Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Before 8 a.m., Ying Yuanxing had already arrived at the agreed-upon riverside meeting spot.

The riverbank was deserted, though. Clearly, the person the village chief mentioned hadn't arrived yet. Ying Yuanxing glanced at his stamina bar and decided to cast his line, using up the last bit of his energy.

Li An emerged from the water, the sound of splashing distinct.

Ying Yuanxing stared at Li An walking out of the river, momentarily stunned. But his attention quickly shifted as a fish bit his hook. By the time he reeled it in, Li An had fully stepped out of the water, holding a fishing rod that looked strikingly familiar to Ying Yuanxing.

Ying Yuanxing glanced down at his own rod. If he weren't holding it, he might have thought it was his.

But that wasn’t important. A fishing rod and falling in—could it be that he'd been pulled into the water by a large fish while fishing? Seeing his empty hands, it seemed he hadn’t caught anything either. Still, Ying Yuanxing admired Li An’s determination to hold onto the fish even at the cost of falling in—a feat he himself couldn’t manage.

"Hey, buddy, are you okay?" Seeing Li An’s pale face, Ying Yuanxing asked with concern, offering comfort, "No big deal about the fish. We can fish another time. As long as you’re alive, anything’s possible."

When Li An remained silent, Ying Yuanxing thought for a moment and added, "For example, this afternoon, I almost caught a fish over three meters long and weighing around two hundred pounds. But it was too strong and fast, so it got away."

Li An blinked and looked up at Ying Yuanxing, who mistakenly took it as his story having a comforting effect.

Noticing Li An’s soaked clothes, Ying Yuanxing rummaged through his backpack and pulled out a campfire kit—his light source for night. Apart from the streetlamp at the village entrance, the rest of the village had no lighting. Since he often went out at night, he needed something to light his way.

The campfire not only provided light but also warmth and could be used to cook small meals.

"Warm up by the fire. Dry your clothes before heading back." Though he didn’t ask, Ying Yuanxing assumed Li An was a villager from Taoxi Village. Otherwise, why would an outsider come to fish in the village’s small river?

In all his days here, aside from Elder Brother Yu and Chen Yuan outside the village, Ying Yuanxing hadn’t seen any outsiders.

But he understood. The world was chaotic these days, and unless necessary, he didn’t like going out either. You never knew what dangers lurked outside.

Li An glanced at the fire Ying Yuanxing had lit, then looked back at him. "The village chief said you want the fishing gear shop?"

Hearing this, Ying Yuanxing paused, hesitating. "Are you the shop owner's successor the chief mentioned?"

When Li An nodded, Ying Yuanxing quickly confirmed—yes, he did want to rent the shop.

Just as he was about to speak, Ying Yuanxing realized he didn’t even know the other’s name and hurriedly asked.

"Li An," came the reply.

That name rang a bell.

A fleeting thought crossed Ying Yuanxing’s mind, but he quickly dismissed it and began discussing his plans to rent the shop.

He had expected lengthy negotiations, but Li An was surprisingly easy to deal with, offering reasonable rent with just one small request.

"My health isn’t great, so I’m back in the village to recuperate. If the shop is open for business, I won’t have a place to rest," Li An explained.

Ying Yuanxing nearly suggested he stay at the farm, but remembering there was only one house—barely enough for him and Xuan Ying—he reconsidered.

Moreover, after hearing about a random murder case from Yuan Xiu earlier that day, even if Li An looked frail and harmless—and shared his love for fishing—Ying Yuanxing wasn't comfortable having him stay.

"How about this? Tomorrow, when I have the carpenter renovate the shop, I’ll have them build a small shack by the river for you to rest in. It won’t be for too long anyway," Ying Yuanxing proposed.

Li An wasn’t particularly interested in staying at the farm, but he found Ying Yuanxing’s cautiousness curious.

Though he hadn’t interacted much with Ying Yuanxing, he knew the man was bold in the village, even causing some supernatural beings to avoid him. So why was he so hesitant now?

Still, despite his curiosity, Li An agreed to the suggestion.

After walking some distance, Ying Yuanxing turned back and saw the fishing gear shop’s lights shining brightly.

On the way home, it finally hit him why Li An’s name sounded familiar—it was the name of the deceased fisherman.

Ying Yuanxing froze. The image of Li An emerging from the water, the similar fishing rod, the chill he felt when near him—it all sent shivers down his spine. Suddenly, the shop’s lights seemed eerie.

Gulping air, Ying Yuanxing hurried toward the farm, clutching the burning campfire kit tightly. He didn’t dare let it go out now—that would be too terrifying.

Seeing the lit cabin and Xuan Ying waiting at the door, Ying Yuanxing felt slightly reassured. At least he wasn’t alone—otherwise, he might’ve crashed at the village chief’s place for the night.

