Grim Situation, Self-Reliance

The next day.

Prosperity Escort Agency.

Meng Lei gathered everyone and publicly rewarded Zhao Ya and the escort hands under him.

Zhao Ya received a full fifty taels of silver and half a month of leave.

For a time, everyone looked at him with envy.

As for Tan Dong and the others, each of them received generous rewards as well.

Meng Lei wanted to use this matter to tell everyone that as long as they were truly devoted to the escort agency, it would never treat them unfairly.

After making the announcement, Zhao Ya declined everyone's invitations, claiming that he was too tired, and left the escort agency early.

After leaving the escort agency, Zhao Ya first returned home and disguised himself, then went to the pharmacies to inquire about the ingredients needed for Blood-Replenishing Powder.

To be safe, Zhao Ya asked about no more than two or three ingredients at each pharmacy.

Half a day passed like this. When Zhao Ya emerged from the last pharmacy, there was a trace of disappointment on his face.

He had discovered that most pharmacies simply did not carry the ingredients listed in the Blood-Replenishing Powder formula.

As one pharmacy owner put it, the ingredients Zhao Ya needed were mostly the organs or blood of wild beasts and even mutated beasts. Ordinary pharmacies could not obtain such things at all.

Even if they did have them, the prices were exorbitant.

Zhao Ya could do nothing about it and could only temporarily give up on refining Blood-Replenishing Powder.

Fortunately, the escort agency still provided a Qi-Blood Pill every three days. Together with the dried earthworm meat from the Tan Family and the dried Green Bamboo Snake he had bought at the Ghost Market, it was barely enough.

Lost in thought, Zhao Ya headed home.

"Sir, please have mercy on me. I haven't eaten in three days."

Beggers would occasionally stop passersby on the road to beg for food.

Watching this scene, Zhao Ya felt heavy-hearted.

There were more and more refugees and beggars in the city now, even worse than last year.

Moreover, Zhao Ya knew that conditions outside the city were even worse. Countless refugees were constantly flooding this way.

If this continued, something terrible would happen sooner or later.

Zhao Ya had no good solution for this either. He could only stockpile as much food and supplies as possible in case of emergency.

Over the next few days, Zhao Ya stayed indoors and practiced martial arts at home all day.

Then, one day, Tan Dong came to Zhao Ya's home.

"Brother Zhao, this is next month's dried earthworm meat, along with a letter from my father," Tan Dong said.

Zhao Ya took the letter and was slightly startled after reading it.

Tan Ziwang wrote that starting this month, the supply of dried earthworm meat would be greatly reduced.

As for the reason, Tan Ziwang merely vaguely mentioned production limits.

But Zhao Ya understood that if the reason were truly that simple, Tan Ziwang would not have personally written him a letter to explain.

Combined with the current situation, Zhao Ya vaguely guessed what was going on.

"What did my father say in the letter?"

Seeing Zhao Ya's solemn expression, Tan Dong hurriedly asked.

"Oh, nothing much. He just said the dried meat might be rationed from now on," Zhao Ya said without hiding it.

After hearing this, Tan Dong fell silent for a moment before sighing.

"These times are getting harder and harder. Just the day before yesterday, one of the pleasure houses I often visited actually shut down."

"Pleasure houses can shut down too?"

"People have no silver in their pockets and won't spend money. Of course they shut down! It's just a pity for girls like Xiaocui, Lili, Hongyu, and Juan'er!"

Tan Dong was clearly in a bad mood.

This escort mission had left a deep impression on him, and after returning, one of the pleasure houses he frequented had shut down. That made him even more depressed.

After sighing and lamenting for a while, Tan Dong left.

A few more days passed, and the escort agency's supply of Qi-Blood Pills was cut off as well.

Meng Lei explained that he had previously obtained the Qi-Blood Pills through connections from the Yang Family in the inner city, but the Yang Family had suddenly begun strictly controlling them and no longer sold them to outsiders.

Meng Lei had no solution to this either and could only apologize to Zhao Ya.

Naturally, Zhao Ya did not mind. Instead, he comforted Meng Lei a few times before leaving the escort agency.

In just a few days, there were far fewer pedestrians on the streets.

Many of the shops on both sides had also closed down, leaving behind a desolate scene.

Zhao Ya knew that the situation was becoming increasingly grim.

The Tan Family would be able to provide less and less dried meat, and now the escort agency's supply of Qi-Blood Pills had been cut off as well.

It seemed he needed to visit the Ghost Market tonight.

That evening, Zhao Ya changed into black clothes, covered his face, and headed to the Ghost Market.

He had been to the Ghost Market many times already and knew the way well.

But this time was different. The Ghost Market was actually empty, and more than half the stalls had not even set up.

The few stalls that remained only displayed miscellaneous goods, and hardly anyone was browsing them.

Zhao Ya's heart tightened at the sight. After making a round, he indeed failed to find the meat stall where he usually bought his supplies.

Even the Ghost Market had clearly been affected by the current situation.

Helpless, Zhao Ya could only return empty-handed.

When he got home, Zui'er had not yet gone to sleep. She was surprised to see Zhao Ya return so early.

"Brother Xiao Ya, why are you back so early?"

"Mm, there was hardly anyone at the Ghost Market, so I could only come back."

Zhao Ya then took out the box containing the dried meat. Aside from the dried earthworm meat supplied by the Tan Family, there were only a few strands of dried Green Bamboo Snake left—the thing he needed most. They probably would not even last ten days.

Zhao Ya could not help frowning at the sight.

His cultivation was at a critical juncture. If his supply of flesh and blood was cut off now, his progress would inevitably be greatly affected.

In these troubled times, everyone was striving desperately to get ahead. Forget failing to improve—even progressing a little slower than others meant falling behind and eventually becoming meat on someone else's chopping block.

Zhao Ya could not accept such an outcome.

So he fell silent for a moment, then made a decision.

Since every source of flesh and blood had been cut off, he would have to find a way himself.

Weren't most of the ingredients listed for Blood-Replenishing Powder the organs and blood of wild beasts or mutated beasts?

Since he could not buy them, he would go hunting in the mountains outside the city himself.

He could not just sit around and wait to die.

Mm!

That was settled, then.

Once he made up his mind, Zhao Ya finally felt at ease.

When he looked up, he saw Zui'er gazing at him with a worried expression, and he smiled.

"Alright, it's fine. They're only small problems. They won't be enough to stump your Brother Xiao Ya."

Only then did Zui'er relax slightly and nod gently.

"Brother Xiao Ya."

"Hmm?"

"It's getting late. Let's sleep!"

"Alright!"

The night passed. Early the next morning, Zhao Ya got up and began preparing the things he would need to leave the city and hunt.

Although Zhao Ya had never hunted before, fortunately, the original owner of this body had watched many wilderness survival videos.

That knowledge might not all be useful in this world, but common sense regarding survival should be universal.

Zhao Ya packed water and food, wrapped the fire striker in oilcloth, then checked his hand crossbow, lime pouches, and other items. Once he confirmed that nothing had been left out, he informed Zui'er before quietly leaving home.

(End of Chapter)