Chapter 200
After speaking into the Drift Bottle, Tang Yu’an sealed the cap and tossed it back into the Dream Sea, spending 10 points to direct it toward Tuls’ dimension.
As he watched the bottle drift further into the Dream Sea, he couldn’t help but sigh.
“It’s amazing that there’s such a magical power as rune magic in this world. I hope Tuls can bring us good news!”
With their current points balance, they could barely afford one Spatial Pouch. Once the supplies were delivered to his parents, that Spatial Pouch would definitely need to stay with them.
Considering it was the apocalypse, having spatial equipment would greatly improve their safety. Ideally, each member of the family—his parents and himself—should have their own Spatial Pouch.
Including the one for transporting supplies, they would need a total of four Spatial Pouches.
If they bought them all from the Dimensional Store, it would cost at least 800,000 points, and even then, availability wasn’t guaranteed—right now, the cheapest one was priced at 220,000 points, with others being even more expensive.
If Tuls could craft equipment similar to Spatial Pouches, they would save a fortune!
After all, points had great purchasing power when it came to buying food, and food was what Tuls and his people desperately needed most.
Zhou Qi was also intrigued by rune magic. “Maybe, once we build a closer relationship with Tuls, we can ask him to teach us some rune knowledge.”
“That’s a great idea! If he can’t make spatial equipment, we can at least learn rune magic from him and pay with food as tuition!” Tang Yu’an said excitedly.
Having witnessed the incredible functionality of the stone cabinet’s runes, they could clearly sense the power behind it—and this was likely just the tip of the iceberg.
“First, we’ll need to build a good relationship with him. I’m just worried he might not be willing to teach us,” Zhou Qi added.
“True…” Tang Yu’an paused, thinking for a moment. “He mentioned ‘small biscuits’ in his message, didn’t he? Next time, we should prepare some biscuits and maybe some candy or other snacks.”
“Good idea. He mentioned the children multiple times, so treats like that should make them happy,” Zhou Qi agreed.
Zhou Qi had already opened his smart notebook and created a dedicated document titled Dream Drift Bottle.
He recorded the dispatch dates of the three Drift Bottles from today, along with notes and preparations for next time. Everything was neatly organized and easy to follow.
After finishing the notes, Zhou Qi said, “Let’s head to Jufeng Town.”
“Alright!”
At the Jufeng Grocery Store, business was still booming. Seeing that Shi Tou and Xiao Cao were handling things well, they didn’t linger and instead headed straight to the guard station.
They were planning to take advantage of the Double Points Card’s effect and trade the soybeans they had stored there.
The entrance to the guard station was bustling with people. A long line stretched out the door, and at the front were two intimidating squads of guards. The guards were stationed by two individuals ladling soybean soup for the townsfolk.
Over the past month, the guard station had managed to recruit two wood-element cultivation experts from the local entrenched factions.
This success was partly thanks to Tang Yu’an—after the Jufeng Grocery Store fire incident, Hong Li had detained Jin Fu, prompting a group of local bigwigs to send four awakened ability users to the guard station to rescue him.
However, the four didn’t even make it past the gate. Two were severely burned, while the other two fell to their deaths off a cliff on their way back.
As for Jin Fu, who was eventually released, he continued to suffer from a streak of misfortunes.
Seizing the opportunity, Hong Li sent Hei Xiong to take the cultivation experts. With the rival faction’s strength greatly weakened, the mission was a success—they managed to secure two cultivation experts for the guard station.
Still, with Hong Li suddenly going into seclusion, Hei Xiong didn’t push the opposing factions too hard, wary of provoking them into a desperate retaliation. For now, the situation remained precariously stable.
With the efforts of the cultivation experts, the guard station’s soybean reserves had significantly increased.
Hong Li, still in seclusion, had issued orders to distribute 25 Kilos of soybeans daily to the townsfolk. As long as someone lived in Jufeng Town, they could receive a bowl of soybean soup—first come, first served.
