“Esteemed Customer No. 4444, would you like to put your companion up for auction? Our trading house sincerely recommends that you auction off your companion piece by piece. Conservatively estimated, the auction price could reach 5 to 8 R.”

Mo Bai: “……”

They even sold people by pieces.

Seeing Du Heng's bewildered expression, Mo Bai realized that he couldn't hear the electronic voice or her conversation with it. She also had no idea how the voice was able to communicate with her privately.

She asked, “If they can be sold separately, then when I bring someone worth only 0.5 R, how much trading currency could I get by selling their parts individually?”

The mechanical voice replied, “If the saleable parts include vital organs such as the heart, kidneys, liver, or brain, an item valued at 0.5 R could be auctioned for as much as 1.5 R. If the saleable parts are the skin, limbs, and so on, then unless the quality of the item is exceptionally high, most will not fetch even 0.5 R.”

“Do you have to buy or sell something to enter the Organ Trading Market?” Mo Bai asked.

The mechanical voice said, “Entry and exit from the trading house are subject to strict screening. Customers must complete a transaction involving at least one item before they can temporarily leave. Companions are not permitted to leave.”

Mo Bai did not particularly care whether she could leave or not. She had no intention of leaving anyway.

What worried her was whether Gu Tiandong and the others might be brought in as merchandise and have their organs sold without even knowing what was happening.

So Mo Bai asked, “My companion has a rather violent temper. He may not agree to be sold by pieces. Does your trading house have any way to deal with this problem?”

The mechanical voice replied, “Our trading house provides wristbands to customers. The wristbands worn by customers and merchandise look identical from the outside, with the only difference being the inscriptions on the inner side. The wristbands worn by the merchandise contain anesthetic needles, ensuring that the merchandise cannot attack customers.”

If they were only anesthetic needles, then they might not be enough to restrain Gu Tiandong and the others.

The mechanical voice continued, “If the customer has any other questions, you may consult your personal mechanical steward after entering. Each person will be assigned one upon entry.”

It urged Mo Bai and Du Heng to enter as quickly as possible.

Xiao Qi was furious when it heard this. “What kind of joke is this?! Xiao Qi is the player’s one and only intelligent steward! Who dares to steal Xiao Qi’s job?”

“What are you talking about?” Mo Bai said. “You’re not my intelligent steward. You’re my good friend, my little sister or little brother, Xiao Qi. Don’t lower yourself by calling yourself a steward.”

Xiao Qi immediately cheered up.

Du Heng seemed to have heard some rules on his side as well. He spoke with someone for a while before putting on the wristband issued by the trading house.

Worried that someone might overhear their conversation, Mo Bai put on her motorcycle helmet and asked, “What did the mechanical voice tell you?”

“It told me to listen to you and not wander off. But it also told me to be smart and stay alert. Apparently, I might be able to escape alive if I’m clever enough. But for customers like you, once you’ve bought something from the trading house, you’re doomed. The owner of the trading house doesn’t like any of its customers.”

Thinking about Du Heng’s words, Mo Bai realized that the real way to survive this instance actually lay with the 'merchandise.'

This was the town’s original instance. At first, it was an ordinary forced instance, but after Yang Lingxi’s heart was forcibly replaced, Gao Siyun took control of it.

Gao Siyun was mentally unstable, and her way of thinking was completely different from that of ordinary people, making her difficult to predict. But one thing was certain: Gao Siyun hated the 'customers' who traded organs in the underground market. These people were the true culprits responsible for Yang Lingxi’s death.

Perhaps Gao Siyun took control of the Organ Trading Market in order to find the 'customers' hidden within the town and wipe them all out.

However, given her current state, she might not care about whether the 'merchandise' lived or died. At most, she would refrain from actively killing the 'merchandise.' If the 'merchandise' were injured by other 'customers,' she probably would not intervene.

Mo Bai quickly figured out the rules of the Organ Trading Market.

Here, the 'merchandise' occupied the lowest rung. Customers covet, harm, and steal their organs. Yet they were also the only ones who could escape alive.

The customers appeared to have power. They could decide the fate of the 'merchandise' and conduct illegal transactions. But they were hated by the owner of the trading house. Even if customers who had undergone organ transplants managed to leave the instance, the organs they received would inevitably develop problems, which would eventually result in their deaths.

From this perspective, the 'merchandise' that had the ability to protect themselves and the 'customers' who did not purchase anything were relatively safe within the instance. The only problem was that they had no way to leave.

Based on what Mo Bai knew about the prophets, it was impossible for them to predict the specific contents of an instance. They could only see certain key scenes and vague clues, and they couldn't see through everything.

