Chapter 40 – Jufeng Town
When Grandpa Li mentioned that they’d be heading to the market town tomorrow, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi were both taken aback.
“Grandpa, is your leg injury fully healed?” Tang Yu’an asked.
“Yes, it’s good enough not to affect my movement.”
Even though he knew that people with abilities had enhanced recovery, Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but feel amazed. Just a few days? Such a severe injury had already healed to the point where it wouldn’t hinder his movement!
Would Brother Qi recover this quickly too if he were injured? Just as the thought crossed his mind, Tang Yu’an quickly shook his head.
No, no! Brother Qi won’t get hurt.
Seeing Tang Yu’an’s changing expressions, Grandpa Li couldn’t guess what he was thinking. He lowered his head again, adjusting the size of the wooden pieces he was assembling with a small knife.
As he worked, he added, “You two should prepare. Come by early tomorrow so we can set out right away and aim to reach the town by the following afternoon.”
Hearing this, Zhou Qi couldn’t help but frown.
“We’ll have to spend a night on the road?”
He hadn’t expected the market town to be so far away, requiring two days and one night of travel.
“Yes.” Grandpa Li nodded. “Don’t worry; the route I’ll take is safe, and we’ll probably run into others traveling along the way. Camping out shouldn’t be an issue.”
The wasteland city wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t small either. It housed at least dozens, if not hundreds, of people, and there was only one road leading to the market town.
Although mutated creatures in the city’s core were indeed dangerous, the wasteland was full of those willing to take risks for profit.
So, the likelihood of encountering other people on that road was high. They didn’t need to worry too much about mutant attacks but should keep a cautious eye out for strangers.
Zhou Qi nodded and continued, “Could you tell us a bit about the market town?”
Grandpa Li thought about it for a moment.
“The market town is probably the largest settlement near the wasteland city, with a population of a few thousand. People call it Jufeng Town.”
“Jufeng?” Tang Yu’an asked curiously. “Is it because the town is on a mountain?”
“That’s right. The mountain has been mostly cleared of mutants, and with town patrols, the residents there don’t have to worry much about safety. But…”
Grandpa Li paused, then said, “They have to pay protection fees regularly and fulfill certain obligations to the town.”
These “obligations” usually meant unpaid labor for the town’s controllers.
“For ordinary people, it’s not so bad—they get food in return for their labor. But for those with production abilities, well…”
Grandpa Li trailed off.
“What about them?” Tang Yu’an pressed, curious.
Seeing the child’s innocent eyes, Grandpa Li hesitated but felt it was necessary to be honest. Otherwise, with Tang Yu’an’s personality, he was bound to face hardship in the wasteland sooner or later.
“Those people are confined to a facility and made to work around the clock. Aside from eating and sleeping, they’re not allowed a step outside.”
Grandpa Li continued bluntly, “If they resist, their families are threatened.”
Ability users who focused on production tended to live slightly better lives, so they often had families. But that made things even worse for them—especially for women.
Low-level ability users with production skills often lacked the power to defend themselves. In the hands of stronger people, they were treated as nothing more than livestock.
Once, Grandma Guo had been among them.
Now that she was free from that hell, her life was still hard, but at least she had her freedom and some hope.
And Kangkang would no longer suffer as she had. He could live his life as a real person.
Grandpa Li omitted Grandma Guo’s name but slowly unveiled a corner of the wasteland’s dark reality to these two boys from a world of peace.
“That’s horrible! How can they do that?” Tang Yu’an’s indignation was clear.
Zhou Qi’s lips tightened as he furrowed his brows deeply.
The brutal reality was a shock to these two boys from a peaceful world, raised with strong moral values.
Grandpa Li offered a slight smile, filled with complex emotions. “In a place like the apocalypse world, without strength, having wealth or resources can only bring you disaster.”
Of course, keeping your distance from others was one way to survive, but being able to live independently also required a certain level of strength.
Watching the two boys fall silent, Grandpa Li didn’t continue. He’d said enough.
After all, they were from a fortress. For them to survive here at such a young age, they either had someone watching over them or some other means of protection.
Perhaps he didn’t need to lecture them too much.
