cap on it.

——How about this, I'll bet that Mountain Lord White Ivy's Origin Force Food delivery this year is worth more than six hundred thousand.

——Cheater. Last year it was already over half a million.

——Whatever, don't bet then.

——Seven hundred thousand, I'll take your bet.

…

At the entrance to the Starship Passage, Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple were bickering, when the clank of a metal can sounded from outside. Poking their heads out, both froze.

"Grass Dragon?"

"Mountain Lord Melde?"

"How are you two the first up the mountain?"

"Where's Mountain Lord White Ivy?"

Grass Dragon's face soured immediately. He shot back, "What, not happy to see us?"

"What are you betting on? Let me in on it." Melde, on the other hand, found the two little ones amusing, and scanned sense over the petite spider silk bag in Blue Catalpa's claw. Teasing, he said:

"Divine-Given Origin Force Food. You two rascals scored perks from the Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord, didn't you?"

Blue Catalpa: "We did."

Snakebark Maple: "Seven-Leaf Mountain Lord's a generous one."

Melde: "..."

Melde: "Grass Dragon, make sure to tell Dragon Cypress about this later."

Blue Catalpa: "No need."

Snakebark Maple: "Dragon Cypress Ant King taught us this."

Blue Catalpa: "Dragon Cypress Ant King says Mountain Lord Melde is clever."

Snakebark Maple: "So we won't rip you off."

Melde: "..."

The clever Mountain Lord Melde wasn't very happy after all.

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple exchanged glances, thoughts racing.

Dragon Cypress Ant King's plan was to first trade with White Ivy, earn Source Stones and get Spider King Silk Scrolls, then trade with Melde, and buy up in bulk…

Blue Catalpa: "Mountain Lord Melde, you came early."

Snakebark Maple: "The hundred-plus Spider King Silk Scrolls Dragon Cypress Ant King had stockpiled were just spent."

Blue Catalpa: "Have to wait until we finish trading with Mountain Lord White Ivy this year to get more."

Snakebark Maple: "If you want to trade now, you'll just have to wait a few days…"

"Wait!" Grass Dragon raised his claw to interrupt.

"Over a hundred Spider King Silk Scrolls? Spent them all?" Melde pressed.

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple nodded their antennae in unison.

Snakebark Maple: "Not all—"

Blue Catalpa: "Spent about eighty."

Melde: "What did Dragon Cypress buy?"

Blue Catalpa: "Divine-Given Origin Force Food."

Snakebark Maple: "Strength System enhancement."

Blue Catalpa: "Black Emperor Peach, Giant Plate Fruit, Fenghuai Seed."

Snakebark Maple: "Mountain Lord Melde, you could sell us some too—whatever you've got, we'll take it."

Blue Catalpa: "Heard from Dragon Cypress Ant King, you've got some Divine-Given Dragon Cypress Seeds, Tieshan Seeds, and Black Emperor Peach Kernels."

Snakebark Maple: "Price is negotiable."

Blue Catalpa: "We…"

"Enough!" Grass Dragon stepped in.

Melde didn't hold back, asking, "What's Dragon Cypress up to this time?"

Snakebark Maple: "Nothing much. Dragon Cypress Ant King's comprehensive enhancement is already done."

Blue Catalpa: "Before Evolution Mountain Lord, carrying out a focused Strength System upgrade."

Snakebark Maple: "Hoping to grasp the Strength System ability right after reaching Evolution Mountain Lord Level."

Blue Catalpa: "Just right to spend the Spider King Silk Scrolls from these years."

Snakebark Maple: "Don't get fierce, Grass Dragon."

Blue Catalpa: "You owe Dragon Cypress Ant King ten thousand Source Stones."

Snakebark Maple: "Pay up now."

Blue Catalpa: "Pay up!"

Grass Dragon: "..."

Grass Dragon, who'd wanted to speak, was struck dumb on the spot.

Melde went silent for a moment, then loosened the spider silk ropes on his carapace, muttering:

"That Dragon Cypress is always coveting my Divine-Given Black Emperor Peach."

Melde asked, "How many did Seven-Leaf sell to Dragon Cypress?"

Blue Catalpa: "A hundred."

Snakebark Maple: "Unit price—forty Source Stones each."

Melde: "..."

Melde: "No way to do business like this. I'm not selling. You can buy from Seven-Leaf."

Snakebark Maple: "Uh…"

Blue Catalpa: "Did you remember the price wrong, Snakebark Maple?"

Snakebark Maple: "Think so. Mountain Lord Melde, you name your price."

Melde formally said, "Fifty Source Stones each, can only sell you a hundred."

Melde: "Divine-Given Tieshan Seed and Dragon Cypress Seed are both out of stock… Last time, didn't Dragon Cypress want Divine-Given Snake Blood Apricot? I set some aside—does it still want them?"

——Yes!

Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple answered together.

Melde: "There's two hundred in total; price is sixty Source Stones each."

Blue Catalpa: "Good! No haggling."

Snakebark Maple: "And no kickbacks."

Blue Catalpa: "Mountain Lord Melde, any more Divine-Given Origin Force Food?"

Snakebark Maple: "We'll take any you're willing to sell!"

Melde: "No more."

Melde: "But you can buy more high-quality regular Origin Force Food."

Blue Catalpa: "Deal—"

Snakebark Maple: "We'll take a look first."

Blue Catalpa: "One last thing."

Snakebark Maple: "Dragon Cypress Ant King said, when it was young, it sold a defective Ice-Fire Water-Making Pot to you for a dirt-cheap price?"

Blue Catalpa: "Dragon Cypress Ant King wants it back."

Snakebark Maple: "Or another one from somewhere else is fine."

Blue Catalpa: "Condition doesn't matter."

Grass Dragon couldn't help asking, "Didn't it just have White Ivy buy one? Pristine condition, too."

Blue Catalpa raised his claw and pointed at Snakebark Maple.

Snakebark Maple raised his claw and pointed at Blue Catalpa.

The two Sky Ox warriors wiggled their antennae smugly.

"Bought it for you two?"

Grass Dragon sighed, "Dragon Cypress is really good to you two."

Melde said solemnly, "That Ice-Fire Water-Making Pot from back then was sold long ago. I'll help you check around."

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