Chapter 107: Peeping

"I’ve been kidnapped in the Cradle World. There are so many people here just like me. Can you come save me?"

Ye Qing’s plea for help came through.

Fang Tang gave a cold snort and typed back, "Save yourself, damn it!"

She only sought him out when she needed him; when she no longer did, she kicked him aside without a second thought.

What a fine display of shamelessness.

Last time, Ye Qing had gone to the Cradle World without even discussing it with him, and that had already left a wedge between them. Now she wanted him to come rescue her? What a joke.

Given the message Ye Qing had sent, and the fates of Liu Xu and Xie Ling, it was not hard to guess that Ye Qing had been taken by the Cavern Shop.

And now she expected him to face the Cavern Shop head-on?

Did she think too highly of herself?

Fang Tang ignored her and went into his dwelling, preparing dinner for himself.

During that time, Xie Ling and Liu Xu sent him messages one after another, asking to form a team.

After thinking it over, Fang Tang refused.

A rabbit did not eat the grass near its own burrow; he was afraid he might overstep.

After all, they were all teammates, and they would often be assigned tasks together in the future. He could not afford to be reckless.

Sinking into the sofa, he idly scrolled through the public channel.

After the twisted incursion, the number of people in their region had plummeted.

Even including the perennial lurkers, there were not even a quarter as many as before.

That had slashed Fang Tang’s income.

What was more, the remaining players now had more and more advanced technology in their hands, so very few of them still came to place orders with him.

Looking at the pile of first-, second-, and third-tier technology blueprints, Fang Tang rubbed his aching head.

"Does that mean if I want to keep making money, I can only sell spirit-bound items now? But those things are so rare, let alone the useful ones."

Putting the mechanical claw arm up for sale had sold successfully, which meant the era of Fang the Exploiter had truly come to an end.

"Heh, plans never keep up with fate. I was even thinking of maintaining client relationships so I could develop things better in the future."

With a self-mocking smile, Fang Tang lay back on the sofa and stared blankly at the ceiling, silent.

Thud.

A dull sound came from outside.

Fang Tang sprang upright, drew the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow, and rushed out the door.

Not far from his dwelling, he saw a short-haired woman in fitted combat clothes, half-kneeling on the ground and clutching her ankle in pain.

When she saw Fang Tang come out, her face turned pale with alarm, and she immediately went on guard.

"This is my cavern."

Fang Tang’s tone was flat, his voice chilly.

The woman’s expression darkened. "This cavern wasn’t opened by you. What right do you have to say it’s yours?"

Fang Tang planted both hands on the hilt of the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow and stared at her expressionlessly. "If you want to die, I don’t mind sending you on your way."

"You—" The woman was instantly enraged, but the movement tugged at her injured ankle, and the pain shot straight to her head, cutting off her train of thought.

"Ouch!" She cried out. After the pain eased a little, she glared furiously at Fang Tang. "Fine, I’ll leave, all right?"

As she spoke, she raised her pickaxe and struck the ground.

The pickaxe came down, but no giant pit appeared as expected.

The woman blinked awkwardly and mumbled, "Usa... uses are used up."

Fang Tang: "..."

Amused, he looked her over and pointed to the corner opposite him. "Set up your dwelling there. You are not to leave it by even half a step."

"You’re so heartless. I’m injured and you don’t even offer to help. Are you even a man?"

At last the woman blurted out what she had wanted to say, letting out a relieved breath.

Fang Tang looked at her with a half-smile. "Why don’t you try and see whether I’m man enough?"

"Bah, shameless pervert!"

She spat, struggled to her feet, and limped toward the opposite corner. Taking out her dwelling, she slipped inside.

Seeing that her dwelling was only level three, Fang Tang raised an eyebrow and turned back into his room.

He stretched out on the bed and was just about to sleep when someone knocked at the door.

Fang Tang’s face hardened. He drew the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow and opened the door.

"If you have something to say, say it!"

He rested the blade against the woman’s throat and spoke coldly.

The pressure of the sharp edge made the woman’s hair stand on end. She stammered, "I... I just wanted to borrow some ice..."

Fang Tang glanced at her ankle. It was swollen like a radish, bright red and inflamed. Then he looked at her helpless expression and said teasingly, "Why should I help you?"

"We all came from the same place... Shouldn’t we help one another here?" the woman asked in confusion.

"Help one another?" Fang Tang’s mouth curved. "Then why are you alone? Don’t tell me you only ran into me."

The woman was immediately at a loss for words. "I... actually..."

Before she could finish, Fang Tang cut her off. "I don’t care about your reasons. If you want ice, trade with me. One elemental stone."

"What?" The woman stared at him in disbelief. "That’s too ruthless. You’re even worse than Fang the Exploiter."

Fang Tang laughed all of a sudden, his expression playful. "How unlucky for you. I am Fang the Exploiter you speak of."

"You’re Fang the Exploi... wait, the boss?" The woman froze in place, unable to believe it.

Fang Tang sheathed the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow with a clear clang. "If you want something from me, trade for it with an elemental stone."

"I... I don’t have any elemental stones left. I used them all to exchange for weapons," the woman said miserably.

"None?" Fang Tang lifted an eyebrow. "Then I’m afraid I can’t help you."

As he spoke, he slammed the door shut with a bang.

The woman was met with a closed door. Her mouth moved in the shape of curses as she limped back the way she had come.

She had only gone halfway when she heard the door behind her open. Turning back in delight, she saw Fang Tang leaning against the frame, a blue-and-white handgun in his hand.

Her expression tightened at once. "Wh-what are you going to do?"

Fang Tang weighed the Frost Gun in his hand and pointed the muzzle at her.

The woman shut her eyes in despair, trembling so hard she seemed ready to collapse. Two lines of tears slid from the corners of her eyes down to her chin.

Bang.

A gunshot rang out, and the woman dropped stiffly to the ground.

Fang Tang rolled his eyes in speechless exasperation and flickered to her side.

"What are you doing?"

"Huh?"

The woman opened her eyes. Her eyeballs darted around as she patted herself all over, suspicion written across her face.

"Didn’t I die?"

Fang Tang: "..."

"When did I ever say I was going to kill you?"

The Frost Gun dissolved into a stream of blue water and returned to the arm.

Only then did the woman notice the snowflake motif on Fang Tang’s arm. A flash of envy crossed her eyes, and then she saw a block of ice beside her, exuding a cold mist.

"This is for me?"

She blinked and asked hopefully.

Fang Tang did not answer. In the blink of an eye, he was back inside his dwelling.

Seeing him vanish so suddenly, the woman went dumb again. "He... he’s so fast!"

Realizing how she had lost her composure, she hurriedly stood up, picked up the block of ice from the ground, and slowly made her way back to her room.

With the woman’s issue resolved, Fang Tang could finally get a good night’s sleep.

Holding Yueyue in his arms, he drifted sweetly into dreams.

In the middle of the night, a black shadow crept onto the windowsill and furtively watched Fang Tang sleep.

Yueyue’s ears twitched, and just so happened to meet the shadow’s gaze. In an instant, it became utterly alert.

"Awwoo!"

Yueyue’s cry was barked right beside Fang Tang’s ear, startling him awake.

When he saw Yueyue in a battle-ready stance, he followed its line of sight and looked out the window.

There was no one there now, but the handprints on the glass proved that someone had been here before.