“The leader of Jufeng Town is a powerful mutant…” Grandpa Li continued, then corrected himself. “Or as you’d call it, an ability user.”
“He’s very strong, with fire-based abilities, and he’s combat-oriented.”
Ability users were generally classified into two types: production-oriented and combat-oriented. Those with abilities solely for production were production-oriented, like Tie Jin, who could produce metal but couldn’t wield it in combat.
Grandma Guo, on the other hand, could control vines to restrain enemies, and if she had toxic plants, she could cause some harm. But given her age and lack of combat-worthy plants, her fighting abilities were limited, putting her somewhere in the middle.
As for Jufeng Town’s leader, he was a pure combat ability user—all of his powers were geared toward battle.
“No one in Jufeng Town dares challenge his authority. There are rumors he came from a fortress, and someone influential in Qingmu Fort has his back.”
Seeing the confusion and contemplation on the boys’ faces, Grandpa Li guessed they were unfamiliar with this story.
“I’ve never seen him myself; I only know of his reputation,” he continued. “Under his rule, Jufeng Town’s order is relatively stable, unlike the chaos in some other settlements.”
At the very least, women and children had a place in Jufeng Town. Grandma Guo’s daughter, for instance, had been lost to natural disaster, not to anything more sinister…
“You don’t need to worry,” Grandpa Li reassured them. “We’ll likely only deal with his subordinates, not the leader himself.”
He looked at the boys and asked, “Are you going to the market town just to trade, or… do you have other business? Will you come back afterward?”
Tang Yu’an turned to look at Zhou Qi.
Zhou Qi responded, “Yes, we plan to come back. We’re not staying in the market town.”
Grandpa Li sighed in relief and continued, “In the past, there was a toll for entering and leaving the market town. But recently, I heard from Tie Jin that they only charge on the way out now, not on the way in.”
Perhaps people leaving the town had become a problem, forcing the authorities to adopt this new policy.
After all, things were no longer as they were decades ago, when humans had to stick together to survive. With more people awakening abilities, more of them had the skills to live independently outside the town.
Those who developed productive abilities later on, after seeing the suffering of others, naturally chose to keep their abilities hidden and secretly escaped.
In recent years, the population of Jufeng Town had likely been declining.
Zhou Qi listened carefully, then asked, “So, is bartering still the main form of trade in the market town?”
“Bartering?” Grandpa Li found the term a bit clumsy but understood the concept. “Yes, people prefer tangible goods that they can hold in their hands.”
As for a currency system, that had completely collapsed after the cataclysm. Even in the fortresses, the only accepted trade items were crystal stones and precious metals with intrinsic value.
“What kinds of items are usually traded?” Zhou Qi asked.
“Oh, all sorts,” Grandpa Li replied. “Animal hides, bones, meat, homemade weapons, metals, ceramics, and even old-world relics… But food is always in the highest demand.”
For most residents, food was scarce. Only those in the town’s upper class or the patrol guards had reliable access to it.
“Understood,” Zhou Qi nodded.
Grandpa Li looked at them, hesitating slightly. “You’d be wise to keep things like refined salt and rice hidden. While they’d sell well, they might also attract trouble.”
Salt, in particular, had been a valuable commodity even in ancient times, heavily regulated by the government and salt merchants. In a post-cataclysm wasteland, it was even more precious.
Once word spreads, it could be difficult to protect themselves, and they might even get hurt in the process.
“Got it. We understand.”
Zhou Qi nodded, acknowledging the warning, then asked, “Grandpa Li, could we delay our departure by a day? We need time to prepare.”
Although the market town might welcome newcomers, they didn’t want to buy or sell too much on their first visit to avoid unnecessary trouble.
If everything went smoothly and they earned the full 15 experience points from today, plus the 7 points they already had, Tang Yu’an’s experience bar would reach level 3 (22/40)—just 18 points short of the next level.
So it made sense to delay by a day, gain another 15 points tomorrow, and get 3 more from trading on the way, allowing Tang Yu’an to level up.
Upon reaching level 4, they might unlock more items or new functions that could offer an extra layer of security.
