The Great Merchant in the Cataclysm

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Translator: WuWang

Editor: Wynne

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Chapter 61: Bamboozling

Zhang Mu sat, chatting with the Yuan Rui that was seated on Little Black's back, amusing her with his blown up words.

It really wasn't easy pleasing a girl. Exactly what sin have I committed in my previous life for me to not have dated even a single girl back then. In fact, when it came to love, Zhang Mu was a complete rookie.

By the way, why was Zhang Mu seated when he was talking to Yuan Rui?

Because the mount he was riding now was a mutated beast as well. It was a wolfdog that Zhang Mu found on the road. It didn't attack Zhang Mu perhaps was owed to its habit of not assaulting live human beings.

This morning when Zhang Mu was passing by the town, his interest suddenly peaked when he saw it. Also because he felt that it was too exhausting to walk on his own, the idea to catch the wolfdog and train it as his personal mount immediately hatched.

However, the wolfdog had been mutated by the ripple of evolution, which in turn kick-started its innate ferociousness. Hence, how would it surrender to Zhang Mu so easily? Frankly, the reason the wolfdog didn't attack was probably due to the fact that it had a previous owner.

Zhang Mu's provocative behavior immediately infuriated the wolfdog that was three times his size. When it stood and walked on its hind legs, it was half a body higher than Zhang Mu. It moved quickly, ready to tear this presumptuous human apart for its meal for the day.

However, Zhang Mu wasn't scared. Rather, he sized it up and down with interest, saying. "Its four limbs are strong! Imposing enough huh, it looks like a real wolf! Not bad, not bad, I like it!"

Zhang Mu's voice and gaze were as though he was purchasing a pet, and that had the wolfdog's rage peaking. It widened its bloody mouth, ready to swallow Zhang Mu in a bite.

Upon witnessing something terrifying after having leapt into the air, the flames of rage in its eyes instantly doused. It was a top-class first-ranked mutated animal. Even if it was weakened, its remaining self-consciousness still cried out at that moment for him to step back.

However, it was already too late.

Bloodvine Demon Lotus whipped out, unrestrained, from Zhang Mu's left arm and instantly grew till was able to shield the sun above the mutated wolfdog's head, before it rushed down at it.

Despite being wrapped like a rice dumpling in the air by the Bloodvine Demon Lotus, the wailing mutated wolfdog still glared at Zhang Mu fiercely. Even so, it was unable to do anything being bound as such.

Even though Zhang Mu had ordered the Bloodvine Demon Lotus to control its strength and not hurt the mutated wolfdog, its barbed vine still pierced through the mutated wolfdog's thick fur, digging into its body.

Fortunately, the Bloodvine Demon Lotus brought to mind Zhang Mu's words and didn't absorb its blood, so the mutated wolfdog's state wasn't as bad as what it seemed.

Under Zhang Mu's control, the Bloodvine Demon Lotus slowly laid the mutated wolfdog down before Zhang Mu, and Zhang Mu calmly gazed into its eyes.

Albeit one calm and the other resentful, the two looked at each other in silence.

After a while, Zhang Mu smiled. His gaze sharpening, he pronounced his words clearly, "You have two choices: surrender, or die."

Despite being threatened by Zhang Mu, the mutated wolfdog struggled, and shook its head, refusing to surrender.

"Not willing to surrender?"

Zhang Mu ordered the Bloodvine Demon Lotus to tighten its vines. The barbed vines dug deeply into the mutated wolfdog's body, creating one wound after another, but not a drop of blood dripped, for the Bloodvine Demon Lotus had absorbed it all. Under Zhang Mu's control, it strenuously suppressed its desire to absorb the mutated wolfdog's body dry of blood.

Of course, Zhang Mu wouldn't let that happen. After all, where would he find another personal mount if the wolfdog died?

Even under such circumstances however, the mutated wolfdog still refused to lower its head and accept Zhang Mu as its new master. It was hard to imagine that a mutated animal could be so unyielding.

Zhang Mu wasn't surprised. If it was easy to tame a mutated animal, there would be no need for a tamer-type evolver's help. All the mutated animals were bloodthirsty beasts; none of them was easy to deal with.

Is there no other way to this? It seemed like I overthought. Perhaps it was my taming of Little Black and Bloodvine Demon Lotus going too smoothly that made me have the illusion that taming mutated animals isn't something difficult.

