The Peerless Beauty Stuck With Me

Zhou Dian pursed his lips and glanced at Tang Rao, "You're acting as if everyone calls you 'Tang Xiaohei'. We're in the same boat here. Great deity, how about I give you a sixth-grade treasure as gratitude for saving my life, and then we'll go our separate ways, how's that?"

"I don't like people who don't keep their word." Tang Rao looked towards Zhou Dian.

Perhaps sensing that Tang Rao's patience was running thin, Zhou Dian finally compromised with a helpless spread of his hands.

"Alright, since it's like that, let's just swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao. I, Zhou Shengdian, hereby swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao that within ten years, I will serve—...Wait, great deity, what's your real name, by the way?"

So his name is Zhou Shengdian, virtually the same as Zhou Dian.

"Me? Tang Rao." Tang Rao said his name indifferently.

"Mhm mhm, Tang Rao, that's a nice name, this name... Fucking hell, Tang Rao!!!" Zhou Shengdian hadn't finished praising before he suddenly screamed out loud, his voice was incredibly loud and extremely sharp.

Anyone unaware would think Tang Rao had done something unspeakably cruel and insane to him.

"Tang Rao! You are that Tang Rao! The Sovereign of the Central Emperor Realm!"

"To be precise, the former Sovereign of the Central Emperor Realm." Tang Rao shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"So it's really you... Great deity—no, Titan deity, what brings you to Giant Merchant Star?" Zhou Shengdian said.

"Too bored, just here to see the sights," said Tang Rao.

Zhou Shengdian's face turned dark. Just stop it, you titans, the words that come out of your mouths can hardly be taken seriously.

Moreover, you, Tang Rao, have the moniker Tang Laohei too; everyone knows how devious you are. Look at me, you've totally scammed me.

"Are you going to keep on blabbering?" asked Tang Rao.

"Alright, alright. I, Zhou Shengdian, hereby swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao, within ten years I am at the service of Tang Rao, and should I betray him, may the Heavenly Dao obliterate me." Zhou Shengdian raised his hand and swore the Heavenly Dao oath.

This time Zhou Shengdian didn't try to pull any tricks, and Tang Rao clearly felt the power of the oath.

"That'll do, titan deity, from now on I'm yours," said Zhou Shengdian to Tang Rao, a sycophantic look plastered on his face.

"Titan deity, uh, is it possible to work five days and take two days off? Can I get summer and winter holidays?" Zhou Shengdian asked eagerly.

"And another thing, will there be a salary? It's only right for an elder brother to give his younger brother a wage," Zhou Shengdian kept on talking.

Tang Rao cut him off directly, this wuss, he just never stops.

"Let me tell you, you'll work all year round without a single day off, there's no salary and if you need a leave, let me know in advance. Going out with girls needs to be reported. And don't you tell me about your wife giving birth, or your 'aunt' visiting, I won't believe it!" Tang Rao rebuked, annoyed by his nerve.

Zhou Shengdian was completely dumbfounded, it was outright slavery.

"Titan deity, do you have to be so brutal? I'm only in my forties, I'm still young!" Zhou Shengdian looked openly miserable.

"Also, stop calling me 'titan deity'. Call me Boss Tang! Now come with me to register as a merchant," Tang Rao said to Zhou Shengdian, this slippery creature needed to be put in his place, or he would likely blabber nonsense in the future.

"Register as a merchant? Wasn't that just a trap you set up to screw with me? We're actually going through with it?"

"How bored do you think I am, digging traps for you specifically? I came here to register as a merchant anyway. You walked into this one yourself, so don't blame me. Your luck is just that bad," Tang Rao shrugged his shoulders.

If Zhou Shengdian hadn't barged in himself, he wouldn't have trapped such an odd Artifact Refiner.

Never mind how skilled Zhou Shengdian was at artifact refining, the mere fact that he could process second-grade materials into a fourth-grade treasure was impressive enough.

"Alright, I admit defeat on this one," Zhou Shengdian shrugged his shoulders, the bastard got himself into this mess.

"By the way, what's the highest-grade treasure you can refine?" Tang Rao asked while walking towards the registration desk.

"Boss Tang, actually, my real expertise is in trickery, artifact refining is just a hobby of mine."

"What grade?"

"Fourth grade."

"You trash!"

"Hey, that's not a nice way to talk. Even a little brother like me has dignity. Plus, it's only because I lack resources. If I had Spirit Stones, materials, and high-level Artifact Refiner recipes, a Ninth Grade Treasure would be a piece of cake."

"Do you have no shame?"

"A master con artist never knows what shame is."

Tang Rao: "..."

Not long after, the two returned to the merchant registration area.

"Boss Tang, tell me, what grade of merchant are you planning to register as? Also, what kind of business do you actually want to do?" Zhou Shengdian asked.

"Talk about grades? That doesn't suit my status at all. Only becoming a Special Merchant would be fitting for me." Tang Rao waved his hand dismissively.

Zhou Shengdian was completely baffled. Special Merchant, what the heck is that? Never heard of it.

Isn't the highest only Ninth Grade?

"See, how ignorant you are? Not even knowing what a Special Merchant is. Stick with me for ten years, and I'll broaden your horizons and expand your knowledge." Tang Rao patted Zhou Shengdian's shoulder.

Zhou Shengdian: "..."

Tang Rao found the Ninth Grade merchant registration counter, where there was no one at all.

There were so few Ninth Grade merchant registrations that it was uncertain if there would even be one in a month.

"Sir, are you here to register as a Ninth Grade merchant? I am the registrar Ling Feier." The registrar was a young lady, quite a feast for the eyes.

And her attitude was much better than that of the registrars for the lower-grade merchants.

"How many Ninth Grade merchants are there on Giant Merchant Star now?" Tang Rao inquired.

Ling Feier paused, slightly taken aback as no one ever asked that question before.

"There are about two thousand Ninth Grade merchants, and each one of them is a distinguished guest on Giant Merchant Star," Ling Feier replied.

"Two thousand is too many; it doesn't reflect my status. Do you have the authority to process a Special Merchant?" Tang Rao asked.

Special Merchant? Ling Feier was completely stunned.

Could it be that this young man in front of her intended to become a Special Merchant? My goodness, this was a major event.

"Sir, are you looking to become a Special Merchant? May I ask if you have a Special Contract? If so, I'll get it processed for you right away," Ling Feier said.

Special Merchants need a Special Contract, which also serves as a kind of guarantee.

Because Special Merchants are too unique.

"I don't have one; that's why I'm asking if you have the authority to process one. I remember that Ninth Grade merchant registrars each have one opportunity to provide a Special Contract. If you haven't used yours yet, you could give it to me," Tang Rao said assertively.

Ling Feier furrowed her brows slightly; a Ninth Grade merchant registrar only has one Special Contract, and she still had hers.

She couldn't just casually give out her Special Contract because the behavior of the Special Merchant is closely related to the person who issues the Special Contract.

If the Special Merchant performs poorly, the person who issued the Special Contract would also be implicated.

"If you trust me, I will repay you with huge benefits," Tang Rao said with a smile; at this moment, it's all about trusting one's character and appearance.

Ling Feier was evidently hesitant.

On one hand, Tang Rao exuded a strong presence that made one want to believe him; on the other hand, she didn't know this man in front of her, and if he performed poorly, it would be her own downfall.