With 500 grams containing about 2,500 soybeans, 25 Kilos equaled 125,000 beans. Given Jufeng Town’s population, each person could receive 20–30 soybeans a day.
It wasn’t enough to fill their stomachs, but it was enough to stave off starvation. Most importantly, the soybean soup was salted!
Although the salt content was minimal, for residents who couldn’t afford salt, it was a luxury.
This charitable initiative greatly boosted Hong Li’s reputation, earning her genuine support from many of the town’s poorer residents.
As a result, Jufeng Town’s atmosphere and culture were subtly shifting.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi hadn’t walked through Jufeng Town in quite some time, and they were surprised to see the guard station distributing soybean soup to the townsfolk.
Seeing the happy faces of the people leaving with their soup, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi couldn’t help but smile as well.
The soybeans and salt had been traded to the guard station by them. That the station was now using these supplies to benefit the townsfolk could be considered a change they had brought about.
After observing for a while, they used their Lightness Technique to leap over the crowd and entered the guard station, where they found Hei Xiong. They explained the purpose of their visit.
Hei Xiong readily honored their vouchers.
[Employee “Zhou Qi” completed a profitable transaction with a returning customer. Points +21,150 (Double Points Card in effect), XP +1.]
Next, they brought out 20 Fire Stones and traded them with Hei Xiong for 100 Kilos of soybeans.
[Employee “Zhou Qi” completed a profitable transaction with a returning customer. Points +8,800 (Double Points Card in effect), XP +1.]
Before they left, Hei Xiong asked, “Do you have any extra salt? If you have some to spare, we’d like to trade for it.”
Tang Yu’an smiled and said, “We have plenty. How much do you need?”
Hei Xiong glanced at the surging crowd outside. While soybeans could be grown and replenished daily, salt was a consumable resource—once used, it was gone. It would be wise to stockpile as much as possible.
He gritted his teeth and said, “Another 50 Kilos. Do you have it?”
Tang Yu’an’s eyes lit up. “Of course, we do!”
“Alright, follow me.”
Hei Xiong led them to the guard station’s warehouse, where he retrieved 500 Kilos of soybeans.
[Employee “Zhou Qi” completed a profitable transaction with a returning customer. Points +45,000 (Double Points Card in effect), XP +1.]
In just a few short minutes, nearly 75,000 points had been added to their account, and Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but smile ear to ear.
When Hei Xiong ordered his men to carry the soybeans to the Jufeng Grocery Store, Tang Yu’an stopped him and requested that the 100 kilos of soybeans from the Fire Stone trade also be stored at the guard station.
Hearing this, Hei Xiong grinned broadly and quickly had a receipt written up.
“These 600 kilos of soybeans—we’ll pick them up next time,” Tang Yu’an said as he put the receipt away.
“No problem! You’re welcome to collect them anytime!”
The guard station’s soybean reserves were steadily increasing with time, allowing them to do more with their resources.
Seeing the arrangement to store the soybeans, Hei Xiong’s mind began to turn. He was well aware that the Mountain Lord had once traded their entire soybean reserve for cotton fabric. Inspired, he decided to ask something similar.
“Besides the 600 kilos of soybeans, we currently have over 1,500 kilos in storage. Could those also be used as collateral?”
To be honest, Tang Yu’an was tempted, but he ultimately declined.
He remembered all too well what happened last time when he got carried away exploiting bugs in the system to farm points with Kang Kang. The transaction volume had been too large, triggering the system’s detection and causing the loophole to be patched.
If they were going to “game the system,” it was best to do so in small, cautious amounts over multiple transactions.
Hei Xiong was a little disappointed but still smiled and said, “I’ll make sure to report your help to Jufeng Town to the Mountain Lord.”
“How is Sister Hong Li doing these days?” Tang Yu’an asked curiously.
“She’s doing well,” Hei Xiong replied, though he didn’t share many details. Even he couldn’t easily meet the Mountain Lord right now.
