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nChapter 496 – Slave Market

nAlthough merchants have only entered Golden Island for a month, the state of the place can only be described as hot. Pirates, Merchants, as well as major influences have come here to mingle.

nThis month’s development was only the first explosion of Golden Island. It would continue to grow, and over time, the popularity of this place would become stronger and stronger.

nAt this time, Zhao Hai wasn’t already on the island. He has now returned to Carson City. This was because he needed to take care of an important matter for the Buda Clan.

nIn the past, Laura and the others have discussed the possibility of them constructing a castle on the area around Carson City. This would solidify the Buda Clan’s status on the capital. However, because of Golden Island, this matter has been placed at the back of their minds.

nBut they can’t put this matter aside for too long. So they went and asked Charlie, Jason, and the others for help to see which hills around the city was up for grabs. When they find a place, then they would make their move immediately.

nCharlie and the others were naturally willing to help. However, after the passing of years, all of the hills around Carson City was already occupied. Even when there was a suitable place, they either had a bad environment, or they were too low. Not to say Zhao Hai, even Charlie and the others wouldn’t like it. They surely wouldn’t let Zhao Hai claim those hills.

nOriginally, Laura suggested that they occupy Robert Family’s fort. But Zhao Hai didn’t agree since they were the ones who eliminated the Robert Family. If they occupy their fort, then that would really look very strange.

nCharlie and the others didn’t agree to it as well. But after a long time, they still weren’t able to find a place. This made Charlie and Jason feel apologetic to Zhao Hai, he asked for their help but they were unable to deliver.

nThen, Charlie finally thought that since they couldn’t find a suitable hill, they they might as well find someone who were willing to sell.

nBut after checking for several days, Charlie still wasn’t able to find people who were willing. This made Charlie feel bad, Jason as well, he even felt more sorry than Charlie. But there was no other way, all people who lived on the vicinity were all Great Clans. All of these clans have their own businesses, so all of them are doing very well. Charlie and Jason cannot just make them leave in account for Zhao Hai. It wasn’t worth offending these people just for such a paltry reason.

nZhao Hai didn’t think too much of it, almost two months had passed since God’s Grace Day. Golden Island has been doing very well, spring had also arrived at Aksu Empire, which means that spring would be arriving at the Prairie. As long as spring arrives, he would be heading to the Prairie, then he wouldn’t worry about constructing a fort anymore.

nWhen Charlie and the others were about to give up, information suddenly came. The current owner of Lionheart’s fort was willing to sell.

nLionheart was Zhao Hai’s first enemy on Rosen Empire. He also colluded with the Radiant Church before being killed by Zhao Hai. His family’s fort was then occupied by a noble of the Rosen Empire.

nSaying occupy wasn’t excessive. This was because at that time, nobles were scrapping Lionheart’s possessions. At that time, the fort was being sold for a cheap price so the noble decided to buy it. At the same time, since he bought it, he might as well occupy the place.

nHowever, because of the Robert Family and the Engraved Ark, Carson City’s atmosphere became tense. The eyes of Great Clans were very active regarding people with good relationships with the Robert Family. At this time, people went to investigate the noble who bought Lionheart’s castle. This person was a Second Class Duke and he didn’t have the power to have his own duchy. However, this person’s fief wasn’t small, moreover, he had a very good relationship with the Robert Family. His clan’s emblem was a mad cow. This cow lacked one horn while its eyes were red with rage.

nAt this point, the Rosen Empire was very critical in looking for clans’ emblems. In addition to finding friends of the Robert Clan, the empire was also looking for suspicious clan emblems.

nWhen the investigation found that this noble and the Robert Family were very intimate, they immediately prepared to do a thorough investigation. However, when they came to do so, the nobleman’s family suddenly vanished.

nOvernight, all of the family members have left, they didn’t even take their precious things along with them. Even the servants stayed behind as well as their businesses. Only the family itself vanished, nobody remained.

nThis caused the entire Rosen Empire to be in a stir. For an entire clan to run like this, it clearly confirmed their status. The Imperial Clan immediately went and thoroughly searched their home. As a result, all of the family’s documents were taken away. Since the family didn’t take their valuables with them, the Rosen Empire became skeptical. The empire immediately issued an order to seize the family. However, all of them were already gone, no news was found about them.

nAs a result, their fort became empty. The Rosen Empire grabbed all of the servants and the people associated with the family and interrogated them. They wanted to ask them about the family, but the servants literally knew nothing at all.

