Why is my territory in a 2D anime art style?

A group of people in the courtyard recounted what they had seen and heard, leaving Sui An speechless with astonishment.

It took him a long time to come to his senses: "So, my territory is a ticking time bomb right now?"

"Could a mid-level Shadow Lizard suddenly appear and try to attack me at any moment?"

Wang Zhen nodded, but hesitated: "That door is very narrow. If the Shadow Lizards that advance to level 4 are all focused on physical enhancement, then they probably won't be able to get through."

"But there are definitely plenty of levels 1-3. For you, it should be considered a stroke of luck. After all, in a place like yours, how difficult is it to really make a fortune..."

Zhao Feng held a dry cloth, wiping his saber as he said, "I'd like to stay in your territory. I can come and visit whenever I have time. As long as there are no source beasts guarding it, I can mine some ore. I should be able to make a lot of money."

"However, if we intermediate professionals stay overnight in your level 1 territory, it's easy for us to create a small rift, which could be a bit dangerous."

"That's not necessarily true~" Erhu said suddenly as he sat on a small stool.

"Once his territory reaches level 2 or 3, our influence on him will be minimal."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhen turned to Sui An and asked, "Last time I asked you about your progress, and now you've obtained so much more soul essence. How much more are you short?"

Sui An shook his head upon hearing this: "This thing doesn't show the progress, and I have no experience, so I can't guess it."

"However, I've killed four or five hundred level 1 source beasts, dozens of level 2 ones, and even some level 3 ones, plus a bunch of immature shadow lizards. This progress should be considered fast in a level 1 territory."

"That's about it~" Zhao Feng added, wiping the horse-slaying sword beside her and placing it aside.

"You killed all of these using buildings by yourself; that's incredibly fast."

After speaking, Zhao Feng stood up. Standing at 1.8 meters tall, her intimidating presence was no less than that of Wang Hu. She glanced at Wang Zhen and Erhu and said solemnly.

"Everyone here today was invited by Sui An. To be frank, although the three of us went on the expedition, he was the one who designated this place. If there is any plan to develop it later, Sui An will need to get a share of the profits."

"This secret realm is extremely valuable. If word gets out, we'll be in big trouble."

"So, you all better keep your mouths shut and don't let this slip out."

"Aunt Zhao, don't worry!"

Erhu immediately stood up from his small stool and replied earnestly, "We've all grown up together, so we understand these principles."

Wang Zhen nodded in agreement. In this world, you can't survive by going it alone.

Sui An was a little dazed by the three people's gazes: "I can't go to that secret realm, so I definitely won't say anything carelessly. If I do, I might be the first one to suffer, since I can't escape it."

"As for what happens inside the secret realm, you can decide that."

Sui An took this matter in stride. He was just a minor lord, and no matter how large the secret realm was, he couldn't directly develop it.

Moreover, that dimensional gate is several hundred meters away from my territory, and I can't reach it unless my territory advances to the intermediate level.

Seeing that all three had expressed their opinions, Zhao Feng breathed a sigh of relief. She was somewhat greedy and did not want to report this secret realm to the Great Lord.

If they reported it to the Grand Lord, given their ranks, they would at most receive some scraps as a reward; the main reward would be something they wouldn't even be allowed to see.

In this world, who doesn't want a great opportunity to rise to prominence!

Fortunately, none of the three mentioned selling the entrance to the secret realm; they all unanimously regarded it as their future.

As for Wang Hu's attitude, Zhao Feng didn't care; she could just discipline her own child if he misbehaved.

"Let's work out a preliminary development plan first. After all, the three of us have our own businesses now, and it wouldn't be appropriate for us to just come over directly, as that would only arouse suspicion."

"Let's take a look at it every now and then. We don't need to go to the surface. We'll just dig out the ore in the cave. After all, it's all crystalline ore, so there's no need for complicated refining. We can just dig it out."

"If the short-term returns are right, then we can choose to work full-time."

Wang Zhen pondered for a moment and then added, "The tools needed for mining and the vehicles needed for transportation cannot be purchased through the Merchant Guild. The Merchant Guild is a mixed bag, with countless spies belonging to various lords. We need to buy them separately."

"Here's what we're going to do. Erhu, how much money do you still need for your transport truck? I'll make up the difference for you. You can buy a batch of tools later, but don't join the transport team yet. I'll gradually leave the team later."

"Things haven't been peaceful in the transport team lately. I bet Captain Zheng has been promoted to level 6, but he probably hasn't announced it yet!"

Erhu was so startled that he straightened up. Suddenly remembering what had happened before, he asked in a low voice.

"Were the people who attacked you earlier carried out by Captain Song?"

Wang Zhen hesitated for a moment: "It's very likely that once Captain Zheng advances, things will become unpredictable."

"Then I really shouldn't join the transport brigade yet~" Erhu had a headache. Even without the secret realm, the competition for the captain's position was a huge problem.

Sui An was somewhat confused: "You mean, the person who attacked you a few days ago was Captain Zheng's rival, trying to undermine Captain Zheng's men and reduce his competitiveness? But what are they competing for?"

"That's roughly the idea." Wang Zhen nodded. "Most importantly, the captain is about to break through to level 7. According to the rules, once he succeeds, he will have to step down as captain and participate in the senior management of the Chamber of Commerce."

"Wow~"

Sui An then understood. It goes without saying how important the position of Jiangcheng's transportation chief was, so it was understandable that he would target his competitors for that position.

No wonder Wang Zhen had to be questioned after taking the attacker's body back.

Zhao Feng, somewhat impatient, clapped her hands and said, "Alright, you can handle these minor details yourselves. We should go back now."

"Mom, I want to stay with Xiao An for a while. Being with you means I don't have a chance to kill any source beasts!"

Wang Hu, who had been silent for a while, stood up, which gave Zhao Feng a headache. She only had this one child, and she was really worried about leaving him here.

However, based on the experience of seasoned professionals, he should be left here, since they rarely encounter one or two lone Level 1 Source Beasts during their expeditions.

Because of her high rank, she dared not let Wang Hu get close to her, so recently the hunting party has had some complaints about her.

After thinking for a while, Zhao Feng nodded: "Then you can stay here. Listen to Xiao An and don't throw tantrums."

"Okay~" Wang Hu nodded with a smile. He didn't care at all about what his mother said, as he didn't really like things that required him to use his brain.

"Don't worry, Aunt Zhao, now that I've built this big wall, it's much safer."

Sui An chimed in, then turned to Wang Zhen after a moment’s thought: “Brother Zhen, bring me some redwood cores tomorrow. I need to build an extra house to store them.”

"Sure thing~"