Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Unable to get answers from Brother Yu or Lan Ying, Ying Yuanxing looked at the empty space on the altar, feeling as though it was like an achievement in a collection game—until he obtained it, he wouldn’t know what it actually was.

If this were a game, he could have looked up a guide, but now, he could only search aimlessly, a shot in the dark.

The biggest problem was that in a game world, items were finite—as long as he kept searching, he would eventually find what he needed. But in the real world, finding a specific item was incredibly difficult.

The only advantage was that the altar provided the shape of the item, at least narrowing down the search criteria somewhat.

Ying Yuanxing sighed. Indeed, there were no free lunches—this was purely a matter of luck. Still, he wasn’t entirely without help.

He decided to put up a flyer later, checking if any specters visiting the clinic had this item. If they did, he could use it as payment.

However, if he had to personally inspect every item brought by other specters, Ying Yuanxing found that quite troublesome. It would be better to automate the process.

After some thought, Ying Yuanxing prepared to move the altar into an empty room. When specters arrived, they would first go to the altar—no, the self-service kiosk—to submit their items.

Ordinary items would offset the treatment fee at standard prices, but if an item was needed by the altar and absorbed, it would be purchased at a premium.

Soon, newly arrived specters noticed that their experience in the clinic differed from what was described in the forum posts. It didn’t feel like a clinic—more like a general store—which made them a little nervous.

Fortunately, someone quickly came to explain.

An exchange machine?

The specters looked at the large cabinet in the middle of the room, noticing an item slot at its center with a lit display screen above it.

Of course, that wasn’t the most eye-catching part. The most striking feature was the items displayed on the surrounding shelves.

“Is that… the healing potion mentioned in the posts?” one specter exclaimed, pointing at a small bottle.

This medicine was highly praised by specters who had undergone treatment, with anon forum posts raving about it endlessly.

At first, only critically weakened specters could use it, but later, even those in better condition wanted it, willing to pay a premium—though the clinic refused.

Upon learning this, some specters even deliberately weakened themselves further to qualify for the medicine. However, the clinic soon caught wind of it and restricted its use to only young apparitions. Adult specters, no matter how weak, were no longer eligible.

Many specters lamented, sighing in disappointment at their lost opportunity.

But now, they could exchange items for the medicine—what an incredible chance!

Ten specters rushed forward, huddling around to read the exchange machine’s instructions. But as they did, their excitement gave way to tension.

This exchange machine only accepted new items—meaning only never-before-submitted items had value, granting points that could be exchanged for goods.

If another specter had already submitted the same item, the machine would only give a paltry sum of specter coins instead of points, making it ineligible for medicine.

Additionally, the machine listed a few highly valuable items, though only their silhouettes were shown, requiring guesswork. The first to submit one of these would receive a whopping 10,000 points.

This exchange machine was actually a retooled version of Ying Yuanxing’s earlier ore exchange machine, just adapted for this purpose.

While the other specters were still reading the instructions, a tentacle suddenly appeared, pushing them back before feverishly inserting items into the machine.

The others quickly realized—they weren’t just fellow sufferers now, but competitors. They tried to intervene, only to find that the machine had a protective function, preventing them from approaching while another specter was submitting items.

Clearly, the machine’s owner had anticipated trouble and blocked interference during submissions.

Since they couldn’t be first, they’d have to aim for second place.

They just hoped the first specter hadn’t brought too many items.

Regret ate at them—they should have brought more. With the machine freshly installed, this was the easiest time to earn points.

Once word spread, common items would no longer count, forcing them to scour for rarities—much harder to find.

Zhang Wen also felt regret. His elder brother, knowing the clinic owner liked curios, had brought a pile of items.

His own home was filled with hoarded knickknacks, yet he hadn’t brought any. If only he had…

Wait—what if he had?

“Sir, may I go home to fetch some things and return? I’m willing to pay twice the fee,” Zhang Wen asked.

Even if he left now, later arrivals would still discover the exchange machine and the shop’s unusual goods—but at least the delay wouldn’t be too long.

If he missed this chance, got treated first, and then went home, it would take at least a day or two before he could return and get back in line—way too late.

Mirror Ghost wasn’t expecting this request. After a pause, it contacted Ying Yuanxing, then replied, “You may, but upon returning, you’ll be placed at the end of today’s queue.”