nBecause of this, nothing was known, and the castle was left empty, which was a pity. Charlie and Jason were very happy when they knew about this, they knew that Grand Duke Lionheart’s fort was very well constructed. Now that the place was ownerless, it would be great if Zhao Hai bought it.

nAlso, because the family ran away in a hurry, all of the precious things in the castle weren’t taken away. Although the gold and silver items were taken away by the Imperial Clan, the fort was still left well equipped. Therefore, Charlie immediately told Zhao Hai to buy it.

nZhao Hai also knew that even if he already has Iron Mountain Fort, he still needed a fort on Carson City for the benefit of the Buda Clan’s face. At the same time, it would also indicate that the Buda Clan has considered themselves as people of the Rosen Empire.

nThe matter was quickly completed under Charlie’s operation. In the end, Zhao Hai bought the hill as well as the castle for a price of 10 million gold coins.

nAfter acquiring the fort, Zhao Hai immediately sent a construction team over to modify the fort. At the very least, he needed to have the emblem changed, there were also some little things inside that Zhao Hai wished to change.

nZhao Hai returned to Carson City for this matter. But when the fort’s construction was underway, he assigned the undead under Cai’er’s supervision. Then Zhao Hai took Laura and the others to Carson City’s slave market.

nCarson City’s slave market wasn’t inside the city, but in a valley not too far. The entire mountain valley was a large slave market.

nIt was the first time that Zhao Hai had come here. Now that Kun was in Golden Island along with Laura’s people, Zhao Hai didn’t worry about anything. He lead Laura and the others to come to the slave market. When he goes to the Prairie, he would get 100 thousand slaves. However, 100 thousand slaves who were all Beastmen wasn’t good. Because of this, Zhao Hai decided to buy some human slaves as well.

nThe valley’s entrance wasn’t very wide, giving people a hard time because only two carriages can pass side by side. There weren’t any people that can be seen on the entrance, there weren’t any structures as well. Just by looking at it, one might even mistake it as an ordinary mountain valley.

nHowever, the moment Zhao Hai’s carriage entered the valley, he immediately became surprised. In the one year that he has been in Ark Continent, this was the first time that he saw this kind of slave market. He thought that this slave market would be very dirty and very chaotic. Only when he entered did he understand that he was wrong and that he was thinking ridiculously.

nThis slave was neither dirty nor chaotic. In contrast, this slave market looks even more cleaner than any ordinary market. It wasn’t as crowded as ordinary markets as well. The shops here were well constructed and also had a very pleasant facade.

nLooking at the 21 three-story buildings, Zhao Hai cannot really connect this place with a slave market. After staring for some time, Zhao Hai turned to Megan and said, “Megan, are you sure that you’re not mistaken? Is this really the slave market?”

nMegan smiled and said, “Of course I’m not wrong, this is indeed the slave market. I came here before because I’m curious.”

nZhao Hai nodded, then he looked around before he murmured, “This is a beautiful place, who would’ve thought that it would deal with filthy transactions.”

nLaura and the others didn’t say anything, all of them were natives of Ark Empire so they didn’t have as much of a dislike for slaves as Zhao Hai. But seeing the happy expressions of the slaves who had become commoners back at Iron Mountain Fort, they couldn’t help but also develop a dislike for the slave trade.

nTheir horse carriage stopped in front of a shop’s door. When Zhao Hai and the others walked down from their carriage, someone from the shop immediately came to welcome them. The man looked very decent, he was tall and wore a merchant’s suit without anything else on his body. But Zhao Hai didn’t underestimate this person because Megan had told him that almost all of the people who dealt with the slave business were nobles. The bigger the slave merchant, the more powerful the noble above them. Even small slave merchants would still have formidable powers behind them. Because of this, nobody dared to look down upon these people.

nWhen this merchant saw Zhao Hai’s carriage, his eyes turned bright. He immediately wore a welcoming face as he bowed to Zhao Hai, “Merchant Ren has seen Mariquis Zhao Hai.”

nZhao Hai stared, he looked at the Merchant and said, “You know me?”

nThe merchant smiled and said, “How can I not know of Marquis Zhao Hai. This small merchant has always heard of Marquis Zhao Hai’s name. If I don’t recognize the Marquis even after seeing the Buda Clan emblem, then I might as well have by eyes gouged out.”

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