Natasha was clearly taken aback by Chen Feng's icy tone. Given her striking looks and inherent allure, every man before her had been utterly submissive, their eyes glowing with that look, practically tearing their clothes off on the spot!

Though the voice of this cloaked figure was somewhat youthful, he was undoubtedly a man. And what man wouldn't desire her beauty?

Natasha merely startled, then her face immediately bloomed into a smile. She drawled out in a saccharine voice, "Sir, there’s no need to be so cold! We are doing business, not fighting an enemy..."

As she spoke, she leaned closer, her exquisitely proportioned figure impossibly voluptuous. Her lightly adorned garments revealed a generous sweep of her rounded, snow-white bosom, which trembled enticingly as she smiled, causing Benshan and Mofei watching nearby to visibly drool!

"Scram! Or I will kill you!" Chen Feng's chilling words reached Natasha’s ears. She felt an instantaneous chill snake up from the depths of her heart—it was killing intent! Undeniably, it was killing intent. Though Natasha had never killed anyone, she had dealt with all sorts of people, and many brutal mercenaries carried a similar aura about them. But this man, calling himself Yashin, exuded it even more intensely! She would never doubt that if she dared behave as she just had, this cloaked figure would unhesitatingly end her life!

Slightly calming the terror within, Natasha composed herself and extended a hand. "Mr. Yashin, please, this way!"

She stepped forward first, leading the trio into a room. It was a private booth, and Natasha seated them around a round table, signaling servants to bring tea.

"Mr. Yashin, could you perhaps let me see your Grade Three Spirit Core so we can discuss the price?" Natasha's voice was level now, a stark contrast to her earlier flirtatious tone, making her seem like a completely different person.

Mofei was well acquainted with Natasha and had lusted after her for a long time. This woman not only possessed natural charm but also knew how to seduce and cater to a man's desires, yet she was as cunning as a fox, never taking the bait easily. To suddenly see her adopt this dignified tone and demeanor made Mofei momentarily stunned. How could this alluring beauty suddenly transform into a graceful noble lady?

Chen Feng and Natasha had spoken in low voices earlier, so he hadn't heard their exchange. Thus, he didn't understand why this woman's expression had shifted so abruptly. But even if he had heard, he might not have believed it—that Natasha, a seasoned dealer in "goods" for many years, would be frightened by a simple threat?

Chen Feng extended his right hand, and a perfectly spherical Spirit Core rested in his palm, faintly emitting elemental fluctuations.

"Oh?" Natasha exclaimed. Although she knew he was here to sell a Grade Three Spirit Core, seeing it firsthand still made her excited.

Mercenary groups selling Spirit Cores or Magic Cores usually dealt in large quantities, mostly exchanging them directly for gold coins with traveling merchants. It was rare for them to come to an establishment like hers to sell. Therefore, in the many years she had worked here, she mostly encountered only Grade One or Two Spirit Cores; she might not even see a single Grade Three Magic Core in a month!

But despite infrequent exposure, her eye for quality was sharp. After observing for a moment, she said, "This appears to be the core of an Earth-elemental Spirit Beast. At market rate, it’s worth 400 gold coins. However, since Mofei brought you, I’ll offer 420 gold coins. What do you say? But this is contingent on us dealing privately, without involving the Transaction Enforcement Squad!"

"Transaction Enforcement Squad?" Chen Feng asked, clearly puzzled.

Natasha paused at his naive question, then a look of sudden realization dawned, followed by a sweet smile. "It seems Mr. Yashin is new here! The Transaction Enforcement Squad was established by Baron Ans to ensure fair dealings; it’s composed entirely of Fighters! Oh, since you're new, Baron Ans likely doesn't know you! He is the greatest noble here; the entire territory of Gnam Town belongs to him!"

Seeing Chen Feng remain silent, she continued, "You know that transactions involving Spirit Cores and Magic Cores involve large sums of money. Not just clients, but even people like us sometimes have reservations, worried that we might hand over funds and not receive the goods. To maintain fairness, Baron Ans devised this solution! For instance, if you fear we might cheat you out of your Spirit Core without payment, you can appeal to the Transaction Enforcement Squad to act as arbitration. However, they deduct a 20% handling fee! This means both the buyer and the seller must pay them. For a Grade Three Spirit Core like this, both of us would have to remit 40 gold coins to them!"

Chen Feng understood. "There's no need for them. We will trade directly!"

His possessions required his own strength to protect; relying on others was an insult to him!

Hearing this, Natasha’s face immediately brightened. "Very well. I will go retrieve the 420 gold coins. Please wait a moment!"

As Chen Feng watched her prepare to leave, he said, "You should retrieve more money!"

"Oh?" Natasha first froze, then recognized the hidden meaning between the lines, forcing down the wild thumping in her chest. "Does Mr. Yashin perhaps have another Grade Three Spirit Core?"

Chen Feng offered no reply. With a flick of his long sleeve, more than ten Grade Three Spirit Cores were already resting in his palm!

"Ah..." Natasha, Mofei, and Benshan all cried out in unison, their faces contorted in shock!

Unveiling more than ten Grade Three Spirit Cores at once... just what was the background of this man?

Seeing Natasha remain silent, Chen Feng asked, "Do you not have enough money?"

"We do..." Natasha forced down her shock and patted her chest—a gesture that brought another round of Mofei's naked, greedy gaze.

Natasha turned and headed toward the inner room.

Mofei then turned to Chen Feng. "I didn't expect Your Excellency Yashin to be so bold! To possess so many Grade Three Spirit Cores!"

Upon seeing the abundance of cores in Chen Feng's hand, Mofei’s address changed. Her previous casual term, "friend," shifted to "Your Excellency," signaling respect for a powerful figure.

Chen Feng did not answer, instead closing his eyes and sitting still, slowly drawing his right hand back into his sleeve, the Spirit Cores presumably tucked away in his water flask.

Mofei, finding Chen Feng unresponsive, also fell silent, feeling bored.

It was Benshan who had not yet recovered from his shock. He looked at Chen Feng and asked doubtfully, "Were... were all those truly Grade Three Spirit Cores?"

Noticing Mofei looking at him like an idiot, Benshan’s large, round face flushed red. "I... I’ve been running errands and guiding people for so many years, and I've never seen anyone possess that many Grade Three Spirit Cores! I find it hard to believe."

Mofei thought to herself that she hadn't seen it either, but she didn't show it. She glanced at Chen Feng, who sat upright with his eyes tightly closed, seemingly having already drifted off to sleep.

About ten minutes later, Natasha emerged from the back room and addressed Chen Feng. "Mr. Yashin, because the funds involved are substantial, this constitutes a high-level exchange. Please come upstairs to discuss further!"

"Lead the way!" Chen Feng replied without a superfluous word, rising to his feet.

Mofei and Benshan started to follow, but Natasha stopped them. "You two are not yet qualified to ascend to that area!" With that, she left the two gaping bystanders behind and proceeded into the inner chamber.

Passing through several corridors, they reached a winding narrow staircase. Chen Feng followed Natasha up the steps to the twelfth floor.

This level was significantly smaller compared to the floors below. As soon as he arrived, Chen Feng heard a rough voice shouting, "I said, my lady wants this Grade Four Spirit Core!"

Chen Feng recognized the voice instantly—it belonged to that domineering Knight who had almost run him over when he first arrived!