Seeing this, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi decided not to press further.
It had been less than a month since the fire parasite in Hong Li’s body had been devoured, and they couldn’t help but wonder how much of a toll that incident had taken on her.
If there was ever a way to remove the spirit parasite in Zhou Qi’s body, would he suffer the same kind of damage as Hong Li?
As they left the guard station, Tang Yu’an couldn’t stop thinking about it.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” Zhou Qi said, noticing his concern. He reached out and gently patted Tang Yu’an’s head to reassure him.
“Yes! You’ll definitely be fine!” Tang Yu’an nodded firmly.
He resolved to use his “wish-fulfillment” ability to think positively, ensuring that Zhou Qi would remain safe and sound.
With no other ways to farm points for now, they left things in the hands of their employees and used the teleportation array to return to Store #6.
The afternoon grassland was bathed in bright sunlight.
The lake shimmered with ripples, attracting animals to drink or hunt by the water’s edge. Near the small house, a patch of green grass had begun to grow, thriving in the area.
The irrigation ditches extended outward from the grass, and two construction robots were tirelessly digging more channels.
Occasionally, a bug would land on one of the robots, only to be struck down by wind blades controlled by the Black Wolf King.
Though the wind blades sometimes hit the robots themselves, they were so small and weak that they left no marks on the metal bodies.
By now, the two construction robots had finished digging a large area of irrigation ditches.
Under the protection of the wolf pack, the robots remained safe, with no attacks occurring during Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi’s absence—aside from the occasional friendly fire from the wolf king and his mate.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi reappeared at the teleportation array.
Just as when they left, the door to Store #6 was open, but it seemed no wolves had ventured inside.
Stepping out of the house, they quickly spotted the wolves under the shelter.
They had dug several dens, where injured or sick wolves rested under the shade, while the mother wolves stayed in the dens with their pups.
The wolf pups immediately rushed out when they noticed Tang Yu’an’s arrival, circling him excitedly.
One of the mother wolves followed but hesitated upon noticing the unfamiliar “puppies” behind Tang Yu’an.
These “puppies,” of course, were Yuan Bao, Wang Cai, and Yin Bi in their shrunken forms.
Black Pearl followed behind them, but once outside the house, she leapt onto the roof and lazily sprawled out, basking in the sun and enjoying the breeze.
The wolf pups, however, showed no such caution. They eagerly wagged their tails and ran over to Yuan Bao and the others.
Oddly, despite Wang Cai and Yin Bi appearing more friendly and approachable, the pups seemed to favor Yuan Bao, enthusiastically licking and nuzzling the four-eyed pup.
Perhaps it was because Yuan Bao carried the scent of a wolf. Finally reassured, the mother wolf relaxed and approached to lick the three small ones as well.
Yin Bi was already leaping around joyfully, while Wang Cai joined the pups in play. Only Yuan Bao remained aloof, sitting coolly in place. Still, the slight wagging of his tail betrayed his good mood.
Among the three, Yuan Bao’s shrunken form was the smallest. Even the malnourished wolf pups were larger than him, which earned him special attention from the mother wolf.
She lay down in front of him, seemingly preparing to nurse him.
Yuan Bao: “…”
Tang Yu’an burst out laughing at the sight.
However, after noticing the mother wolf’s thin, frail body, he quickly retrieved some milk from his portable storage, poured it into a few bowls, and placed them on the ground for the wolf pups to drink.
The wolf pups immediately abandoned their new playmates and hurried to their own bowls, eagerly slurping up the milk.
After tossing a few pieces of dried meat to the mother wolf, Tang Yu’an placed another bowl of milk on the steps in front of the house.
Soon, Black Pearl gracefully jumped down from the roof, padding over elegantly to the milk bowl. She extended her pink tongue and began delicately lapping up the milk.
Tang Yu’an gave her a gentle pat on the head before running off to find Zhou Qi.
