Chapter 63
Tang Yu’an wandered around the stalls, exchanging goods while keeping an eye on the map.
About ten minutes later, the guard who had gone to report finally entered the guard station.
Tang Yu’an zoomed the mini-map to the guard station’s location. Enlarging it, he saw the guard directly approaching Hei Xiong, the one who had delivered the token to them yesterday.
At this hour, Captain Hei Xiong should still be sleeping, right?
About a minute later, the silver light spot representing Hei Xiong finally started moving.
He assembled a six-man squad and followed the reporting guard toward the market!
Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but frown, sensing that something was off.
He glanced at the stall where a long queue had formed again.
Since Zhou Qi had the watch to keep track of time, Tang Yu’an didn’t know exactly how much time had passed. He could only roughly estimate that they had been at the market for about half an hour.
It would be a pity to pack up and leave now.
But if Captain Hei Xiong arrived and stopped Brother Qi, what would happen? Once time was up, the Thousand-Face Cloak’s effect would wear off…
Tang Yu’an thought for a moment, picked up the newly exchanged basket, and walked toward the market entrance.
As he walked, he kept an eye on the mini-map. When Hei Xiong and his team appeared outside the market, Tang Yu’an quickened his pace to meet them, pretending to bump into them by chance.
Even if he could only stall for a little while, it was still experience points!
“Captain Hei Xiong, what a coincidence!”
Others avoided the approaching guard squad as if they were plague carriers, but Tang Yu’an cheerfully ran up to them.
Hei Xiong recognized Tang Yu’an. Faced with the Mountain Lord’s esteemed guest, he stopped.
He nodded at Tang Yu’an in greeting and was about to leave when the boy blocked his path again. “Captain Hei Xiong, I have a question for you.”
Seeing the Mountain Lord’s token hanging on the boy’s chest, Hei Xiong, though eager to find that salt seller immediately, restrained himself.
He waved to the guards behind him, signaling them to surround the market. Then he said to the boy, “Go ahead.”
Noting that the guards didn’t rush into the market immediately, Tang Yu’an secretly breathed a sigh of relief and asked, “Has the mutated snake been dealt with? We’re planning to descend the mountain and head back today.”
Hei Xiong raised an eyebrow. “Leaving so soon?”
“Yes. I hope you can pass a message to Sister Hong Li for us,” he said. “We’ll come back in a while.”
“Alright. You don’t need to worry about the mutated snake; the Mountain Lord has already taken care of it.”
“Wow, that was quick!”
Tang Yu’an was genuinely surprised. Didn’t Hong Li return only yesterday? Did she deal with it last night while they were sleeping?
Hei Xiong, however, looked as if it was only natural.
“The Mountain Lord is immensely powerful. A mere mutated snake is no challenge. The reason it was causing trouble on Jufeng Mountain was simply because the Mountain Lord was away, and it took advantage of the situation.”
Tang Yu’an couldn’t help but nod, his eyes filled with awe and admiration.
His expression pleased Hei Xiong. The usually taciturn captain even softened his tone, saying, “You can leave without worry. Within the boundaries of Jufeng Mountain, you’ll be absolutely safe.”
“That’s good to hear!”
Tang Yu’an nodded. He didn’t miss any opportunity to gain experience points. He reached into his basket and pulled out a fruit, handing it to Hei Xiong.
“Thank you for agreeing to pass the message, Captain Hei Xiong. You probably haven’t had breakfast yet? Please take this.”
Hei Xiong initially wanted to refuse, but hearing the boy’s thoughtful words, he accepted the fruit.
[You completed a loss-making transaction with a returning customer. Experience +2]
After accepting the fruit, Hei Xiong strode toward the market.
Tang Yu’an stood where he was, watching him go.
Inside the market.
Zhou Qi was conducting transactions when suddenly, amid the continuous experience prompts, a message appeared: [The Mysterious Merchant has placed “Mushroom” into personal storage slot #1]
He paused, then without any hesitation, placed the salt jar on the cloth, rolled up the cloth quickly, and slung it over his shoulder.
Before anyone could react, he leaped into the air.
Just as Zhou Qi jumped, he felt a gaze lock onto him.
