Futile Devices Scans

There was also an area in the camp where people could set up stalls.

Xia Yunzhao followed Xing Wenyu there and saw people selling clothes, weapons, and other goods. After looking around for a while, however, he could not shake the feeling that the clothes were secondhand, while some of the weapons still had blood on them. He strongly suspected they had been stripped from corpses.

There were also stalls selling meat, mostly rabbits, chickens, and the like. Although these were technically slaughter beasts as well, they were unranked. Their status among slaughter beasts was roughly equivalent to Lingwei Grass among spirit herbs.

His only useful discovery was a woman selling firewood. She was thin and gaunt and probably lacked the ability to go treasure hunting in the mountains, so she chopped firewood instead and sold it to treasure hunters who preferred paying money to save themselves the time.

Xia Yunzhao went over and asked the price. Finding it very reasonable, he immediately ordered three loads and asked her to deliver them to his home once they had been chopped.

Xing Wenyu found him an empty spot, spread several broad leaves over the ground, and laid out the Blackwind Hound meat for sale.

As a Level-One slaughter beast, the Blackwind Hound contained far more spiritual power than chickens, rabbits, and other creatures of that sort. Almost immediately, numerous gazes began drifting toward them, some more discreetly than others.

Xing Wenyu said quietly, “Several factions maintain order in the camp, and injuring people here is forbidden, so it’s relatively safe. Even so, you need to be particularly careful whenever you go out for the next few days.”

Xia Yunzhao nodded. Glancing around, he indeed saw several people staring greedily in his direction, only to turn away when their eyes met his.

How did that saying go again? Wherever there are people, there is a jianghu. And among treasure hunters who practically carried their heads at their waists every time they entered the mountains, not a single one was easy to deal with.

Elio’s Notes: Jianghu (江湖), literally “rivers and lakes,” refers figuratively to the wider social world outside formal authority, with its own rivalries, alliances, dangers, and unwritten rules.

Two people approached from ahead. Xia Yunzhao looked up and recognized them immediately. They were the same two guards from the treasure-hunting party he had followed into the mountains.

When Xia Yunzhao and Xing Wenyu returned that afternoon, Xing Wenyu had not paid the entrance fee and therefore could not travel back with the treasure-hunting party, so the two of them had simply descended the mountain early. Xia Yunzhao had no idea when the party was supposed to return, but apparently it was already back.

The two guards did not bother looking around and walked directly to Xia Yunzhao’s stall. Whether they failed to recognize him or simply did not care, one merely asked, “How much for the meat?”

Xia Yunzhao naturally had no intention of trying to make conversation with them now. “Are you buying all of it?”

The guard nodded expressionlessly.

Xia Yunzhao quickly did the math. The Blackwind Hound had looked enormous, but much of its weight had been in its bones, so it had yielded only around a hundred jin of meat. He had already set aside twenty jin to split between himself and Xing Wenyu, leaving roughly eighty jin. He therefore said, “If you take the whole lot, one hundred spirit pearls. Final price.”

The guard nodded, tossed down a money pouch, rolled up all the meat on the ground, stuffed it into his storage pouch, and left.

Xia Yunzhao immediately felt that he had priced it too low… Ah, forget it. It was not as though he had lost money. He had already been sitting at the stall for a while, and most people had merely watched from a distance. Compared with rabbit and chicken, Blackwind Hound meat was still too expensive for ordinary treasure hunters.

Thinking it through carefully, he had sold the pelt and bones to Boss Kang for one hundred and fifty spirit pearls, and now the meat had sold for another hundred. That came to two hundred and fifty spirit pearls altogether, practically the same amount they would have gotten by hauling the entire carcass into the city. And he still had twenty jin of meat and all the organs left over!

Xia Yunzhao put away the money, then immediately began coveting something else. “Storage pouches really are convenient. I want one so badly.”

Xing Wenyu helped him pack up the stall. “Storage pouches are even more expensive than lowest-grade magical artifacts. Those two guards belong to the Fang family, and only the Fang family could afford to equip ordinary guards with storage pouches. The Fang family is a cultivator family from Qingxi City and has a Foundation Establishment cultivator. The other two patron families here are the Liu family and the Ji family. Both also have Foundation Establishment cultivators, though fewer than the Fang family. The three families jointly control Qingxi City and jointly manage this camp. Of course, although they call it joint management, the Fang family is really the one in charge.”

Elio’s Notes: Foundation Establishment (筑基) is a formal cultivation realm or stage.

Realization dawned on Xia Yunzhao. “So the camp looks like a lawless no-man’s-land, but it’s actually an extension of Qingxi City’s influence?”

Xing Wenyu looked rather impressed. “Smart. There are three large camps throughout the Liancui Mountain Range, including ours. Based on their locations, each belongs to a different city, and Qingxi City is one of them. The other two camps are too far away to have any influence over us, though.”

Xia Yunzhao nodded, then asked, “Since there are cultivators in Qingxi City, are there people who refine pills too? Can you buy pills there?”

