Exchange Three (Thanks to Chun JiuLian BaoDeng for the alliance leader)

Chapter 23: Exchange (3)

The old man's gaze flickered, a hint of surprise flashing through his eyes. He had not expected this young man to be so sharp.

"Heh heh, little friend, you have good eyesight." The old man chuckled, no longer hiding anything. He reached out and gently brushed the surface of the jade slip. A faint light flickered, and the originally ordinary jade slip suddenly emitted a soft glow, revealing rows of tiny characters.

"This is a fragment of a cultivation technique I obtained by chance. Although it is incomplete, it contains profound mysteries. If you can comprehend it, your future achievements will be limitless." The old man's tone carried a hint of temptation.

Lin Xuan's gaze swept over the jade slip, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes. He did not immediately agree but asked calmly, "What do you want in exchange?"

"I need a Five Elements Spirit Fruit." The old man's eyes burned as he stared at Lin Xuan. "I heard that you obtained one in the secret realm. As long as you are willing to trade, this jade slip is yours."

Lin Xuan frowned slightly. The Five Elements Spirit Fruit was indeed precious, but compared to this mysterious jade slip, it was hard to say which was more valuable. He pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke, "Deal."

The old man's face lit up with joy as he quickly handed the jade slip to Lin Xuan, who also took out the Five Elements Spirit Fruit from his storage ring. The two exchanged items, each examining them carefully.

After confirming there was no problem, Lin Xuan put away the jade slip and cupped his hands toward the old man. "Many thanks."

"Heh heh, fair trade, no need to thank me." The old man laughed heartily, turned around, and disappeared into the crowd.

Lin Xuan watched his departing back, a thoughtful gleam flashing in his eyes. He had a feeling that this jade slip might hold a secret far greater than he had imagined.

The woman was short but had a wiry, agile build. In her hand, she carried a forearm-length Trailblazer Knife, and her gaze swept over Yu Hong with an appraising look.

"Got anything to eat?" Her eyes flicked briefly to the Steel Nail Glowstone Rod in Yu Hong's hand.

"Want to trade? What do you need?"

She added.

"Got any medicine?" Yu Hong looked at her fit, athletic curves, feeling that this woman might even be stronger than him. A deep wariness rose in his heart.

He swept his peripheral vision around cautiously while sizing her up. "I need antidiarrheal medicine and anti-inflammatory medicine."

"What are you trading with? I only need food! Lao Yu hasn't come back for two days. The few households around us are all short on supplies. If you have food, you can trade for anything you want." The woman spoke rapidly.

Her tone was sincere, but at the same time, the knife in her right hand seemed to twirl idly in a casual flourish.

The forearm-length Trailblazer Knife was straight and sharp, its blade as wide as an adult's palm. Twirling it like that wasn't something just anyone could pull off.

That move immediately raised Yu Hong's alertness to its peak.

He suddenly felt that rushing out to trade like this, so recklessly, might have been a mistake.

These people who had survived alone outside for so long—even if they were physically weaker women—definitely had some unique skill to ensure their own safety.

But she couldn't be sure of his background either. As long as no one made a move, everything was unknown, just probing. That made things manageable.

"I have food." Yu Hong answered quickly. "But not much on me. I'd have to go back and get it. Do you have medicine?"

"I have some, but you need to figure out exactly what's wrong with you first, or it'll be a waste." The woman spoke rapidly.

"Diarrhea. I've been going several times in a row. I suspect it's from drinking rainwater." Yu Hong answered quickly.

"Rainwater!?" The woman's expression shifted in shock. She paused abruptly, staring at Yu Hong. "Did you drink it directly, or did you filter it?"

"Filtered." Yu Hong watched her reaction, his heart sinking as he sensed something was wrong.

"Good, that's good then." The woman's tone relaxed. "Rainwater has to be boiled before drinking. Ever since those ghostly things started showing up two years ago, the rainwater has carried toxins. If you drink it directly, you'll get severe diarrhea. Only people with very strong constitutions can withstand it."

"So what should I do now?" Yu Hong frowned, asking as he pulled a dried lizard from his bag and tossed it over.