He tensed, and almost instantly, he twisted his waist forcefully, simultaneously pulling out the Shadow Umbrella. After changing direction several times in mid-air, he landed on the ground.
As soon as he touched down, a giant net narrowly missed him, landing on the ground behind him.
Without any pause, Zhou Qi swiftly left the area.
“He runs really fast!” Hei Xiong looked at the empty net and couldn’t help but feel a bit frustrated.
He had received reports about a skilled salt seller in Jufeng Town yesterday and had even had residents who had traded with him show him the salt.
The salt was of good quality, likely sun-dried from seawater. They suspected he was a big salt merchant and hoped he wouldn’t leave after just one visit, so they prepared in advance.
They initially just wanted to “invite” him to the guard station for a chat. If he cooperated, they wouldn’t need to use force.
Unexpectedly, the other party was so alert! And forced them to make a move, yet he escaped easily…
Who knows if he’ll come back tomorrow?
Hei Xiong felt a bit annoyed. Turning his head, he saw the young boy whom the Mountain Lord valued had somehow come over.
*
In truth, Tang Yu’an hadn’t wanted to come over.
When he saw the guards throw that giant net, his heart was trembling.
Fortunately, he soon saw the message from Brother Qi.
[Employee “Zhou Qi” retrieved from personal storage slot #1: Mushroom x1]
This was their agreed-upon signal: if he placed a mushroom in the storage, it meant “Danger, run quickly”; if Zhou Qi retrieved the mushroom, it meant “Safe, rest assured.”
Only then did Tang Yu’an breathe a sigh of relief.
He should have left immediately, and in fact, he had turned to go. But… looking at such a big market, he was very unwilling.
If they left just like that, without knowing the guards’ intentions, they’d probably have to abandon this method of selling salt in the future.
Those are points and experience!
So he gritted his teeth and didn’t leave.
After all, he had the Mountain Lord’s token, and he hadn’t been exposed. What was there to fear?
Thus, Tang Yu’an mustered his courage and ran over to inquire, “Captain Hei Xiong, were you trying to catch that salt seller? What crime did he commit?”
Facing the boy’s clear and bright eyes, Hei Xiong hesitated, unsure how to answer.
After thinking for a moment, he finally said, “No crime. We just wanted to invite him to the guard station for a chat.”
A big question mark appeared over Tang Yu’an’s small head.
He looked at the guards who were retrieving the net. Invite? You call that inviting?
“You wanted to invite him to the guard station… to buy salt?” Tang Yu’an followed his line of thought.
Hei Xiong nodded instinctively. With so much salt, of course, they wanted to take it all. But now that he had escaped, it was unlikely he’d return.
He looked at Tang Yu’an and suddenly paused.
Tang Yu’an felt his gaze. Although a bit flustered inside, he maintained an innocent expression.
“Do you have any message you’d like me to pass on to the Mountain Lord?” Hei Xiong suddenly asked.
A message to pass on?
Tang Yu’an was about to say no when he caught a glimpse of a resident carrying wild vegetables nearby.
He thought for a moment and said, “Since there’s a high demand for wild vegetables and mushrooms, why not organize the townspeople to plant them in the mountains?”
Hei Xiong: “?”
“Since wild vegetables and mushrooms can be found in the mountains, it means they’re adaptable to the climate. As long as you develop suitable land and environments for cultivation, you should be able to grow them. If the harvest is good, you can feed more people, right?”
Hei Xiong looked deeply at Tang Yu’an.
“Why don’t you come back to the guard station with me and tell the Mountain Lord yourself?”
Tang Yu’an quickly shook his head. “No need, no need. We have to head back now. See you next time!”
Then he turned and ran, afraid they’d drag him to the guard station and force him to stay.
Hei Xiong didn’t chase after him. He watched the boy’s back for a long time before tilting his head slightly. “See you next time?”
*
When Tang Yu’an ran back to the Jade Pavillion Inn, Zhou Qi emerged from under the Shadow Umbrella as soon as he entered the room.
“That was close! Good thing you warned me; otherwise, I wouldn’t have dodged that big net!”
Recalling what had just happened, Tang Yu’an still felt lingering fear.
