Chapter Summaries

Song Xiaozhu recorded a fresh-meat recipe that required contaminated beast meat and an antidote, and wondered whether it hinted at the isolation zone’s eventual collapse. In Liu Family Village, Bai Jing distributed anti-inflammatory pills, while Xiao Yunjie watched closely and accepted Xiao Tong’s explanation that Master Bai had made them.

• Song Xiaozhu recorded the fresh-meat recipe and discovered it required two units of contaminated beast meat and one antidote.
• Song Xiaozhu considered the recipe’s possible connection to the isolation zone disappearing and decided she would need weapons and armor for future dangers.
• Bai Jing explained how to take the anti-inflammatory pills to the people of Liu Family Village, and villagers tried them despite their terrible bitterness.
• Xiao Tong reassured the villagers that the bitter pills worked, citing the improvement in his leg wound after taking six.
• Xiao Yunjie watched the villagers take the pills and let Xiao Tong’s claim that Master Bai had developed them stand, though she remained wary of their origin.

Bai Jing returned from Liu Family Village with Xiao Tong and shared his detailed observations of Song Xiaozhu’s anti-inflammatory tablets. Xiao Tong, grateful that the tablets had saved many villagers, offered to fulfill her request, while Bai Jing worried she might ask for too much and create trouble.

• Xiao Yunjie recognized Xiao Tong’s scheme and said Liu Family Village would remember Bai Jing’s kindness.
• Bai Jing observed the tablets’ effects in the village and recorded detailed notes on how they worked for patients with different levels of illness.
• Xiao Tong escorted Bai Jing back to the community despite his injury, and Song Xiaozhu prepared an extra place for him at the table.
• Bai Jing showed Song Xiaozhu his records and explained that the tablets worked well, even for severely ill patients, though they were less effective than treatment from a Physician.
• Xiao Tong thanked Song Xiaozhu and promised to do whatever he could to fulfill her request.
• Bai Jing reflected that Xiao Yunjie would likely learn the tablets’ source and grant Song Xiaozhu’s request, but feared Song Xiaozhu might ask for too much.

Song Xiaozhu proposed opening a shop in Liu Family Village, offering tools and supplies while buying local materials. She warned Xiao Tong that the shop would sever the village’s remaining ties to District Chief Hu and could trigger a larger conflict, so Bai Jing told him to consult his mother before deciding.

• Song Xiaozhu revealed that she wanted to open a shop in Liu Family Village, surprising Xiao Tong and Bai Jing with the simplicity of her plan.
• Song Xiaozhu agreed to sell medicine and daily supplies at clearly marked prices, and Xiao Tong gratefully accepted her proposal.
• Song Xiaozhu asked to post purchase orders for materials such as stones, scrap iron, weeds, and wild vegetables, and Xiao Tong agreed.
• Song Xiaozhu explained that opening the shop would leave her and Sister Shuyu outside the Scavenger Community and permanently break Liu Family Village’s relationship with District Chief Hu.
• Bai Jing cautioned Xiao Tong to consult his mother before moving forward, warning against rushing into a decision with consequences for the village.

Song Xiaozhu prepared a lavish dinner for Bai Jing, Xiao Tong, and Qiu Shuyu, including upgraded simple meals with several flavors and fresh meat. They sampled the different meals while the meat boiled, and Song Xiaozhu planned a small celebration with her new earnings.

• Song Xiaozhu discussed the risks of revealing her ability with Xiao Tong and trusted that Bai Jing would remain above the conflict with Old Madam Hu.
• Song Xiaozhu synthesized rich simple meals, discovering that they came in apple, orange, roasted sweet potato, and tea flavors and could be stored together without mixing.
• Song Xiaozhu started boiling fresh meat and brought four flavored simple meals to the others while they waited.
• Bai Jing chose the orange-flavored meal, while Qiu Shuyu chose apple, Xiao Tong chose roasted sweet potato, and Song Xiaozhu chose tea.

Song Xiaozhu treated Bai Jing, Xiao Tong, and Qiu Shuyu to meat made with Force, then told Xiao Tong her shop would sell simple meals. The next day, Xiao Tong returned to Liu Family Village with medicine and went to find his mother, Xiao Yunjie, at the edge of the village by the isolation zone.

• Song Xiaozhu served the others matcha rice paste and then brought out boiled meat she had bought with her earnings.
• Bai Jing and Xiao Tong were astonished by the meat, and Xiao Tong finished his portion before he could properly taste and assess it.
• Xiao Tong asked whether Song Xiaozhu's shop would sell meat, but she said it would sell simple meals.
• The next day, Bai Jing and Xiao Tong returned to Liu Family Village with tablets for the wounded at the golden temple.
• After arranging for the medicine to be stored, Xiao Tong went to his mother's house at the village's eastern edge and saw Xiao Yunjie standing by the stone pit.