She caught it in one hand, sniffed it, bit off half in one bite, and chewed slowly. Her gaze toward Yu Hong softened considerably.

"Good thing you filtered it. Didn't anyone tell you rainwater isn't drinkable?" she said, exasperated.

"No. I have a companion—she drinks it casually." Yu Hong recalled his days living with Little Stutterer. She seemed to drink rainwater often, but she'd never given him any.

"You have a very strong companion." The woman fell silent.

"I'm guessing she's like a wild ox. She could probably lift you up with one hand."

"That's an exaggeration. But can you tell me how to fix this?" Yu Hong tossed another piece of Dried Meat over.

The woman caught it, a trace of a smile appearing on her face.

"Simple. In the dirt on the ground, there's a kind of black with a bit of purple. Dig up a clump about the size of an egg, swallow it with water, and you'll be fine soon."

She straightened up and looked at Yu Hong.

"Also, this is your first time trading with someone, isn't it? You gave away your situation right away. Were you from the Town Bunker before?"

"..." Yu Hong didn't speak, but his face showed an expression of how did you know?

He certainly wasn't from the bunker, but that didn't stop him from steering her thoughts in that direction.

"You're Yu Hong, right?" The woman suddenly called out his name. "Yi Yi is indeed very strong. I've heard her mention you. Within a few dozen miles around here, there are rarely any newcomers. The only recent one is you."

"Alright. I'm Yu Hong. And you are?" Hearing Yi Yi's name, Yu Hong knew she was an acquaintance, and he relaxed a little. But he still kept his grip on the rod.

"I'm Jenny. I work with leather. You should have heard Yi Yi mention me. I can repair the clothes of everyone around here." The woman's tone softened.

"What about Yi Yi? Why did you come this time instead of her?" Jenny asked curiously.

"She went to town." Yu Hong didn't say Yi Yi had left; he simply told a small lie.

"Alright. Got any more food? I already told you the cure for the rainwater diarrhea. If you have anything else to trade, you can bring food. Need any clothes to change into?"

Her gaze shifted to his T-shirt, which was too dirty to look at, and she smiled.

That originally grayish-white short-sleeved T-shirt had now turned a grayish-yellow, completely soaked through with dried sweat stains.

It felt greasy and cold to wear, and had gained quite a bit of weight.

"Got any nails?" Yu Hong thought for a moment and asked. He needed nails for making things; they were much more convenient than mortise and tenon joints.

"I have quite a few. What do you need those for?" Jenny was taken aback, but then she quickly thought of something. "Don't tell me you can make things yourself?"

"A little." Yu Hong nodded, taking out the Water Filter Cup he had made. "This is a Water Filter Cup I made. If you want one, you can place an order with me. Medicine, clothes, unprocessed glowstone, or helping me with some work—all can be traded."

Jenny stared at the Water Filter Cup in his hand, her eyes growing brighter and brighter.

With this craftsmanship, if it really worked well, everyone nearby could benefit.

"Because of Big Hide last night, we've all gathered at Lao Zhou's Bunker. We'll wait until the High Tide Period is over, then come find you to trade!" she said quickly.

"Are you trading this cup now?" She pointed at the Water Filter Cup.

"Yes." Yu Hong nodded.

He could do handiwork, and his craftsmanship was decent. This was the identity foundation he had planned out in advance.

This foundation could help him maintain a certain basic level of safety nearby.

Because only if he stayed alive could he continuously produce the things everyone needed.

That was his value.

"Wait for me, I'll be right back." Jenny didn't say how much she'd trade for, turned around, and ran, vanishing into the forest in a flash.

Yu Hong looked in the direction she had left, then carefully found a spot to hide, no longer standing foolishly out in the open.

He now desperately craved the exercise method that was about to finish strengthening. His current physical fitness was too poor; he was afraid he couldn't beat anyone.

If the exercise method succeeded, he could later strengthen similar methods for wilderness survival, stealth and concealment, and all kinds of other survival techniques.

But the prerequisite was that the strengthened methods had to be usable by him.

'Exercise also requires sufficient food and rest. If only I could figure out how the Lizard Meat jerky is made. And the mushrooms too.'

