Chapter 50

Chapter 50

The primary difficulties humans face in combating Weirds stem from two points: they are both intangible and invisible.

If a Weird overtly manifests and appears before humans, it can be seen. However, once a Weird disguises or conceals itself, it often becomes undetectable. Many casualties among rescue teams are precisely due to their inability to discern the movements of hidden Weirds.

When the Salvation Game emerged, players could retrieve certain Weird artifacts that helped humans see through these disguises. Yet, such artifacts were scarce, and the Dawn Bureau had acquired few. Some even caused physical harm to rescue team members, thus reserved only for absolute necessity.

For instance, during the reclamation of a Weird-infested domain, these artifacts would be deployed when someone needed to act as the "eyes" for others.

Now, Ying Yuanxing’s pickled garlic surprisingly offered the same effect, a revelation that understandably thrilled Zhao Zhangyan.

Not only was pickled garlic more accessible than other Weird artifacts, but Ying Yuanxing’s Weird Food also exhibited virtually no negative side effects. If it could replace the artifacts used to penetrate Weird disguises, rescue teams would no longer need to risk their lives.

Unaware of Zhao Zhangyan’s current thoughts, Ying Yuanxing still believed his pickled garlic had potential. He promptly listed it on his online store, exclusively for the Dawn Bureau.

"Being able to see through Weird disguises—is that effect truly powerful? I’m not sure."

"Seems pretty useless, right? Usually, when Weirds appear, we see them. Eating this or not seems to make no difference, since seeing them doesn't guarantee escape anyway. The effect feels a bit redundant."

"Clearly, some people weren't paying attention. Ordinary Weirds appear directly before us because they perceive us as no threat. When humans encounter Weirds, we can only hide or flee. But once humans demonstrate the ability to harm them, Weirds will conceal themselves. That’s when pickled garlic becomes incredibly useful."

"However, for ordinary people encountering Weirds, eating pickled garlic would be a waste of a valuable resource."

Ying Yuanxing packed the pickled garlic, ready for shipment once the Dawn Bureau placed an order. With this done, he prepared to leave.

But as he stepped out, Ying Yuanxing paused, his gaze sweeping downwards. Spotting the black marshmallow nearby—its base showing no exposed skin—he breathed a sigh of relief.

If the pickled garlic’s effect hadn’t worn off, he’d have to avoid Xuan Ying for a while. Otherwise, it would be too awkward.

He genuinely hadn't known the pickled garlic possessed such an effect. Had he known, he would never have looked at Xuan Ying twice. Though Xuan Ying seemed oblivious, he…

Never mind, never mind. Just think of it as going to the baths together; seeing each other naked is perfectly normal.

Ying Yuanxing tried to reassure himself, and after a while, the awkwardness in his heart significantly subsided.

However, Ying Yuanxing subconsciously overlooked one detail: in the past, when he bathed with Xuan Ying and Yuan Xiu, they were usually mostly undressed, and he never had any particular thoughts. So why did this accidental glimpse of Xuan Ying’s body elicit such a strong reaction this time?

What Ying Yuanxing saw was Xuan Ying’s body in the process of formation. Typically, a Weird at this stage could already assume human form, but Xuan Ying was perpetually concerned his human form wasn't perfect, so he meticulously refined it. Now, the body was fully complete, save for a blank face.

Fortunately, Ying Yuanxing’s hurried glance only caught the area below the chest, which caused his blush. Had he seen a blank face, any such thoughts would have vanished.

……

Xue San and his two younger brothers had been mining relentlessly for days, unearthing a substantial amount of ore. Confident they had enough to fulfill their quota, Xue San, not daring to linger, led Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba out of the mine.

In just a few days, the Fire Weird’s flame, originally two centimeters high, had shrunk even further.

Xue San suspected that if he returned after some time, the Fire Weird would likely be completely gone.

"How about you go to the human world? I hear they use a lot of fire there," Xue San suggested after some thought.

The Fire Weird hesitated for a moment. Previously, he had been adamant about not going to the human world, even though his current weakened state would allow him to cross the inter-world rift. He simply didn't want to leave his kin.

But now, if he didn't leave, it seemed there truly would be no hope left.

Seeing the Fire Weird’s interest, Xue San glanced down at Xiao Qi.

The Fire Weird could absorb power from flames, so going to the human world would undoubtedly strengthen him. If the Fire Weird went to the human world, then Xiao Qi could go too and stay with him, which would be much safer.

