External Trade

After walking upstream along the mountain stream for about five to six li, Penny, who was leading the way, suddenly turned left and passed through a wooded hillside. Before them lay another valley blocked by bushes. A path had been carved out here with a dagger.

After walking a few more li along this valley, another mountain stream appeared. Here, they could clearly see the small iron mine Penny had found. It was a small exposed ore deposit, not very noticeable.

Honestly, Li Wei didn't know how he would have found this iron mine if he had been the one searching.

Only Penny, being so tenacious and with the boost from her profession card, could find it. But the price, tsk tsk!

"This is the iron mine. Mining it isn't difficult. Use a pickaxe to chip off the ore, break it down, and pack it up. That counts as successful mining. The hardest part is transporting it back."

"Also, be careful of the wild beasts in this forest. A few days ago, I heard wolf howls again. And don't provoke those wild boars. For now, I haven't found any larger beasts, like bears or tigers."

Penny spoke quickly. Near the open-air mine, Li Wei also saw a simple stone shack. Looking around, the scenery was beautiful, with dense forests everywhere. Some leaves had already turned yellow, but most trees were still lush and green.

This was the best season, and also the season for harvest.

Putting down their baskets, Li Wei, Penny, and Mixi each took a pickaxe, placing their iron spears nearby where they could be easily grabbed. They began their daily mining.

The small blast furnace Penny had built required about a hundred catties of iron ore per day. The amount of steel produced was also small. From all aspects, it was an outdated product, but in the current environment, it had become quite advanced.

In three to five days, Penny and Mixi would focus on smelting iron and forging steel tools and weapons. The task of mining ore would be solely Li Wei's responsibility. One hundred catties of iron ore counted as one unit. He would need ten consecutive days to complete this month's main quest.

It was going to be a bit difficult!

After an autumn rain, a chill settled in. The vibrant green that had spread unchecked since midsummer could no longer hold on, transforming into a riot of color across the mountains.

It was now the twenty-fifth day of the month. In the past twelve days, Li Wei had mined a total of 12 units of iron ore, earning him 120 mining experience points and 2 Family Contribution Points.

Of these, 10 units of iron ore were for completing the monthly main quest. The extra two units could be donated to the family or accumulated towards the main quest. Regardless, each unit earned one Family Contribution Point, making no difference.

However, today was an important day because Penny planned to lead a team for external trade. This was undoubtedly one of the most significant events for the family.

So, a few days ago, Phila had started preparing: dried meat jerky, new wheat ground into flour, making dull-looking bread, and various ready-to-eat dried fruits, filling a large bag.

These were food supplies.

As for weapons and armor, Penny had finally made a recurve bow, though its quality was uncertain. However, its draw weight was much stronger than the hunting bow.

Additionally, she had forged five steel broadhead arrows for Li Wei, so he was now well-equipped in all aspects.

However, besides carrying the recurve bow, Li Wei also brought his hunting bow. The recurve bow was too delicate, whereas the hunting bow was more robust and suitable for hunting.

Furthermore, in the past few days, Mixi had shown her skills by actually crafting a chainmail vest. It was small, fitting her perfectly. Wearing it under a wolfskin robe gave her the appearance of a charging tank.

Mixi's weapon for herself was a small mace, and she had also made a wooden shield from oak.

Just seeing her swing a hammer to forge metal, did she want to be a warrior?

In short, under the guise of completing the monthly main quest, she had armed herself. She was quite calculating.

As for Penny, she only prepared an iron spear, a dagger, and a large basket filled with the goods they intended to sell or trade.

There weren't many items: two steel daggers that Li Wei considered quite exquisite and very sharp, and a cloth-wrapped object of moderate size.

Yes, these three items were what their family had accumulated through a month's effort. Whether it was meager or not, he didn't know, but the forging success rate hadn't been as high as expected.

How many times had those two steel daggers been melted down and reforged?

But Li Wei had a hunch that Penny's main focus for this external trade was the mysterious object wrapped in cloth.

Could it be a crossbow?

A ripple went through his mind. Most likely, possibly, probably, it was that thing.

With such secrecy, was the background of this world really similar to medieval Europe, where crossbows were forbidden items? That's why it would be more profitable?

Without much delay, Li Wei, Penny, and Mixi silently set off in the faint light of dawn.

Penny was still leading the way, as only she knew the route.

They traveled south along the stream. The water gurgled, and the surroundings were peaceful. But the dew was heavy. As the morning light brightened, the mist around them increased, obscuring even the distant mountains.

However, as if by magic, the mist dissipated unnoticed. The golden sunlight shone down, making Li Wei feel somewhat dazed.

Around 8 AM, Li Wei and his companions had traveled over twenty li. The mountain range that had accompanied them on the side began to lower. Ahead was an open mountain pass. After going around it and crossing a few gentle hills, the view opened up dramatically, allowing them to see dozens of li ahead.

In this vast vista, they could see rivers, plains, forests, and even, faintly, a fortress with low walls. Was that Kahe Castle?

Li Wei was excited, and so was Mixi. Penny, however, with a blank expression, led them in another direction. This was not flat terrain but a rugged path. The mountains became steeper. The only good news was that the path looked like it was frequently used.

Li Wei didn't quite understand and didn't ask further. Penny wouldn't harm him and Mixi; that was the core rule of the game. However, it was still necessary to guard against unexpected events.

So, while frequently observing their surroundings, he took out his bowstring from his inner clothing and the similarly wrapped recurve bow body. This was to prevent moisture, as the morning dew was very heavy and could greatly corrode the bow body and string.

Precision and stability were his pursuits, so he absolutely could not be careless with these details. A flaw, no matter how small, could lead to a difference between life and death.

But in reality, the surroundings were very quiet. Even in places that looked ideal for an ambush, there was no danger.

Continuing on like this, after crossing one mountain ridge after another, it was already noon. Li Wei estimated that since they had turned off the main path, they had walked thirty to forty li on mountain trails. Just as he was about to suggest resting and eating something, he suddenly noticed a wisp of cooking smoke appearing and disappearing in a mountain hollow ahead.

A home?

A village in a place where even rabbits don't defecit?

Or... bandits?

No way!

Li Wei was shocked, and even Mixi's expression flickered uncertainly. Only Penny remained calm.

"Penny, we need to understand your plan."

Mixi couldn't help but ask. Although she was a veteran player who had already cleared the game once, she couldn't figure out Penny's strategy at this moment. Why go into the mountains to find mountain bandits instead of heading to the castle market? Was she kidding them?