Xie Xingchen, Dai Qianzhong, and Pang Mian did not enter the Abandoned Hospital or the Dream Domain, so they might not know anything about the conflict between Gao Siyun and the Organ Trading Market. They might even believe that the 'customers' had the upper hand in the Organ Trading Market.

Mo Bai separated from Gu Tiandong and the other two less than 20 hours ago. Given their abilities, they might not have suffered any harm yet.

Mo Bai briefly explained the hidden rules of the Organ Trading Market to Du Heng. The two then walked through a dark, narrow, cramped, and damp corridor filled with the smell of blood and decay, then arrived at a dimly lit, hazy venue resembling a bar.

A waiter with stiff facial muscles stood at the entrance. He put on a mechanical, polite smile and said to Mo Bai, “Welcome, Customer No. 4444. Our trading house protects the privacy of every customer. Please wear a mask.”

The waiter held a tray filled with an assortment of attractive masks.

Mo Bai adjusted her helmet. “I’ll wear this.”

“That’s fine too,” the waiter said.

“Do I need to wear a mask?” Du Heng asked.

When facing Du Heng, the waiter’s smile disappeared. He said sternly, “That depends on the mood of Customer No. 4444.”

“Wear one. I don’t like other people casually sizing up my things,” Mo Bai said domineeringly.

The waiter handed Mo Bai a mechanical sphere. “This is your mechanical steward. You can give it any instructions you need. If there’s something you want to buy, you can also have it bid on the item for you.”

Mo Bai entered the venue with Du Heng following closely behind her.

The venue was enormous, roughly the same size as the square outside, and there was a stage in the center. The mechanical steward informed Mo Bai, “That is the auction stage. An auction is held every 5 hours. 30 minutes remain until the next auction. If the customer wishes to purchase something during this time, you can take a look at the merchandise cabinets in the eastern district.”

“What if I want to auction off my merchandise?” Mo Bai asked.

“You can find the administrator in the eastern district to register the merchandise information, determine the auction price, and help the administrator subdue your merchandise,” the mechanical sphere replied.

“What if my merchandise runs away?” Mo Bai asked.

“There is location information stored in the wristband. You can use the wristband to locate your merchandise,” the mechanical sphere said.

Mo Bai asked, “What if the merchandise takes off the wristband?”

“Then you’ll have to find it yourself. You’re responsible for managing your own merchandise,” the mechanical sphere said emotionlessly.

After hearing this, Mo Bai felt that her companions had an even greater chance of escaping.

“What if they manage to escape the trading house?” Mo Bai asked.

“Under normal circumstances, escaping is impossible. There is a greater chance that they will be captured by another customer and become merchandise again,” the mechanical sphere said. “There are security checkpoints and surveillance cameras throughout the trading house. Except for special areas and areas opened at a customer’s special request, escaping is impossible.”

It sounded like there was still a chance to escape. As long as they found the special areas mentioned by the mechanical sphere, there was hope.

Qiu Xuerong sealed off the entire town. Apart from the Organ Trading Market, which was still active, no one was moving around in the other areas.

If Ding Xun and the others had already escaped the Organ Trading Market, Qiu Xuerong could sense it.

So they were still here.

Not only them. Xie Xingchen, Dai Qianzhong, and Pang Mian were here too.

Mo Bai carefully observed the people around her. There were many people, and the lighting was dim. Unless they were standing face-to-face, it would be difficult to recognize each other.

“Are there really this many customers looking to make transactions?” Mo Bai asked.

The mechanical sphere said, “Recently, an infectious disease has been raging through the town. The number of customers has increased, while the amount of merchandise has decreased. Therefore, the merchandise you brought might fetch a higher price.”

“What are the most popular organs?” Mo Bai asked.

“Skin and lungs.”

“The doorway told me that skin isn’t worth much,” Mo Bai said.

“That doorway uses an older version and hasn’t updated its data. Recently, the first symptom of the infectious disease spreading through the town was skin ulceration. Almost everyone has this condition, so intact skin is in short supply at the Organ Trading Market.

There are so many customers at the Organ Trading Market precisely because they are waiting for intact skin.”

The mechanical sphere continued, “The skin condition of the merchandise you brought is exceptionally good. Since rare things are valuable, if you send him to auction, even a single piece of skin could potentially bid up to an astronomical price. Your skin is also quite good. All the organs in your body need to be replaced, but your skin is the only part that has suffered no damage. Your skin is even better than the merchandise’s. You might be able to sell it for an even higher price.”

So Ding Xun and the other two had valuable skin as well. Gu Tiandong’s must be the most valuable.

“Can I auction myself too?” Mo Bai asked.

