Chapter 45

Chapter 45

The grocery store owner, perhaps desperate to recoup heavy gambling losses, saw an opportunity to raise capital, quoting a price of two million.

Even if Ying Yuanxing had that much money, he wouldn't accept such an offer. Agreeing too readily would only embolden the owner—a degenerate gambler eager to recover his losses—to demand an even higher price.

Though time was pressing, Ying Yuanxing couldn't appear too eager. Negotiations were like fishing—a delicate game of push and pull.

While bargaining with the owner, Ying Yuanxing also began preparing to raise funds. Although the final price wouldn't be two million, he estimated it would still be around one million. Anything less risked the owner selling the store to the casino instead.

After all, gamblers were prone to rash decisions.

If the grocery store fell into the casino’s hands, acquiring it later would be far more difficult. Since he had already made an offer, the casino might catch wind of his keen interest and exploit it, driving the price up further.

The most valuable assets on the farm were the pastures Ying Yuanxing had cultivated. While one million was a substantial sum, given enough time, he could earn it without hindering the grass's growth.

But time was of the essence.

Soon, viewers noticed Ying Yuanxing harvesting the pastures more aggressively. Previously, he had only taken a light cut, allowing the grass to recover overnight without stunting its growth. Now, he left only scattered seedlings in small patches to serve as seeds for future regrowth.

After harvesting the grass, Ying Yuanxing initially planned to list it directly on his online store. But then he reconsidered—his previous price of 500 was set when he was still unfamiliar with the world. Perhaps it was time for an adjustment.

Yet, he couldn't arbitrarily raise prices. He needed advice from someone familiar with the market.

After reviewing his contacts, he called Chen Yuan.

“How much do you think premium fish food is worth?” Ying Yuanxing got straight to the point.

Remembering Xuan Ying’s earlier words, Chen Yuan treated this as a test. After a moment of thought, he replied, “Sir, the price depends on the situation.”

“If sold to fading Weird beings due to a lack of Weird Qi…”

“Weird Qi?” Ying Yuanxing interrupted. Confused, Chen Yuan paused, then realized his mistake—this Great Weird preferred to pass as human. His slip might have ruined the act. He quickly apologized.

“Never mind, continue,” Ying Yuanxing said, lowering his gaze. Even if this was a world of Weird, it wasn’t too different from what he’d imagined. In fact, it might even be better—a world where humans preyed on humans was terrifying, but Weird preying on Weird felt almost mundane after so many tales.

“If premium fish food is sold to those close to dissipating…” Chen Yuan hesitated, then corrected, “people, it could fetch a high price—up to 3,000 per unit, with buyers scrambling for it.”

The grass could be priced even higher for wealthier clients, but those nearing dissipation usually couldn’t afford more. Three thousand was their limit.

“If you’re willing to publicize the fish food, it could be showcased at the nearest Weird Food Exhibition in Jinzhou City. Your product is impurity-free—it would definitely sell for a premium,” Chen Yuan added.

Weird Food Exhibition?

Ying Yuanxing looked it up—hosted by Hongxing Supermarket. Submitting his grass there would draw early attention. But what did “impurity-free” mean?

Xuan Ying had mentioned that energy—likely Weird Qi—dissipated over time, requiring consumption of such foods to replenish. But what were impurities?

Ying Yuanxing hesitated but decided against probing further. His lack of knowledge was risky—any slip-up could expose his true nature, which would be playing with fire.

After a brief chat, he assigned Chen Yuan a mission: selling premium fish food at 3,000 per unit, with a half-unit bonus for every ten sold.

Chen Yuan would also earn a half-unit bonus for every ten he sold.

Though the grass bonuses were smaller than previous referral incentives, Chen Yuan didn’t mind; he was thrilled—even half a unit was better than nothing.

And that wasn’t all. If sales hit milestones—100, 300, 700 units—additional mystery bonus bundles awaited.

Hearing this, Chen Yuan’s hands trembled. Before the mention of gifts, he had aimed to move product to curry favor. Now, he was ready to go all out.