Xiao Yunjie agreed to help Song Xiaozhu settle in Liu Family Village and offered her the old residence for a shop, while remaining wary of her motives. Meanwhile, Shang Dayuan continued searching for Shang Bao until Shang Cuicui confronted him about neglecting the family’s work.

• Xiao Tong told Xiao Yunjie about Song Xiaozhu, her skills, and her wish to open a shop in Liu Family Village.
• Xiao Yunjie promised to protect Song Xiaozhu and offered her the old residence as a shop and home.
• Xiao Yunjie remained cautious but decided Liu Family Village would benefit from Song Xiaozhu’s medicine, shop, and engineering skills.
• Shang Dayuan and his five sons-in-law searched for the missing Shang Bao instead of scavenging or processing scrap.
• Shang Cuicui stopped Shang Dayuan and told him they could not keep neglecting their work and household duties.

The Shang family feared Shang Bao had been eaten by Bai Jing and sought help from Chen San, while Xia Fengshou discovered an unexplained drop in iron axe sales. At the repaired isolation barrier, Mu Qing reflected on the recent breach and the danger posed by Polluted Beasts.

• Luo Tong told Shang Dayuan and Shang Cuicui that Song Xiaozhu and Qiu Shuyu had been eating meat despite not working or shopping, leading them to suspect Shang Bao had been eaten.
• Shang Dayuan struck Shang Cuicui when she urged caution, but she persuaded him to wait for a foolproof plan.
• Luo Tong took money from Shang Dayuan and promised to ask Chen San to deal with Bai Jing and the two girls.
• Xia Fengshou noticed that the recycling station had sold only 120 iron axes despite urgent demand and told Xia Qiuer to write a report for the district chief.
• Mu Qing surveyed the repaired isolation barrier and remembered the two-meter breach through which monsters had poured out.

Song Xiaozhu prepared to leave the Scavenger Community and open a shop in Liu Family Village, while Tian Man decided to go with her and Luo Liuzi hesitated. After they left, Tian Man warned Luo Liuzi to keep quiet and began explaining why Liu Family Village was not as dangerous as its rumors suggested.

• Mu Qing noticed that his loggers had cut at least three times as much timber as usual and went to investigate the logging site.
• Song Xiaozhu told Tian Man and Luo Liuzi she planned to move to Liu Family Village and offered them the choice of joining her or staying behind.
• Song Xiaozhu said she would ask Boss Mu about setting up an axe stall at the logging site, and Luo Liuzi volunteered to run it.
• Tian Man chose to go with Song Xiaozhu, while Luo Liuzi remained unsure about leaving the community.
• Song Xiaozhu and Qiu Shuyu decided to leave that day, and Tian Man took Luo Liuzi aside to explain that Liu Family Village was not the lawless place people claimed.

Tian Man convinced Luo Liuzi that staying in the Scavenger Community would leave him caught between Song Xiaozhu and Old Madam Hu, but Luo still hesitated until he found his family ransacking his shack. He chose to go to Liu Family Village, while Mu Qing returned to the logging camp and learned about the axes.

• Tian Man explained that Song Xiaozhu was leaving because Old Madam Hu would oppose her opening a shop, and warned Luo Liuzi that staying could make him an enemy of both sides.
• Tian Man advised Luo Liuzi to tell Old Madam Hu what he knew if he stayed, while he packed to leave for the logging camp.
• Luo Liuzi returned to his shack and found his parents and siblings searching through his money while insulting him.
• Luo Liuzi abandoned the idea of a stable life in the community and ran to join Tian Man on the way to Liu Family Village.
• Mu Qing returned to the logging camp and heard from a nervous logger that Tian Man had sold him an exceptionally good axe.

Mu Qing discovered that Song Xiaozhu was making the axes sold by Tian Man and recognized her skill as a Craftsman. After testing one of her axes, Mu Qing heard Song Xiaozhu explain her role and asked whether she wanted to open a shop at the logging camp.

• Zhou Shishun tested a lumberjack’s stone axe, split a thick stump with it, and watched it crumble.
• Mu Qing paid the lumberjack to ask Tian Man for an axe and concluded that axes like it were being made in large quantities by a skilled Craftsman.
• Song Xiaozhu arrived with Qiu Shuyu and brought Mu Qing a professional axe she had made.
• Song Xiaozhu explained that she had made the axes Tian Man and Luo Liuzi sold, and Mu Qing asked if she wanted to open a shop at the logging camp.