If it were just behind the current group, that would be manageable. But if behind all of today’s specters—nearly two hundred—there was no telling if his items would still earn points.

Zhang Wen had faith in his collection, but up against so many others, he hesitated.

“If I go back, could you inform the others that they may also leave to retrieve items?” Zhang Ming interjected.

Zhang Wen’s eyes lit up. If later arrivals also chose to leave, the line before him would shorten.

Mirror Ghost glanced at Zhang Ming, getting his drift. After consulting Ying Yuanxing, it nodded.

Of the remaining eight specters, some hesitated before also choosing to leave later, while others proceeded directly to treatment—after all, they didn’t have many one-of-a-kind items at home.

“Sir, can leftover points be stored here for future exchanges?” Zhang Ming, having finished submitting his items, had earned 800 points as the first submitter.

Eight hundred specter coins wasn’t much, but with medicine priced at 20 points per bottle, it was enough for a good amount.

Honestly, Zhang Ming was uneasy carrying so much medicine out.

Though he hadn’t tried it yet, based on forum descriptions of its effects, these bottles would draw covetous eyes. If a fight broke out, losing even one would devastate him.

“Of course,” Mirror Ghost replied. This didn’t require Ying Yuanxing’s input—they’d been trained for such questions.

Relieved, Zhang Ming stepped back from the machine, exchanged four bottles (80 points), and handed two to Zhang Wen.

“Brother?” Zhang Wen was flustered.

“Not a gift—you’ll repay me later. Take some to recover first,” Zhang Ming said.

Zhang Wen exhaled, unscrewed the cap, and took a small sip. The medicine was surprisingly sweet—perhaps because it was meant for young apparitions, the flavor had been adjusted.

This made him even more curious about the clinic. Many specters speculated that it was run by a newly awakened Greater Specter, given its traditional ways.

Zhang Wen had witnessed the decline of the specter world, remembering its former prosperity.

Back then, spectral energy was abundant, never dissipating from a specter’s body, and impurities seemed nonexistent. Conflicts existed, but only among Greater Specters—ordinary specters lived peaceful lives.

But as the world grew harsher, survival became the priority. That tranquility was gone, replaced by struggle.

Young apparitions, without adult guardians, often perished. In the past, others might have pitied them, but now, such compassion was rare.

The owner of the treatment room seems to be particularly kind to small Weird creatures, and this kind of concern can't help but remind the Weirds of the past.

To be honest, even if they wanted to bribe or manipulate other Weirds, it would be more worthwhile to spend such benefits on adult Weirds. Yet, the owner of the treatment room goes against the norm, which is enough to illustrate their unconventional approach.

The other Weirds queued up at the trading machine to trade the items they had brought with them, all the while unable to resist glancing at Zhang Ming and Zhang Wen, curious to observe the effects of the potion they had taken.

And indeed, the potion lived up to expectations. After drinking a bottle, Zhang Ming's condition improved slightly, though it wasn't very noticeable. However, Zhang Wen's pale complexion instantly took on a healthy glow, and his somewhat sunken cheeks seemed to fill out slightly.

The stares of the Weirds present became even more intense. Those who had initially planned to go straight to the treatment room now hesitated, thinking they might still have half a day to search for items, and ultimately decided to return to scavenge for new items.

After all, if they didn’t look now, it would only get harder later.

After swiftly trading their items, some Weirds spent their points, while others saved them. Then, the Mirror Ghost sent these Weirds back, and the grocery store welcomed new Weirds.

The same cycle of bewilderment, excitement, and shoving matches repeated. Upon learning they could go back to fetch items, many Weirds chose to do so, as now was the best time to earn points. Later, new items would be much harder to find.

The few items on the exchange machine that were empty outlines left a deep impression on all the Weirds.

Most of the other new items only earned low single-digit values, but these few were worth a whopping 10,000 points apiece. Who wouldn’t want to earn that kind of money?

The difficulty of finding new items worth ten thousand points was nearly impossible, but with these, they might just get lucky and find one.

Zhang Wen also brought this up with his older brother.

"Brother, what do you think that water-associated circular object is supposed to be?"

Zhang Ming pondered for a moment. "It could be a pearl, but it might also be something else."

"Round" covers too wide a range. After all, some Weirds' original forms were also round, so it was hard to say.

"This thing is too hard to find. Don’t obsess over it—focus on earning the points you can for now," Zhang Ming said, urging Zhang Wen to properly organize his junk.