He didn’t know what the “surprise” entailed, but if it was deemed more valuable than the grass, it had to be rare Weird Food or Weird Artifacts. He had to secure it.

…

As Ying Yuanxing harvested, the livestream chat buzzed.

“The streamer’s really serious about buying the grocery store—negotiating while hustling Weird Food sales.”

“But two million? Even after haggling, it’s at least a million. At 500 per unit, how long will that take?”

“With this much harvested, sales should spike. Before, it was 20 units a day—now maybe 100? Way better shot at snagging some.”

“Heard the grass packs more punch than fish. Even selling to government buyers is profitable. Stocking up would be smart.”

“But isn’t this killing the goose that lays golden eggs? Quick thrill, long-term recovery. Won’t there be shortages later?”

“Kinda want the streamer to raise prices, but then I might not afford it.”

“Can the state loan some Weird Coins? Watching him scramble for funds is painful.”

“Doubt it. The government’s Weird Coin stash is slim. Ying Yuanxing’s promising, but who knows what’ll happen. And if they help him, what about others in need?”

“Mainly, why does he even want the grocery store? Feels out of left field.”

When Ying Yuanxing delegated sales to Chen Yuan, and the price skyrocketed to 3,000 per unit, the chat erupted again.

“3K a pop? Game over.”

“Wonder if earlier buyers resold theirs. Sixfold profit—hit the jackpot.”

“Expensive, but compared to other Weird Food, maybe fair?”

“Overpriced, honestly. The Weird on the phone said it’s only that high for certain Weird buyers. Normally, it’d be around 2,000.”

“At least cash flow problems solved now.”

“Depends on sales speed. Time’s still tight.”

Chen Yuan soon arrived to collect the grass. The clock was ticking—he had to start selling fast.

Ying Yuanxing’s trust stemmed from Xuan Ying’s control over Chen Yuan’s shadow. Any betrayal or deceit, and Xuan Ying could rein him in.

But seeing Xuan Ying reminded Ying Yuanxing of the earlier terms—“Weird” and “Weird Qi.” Before he could ask, the dark horse returned, carrying a load. It stopped before him.

“For me?” Ying Yuanxing eyed the horse, puzzled.

The horse nodded.

Ying Yuanxing lifted the heavy bag and opened it—inside was a pile of Weird Coins. Though individually small, the sum was substantial.

“Why give me money?” Ying Yuanxing turned to Xuan Ying.

“You’re short for the grocery store, right? This is from… earlier,” Xuan Ying paused, “taking coins from those I... absorbed. Pity I can’t mint them, or I’d make more for you.”

Xuan Ying had no concept of spending money before and hardly ever needed to, so naturally, he never learned how to create Weird Coins. After all, the essence of making Weird Coins was expelling one's own energy, which would weaken oneself.

"But don’t worry, I’ll learn," Xuan Ying assured.

Ying Yuanxing went quiet for a beat, then grabbed the money bag with his left hand and pulled Xuan Ying into the wooden house with his right.

"Damn, is the streamer really getting emotional over a Weird's actions?"

"Honestly, Xuan Ying’s actions are genuinely heartwarming. You’re short on money, and he immediately goes to gather his savings—probably everything he has. Even humans wouldn’t necessarily do that, let alone a Weird. It’s normal for the streamer to be touched."

"Shouldn’t, but I'm shipping them."

Xuan Ying felt nervous. He could sense Ying Yuanxing’s emotions fluctuating intensely. He wanted to comfort him but didn’t dare act recklessly.

"You wanted to lick me, right? Go ahead, just like last time." Ying Yuanxing tossed the Weird Coins aside and spoke.

Xuan Ying felt a rush of happiness, but seeing the shadow over Ying Yuanxing’s expression, he hesitated.

"What, don’t want to anymore?" Ying Yuanxing noticed Xuan Ying’s stillness and looked up. Despite being an amorphous black figure, Xuan Ying somehow managed to convey worry.