“Brother Qi, I’m sorry…” He reflected. “I was too reckless. I should have notified you earlier so you could escape sooner.”
Zhou Qi shook his head, not blaming him.
“Fortune favors the bold. Your warning was timely,” he said. “But if we want to continue earning experience this way in the future, we’ll need to reconsider…”
“That’s okay.”
Tang Yu’an had already thought about this. “We can sell on the mountain paths. There are plenty of people at the outpost.”
“Moreover, if the guards want to buy salt, perhaps we can directly negotiate with Sister Hong Li.”
Tang Yu’an recounted his conversation with Hei Xiong and couldn’t help but criticize their rough invitation methods.
“Probably wanted to force a deal.”
Zhou Qi hadn’t expected Tang Yu’an to be so bold, remaining calm after the incident and even going back to gather information.
Fortunately, they both returned safely.
“How many points and experience did we earn just now?” Zhou Qi asked.
Tang Yu’an opened his panel, calculated, and then beamed. “Haha, we earned 1,054 points and 94 experience! Much more than yesterday!”
And he was just 14 experience points away from leveling up again. Yay! \(???)/
Zhou Qi slightly curved his lips, nodding. “Not bad.”
Then he put away the Shadow Umbrella. “Let’s pack up; we’ll be heading back soon.”
“Okay.”
Tang Yu’an temporarily closed the panel and began preparing food and tools for the journey home. Although he was a bit reluctant to leave behind all the potential experience and points in Jufeng Town, he was eager to return.
He really missed the shop!
He hoped that after recruiting Xiao Cao, they could make good use of Jufeng Town’s abundant population resources to earn more points and experience.
“Knock, knock, knock—”
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
Tang Yu’an went to open it and saw the boss lady, Lin Meiyu, standing outside. Compared to yesterday, her complexion looked much better, and she seemed much happier.
Lin Meiyu gestured for him to come into the room.
After closing the door, she took out a small cloth pouch from her pocket containing two crystal stones and said, “Brother Hu’s condition has stabilized. He slept well last night and even got up to eat something earlier.”
“I heard from Old Li that you’re leaving today.”
“Thank you both. This is the payment I promised yesterday.”
Tang Yu’an reached out to accept it, but the system prompt didn’t appear. He looked at Zhou Qi.
Zhou Qi understood and said, “Is he in the room? Let’s check on him again, and you can give us the crystal stones afterward.”
Lin Meiyu was a bit puzzled—they had already given her the crystal stones… But if they were willing to check on Wang Hu again, she was, of course, happy.
“Alright.”
So Zhou Qi and Tang Yu’an went to check on Wang Hu’s condition.
After a night, his life force had become stronger. His health was probably around 40%. With proper rest, he’d likely recover in two or three days.
When they arrived, Wang Hu was awake.
This burly man had lost a lot of weight after this ordeal, but his spirits were good, and his brownish-yellow eyes were sharp.
“Thank you for saving my life,” he said solemnly.
“You’re welcome,” Tang Yu’an replied. “We were just giving it a try. It’s your strong will that kept you alive.”
Only then did Zhou Qi accept the crystal stones from Lin Meiyu.
[Employee “Zhou Qi” completed a profitable transaction with a regular customer. Points +400, Experience +1]
Seeing the system prompt, Tang Yu’an finally relaxed.
He said to Lin Meiyu, “Boss lady, Brother Hu is recovering well. You can rest easy.”
Lin Meiyu nodded gratefully.
At this point, Zhou Qi finally spoke, “Boss lady, there’s one more thing we’d like to ask of you.”
He took out one pound of rabbit meat.
Seeing her puzzled expression, he explained, “We’d like to book another bed in the common room.”
“Aren’t you leaving soon?” she asked, confused.
“Yes.”
Although puzzled, Lin Meiyu agreed. “I won’t accept the meat. As I said before, since you saved Brother Hu, you’ll always have free accommodation here.”
Tang Yu’an shook his head. “Boss lady, this is for our stay, so please accept the rabbit meat.”
Of course, the main reason was to earn points.
Directly booking a month with three pounds of meat would be too conspicuous, so they decided to be modest.