Moreover, they genuinely needed to prepare. Chi Hao was still recovering at the grocery store, and they’d have to figure out what to do about him while they were away.
“Sure, that’s no problem.” Grandpa Li nodded. “I can leave whenever you’re ready.”
For him, he was simply fulfilling his promise. He didn’t have much to trade, so he was only acting as a guide.
“Thank you, Grandpa!” Tang Yu’an said, beaming.
Grandpa Li looked at him, smiling, but then added, “You’ll be coming along too, right?”
Tang Yu’an nodded without hesitation.
Of course, he’d be going! It was a long trip, and he didn’t want to stay behind.
Grandpa Li sighed. “Well then, you’ll need to disguise yourself a bit.”
Zhou Qi was easier to pass off—he was tall and lanky, with a gangly frame typical of adolescence. With a slight tan and some ragged clothing, he could almost blend in with the wasteland locals.
Though tall, his height was an advantage. Tall people like Tie Jin commanded respect, and few dared mess with them.
Tang Yu’an, however, was a different story.
While he wasn’t short for his age, he was still childlike compared to adults. With his round cheeks and bright, innocent eyes, he practically screamed, “I’m from the fortress and I’m naive.”
In a wasteland full of outlaws, they might be safe within the town, where the local authorities were backed by Qingmu Fort. But things could turn unpredictable as soon as they left.
And if the town’s leader decided to detain them, what then? The fortresses weren’t uniformed; the conflicts within were often even more brutal than those outside.
Listening to Grandpa Li’s concerns, Zhou Qi’s frown deepened.
Tang Yu’an opened his mouth to respond, but Zhou Qi reached over, holding his hand and shaking his head slightly.
Tang Yu’an puffed out his cheeks but fell silent.
Afterward, Zhou Qi conducted three trades with Grandpa Li.
Honestly, finding ways to make a profit from these daily trades was becoming a bit of a headache, especially since Grandpa Li’s recent injury meant he had little to offer in return.
Still, Zhou Qi managed to earn 3 employee experience points.
He traded some straw they’d collected on the hill for a grass basket. Then, as he had done the previous day, he split 100 grams of rice into two transactions, exchanging it for a straw hat and three arrowheads.
Both the basket and hat were worth 9 points each, resulting in a total profit of 20 points.
After arranging to purchase another basket from Grandpa Li, Zhou Qi and Tang Yu’an left, heading to Lin Zhen’s place.
On the way, Tang Yu’an muttered under his breath.
“Brother Qi, you’re not planning on leaving me behind to go to the town with Grandpa Li, are you?” He clung to Zhou Qi’s neck, looking thoroughly displeased.
Zhou Qi halted, then said, “I wouldn’t leave you, but… someone does need to stay and watch over the shop.”
“You are planning on leaving me behind!”
Tang Yu’an’s eyes reddened, and he said with a hint of grievance, “The round trip takes three whole days. Are you really okay with leaving me here all alone for that long?”
Of course, he wasn’t okay with it.
Zhou Qi pressed his lips together, feeling a pang of hesitation.
Back in their world, they had rarely been separated for long. They’d at least seen each other every night. But here, in a wasteland filled with hidden dangers, they could be separated by a single misstep.
Moreover, the grocery store wasn’t entirely safe. It had to open during the day, which meant the protective barrier wouldn’t be active. And what if something like Chi Hao’s situation happened while he was gone?
Although Chi Hao had been hired as an employee, Zhou Qi still didn’t fully trust him.
But Grandpa Li’s concerns weren’t unfounded.
An’an’s appearance was too attention-grabbing, and with so many people in the market town, Zhou Qi wasn’t confident he could keep him safe…
Just then, Tang Yu’an said, “Brother Qi, I have the shadow umbrella and the happy marble. If we encounter any danger, I can protect you!”
Currently, their only defensive items were the cat teaser, dog frisbee, and mousetrap, which likely wouldn’t work on humans. When Tang Yu’an used them, Zhou Qi wasn’t affected, so practically, only the happy marble would be effective against people.
However, the happy marble was bound to Tang Yu’an and couldn’t be used by Zhou Qi. Other than that, they had the mutant metal dagger from Tie Jin.