"Did someone upset you?" Xuan Ying avoided answering and instead asked.

Ying Yuanxing’s lips flattened. He understood Xuan Ying’s implication—if someone had made him unhappy, Xuan Ying would seek revenge for him.

"Can you make yourself a bit more solid so I can hug you?" Ying Yuanxing asked.

"But I don’t want any of your disguises. I want your real form," he added.

Xuan Ying froze for a moment before stepping forward. His form gradually condensed until, by the time he reached Ying Yuanxing, he was the size of a large pillow.

Ying Yuanxing wrapped his arms around him. Xuan Ying’s body was slightly cool but incredibly soft—so much so that pushing too hard would sink right through the black mass.

"I’m fine. It’s just that humans are easily swayed by emotions." Ying Yuanxing’s lips curled as he rested his chin on the black mass. He felt it sink slightly but was propped up by some invisible support, preventing him from fully sinking in.

Shutting his eyes to relax for a while, Ying Yuanxing eventually asked, "Xuan Ying, what type of Weird are you?"

The shadowy form in his arms stiffened instantly. Who had told Ying Yuanxing?

Xuan Ying had deliberately avoided mentioning his identity as a Weird before, yet Ying Yuanxing had figured it out so quickly.

"Judging by your naming style, I’d guess it’s something related to shadows, right?" Ying Yuanxing mused aloud. Yuan Xiu was probably also a Weird, but his name didn’t give it away. Xuan Ying, however, was far too obvious.

"Will… will you hate me?" Xuan Ying said in a muffled voice.

"A little," Ying Yuanxing replied.

Hearing this, Xuan Ying felt as if he had fallen into a bottomless pit, his whole form went icy. Though Weirds were naturally cold-bodied, this chill was unbearable.

"Not because you’re a Weird, but because you tried to hide it from me," Ying Yuanxing said, looking straight at Xuan Ying, enunciating each word.

Xuan Ying wanted to explain—he had feared Ying Yuanxing would be too scared if he knew the truth. After all, humans were terrified of Weirds, and he knew that well.

But before he could speak, he swallowed his words. In the end, it had been his own selfishness.

"You knew I was human, right?" Ying Yuanxing stated firmly.

"I had guessed a little before," Xuan Ying admitted.

"You hid something so important. What if I interacted with Weirds without caution and got into danger?" Ying Yuanxing questioned.

"I would always follow you," Xuan Ying whispered. Ever since learning Ying Yuanxing’s identity, his clones had been keeping watch over him constantly.

At the farm, the little black cat and Xuan Ying took turns. Whenever Ying Yuanxing went out alone, Xuan Ying would hide a clone in his shadow for protection.

Hearing this, Ying Yuanxing asked, "If you were hiding in my shadow, how come you didn’t notice when I followed you last time?"

"I wasn’t always there, and that time, I couldn’t sustain so many clones, so I called them back," Xuan Ying explained. He didn’t know whether to feel regret or relief. If he hadn’t recalled the clone, he might have discovered Ying Yuanxing’s trail—and then his true identity wouldn’t have been exposed.

But if it hadn’t happened, he wouldn’t have been able to be this honest with Ying Yuanxing, and many things would still be hidden.

"Don’t hide things from me next time. Even if it’s for my sake, I don’t like being kept in the dark." Ying Yuanxing squeezed the black mass in his hands, his heart softening. He could have used this to scold Xuan Ying further and tighten his control, but he couldn’t bring himself to.

"Tell me more about this world. This time, no vague pronouns—tell me everything you know," Ying Yuanxing said.

Xuan Ying began earnestly. Truthfully, he didn't know much about the Weird world. He had stayed in Taoxi Village his whole life, with limited movement. But he was clear about Weirds, Weird Qi, and impurities.

As Ying Yuanxing listened, he processed the new information, though the additions were minimal. Essentially, "people with abilities" were just Weirds—which explained why there were so many.