As for any trouble the Fire Weird might cause humans, Xue San gave it no thought.

However, the Fire Weird’s current condition looked rather dire. Xue San frowned, worried that the Fire Weird might not last long enough for Xiao Qi to reach the human world, especially since Xiao Qi kept dragging his feet.

"You don’t have to decide immediately, but your current state won’t last much longer. Why not come to my place and absorb some fire energy? At least to get through this for now," Xue San suggested.

The Fire Weird hesitated for a moment, then looked at Xue San. The Xue family’s Weird Mother had a decent relationship with the Fire Weird clan. After some thought, he decided to go along, as he truly couldn’t hold on without absorbing some energy.

If he stayed in the mine, he could only rely on burning weeds for energy, a truly pathetic existence.

Following Xue San to the Xue residence, the Fire Weird was visiting another Weird’s home for the first time. Despite his extreme weakness, his curiosity was piqued.

Having lived in the mines his entire life, the Fire Weird never needed a dwelling. Furniture intrigued him, though he was aware of his destructive nature and kept his distance, observing from afar.

Xue San went to prepare a fire for the Fire Weird to replenish some energy, telling him to come down and eat soon. However, most Weirds disliked fire, so the burning area was quite far from the bedrooms. Xue San had to ask Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba to entertain the Fire Weird.

But Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba, having mined for days, were starving. Seeing the Fire Weird’s curiosity, they told him to explore the house on his own while they ate, promising to return shortly.

Before the Fire Weird could say anything, Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba dashed off, leaving him to wander alone.

While Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba considered their house spacious and believed they had clearly defined the Fire Weird’s permissible areas, to the Fire Weird, whose home was the vast mines, the size of a mine was the size of a dwelling.

Thus, in his perception, the Xue family home was merely a place for sleeping, and the rest of the area was also part of the Xue domain.

After inspecting two bedrooms, the Fire Weird found them rather dull, as they all looked similar. Looking around, he suddenly noticed a place emitting a strong, intense flame aura.

Could it be that Brother Xue San had already prepared the fire?

The Fire Weird instinctively followed the scent and found a charcoal kiln producing coal, alongside two blazing furnaces smelting metal ingots.

The Fire Weird immediately recognized the ore inside the furnaces as the same from the mines and instinctively misunderstood.

Brother Xue San is too, too kind.

Completely overwhelmed by surprise, the Fire Weird hesitated, gazing at the furnaces and the charcoal kiln. Finally, he decided to plunge into the furnace, as its flames seemed more vigorous.

The moment the Fire Weird entered the furnace, its flames instantly intensified, accelerating the smelting process. Soon, copper ingots were forged, and with the depletion of copper ore and coal, the furnace extinguished.

The Fire Weird felt as though he had barely enjoyed the flames before they vanished. A sense of loss welled up in his heart. Brother Xue San, this…

Still, being able to burn such a large fire was already good. The Fire Weird felt a slight increase in his power; though not much, it was better than the continuous depletion he had been experiencing.

Just as the Fire Weird was about to leave, he saw a shadow pass by, glance at the furnace, and tilt its head in confusion. As a Weird’s shadow, it possessed some intelligence. It distinctly remembered that metal ingots shouldn’t be ready so quickly. Why were they done ahead of schedule?

But confusion aside, the shadow didn’t dwell on it. It retrieved coal and ore from a chest, refueled the furnace, and it reignited.

This shadow, in addition to its daily woodcutting, was assigned by Ying Yuanxing to automatically produce charcoal and smelt metal ingots. Whenever a furnace or charcoal kiln extinguished, it had to add wood, coal, or ore.

Normally, this task was easy for it—ore was scarce, and furnace smelting times were fixed. Its main responsibility was regularly feeding the charcoal kiln. But now…

Soon after, the furnace extinguished prematurely again. The shadow stood before it, utterly baffled, and added the last of the ore. The furnace quickly went out once more, though thankfully the metal ingots were fine and successfully smelted.

Then the charcoal kiln began to malfunction, also extinguishing early, though fortunately, the coal output remained unaffected.

Ying Yuanxing was still unaware that such a treasure had arrived at his farm.

After much deliberation, he decided to ask Yuan Xiu about the ore. However, upon visiting the Yuan household, he learned Yuan Xiu had gone out again—destination unknown. Yuan Qing also knew little about the ore, so Ying Yuanxing had no choice but to return.

Passing a neighbor’s house, Ying Yuanxing noticed considerable commotion in the yard. He instinctively glanced inside and met the gaze of a pair of eyes through a window.

Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba were getting an earful from Xue San. After lighting the fire, Xue San waited a while, and when the Fire Weird didn’t come down, he assumed Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba were keeping him occupied. He went to check, only to find the Fire Weird missing and Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba still eating in the kitchen.

"You just let him…" Before Xue San could finish, Xiao Qi anxiously interrupted, "Brother San, that farmer is here! Is he here for the ores?"

Xue San’s words caught in his throat. Following Xiao Qi’s gaze, he saw the farmer standing outside the courtyard, looking their way. Upon seeing him, the farmer smiled.

To Ying Yuanxing, this was merely a polite greeting. Even for a Weird, a smile should elicit a more favorable response. Yet, the moment the young Weird behind the window saw him smile, the window slammed shut.

Ying Yuanxing was bewildered. Was his smile that unappealing, or was the young Weird socially anxious and disliked such overt enthusiasm?

As Ying Yuanxing pondered, the window suddenly reopened, and a box floated out, landing before him.

"The ores you wanted," Xue San said, then closed the window again.

He dared not open the door, fearing Ying Yuanxing might barge in, but sending out the ores was permissible. He hoped these ores would satisfy the farmer’s appetite and prevent him from returning before their mother came back.

Ores?

Ying Yuanxing opened the box to find two hundred copper ores and two hundred iron ores inside. Were these for him?

He recalled mentioning ores during his previous visit to the neighbor’s house, but hadn’t they given him no response at all? He had thought he’d been rebuffed and had even sent a strawberry cake to try and build rapport.

Could it be that the cake had worked so well, making them realize his sincerity, and they were now returning the favor with ores?

Although this possibility seemed remote, the young Weird’s actions and the vanished cake seemed to support his hypothesis.

"Are you giving me these ores because of the strawberry cake I gave you earlier?" Ying Yuanxing asked directly, no longer dwelling on it.

Xiao Qi hesitated, peeking through the window crack, unsure whether to answer. Then, Xue San covered his ears—and Xiao Ba’s—with his six arms, determined not to hear Ying Yuanxing’s words, to avoid triggering any potential contract.

Ying Yuanxing asked a few more questions, but the young Weird remained silent. Such extreme introversion left Ying Yuanxing at a loss.

However, he couldn't refuse these ores, as he genuinely needed them now.

Still, he couldn't just accept them like this. Tricking a young Weird into giving him a pile of ores with a small cake was an unequal exchange. Even if his cake was rare, he couldn't do that.

Ying Yuanxing glanced at the food in his backpack, picked up the ores, and left. He needed to hurry back to the farm to make some food.

As Ying Yuanxing departed, silence fell over the Xue family’s doorstep. Xiao Qi, sensing the quiet outside, couldn’t help but ask, "Is he gone?"

"He should be," Xue San replied, cautiously peeking at the main door, seeing no sign of Ying Yuanxing.

Xiao Qi wriggled free from Xue San’s grasp, rushed to the window, and looked out. Seeing that the box his brother had thrown down was gone, he couldn’t help but glance at the stone pedestal, which was now empty.

Even though he had lost out on the strawberry cake before, seeing the hard-mined ores given away for nothing still left him disappointed.

Due to this interlude, Xue San found it difficult to continue scolding Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba. Seeing their continued dejection, he led them to the kitchen to eat. However, he didn’t stay, instead going to find the Fire Weird.

If the Fire Weird caused trouble in the village, he would have to quickly send him away.

Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba looked at the Weird Food on their plates, took a couple of bites, but found it hard to swallow. Seeing Ying Yuanxing had reminded them of the cake’s deliciousness.

Perhaps because they had worked hard before eating it, the cake in their memory became even more delicious, making the Weird Food before them taste increasingly unappetizing.

Back at the farm, Ying Yuanxing noticed the furnace had extinguished. Opening the box, he realized there were no more ores, so he immediately put all the new ores in and continued smelting.

The temperature in the charcoal kiln wasn’t low, but having experienced the high heat of the furnace, the Fire Weird wasn’t particularly fond of the flames in the charcoal kiln. However, since the shadow wasn’t restarting the furnace, the Fire Weird, as a guest, felt it improper to make demands.

Now, seeing the furnace restart, the Fire Weird immediately darted in, happily enjoying the heat.