"What’s wrong? Did you run into danger?" Xuan Ying had never seen Ying Yuanxing so rattled.

"Yes—no, not exactly..." Ying Yuanxing didn’t know how to explain. Though he had suspicions, now that he’d calmed down, it didn’t seem likely.

After all, when Li An emerged, there had been splashing water—that meant he had a real body. Ghosts don't make splashes, right?

As for the name, maybe it was just a coincidence.

"Nothing, just tired," Ying Yuanxing shook his head.

...

The next morning, Ying Yuanxing rounded up Xuan Ying and brought along Yuan Xiu and Yuan Qing to the riverside. In the distance, he spotted a figure standing at his usual fishing spot.

Glancing at the ground, Ying Yuanxing sighed in relief—there was a shadow. It seemed he’d misunderstood.

"Auntie, I’d like to renovate the fishing gear shop and add some display cases," Ying Yuanxing pointed at the shop. "What materials would we need?"

"Oh, and I also want to build a small riverside shack for Li An. How much wood and what'll it cost?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Qing looked at Ying Yuanxing with admiration. Li An wasn’t widely known in the village, but no supernatural being dared underestimate him—he had never lost a fight.

She hadn’t even known Li An had returned when Ying Yuanxing mentioned renting the shop. If Li An hadn’t come back, the shop would’ve been considered abandoned territory, free for use. But now that he was back, Ying Yuanxing not only secured the rental but even arranged a shack for him.

This...

Yuan Qing wasn’t sure whether to call Ying Yuanxing brave or Li An just really easygoing.

"Mr. Li," Ying Yuanxing called out as he saw Li An pull in his empty hook.

Li An turned and made his way over slowly.

"Mr. Li, this is Aunt Yuan, an expert carpenter. You can tell her what kind of shack you’d like, and she’ll have it ready quickly," Ying Yuanxing introduced.

"Oh, and I brought a storage crate to help you tidy up the shop, so they won’t be in the way," he added, pulling out a large crate.

"No need," Li An declined. "Mr. Ying, you’re not running a bait shop. Just having display cases would look bare. The fishing gear here can work as decor."

Ying Yuanxing nearly refused but then realized his own merchandise—mostly hay and some fish—was indeed monotonous. He relented.

Only after entering the shop with Li An did Ying Yuanxing feel relieved he hadn’t objected earlier. If Li An had put away the gear, he wouldn’t have known about these treasures.

His beat-up old rod worked okay, but couldn't handle the big ones.

The shop’s rods, however, came in every type—undoubtedly way better, though probably pricey.

Ying Yuanxing eyed them longingly but held back from asking to buy. Price aside, Li An might not even be willing to sell, given these were the late Li An’s gear. Asking now, while their relationship was still distant, wouldn't be right.

He’d have to build rapport first.

At this thought, Ying Yuanxing quickly opened the favorability list to check. The top spot was held by Xuan Ying, followed by Yuan Xiu, with Auntie Yuan Qing close behind. Then came the village chief and his wife, though their favorability was noticeably lower compared to the top three.

As for Li An—his name really was the same as the original fisherman’s. Ying Yuanxing sighed in amazement, then checked the favorability level. Surprisingly, Li An’s favorability was already at one and a half hearts' worth. For a stranger, this was suspiciously high.

Was it because he had let Li An tend the bonfire yesterday? Had that moved him?

If so, Li An must be someone who trusted and became attached to others too easily. That made him vulnerable to getting hurt.

Ying Yuanxing had been subconsciously keeping his distance from Li An because of yesterday’s incident, but now—how could someone who liked him so quickly be a bad person?

His change in attitude was so obvious that Li An found it strange. Though he wasn’t particularly curious by nature, he couldn’t help but glance at Ying Yuanxing a few more times.

……

While Ying Yuanxing was busy renovating the fishing gear shop, Chen Yuan was working hard to attract customers.

Chen Yuan first approached the Weird beings he was familiar with. In his eyes, premium Weird Food was a great product. Even though, as the name suggested, it might be some kind of bait with risks after consumption, such a good thing was worth the gamble.

However, attracting customers didn’t go smoothly. Some Weirds he was very close to turned out to be already dead when he visited—the lingering Weird Qi in their homes proved they had dissipated long ago. Others refused to open the door no matter how much Chen Yuan pleaded. Upon asking, he learned they had been scammed by other Weirds before.

After much effort, he found some Weirds willing to listen, and they were tempted by the Weird Food. But the moment they heard it had to be bought in Taoxi Village, they all backed out.

Finally, Chen Yuan had no choice but to stop approaching familiar Weirds and instead seek out those he had encountered while searching for Weird Food before.