After packing up their belongings at home, Zhang Wen and Zhang Ming went out to collect more items, snatching up anything unfamiliar. They even spent quite a few Weird coins in the process, but at this point, they couldn’t pinch pennies.

Their efforts were not in vain. When they returned to the grocery store, Zhang Wen managed to exchange his items for a decent 600-point haul.

Though it was less than Zhang Ming’s haul, considering how many Weirds had exchanged before him, this amount proved how rare his finds were.

However, none of the four special items were among them. Even though he had braced himself, Zhang Wen couldn’t help feeling disappointed.

In just a few days, the grocery store on the way to the treatment room had become famous, and even more so were the four special items.

Weirds who heard about this news were eager to find these items as quickly as possible, as the goods in the grocery store were irresistibly tempting.

Some Weirds even petitioned Ying Yuanxing to open a dedicated route to the grocery store, since some couldn’t secure a spot in the treatment room but could at least exchange new items at the store.

After consideration, Ying Yuanxing did indeed open such a channel, though it was tightly secured.

Fortunately, he had included the grocery store within the farm’s boundaries, but since it was officially part of Taoxi Village, its location was extremely hidden. Combined with the Mirror Ghost’s encrypted transportation, the chance of being found was slim to none.

The only issue was that the Mirror Ghost had to put in extra effort.

But Ying Yuanxing had no intention of making the Mirror Ghost work overtime indefinitely. He had already tasked Jing Zhen with finding other Mirror Ghosts or, failing that, alternative transportation methods—such as the Weird Trash Can.

If the Weird Trash Can could transport goods, perhaps it could also transport Weirds, as long as it didn’t swallow them. Though compared to the Mirror Ghost’s premium transport service, the Weird Trash Can’s method was… downright sketchy.

Lan Ying observed Ying Yuanxing’s actions and noticed how intensely focused he was on these items, so he wracked his memory as well.

After all, among the Weirds who could find their way to the farm, none were especially powerful, so their knowledge of the sea was limited. In comparison, Lan Ying had seen the most.

Under this excessive thinking, Lan Ying’s memories of the sea grew clearer, surprising even himself. He had thought he’d forgotten so much, yet now it was all coming back.

But the more he thought, the more disjointed memories surfaced in his mind.

Since arriving at the farm, Lan Ying had learned many things he hadn’t known before—such as the origins of small Weirds. Yet in his memories, he didn’t seem to have been conceived but acquired differently.

But what exactly that method was remained buried too far down. Every time he tried to dig it up, a headache would flare up, leaving him unable to think.

……

"Finally, we’re here. Taoxi Village is way too far," Wei Ze said exhaustedly. They had hiked quite a ways to get here.

"But aren’t we supposed to go to the woods outside Taoxi Village?" Donna pointed at the village ahead. "This is Taoxi Village, right? Where are the woods?"

An Geluo frowned at the village and took out a Weird Artifact to check for illusions. Confirming there was none, his frown deepened.

If it wasn’t an illusion, where had the forest gone?

"An Geluo, what do we do?" Wei Ze turned to ask.

"Our mission was to investigate the forest. Since it’s gone, we can record that, but with so little information, we can’t just go back empty-handed," An Geluo said gravely.

Weirds were masters of finding fault, and his manager was practically just waiting for him to fail. If they returned like this, An Geluo knew he’d be in trouble.

"Besides, we still need to find the anomalous item in the forest. We’ll have to make inquiries in the village," An Geluo said.

"Then, should we ask that Xia person? Isn’t he in the village?" Donna suggested.

Though their countries were at odds, they were both human participants. Asking him might carry risks, but the chance of getting the truth was still higher than asking a Weird.

An Geluo understood Donna’s meaning but shook his head after a moment’s thought.

Not only had he mocked Ying Yuanxing before, but given the tension between their countries, he couldn’t stoop to asking Ying Yuanxing for help over something like this. It would be like bowing to Xia State, and he refused to do that.

Donna could see An Geluo’s pride for what it was but mentally rolled her eyes. Since Wei Ze also agreed with An Geluo, she couldn’t just leave as a teammate and had to follow them into the village.

Though Taoxi Village was infamous and hazardous, all three of them knew of Ying Yuanxing’s feats there. Despite knowing they should remain vigilant, they couldn’t help but relax a little.