The mysterious substance was Weird Qi. As for impurities, they were basically toxins or corruption, plentiful in food tainted by Weird Qi and even within Weirds themselves. The more you ate to absorb Weird Qi, the more impurities accumulated in the body.

The more impurities there were, the more Weird Qi a Weird would lose. Once consumption could no longer offset the loss, the Weird would keep weakening until they fade away and die.

At first, viewers were thrown off by Ying Yuanxing and Xuan Ying’s conversation. They realized Ying Yuanxing seemed to have only just discovered Xuan Ying was a Weird—and that this was a Weird world. But wasn’t this something every contestant knew from the start?

Some viewers immediately recalled Ying Yuanxing’s past behavior. They had thought he was just brave, but now it seemed otherwise.

The Dawn Bureau detected this situation and, following their predetermined plan, leaked some details about Ying Yuanxing’s circumstances.

The fact that Ying Yuanxing’s ignorance of the Weird world had remained hidden for so long went way beyond what the Dawn Bureau predicted. They had even hoped to conceal it until his return to Earth, but now the truth was out.

The audience was stunned.

"So, the streamer actually survived in the Weird world flying completely blind? And so smoothly?"

"Just seeing one Weird usually makes me lose my shit. I can’t imagine how the streamer handled being surrounded by them."

"Well, he wasn’t exactly ‘suffering’..."

"Maybe one Weird is terrifying, but when everything’s Weirds, their odd behavior just seems normal."

"If we’re talking about odd behavior, the streamer was acting plenty weird himself."

Though Ying Yuanxing’s situation was exposed, the audience’s shock quickly subsided.

Had they known from the start that Ying Yuanxing knew nothing about the Weird world, they would’ve been deeply worried. But since he had already made his way despite knowing nothing, finding out now wouldn't hurt his situation.

Most importantly, Xuan Ying’s subsequent revelations totally stole the spotlight.

"Weirds can actually die on their own?"

"Suddenly, I feel like I can hold on. I’ve always been terrified of Weirds, thinking I might as well enjoy life and end it early. But now, maybe if I endure, I can outlast them."

"This is the best news I’ve heard today. There’s hope!"

"I was hesitating about what to do with the dried fish. Now I’ll use half to make enhanced dried fish and eat the other half—build up my strength and hold out until the Weirds die."

The chat went wild with excitement. Meanwhile, the Dawn Bureau’s higher-ups watched Ying Yuanxing’s stream on edge. They feared Xuan Ying might reveal that Weirds weakened to a certain extent could come to Earth—and that eating humans could keep them alive.

Such news would shatter the newfound hope, plunging the audience from joy into despair.

Fortunately, after exchanging a few words with Xuan Ying, Ying Yuanxing didn’t bring up those matters again, allowing the Dawn Bureau leadership to breathe a sigh of relief and return to their earlier discussion.

This time, the topic of their discussion was whether to send Ying Yuanxing a batch of Weird Coins.

After all, even ordinary viewers could see that Ying Yuanxing was going all out for the general store, and the Dawn Bureau naturally noticed as well. The store owner’s price tag was steep. Over a longer period, it might be manageable, but with such a short timeframe, what if Ying Yuanxing couldn’t earn enough Weird Coins?

One group insisted that, based on Ying Yuanxing’s demonstrated abilities and value, he was worth the Dawn Bureau’s assistance. Even if it meant providing a big chunk of Weird Coins, as long as it helped strengthen their relationship, it was a necessary investment.

Some agreed with this view but felt that the proposed million Weird Coins was excessive. Xia State didn’t have a large reserve of Weird Coins—contestants were desperate for them, and even if they could be exchanged, people were reluctant to trade too many.

Now, thanks to the JoyBuy app, Xia State had managed to accumulate a significant number of Weird Coins, but they had also spent a considerable amount. For example, not long ago, the Dawn Bureau had to clear out a Weird Domain occupying a key transportation route, and the cost of purchasing Weird Artifacts and Weird Food for the operation was like funding a small war.