Zhou Qi had just finished channeling water into the newly dug irrigation ditches. Using his water-element ability, he transformed the water into a fine misting rain that fell gently over the dry, compacted soil.
When Tang Yu’an arrived, he was greeted by the sight of shimmering rain curtains, each over a meter high.
The sunlight slanted through the mist, refracting into vibrant, multicolored rainbows that formed dazzling arcs across the fields.
“Wow—”
He couldn’t help but be captivated by the scene, his gaze fixed on Zhou Qi, who stood in the midst of the rainbow-hued light. Tang Yu’an’s eyes sparkled as he stared, completely entranced.
Zhou Qi soon noticed him and turned to look at him.
Snapping out of his daze, Tang Yu’an quickly ran over, his face full of excitement. “Brother Qi, you’re amazing! How did you do this?”
“It’s a new technique I just came up with for using water-based abilities,” Zhou Qi explained, channeling his energy as he spoke.
He wasn’t sure how others managed multiple-element affinities, but in his case, his ability seemed to function in a unique way.
The fire energy he had absorbed from the Fire Spirit Parasite had not only expanded his internal energy capacity but also transformed into a type of raw energy stored within his body.
When needed, he could convert this energy into any elemental force he chose, but it wasn’t like he simultaneously wielded multiple elemental powers within his body.
This meant he could sustain his energy use for longer than Tang Yu’an could.
Of course, there were differences in efficiency between elements. The elements Zhou Qi used most frequently—fire, wind, and metal—were smoother and easier to convert.
In contrast, elements like water and wood, which he used less often, had a noticeable delay during the conversion process.
Listening to Zhou Qi’s insights into his ability, Tang Yu’an began reflecting on his own situation.
Could his inability to generate light energy on his own be due to a fundamental misunderstanding of his abilities?
While Tang Yu’an pondered, Zhou Qi finished the rain and started scattering grass seeds onto the moist soil. He then used wood-element energy to accelerate their growth.
Once the task was complete, Zhou Qi walked toward the lakeside, deep in thought.
Tang Yu’an, pausing his musings for the moment, bounded over to Zhou Qi and asked, “Brother Qi, what are you looking at?”
“I think we might need to build a waterwheel,” Zhou Qi replied. “Even though we’ve dug irrigation ditches, once the water level drops, the ditches will run dry.”
The blazing sun during the day caused the lake water to evaporate quickly. Unless they dug the ditches as deep as the lakebed, the water wouldn’t flow into them once the water level fell below the ditch bottoms.
“We could use wind power to drive the waterwheel,” Zhou Qi continued.
The prairie’s strong winds could be harnessed as a power source. If they could make it work, they wouldn’t have to worry about energy problems.
“That’s a great idea! I just learned about this in class!” Tang Yu’an exclaimed, eager to design and build a wind-powered waterwheel.
But before diving into the design with Zhou Qi, he used his remote retrieval skill to transfer water from the swimming pool reservoir, refilling the lake and replenishing the ditches with flowing water.
With the irrigation ditches filled again, they packed up the construction robots and returned to the house to discuss the waterwheel design. The wolf pack was also summoned back inside the fence by the Black Wolf King.
As night fell, the number of mutated creatures by the lakeshore noticeably increased.
The wolf pack grew restless—some cowered in their dens, while others paced anxiously around the shelter.
The fenced area was accessible not only to the wolves but also to other animals, which occasionally wandered in by mistake.
When the intruding creatures encountered the wolf pack, some fled in panic while others prowled around the shelter, eyeing the wolves hungrily. The wolf pack, alert and defensive, kept a close watch on those that dared to approach.
However, under the restraint of the Black Wolf King, the wolves clustered around the shelter and refrained from attacking, no matter how much the intruders provoked them.
Inside the house, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi noticed the activity but chose not to intervene.
