There was another surprise!
Su Nian could barely contain his delight. He had almost forgotten that escaping a supernatural creature's pursuit also earned him survival points.
This was far more than the Maggot Willow by the roadside had given him yesterday.
"Surviving is certainly worth celebrating, but you should be thinking about how to survive every time." Hao Ren pushed up his glasses and exhaled a cloud of smoke, putting on a melancholy air.
That was how newcomers were. Escape a supernatural creature's pursuit, get a few supplies, and they were over the moon.
He, on the other hand, was not happy at all. He had lost so many unusual items, gained nothing from this trip, and failed to find even a scrap of gold.
Hao Ren stealthily reached toward the carton of Zhonghua... he never came out empty-handed.
Su Nian's expression darkened.
He realized he was missing the survival points for one creature. Where were the points for Basket-Carrying Granny?
Hao Ren awkwardly withdrew his hand... not even a little respect for the captain.
"Child... Grandpa's finished making the dumplings. Stop playing around and come back to eat."
His grandfather's voice abruptly sounded in Su Nian's mind.
Goosebumps broke out all over Su Nian. He looked around in terror, but even his blood eye could not spot Basket-Carrying Granny.
He had been marked. He still had not escaped Basket-Carrying Granny's pursuit... what had Basket-Carrying Granny taken from him?
His energy, his youth, or his memories?
"What's wrong?" Startled by Su Nian's reaction, Hao Ren warily scanned their surroundings.
Gong Qing stopped the vehicle and fixed his gaze on Su Nian. "I can sense Basket-Carrying Granny's psychic imprint on him."
His Delusion Director gave him a powerful ability to sense supernatural creatures. Although it fell short of the Guide sequence, it was considerably stronger than the abilities of most other sequence users.
"Let me see where it is." Hao Ren began pulling off Su Nian's clothes.
There was a blue-green, basket-shaped mark on Su Nian's waist.
"Good, good. It's a minor problem. Just a tracking mark, not a killing rule taking shape."
Hao Ren let go of Su Nian's clothes.
"A mark! Does that mean she can always find me?" Su Nian asked.
"That's right."
Hao Ren took out a cigarette and began puffing away.
Su Nian was speechless... was that all he had to say? "Can't you remove it?"
"Of course. There are plenty of ways." Hao Ren exhaled a cloud of smoke. "I'm trying to think of the cheapest one. Whether there's some way to solve this without spending anything."
Su Nian: "..."
"I've thought it over, and apparently there isn't." Hao Ren suddenly looked at Su Nian. "Dozens of methods, and not one comes completely free."
"You'll just have to suffer a little."
Hao Ren grinned, looking rather sinister.
Won't let me smoke your Zhonghua, huh? Just watch me get you back.
Hao Ren took out a peachwood dagger treated with dog's blood. "Scraping therapy. Ever had it? It hurts a little, so bear with it."
How much could scraping therapy possibly hurt? Thinking that, Su Nian shifted into a position that made it easier for Hao Ren to work.
Gong Qing extended a hand, and a ring of fluorescent light formed around the mark, locking it firmly in place.
Hao Ren scraped with his dagger. A sizzle rang out as black smoke rose.
"Hiss... ow, ow, ow!" Like a loach dropped onto concrete that had baked in the sun all day, Su Nian sprang up, twisting into a contorted pose as he clutched his lower back.
What kind of scraping therapy was this? Nobody said they'd be scraping him with a red-hot branding iron!
"Bear with it. Just another seven or eight strokes."
"Seven or eight!" Su Nian could not believe it.
Beside them, Gong Qing could not hold back a laugh. There were actually plenty of painless ways to solve this, but they would waste supplies.
It was like having only ten yuan. A serving of twice-cooked pork over rice would fill you up, but buying steamed buns would feed you for several days.
On the road to survival, they had to save wherever they could and put their best resources where they mattered most.
And so, after several agonized screams, the blue-green, basket-shaped mark on Su Nian's waist disappeared. In its place was a patch of bright red skin, the color of a sunburn with a layer peeled off.
[Ding! Escaped the Void Frame Ghost's pursuit. Gained 800 survival points.]
"Give me my stuff back." Hao Ren held out his hand.
Su Nian handed back the jar of Evil-Breaking Sea Salt.
"It's empty!" The corner of Hao Ren's mouth twitched uncontrollably. This trip had been a huge loss. He had brought nothing out.
His personal losses had gained the convoy another sequence transcendent... not a bad deal.
He had always been good at comforting himself.
After returning to the convoy, Gong Qing and Hao Ren gathered fresh supplies, planning to head out again.
After all, they had finally come across a town. They could not leave without gaining anything.
Su Nian was curious about what they were searching for in there. When they came out, they had not brought so much as a piece of bread.
"Could someone watch my tricycle? I want to go in too."
"We only have two burial shrouds. Otherwise, we'd take you along," Hao Ren said.
After all, Su Nian could see supernatural creatures, which would be a considerable help to them.
"I'll go on my own, not with you. I want to find a vehicle."
Besides food, transportation was important too. If a supernatural creature chased him, he could hardly rely on his own two legs.
He had to take this risk... otherwise, he would have to spend survival points upgrading his tricycle. He had not lost his mind. Survival points needed to be spent where they counted.
Weapons, even clothes and shoes, were worth upgrading. The tricycle? Forget it.
"If it's a vehicle you need, there's no reason to take the risk. We have plenty of empty seats," Gong Qing said.
"I still want to find a vehicle of my own."
In this apocalypse, walking along the edge of a cliff would be his everyday life from now on. It was "routine," not something he could simply opt out of.
Hao Ren nodded and looked at the young man with the buzz cut beside him.
"Zhang, watch Su Nian's tricycle. Not a single thing on it can go missing. He's our convoy's fourth sequence transcendent."
"Yes, Captain," Zhang Ping replied. Then he looked at Su Nian and gave him a slight nod, his gaze nine parts respect.
And one part envy.
He remembered Su Nian. He had awakened just a week after arriving in this world. What luck.
He had been here for over three months and still had not awakened.
"Take this. Once lit, it can keep supernatural creatures from approaching and block killing rules." Hao Ren handed him a red candle.
"Thank you!"
"Don't get excited yet. I'm lending it to you. You'll have to pay me back later."
Hao Ren spoke irritably, then took a pack of Double Happiness cigarettes from Su Nian's tricycle.
Gong Qing likewise helped himself to a bottle of liquor, casually tossing it into his own vehicle as he passed.
The two acted like a pair of bandits.
Su Nian laughed it off, then began rummaging through his things.
"Are you looking for a lighter?" Zhang Ping asked softly, offering one with both hands.
Su Nian glanced at him and accepted the lighter, thinking, No wonder you can be the "head steward."
You've got a knack for it.
Su Nian pulled out a pack of Double Happiness and tossed it over.
"Oh, you shouldn't have." Zhang Ping held the cigarettes, looking embarrassed.
At the same time, he confirmed that this was an awakened man who was easy to get along with.
"Keep it." As he spoke, Su Nian smeared a few more handfuls of soot over his face and hands, then headed toward Happiness County.
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