These Weirds were in a similar situation to him—barely holding on themselves but with beloved Weirds on the verge of dissipation, desperately searching for life-sustaining Weird Food.

They dared to venture where ordinary Weirds wouldn’t and were willing to buy Weird Food others would hesitate to purchase—as long as it worked, they were willing to try.

Many Weirds even scammed these desperate ones out of their Weird Coins. A well-executed scam could earn a lot, but if exposed, the consequence was being torn apart by the mob.

When Chen Yuan told them about a Weird Food containing pure Weird Qi, they didn’t even need to taste the Weird Food’s effects before agreeing to follow him.

Even the Weirds who had initially refused Chen Yuan’s invitation changed their minds when they saw him gather such a large group. Greed got the better of them.

After all, he had tasted the Weird Food and knew it was good—just too risky. But with so many Weirds sharing the risk, maybe it wouldn’t be so dangerous after all.

Chen Yuan had gathered nine Weirds—just one short of ten. Seeing another willing to join, he hesitated briefly before greed for the premium Weird Food won out, and he let them join the group.

After all, gathering this many beings had been hard enough. If he rejected this one and had to find another, it might take ages. Worse, others might not have the patience to wait.

The group hurried to Taoxi Village. Chen Yuan looked at the forest, thought for a moment, then shouted, “We’re here to buy premium Weird Food. Please let us in.”

After shouting three times, Chen Yuan stepped into the woods, the others following. Soon, they emerged at the village entrance.

But upon arrival, Chen Yuan realized he had been so eager to reach Taoxi Village that he had forgotten one crucial detail—he didn’t know where Ying Yuanxing was selling the premium Weird Food.

Chen Yuan froze, and so did the others. After a while, when he still hadn’t moved, one of the Weirds spoke up:

“Chen Yuan, where do we buy the premium Weird Food?”

“Chen Yuan, you’re not lying to us, are you?”

Ten sets of eyes locked onto Chen Yuan. He knew if he didn’t give a reasonable explanation, he wouldn’t leave here in one piece.

Just as he was about to speak, he spotted a sign at the village entrance: *Fishing Gear Shop, 300 meters ahead.*

“No, just follow this sign,” Chen Yuan pointed at it and marched ahead before the others could protest.

The Weirds exchanged glances, their earlier aggression melting away as they followed.

Only the Weird at the very back had other ideas. He had heard of Taoxi Village’s reputation but never had any intention of visiting—until now. Since he was already here, maybe he could score some loot.

Most importantly, according to Chen Yuan, the premium Weird Food was sold by a Weird in Taoxi Village. Given its effects, the price wasn’t high—but if he could get it for free, or even steal the recipe, that would be a real payday.

Tempted as he was, this was his first time in Taoxi Village, so he wasn’t about to make moves yet. He quietly followed the group.

He didn’t notice the mist creeping in from the woods behind him—or the pair of eyes watching him from within.

By the time Chen Yuan’s group reached the fishing gear shop, Ying Yuanxing was inside arranging decorative fishing tools.

Hearing the commotion outside, Ying Yuanxing turned around, still holding a fishing rod.

Chen Yuan’s breath caught, suppressing the urge to step back. But while he resisted, the other Weirds collectively retreated a full step.

To Ying Yuanxing, he was just holding a fishing rod. But to the Weirds, it was a lethal supernatural implement, steeped in the essence of countless victims—a chilling testament to the horrors it had inflicted.

Even worse, Ying Yuanxing wasn’t just holding one Weird Tool—the walls were lined with various used ones. To the Weirds, it was like stepping into a macabre armory, each piece bearing a history of slaughter. That they only took one step back instead of fleeing outright spoke volumes about their willpower.

The Weird at the back shuddered, all his schemes dissolving on the spot. He stood frozen, his expression unnervingly vacant.

Ying Yuanxing set the fishing rod aside and counted the group—Chen Yuan had actually brought ten people.

If each bought one bottle of Weird Food, that would be 5,000 in profit right there.

And if each of these ten brought in new customers—even just five per person—that would be another 25,000.

The thought made Ying Yuanxing break into a smile as he greeted them, though his customer service was still unpolished.

Chen Yuan scanned the shop, realizing the fishing gear likely wasn’t for sale—the actual product was the premium Weird Food displayed in the cabinets.

Twenty bottles sat neatly arranged. Chen Yuan was transfixed, and neither could the other Weirds once they noticed them.

Even though the bottles blocked most of the Weird Qi, traces still leaked out. One whiff was enough to confirm Chen Yuan hadn’t lied—this Weird Food could truly save Weirds fading away.

“Shopkeep, I’ll take all of them,” one Weird blurted out, instantly drawing furious glares from the others.

If not for Ying Yuanxing’s presence, that Weird would’ve been torn limb from limb.

