Several young women were escorting Hunter Carter and his group forward. After winding their way for about five li, the view suddenly opened up before them. They found themselves atop a high ridge, with a flat grassland below, and beyond that, rolling sand dunes. The blue sea stretched endlessly, reflecting the vast sky, ever-changing and magnificent. The clear sunlight made the seawater appear crystal clear, like a giant blue gemstone.

Because he was tied together with the dwarves, Hunter Carter's tall frame was extremely awkward; he had to bend down to walk. The dwarves emitted a pungent smell of sweat, nearly suffocating Hunter Carter. Yet his eyes couldn't help but linger on the bodies of the sexy women, his desire making his blood surge. "If heaven gave me a chance, I'd have all of you!" Hunter Carter was startled by this sudden, despicable thought. He was a highly educated PhD—how could he have such shameless ideas?

By the sea, a giant five-masted sailing ship was quietly docked. Hundreds of dwarves sharing the same fate as Hunter Carter were being escorted onto the ship one by one. Hunter Carter forced himself to focus on reality. The scene before him felt strangely familiar. What were these people doing with the dwarves? Could they be human traffickers, making huge profits by selling dwarves? Hunter Carter broke out in a cold sweat, silently praying that his guess was wrong.

On the shore, a tall woman in red was talking with a richly dressed, short, fat middle-aged man. As they spoke, they made various gestures, apparently bargaining.

When Hunter Carter saw the woman's face clearly, he was scared out of his wits. This was the very woman he had almost raped earlier. Damn, it's over! Hunter Carter lowered his head so much it was nearly touching the fat dwarf's butt.

Grace Lane approached the woman in red and respectfully said, "Boss, we've caught all the escaped Bit people!"

The short, fat middle-aged man chuckled, "Congratulations, Miss May. It seems our deal went smoothly this time. A total of one hundred seventy-two Bit people, not one missing! Payment on delivery!"

The woman in red smiled calmly. "No wonder everyone says Mr. Mason is exceptionally shrewd. Today, I, Macy May, have truly witnessed it."

The short, fat man kept grinning. "No matter how shrewd I, Jack Mason, am, I wouldn't dare play tricks with Miss May. The price is the same as before: two gold coins per Bit person, one hundred seventy-two in total, that's three hundred forty-four gold coins. Not a coin more."

Macy May sneered, "Don't forget, Jack Mason, who caught those twenty-four missing Bit people! Are you going to count them as well?"

Jack Mason deliberately put on a troubled expression. "Miss May, but I spent a lot of resources and money gathering this batch of Bit people..."

Macy May coldly interrupted him. "For those twenty-four runaway slaves, I'll pay you one gold coin each. Here are three hundred twenty gold coins, count them yourself." She tossed a money pouch full of gold coins to Jack Mason.

Jack Mason happily counted the coins, his face the very picture of a greedy merchant.

Macy May despised this cunning, snobbish man from the bottom of her heart and turned to walk toward the merchant ship.

Suddenly, Jack Mason shouted, "Wait, there are clearly one hundred seventy-three!" He rushed forward and grabbed Hunter Carter's arm.

If Hunter Carter hadn't been shackled, he would have slapped him twice. The more he wanted to avoid being recognized by Macy May, the more this petty man Jack Mason exposed him.

Macy May's gaze fell on Hunter Carter. Even though Hunter Carter kept his head down, she immediately recognized him as the man from the hot spring earlier. What puzzled her was that, although this man was extremely handsome, his nearly naked skin had a faint blue tint. With all her experience, she couldn't figure out what race he belonged to.

Jack Mason called out triumphantly, "This big guy is worth at least five gold coins."

Macy May's willow brows shot up, her blue eyes fixed on Jack Mason. "If you like him, feel free to take him. But as your business partner, I must remind you: selling a Sacred Land native, if caught, will get you drawn and quartered!"

Jack Mason's thick lips twitched involuntarily. Clearly, Macy May had frightened him, but he still protested, "How could he be a Sacred Land native? He's obviously a Gaoling native!"

Macy May laughed charmingly. "Mr. Mason may not be old, but your eyes are already failing. Look carefully at his hair and eye color, and his facial features."

Jack Mason leaned in close to Hunter Carter, took a deep sniff, and his beady eyes showed utter disappointment.

Macy May said coldly, "Since the Sacred Land native was brought by Mr. Mason, please take him away. I don't want any trouble." She turned to Grace Lane and said, "Grace Lane! Untie him and hand him over to Mr. Mason!"

Jack Mason hurriedly waved his hands. "Forget it... forget it... better let Miss May handle it!" With that, he took his six warriors and hurriedly left.