Song Xiaozhu visited Mu Qing before moving to Liu Family Village and offered him a long-term supply of her axes, revealing that she was an All-Purpose Craftsman. Mu Qing explained how rare and marginalized Craftsmen were, leaving Song Xiaozhu with a clearer understanding of the value of her profession.

• Song Xiaozhu told Mu Qing she planned to move to Liu Family Village and asked whether he wanted a long-term supply of her axes.
• Mu Qing tested one of Song Xiaozhu's axes and recognized that she was an Engineer.
• Song Xiaozhu sent Qiu Shuyu away so she could speak with Mu Qing alone.
• Song Xiaozhu confirmed to Mu Qing that she was an All-Purpose Craftsman.
• Mu Qing explained how ordinary Craftsmen worked slowly and were often outmatched by machines, while the All-Purpose Category made the profession exceptionally powerful.

Song Xiaozhu convinced Mu Qing that she was an All-Purpose Craftsman and asked him to keep her profession secret. She refused his offer to go to the Fortress and arranged a long-term axe order with him.

• Mu Qing explained that Song Xiaozhu's ability to use Force while crafting marked her as an All-Purpose Craftsman, and she confirmed that she could sense Force during each crafting stage.
• Song Xiaozhu decided she could safely keep her disguise and explained her crafting process to Mu Qing, who had no intention of turning her over to the financial conglomerate.
• Mu Qing offered Song Xiaozhu an upper citizen card and a place in the Fortress, but she declined and asked him not to reveal her profession.
• Song Xiaozhu told Mu Qing she wanted to stay beneath Garbage Mountain because she valued her freedom and preferred to avoid the city and its complications.
• Song Xiaozhu proposed supplying iron axes to Mu Qing's logging camp over the long term, and Mu Qing agreed before she presented a draft contract.

Song Xiaozhu secured a long-term axe contract with Mu Qing and arranged to buy timber for Liu Family Village. Meanwhile, Luo Tong tried to persuade Chen San to investigate Song Xiaozhu, and Chen San faced the Shang family's money and accusations as the chapter ended.

• Mu Qing approved Song Xiaozhu's contract for 2,000 axes a month and agreed to supply timber to Liu Family Village.
• Song Xiaozhu left the logging camp with Qiu Shuyu, pleased to have secured a steady source of Transaction Value, and headed for Liu Family Village.
• Luo Tong told Chen San that Song Xiaozhu had manipulated Qiu Shuyu and harmed Shang Bao, while claiming she was deceiving Bai Jing.
• Chen San warned Luo Tong against taking money for the wrong reasons, but Luo Tong insisted that Song Xiaozhu should be brought in for questioning and showed him the Shang family's payment.

Xia Fengshou reported unexpectedly low axe sales to Hu Yuan, who suspected illicit sales and ordered Tian Man and Luo Liuzi summoned. As Luo Liuzi joined Tian Man to leave the community, they discovered Chen San's men searching Master Bai's shack and hurried toward the logging site to warn Song Xiaozhu, while Cui Jiao closed in on them.

• Xia Fengshou told Hu Yuan that axes were being sold at the logging site by people claiming to have found them while scavenging, and Hu Yuan ordered Tian Man and Luo Liuzi summoned.
• Luo Liuzi told Tian Man that his family had taken his savings and decided to leave with him.
• Luo Liuzi saw Luo Tong and Chen San's men enter Master Bai's empty shack, then spotted Cui Jiao leading people toward his own shack.
• Luo Liuzi warned Tian Man, who decided they should go to the logging site to alert Song Xiaozhu.
• Cui Jiao learned Luo Liuzi was gone and headed for Tian Man's shack.

Song Xiaozhu chose to rescue Tian Man and Luo Liuzi after her quest warned that they were in danger, then arranged for Mu Qing to protect them at the logging camp. Mu Qing drove off Cui Jiao’s men, leaving Tian Man and Luo Liuzi safe for the moment.

• Tian Man and Luo Liuzi fled from Cui Jiao and his thugs toward the logging camp.
• Song Xiaozhu received a choice between escaping alone and rescuing two employees, recognized Tian Man and Luo Liuzi, and chose to help them.
• Song Xiaozhu asked Mu Qing to shelter Tian Man and Luo Liuzi if they came to the camp, and he agreed.
• Tian Man and Luo Liuzi arrived, saying Cui Jiao was pursuing them for allegedly breaking community rules.
• Mu Qing claimed Tian Man and Luo Liuzi as logging camp workers and ordered Cui Jiao to leave them there.
• Cui Jiao withdrew with his men, and Luo Liuzi collapsed in relief.