The Fire Weird’s Weird Qi wasn't abundant, and flames made it even harder to distinguish. Ying Yuanxing didn't detect the Fire Weird's presence at all. However, Xuan Ying, who was following behind, sensed a slight anomaly. Yet, the furnace was smelting ore, and Xuan Ying knew how crucial ore was to Ying Yuanxing.

Glancing at the furnace and confirming it wasn't affecting the metal ingot smelting, Xuan Ying decided not to intervene for now.

Ying Yuanxing entered the kitchen, opened his cookbook, and hesitated. He had nothing else to offer but food, but even Weirds, despite needing Weird Qi, had their preferences.

Ying Yuanxing recalled the eyes he had seen—likely those of a small child. A child would probably prefer sweet and soft foods, and Weirds should be no exception. As for teenagers, their tastes were harder to gauge.

After some deliberation, he decided to make a bit of everything: some strawberry jam from canned jars, some baked dried strawberries, strawberry cake (a must), some carrot juice made in the kitchen, and grilled fish in three flavors: savory, spicy, and garlic.

The garlic-flavored grilled fish was Ying Yuanxing’s new culinary invention. While garlic had a pungent smell, when made into flavored grilled fish, according to Xuan Ying, it was "disgusting yet somewhat intriguing," making it hard to say whether he liked or disliked it after tasting.

He also prepared mashed potatoes, potato chips, and fries.

Ying Yuanxing prepared a considerable amount of food, then simply used the box Xue San had thrown down to pack it all. He then carried the box to the Xue family’s doorstep.

"Thank you for the ores you sent me. Here’s a small return gift; I hope you enjoy it. I’ve left it at the door," Ying Yuanxing called out to the tightly shut door, then placed the box on the stone pedestal and left.

He knew that if the Weirds inside were socially anxious, they wouldn’t dare come out to retrieve it if he was at the door, so it was better to keep his distance.

However, because there was a lot of food, Ying Yuanxing didn’t dare go too far. What if the aroma of the food attracted other Weirds who might take it before the intended recipients came out? So, Ying Yuanxing stopped at the corner.

After a while, the tightly shut door slightly opened, and a slender arm stretched out, skillfully reaching towards the stone pedestal. Upon touching the box, it immediately pulled it back inside.

Because the arm stretched and deformed, from a distance it looked like a young man’s arm, leading Ying Yuanxing to mistakenly believe it was the same youth who had thrown the box earlier. He sighed, thinking, "This is true social anxiety; they don't even dare to step out, only extending an arm."

The one who took the box was actually Xiao Qi. Hearing Ying Yuanxing’s voice, Xiao Qi had been very hesitant about whether to take it. But hearing the heavy thud of the box on the stone pedestal, and then smelling the food wafting from it, he couldn’t resist.

Most importantly, he wasn't sure if his previous contract had ended. If it was still in effect, not eating it would be a shame.

Once they had the box, Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba couldn’t help but open it, eager to see what smelled so good. The moment they lifted the lid, they were enveloped by a sweet fragrance that dazzled their eyes and made their mouths water.

Exchanging a glance, Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba quickly grabbed an item and began to eat. Xiao Ba took the cake, while Xiao Qi took the jam.

The two young Weirds ate with utter abandon, completely unguarded, and naturally failed to notice their siblings, drawn by the scent, arriving.

The remaining six siblings, seeing them eating so happily, instinctively assumed it was today’s meal and rushed forward to join in. When Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba realized what was happening and tried to stop them, the others simply thought they were being possessive of the food, unceremoniously pushing them aside and devouring the treats.

Watching his other siblings eat the food Ying Yuanxing had sent, Xiao Qi froze. He had dared to eat because he felt he was bound by a contract, so eating a little wouldn't matter. But now, hadn't he dragged his older siblings into this too?

"Xiao Qi, is this what you and Brother San went out to buy? It tastes really good. Is it a new product from Hongxing Supermarket?" asked Xue Wu.

The others chimed in, agreeing that the Weird Food was delicious, but…

"This food has no impurities at all. How much did you spend? You didn't use up all the food money Mom left, did you?" This was Xue Er’s question.

"If we’re short on money, I’ll go borrow some from the village chief," Xue Yi offered.

"But the chief seems really poor lately; he probably can’t lend any money!" Xue Si said, savoring his grilled fish. He particularly loved meat, and this grilled fish was perfectly to his taste.

Xue San searched everywhere but couldn’t find the Fire Weird. Fortunately, he also found no signs of the Fire Weird causing any trouble. He could only return to the Xue family home. Since he couldn’t find him alone, he would ask his eldest brother, second sister, and fourth brother to help search.

