?


    ----------


    When Renji returned to Rnd, the several cages of demi-human ves he saw the day before were all empty, except for one that still housed a single upant. Clearly, this was the goods Rnd had prepared for him.


    "Mr. Renji, see, I didn''t lie to you. She''s a purebred, top-notch Catgirl," Rnd enthusiastically led Renji to the cage.


    Rnd was about to further borate on Ashe''s specific breed, lineage, and domestic skills when Renji, seemingly impatient, raised his hand to interrupt.


    Renji then circled the cage, scrutinizing the merchandise. Inside the cage, the cat-girl, like most demi-human ves, was curled up in a corner, her face buried in her knees, trembling.


    Seeing that Renji hadn''t spoken for a while, Rnd, afraid of Renji changing his mind, hurriedly tapped the cage a few times as a signal to Ashe. The cat-girl inside was forced to lift her face. Though tear-streaked and dirty, it wasn''t hard to see she was quite beautiful – typical of female Cat-race, who generally possess features that align well with human aesthetic standards.


    Renji paused for a moment when he saw Ashe''s face. Not because he was mesmerized, but because he felt a sense of familiarity.


    "Mr. Renji? Mr. Renji?" From Rnd''s perspective, Renji seemed spellbound by Ashe''s appearance, so he hurriedly called out a few times, hoping to strike while the iron was hot.


    "That''s fine, I''ll take her. How much?"


    "Two hundred thousand Ashen coins. As you know, Mr. Renji, a Cat demi-human is very sought after in the market."


    Two hundred thousand for a demi-human ve withoutbat abilities, even a Cat-girl, was an exorbitant price. Rnd and the other members of the revolutionary army hadn''t nned to ask for such a high price. Instead, they opted for a strategy to sell her cheaply to ensure that Ashe would definitely be bought by Renji.


    However, the reason for the high asking price was actually Ashe''s idea. She had set the price herself, hoping to gather funds for the revolutionary army in an emergency. Due to impostersmitting crimes under their name, donations to their cause had dwindled. With financial shorings everywhere, the two hundred thousand would alleviate immediate pressures and provide more substantial preparation for future actions.


    Rnd expected to have to persuade Renji to ept this price, and Ashe in the cage was prepared to y her part in enticing Renji to spend the money. Yet, before they could even start, Renji''s indifferent voice rang out.


    "Two hundred thousand is too little. Make it five hundred thousand. Do you want cash or a transfer?"


    ''What?''


    Rnd, who had rehearsed his sales pitch, was left speechless. In all his years of doing business, he had never encountered someone like Renji, who haggled in reverse, and more than doubling the price at that. He was momentarily at a loss for words, standing there dumbfounded.


    Compared to Rnd, Ashe in the cage was even more surprised. She was stunned hardly. For the revolutionary army, who would split a coin in half to spend it, Ashe thought her bold proposal of two hundred thousand was already a stretch, a small act of defiance on her part. And now... five hundred thousand?<novelsnext></novelsnext>


    With this amount, not only could the revolutionary army update their worn-out weapons and gear, but the extra funds would also make it easier for Leng and the others to gather intelligence. The children could even stop going hungry from tonight on.


    "C-cash…" stammered Rnd, still not fully recovered from the shock.


    Renji didn''t waste any words. He gestured to Eileen behind him. They had already exchanged a substantial amount of cash checks at the ck Gold Bank the previous night. Writing five hundred thousand on one of the checks meant that whoever held it could exchange it for five hundred thousand Ashen coins.


    Previously, when Brian gave Renji a "neer''s gift pack" in the Holy Kingdom, it was done through an ount at the ck Gold Bank. With the Sin City backing its credibility, the ck Gold Bank was known for its absolute security, privacy, and neutrality, making it popr among various countries and organizations. It was considered the world''s leading bank.


    Holding the check for five hundred thousand in his hand, Rnd still felt like he was dreaming until Renji urged him. He then snapped out of his daze, hurriedly opened the cage, and "delivered" Ashe to Renji.


    The rest of the process went smoothly. For instance, Rnd exined to Renji that he couldn''t immediately establish a ve contract between Renji and Ashe, as Ashe had recently changed owners and needed to wait a week before a new contract could be established. This wasmon in ve trading. Rnd gave Renji a contract pendant, which could temporarily control Ashe until the new contract was in ce after a week.


    These measures were actually to cover up the fact that their ve contracts were fake. Both Rnd and Ashe were extremely cautious and nervous in every step with Renji, but they were overthinking it. Even when Rnd prepared to let Renji test the ve contract as a part of the inspection, Renji simply waved it off and skipped it.


    The entire process probably took less than ten minutes, with the only unexpected incident being...


    "Mr. Rnd, are you... still a follower of the Church?" Renji pointed out a cross pendant identally exposed at Rnd''s neckline.


    "No, no, I''m just curious. I''ve only recentlye across it and found it interesting."


    Rnd quickly adjusted his neckline to hide the cross again. In the Dragon Nation a few days ago, this would have been unremarkable, but now, with the Empress at war with the Holy Kingdom, showing such an item could lead to trouble.


    Fortunately for Rnd, He was relieved that Renji didn''t pursue the topic further. After this brief interlude, the ve handover waspleted.


    Standing at the entrance of his shop, Rnd watched Ashe, who was taken away by Renji, growing more and more distant. His eyes reflected nothing but worry.


    The other hidden demi-humans emerged, and Nozomi, the Fox Lady and the ''big sister'' of the group, spoke up.


    "Now isn''t the time for sentimentality; we need to prepare for our operation and strive to bring Ashe back as soon as possible"


    Rnd: "Right, we must trust Ashe!"