Song Xiaozhu learned that the Shang family had likely targeted her after Tian Man and Luo Liuzi were detained, and she refused Mu Qing’s offer to escort her to Liu Family Village so his help would not draw suspicion. She took the others to a reception room to make something before they tried to break through on their own.

• Tian Man thanked Mu Qing for saving him and Luo Liuzi, and the two men tearfully reunited with Song Xiaozhu.
• Song Xiaozhu heard Luo Liuzi’s account and suspected the Shang family had used Luo Tong and Chen San to shift blame onto her.
• Mu Qing offered to escort Song Xiaozhu and the others to Liu Family Village, but Song Xiaozhu refused because his involvement would make her seem important to Old Madam Hu.
• Mu Qing agreed to let Song Xiaozhu travel without his escort and told her he would see her in a week, when the first axe order was due.
• Song Xiaozhu asked for a reception room, then told Qiu Shuyu, Tian Man, and Lu Liuzi that she was going to make something.

Song Xiaozhu unlocked the simple bow-and-arrows recipe and synthesized four bows to help her group escape the logging camp. After explaining their effects, she heard Tian Man recommend giving the first bow to Qiu Shuyu, who had the best physique among them.

• Song Xiaozhu discovered that her transaction level was 3 and her leadership level was 2, earning an extra employee recipe slot.
• Song Xiaozhu spent 10 Quantum Coins to unlock the simple bow-and-arrows recipe.
• Song Xiaozhu synthesized four bows, unlocking the Weapons Specialist achievement and earning 2 Quantum Coins.
• Song Xiaozhu found that the bows had different accuracy bonuses, and one also required less strength to draw.
• Tian Man urged Song Xiaozhu to give the first bow to Qiu Shuyu because Qiu had the best physique.

Song Xiaozhu and her companions divided their bows and arrows, then she crafted special Quantum Arrows to prepare for Cui Jiao’s group. The team left with a plan to defend themselves without provoking a direct fight.

• Qiu Shuyu chose the bow with a 15% accuracy bonus because she had trained in archery, while Song Xiaozhu took the lighter bow and the 30% accuracy bonus.
• Song Xiaozhu crafted stone arrows with splash damage and iron arrows with piercing damage, then distributed them and warned Qiu Shuyu not to use the iron arrows against Cui Jiao’s group.
• Song Xiaozhu gave Tian Man and Luo Liuzi small bags that they recognized as a way to make their opponents suffer without giving them grounds to retaliate.
• Song Xiaozhu synthesized Quantum Arrows that could paralyze targets on impact, then made seven in preparation for Cui Jiao and the five people accompanying her.
• Song Xiaozhu told Qiu Shuyu, Tian Man, and the others about the special arrows’ effects, but kept their unerring accuracy secret.

Song Xiaozhu and her companions were ambushed by Cui Jiao and six men on the way to Liu Family Village, but their poisoned stone arrows and Song Xiaozhu’s Quantum Arrow turned the attack against them. They left the incapacitated attackers behind and continued toward the village.

• Song Xiaozhu, Qiu Shuyu, Tian Man, and Luo Liuzi left the logging camp and cautiously chose a route through the forest.
• Cui Jiao ordered seven men to ambush the group after they were out of sight of the logging camp.
• Tian Man and Luo Liuzi fired stone arrows, whose fragments caused the attackers unbearable pain when they were poisoned by hemostatic powder.
• Song Xiaozhu used a Quantum Arrow to hit Cui Jiao’s right arm and freeze him in place.
• Qiu Shuyu, Tian Man, and Luo Liuzi shot Cui Jiao with stone arrows until the attackers were left writhing on the ground.
• Song Xiaozhu and the others left the attackers behind and continued toward Liu Family Village.

Cui Jiao’s men recovered from Song Xiaozhu’s strange stone arrows and returned to report their failure to Hu Yuan. After examining the arrow fragments, Hu Yuan concluded that Song Xiaozhu was an Awakened, while revealing that Qiu Shuyu could only assimilate a specific Awakening Stone.

• Cui Jiao and his men recovered from the arrows’ effects, gathered the fragments, and returned to the community empty-handed.
• Hu Yuan scolded Cui Jiao, examined the arrow fragments, and determined that their powder was not poisonous.
• Hu Yuan used her white mist to inspect the fragments and concluded that Song Xiaozhu was an Awakened.
• Hu Yuan explained that Master Bai had intended to give Qiu Shuyu an Awakening Stone, but her training meant she could only assimilate a specific stone.