Wu Yao remembered the piles of Corrupted Cores that had automatically appeared at her feet on the battlefield earlier, so she asked casually, “Did you two help me collect those Corrupted Cores? The ones piled at my feet.”
Tiechui and Tongque exchanged a glance, shaking their heads at the same time.
“It wasn't us,” Tiechui replied honestly. “We were in the southeast corner the whole time. We didn't go over to your side.”
“And we wouldn't dare touch Corrupted Cores anyway,” Tongque added.
“Before the purification methods appeared, no one on this continent could directly touch a Corrupted Core without being corrupted. Everyone avoided them.”
She paused, then added, “I heard the Mage Association has a specialized department to handle these Corrupted Cores, but even they can't touch them directly. They always transport them in specially made containers.”
Tiechui suddenly remembered something and handed a sealed cloth pouch from her waist to Wu Yao. “By the way, My Lady, I found this Corrupted Core inside the cabin just now. Xuanmiao was playing with it like a toy. I thought it was too dangerous, so I put it away first.”
Wu Yao took out the Corrupted Core from inside and weighed it in her hand.
The grayish-black mist churned slowly inside the crystal, and it felt ice-cold to the touch, no different from any other Corrupted Core.
But she had never put any Corrupted Cores inside the cabin.
Her expression became somewhat subtle, and her lips curved into a meaningful smile.
“Alright, you've worked hard tonight,” Wu Yao said as she walked toward the cabin. “Come inside and talk.”
Tiechui and Tongque quickly followed.
After the battle just now, the two goblins' attitude toward Wu Yao had become even more respectful.
Lady Wu Yao's strength had shocked them once again, even reminding them of the descriptions of the Great Witches of the Golden Age in their trading company's archives.
Tiechui silently vowed in her heart to cling tightly to this lady's coattails.
Tongque, on the other hand, was thinking of more practical matters. If the Topaz Trading Company could become this lady's exclusive partner, their position within the entire Goblin Chamber of Commerce would be unshakable for the next ten years.
The moment Wu Yao pushed open the door, a dark shadow flew straight toward her face.
She instinctively raised her hand to block, scooping up a tiny, furry body.
Xuanmiao rolled over in her palm, wrapping her tail around Wu Yao's wrist. She nuzzled her head into the gaps between Wu Yao's fingers, her tiny, pitch-black body squirming as if complaining about why she had taken so long to return.
“Alright, alright.” Wu Yao scooped her up and placed her on her shoulder. Xuanmiao immediately curled into a familiar ball, resting her tail gently against the back of Wu Yao's neck. Her purring was so loud it made Wu Yao's collarbone tingle.
She glanced sideways at the black cat. Xuanmiao's eyes were half-closed, looking completely drowsy.
Wu Yao reached out to pat the cat's head. Xuanmiao opened her mouth with a soft “meow,” pushing at her fingers with her paws in protest.
This little thing...
Wu Yao chuckled, letting her ride precariously on her shoulder.
The upgraded cabin had completely transformed.
Upon entering, there was a living room furnished with a Moon-Silver Wood Table and Chairs. To the left was the bedroom, with the Moon-Silver Wood Bed pushed against the wall.
To the right was a separate storage room, and straight ahead was a workshop that had doubled in size.
Wu Yao gestured for Tiechui and Tongque to take a seat wherever they liked, while she began to study the territory management interface. Compared to the empty screen from before, it finally looked like a proper management interface now.
The moment the interface opened, a miniature map of the territory appeared, displaying a real-time, top-down view of the entire area. The 2,500-square-meter territory was scaled down proportionally, clearly presenting every Moon-Silver Wood tree, Farmland plot, and building in miniature.
On the upper left were various territory stats, with several lines of translucent text floating over the miniature map.
【Territory Level: Lv.2】
【Shield Value: 1000/1000】
【Territory Core HP: 500/500】
【Prosperity: 120】
【Territory Range: 50×50 meters】
Below the data were three functions: Resident Management, Building Management, and Resource Management, as well as a locked Territory Reinforcement function.
【Resident Management】
【Residents: 0/100】
Since there wasn't a single resident in her territory, she could only open the list of recruitable residents recommended by the system.
The moment the list expanded, several familiar avatars popped up.
Tiechui, Tongque, Benita, Suren, and Phelin—each avatar had their current Affection level noted next to it.
Below the list was a line of smaller prompt text.
【Recruitment Conditions: Affection ≥ 60, and must join voluntarily.】
The Affection levels of the NPCs on the list had all passed the threshold; all that was left was to invite them in person.
Wu Yao looked up, her gaze landing on the two goblins sitting upright across the table.
The two goblins were holding a notebook, discussing something in low voices.
“Would you like to join my territory?” Wu Yao asked directly.
The inventory notebook in Tiechui's hand hit the floor with a clatter, while Tongque opened her mouth but couldn't squeeze out a single word.
The two of them stared blankly at Wu Yao like that, as if trying hard to digest the meaning of her words.
“...Residents?” Tiechui was the first to react, her voice carrying an unmistakable tremor. “Are you serious, My Lady?”
Wu Yao nodded.
Tiechui swallowed hard. She looked as if she were desperately suppressing some impulse, her fingers gripping the hem of her robe so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
“My Lady,” she said, looking into Wu Yao's eyes with great solemnity. “Your invitation is an unimaginable honor for us.”
She paused and exchanged a look with Tongque. Both saw the same struggle in each other's eyes.
Tiechui took a deep breath, adjusted the brand-new badge on her chest, and continued.
“We are registered merchants of the Topaz Trading Company. From the moment we put on our company badges, we swore allegiance to the company. This is our goblin contract spirit. If we break it, not only will we lose our own credibility, but the entire Topaz Trading Company will be disgraced because of us.”
Tongque took over from her sister. “My Lady, we are extremely grateful for your high regard, but we truly cannot do something like betraying the company. A goblin can die, but we cannot violate a contract.”
She lowered her head as she finished speaking, looking as if she had done something terrible to Wu Yao. Her auburn curls fell forward, hiding the expression on her face.
Wu Yao froze for a few seconds before she realized what their concerns were.
“Wait a minute,” she said, raising her hand to cut off their self-blame. “Who said joining the territory means leaving the trading company?”
Tiechui looked up, her expression blank. “...Huh?”
Tongque was also stunned. “But... doesn't joining the territory mean... becoming your subordinate? That would mean we have to leave the Topaz Trading Company...”
“Who made that rule?” Wu Yao raised an eyebrow.
“Why can't you be both? You can be residents of my territory while continuing to serve as registered merchants of the Topaz Trading Company. There's no conflict between the two, is there?”
Rate on N.U.