After all, they couldn’t stay here every night, and the wolves needed to learn how to survive in this environment. Still… they had taught Black Obsidian enough during the day, right?
As they watched, the Black Wolf King stepped out from the pack. Silverling tried to follow, but the Black Wolf King stopped him.
Alone, the Black Wolf King approached a mutated lion.
The lion was even larger than the Black Wolf King, with one ear partially torn off. Its gaze locked onto the wolf, drool dripping from its maw.
Clearly starving, the lion refused to retreat despite the presence of the entire wolf pack. Instead, it appeared to be plotting how to take down a meal.
The Black Wolf King cautiously approached. Its fur bristled with tension, but it showed no signs of aggression.
The mutated lion, however, couldn’t hold back any longer.
With a roar, it pounced at the Black Wolf King—only to vanish into thin air in the blink of an eye.
The next moment, the lion reappeared outside the fence, directly in front of Store #6.
The Black Wolf King, despite expecting this outcome, still froze in surprise for a moment.
At that instant, a metal dagger shot out from the direction of the house, flying straight at the lion!
The mutated lion, dazed by its sudden teleportation, had no time to dodge. It managed to twist slightly to avoid a fatal strike, but the dagger still slashed its side, leaving a deep wound.
The Black Wolf King noticed the scene and instinctively glanced toward the small house.
On the steps sat a small kitten, coldly watching the mutated lion. As if sensing the Black Wolf King’s gaze, the kitten turned its sharp eyes toward the wolf.
The Black Wolf King felt a chill run down its spine, momentarily frozen by the intense stare of the tiny kitten. It wasn’t until the kitten’s gaze turned into one of clear disdain that the wolf snapped out of its daze.
Within the fenced area, it was possible to attack creatures outside the fence! Even if they attacked, the protective barrier wouldn’t eject them.
Realizing this, the Black Wolf King immediately generated several wind blades around itself.
With a howl, it sent the wind blades slicing toward the mutated lion, and Silverling quickly joined its side, releasing its own wind blades in tandem.
The mutated lion, positioned outside the fence, had no way of seeing what was happening within. All it knew was that wind blades were suddenly flying at it from every direction.
Although these wind blades were far weaker than the mutated metal dagger from earlier, they still forced the lion into a panicked retreat.
Seeing their two leaders drive off the mutated lion unscathed, the wolf pack erupted into triumphant howls.
Thanks to the protective barrier, the sounds didn’t disturb the animals hunting by the lakeside.
Black Pearl watched the scene unfold with yet another look of disdain before gracefully turning around and heading back into the house.
Tang Yu’an picked her up, rubbing his cheek against her soft fur. “Black Pearl, thank you for reminding them! You’re amazing!”
Black Pearl let out a satisfied meow, her tail standing proudly upright, with its tip twitching slightly as if radiating joy.
Outside, the Black Wolf King began organizing the wolves with wind-based abilities to patrol the fence line.
Whenever a mutated creature approached, they would release wind blades in advance.
These creatures, unable to see the wolves inside the fence, were often startled by the sudden wind blades and fled, ensuring the safety of the wolf pack.
With the wolves now taking care of themselves, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi returned to the Peace Grocery Store to start fishing for today’s Dream Drift Bottles.
The first bottle of the day was from Little Hai Lan.
“Oh great and merciful God of Commerce, I humbly pray to you. May you continue to exist for a long time, so that more weak and poor people like my father and I can receive water and food.”
Little Hai Lan’s prayer was almost on par with Gan Lin’s. It seemed that Hai Jing had told her all about the “God of Commerce.”
However, the content of her wish had changed. Before, she always wished for the Mysterious Merchant to notice her and trade with her.
Now, she was praying for other poor and needy people.
Tang Yu’an smiled as he softly greeted her.
“God of Commerce!” Little Hai Lan exclaimed excitedly.
“You can just call me the Mysterious Merchant,” Tang Yu’an replied, knowing full well that he was no god of commerce.
