Old Li

The mouse-race beastman took in the expressions of the two and, with an impassive face, bowed toward Cheng Shuili, saying politely: "The Rat King says you may freely dispose of all the items left behind by the old dog."

He gestured across the entire warehouse and said respectfully: "Now, these things all belong to you. Additionally, the Rat King feels you are very tactful and make for a good friend."

That was a compliment, right?

Cheng Shuili curled the corner of her lips slightly, rubbing the wolf fang pendant in her pocket with her fingertips, and nodded slightly at the mouse-race beastman: "Thank the Rat King for his kindness on my behalf."

Her gaze swept over the servants in the warehouse. These people were already servants... there was no need to use the territory servant card.

The mouse-race beastman delivered the message and then departed without a sound.

When the old wolf returned after disposing of the corpse, he saw his boss sitting upright on the sofa, drinking a bottle of mineral water as if it were fine tea.

He scratched his head: "Boss, everything has been taken care of."

Cheng Shuili nodded slightly. The servants had already been moved into her territory along with the bedding, and now the old dog's entire warehouse was empty.

She instructed: "This place will be your territory from now on. You should know how to handle this business; I hope that the next time I come, the servants at your stall will be a bit more spirited."

The old wolf looked left and right, and when he met Cheng Shuili's gaze, his knees went weak again.

Cheng Shuili sighed, lifted her leg, and walked directly past him: "Our business here is finished. Let's meet again next time."

Su Rui followed behind Cheng Shuili without a hint of attachment to this place. The guide, however, looked back once, and the expression on the old wolf's face, reflected in his pupils, solidified his decision to follow Cheng Shuili.

The group was quiet on the way back. Cheng Shuili glanced at the guide and asked as if making casual conversation: "Old man, are you really unaware of what the dark room is?"

The guide did not answer the question directly. He lowered his eyes, pondered for a moment, and then asked: "Are you still looking for people?"

What did that mean?

Cheng Shuili's footsteps paused, but she quickly returned to normal.

This beastman wanted to follow her?

Cheng Shuili shook her head, then nodded again, saying: "That depends on what you can do. I certainly don't keep idlers here."

The guide recommended himself: "Being old, I naturally understand a bit of worldly wisdom. You just acquired so many servants; don't you need someone to manage them?"

Cheng Shuili smiled: "Is the old man looking to secure an official position under me?"

The guide smiled slightly, a flash of shrewdness in his eyes, and said slowly: "Young lady, I have lived for many years; I have seen more people than you have eaten salt. Managing people is not something that can be done with brute force alone."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Cheng Shuili and Su Rui, his tone steady and confident: "Those servants have just changed masters, and they are inevitably restless. If there is no one to keep them in check, there is no telling what kind of trouble might arise. And as for me—"

He stroked his beard lightly and said meaningfully: "I can both make them obedient and save you quite a bit of trouble. This deal, you won't lose out on."

Cheng Shuili raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a half-smile: "That sounds quite reasonable. However..."

She shifted the topic: "You still haven't answered my previous question."

The guide sighed, appearing reluctant to speak, but looking at Cheng Shuili's expression, he knew he probably couldn't avoid answering it.

His gaze suddenly became profound: "The dark room... that place, knowing too much is not necessarily a good thing. But since you asked, I will certainly tell you."

"That place is called the dark room, but it is actually a place of exile. Once you go in, you don't come out. It is even more chaotic than the black market, and there is no food, nor is there any land capable of self-sufficiency. The beastmen who enter can only cannibalize one another; the weak become food for the strong, and the strong are eaten by those even stronger."

"As long as you enter, there will certainly be no good outcome."

The guide shook his head, clearly filled with deep emotion.

Cheng Shuili nodded and pulled a territory servant card from the abyss ring: "Since the old man wants to come, then come along."

The way she said it made it sound as if she were incredibly reluctant.

The guide said nothing and calmly accepted the card.

With the group reduced to just two, Su Rui and Cheng Shuili exchanged a look and continued along the road.

The two successfully returned to the highway. Cheng Shuili sighed in the carriage, and before she could even catch her breath, she hurried into her territory.

The guide was indeed right; with so many people arriving all at once, it wouldn't work without someone in charge.

The moment Cheng Shuili stepped into the territory, she noticed that the atmosphere was different.

The originally empty manor now had a bit more life. The newly arrived servants were gathered in groups of two or three, their expressions varied. Some were bewildered, some were watching vigilantly, and others had eyes filled with unease and suspicion.

Zhou Zhuxing, Yu Bing, and the consultant were standing to the side, only feeling relieved upon seeing Cheng Shuili.

Heaven knows how scary it was when so many people flooded in just now!

They had thought some strange faction had broken in!

The old guide had already stepped in front of the crowd, hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping over everyone with a steady expression.

Seeing Cheng Shuili enter, he nodded slightly and whispered: "Just settled in, but the hearts of the people are unstable. We must establish rules."

Cheng Shuili nodded and stepped forward to face the crowd.

She didn't speak, just quietly looked around. Wherever her gaze landed, the whispers gradually vanished, leaving only the rustling of the wind through the treetops.

"From today on, this is your place of residence."

Her voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears: "I don't like nonsense; I will only say three things: loyalty, diligence, and adherence to rules. If you do this, I will ensure you are safe and have enough food and clothing. If you cannot..."

She paused, a faint smile curling her lips: "Those who are curious can give it a try."

A few bold individuals in the crowd snuck a glance at her and quickly lowered their heads.

The guide stepped forward at the right moment, his voice resonant: "I am the beastman Old Li, and I will be responsible for managing you from now on. Now, everyone line up by gender, report your name and specialty, and I will arrange your work."

These servants were very obedient. Seeing that Cheng Shuili did not object, they knew this was tacitly approved by their new master, and one by one, they obediently lined up.

Cheng Shuili stood with Zhou Zhuxing and the others, quietly watching Old Li record the names and specialties of these people.

"It's a bit like that... when they were recruiting workers in ancient times."

Yu Bing suddenly whispered. After seeing the consultant's curious look, she explained: "Isn't that how it's portrayed on TV?"

She had already explained what television was to the consultant, so the consultant didn't ask anything further.

Cheng Shuili raised an eyebrow: "It seems you are getting along quite well? I have already found the workers; the seeds should be arranged quickly."