Wayfinding Incense, Lightning-Struck Wood Plaque, Cinnabar Jade Pendant. I never said your grilled corn was good

[Wayfinding Incense]

[Type: Curio]

[Details: A single-use Curio made from powdered mugwort, pagoda tree wood, and Graveyard Cypress branches and leaves. Once lit, it gives off pale cyan smoke that points toward safety.]

[Lightning-Struck Wood Plaque]

[Type: Curio]

[Details: Made from lightning-struck jujube wood. Calms the mind, aids sleep, and protects against illusions.]

[Cinnabar Jade Pendant]

[Type: Curio]

[Details: A jade pendant filled with cinnabar between its layers. Offers limited protection against supernatural killing rules and can burn supernatural entities.]

"There are all kinds of Curios. I know of over a hundred, and there are others I've never heard of or seen. Some are man-made, while others form naturally. The blood tide, the Dead Zone, the Gray Fog, supernatural flesh and fragments-all of them can produce Curios, or even Wraith Artifacts."

"Before you and Su Nian joined, Gong Qing and Wen Keyi only took a few basic lifesaving items. I kept most of the rest. A lot of Curios need to be used in combination, and I happen to know how to use them properly." A proud look appeared on Gong Qing's face.

Among the earliest veteran Awakened, he was a little weak in terms of strength, but few could beat him when it came to handling Curios.

Hao Ren swiftly divided the Red Candles and White Candles evenly among everyone, giving each person exactly three. He kept the one extra Red Candle for himself.

"I don't need to explain how to use the White Candles in a real emergency, do I? If survivors die, they die. As long as we're alive, there'll be more opportunities."

The Evil-Breaking Sea Salt was also divided into five equal portions, one for each person. Once used up, it was gone... They also distributed basic equipment like the Road-Cutting Coins, Ink-Line Reels, and bloodstained peach wood.

"The rest isn't so easy to divide. It's not like lollipops, where you get one and I get one. If there's anything you need, just take it. The apocalypse is dangerous, but we're a team. We rise and fall together. Anything you don't know how to use goes to me. We'll be acting together anyway."

"I'll take this Cinnabar Jade Pendant. You can decide what to do with the rest."

He had already thought about how to deal with supernatural entities: increase his constitution and mental strength, then gradually build up his defenses against curses and physical damage.

All the fancy stuff was too much trouble to use.

When a real fight broke out, having too much equipment meant there was no time to think about what to use first. Carrying it all was inconvenient, too. Hao Ren's hiking backpack made that clear.

Equipment was useful to him when he needed to escape. Hao Ren was the best person to carry these things.

This Cinnabar Jade Pendant was pretty good. Once he upgraded it, who cared what killing rules they had? He could just go to work.

"Ahem, you still owe me one, right?" Hao Ren reached toward Su Nian's candles.

Earlier, when Su Nian had wanted to go in and find a vehicle, he had given him a candle. That was a separate matter. Once these things were used, they were gone.

Su Nian returned a White Candle. Then his scalp started itching, and he scratched his head. He really needed a bath.

This was the first time he had gone ten days without bathing, and he had been physically active the whole time.

All at once, his entire body felt uncomfortable.

He really needed to find ways to improve his living conditions.

After they finished dividing the items, Su Yue found people to start a fire, while Wen Keyi scattered Purple-Gold Rice in the median strip. The seeds quietly split open, pushing out tiny milky-white roots that took hold and grew taller... One stalk became three or five, then those became a small clump. The stems began to lengthen, growing firm and tough.

The rice heads emerged fully from their sheaths, spread out, and drooped.

Countless tiny, pale yellow-white rice flowers silently bloomed in an incredibly short time... The grains swelled and hardened, filling the air with fragrance.

Su Nian stood to one side, watching this miraculous scene.

"Can I hide some seeds in your vehicle? Just a few. They won't take up any space."

"Sure."

Wen Keyi spread seeds around, hiding some in every vehicle, just in case she someday ran out of seeds to use.

No matter how unusual her ability was, she couldn't create things out of nothing. She still needed seeds.

By noon, the Purple-Gold Rice had been processed with the Hulling Machine and put into the pot. The removed husks were mixed with the problematic Purple-Gold Rice and cooked into porridge.

The husks contained plenty of nutrients, too. This avoided waste while mitigating the price of eating that batch of Purple-Gold Rice... Perhaps osteoporosis would no longer be an issue.

The rice stalks were fed to Big Black Bull. Nothing went to waste.

Big Black Bull lay comfortably on the ground, eating the stalks. They were tasty, but there weren't quite enough.

Su Nian currently had nothing else to feed him. There was no vegetation left in the survival highway's median strip. It had all been dug up long ago, leaving only dirt.

When people were hungry enough, they ate first and worried about what it was later.

Feeding a bull was a headache, too.

"See that? He's really eager to please." Chen Tai gestured with his chin toward Li Sheng, who was wiping down Su Nian's vehicle.

Tang Zhou understood what he meant.

Sometimes, she thought she could get by on her own abilities, but that only held true below the level of the Awakened.

In the apocalypse, those below the Awakened were little different from ants struggling to survive.

Her brother had now become the "chief steward." If he was ever in danger, Hao Ren would certainly help him, provided it didn't put Hao Ren himself at risk.

But what if she was the one in danger? Even if her brother got on his knees and begged, Hao Ren probably wouldn't care. He had no connection to her. That was simply the truth.

The world had changed.

Driving for Su Nian would be good for both her and her brother. There didn't seem to be any downside.

The only downside was her pathetic "self-respect."

"I'll give it a try." Tang Zhou stood and walked toward Su Nian, who was beside Big Black Bull.

"Captain Su."

"Need something?" Su Nian looked over.

Tang Zhou's heart tightened. She didn't know why, but the moment Su Nian looked at her, she couldn't help feeling nervous.

"I think you need a driver, and I think I'm suitable. I could handle a lot of tedious chores for you, so you'd have more time to rest."

"I obviously know that myself. Then do you know why I haven't found one?"

"Because you don't trust anyone!"

That was obvious. There was no need to guess. Surely it couldn't be because he enjoyed driving himself.

"Then can you make me trust you? You should know that if I so much as ask, plenty of people would be willing to drive for me. Why should I choose you?"

"I can't make you trust me. Trust can't appear out of thin air. It's like knitting a sweater-you have to start with the first stitch. First, you have to want a driver. I'll get you to trust me little by little."

"If there's ever a moment when you don't trust me, I can get lost right away. Don't worry, I'm quick about it. I'll jump out and get lost even if the vehicle's moving."

"As for what qualifies me..." Su Zhou took a deep breath. "I can repair vehicles, weld, cook, and pitch tents. I know some first aid. Fractures, burns, external wounds-I can handle all of those. I also know Tai Chi, Qinna, and Bajiquan. I have a lot of skills, and I won't cause trouble. I think I can do this."

"Most importantly, my grilled corn is really good." Su Zhou chuckled.

Su Nian said, "...Also, I never said your grilled corn was good."

He had wanted to say that during the convoy interviews last time.

"Aw... My brother lied to me."

"If you give me a reason not to trust you, I'll definitely kill you outright." A faint smile curved Su Nian's lips as the blood eye between his brows opened.

"All right, then. Want to give me a try?" Tang Zhou's expression didn't change. She had no bad intentions, after all. She neither dared nor wanted to harbor any.

She would ease some of Su Nian's burden and give him more time to rest, while Su Nian would provide her with some food and protection.

It was a win-win arrangement. Harming Su Nian would do her no good whatsoever. Would killing him somehow let her awaken?