Post Album

Zhao Ke kept his other hand behind Zhou Shun's back. Thud, thud, thud! Several quick stabs drove down along his spine. With a hiss, blood sprayed from the bright-red groove in the dagger. Zhou Shun's body trembled before collapsing completely into Zhao Ke's arms.

"Hey, what are you doing down there?"

Qi Liang lay beside the trap and saw that Xiong Er was dead beyond any doubt. He let out a long breath, his whole body going limp as though his bones had been pulled out. He sprawled weakly on the ground, staring at Zhao Ke below in puzzlement, wondering what the man had been doing for so long.

But Qi Liang quickly regretted asking. Zhao Ke crouched beside Xiong Er's corpse for a while, then actually climbed out carrying two enormous bear paws. "Roasted Bear Paw. Want to join me?"

"N-No... no."

Qi Liang immediately shook his head. He was indeed starving, but the sight of those two bloody claws completely killed his appetite.

"Suit yourself."

Zhao Ke found two vines and tied up the bear paws. Xiong Er's claws were thick and large, and the flesh felt firm and resilient when squeezed. The meat was bound to be excellent.

To Zhao Ke, bear paws like these were simply top-tier ingredients rarely seen in the world—the kind that money could not buy.

"You knew there was a trap here?"

Watching Zhao Ke busily deal with the bear paws, Qi Liang could not help asking.

"I didn't. But when I looked at that map earlier, I noticed that the eastern side—the area here—had been circled in red. I didn't know what it meant at the time, so I could only bring you running this way first. Later, I discovered there was a trap here."

This time, Zhao Ke had not lied to Qi Liang. That was indeed what had happened. He just had not expected there to be two living people beneath the trap.

But now, one had died and the other had fled. Only two corpses remained below: one bear and one man.

Zhao Ke glanced at Qi Liang and confirmed that he did not seem to have received any message. This verified Zhao Ke's previous speculation about the mission.

"I got a notification that the mission is complete. I'm planning to leave now. What about you?"

Although he had passed out earlier, Qi Liang had still received the message that he had completed his mission after waking up.

Zhao Ke nodded. "Then go ahead. I'll wander around a little longer."

"You're still wandering around? Looks like Chen Jing was right—you really are a psychopath."

Qi Liang regretted his words the instant they left his mouth. Zhao Ke raised a brow and carefully looked him over from head to toe. That eerie gaze made Qi Liang's hair stand on end, goosebumps rising all over his body.

Fortunately, Zhao Ke soon withdrew his gaze. He brushed the dirt from his clothes and said, "You should go back. Oh, and next time... don't let me run into you again, you bleeding-heart do-gooder."

After saying that, Zhao Ke left Qi Liang behind and headed back in the direction they had come from. By the time Qi Liang understood what Zhao Ke meant, he turned around and saw only Zhao Ke's distant back.

"Hey... my phone number is 1503795XXXX. What's yours?"

"Catch you later!"

Zhao Ke did not answer Qi Liang. He merely said they would meet again, then disappeared into the distance.

Qi Liang scratched his head. As he silently thought of returning to reality, his body gradually turned ethereal and swiftly vanished into the air, just as the scar-faced man had before.

"Bzzzz..."

When Zhao Ke pushed open the half-covered door, a shrill creak rang out, shaking dust from the beams overhead. It was hard not to wonder how much longer this house could hold together.

Especially after Xiong Er had knocked down one of its walls, the whole house now looked crooked to Zhao Ke.

The moment he entered, the pungent smell of blood and the chaotic scene inside made for a horrible sight.

Beneath the stove, the charcoal had already burned to ash, though occasional sparks still flickered within it. The pot on top, meanwhile, had been overturned onto the floor.

Seeing bones and chunks of meat scattered everywhere, Zhao Ke could not help feeling regretful. The meat might have been a little tough, but he had seasoned it with great care.

As for Chen Jing... she seemed to have been vented upon again by the enraged Xiong Er. Looking at the blood splattered around and the unidentifiable chunks of flesh, Zhao Ke believed that even the finest tailor would not have been able to piece Chen Jing's corpse back together.