Though Zhou Qi’s physical strength was increasing daily, he hadn’t fought anyone before, nor had he encountered the market townspeople. Who knew how strong they were?
If he left Tang Yu’an behind, both of them would be constantly worrying about each other, probably unable to sleep soundly.
“So, we absolutely cannot be separated!” Tang Yu’an declared resolutely.
In the end, Zhou Qi was persuaded.
“Alright, let’s come up with a plan, then,” he said. “If necessary, we’ll split up from Grandpa Li and arrange to meet outside the town at a set time.”
When making trades, having Grandpa Li watch over them might not be ideal. Once they split up, Tang Yu’an could use the shadow umbrella to stay safely hidden near Zhou Qi.
In fact, they could even use a combination of the shadow umbrella and the lightfoot technique to sneak past the town’s guards upon entry and exit.
“Great, it’s settled then!”
Seeing that Zhou Qi was willing to take him along and that they’d come up with a plan, Tang Yu’an finally relaxed. He asked, “If we’re not selling rice or salt, what should we take to trade?”
Hmm…
Zhou Qi thought for a moment, then suggested, “How about steamed buns? We can make small, rough whole-grain buns with a coarse texture and less flavor to avoid drawing too much attention.”
And since the buns could be sold one by one, they’d be easier to hide and handle, unlike rice or salt, which required bags or containers.
Based on what they’d learned these past few days, no one around here seemed to be growing rice or wheat.
They could carefully choose their customers; as long as it wasn’t someone like Grandma Guo, who had survived since before the disaster, people might not even recognize the ingredients.
“Perfect!” Tang Yu’an agreed enthusiastically. “We can even mix in some bean husks or grass leaves to make them scratchy and hard to swallow. But they’ll still fill people up, so they should be popular.”
Zhou Qi smiled and nodded.
“Alright, we’ll go with that.”
Their previous steamed buns and dumplings were too refined, both in appearance and taste, and didn’t fit in this wasteland at all. They’d draw suspicion or even greed if they brought them out now, but these rougher buns would be different.
Perhaps they could even trade them with Grandpa Li later.
“By the way,” Zhou Qi continued, “we should try to make a stone mill.”
He’d noticed when making the buns before that they didn’t have much whole wheat flour left, so to make more, they’d have to grind wheat themselves.
“Brother Qi, do you know how to make a mill?” Tang Yu’an asked curiously.
“I’ve never made one, but I’ve seen diagrams in books,” Zhou Qi replied. “Let’s see if I can make one.”
Since this world had ability users who could control metal and plants, there might also be someone who could control stone. If so, they wouldn’t need to build it themselves.
“When we get back, I’ll draw out a blueprint.”
If the mill’s size stayed under a meter, Tang Yu’an could store it in his personal space. Plus, when his merchant level reached lv4, his range for the remote delivery skill would increase.
If the range increased tenfold, it would reach 100 meters.
The direct distance between Jufeng Town and the wasteland city likely wasn’t beyond that. After all, the journey was difficult, and there was a mountain to climb.
If they could use the remote delivery skill, they could commission a craftsman in town to build the mill, then instantly transfer it to their grocery store, saving them the trouble of transporting it.
Moreover…
If they stored a millstone in their inventory, it could potentially be used as a weapon combined with the remote delivery skill, couldn’t it?
After all, Tang Yu’an could place and retrieve items freely, so he could repeatedly drop the millstone on enemies and then store it again. That would be convenient, wouldn’t it?
“Yes, let’s ask Sister Lin later to see if she knows any ability users like that,” Tang Yu’an said.
With a bit of bias, he couldn’t help but feel that the people in the wasteland city were more trustworthy.
“Alright,” Zhou Qi agreed.
Just then, the effect of the lightfoot technique faded. They had set out early and were halfway through today’s route, and it was only 9:30.
“Let’s try to get back by eleven.”
“Yes, yes.”
The temperature seemed even higher today. By 9:30, the sun was already blazing, but luckily, the shadow umbrella kept Tang Yu’an from sweating.
After reapplying the lightfoot technique to Zhou Qi, they quickly headed toward Lin Zhen’s house.