“Is it for you?”
Lin Meiyu frowned in confusion, then suddenly realized something and widened her eyes. “Could it be…”
Zhou Qi nodded and then explained to her.
As she listened, Lin Meiyu was surprised at first but gradually softened. Finally, she said, “Alright, I understand.”
[Employee “Zhou Qi” completed a profitable transaction with a regular customer. Points +90, Experience +1]
*
“Let’s go back to the Desolate City.”
After breakfast, around seven to eight o’clock, Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi set off with Old Li, heading back.
Lin Meiyu stood at the door, watching them leave.
Recalling their request before leaving, she couldn’t help but think: These two boys are indeed different from the people of Jufeng Town…
I wonder if we’ll have the chance to meet again?
She watched until they disappeared along the mountain path before turning back inside.
After a while, Shi Tou and Xiao Cao came out of their room, rubbing their eyes.
The common room at the Jade Pavillion Inn was incredibly comfortable for them. Plus, their bodies were weak from long-term malnutrition. In such a safe environment, it was hard for the two children to wake up once they fell into a deep sleep.
They had woken up hungry and reluctantly left their beds.
“Bo-Boss lady…”
Seeing Lin Meiyu on the first floor, the siblings were stunned before stammering a greeting.
Noticing their reaction, Lin Meiyu couldn’t help but smile.
Her smile made the siblings even more embarrassed.
“W-We… we’re leaving now…”
They wanted to run off, but Lin Meiyu beckoned them over.
They exchanged glances and walked over.
Despite her fierce reputation, the boss lady’s smile at this moment made it hard for the two children to dislike her. They even felt a natural closeness.
“Do you need something from us, boss lady?” Xiao Cao asked.
“The Little Divine Doctor and his friend just left,” Lin Meiyu said.
“They left?” Shi Tou blinked, quickly reacting. “You mean they left Jufeng Town?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you call us earlier?” Shi Tou immediately grabbed his sister and dashed outside.
But when they reached the town gate, they didn’t see the people they hoped to find.
By now, Shi Tou had calmed down a bit, but the sadness in his heart remained strong.
He didn’t quite understand why he felt this way.
They were just passing acquaintances; so what if they left without saying goodbye?
But Shi Tou still felt sad.
Throughout their lives, besides each other, no one had ever treated them so well… He was genuinely grateful and wanted to repay them.
Moreover, every farewell in the wasteland could be a final goodbye…
They might never meet again.
“Shi Tou, let’s go back,” Xiao Cao tugged at his clothes.
Shi Tou looked at her; her eyes were red, just like his, clearly feeling the same sadness.
“The boss lady might have something to tell us. Let’s go back to the Jade Pavillion Inn,” Xiao Cao continued.
Shi Tou was startled, realizing that if the boss lady had something to say, there was no need to stop them unless it was important.
Could it be that the Little Divine Doctor left a message for them?
“Let’s go back!”
So the siblings, who had just run off, hurried back to the Jade Pavillion Inn.
Lin Meiyu, who was cleaning, was surprised to see them return so quickly but then smiled.
She knew they would come back, just not so soon.
After understanding their purpose, she nodded and said, “They’ve extended a bed in the common room for ten more days. One of you siblings can continue staying here.”
The siblings were utterly shocked by this news.
After taking time to digest it, Shi Tou felt both joy and an even stronger sense of sadness.
Why are they treating us so well? So well that it makes me feel ashamed!
“Let my sister stay,” he offered.
He was stronger physically and could handle sleeping rough outside.
However, Lin Meiyu shook her head.
She took out a pair of scissors from behind the counter and said to them, “The Little Divine Doctor said these scissors are entrusted to me. You can come borrow them during the day and return them to me for safekeeping at night.”
“Earn your own lodging fees through your work.”
Shi Tou’s eyes lit up as he looked at the scissors. “Really… really?”
Lin Meiyu nodded.
Looking at the siblings’ thin figures, she thought for a moment and said, “If you want to give haircuts, you can bring customers to the Jade Pavillion Inn.”
She emphasized, “It’s safer to conduct business here.”
These two children were too weak, and the scissors belonged to the Little Divine Doctor; she was afraid they couldn’t protect them.
