Chapter 17 – Mysterious Potential Customers
Tang Yu’an stared at the words that appeared before him, confirming several times to make sure he wasn’t mistaken.
So, the “artifact spirit” meant that this umbrella had its own consciousness?
It seemed to have quite a personality.
“Brother Qi,” Tang Yu’an shared with Zhou Qi, “We have green paint back at the shop. When we return, let’s dye it green!”
Zhou Qi looked at the magical umbrella, sensing that things might not be that simple, but he didn’t dampen the mood.
“Alright, when we get back…”
Halfway through his sentence, Zhou Qi suddenly stopped, alertly gazing toward a collapsed building in the distance.
Even the four-eyed puppy lying at Tang Yu’an’s feet stood up. It was also looking in that direction, baring its teeth with a hint of ferocity.
Seeing this, Tang Yu’an quickly opened the map.
However, what appeared on the map were not the red dots he expected. Instead, under his gaze, two green dots representing potential customers appeared one after another!
Surprised, Tang Yu’an looked up to see two figures emerging from the ruins, one after the other, entering his line of sight.
Leading was a young man with red hair, probably in his early twenties. Behind him was an older, more robust man with tawny hair.
They had a distinctive appearance and demeanor. They didn’t have the sallow, emaciated look of long-term malnutrition, nor the gloom and despair born from life’s hardships. Yet, at a glance, it was clear they lived in this wasteland world.
Tang Yu’an’s attention fell on their attire.
They wore very unique clothing. Although dirty, the quality was evidently good at a glance. The style resembled military combat uniforms, with weapons strapped to their arms, thighs, and waists.
And… they were holding guns.
Seeing the gun barrels glinting with metallic sheen under the scorching sun, the joy Tang Yu’an felt at encountering new potential customers was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.
Those were guns…
Guns he had only seen in movies and TV shows!
Tang Yu’an became vigilant. Even Granny Guo possessed considerable combat prowess, let alone these two who clearly weren’t to be trifled with.
“Woof woof!”
At that moment, the four-eyed puppy’s bark startled him.
Looking down, Tang Yu’an saw Yuan Bao baring its teeth, about to charge toward the two men on its short legs.
Fortunately, Zhou Qi swiftly reached out and scooped the puppy into his arms, preventing it from leaving the umbrella’s cover and stopping its frenzy.
The two men didn’t hear Yuan Bao’s barking.
The red-haired young man stopped about a dozen meters away from them. He examined the marks on the ground and said, “There was a battle here just now.”
The man a step behind nodded. “Judging by the traces, it should be that four-eyed dog.”
“How did the battle end so quickly?” the red-haired young man pondered. “Old Xie, did the fortress send anyone else to this dump besides us?”
Old Xie shook his head. “Maybe it was the natives. The four-eyed dog’s combat power is formidable, and its spiritual sense is keen. Perhaps it sensed us coming and ran off.”
People living in the desolate city had some skills, but when encountering a four-eyed dog, all they could do was run for their lives. Even for them, dealing with that monster would take some effort.
“Tsk, it ran pretty fast.”
The red-haired young man curled his lips, then looked into the distance and suddenly lowered his voice. “Old Xie, do you think there’s really…”
Being too far away, Tang Yu’an couldn’t hear clearly.
“The possibility is high but not certain, which is why they sent us to investigate.”
“Alright then.” The red-haired young man tucked the gun back into his waist. “Let’s go catch a mutant creature to have a good meal first!”
“Don’t be careless. It’s said there used to be a pet base in the desolate city, so there are especially many mutant creatures. We should act cautiously.”
“Got it, you’re so naggy!”
Watching the two gradually walk away, Tang Yu’an hurriedly marked their information on the map before breathing a sigh of relief.
“They’re the people from the fortress that Granny Guo mentioned?” Tang Yu’an tilted his head.
Zhou Qi nodded; he had heard their conversation clearly.
“It seems there’s a big difference in living standards inside and outside the fortress,” Zhou Qi remarked.
“Yeah,” Tang Yu’an nodded, whispering, “They have guns.”
Zhou Qi had noticed earlier. They dared to fight mutant creatures, and when they mentioned them, their tone was casual, indicating their combat abilities were likely formidable.
“I wonder what’s in the city center?”
Zhou Qi looked toward the direction where vegetation became increasingly lush. Granny Guo had said that the closer to the city center, the more abundant the flora.
Could what they were investigating be related to this?
“Hopefully, it won’t affect our shop,” Tang Yu’an said, picking up Yuan Bao and patting its head. “Have you seen them before?”
“Woof woof!”