Such incidents were bound to recur. If they knew exactly why Ying Yuanxing wanted to buy the general store, they could consider providing him with Weird Coins accordingly. But the store didn’t seem particularly special—Ying Yuanxing had previously rented a fishing gear shop, and now he wanted to buy a general store. He seemed all over the place, almost impulsive.

A few coins wouldn’t be a big deal, but a large sum would be hard to swallow. Even if the state had money to spare, it shouldn’t be wasted.

Another faction flat-out refused the idea, for a simple reason: Ying Yuanxing had value, but hadn’t other contestants contributed as well? If they gave Ying Yuanxing such a substantial benefit, how would they treat the other contestants? Many of them were also short on Weird Coins—if they had more, they might level up quicker. How could the Dawn Bureau justify such unequal treatment?

Establishing such a policy would require extensive discussion, and Ying Yuanxing clearly couldn’t wait that long.

The arguing dragged on, but in the end, the proposal was approved—because the farm’s potential was truly immense. Even if Ying Yuanxing lost a million on the general store, as long as the farm remained up and running and continued producing crops, the loss wouldn’t be significant.

Most importantly, in the past, they had watched helplessly as contestants struggled in the Weird World, toiling for a handful of Weird Coins. Now, while the state wasn’t exactly wealthy, it was no longer broke. If contestants needed help, they should lend a hand where possible.

Besides, setting aside the products Ying Yuanxing had previously sold at low prices, his actions had facilitated communication between Contestant 1666 and the Dawn Bureau, yielding valuable information. Given all they had gained, it would be stingy to hold out on him.

However, since they weren’t sure exactly how many Weird Coins Ying Yuanxing needed, the state decided not to fix the subsidy amount. Instead, they would cover whatever he was short—whatever he lacked, they would make up the difference.

But once the decision was made, the question remained: how to deliver the Weird Coins to him? There was a contestant about to exit the game, but the problem was, they were far from Taoxi Village. Shipping the coins was risky—what if they were robbed by Weirds?

Someone suggested having Contestant 1666 deliver the Weird Coins to Ying Yuanxing, but the idea was quickly dismissed. This wasn’t a small sum—if they handed it to a Weird and it ran off with the money, they’d be left high and dry.

Another proposal was to send the Weird Coins via the JoyBuy app, but while transfers between accounts on Earth were possible, buyers on Earth couldn’t send money to sellers in the Weird World.

After considering all options, they realized the only safe way to send money was to purchase products from Ying Yuanxing’s online store. But his shop was cleaned out—they couldn’t even give him money if they wanted to. Now, their only hope was for Ying Yuanxing to reopen sales.

Clueless about the money people wanted to send, Ying Yuanxing was listening to Chen Yuan’s report. In just a few hours, Chen Yuan had already sold over a hundred bundles of hay, earning more than 300,000 Weird Coins.

The haul was solid, but it had also exhausted the small circle of Weirds Chen Yuan knew. To sell more, he would have to branch out further and approach unfamiliar buyers.

Ying Yuanxing checked the exhibition news and sighed—he couldn’t go himself. He then mindlessly scrolled through his phone.

He hadn’t used his phone much before, being too busy to spare the time. But now, with a moment of leisure, he found the Weird World’s online platforms quite interesting—not too different from those in the human world.

However, there seemed to be fewer trolls. In the human world, if someone talked trash online, the worst that usually happened was an argument—physical retaliation was rare. But in the Weird World, if you offended someone, they could actually hunt you down.

Getting beaten up would be the mildest outcome—at worst, you could be killed and devoured.

As Ying Yuanxing browsed videos, he noticed some sellers promoting their shops on these platforms, even running giveaways. The idea got him thinking.

His biggest problem right now was that, while his products were excellent, there simply weren’t enough of them. Even selling at high prices, the earnings might not be sufficient. Even if he drained every possible resource, he wasn’t sure he could gather enough money in time.

But what if he ran a blind-box giveaway?