Chapter Summaries

Hu Yuan realized Song Xiaozhu was a Weapons Specialist and arranged a large gift shipment to win her favor, while Chen San warned Luo Tong to stop targeting her. Song Xiaozhu’s group reached Liu Family Village safely, where they recounted their encounter with Cui Jiao and Hu Yuan to Bai Jing and the villagers.

• Hu Yuan explained that Song Xiaozhu was a Weapons Specialist and decided to send her antibiotics, flour, linen, and other supplies.
• Chen San warned Luo Tong that his family could be driven out of the community if they continued targeting Song Xiaozhu, then threw money at him.
• Song Xiaozhu and her companions arrived safely at Liu Family Village, where Xiao Tong welcomed them and arranged for their luggage to be carried.
• Bai Jing asked Song Xiaozhu’s group whether Hu Yuan had caused trouble, and Luo Liuzi recounted how they had escaped Cui Jiao and his men.
• Xiao Tong condemned Hu Yuan’s actions as Luo Liuzi described Boss Mu’s intervention and the group’s journey to the village.

Luo Liuzi recounted how Song Xiaozhu had used her splash stone arrows and hemostatic powder to punish Cui Jiao and his men, easing the Liu Family Village hunters’ wariness of the newcomers. Xiao Yunjie welcomed Song Xiaozhu and her companions, led them to their new shop, and thanked Song Xiaozhu for bringing hope to the village.

• Luo Liuzi described Song Xiaozhu’s attack on Cui Jiao and his five men, and the hunters bonded over their shared hatred of Cui Jiao.
• Xiao Yunjie entered the reception room, welcomed Song Xiaozhu, and asked her to call her Auntie Xiao.
• Xiao Yunjie and Xiao Tong led Song Xiaozhu, Qiu Shuyu, and the others through the village to the former village chief’s residence.
• Xiao Yunjie offered the building as a shop and bowed to thank Song Xiaozhu for helping the village.
• Tian Man and Luo Liuzi admired the spacious stone building as Song Xiaozhu looked it over.

Song Xiaozhu and her companions settled into their new shop in Liu Family Village, where they received a warm welcome and prepared to open for business. As she considered the Growth Quest, Song Xiaozhu chose a name for the shop: Taobao.

• Xiao Tong showed Song Xiaozhu and her companions the village’s stone buildings and carvings of game animals from before the Great Cataclysm.
• Xiao Yunjie showed them their five prepared rooms, and Song Xiaozhu assigned rooms to the group and saved the best-ventilated one for Master Bai.
• Song Xiaozhu rested, then attended Liu Family Village’s welcoming banquet and gave the elders a bag of anti-inflammatory tablets.
• The custom stone display counters arrived, and Song Xiaozhu sent the tipsy Tian Man and Luo Liuzi upstairs to rest while Qiu Shuyu kept her company.
• Qiu Shuyu asked what she would name the shop, and Song Xiaozhu decided to call it Taobao.

After naming her shop Taobao, Song Xiaozhu completed Growth Quest 4 and received 50 Quantum Coins. She spent most of them unlocking recipes, discovering that a storage box upgrade was still beyond her means and that several new recipes required resources or opportunities she lacked.

• Song Xiaozhu named the shop Taobao, completing Growth Quest 4 and earning 50 Quantum Coins.
• Back in her room, Song Xiaozhu found that upgrading the Sturdy Storage Box required 50 iron raw materials, so she postponed it.
• Song Xiaozhu spent 50 Quantum Coins unlocking new tool, medicine, and armor recipes, leaving only weapons and two armor recipes locked.
• Song Xiaozhu saw that the fishing rod and animal trap had little use near Garbage Mountain, while the pain-relieving powder and anti-radiation potion might prove useful.
• Song Xiaozhu examined the Leather Gloves recipe, which required beast hide and crude oil.

Song Xiaozhu synthesized medicines and tools, recording their effects and earning achievements before spending her last Quantum Coins. The next morning, she opened her Taobao Shop in the village, where her companions were nervous about doing business in an unfamiliar place.

• Song Xiaozhu synthesized a radiation resistance potion and pain relief powder, noted their effects and side effects, and decided not to try them yet.
• Song Xiaozhu synthesized a simple fishing rod and animal trap, earning Biologist and Mechanist achievement rewards of 2 Quantum Coins each.
• After spending all her Quantum Coins, Song Xiaozhu slept peacefully and dreamed of the plentiful food of her former life.
• The next morning, Song Xiaozhu opened her Taobao Shop with Qiu Shuyu, Tian Man, and Luo Liuzi helping to arrange the goods.
• Song Xiaozhu noticed her companions were nervous about opening the shop in the unfamiliar village and understood why they felt ill at ease.

Song Xiaozhu opened the Taobao shop in Liu Family Village, where villagers quickly bought out its tools and meals and brought in waste materials for recycling. Xiao Yunjie watched the shop from the golden temple as the day ended.

• Song Xiaozhu calmed Tian Man and Luo Liuzi by setting their goal as simply opening the shop for business.
• Villagers crowded outside at dawn, and Song Xiaozhu reassured Tian Man that the shop could sell out during its trial opening.
• Villagers bought all the displayed basic tools and two hundred simple meals within half an hour.
• Song Xiaozhu had Tian Man and Luo Liuzi tell villagers the shop would reopen daily, then put Luo Liuzi in charge of a recycling counter with Tian Man helping sort materials.
• The shop closed at sunset after accepting many household recyclables, while villagers planned what materials to bring the next day.
• Xiao Yunjie stood in the golden temple and looked down at the shop and its handwritten sign.