Many Xia viewers, upon learning that An Geluo’s team had also arrived in Taoxi Village, switched between Ying Yuanxing’s stream and theirs to watch.

"After seeing Taoxi Village so many times in Ying Yuanxing’s stream, I feel like I could navigate it blindfolded. Why does it look so weird here?"

"Maybe because it’s dark, and they don’t have any lighting. It just looks different."

"Not everyone can be like Ying Yuanxing, carrying a bunch of torches around."

"Mainly because they didn’t take Ying Yuanxing’s usual route. He took so many candles from the mine that he might as well have paved the path to the village with them. I suspect he’s trying to use them as streetlights."

"Speaking of which, those candles are weird too. They must be some kind of Weird Artifact—they’ve been burning for days with no end in sight."

"They’ve run into Li An."

"Back when Ying Yuanxing met Li An at this time before, he was fishing by the river all day with an empty bucket, looking pitiful. Why does he seem so chilling now?"

"Different perspectives, I guess. I need to check Ying Yuanxing’s stream again. Why does Taoxi Village look so scary here?"

"Because it’s unsafe. Through Ying Yuanxing’s lens, Taoxi Village seems like an ordinary, albeit dangerous, rural village. But it feels so safe with him that there’s no sense of danger. Here, it’s different—who knows what could happen?"

"Whoa, what’s this? Li An is forcing people to fish now? No leaving until you catch something?"

"Good thing he's not using that cursed fishing rod, otherwise, unless the streamer takes these people to the fish pond, they wouldn't catch a thing."

"Speaking of which, why has Li An never forced the streamer to fish?"

"Hold up, did the streamer even need to be forced early on? He was fishing every single day. Even now, he fishes when bored, fishes when he's pissed, fishes when spacing out—hell, he might be the one forcing Li An to fish instead!"

"Are An Geluo and the others actually trapped here? Li An seems incredibly strong, and it feels like they've been brainwashed, fully convinced they're just fishermen now."

"They wouldn't get in trouble that easily, would they? They're quite strong themselves."

The audience's speculation wasn't unfounded. Normally, An Geluo and his team wouldn't run into trouble so quickly in Taoxi Village. Other than a few strong supernatural beings, most of the others are weaker than them. As long as they're careful, they should be fine.

If Ying Yuanxing hadn't made Li An appear, An Geluo's group would've at most encountered the village chief—risky, but not too bad. Yet, just their luck, they ran into Li An.

In all of Taoxi Village, Li An's strength rivals that of Xuan Ying and Yuan Xiu. An Geluo and his team stumbling upon Li An is like flies caught in a spider's web—getting out won't be easy.

Fortunately, Li An isn't as ruthless as Xuan Ying or as fond of messing with people as Yuan Xiu. He just loves fishing, so he just makes An Geluo fish with him. As long as they catch something, they can leave.

The viewers were worried at first, but as they watched, the situation didn't seem too dangerous.

"This fishing doesn't seem that dangerous."

"Wait, Donna's looking paler. Did she eat something just now?"

"Looks like some kind of Weird Food to replenish stamina. Could fishing here drain stamina?"

"Wei Ze is eating it too. This fishing is definitely not normal."

"An Geluo looks terrible—did he snap out of it?"

Donna's face was pale. She could feel her stamina draining with each cast, as if the fishing rod was sucking it away.

Even with Weird Food to replenish her energy, she was casting too fast—reeling in and recasting almost immediately if no fish bit, totally at the rod's mercy.

Though she had brought plenty of Weird Food, it wouldn't last long.

Somehow, she sensed that catching a fish would break this cycle.

But the rod just wouldn't catch anything.

Donna suddenly stared at the hook—there was no bait. Maybe that was the problem. She could try using Weird Food as bait.

The other two realized the same thing, struggling to attach Weird Food to their hooks before casting again. Still, the fish weren't biting—as if the Weird Food wasn't enticing enough.

Donna's mind jumped to "flesh." In this supernatural world, she'd seen too many entities crave it.

But how could she carry flesh around? It'd draw too much creepy attention. Unless...

She glanced at her own body, pausing for a split second. But another cast weakened her further, making it clear—if she waited any longer, she might be out of time.

Donna drew a knife, ready to cut a piece from her side, when a surprised voice interrupted.

"Hey, Li An, you've got fishing buddies!"