Doomsday Grocery Store – CH129

Chapter 129

Lanhu Town was located north of the Jufeng Mountain Range. To travel from Desolate City to Lanhu Town, one had to either traverse treacherous peaks and perilous deep forests or take a long detour.

Even the detour wasn’t without its dangers.

Despite being a mid-tier ability user, Chi Hao faced his fair share of hardships along the way. It took him over a week to reach Lanhu Town after departing from Jufeng Mountain.

As he climbed the last hill, Chi Hao looked down.

A seemingly endless blue forest stretched out before him, its shimmering leaves glistening under the sunlight. The sight was dreamlike and surreal, as though it didn’t belong to the desolate wasteland.

However, compared to his first visit, the Lanhu Forest seemed to have shrunk. He remembered it extending up the slope, but now it didn’t even reach the foot of the hill.

Chi Hao exhaled deeply, taking out a piece of roasted meat from his portable storage to eat.

Perhaps due to the proximity of the Lanhu Forest, he didn’t feel much of the scorching heat despite the blazing sun overhead. Instead, a cool breeze blew steadily.

Chi Hao didn’t rush to descend the hill, choosing instead to rest and recover his strength. It wasn’t long before he noticed a group of blue-haired individuals emerging from the forest and approaching him.

Although their hair was blue, it didn’t necessarily mean they were water-element users.

The people of Lanhu Town had lived within the forest for generations. Sustained by the leaves and fruits of the Lanhu Trees, their hair gradually turned blue, and their skin became paler than average.

Lanhu Town was known for its insular nature.

When the Lanhu Forest first appeared, conflicts erupted daily. A forest that could regulate its own temperature was a rare sanctuary and an invaluable resource on this wasteland with its extreme temperature fluctuations. It was no surprise that anyone who knew of the forest wanted to seize it.

The battles over this prime territory were as intense as one might expect.

“Who are you? Lanhu Town doesn’t welcome outsiders. Please leave.”

A six-person squad surrounded Chi Hao. Their words were polite enough, but their expressions and movements were full of vigilance and wariness.

Chi Hao reached into his pocket, intending to retrieve his identification plaque, only to remember he had lost it.

The motion made the blue-haired people even more alert.

Chi Hao had no choice but to speak. “I’m Chi Hao from Qingmu Fortress. I’d like to meet with your leader.”

“From Qingmu Fortress?”

The leader of the squad scrutinized Chi Hao’s tattered clothing with suspicion. “Do you have any proof?”

“I lost my identification plaque,” Chi Hao admitted. “Just tell your leader that a friend of Xie Zhao Ri is here. He’ll understand.”

“If anyone could request a meeting with our leader just by claiming to know someone, wouldn’t our leader be overwhelmed?”

Chi Hao frowned.

“‘Anyone’? Do I look like ‘anyone’ to you?”

As he spoke, a powerful aura radiated from his body, accompanied by an oppressive wave of searing heat.

Could someone with such overwhelming fire-element abilities be dismissed as just “anyone”?

The six individuals were forced to retreat several steps.

While the people of Lanhu Town had some resistance to temperature fluctuations due to their diet of mutated Lanhu Tree leaves and fruits, they weren’t immune to the aura of a fifth-tier ability user.

Chi Hao’s strength, presence, and demeanor were not something the wasteland could easily produce.

Beads of sweat appeared on the squad leader’s forehead. He opened his mouth to respond, but a voice interrupted from behind him.

“What’s going on here?”

The squad visibly relaxed as a figure approached. Their leader addressed him respectfully. “Captain Lin, this man claims to be Chi Hao from Qingmu Fortress. He says he knows Xie Zhao Ri and wants to meet the lord.”

Lan Maolin assessed Chi Hao, feeling the overwhelming aura he exuded. His eyes lingered briefly on Chi Hao’s composed expression and sturdy physique.

It was unmistakably the bearing of someone from a fortress.

“So, a distinguished guest from Qingmu Fortress. Please follow me,” Lan Maolin said, dispersing the squad with a wave of his hand. He then gestured for Chi Hao to follow.

Only then did Chi Hao suppress his aura.

