The tumor-like flesh was devoured greedily by Gluttony.

Soon, Liu Zheng's chest revealed ghastly white bones and the pulsating purple-black heart beneath them.

"Your turn now."

He gritted his teeth and handed Gluttony to Garcia.

......

Garcia stared at Liu Zheng for a long time before finally speaking.

"If I refuse this transaction, does Your Excellency plan to keep stabbing yourself indefinitely?"

"Indeed, that's just how dedicated and professional I am!"

Liu Zheng declared proudly.

"Anyway, I'm in better shape than you - you'll definitely die before I do."

He said with a cheerful smile.

As he spoke, fleshy tendrils had already begun growing from Liu Zheng's wound, desperately repairing the hollow like living sutures.

Garcia watched this horrifying scene, his eyes flickering with thought.

"I retract my previous assessment, Your Excellency. Even without receiving the Gospel, you are precisely the talent our sect needs."

He said with genuine sincerity.

"We are willing to proceed with the transaction."

With a wave of Garcia's hand, the cultists immediately stopped sealing the crate.

"See? That's how it should have been from the start. Stabbing myself hurts quite a bit too."

Now that his objective was achieved, Liu Zheng dropped the act, grimacing in pain.

"Respect earned through bloodshed is the only true mutual respect."

Garcia said with a light laugh.

"Reasonable. Let's inspect the goods then."

Liu Zheng nodded.

"Naturally."

Garcia produced a candle from his cloak and lit it.

He then dripped wax onto the ice block, drawing a perfect circle.

The circle gradually seeped into the ice, imprinting itself onto the mermaid's abdomen.

Garcia gave a pained glance at the candle now reduced to one-third of its original size before storing it back in his cloak.

"Break the ice."

He commanded one of the cultists.

The cultist whose mask featured two quarter-circles immediately produced a hammer and chisel, striking the ice block with forceful blows.

A series of glass-shattering sounds echoed as the ice dissolved like foam.

"The mermaid has been contained through Circle Imprisonment. You may inspect the goods now, Your Excellency."

Garcia stated.

"Salmon, proceed."

Liu Zheng waved casually with an air of effortless elegance.

Watching this made Bullhorse's hooves itch with annoyance.

The Calico Cat, however, saw nothing unusual about the command and pounced forward enthusiastically.

It examined and touched the mermaid from all angles, occasionally extending its tongue to give exploratory licks.

The mermaid trembled helplessly under the Calico Cat's predatory inspection, unable to resist as tears flowed freely like priceless pearls.

"Inspection complete meow, no problems meow, confirmed mermaid royalty meow, tastes quite good too meow."

The Calico Cat reluctantly withdrew from the mermaid.

"What about her virginity?"

"I can't verify that meow."

The Calico Cat spread its paws in a helpless gesture.

"I can handle that, let me take over."

Bullhorse eagerly stepped forward.

"Wow, you won't even spare the fish? How disgraceful for a bullhorse!"

Liu Zheng said with contempt.

"You provincial bumpkin understand nothing. Mermaids consistently rank in the top three of the Black Market courtesan rankings - extremely popular!"

Bullhorse retorted with equal disdain.

"Then who's number one?"

"The latest ranking shows white-haired fox girls, but there are rumors of behind-the-scenes manipulation. The true number one is human JK lolis."

Bullhorse explained.

"You non-humans really know how to play wild."

Liu Zheng remarked with admiration.

"Actually, Your Excellency need not doubt. Mermaid's Tears is an ability only available to mermaid priestesses who maintain their virginity."

"Since she could use Mermaid's Tears, she must undoubtedly be a virgin."

Garcia interjected.

"Fine, I'll take your word for it."

Liu Zheng nodded.

"Thank you, Your Excellency. Please accept this - should you have a change of heart, it will provide guidance."

Garcia smiled as he handed Liu Zheng a piece of leather cut into a perfect circle.

"Name: Circle God Sect Token"

"Type: Item"

"Quality: Excellent"

"Actually, Your Excellency need not doubt. Mermaid's Tears is an ability only available to mermaid priestesses who maintain their virginity."

"Note: All things form circles, all matters become round."

"Can be taken out of dungeon: Yes"

Just as expected - this old fox had ulterior motives.

Liu Zheng sneered internally while reading the item description.

If he burned this piece of leather, he'd probably get to meet that so-called Heavenly Father and Savior.

Huh, that might not necessarily be a bad thing.

Liu Zheng had a sudden realization.

If he heard that Gospel nonsense again, he could summon the Circle God to intervene, letting them fight like dogs biting each other.

Speaking of which, why did he always end up with these mutual destruction-type items?

Liu Zheng felt the profound malice this world held toward him.

"Noted, noted. Safe travels now!"

He waved enthusiastically.

Garcia took no offense, departing with his cultists.

As the last cultist disappeared, the glowing circles surrounding them vanished instantly, and the scenery returned to normal.

"Tch, you didn't even end up fighting. I thought you'd close the doors and release the dogs."

Liu Zheng sneered internally while reading the item description.

"If I really released the dogs, you'd be the first one they bite."

Liu Zheng rolled his eyes.

Couldn't Bullhorse see how appetizing all that muscle looked? Even dogs know to eat the good stuff first.

Of course, they might bite Salmon first instead.

After all, cats and dogs would always be natural enemies.

"Let them try! This Bullhorse Grandpa will squash them into dog meat paste with one sit!"

Bullhorse declared confidently.

Liu Zheng ignored this display of false bravado and reached out mentally to the mermaid princess.

"Hey, the Circle God Sect people are gone."

"Thank you so much for your help. You truly are a kind human."

The mermaid princess said excitedly.

"Cut the flattery. Fulfill your promise now."

He said impatiently.

"Um, alright."

The mermaid princess replied with a hint of grievance.

Moments later, light shimmered once more from her chest.

"I've transferred my power to the Heart of the Ocean. Please take it now. And could you remove the wax from my body?"

The mermaid princess requested.

"Fine."

Liu Zheng snatched the pendant and scraped roughly at her abdomen.

His rough movements elicited a soft cry of protest from the mermaid princess.

"Hey, you wouldn't let me inspect the goods but help yourself to the perks?"

Hearing the commotion, Bullhorse looked thoroughly displeased.

"I'm just stealing something, that's all."

Liu Zheng dangled the Heart of Ocean.

"Boss, this belongs to me now, right?"

"Dream on! No way you're keeping it all to yourself!"

Bullhorse shouted.

"Hey, if it weren't for me, this whole deal would have fallen through!"

The mermaid princess replied with a hint of grievance.

Bullhorse sneered.

"Then I'll release the dogs."

"Release nothing! Without me holding them back, you'd end up just like her - a dead fish!"

Bullhorse pointed at the mermaid princess.

"This bullhorse is so rude! It's nothing but an ugly, ugly piece of jerky!"

The mermaid princess protested, cursing in Liu Zheng's mind.

His rough movements elicited a soft cry of protest from the mermaid princess.

Liu Zheng yelled, then pulled several bills from his pocket and shoved them at Bullhorse.

"This should suffice, right?"

"That's more like it."

Bullhorse looked satisfied.

"This is your share."

He pulled out more bills and stuffed them into the Calico Cat's apron pocket.

"Oh, I get some too? Thank you meow. Can buy more dried fish meow."

The Calico Cat also looked delighted.

A bunch of bastards, even more money-grubbing than humans.

Liu Zheng cursed internally as he turned his attention to the enhanced Heart of the Ocean. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novel⁂fire.net