“Of course. Some poor customers choose to sell regenerative organs such as bone marrow and liver, as well as organs that do not endanger their lives when removed, such as corneas or a single kidney. They use the trading currency obtained from the auction to purchase vital organs such as hearts and brains,” the mechanical sphere asnwered. “Customer, you’re quite poor, aren’t you? Your little steward recommends selling some things. Otherwise, what will you use to buy anything?”

Mo Bai sighed. “Yes, I’m very poor. I have more money than I could ever spend, but people here don’t accept money. You only accept trading currency. But where do all those wealthy customers at the trading house get their money?”

“That is the customer’s privacy. Your little steward cannot answer that question,” the mechanical sphere replied.

Mo Bai’s attempt to gather information failed. She relayed her conversation with the little steward to Du Heng.

Du Heng was stunned after hearing it. “This instance is perfect for me,” he said.

“How so?” Mo Bai asked.

Du Heng said, “A confined space filled with nothing but scumbags. Using Soul Reaping here couldn’t be easier.”

“Wait until I find our companions first,” Mo Bai said.

Mo Bai decided to take a look at the merchandise in the eastern district. As she walked, she considered what would happen if she were in Ding Xun and the others’ position and someone tricked them into coming here.

First of all, why were they tricked?

The Phantom Butterfly already admitted that it disguised itself as Liu Congyi to deceive Ding Xun and the other two. Its target was Gu Tiandong. But the first time, Gu Tiandong refused to go with it and instead stayed behind to wait for Mo Bai.

So what method did the Phantom Butterfly use to trick Gu Tiandong away the second time?

Mo Bai speculated that the first thing the Phantom Butterfly did was hand Ding Xun and Ye Pingjun over to Pang Mian or Xie Xingchen. It might even have deceived them by saying that they were from Mending Heaven and were Du Heng’s companions.

After that, the Phantom Butterfly could find an excuse to temporarily leave, transform into the appearance of Ding Xun or Ye Pingjun, and then go back to trick Gu Tiandong.

Based on the personalities of the two companions, Ding Xun would be easier to imitate.

The Phantom Butterfly could return in Ding Xun’s appearance and tell Gu Tiandong that they had encountered a difficult monster and could not get close to the injured Sheng Yan. The situation was urgent, and they needed Gu Tiandong’s defensive ability to help.

Ding Xun was impatient. Under “her” urging, Gu Tiandong only had time to leave a note before the fake Ding Xun led him away.

At this point, Gu Tiandong and the others would still be heading towards the Abandoned Hospital. The hospital was fairly close to the Organ Trading Market, so they would not notice anything wrong at first.

But when they reached the fork between the two areas, they would realize that something was wrong.

After that, Mo Bai could no longer deduce what happened.

She could only make inferences based on the clues she already had.

Pang Mian and Xie Xingchen did not enter the Organ Trading Market. Instead, the Phantom Butterfly trapped them in the Love Amusement Park. That meant Dai Qianzhong was the one who led the three of them into the Organ Trading Market.

At least at that point, the three of them still trusted Dai Qianzhong.

Mo Bai guessed that Dai Qianzhong might have stepped in to expose the deception, and then brought Gu Tiandong and Ding Xun back together while pretending that she rescued them. That was how she earned their trust.

Even so, the three of them should have gone to the Abandoned Hospital to meet up with her. So why were they tricked into the Organ Trading Market?

After briefly thinking about it, Mo Bai realized that the Phantom Butterfly was still required for this.

Perhaps the Phantom Butterfly transformed into her appearance and went to the trading market, showing the three of them a scene without saying anything.

Worried that Mo Bai had been deceived into the Organ Trading Market, the three of them followed.

The question was, why would Dai Qianzhong dupe them into going to the trading market?

Their target was Gu Tiandong. They definitely wanted to turn Gu Tiandong into a card.

Gu Tiandong’s strongest weapon was his appearance value. As long as his appearance value remained intact, no one could break through his defenses.

Appearance value, face, skin...

The skin of those three would certainly be extremely popular at the Organ Trading Market!

The people from Six Paths and Avici couldn't destroy Gu Tiandong’s appearance value, but perhaps the instance itself has this capability.

They would find a way to sell Gu Tiandong’s skin, destroy his appearance value, and Gu Tiandong himself might not even know what happened.

Only under those circumstances would they have any chance of turning Gu Tiandong into a card.

Once Mo Bai understood the logic behind everything, she decisively made a decision.

“Let’s go! We’re going to sell skins!” Mo Bai grabbed Du Heng.

How can one obtain the tiger cub without entering the tiger’s den? She had to retrace the path her three teammates took in order to find their whereabouts.