Is giving up the only way? A dead mutated animal meant very little to Zhang Mu, but a living, tractable mutated wolfdog was very valuable. Even though all he wanted now a personal mount, it had so much potential in bringing him much more benefits.

At this time, Little Black popped its head out of Zhang Mu's pocket, as though Zhang Mu's had interrupted its beautiful dream. Flying up into the air, Little Black flew around the mutated wolfdog, sizing it up and down with curiosity.

At seeing the mutated wolfdog, it was also surprised. Despite having lost a lot of blood and too weak to bark, it still questioned Little Black with its eyes why it had surrendered to a human.

It had however, evidently underestimated Little Black's shamelessness. Little Black flew around it with no shamelessly, taking pleasure in its misfortune.

Zhang Mu looked glumly at Little Black's actions, wondering if mutated animals of different races could communicate with each other. With Little Black hiss however, the fierce glint in the mutated wolfdog's eyes surprisingly dissipated a little.

Was this a favorable turn of events? Did Little Black have the ability to catalyse the mutated wolfdog into capitulating?

Zhang Mu quietly ordered the Bloodvine Demon Lotus to loosen its vines slightly, deciding to wait for Little Black's effort to come into play.

Five minutes later, Little Black flew back and communicated with Zhang Mu through the mental bond between them. "It said that it can surrender to you. However, you can't bar it from leaving when it wants to later, either that or you kill it."

Zhang Mu asked Little Black with growing interest. "How did you persuade it?"

"I told it that you have countless crystals and animal cores, and with your help, I'm nearing my second rank evolution."

"Countless crystals and animal cores? I have only fifty crystals and a hundred animal cores now!" Zhang Mu didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Little Black said leisurely. "Ah, don't worry. You can earn more in the future if you run out anyway, right? Anyway, I have told you its requirement. Are you going to accept or not? If not, I'll eat its flesh and leave its blood to the Bloodvine Demon Lotus."

"I accept its condition!" Zhang Mu grounded his teeth. Having a tractable mutated animal was really too great of a temptation.

What's the situation though? A mutated animal could be tamed even without a tamer-type evolve this way?

However, Little Black blew him up a little bit too much. He didn't have that many crystals and cores now. Looks like he had to hunt along the way. He wouldn't be able to even feed his three little ones otherwise. After all, it was a great temptation to mutated animals to be able to evolve themselves. In fact, it was instinctive, as though that'd been engraved into their blood.

I don't remember teaching it all these though? Did it self-study itself into a genius? A commercial circle genius? A god of the bamboozling world?

Zhang Mu could still afford it if their submission was only the price of some crystals and animal cores.

Upon Little Black's confirmation, Zhang Mu turned to ask the mutated wolfdog, "Willing to follow me now?"

After which, he released the vines that were affixed on the mutated wolfdog's head. Seeing that it nodded as though he understood, he let go of the mutated wolfdog and retracted the Bloodvine Demon Lotus back into his left arm.

Zhang Mu had been pleased initially, however, the mutated wolfdog suddenly collapsed on the ground afterwards. Following which, Little Black told him that the mutated wolfdog needed at least a week to recover itself as the Bloodvine Demon Lotus had absorbed too much blood.

A week? That's too long! Zhang Mu scolded the Bloodvine Demon Lotus mentally for secretly sucking so much blood. He didn't have that much time. Therefore, he took out, with heartache, a first-ranked recovery potion, and poured the entire thing into the mutated wolfdog's mouth.

The effect of the recovery potion was prominent. Ten minutes later, the mutated wolfdog had stood up and shook its body of dust, its strength completely recovered.

Honestly, Zhang Mu gained from all the coincidences that had clumped together. He met this mutated beast whose strength had reached the apex of its first-rank, and he happened to have a way to have it submit to him. The coincidence that was the most coincidental out of all was the fact that Zhang Mu had a Little Black who worked as a counter-espionage spy.

Despite having seated down comfortably on the mutated wolfdog's back while enjoying the wind whistling past his ears, Zhang Mu's heart couldn't help but bleed at the fact that he'd actually spent an entire bottle of recovery potion.

This wasn't about the money actually, he only had ten units of potions, but he'd already used two units in half a day; there were only eight units remaining. He had already used one-fifth of his stash, and what was most infuriating of it all was the fact that he couldn't not use them.