Chapter 51: Chapter 51

Zhao nodded. Seemed satisfied. "Then let’s talk business. What are you offering?"

"Secure waystation stop. Protection from spirit beasts. Clean water. Shelter. First merchant through gets preferential rates." Qiu’s pitch was practiced. Professional. "Establish regular route, we both profit."

"And what do you need from me?"

Here it comes, Hunter thought. The negotiation. The part where they revealed their desperation and got exploited for it.

Qiu hesitated. Merchant instinct warring with necessity. "Supplies. Food primarily. Building materials. Medicine. We’re establishing operations. Need resources."

"Enough for fifteen people. Two weeks minimum."

Zhao’s eyes flickered. Calculating. Smelling opportunity. "That’s substantial. What’s your budget?"

"One hundred fifty silver."

The merchant’s expression didn’t change but Hunter saw the thought process. Desperate buyers. Limited funds. Captive audience. Prices were about to hurt.

"Food for fifteen people, two weeks. Building materials. Medicine." Zhao calculated openly. Making sure they saw him doing it. "That’s four hundred silver minimum. Current market rates."

Hunter’s stomach dropped. They had one hundred fifty. Needed four hundred. Math wasn’t just unfavorable. It was impossible.

"That seems high," Qiu said carefully. Merchant trying to negotiate without revealing complete desperation.

"That’s spring rates. Demand is high. Supplies are moving fast." Zhao’s tone was professional. Not hostile. Just business. "I can do three hundred fifty. Absolute minimum. That’s already below my profit margin. Only reason I’m considering it is establishing regular route through here."

Three hundred fifty. They had one hundred fifty. Still two hundred short.

[LUNA] ROB HIM (◕‿◕✿)

[LUNA] PROBLEM SOLVED

[LUNA] YOU’RE LITERALLY WATCHING YOUR PEOPLE STARVE

[LUNA] WHILE MERCHANT WITH FULL WAGONS GOUGES PRICES

[LUNA] THIS IS JUSTIFIED ROBBERY

Not robbery. Not happening.

[LUNA] YOUR MORALS ARE EXPENSIVE ♥

"We don’t have three hundred fifty," Qiu admitted. Painful honesty. "We can pay one hundred fifty. Now. Rest in trade. Services. Future payment. Whatever you need."

Zhao considered. Merchant math working. "I don’t do credit. Too risky with unknown groups. Cash only."

"We can offer protection services. Spirit beast elimination. Route security."

"We have Foundation Realm cultivator. Your guards are Body Refining. We’re better."

"Maybe." Zhao looked at Hunter. Assessing. "But I’m not gambling my goods on promises. One hundred fifty silver buys you basic supplies. Three days of food. Some materials. That’s it."

Three days. They needed two weeks. Three days just kicked the problem down the road. They’d be right back here, starving, in seventy two hours.

"That’s not enough," Qiu said. Trying to maintain diplomatic tone. "We need more."

"Then pay more." Zhao’s expression was sympathetic but firm. "I’m a merchant, not a charity. Business is business."

Hunter felt something hot building in his chest. This man had wagons full of food. Enough to feed them for months. He was choosing to withhold it over money. Choosing profit over lives.

While Mei sat against a wall, too weak to stand. While Little Sparrow fainted from hunger. While fifteen people slowly starved because numbers on a ledger said they couldn’t eat.

His killing intent flickered. Not much. Just enough to make Zhao step back. Foundation Realm spiritual pressure leaking. Danger becoming tangible.

"Hunter." Han’s voice. Quiet. Warning. "Control yourself."

Right. Control. Because threatening merchants was bad form. Even when they were choosing money over children’s lives. That’s how this world worked. Economics over morality. Profit over people.

Hunter forced his spiritual pressure down. Back under control. Barely. Get full chapters from novel⁂fire.net

[LUNA] YOU WANT TO ROB HIM

[LUNA] YOUR BODY KNOWS IT’S JUSTIFIED

[LUNA] YOUR KILLING INTENT AGREES

[LUNA] JUST YOUR BRAIN BEING STUPID ♥

"We’ll take what one hundred fifty silver can buy," Qiu said. Defeated. Professional. "Three days of food. Whatever materials that leaves room for."

Zhao nodded. Relieved the tension had passed. "I’ll have my people load it. Give me an hour."

He walked back to his wagons. Started directing his people. Loading supplies. Three days worth. Not enough. Barely anything. But all they could afford.

Hunter stood there watching. Knowing that three days from now they’d be right back here. Starving again. Desperate again. Only next time there might not be a merchant. Next time they might just die.

"You did the right thing," Teacher Bai said quietly. The scholar appeared beside him. "Didn’t threaten him. Didn’t rob him. That matters."

"Does it?" Hunter’s voice was hollow. "We’ll be starving again in three days. Did the right thing just delayed the problem."

"Sometimes that’s all we can do. Delay problems. Buy time. Hope something changes."

"And if nothing changes?"

Teacher Bai didn’t answer. Because there was no good answer. Just reality grinding them down.

The supply transfer took an hour. Three days of food to replace what they’d consumed. Dried meat. Hard bread. Some rice. Barely enough to maintain current rations. They’d still be eating once daily, still be hungry, just not dying for seventy-two more hours. Its not enough. Its never enough. Plus minimal building supplies. Some nails. Cheap lumber. A single healing salve.

One hundred fifty silver. Gone. Three days of survival. Purchased.

Merchant Zhao prepared to leave. "You’ve got my route schedule now. I pass through every two weeks. You’re still here, we can trade again. Fair market rates."

"Fair," Qiu repeated. Flat. Empty.

"Business is business." Zhao seemed almost apologetic. Almost. "You want better prices, get more money. That’s how it works."

The caravan departed. Five wagons full of supplies they desperately needed. Rolling away because they couldn’t afford them. Because economics said fifteen people mattered less than profit margins.

Hunter watched them go. Felt something breaking inside. Or maybe just bending. Compromising. Accepting reality.

[LUNA] NEXT TIME (◕‿◕✿)

[LUNA] YOU’LL MAKE A DIFFERENT CHOICE

Maybe she was right. Maybe next time would be different. Maybe desperation would finally win over morality.

But not today. Today he’d kept his principles. Today he’d chosen right over easy.

Today fifteen people would eat for three more days.

And after that? They’d figure something out. They always did. Somehow.

That night, the Shadow Legion ate their meal in silence. Three days of food divided into single servings. Not enough to satisfy. Just enough to survive.

Mei sat beside Hunter. Picking at her portion slowly. Making it last.

"Will we have food tomorrow?" she asked. Quiet. Not accusing. Just asking.

Hunter wanted to promise. Wanted to guarantee it. Wanted to be the leader who kept everyone safe always.

"I don’t know," he admitted. Painful honesty. "We hunt tomorrow. If it succeeds, we’ll be fine. If it doesn’t..."

"Then we figure something else out."

She nodded. Seemed to accept that. "Gerald believes in you."

"Gerald’s very supportive."

"He says you’ll keep us safe. Even when it’s hard."

"I know." She leaned against him. Small weight. Trusting. "That’s why it works."

Hunter sat there holding his daughter while people around him slowly starved. While supplies ran out. While options narrowed. While Luna whispered about easier paths and justified compromises.

Tomorrow they’d hunt. Tomorrow they’d risk everything on six Gale Wolves and desperate competence.

Tomorrow they’d succeed or they’d face the choice again. Starvation or robbery. Morality or survival.

But tonight they had food. Three days worth. It was something.

Not enough. Never enough.

And sometimes that’s all you got.