He nodded and trailed behind Lan Maolin. As the guards disappeared into the distance, he suddenly smacked his forehead, remembering the purpose of his visit.

Right—he had come to do business! But now that the guards had left, who was he supposed to trade with?

Frustrated, Chi Hao had no choice but to let it go for now. Instead, he shifted his attention to Lan Maolin, making small talk and quickly learning the man’s name.

“Is everyone in Lanhu Town surnamed Lan?” Chi Hao asked.

Lan Maolin shook his head. “Of course not.”

Only core members of the town were eligible to be granted the surname Lan by the lord. Others had only their given names.

“Are you a fire-element ability user, Lord Chi Hao?” Lan Maolin asked, his gaze lingering on Chi Hao’s striking red hair.

Still distracted, thinking of how he could initiate a trade, Chi Hao laughed heartily at the question. “Isn’t that obvious?”

Lan Maolin opened his mouth, but before he could reply, another squad of guards approached. He closed his mouth and resumed leading the way.

“By the way, is there anything Lanhu Town needs?” Chi Hao decided to get straight to the point.

Although he carried nothing of value on him, he could use his portable storage to borrow goods from Tang Yu’an and the others. At worst, he could trade the Lanhu Tree leaves he’d receive, which were of little use to him but highly beneficial for people like Tang Yu’an with normal human constitutions.

Lan Maolin gave Chi Hao a brief glance and said, “It’s better to discuss that with the lord.”

Chi Hao noticed the strange look in Lan Maolin’s eyes but didn’t understand its meaning. He could only continue following him.

As they walked, Lan Maolin asked about the situation at Qingmu Fortress. Chi Hao answered fluently, subtly proving his identity through his familiarity with the fortress.

Meanwhile, he discreetly observed his surroundings.

From the hillside, the Lanhu Forest had seemed beautiful, but walking within it offered a different experience. It was still stunning, but…

It lacked vitality.

The endless expanse of blue revealed no signs of other plant growth, giving it a lifeless quality that ordinary forests didn’t have.

Lan Maolin led him away from the densely populated areas, taking increasingly remote paths where they hardly encountered any guards. Chi Hao grew wary, his nerves tightening.

Rounding a bend, he saw a figure standing ahead.

Under a massive Lanhu Tree stood a person with silver-blue hair cascading to their waist, gently swaying in the breeze. Even from behind, they exuded an ethereal, aloof aura.

Noticing the sound of their approach, the figure turned.

Their skin was pale, almost translucent, even more so than the average Lanhu townsfolk. In stark contrast to their cool demeanor, their face was breathtakingly beautiful. However, the sorrow in their brows added a touch of melancholy, softening the brilliance of their features.

Even in the wasteland—or back in the fortress—Chi Hao had never seen anyone this stunning.

“My lord, someone from Qingmu Fortress has arrived!” Lan Maolin announced.

Lan Yunqing’s gaze shifted to Chi Hao, a glimmer of light in his eyes.

“Has Qingmu Fortress finally sent someone?”

His voice was clear and melodious, but… Chi Hao felt his heart shatter.

Damn it, how can someone this beautiful be a man?

Is this even fair?!

“You’re a fire-element ability user?” Lan Yunqing’s initial surprise turned to a frown as he observed Chi Hao more closely. His tone grew sharper, and a hint of anger flickered in his eyes.

He asked in a measured voice, “Are there others with you?”

At the mention of companions, Chi Hao thought of Xie Zhaori. Pressing his lips together, he replied, “No, I’m alone.”

“Why? Didn’t the fortress send a plant master?”

“Huh? What plant master?”

Realizing something was amiss, Chi Hao frowned in confusion. Before he could explain, Lan Yunqing, who had been barely containing his anger, exploded.

“So, what’s Qingmu Fortress’s purpose in sending you? To demand more Lanhu leaves? Isn’t five hundred enough? How greedy can you people get?!”

Chi Hao was stunned. What five hundred Lanhu leaves? He looked at Lan Yunqing, completely baffled.

Lan Maolin quickly pulled at Lan Yunqing, worried he might say something further to offend Qingmu Fortress.

Lan Yunqing took a deep breath, his expression returning to calm.