“Pills?” Xing Wenyu looked at him and immediately understood. “You mean alchemists? Alchemists are far too valuable to remain in a little city like this. Anyone who displays even a little talent gets recruited by one of the nearby sects. If you want to buy pills, though, Qingxi City has a branch of Wandan Hall. Their prices are fairly reasonable.”

Xia Yunzhao fell into thought. Wandan Hall certainly sounded like a business specializing in pills. If they sold pills, surely they bought them too. He could go ask. Coming back to himself, he asked curiously, “Brother Xing, you seem awfully familiar with cultivator affairs. Did you want to cultivate too?”

Xing Wenyu smiled and ran his fingers over the gourd hanging at his waist. “I know more simply because I’ve been through more things in the past. Xiao Xia, remember this: if you ever get the chance to cultivate, never meddle in matters that don’t concern you. Otherwise, you may get dragged into a conflict between powerful cultivators and lose your life without even knowing why.”

＊

Xia Yunzhao insisted on giving Xing Wenyu half the meat. Once he dug in his heels, not even the Emperor of Heaven himself could have talked him out of it. Left with no choice, Xing Wenyu eventually departed carrying an enormous chunk of meat.

Xia Yunzhao took the other half home and began studying the list Boss Kang had given him.

There were far too many things he needed! Clothes, bedding, rice, flour, cooking oil, seasonings… He could hardly wait to fill his empty home.

Kang Xinghuai had put together a surprisingly professional list. Every category and price was clearly laid out, complete with descriptions of the merchandise. Most items even came in several grades. Bedding, for instance, came in high-, mid-, and low-priced options. The most expensive set was sewn from slaughter-beast hide and fur and stuffed with slaughter-beast feathers, making it both warm and lightweight.

Of course, the hides and feathers came from very low-level slaughter beasts, and only small amounts were used. Even so, they still contained spiritual power, so the price was hardly cheap: a full fifty spirit pearls for one set.

The cheapest bedding, by comparison, was made of ordinary cotton cloth and cost only twelve spirit pearls per set.

The same applied to clothing and food.

Xia Yunzhao had always lived by one principle: buy the best thing you could reasonably afford. Besides, he was now a treasure hunter who could die at any moment. Who knew when he might run into danger and perish on the mountain? It would be terribly regrettable to die with money still sitting unused in his pocket…

So Xiao Xia waved his hand grandly and checked off one set of the most expensive bedding, two sets of the most expensive ready-made clothes, three cheaper sets of clothing, one sack of polished rice, one sack of white flour, cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and all sorts of pots, bowls, utensils, and miscellaneous household goods. If the list had it, he bought one.

Once everything was added up, including Boss Kang’s delivery fee, the total came to a full one hundred and fifty spirit pearls. Most of the spirit pearls he had just earned disappeared before they had even had time to warm in his hands.

Xia Yunzhao did not feel the slightest heartache. He wholeheartedly agreed with something his parents had taught him when he was young: You don’t make money by saving it. You make money by earning it!

Boss Kang happened to still be in the camp, so Xia Yunzhao handed over the list and deposit, arranged a delivery time, then happily went home to cook his meat.

He had kept a full twenty jin instead of selling it, splitting it roughly in half with Xing Wenyu. Xing Wenyu had used a short knife to cut Xia Yunzhao’s portion into pieces of around one jin each. Xia Yunzhao simply put one straight into the pot, added water, and simmered it until cooked. There was not much else he could do when he did not even own a knife or chopping board yet.

He rubbed salt over the remaining meat and hung it up. Slaughter-beast meat naturally contained spiritual energy and already kept longer than ordinary meat. Once salted, it should last half a month without any problem.

The organs were more troublesome. Even salted, they would not keep for very long, and Xia Yunzhao could not possibly eat that much by himself. Throwing them away felt like such a waste. After all, meat was still meat!

While he was worrying over the problem, someone unexpectedly called from outside his door. At first, he wondered whether the smell of stewing meat had been so tempting that a neighbor had come asking for a taste. After thinking about it, however, that seemed impossible. Treasure hunters were highly wary of one another and would not simply visit someone’s home without warning.

He opened the door and found a sturdy-looking man outside. The man had regular features and a steady gaze. Without beating around the bush, he asked, “Are you the young brother who was selling Blackwind Hound meat this afternoon? I wonder if you remember me?”

Xia Yunzhao studied him carefully. He did look vaguely familiar… Then realization dawned. “You were running the stall beside mine. What can I do for you?”

It had been Xia Yunzhao’s first time selling at the market that day, so he had deliberately observed all the vendors around him. He did remember this man. His stall had been right next door, piled with rabbits, chickens, ducks, and a few wild melons and fruits. There had been roughly twenty or thirty animals altogether, and business had been very good.

Seeing that Xia Yunzhao remembered him, the man visibly relaxed. “Forgive me for coming uninvited. I wanted to ask whether you’re willing to sell the Blackwind Hound’s offal. If so, I’ll offer fifteen spirit pearls.”