“Alright, Messenger of the Divine,” the girl stubbornly insisted.
Tang Yu’an sighed, realizing he couldn’t change her mind. Thinking quickly, he made up a response: “I am not the God of Commerce. I am merely a messenger of the divine, so please don’t refer to me that way.”
Little Hai Lan tilted her head in confusion but eventually nodded. After some thought, she changed her address: “I understand, Divine Messenger.”
That sounded much better.
“What would you like to trade for today?” Tang Yu’an asked directly.
Unexpectedly, Little Hai Lan replied, “We’re living comfortably now, without hunger or cold. Please use these supplies for others who need them more.”
The young girl had clearly taken her father’s words to heart.
Tang Yu’an was touched, but at the same time, he felt a little guilty about leaving the trade empty-handed. After all, he knew Hai Jing had likely accumulated a massive amount of salt over the past ten days without any dream transactions.
At this point, Zhou Qi stepped in and said, “There’s nothing wrong with striving for a better life beyond just survival.”
“As long as it’s earned through your labor, you have the right to keep your share of wealth.”
“The God of Commerce despises unearned rewards,” he continued. “As divine messengers, we must strictly enforce this principle. Therefore, we cannot accept believers offering things without reason.”
Little Hai Lan’s mouth opened slightly in surprise. She couldn’t remember if she had heard the voice of another “divine messenger” before.
However, she made sure to memorize Zhou Qi’s words.
“Understood!” she said earnestly. “If possible, I’d like to have more ambient-temperature fabric and cold-resistant fabric.”
“Is the cold-resistant fabric useful?” Tang Yu’an asked.
“Very useful!” Little Hai Lan replied. “Before, food would spoil quickly. With the cold-resistant fabric, it lasts two or three extra days.”
“And if we salt and sun-dry the food afterward, it can last even longer.”
Hearing this, Tang Yu’an frowned slightly.
To them, with their refrigerators, a two-to-three-day extension in freshness felt far too short. It seemed they needed to improve their freezing technology.
“Anything else you’d like?”
“I… I’d like to drink milk,” she said hesitantly.
“No problem.”
Tang Yu’an prepared fabric and milk for her, as well as various types of flour, dried meat, and seasonings.
He also redeemed some paper, pencils, two flashlights, and a few pairs of rain boots.
The rain boots, produced by the system, were extremely durable—resistant even to cuts from ordinary scissors. They would provide some level of protection for Hai Jing’s group while drying salt by the sea.
Altogether, the trade cost nearly 10,000 points, and in exchange, they took all the salt that Little Hai Lan’s family had.
Once the trade concluded, the light sphere representing Little Hai Lan shattered.
[You have obtained 1,879 kilos of sea salt.]
[You have completed a profitable transaction with a Dream Wisher. Points +167,900 (Double Points Card in effect), XP +1, Dream Fragment +1.]
Tang Yu’an: 0.0
W-what?!
Nearly 168,000 points?!
Tang Yu’an counted the numbers carefully again and again, confirming he hadn’t made a mistake. He turned to Zhou Qi, muttering in disbelief, “Brother Qi, I think we’ve hit the jackpot?”
Just this single trade with Little Hai Lan would almost be enough to buy a Spatial Pouch!
“So many points! We’ve struck it rich!”
Compared to the overexcited Tang Yu’an, Zhou Qi remained much calmer. He said, “Wait until the Double Points Card effect ends at midnight. When you check the balance then, you’ll have an even bigger surprise.”
The power of the Double Points Card wasn’t just for show!
“Hahaha, alright, I’ll do as you say!” Tang Yu’an laughed happily, resisting the urge to check his points balance.
He decided he would wait until after midnight, after retrieving all the Drift Bottles, to take a look.
What gave him even more confidence was knowing that even now, close to 9 p.m., the Jufeng Grocery Store was still open for business!
That’s right, on its very first day of opening, the Jufeng Grocery Store had been operating non-stop since before dawn and was still going strong late into the evening.