He turned to Chi Hao and said in a low voice, “With the current state of the Lanhu Trees, we truly cannot provide any more leaves. As we’ve said before, once the forest is restored, we’ll increase the annual trade quota. But that requires Qingmu Fortress to station a plant master here to address the forest’s problems—”

“No, no, you’ve got it wrong!” Chi Hao interjected, finally piecing it together. The Lanhu Trees were sick? That explained the shrinking forest.

This kind of secret wasn’t something he was supposed to hear!

He hastily cut off Lan Yunqing, saying, “I’m not from Qingmu Fortress on official business!”

“What? You’re not sent by Qingmu Fortress?”

Lan Maolin, who had been trying to calm their lord, suddenly raised his voice in shock. If something went wrong, he would bear responsibility for bringing Chi Hao here.

“Why are you impersonating someone from Qingmu Fortress? Which faction sent you? Are you a spy from Chifeng Town?”

“Wait, your name is Chi Hao, and you’re from Chifeng Town?”

Chi Hao: “…”

What the hell?! Just because my name is Chi Hao, I’m linked to Chifeng Town? What kind of logic is that?!

“I wasn’t impersonating anyone!” Chi Hao began to explain but felt the ground beneath him suddenly give way.

Looking down, he saw the flat earth turning into a muddy swamp. Despite his plant-based name, Lan Maolin was clearly an earth-element user.

Chi Hao didn’t panic. With a simple wave of his hand, flames erupted across the ground, drying up the swamp. With a firm pull, he freed his feet from the soil.

Though he appeared calm, Chi Hao was inwardly alarmed. He realized that controlling his fire-element energy had become significantly harder here.

This Lanhu Forest seemed to naturally suppress fire-element users!

Seeing Chi Hao escape so easily, Lan Maolin, fully aware of his disadvantage, continued to attack while blowing a whistle to summon reinforcements.

Chi Hao felt a headache coming on.

Lan Maolin was at most a third-tier ability user, a force to be reckoned with in the wasteland but not nearly a match for Chi Hao, a fifth-tier powerhouse. Even with the forest’s suppression, Chi Hao easily neutralized the attacks. However, the constant combat left him irritated.

I came here to do business—how did this turn into a fight?! What’s wrong with these Lanhu people? Can’t they just listen to an explanation?!

“I ‘am’ from Qingmu Fortress! But I’m not here for the Lanhu Town mission—I’m just passing through!”

“If you stop resisting and let us detain you, we’ll believe you!”

Detain me?!

In the wasteland, surrendering to prove innocence was as good as signing a death warrant. Only fools would do something so idiotic.

Chi Hao was at his wit’s end. He couldn’t use lethal moves—both to conserve energy and to avoid unnecessary casualties.

Why was his luck so terrible? Why hadn’t Lan Maolin clarified things earlier?!

Forced into a corner, Chi Hao turned his attention to Lan Yunqing, who had retreated to the base of the tree. He had no choice but to take a gamble!

Higher-tier ability users didn’t just have stronger abilities; their physical attributes were also far superior.

Under the stunned gazes of Lan Maolin and the guards, Chi Hao used brute force to break through the encirclement and charged straight toward Lan Yunqing.

“Apologies for this!”

Before Lan Yunqing could react, Chi Hao grabbed him firmly. One powerful arm encircled his waist while a calloused hand clamped onto his neck, immobilizing him.

Lan Yunqing gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with a frosty chill. Instinctively, he raised his hand, but the sight of the drooping Lanhu Tree beside him made him falter and lower it again.

As the lord of Lanhu Town, his ability was tied to controlling the Lanhu Forest. However, with the forest severely weakened and deteriorating by the day, he couldn’t bring himself to exploit it further for combat.

“What do you want?” Lan Yunqing asked calmly, as if he weren’t the one being taken hostage.

Chi Hao pushed him slightly forward and whispered, “Don’t worry. Once I safely leave here, I’ll let you go.”

Forget asking the guards to drop their weapons or trying to explain himself—none of that would work.

Chi Hao wasn’t naive. The first rule of survival on the wasteland was preserving one’s own life.