Once they arrived, Zhou Qi didn’t ask Tang Yu’an to put away the umbrella but said, “Wait here; I’ll go in alone.”
It was cooler under the umbrella, and going in and out between shade and sun would risk him catching a cold, not to mention wasting the umbrella’s remaining uses.
Tang Yu’an nodded obediently, watching Zhou Qi greet Lin Zhen as he climbed through the entrance.
“So, it’s just you today?” Lin Zhen asked.
Zhou Qi nodded.
When Zhou Qi dealt with people other than Tang Yu’an, he was more reserved. After checking in on A-Mu, who seemed to be doing well, he carefully initiated a trade discussion with Lin Zhen.
The insect repellent powder from yesterday, which hadn’t been traded, served as the perfect icebreaker, making the rest of the conversation smooth and straightforward.
Without Tang Yu’an, Lin Zhen felt the difference. Before, the atmosphere had been lively, every sentence flowing naturally. Now, it felt a bit cold, even A-Mu couldn’t warm things up, leaving her feeling unaccustomed to the silence.
But in the apocalypse world, this was to be expected.
When Zhou Qi mentioned he was planning to visit Tie Jin, Lin Zhen asked him to help deliver some bird eggs she’d found that morning.
There were six eggs, with dirt-gray shells spotted with specks—she wasn’t sure what kind of bird they were from.
“I searched high and low for these,” Lin Zhen said. “But I need to stay home with A-Mu today, or it’ll start sulking.”
“Play dice! Let’s play dice!” squawked the large parrot from its spot in the chicken coop, shaking the feathers on its head and stretching its neck to call out.
“Got it, I’ll be there soon!” Lin Zhen replied, handing Zhou Qi the eggs. “Please take these over for me.”
Zhou Qi accepted the eggs, and before leaving, he mentioned, “We’re heading to the market town the day after tomorrow. Is there anything you need?”
“Old Li’s taking you?”
“Yeah.”
Lin Zhen sighed, “I wish I could go too! But I’ve got to stay and help A-Mu with its nesting.”
After a moment of hesitation, she added, “Oh well, maybe we’ll all go together next time. Stay safe on the road.”
She pulled a pouch from her belt and handed it to Zhou Qi with a mischievous smile. “This is itching powder. It’ll come in handy if you run into anyone unpleasant. Just sprinkle it on them!”
“I’ll trade you some sugar for it.”
Zhou Qi didn’t take it for free. After trading for one pouch, he added another one to reach three profitable trades and smoothly leveled up his employee rank to lv2.
“I’ll be back tomorrow. If you think of anything else you need, just let me know.”
He picked up the bird eggs and headed out.
Lin Zhen followed to the window but, to her amazement, found he had disappeared in the blink of an eye.
“Wow, that speed!” she murmured, shaking her head in disbelief as she returned inside.
In reality—
Zhou Qi hadn’t gone far. He stood just outside, crouching under the umbrella to pick up Tang Yu’an, who was eagerly talking to him.
After being left alone outside, Tang Yu’an had gotten a bit bored. Seeing they’d completed their daily tasks, he decided to try his luck with the prize wheel.
On Tang Yu’an’s system panel, the result displayed:
[Congratulations! You have obtained the special skill “Lightfoot lv1.”]
[The system has detected an identical skill of the same level. “Lightfoot” skill level has increased by 1.]
[Lightfoot lv2]
[Attribute: Magical skill]
[Effect: Casts a wind aura around the target, making them as light as a feather—a must-have skill for deliveries and trading.]
[Duration: 180 minutes, usable three times per day.]
[Remaining uses: 3]
The skill duration had extended by an hour, and the number of uses had refreshed.
They still had three uses for the day!
After hearing that Tang Yu’an had drawn yet another special skill, Zhou Qi was silent for a moment before saying, “From now on, only draw one at a time.”
During multi-pulls, he’d gotten things like points and refresh cards—less valuable items—and once, they’d even hit a guaranteed minimum prize of just 1 point. But now…
It was as if each single draw brought them luck!
Author’s Note:
The General Store System: “Aghhh! Don’t your consciences hurt?” [Distorted and twisted.gif]
