However, Mu You didn’t point it out directly, but instead glanced at the other goods in the stall, showing a noncommittal expression, then suddenly asked, "Do you sell information here?"
The goblin was taken aback, obviously not expecting a fisherman to ask such a question. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded, "Yes, of course, I sell information. But usually, information that can be sold is quite valuable..."
Mu You immediately glared at him in displeasure, "What, you don’t think I can afford it?"
"No, no, no. Feel free to ask."
The goblin merchant quickly corrected himself. Having been in business for many years, he had developed an exceptional eye for details. Therefore, he immediately noticed that the fisherman spoke with genuine confidence. Perhaps he had come across a fortune and was ready to splurge.
So, he immediately changed his attitude, rubbing his hands together ingratiatingly as he looked at Mu You, "Whatever information you want to ask, feel free to ask!"
"The information I want is about a ship called the ’Ghost Ship’."
The goblin was taken aback upon hearing this. His face quickly brightened up, and he confidently said, "You’ve come to the right person. I guarantee that I am the only one in Sunset City who knows this information because I am the only one who has ever met a survivor of that ship."
"A survivor? You mean that ship sank?" Mu You frowned.
"That’s part of the information. I can only tell you after you purchase it. It’s not expensive, just a year of lifespan!" The goblin said.
"Okay, I’ll buy it." Mu You didn’t hesitate, nodding immediately.
[You have agreed to the information trade with the Goblin Merchant. Lifespan -1.]
At the moment he agreed, a prompt sounded in his mind.
The goblin on the other side obviously got the hint as well. He rejoiced for a moment before hastily speaking up, "Thousands of kilometers south of Sunset City, in the sea, there is a region known as the ’Demon Zone’. This triangular region is said to be cursed. Those who die within the Demon Sea become Earthbound ghosts due to the curse corroding their corpse, prohibiting their bodies from being resurrected and causing them to be trapped in that region forever."
"Over seven hundred years ago, the Ghost Ship hit a hidden reef in the Demon Sea. The ship was destroyed and the crew lost. Over four hundred crew members were buried at sea, and only one fortunate shipworker, who hadn’t managed to board the ship in time, survived."
As the goblin spoke, he took out an ancient parchment scroll from his body, laughing sheepishly, "The pirate who escaped died in an accident three years ago. I paid a hefty price to buy this map from that pirate. It marks the location of the shipwreck of the Ghost Ship. Now, just by spending a bit more lifespan, you can purchase this map. What do you say...?"
He had a backup plan!
Mu You thought to himself that the goblin’s tactics were similar to those of the heartless Scarecrow. He sells information for a year of lifespan, but the truly valuable stuff is waiting behind.
"Let me see the map." Mu You reached out to grab it.
"No, no. You have to pay before you can view it." The goblin hastily put away the parchment with a wary look.
"How much lifespan does it cost?"
"Not much, 500 years!" The goblin said, spreading his hand.
Mu You’s eyelid twitched. Do these crafty merchants see his lifespan balance? Why do they always quote a price just below his lifespan limit?
In the past, Mu You would have used his pocket watch by now to swindle the map out of him.
But this time, there was no need for him to go to such lengths.
"That’s a bit pricey!" Mu You frowned.
"Not at all! Sir, think about it. If you have this map, you could get your hands on all the treasure left behind by the pirates. Only 500 years of lifespan, this business is definitely profitable!" The Goblin quickly replied.
Upon hearing this, Mu You scoffed. This creature only pointed out the benefits, not mentioning the risks at all. Was the pirate’s treasure that easy to snatch? The deaths of four hundred crew members meant that now there were over four hundred ghosts on the pirate ship. It would be certain death for anyone who ventured there.
It seems Goblin Merchant was hoping for him to go send himself to death, so that he could sell the information to someone else later.
"How can I be sure that your map and information are genuine?" Mu You asked after some thought.
"You can rest assured about that! For such a large order, we can sign a Blood Covenant to guarantee there will be no counterfeits."
Seeing Mu You’s interest, the goblin’s face lit up with joy. He hastily pulled out another familiar-looking scroll from his body. It was a Blood Covenant scroll, which Mu You had used before.
"This Blood Covenant scroll costs 100 years of lifespan, but if you buy the map, I’ll include it for free!"
Mu You could only sneer. A covenant scroll sold for a hundred years? He had seen this item being traded on the forum; its price was only about ten years’ lifespan.
"No hurry, let me check out the other goods."
Mu You was calm and composed, folding his arms across his chest and casually scanning the stall’s goods, pretending to browse. After a moment, he shook his head and said, "Everything you have here is junk. Don’t you have any real treasures for sale?"
Upon hearing this, the goblin hastily pulled out two more items from his body: a stone and a beetle.
"Look, this is a Perforation Stone, used for embedding sockets in equipment. It’s priced at 60 years of lifespan."
"This is called a Reconnaissance Beetle, a newly crafted alchemical creature. It looks just like a regular beetle. When released, it can eavesdrop on the surroundings. Priced at 70 years of lifespan."
"How about these two items?"
"Well, they’re just okay..."
Seeing him take out just two small items, Mu You guessed this guy must have more valuable things on him. However, his constant questions and lack of purchases had likely made the goblin wary.
Goblins, a cunning race, weren’t known for casually flaunting their valuables.
"Okay, I’ll take the map. Sign the Blood Covenant and I’ll buy it," Mu You said.
The goblin was overjoyed and hastily pulled out the map and the Blood Covenant scroll.
However, the moment the map came out, Mu You swiftly snatched both items from his hands. He then grabbed a handful of items from the stall, and quickly took off.
The goblin was dumbfounded for a moment, staring blankly at his empty palms.
The next second, a sharp scream resonated through Sunset City in the dead of night: "Robbery! Someone’s robbing in broad daylight!"