But the sheer difficulty of his predicament frustrated him. He had come here to make a trade—how had things gone so awry?

“Tell them to stay where they are and not to follow,” Chi Hao said in a low voice. “You’ve experienced my power. Don’t force me to burn the forest.”

Lan Yunqing’s eyes grew even colder.

Despite this, he knew better than to act recklessly. Chi Hao’s abilities were far beyond ordinary. A typical fire-element ability user would be rendered powerless within the Lanhu Forest, but not only could Chi Hao produce flames, he was also physically formidable. His guards stood no chance against him.

Resisting further would only lead to unnecessary casualties and more damage to the already fragile Lanhu Forest.

Reluctantly, Lan Yunqing instructed Lan Maolin and the others to remain where they were.

“Don’t worry; I’ll let you go once we’re somewhere safe,” Chi Hao assured, before knocking Lan Yunqing unconscious with a palm strike. Tossing him over his shoulder, Chi Hao chose a random direction and dashed off.

Lan Maolin wanted to pursue him, but Chi Hao’s speed left him far behind.

Hmph! Chi Hao smirked inwardly. I’m a fortress-trained warrior, capable of outrunning mutated tigers. Do these softies think they can catch me? Dream on!

But soon, the triumphant grin faded from his face.

What’s going on? How long have I been running, and I’m still in the forest?

Is the Lanhu Forest really this big?

*

Desolate City, Peace Grocery Store

Tang Yu’an stared at the map, puzzled. Chi Hao’s marker had been moving in small circles for some time now. Scratching his head, he muttered, “What’s going on with Brother Chi Hao?”

He had already reached Lanhu Town, so why hadn’t any trade notifications appeared after half a day?

Tang Yu’an had been monitoring the map since Chi Hao’s arrival in Lanhu Town. He knew that Chi Hao had encountered people along the way.

And there was another green marker following him.

However, the marker’s behavior was strange. On the mini-map, Chi Hao’s blue dot and the green dot were almost overlapping. If not for Chi Hao’s label, it would have been hard to distinguish them.

“Why not contact him through the portable storage?” Zhou Qi suggested while working the sewing machine.

He was making quilt covers to deliver to Store No. 1, where the residents would surely need the warm bedding.

Tang Yu’an nodded.

Unfortunately, since Chi Hao’s employee level was only LV1, he couldn’t use the message board feature until LV5. Communicating via the board would have been much more convenient.

Taking out paper and pen, Tang Yu’an carefully drafted a message. He needed to phrase it indirectly, as he wasn’t supposed to know what was happening on Chi Hao’s end.

Once the note was written, Zhou Qi placed it in Portable Storage Slot 1.

Whether busy or simply forgetting to check the storage, Chi Hao didn’t see their message right away.

“Brother Chi Hao is such a worry,” Tang Yu’an mumbled. But with such a vast distance separating them, there wasn’t much he could do. At least, judging by Chi Hao’s status panel, his condition seemed fine.

Shaking his head, Tang Yu’an shifted his focus away from the map.

Thanks to the hard work of Xiao Cao, Hai Jing, and the others, his points balance had climbed back to 5,000. This surplus allowed him to redeem cotton fabric and stuffing for quilts.

Truthfully, if not for wanting to maximize profits, Tang Yu’an would have loved to use the points multiplier card right away.

“Combining it with a traffic booster card would yield even greater profits,” he mused, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

Yes!

The weekly task required him to use a traffic booster card. While Store No. 1 was no longer an option, Jufeng Grocery Store was perfect for it. With Jufeng Town’s large population, using a booster card there was bound to cause a sensation. Just imagining it made Tang Yu’an’s heart race.

Adding the points multiplier card would make the effect unstoppable!

“Haha, I can’t wait!” Tang Yu’an exclaimed as he stuffed cotton into the quilt covers, grinning all the while.

Since the quilts needed to be smoothed after stuffing, his progress was a bit slow. After Zhou Qi finished sewing eight quilt covers, he came over to help.

Once all eight quilts were ready, they used the teleportation array to travel to Store No. 1 and headed to Room 501.

Old Li wasn’t inside, but the sound of commotion came from outside the window.