Although Tang Yu’an wanted to maximize their points earnings, he hadn’t intended to overwork his employees. He had already told Shi Tou and Xiao Cao through the store channel to head back and rest.
They agreed, but the notifications of profitable transactions kept coming in, one after another.
In the end, Zhou Qi had to grant Lin Zhen and Lan Lin access to the teleportation array and asked Grandpa Li to take them to the Jufeng Grocery Store to help out.
Fortunately, with the night time chill, the number of customer light points around the store had begun to decrease. Once the current batch of customers was served, the staff could finally rest.
Suppressing his excitement, Tang Yu’an retrieved another Drift Bottle from the Dream Sea. This one belonged to Gan Lin.
Having promised to perform a miracle for him yesterday, he couldn’t go back on his word today.
Tang Yu’an opened the bottle.
Gan Lin’s voice of prayer echoed through the attic.
*
Near Flame Dragon Fortress, a newly dug dry well had been carefully cleaned and prepared.
Since the Flame Dragon hadn’t appeared in the sky that night, candles were lit around the well to provide illumination.
Inside the well, countless Flame Stones had been placed, casting a fiery red glow that shone through the night.
Gan Lin lay by the edge of the well, just as he had during the last ritual. This time, however, his “bed” had been arranged to appear more divine under the flickering candlelight.
Old Mo stood nearby, still clad in his black cloak and wielding the long scythe of the mutated mantis.
Around them, over a hundred believers were prostrated on the ground. Aside from Old Mo, no one remained standing at the scene of the water prayer.
Though some new followers were skeptical of the ritual, under the guidance of the senior believers, they followed suit, feigning piety as they knelt and occasionally peeked at Old Mo to see what he would do.
Old Mo ignored their furtive glances.
He raised his arms and prayed aloud to the divine, “Oh great God of Commerce, I will faithfully carry out Your will!”
“Great God of Commerce, I will faithfully…”
For every line he spoke, the hundred believers echoed him, though not in perfect unison. Still, their collective voices carried an imposing force.
“I will strictly follow the teachings—no robbery or theft, no rape or pillage, no cannibalism, and no trafficking of human lives!”
“I will honor the elderly and cherish the young, maintain cleanliness, and be polite…”
“I will protect my children, never abandoning or abusing them…”
“I will be diligent and brave, using my hands to create wealth. I will use my hard-earned labor to exchange for food and water!”
“Please take the Flame Stones and grant us precious water and food!”
By the time they recited the final line, their voices had become synchronized and thunderous. If one were there in person, it would have been a truly awe-inspiring scene.
Lying by the well, Gan Lin’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and his eyeballs moved rapidly beneath his closed lids.
Old Mo knew that Gan Lin had connected with the Mysterious Merchant in his dream!
He had observed Gan Lin’s behavior during sleep many times, meticulously recording the differences between his ordinary dreams and the moments when he communicated with the Mysterious Merchant.
After repeated analysis and validation, Old Mo had finally been able to time the approximate moment of Gan Lin’s dream transactions with the Mysterious Merchant during the rituals.
Without hesitation, he raised his arms again and shouted, repeating the last line: “Please take the Flame Stones and grant us precious water and food!”
The hundred believers echoed him, shouting in unison once more.
As their voices faded, the fiery red glow within the dry well vanished.
At that very moment, Old Mo lifted his hand and redeemed the wheat he had prepared in advance from the interface.
“Thank you, great God of Commerce, for granting us food and water!”
The first group of experienced believers immediately joined in the chant of gratitude. The second group, stunned by what they had just witnessed, was pulled to their knees by those around them and soon followed suit.
Meanwhile, in a dilapidated building in the distance, two figures lay hidden among the rubble, observing the entire ritual through binoculars.
When the water began overflowing from the well, both let out low exclamations of shock.
“Holy sh—! Is that… an actual miracle?!”