Yu Hong crouched, hiding in the grass, thinking while he waited.

Fortunately, it was the time when the sun was at its harshest; Ghost Shadows generally wouldn't appear now.

And for unknown reasons, there were almost no mosquitoes in the forest, and very few insects.

So crouching in the grass, he wouldn't get bitten.

The rustling of leaves rose and fell with the wind, the sunlight intense, continuously radiating waves of warmth onto his body.

But aside from the sound of branches and leaves, there was no other movement in the forest, no sound of life.

No birds, no insects—everything was dead silent.

Yu Hong's eyes constantly scanned his surroundings, making sure no Ghost Shadow could approach him unnoticed.

This dead silent forest, though bathed in bright sunlight, gave him a strange, terrifying feeling.

No butterflies, no bees, no flowers—only grass, branches, and roots.

Tender green, emerald green, dark green, yellow-green—layers upon layers of branches and leaves interwoven into a forest that was both real and bizarre.

'This forest is like it's dead. Lush and quiet, to the point of being fake.'

That thought flashed through Yu Hong's mind.

About a few minutes later, footsteps came again from the side of the Post Office Stone House.

"Yu Hong? Are you there? I'm here."

Jenny's voice rang out.

Hearing this, Yu Hong carefully peered through the grass toward the direction of the sound.

He saw Jenny still dressed as before, holding a small cloth bag in her hand, standing in place and looking around.

He didn't come out immediately but continued observing for a while, making sure her movements were natural, not stiff, and that she walked step by step.

Clearly, she wasn't a Ghost Shadow.

Also, no one else had followed her—she was alone.

After confirming this, he slowly stood up.

"I'm here. Did you bring the stuff?"

"I did." Jenny squinted in his direction. "Stand still for a moment!"

She suddenly raised her voice.

"What was the agreed exchange item?"

"Water Filter Cup and nails!" Yu Hong answered immediately.

"Good!"

Satisfied that the answers matched, Jenny let out a sigh of relief and stepped closer.

"Here." She handed over the small cloth bag.

Yu Hong took it, opened it, and looked inside. It was a handful of rusty iron nails, each as long as a finger.

"About thirty-something nails, enough for a while. But this isn't enough to trade for the Water Filter Cup."

He looked up at her.

"Add this." Jenny took off a backpack from behind, opened it, and pulled out a long-sleeved hoodie with patches.

"I figured you'd need a change of clothes. Otherwise, getting soaked in the rain could give you a fever."

She smiled and winked at Yu Hong.

"Deal!" Yu Hong nodded. He handed over the Water Filter Cup and took the hoodie.

The hoodie was gray, woven from some unknown fine grass, with some animal fur added, making it look very warm.

"This clothes has wild boar hide sewn in, so it's rain-resistant. But don't stay out in the rain for too long—take care of yourself," Jenny reminded him. "It was originally made for my daughter. She works in the town's bunker and comes back once a month. Come to think of it, she should be just a little younger than you."

When she mentioned her daughter, a gentle smile involuntarily appeared on her face.

"You really love your daughter." Yu Hong put away the clothes and nails.

"Mm, she's my pride, combining the best of me and her father—beautiful, confident, capable, able to handle everything in life well." Jenny replied with a smile.

"By the way, if I wanted to contact you over a long distance, what methods are available?" Yu Hong suddenly changed the subject.

"You could use a Long-Range Communicator, but charging it is a hassle. That thing was useful before the Black Calamity, but now it's pretty much useless." Jenny answered. "Though there is a Mailman who can keep in touch with the bunker in town at any time."

"Charging? How do you handle that?" Yu Hong's heart stirred, and he asked quickly.

"They use a Hand-Crank Generator. There's also a Solar Power Generator, but since it's been a while, its output has dropped, and the conversion efficiency is poor now—it only serves as a supplement." Jenny replied. "What, do you want one?"

She keenly guessed Yu Hong's intention.

"I have a few small electronics. If I could get them charged, it would be a huge help. When the Mailman comes back, could you ask him if the Solar Power Generator is for sale?" Yu Hong said.