The four-eyed puppy barked twice and bared its teeth, seemingly holding a grudge against the two men.
Tang Yu’an rubbed its head again. Regardless of what happened before, they probably wouldn’t encounter them for now. He took out half a sausage to feed Yuan Bao. After soothing the puppy, he looked at Zhou Qi.
“Brother Qi, should we continue dealing with dangerous creatures next?”
Zhou Qi checked his watch. There was still over an hour left before the Lightness Technique wore off. Weighing his options, he nodded.
They still needed to eliminate two more dangerous creatures to complete the clearing task. Without the Shadow-Concealing Umbrella, he might have taken An An back.
The battle with the four-eyed giant dog had given Zhou Qi a clear understanding of his own capabilities.
However, with the Shadow-Concealing Umbrella, things were different—even if they encountered something they couldn’t handle, he was confident he could ensure their safe retreat.
“Then let’s set off!”
Tang Yu’an consulted the map for the nearest red dot. Now, with the Shadow-Concealing Umbrella, even approaching a mutant creature’s lair shouldn’t be a big issue.
Zhou Qi hoisted Tang Yu’an onto his back, and the four-eyed puppy nestled into Tang Yu’an’s hood.
The two youths set off once more.
Directed by Tang Yu’an, about ten minutes later, they arrived at a new ruin.
Located northwest of the grocery store, this area had many abandoned vehicles—likely once an open-air parking lot. The vehicles were either exposed on the surface or sunk deep into the soil, most rusted and dilapidated.
Zhou Qi landed on the ground with Tang Yu’an on his back.
The map displayed two red dots. Before they arrived, these two dots had been approaching each other and were now almost overlapping.
At this moment, they were very close to the two mutant creatures—probably less than a dozen meters away.
They didn’t need to search deliberately; from afar, they could already hear the roars of beasts and the strange sounds of metal clashing.
When Zhou Qi leaped onto the roof of a broken-down car, the two giant beasts came into view.
One was a giant canine beast with gray-white fur. Its eyes glowed red as it howled at its opponent. Though it appeared fierce, it was clearly at a disadvantage.
Its opponent was an entirely pitch-black… leopard?
Tang Yu’an thought it looked more like a big cat.
The big cat’s body was sleek and muscular. Even from a distance, its graceful muscle lines were evident. It stared calmly at the giant dog, which was a size larger than itself, appearing utterly composed.
Thanks to the Shadow Umbrella, neither mutant creature noticed Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi quietly approaching.
Finally, unable to withstand the pressure, the giant dog initiated the attack!
The battle erupted instantly.
The giant dog’s pounce was ineffective because, in the next moment, several abandoned cars around them began moving on their own, as if pulled by a magnet.
“Boom—”
The giant dog crashed solidly into an iron wall formed by the abandoned cars. Before it could recover from the intense pain and confusion, the big cat had circled behind it, raising its sharp claws to tear open the dog’s back.
But at that moment—
“Woof woof!”
Yuan Bao, who was nestled in Tang Yu’an’s hood, suddenly barked twice and leaped out.
As soon as it left the umbrella’s cover, it reverted to its original terrifying and ferocious form.
In the blink of an eye, the four-eyed giant dog appeared beside the big cat, opening its massive jaws to bite!
“Meow!”
A metal car body embedded in the mud suddenly flew up, blocking the attack for the big cat. Realizing something was amiss, the big cat swiftly retreated.
Seeing the sudden appearance of the four-eyed giant dog, the big cat didn’t linger at all, immediately turning to flee.
Noticing this, Zhou Qi quickly stepped out from under the Shadow-Concealing Umbrella. First, he shook the Invincible Cat Teaser to attract the big cat’s attention. When it looked over, he threw the Super Cool Dog Frisbee.
Just like when they dealt with the giant lizard, they effortlessly turned the big cat into a dog.
When the Dog Frisbee transforms non-canine creatures into dogs, the result seems random. The originally cool and sleek black big cat turned into a pure white Pomeranian.
Its fluffy fur puffed into a little ball, with a sweet appearance. The only similarity to its original form was the pair of golden eyes that remained.
“Wow! It’s so cute!”
Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but exclaim, his eyes lighting up.
After Zhou Qi retrieved the Dog Frisbee, the “Pomeranian” was visibly stunned. It warily observed the two human youths, then quickly turned as if to escape.
But clearly, it couldn’t immediately adapt to its new canine body.
The little dog made a valiant leap, seemingly trying to jump over the abandoned car blocking its path—a feat it could easily accomplish before, capable of leaping several meters high!
But…
The little dog crashed headfirst into a tire, then tumbled to the ground, seeing stars.