"There really is one!"

Zhao Ke crawled beneath the bed and took a careful look. Sure enough, he found the box Zhou Shun had mentioned. He cautiously opened it and found that it contained a piece of black bear hide. Its glossy black bristles resembled a thick layer of pine needles, yet it felt soft and comfortable beneath his palm.

But to Zhao Ke's disappointment, aside from that bear hide, there were only a few scattered pieces of silver inside.

"Just this?"

Holding the bear hide, Zhao Ke looked at the mangled corpses and scattered flesh around him. Then realization struck. "Heh, so this was a black-market double-cross all along."

What Zhou Shun meant was that it was a year of famine, with no harvest to speak of. Even the game in the mountains had grown scarce. Xiong Er's family must have been struggling as well, so they had spread the news to lure people here to their deaths.

As for the treasure Zhou Shun had mentioned, it was clearly just bait.

Just as Zhao Ke was feeling disappointed by the treasure in the box, he suddenly sensed something was wrong. His palm felt numb and itchy. Looking down, he saw that the bear hide in his hand had vanished.

What made Zhao Ke's back turn cold was that a thick layer of black fur had grown over his hand.

"Damn it!"

Seeing the black fur on his palm, Zhao Ke's expression changed. He shot up from the bed, but at that moment, the familiar notification sounded in his ear again.

You have obtained a special item: Bear Coat.

Since you have completed the main mission and obtained a special item, Post Album access will be unlocked early.

Post Album description: It can convert items you obtain into stamps and store them in the Post Album.

Low-level Post Album: 50 stamp slots.

Equipping special stamps grants you the stamps' abilities.

The string of notifications left Zhao Ke somewhat stunned. He sat back down on the bed, closed his eyes slightly, and began processing the information.

A flood of information rushed through Zhao Ke's mind. After repeatedly going over it, Zhao Ke opened his eyes and spread his palm. A bronze Post Album appeared before him.

As soon as the Post Album appeared, the black fur on Zhao Ke's palm rapidly faded, transforming into a cloud of black mist that was drawn into the album.

Zhao Ke opened the Post Album and looked inside. Sure enough, just as the notification had said, a stamp was affixed to the first page.

It had black metal trim and a dark-green background, with a bear hide hanging in its center. Beneath the stamp was a note describing it.

Special Stamp: Bear Coat

Collecting this stamp doubles your strength.

Special Effect: Bear Transformation

Consumes 1 Post Point to rapidly increase your strength threefold for 15 minutes.

Cooldown: 3 hours

Seeing the information beneath the stamp, Zhao Ke's eyes lit up. He forcefully pinched a corner of the bedframe with his fingers. Crack! A chunk of wood snapped off the bedboard, which was two fingers thick.

Yet Zhao Ke felt that he had not used much strength at all. If he activated Bear Transformation and gained three times the strength, the power of a punch would be terrifying. An ordinary person simply could not withstand that kind of force.

Zhao Ke then picked up the scattered pieces of silver from the box and placed them in his palm. With a thought, he said, "Convert!"

The broken silver swiftly disappeared. At the same time, a white stamp appeared in his Post Album, accompanied by a new line of information.

Ordinary Stamp: Broken Silver (3 taels and 1 mace)

Zhao Ke nodded, then waved his hand again. The broken silver reappeared in his palm.

Only then did Zhao Ke finally understand how the scar-faced man had been able to produce a gold brick as if by magic. He had not expected it to be so simple.

"Since these things can be converted, then..."

Zhao Ke narrowed his eyes and looked toward the corpses nearby. A sharp glint flashed through his eyes from time to time, and he grew excited as though he had discovered a new continent.

(Sorry. I accompanied my wife to get an ultrasound this afternoon, but the results did not come out until seven, so I got home late.)

Also, thanks to Infinite Entrance Hall. Since this is about collecting stamps, the protagonist's abilities will be more varied this time. Your suggestion has also been added to the stamps...