“Thank you, boss lady.”
Xiao Cao also realized this and her voice choked slightly.
People in town said the boss lady of the Jade Pavilion Inn was vicious, a femme fatale, but after interacting with her, they found out that wasn’t true at all.
The boss lady, like the Little Divine Doctor, was a very, very good person.
Lin Meiyu shook her head. “If you want to thank someone, thank the Little Divine Doctor.”
If they hadn’t saved Wang Hu, she couldn’t even protect the Jade Pavillion Inn, let alone shelter others.
“If your business isn’t good, you can help me collect firewood,” Lin Meiyu continued. “Collect enough for one pound, and you can stay one night.”
After all, their stay in the common room only cost about a pound of firewood per night.
“Alright, we understand.”
Shi Tou carefully took the scissors, his eyes and nose red, emotions still unsettled.
Seeing the two children like this, Lin Meiyu couldn’t help but say, “They said they’d come back to Jufeng Town in the future.”
“Really?” Shi Tou and Xiao Cao looked up simultaneously.
“Yes, they said it themselves.”
“Thank you!”
Only then did the two children perk up.
After all, survival was pressing, and the others had already left. Being sad wouldn’t help, so they quickly composed themselves.
Shi Tou wanted to go out immediately to give haircuts in exchange for food, but Xiao Cao stopped him and said to Lin Meiyu, “Boss lady, we’ll go collect firewood now. Can we borrow tools from you?”
Lin Meiyu nodded. “Sure.”
The siblings left the Jade Pavillion Inn with tools for collecting firewood—leaving the scissors with Lin Meiyu since they were heading to the mountains.
On the way, Shi Tou asked curiously, “Xiao Cao, aren’t we going to give haircuts?”
He thought they’d earn more from giving haircuts, possibly even having surplus after paying for lodging!
Xiao Cao explained, “The boss lady’s husband is injured and probably can’t go to the mountains to collect firewood these days. She’s helping us so much; we should help her in return.”
“Oh!” Shi Tou realized. “Then let’s hurry back after collecting the firewood.”
Compared to edible things like wild vegetables and mushrooms, there’s less competition for firewood. They collected a bundle, and by the time they returned to the Jade Pavillion Inn, it was almost noon.
Lin Meiyu was pleased with the firewood. After weighing it, she gave them each a fruit.
“You can continue staying here today. Remember to keep the place clean.”
“Okay, thank you, boss lady!”
Shi Tou and Xiao Cao carried the fruits back to their room. Although it was stuffy inside, it was much better than baking in the sun outside.
They devoured the fruits ravenously.
They were still growing children. After finishing the fruits, they still felt hungry, so Shi Tou took out the whole wheat buns that Tang Yu’an had given them.
“The Little Divine Doctor said they aren’t poisoned, so they must be safe.”
If he wanted to harm them, there was no need to go through so much trouble.
“Yes.” Xiao Cao nodded.
Still, they were cautious and didn’t eat too much at once, dividing the bun into several pieces and each taking one to nibble on.
“This bun is so delicious!”
“Even if it’s good, don’t eat too fast.”
After finishing the small portion of the bun, the siblings lay down to sleep.
It was the hottest time of the day, and few people were out and about. Even if they went out to give haircuts, they probably wouldn’t attract much business.
So they decided to sleep while their stomachs were somewhat full; sleeping would make them forget their hunger for a while.
Shi Tou quickly fell asleep, but Xiao Cao couldn’t.
She stared at the ceiling, feeling as if the past two days were just a dream.
Could she and her brother really continue living at the Jade Pavillion Inn?
[The Mysterious Merchant wishes to recruit you as a “Peace Grocery Shop” salesperson]
[Job Description: Assist the shop owner in selling goods, manage the shop, etc.]
[Salary: 10 points per month]
[Benefits: Unlock access to the mall exchange panel, etc.]
[Accept] [Decline]
Seeing a strange light screen appear before her, Xiao Cao thought she must be dreaming.
What did the words on this screen mean?
She had seen such patterns on some apocalypse packaging, so she knew these were words—a language that could record information.
But…
She couldn’t read them!
lmao;’)))))