God-Tier Get Rich System – CH143

Chapter 143: The Black Fog

[New Year’s Lucky Packet: one-time use item. Condenses the heartfelt blessings of ordinary people, effective against ordinary evil spirits.]

[Item discovered!]
[Item discovered!]
[……]

Mu Lantu calmly collected all the red envelopes. Three pairs of elders, six red envelopes in total—six one-time use items!

Xu Huazhang was also a little stunned.

When the adults finished their greetings, the children chirped happily as they came to wish Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang a happy New Year.

The two had already prepared. They pulled out a handful of red envelopes from their pockets and handed them out one by one.

The ones they themselves prepared did not trigger the “item discovered” notification. It seemed only the red envelopes given by the natives counted as items.

“Thank you, Brother Xiaohua! Thank you, Brother Xiaoming!”

Outside the community, the streets were even livelier. Both sides were lined with stalls, while the middle was packed with throngs of people—sweet young couples, blissful families of three, elderly pairs who had spent a lifetime together… all laughing heartily, bathed in festive cheer.

From afar, firecrackers cracked and fireworks bloomed.

“Don’t miss it! Fresh fried meatballs, crispy pork bites, fried mushrooms, fried spring rolls!”

“Candied apples! Sweet and sour candied apples!”

Following Uncle Yang and the others, Mu Lantu observed along the way. He noticed that buyers never said they wanted to “buy,” but rather “wish for blessings.” For example, asking for a milk tea would be said as “I want a cup of blessings.” Of course, it wasn’t literal—the money was still paid. Sellers also didn’t say “sell,” but instead “give.”

They quickly found a suitable stall.

Soon, Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang welcomed their first customers—a young couple with a five- or six-year-old girl. To collect more “blessings,” they even carried a delicate little basket.

“Happy New Year! We’d like a blessing.”

“Happy New Year!” Mu Lantu calmly transformed into a stall owner. “One blessing for one yuan, pick whatever you like.”

Xu Huazhang stood nearby, alert and watchful. Suddenly, his expression froze. Above them, nearly every few seconds, a red lantern went dark!

He pressed a hand on Mu Lantu’s back and asked Uncle Chen beside him, “Uncle Chen, what’s happening up there?”

Mu Lantu quickly finished serving the customers and scanned his surroundings warily.

Uncle Chen looked up—first surprised, then furious. “What’s going on? This must be the fault of those officials! They must’ve bought shoddy lightbulbs!”

The lanterns weren’t lit by candles like real ones, but by bulbs.

Auntie Chen’s smile vanished. “This has never happened before. It’s a terrible omen! What do we do? Our New Year’s luck will surely be affected!”

Others on the street noticed too, their faces darkening.

The older generation reacted most strongly, muttering, swearing, cursing in anger.

“Damn it! Who the hell did this? Looking for death!”

An old man kicked over a street stall in fury.

That set things off—the stall owner argued back, and soon they were shouting at each other, anger escalating, no one able to stop them. Luckily, neither crossed the line into fighting—just words.

More lanterns went dark. Strangely, there was no pattern in number or location—sometimes just one, sometimes five or six, sometimes a whole patch, sometimes in the east, sometimes the west.

Mu Lantu felt there was a pattern, but he hadn’t discovered it yet.

Then—fog began to rise.

Black fog.

Oddly, it didn’t spread in sheets, but formed in separate clusters. As more appeared, they began connecting together. At first thin, but as more lanterns went out, the fog thickened, rising higher.

Red lanterns swayed in the wind, looking ever more sinister within the black haze—like ghostly flames, or red eyes of monsters peering out from the dark!

“Ahhh—”

Screams erupted in the distance. Panic spread. People scattered.

“Daddy, I’m scared!”
“Mommy!”

Children who had been playing outside rushed back to their parents in fright.

Uncle Chen and Auntie Chen huddled together in fear.

“What’s happening?”

The fog grew denser. Soon, they wouldn’t even be able to tell the way home. Uncle Chen made a swift decision: “No more stall—let’s go! Back home!”

Everyone scrambled to pack their things and rushed back to the community.

“Xiao Hua, Xiao Ming, stay close!”

Mu Lantu wanted to understand what was happening. They still had fifteen days left in this town. If they stayed ignorant, they’d only trap themselves. But now, the best course was to stick with the natives and wait for morning.

Chaos consumed the street. Some fled east, others west.

At first, Uncle Chen tried to push their cart along, but eventually they had to abandon it.

Others had also dropped carts and chairs; people stumbled into them, children crying in distress, parents scooping them up.

Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang shielded them, struggling to get everyone back home safely.

The Chen family thanked them profusely before hurrying indoors.

Xu Huazhang guided Mu Lantu to the sofa, squatting before him and gently rubbing his knee. “Baby, where did you bump yourself?”

Mu Lantu massaged his calf. “It’s fine, just hit it here.”

“Let me see.” Xu Huazhang insisted.

Mu Lantu pulled up his pant leg, revealing a bruise—nothing serious.

Xu Huazhang frowned—it had struck bone. He fetched the medicine box, spraying the injury. “If you feel unwell, say so. Don’t tough it out.”

“I’m not that delicate.” Mu Lantu felt warmed, though he couldn’t resist retorting.

Xu Huazhang pulled his pant leg back down, then took out the red envelope the female boss had given them days earlier.

[Item discovered!]

As expected.

[New Year’s Lucky Packet: permanent item. Condenses a merchant’s heartfelt blessings, effective against all evil spirits. Duration: 24 hours; cooldown: 24 hours.]

“Baby, look at this red envelope from the boss lady.”

Mu Lantu took it out—shocked.

“Our luck is insane!”

Fourteen items in one dungeon run! Who would even believe it?

“It’s not luck.” Xu Huazhang kissed his lips, full of pride and tenderness. “It’s the blessing you’ve earned through sincerity and respect. I’m just basking in your glow.”

Mu Lantu flushed with embarrassment. Did Big Baby really see him that perfectly? It wasn’t lack of confidence—just that Xu Huazhang always seemed to regard him as flawless.

“Next time, you can bask again.”

“Good.” Xu Huazhang kissed him again. “Rest well tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll investigate.”

“Do we need to keep watch?” Mu Lantu glanced at the window. The black fog still blanketed the whole town, the swaying red “eyes” glaring sharply.

“You sleep first. I’ll take first watch.” Tonight might be the first night of crisis—Xu Huazhang couldn’t rest easy otherwise.

“Make sure you wake me for the second half.” Mu Lantu didn’t want him guarding all night alone.

“Don’t worry.” Xu Huazhang led him to the bedroom.

Mu Lantu prepared hot water, tea, books, coffee, and snacks before washing up and going to bed.

Xu Huazhang kept watch beside him—reading, drinking tea, nibbling snacks—quite content.

Outside, screams occasionally pierced the night. Police sirens wailed a few times. Upstairs and downstairs, children’s crying never stopped.

The night passed in fear and unease.

At dawn, the fog finally dispersed.

Mu Lantu waited until eight o’clock before waking Xu Huazhang.

“Someone died in our community… maybe more than one. People downstairs are crying.”

After breakfast, they went out together.

The residents had all gathered in the courtyard, uneasy and afraid.

Firework debris littered the ground, no one had cleaned it. Abandoned carts lay scattered, ignored.

Mu Lantu discreetly pulled Xu Huazhang into the crowd.

An old man sighed. “Old Lady Zhao would have turned seventy next year. How could this happen…”

An old woman snorted. “Serves her right. She never treated people well—no blessings stored up!”

Another woman tried to hush her. “The dead are gone, don’t speak ill.”

The sharp-tongued woman looked a bit guilty. “If you ask me, it’s poor little Song family’s child that’s the tragedy. Not even ten years old. What a sin…”

Mu Lantu tugged Auntie Zhang’s sleeve gently. “Auntie, how did the two of them die?”

Only then did Auntie Zhang notice him, her face frightened. “They say… they say the black fog forced its way into their mouths…”

Xu Huazhang righted a fallen cart while Mu Lantu helped Auntie Zhang sit.

“Auntie, didn’t they go home once the fog started?”

The two squatted down, one on each side of her.

The gesture calmed her. She steadied herself and said, “Of course they went home! Who would dare stay outside in that fog? But after they got home—that’s when the black fog struck them!”

Mu Lantu asked again: “Do the two victims have anything in common?”

“Common?” Auntie Zhang thought for a while. “I knew Old Lady Zhao a bit, but not the Song child. Just heard he was lively and cheerful…”

“What kind of person was Old Lady Zhao? Could you tell us?”

Auntie Zhang looked puzzled. “Why are you asking this?”

Mu Lantu hesitated, then said, “I want to figure out why the black fog targeted them. Its appearance was strange. Even though it’s gone now…”

Auntie Zhang shivered. “You mean—the black fog might return?”

Suddenly, someone rushed over, shouting angrily: “What nonsense are you spouting, kid? Trying to scare everyone?”