To the shock of the people, the stores selling the Moon Orb artifact did not attempt to fight back or even raise their voices in protest.
Instead, one after another, they quietly shut their doors.
The gathered crowds outside each store were left stunned.
"What is happening?" a voice asked in confusion.
"How would I know? Damn it! It was almost my turn," another man cursed, his tone filled with frustration and anger.
"I think it's related to the gangs. They're demanding extremely high protection fees from the store owners."
"Really?"
"Yes. I heard they're asking for more than one thousand high-grade spirit stones."
"What? That's blatant extortion!"
"This is bad… what are we going to do now? I already promised my wife I'd bring home a Moon Orb."
"Not just you… my daughter will be disappointed if I don't get one for her."
Groups of people gathered in twos and threes, whispering and complaining about the unscrupulous actions of the three dominant gangs.