But once the words were out, the others—though aware it was unlikely—all vied to monopolize the entire stock, preferably securing all future production for themselves.

“Due to limited supply, each person is limited to one bottle. If you want it, pay up front,” Ying Yuanxing said. As much as he wanted to sell without restrictions, letting one person corner the market would mean relying solely on their future purchases—losing out on other potential customers in the long run.

Besides, judging by their expressions, these customers clearly wanted the Weird Food. If one person bought everything, they could flip it for profit—something Ying Yuanxing couldn’t tolerate.

He hadn’t even made enough yet—letting others profit off his product? Not happening.

Though disappointed, the Weirds had already guessed mass purchases were unlikely. They each grabbed a bottle and queued to checkout.

Once everyone had paid, Ying Yuanxing announced, “Even with purchase limits, we’re running a promotion.”

He explained the referral program, then handed Chen Yuan two additional bottles. “Mr. Chen, thank you for bringing ten new customers. This is your reward.”

Chen Yuan had bought one bottle and now received two more—making three total.

No matter how composed he usually was, the sight of the Weird Food shook his composure.

Ever since consuming two-thirds of a portion of the premium Weird Food, Liang Yue had been able to get around normally these past few days, seeming much brighter. But the Weird Qi in her body would sustain her for just four more days at most. Without more Weird Qi, she’d be confined to bed again, back to barely hanging on.

And now, with these three bottles of Weird Food, Liang Yue wouldn't have to worry for half a month.

Even knowing that in two weeks, the number of customers at Ying Yuanxing's shop would increase, making it harder for him to buy the premium Weird Food, Chen Yuan was still overjoyed at this moment.

Meanwhile, the other Weirds finally understood why Chen Yuan had brought them along for such a good deal. Though they were acquainted, if they had gotten their hands on something as valuable as the premium Weird Food, they would have kept it completely secret, making sure no other Weirds found out.

Even if the Weird Food was limited to one bottle per person, they'd never tell another soul about this treasure.

But the deal—bring five new buyers, get a free bottle—was too good to pass up.

Having secured the premium Weird Food, Chen Yuan ignored the other Weirds and immediately headed out. He needed to deliver the fish food quickly to Liang Yue—he didn’t trust himself to hold onto it.

It wasn’t just distrust of the other Weirds; he was also afraid he might succumb to temptation. He’d only relax once Liang Yue downed it all in one go.

When the other Weirds saw Chen Yuan leave, a few thought about tailing him. But thinking of the Weirds waiting at home for this lifesaving item, and considering Chen Yuan’s strength, they didn’t dare.

They feared not only failing to snatch it but also losing their own share—for all they knew, someone else was lying in wait.

Chen Yuan hurried home. When Liang Yue saw him return, before she could even speak, her eyes zeroed in on the three bottles of fish food in his hands.

"Ah Yue, eat them quickly. After finishing these, you’ll be set for two weeks," Chen Yuan said joyfully.

Was Liang Yue happy?

Absolutely.

But seeing the exhaustion on Chen Yuan’s face, how could she hog it all?

"I’ll eat half, you eat half," Liang Yue said, opening a bottle and shoving it at Chen Yuan’s mouth. Her meaning was clear—if you don’t eat, neither will I.

"Ah Yue, I don’t—" Before Chen Yuan could finish, Liang Yue grabbed his hand and spread it open. His palm had gone nearly see-through—a sign that his Weird Qi absorption could no longer keep up with its dissipation.

Once it reached this stage, a Weird was on borrowed time. Though the countdown could be long or short, it was irreversible.

"I’ll eat," Chen Yuan said softly, no longer refusing. He tilted his head back and drank an entire bottle of premium Weird Food in one go.

His eyes closed, he only felt the empty bottle being taken from his hand and another pressed into it. He drank half before Liang Yue lifted the bottle and finished the rest.

The two Weirds quietly basked in the warmth of the sun. Perhaps it was too comforting—Chen Yuan and Liang Yue unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

For Weirds, sleep wasn’t a necessity. In fact, they rarely even experienced the joy of it. But this time, when Chen Yuan and Liang Yue woke up, for a moment, it was like they were human again.

That kind of peace had been gone for ages.

Soon, however, they snapped back to reality. Coming to was a little jarring, but mostly a relief.

"Ah Yue, you’re better now. Let’s go buy another bottle of premium Weird Food," Chen Yuan said. Before, he hadn’t dared to let Liang Yue leave the house because she was too weak. But now, it was no problem.

Liang Yue nodded, and Chen Yuan hurriedly took her to Taoxi Village. But before they even entered the woods, they found a crowd of Weirds gathered there—half were the ones he’d dragged there before, and nine were their loved ones. Clearly, he wasn't the only one scheming for another bottle.