394: Chapter 394 The Behind-the-Scenes Story of Black Ghost City

Watching the happy expression on the girl's face as she was led away, Chen Yi felt a complicated mix of emotions.

He knew very well that after these Spirit Beast Girls awakened, they would at best only be considered human.

Within the Demon Abyss Cult, they still lacked true freedom and could not choose the Beast Tamer they longed for.

In the end, they would simply be assigned to someone with potential within the organization to form a contract, becoming tools for battle or reproduction!

This was the logic of the Demon Abyss Cult—everything was prioritized by utility and efficiency, and individual emotions and desires were always expendable!

Chen Yi could do nothing about this.

On the surface, he was Hua Liuli's capable assistant, but in reality, he was a prisoner under surveillance and control, lacking the power to change the fate of these girls.

All he could do was complete his own plan first, and when the time was ripe, overthrow this twisted system in one fell swoop.

"What's wrong?"

Hua Liuli noticed Chen Yi's silence. "Is there a problem?"

Chen Yi shook his head. "Nothing, I'm just a bit tired. The energy consumed by the SS-rank Bloodline awakening was greater than expected."

"Then go and rest!"

Hua Liuli showed rare concern. "There's no need to rush! We need stable output, not a one-time overexertion!"

"Understood, thank you, Queen!"

Just then, Chen Yi noticed that Hua Yuetong and Hua Xingtong had strange expressions.

The twin sisters looked at the newly awakened Spirit Beast Girls, a flicker of sympathy and empathetic sorrow flashing in their eyes.

Chen Yi immediately understood the reason.

After all, before Chen Yi had saved them, they had faced the same fate.

Abandoned by their family, sold by the Black Ghost Market, without any freedom, their fates entirely in the hands of others.

Although they had found a place to belong now, that memory and that sense of helplessness were scars that could never be erased.

Just as Chen Yi was about to say something to comfort them, the laboratory door was suddenly pushed open.

A sudden figure caught everyone's attention.

A middle-aged man in a suit, with a composed appearance and an outgoing aura, walked in slowly.

He was around forty years old, his hair combed meticulously, wearing gold-rimmed glasses; he looked more like a business elite than a member of the Demon Abyss Cult.

The man approached Hua Liuli, bowed slightly, took a thick report from his briefcase, and handed it over with both hands.

"Queen, this is the annual revenue report and project summary for the Black Ghost Market. Please take a look!"

Hua Liuli took the report, flipped through it casually, and a look of obvious boredom appeared on her face.

"There's no need to report such trivial matters to me!"

She tossed the report onto the lab table next to her. "Do whatever you want with it, just don't disturb me!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi, Su Taotao, and the Hua sisters were stunned.

The Black Ghost Market?

They were all too familiar with that name.

That underground black market, which sold Spirit Beast Girls and traded contraband, was infamous in the Beast Tamer world.

Chen Yi's first meeting with the Hua sisters had been at the Black Ghost Market auction in Han City.

All along, the Black Ghost Market wasn't just in Han City; it had branches in major cities all over the world.

But no one knew who was behind it; the outside world generally speculated that it was a gray industry created by powerful noble families.

Who would have thought that the Black Ghost Market was actually the work of the Demon Abyss Cult?

If the Black Ghost Market was an asset of the Demon Abyss Cult, then its global network, massive cash flow, and the connections established through auctioning Spirit Beast Girls—all of this was likely an important part of the Demon Abyss Cult's global layout!

The middle-aged man seemed to have anticipated Hua Liuli's reaction.

But he didn't intend to leave, continuing his report: "Queen, it's like this! Besides the regular revenue projects, this year's situation is quite special! Through some... special channels, we have acquired several key talents. Their appearance and potential are outstanding. Please take a look at the follow-up training plan!"

After saying this, he took another, more detailed report from his briefcase and respectfully handed it over.

This time, Hua Liuli was actually somewhat interested.

She took the report, flipped through a few pages quickly, and frowned slightly.

"You used that method again?"

A sinister smile appeared on the middle-aged man's face: "These are necessary measures, Queen! Otherwise, in the current spirit beast market, where would we find enough abandoned spirit beasts to satisfy the demands of high-end clients?"

Hua Liuli was silent for a few seconds, then finally waved her hand: "Forget it, do whatever makes you happy! From now on, you don't need to report Black Ghost Market matters to me. Also, don't go too far with that kind of thing. We are approaching a critical moment, so don't cause any trouble!"

"Understood, Queen!"

The middle-aged man bowed in response, but a hint of undisguised disappointment flashed in his eyes.

He stepped back, preparing to leave the laboratory.

He had clearly contributed quite a bit this year—collecting a significant amount of funds and materials for the organization and establishing connections with many noble families.

He had specifically organized a detailed report and come to report in person, hoping to get a word of recognition or a little attention from the Queen.

But what was the result?

The Queen had always maintained such a cold attitude, as if the hundreds of years of operation of the Black Ghost Market and the efforts of countless members were nothing but trivial matters in her eyes.

It was truly disheartening.

But this was normal, too; who else was she if not the Queen?

From the beginning of the Demon Abyss Cult, she had been like this—aloof and distant, only focusing on things she deemed important, and never caring about the efforts and sacrifices of her subordinates.

He was already used to it.

Just as the middle-aged man was about to walk out of the laboratory.

Chen Yi and his group keenly captured the keyword in the previous conversation—abandoned spirit beasts.

Previously, Hua Liuli had argued that the Spirit Beast Girls brought in for awakening were abandoned orphans that the Demon Abyss Cult had adopted and raised.

But listening to the middle-aged man, it seemed there was more to the acquisition of these abandoned spirit beasts?

Hua Yuetong and Hua Xingtong's expressions also changed; they simultaneously tugged on Chen Yi's sleeves, their eyes full of urgency and questions.

Chen Yi had heard about their past.

The twins were originally born into the Hua family in Jiang City, a decent Beast Tamer family.

At the age of 18, they only awakened an F-rank Bloodline and were treated coldly and discriminated against by their family.

Later, through a special formation recorded in an ancient book, they tried to improve their bloodline aptitude themselves, and they actually succeeded.

They improved step by step from F-rank to B-rank!

However, during the last attempt, the formation suddenly failed, and they contracted a strange, incurable disease.

They could not form contracts, nor could they transform into their Spirit Beast Form.

The Hua parents determined they were useless and directly kicked them out of the house.

Later, they were caught by people from the Black Ghost Market, brought to the Han City branch, and finally bought by Chen Yi at an auction, only then returning to the right track.