They rushed to the window and opened it to look out.

To their surprise, a three-meter-tall plant had sprouted in the courtyard of Store No. 1. It grew along the wall, with its trunk leaning toward the barrier.

Perched atop the tree was a short-haired woman—it was Tie Mu Hua, the plant-element ability user who had moved in just the day before.

In addition to Tie Mu Hua, others were also involved. Jin Guang and Shu Gen were standing on the wall, while Huo Qiu and Old Li stood below. Further away, the three dogs crouched silently, observing.

Jin Guang had reached beyond the protective barrier with both hands, apparently pulling something from the water. A vine tied around his waist secured him, and Shu Gen held onto him tightly to prevent him from being dragged into the floodwaters and falling off the wall.

“Go for it, Uncle Guang!” Huo Qiu cheered him on.

Slowly, Jin Guang lifted his hands from the water, clutching a metal rod. With a swift jump down the wall, both he and Shu Gen pulled a large fish hooked by the rod out of the flood.

The fish flopped wildly after landing, spraying powerful jets of water from its mouth. Each jet hit the ground with enough force to leave a deep crater, a testament to the struggle it had put up underwater. However, all its attacks had been neutralized by the protective barrier.

The onlookers in the courtyard quickly backed away.

Even Wang Cai, one of the dogs sitting at a distance, stood up, prepared to act. But before it could, a flame shot from Huo Qiu’s hand, igniting the fish.

The fire burned both the fish and the vine wrapped around the hook. In no time, the mutated fish fell silent, its scales scorched black as it lay lifeless on the ground.

“Hehe, we’ve got a big fish for dinner today!” Huo Qiu exclaimed excitedly.

Shu Gen got up from the ground and ruffled his son’s hair vigorously. Seeing Old Li nearby, though, he quickly offered a sheepish smile.

Jin Guang, wincing as he got to his feet, looked at the fish and then at Old Li. With a hopeful grin, he asked, “Old Li, what do you think? How many days of rent can we trade this fish for?”

If yesterday’s decision to stay had been made out of desperation, today, after witnessing the protective barrier’s capabilities, they were determined to remain no matter what.

A place that could shield against natural disasters and fend off terrifying mutated creatures—where else in the wasteland could they find something this secure?

Not even the fortresses could guarantee such safety.

Whether during the floods or after, they were resolute: this was where they would stay!

However, rent was still a pressing issue.

Having only paid for the previous night, they now had to earn the rent for subsequent days. After discussing it among themselves, they decided to cooperate. With the protective barrier ensuring their safety, they could collaborate to hunt prey more effectively.

Thus, the scene that Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi witnessed came to be.

Jin Guang, a metal-element ability user, couldn’t produce metal directly but could manipulate existing metal into desired shapes. Using his powers, he fashioned a large fishhook, baited it with insects from the courtyard, and connected it to a vine provided by Tie Mu Hua. Together with Shu Gen, they climbed the wall to fish.

Admittedly, the hunting process was still risky.

Earlier, Jin Guang had nearly been pulled into the water, saved only by Shu Gen holding onto him and Tie Mu Hua’s vines securing them both.

“It’s overcooked,” Old Li said critically as he inspected the fish.

Huo Qiu opened his mouth to protest, but his father quickly clamped a hand over it.

Without immediately agreeing to their offer, Old Li took out a knife and sliced off the edible portions of the fish, dividing them into four parts.

“Alright, take a share each,” he instructed.

The four hunters exchanged glances but complied, each taking a portion. Under Old Li’s instructions, they then carried the fish meat over to be recorded.

Holding a small notebook, Old Li meticulously logged each person’s contribution.

“Two days. No more than that,” he finally announced.

The residents accepted the arrangement, but the process of individually bringing him fish meat seemed excessive.

Is this really necessary?

It felt like such a waste of time!

Nevertheless, the transaction reignited their enthusiasm, and they eagerly resumed their hunting efforts.

Tang Yu’an, satisfied with the scene, turned his attention back to his map. However, he frowned as he mentally counted the residents.

Wait a second—weren’t there five new tenants? Why are there only four here? Where’s the last one?