“Sell it? Of course I’ll sell it!” Xia Yunzhao immediately broke into a huge smile. He had been worrying about what to do with the stuff. He turned around at once, brought out the entire batch of offal, and asked, “Can you carry all this? If not, I can lend you my bamboo basket.”

“No need.” The man politely declined and promptly counted out fifteen spirit pearls for him.

Xia Yunzhao decided that he rather liked this man, so he asked, “What are you buying the offal for? Are you going to eat it?”

The man was clearly pleased with the deal as well and answered readily. “My family found a small lake in the mountains. The spirit fish there are especially plump. These organs have a strong bloody smell, and because they came from a Level-One slaughter beast, they’re rich in spiritual power. They’re perfect for bait.”

Thinking back to the large amount of game on the man’s stall earlier, Xia Yunzhao guessed that he probably did not work alone but went into the mountains with his entire family. He said, “Then I hope it goes well. I’ll come buy fish from you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow probably won’t work.” The man laughed. “Once we put down the bait, we have to wait a full day. If you want some, come find me at the stall the day after tomorrow. I’ll give you one!”

Xia Yunzhao had known none of this and felt as though he had learned something new again.

After seeing his visitor off, he found that the meat in the pot was already cooked.

Xia Yunzhao could barely remember the last time he had eaten meat. He filled an entire bowl with broth and meat, ignored how hot it was, bent over it, and slurped down a mouthful.

Heavens! This was unbelievably delicious!

The meat had been boiled in nothing but water with a little salt, yet the broth was incomparably rich and savory. There was not the slightest trace of gaminess, only the full fragrance of meat. The simple preparation actually brought out the natural flavor of the ingredient even more clearly.

He speared another piece of meat, blew on it, and took a bite. So tender! The rich meat flavor is incredible!

As the meat settled in his stomach, it gave off a faint warmth. The spiritual energy contained within it nourished the very foundation of his body, leaving him so comfortable that his eyes narrowed in pleasure.

Clink-clatter—

Xia Yunzhao opened his eyes and saw Xiao Qing wobbling on the table. He thought for a moment before asking hesitantly, “You want some too? Can you even eat this?”

Clink-clatter.

Apparently, that meant yes.

Xia Yunzhao scooped up a small spoonful of broth and poured it into the little “pot” at the top of the furnace. Sure enough, white light appeared and the broth vanished. The progress bar in front of it rose by an amount even thinner than a strand of hair.

It did not seem to accomplish much, but eating was supposed to be enjoyable. The progress bar could wait. Smiling, Xia Yunzhao ladled an entire bowl of soup into it. “This really feels like feeding a pig. Maybe I should’ve named you Little Piggy instead.”

Xiao Qing Piggy wobbled its round belly in displeasure. Afraid of spilling the broth, however, it did not dare make any large movements and eventually settled back down to quietly enjoy its meal.

＊

Outside the house, several shadowy figures huddled furtively together, staring greedily at the dilapidated wooden shack.

“…A whole Blackwind Hound. He made a lot of money off it…”

“We can’t make a move inside the camp, but once he goes outside…”

“I already checked. He came here alone…”

“Heh heh heh… When the time comes…”

＊

After resting for a while with Xiao Qing in his arms, Xia Yunzhao cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks and began taking stock of everything he had gained that day.

Today had been extremely profitable!

The Blackwind Hound’s pelt, bones, and meat had sold for a combined two hundred and fifty spirit pearls, while the offal had brought another fifteen, for a total of two hundred and sixty-five spirit pearls. Of course, he had then spent one hundred and fifty on bedding, clothes, and all sorts of miscellaneous supplies, leaving him with one hundred and fifteen spirit pearls.

Xia Yunzhao poured the spirit pearls into his money pouch. It formed a reassuringly heavy half-bag.

As for his other possessions… Of the three Lingwei Pills he had refined yesterday, one remained. And then there was—

Xia Yunzhao turned out one of his pockets and produced several broken pieces of material.

These were fragments left behind when the Hundred-Hunt Trap shattered. Xing Wenyu had helped him gather up everything that still looked relatively intact. Examining them carefully, Xia Yunzhao found five items in total: two larger pieces of ore, a length of tendon from some unknown beast, one intact blade, and a broken crystal.

He did not recognize a single one of them.

The two pieces of ore were black with a metallic sheen. The beast tendon was extremely tough and resilient. The blade looked very sharp, although unfortunately it had no handle and would be easy to injure himself with. As for the crystal, it was especially strange. It was only about the size of a red date. Half had already lost its luster and crumbled into powder at the slightest touch, while the remaining half had a sheen somewhat similar to a spirit pearl.

Xia Yunzhao was still examining it when Xiao Qing suddenly jumped over and bumped eagerly against the back of his hand.

Xia Yunzhao stared at it in surprise. “Seriously, Xiao Qing? You eat this too? Is there anything you won’t eat?”