However, the moment he entered the house, Xue San found all his siblings gathered, making the home exceptionally lively—so lively it felt as if their mother had returned.

*Is Mom back?*

Overjoyed, Xue San excitedly rushed towards the kitchen where his family was gathered. As he approached, he smelled the aroma of food. Although one scent was familiar, the other food smells were unfamiliar, perhaps indicating that their mother had brought back new food.

"Mom…" Xue San called out, then froze, staring at his siblings eating together. Where was Mom?

"What, Mom’s back? Where?"

"When did Mom come back?"

...

The other Xue family Weirds clamored with questions. Xue San looked at the familiar box placed nearby—how could he not recognize it? It was the very box he had thrown down. But hadn’t this box been given to Ying Yuanxing? How did it come back?

Xue San stared at the box, ignoring the questions from the Xue family Weirds, and looked at Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba, who were squeezed to the side, having given up on stopping the others and were now frantically eating and drinking.

"Third Brother, I was wrong." Xiao Qi dropped to his knees. Xiao Ba looked left and right, then obediently knelt as well.

"Did Xiao Qi do something wrong?" Xue Er glanced at Xiao Qi, noticing Xue San’s grim expression. "He’s still young. If he made a mistake, just talk to him properly. Don't resort to violence. Xiao Qi is already weak; if you hit him, he might not survive and would have to go to the human world."

The other Xue family Weirds also chimed in.

Xue San swept his gaze over the other Weirds, his heart heavy. "Did all of you eat the food just now?"

"We did! This batch of food was delicious. When can we buy more?"

At this, the other Xue family Weirds nodded eagerly, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Xue San was utterly disheartened. If only he had spoken up earlier, things wouldn’t have come to this.

And last time, it was just a small cake. This time, that farmer must have realized the immense profit potential, sending such a huge trap. The others didn’t know, but Xiao Qi had fallen for it before, and now he had repeated the same mistake.

Xue San looked at Xiao Qi, his gaze filled with deep disappointment.

Since things had come to this, Xue San no longer held back. He directly explained his theory and actions. The other Weirds fell silent.

Although they were protected by their Weird Mother, they had also witnessed the treachery of some Weirds. If Xue San’s words were true, did that mean they had all signed a contract?

"I shouldn't have eaten…" Xue Yi began, but Xue Er cut him off.

"You didn’t detect a contract. Why do you think one exists?" Xue Er asked.

Xue San reiterated his previous speculation, mainly focusing on Ying Yuanxing’s eagerness for ore and the rarity of impurity-free Weird Food.

"Third Brother, you’ve truly become foolish from reading too many books," Xue Er shook her head. "Did you know? That farmer once opened a shop specifically selling Weird Food. Many Weirds came to buy, but it later closed. Some Weirds still lingered outside the woods, so I went and asked. The Weird Food they bought was indeed impurity-free."

So, the former point was valid, but the latter might not apply to the farmer.

Xue San was stunned. The other Weirds looked between their second sister and third brother, then decisively chose to believe their second sister.

If the food wasn’t problematic, then why not eat it quickly?

Xiao Qi and Xiao Ba looked at their older siblings, hesitating, unsure whom to choose. But seeing their siblings snatching food, they joined the fray—not for themselves, but for Xue San. This food was the result of Xue San’s hard work, and they couldn’t let him go without.

The greatest pain for a person is acting foolishly, especially foolishly in public, and even more so when they believe themselves to be clever. The same applies to Weirds.

After hearing Xue Er’s analysis, Xue San was dumbfounded. It took him a long while to regain his composure.

"Then why didn’t you say anything earlier?" Xue San wasn’t just questioning; he was genuinely puzzled. At the very least, Xiao Qi’s condition required impurity-free Weird Food for healing. If Xue Er knew, why didn’t she speak up?

Xue Er explained that by the time she learned about it, Ying Yuanxing had already stopped selling farm produce. Moreover, Xuan Ying’s strength on the farm was formidable, making it impossible for them to forcibly seize the Weird Food.

So, upon discovering Ying Yuanxing’s need for ore, she had intended to wear him down, waiting until Ying Yuanxing craved ore as desperately as they craved Weird Food. Then, it would be easier to purchase the farm’s Weird Food.

Who knew Xue San would overthink things and keep it all to himself, leading to this problem?

"But thankfully, it was just this once. Later, we’ll go to the farm and ask him how he sells his ores and Weird Food," Xue Er said.