Are you trying to undermine me on purpose?

The Fabrication Station.

"Uncle Wei, I brought this friend to buy a weapon."

"Oh?" Wearing reading glasses, Uncle Wei looked Lu Li up and down. "You're not a Resonator, are you?"

"No."

"I only sell Blackstone Weapons here. Can you handle one?" Uncle Wei looked proud.

Hah, this old man. I could even handle Comrade's Hammer. What's a mere Blackstone Weapon compared to that?

But...

"What's a Blackstone Weapon?"

Yangyang explained, "Blackstone Weapons are weapons developed exclusively for Resonators, designed to counter the characteristics of Remnants. They get their name from the Blackstone Modules that form their core structure."

Uncle Wei adjusted his reading glasses. "Exactly. You're a Resonator, aren't you, young lady? You know your stuff."

Yangyang covered her mouth and chuckled. "Uncle Wei, sell him a Sword. My friend may not be a Resonator, but he's no ordinary person either."

Uncle Wei gave Lu Li another look. "Fine."

So the old man was a tsundere.

Uncle Wei turned around and took a Mingyu out of a box.

"Catch." Uncle Wei tossed Mingyu over.

Lu Li caught it securely and examined the blade. It was pure black, adorned with yellow fittings.

Uncle Wei continued, "Though the Sword is the most common and straightforward weapon, it's also the hardest to master. I suppose that's what they mean when they say the greatest complexity returns to simplicity."

"Not bad."

Overall, Lu Li was quite satisfied with the blade and bought it for sixty thousand Shell Credits.

"All right, let's head out of the city. Hopefully, we can find some useful clues."

On the way.

Yangyang gazed toward the city gate and said worriedly, "Security and defenses at the gate have been strengthened. It wasn't like this when we came back..."

Holding two Egg Pancakes, Lu Li wolfed them down as he asked, "Does that mean things on the front line are getting more critical?"

"I'm afraid so. Still, General Jiyan is holding the front line. In theory, nothing too serious should happen for now."

"General Jiyan?"

"General Jiyan leads the Midnight Rangers, and he's also a Resonator. His strength alone can rival an army of ten thousand."

"You think that highly of him, Yangyang?"

"General Jiyan really is that capable."

As they spoke, the three arrived at the city gate.

They saw a woman dressed like a Taoist pleading with two Midnight Rangers soldiers.

"I'm a Resonator. I've practiced martial arts since childhood and can defend myself to some extent. I wish to leave the city to look for someone."

"I promised the missing person's grandfather that I would bring him back. Please, soldiers, make an exception."

One of the soldiers said expressionlessly, "Even if you're a Resonator, we can't let you through right now. Please understand."

[Ding! Options triggered!]

[Option one: Beat up the Midnight Rangers soldiers and take Jianxin out of the city. Reward: fifty thousand Shell Credits, Jinzhou faction favorability decreased by 100]

[Option two: Use the Pass to take Jianxin out of the city. Reward: B-rank skill: Blood Blade Technique]

[Option three: Bribe the Midnight Rangers soldiers and take Jianxin out of the city. Reward: a ten-day stay in Jinzhou's jail]

The young Taoist named Jianxin asked, "Everything in the city is operating normally. Has the fighting on the front line really become that tense?"

"It's precisely so the people in the city can feel safe that we need to go this far."

The two soldiers looked solemn. "Besides, General Jiyan is leading troops in the Norfall Barrens. The battlefield is dangerous, yes, but with General Jiyan there, he'll look after every soldier."

"We already reported your situation. You could wait comfortably in the city for news. Why stand out here in the wind and rain with us, pleading?"

The soldiers tried to reason with her, but Jianxin was determined to leave the city. She sighed and said:

"I've also filed a report with the Patrol Office and tried all sorts of methods. When I give someone my word, I ought to do everything I can."

"I don't wish to make things difficult for you. If my presence here is disturbing you, I can conceal myself and retreat fifty feet away, or even a thousand. But with my eyesight, I can barely make things out from ten thousand feet away..."

Lu Li and the other two listened quietly from the side.

"I can barely make things out from ten thousand feet away..."

Was that clairvoyance? Were you the second Calabash Brother or something?

That was a great skill. I wondered if the system offered it as a reward...

The two soldiers continued to enforce their orders strictly.

"Troops move quickly, and there's no fixed schedule. Even if you wait here, you might not catch the Midnight Rangers returning. And even if they do return, the person you're looking for might not be with them."

"The front line is dangerous, and the journey is long. If you're waiting for a chance to leave, clearance isn't just going to fall out of the sky..."

Lu Li couldn't be bothered to listen any longer. He took out his Terminal and waved it in front of the two soldiers.

The soldier stopped mid-sentence and looked over, startled.

"..." Are you trying to undermine me on purpose?

Despite his inward grumbling, he still had to verify it. He stepped forward and checked the Pass's clearance level.

"...Clearance verified. Three people passing through, correct?"

Lu Li nodded. "That's right."

"Please wait, young hero!"

Lu Li looked at Jianxin.

"Young hero, I'm Jianxin. I have a favor to ask."

"I wish to leave the city to look for someone, but I lack clearance. If it's convenient, could you allow me to accompany you?"

Jianxin wore Taoist attire, her black-and-white hair long and flowing. A stray white tuft on top of her head swayed gently in the breeze.

"I heard what you said earlier. You have a chivalrous heart..."

Jianxin nodded and looked at him hopefully.

"But then again, I'm a businessman, so..."

Lu Li rubbed his fingers together, making exactly the same gesture he had used when scamming Aalto... no, earning money from Aalto.

Jianxin paused, then looked as though she understood. "I have three Guokui, thirty-four Shell Credits, and one Cloud-Pattern Exorcism Mirror. I'll give all of them to you, young hero."

"..."

How much? Thirty-four Shell Credits?

That wouldn't even buy a sip of broth from a Jinzhou Stew, would it?

Lu Li took back his earlier assessment that the people of Jinzhou were rich.

"...No need."

Jianxin brightened. "Thank you, young-"

Before she could finish, Lu Li waved a hand to interrupt her. "Hold on. Let me ask you something. What you said about seeing ten thousand feet away... is that true?"

"Of course. I never lie."

"How about this? Teach me how to do that, and I'll take you out."

Jianxin hesitated at his words. "It isn't some closely guarded secret, but seeing ten thousand feet away requires talent..."

"Talent? That's the one thing I have in abundance!"

Lu Li declared proudly, "An old man once told me that I had an extraordinary bone structure and energy surging through the crown of my head. I was surely a one-in-ten-thousand martial arts prodigy!"