Xiao Yunjie told Xiao Tong that his father had searched for ore rather than pursuing the dream Hu Yuan had used to provoke him. She led him through a hidden passage beneath the Golden Temple and showed him what Liu Xuangang had been seeking, leaving Xiao Tong stunned.

• Xiao Yunjie ordered Xiao Tong to keep guards at the shop and watch the village entrance for Hu Yuan’s schemes.
• Xiao Tong told Xiao Yunjie that Miss Song had made powerful iron bows and arrows capable of piercing stone slabs.
• Xiao Yunjie asked Xiao Tong whether Hu Yuan had told him that Liu Xuangang broke through the isolation zone to become a Hunter.
• Xiao Yunjie led Xiao Tong through a concealed passage beneath the Golden Temple without answering his questions about his father.
• Xiao Yunjie revealed that Liu Xuangang had been searching for ore because one Hunter could not save the village.

Xiao Yunjie told Xiao Tong that his father was imprisoned for damaging Liu Family Village’s isolation barrier while trying to mine the iron ore beneath it. Meanwhile, Tian Man realized Song Xiaozhu’s shop could use the village’s labor and scrap to expand beyond the village, and Song Xiaozhu encountered Xiao Yunjie and Xiao Tong at the golden temple.

• Xiao Yunjie explained that Xiao Tong’s father had discovered the iron ore and accidentally broken the isolation barrier, leading to his imprisonment in Ink City First Prison.
• Song Xiaozhu and her companions checked the shop’s accounts, and Song Xiaozhu said they did not need to put out more tools because the village had limited buyers.
• Tian Man worried the shop would not earn much, but Luo Liuzi’s comment about the villagers hauling scrap helped him realize Liu Family Village could supply labor and goods for a wider market.
• Song Xiaozhu received a Leadership Value notification as Tian Man imagined her shop undermining Old Madam Hu’s power.
• Song Xiaozhu and Qiu Shuyu reached the golden temple and met Xiao Yunjie and Xiao Tong.

Song Xiaozhu learned that the Golden Temple and two other temples formed Ink City’s lines of defense, while a Growth Quest warned her to tame or kill Polluted Beasts. She and Qiu Shuyu realized the temples might be layered defenses, with the Human Temple as the last line if the others fell.

• Xiao Yunjie left the Golden Temple with Xiao Tong, whose troubled appearance made Song Xiaozhu postpone asking him about mining the abandoned quarry.
• Bai Jing sent Song Xiaozhu and Qiu Shuyu away after dinner, and Qiu Shuyu told Song Xiaozhu that Ink City’s city lord had built the Golden Temple.
• Song Xiaozhu received Growth Quest 6, which asked her to choose between taming or killing ten Polluted Beasts before a random selection in half an hour.
• Qiu Shuyu explained that the Heaven Temple stood outside the isolation belt as an outpost where Awakened repaired the barrier and cleared approaching Polluted Beasts.
• Song Xiaozhu mapped the locations of Ink City, Deer Town, and Liu Family Village, and she and Qiu Shuyu inferred that the Heaven, Earth, and Human Temples formed successive lines of defense.

Song Xiaozhu chose the quest to kill polluted beasts, deciding she could not tame them without feeding them people, and prepared to help Liu Family Village if they attacked. Meanwhile, Fan Cang visited the imprisoned Liu Xuangang in Ink City No. 1 Prison.

• Song Xiaozhu reassured Qiu Shuyu that the Earth Temple offered some protection, and Qiu Shuyu realized Song Xiaozhu had become everyone's pillar of strength.
• Song Xiaozhu compared the two Growth Quest paths and chose quest B, which involved killing polluted beasts, because she had no way to tame them without crossing a moral line.
• Song Xiaozhu resolved to stay vigilant and help Liu Family Village if polluted beasts attacked, but rejected the idea of hunting them outside the isolation zone for 100 Quantum Coins.
• Fan Cang entered Liu Xuangang's cell at Ink City No. 1 Prison and introduced himself.
• Liu Xuangang considered attacking Fan Cang but abandoned the idea after recognizing that Fan Cang was a well-trained warrior.

Fan Cang pressured Liu Xuangang into helping him in exchange for returning to Liu Family Village, while Chen San failed to deliver Hu Yuan’s supplies or enter the village. Hu Yuan ordered Chen San to monitor the logging camp, escalating the conflict around Song Xiaozhu.

• Fan Cang offered Liu Xuangang a way back to Liu Family Village in exchange for taking his Hunters to carry out a secret task, and threatened his wife and son to force him to consider it.
• Luo Tong saw Chen San’s supply-laden vehicle leave for Liu Family Village and began plotting to make amends with Song Xiaozhu by targeting Shang Dayuan.
• Er Ying stopped Chen San and his group half a kilometer from Liu Family Village and refused to let them enter, despite his offer of antibiotics, food, tools, and protective gear.
• Chen San returned to Hu Yuan without meeting Song Xiaozhu, and Hu Yuan ordered him to have people watch the logging camp.
• Hu Yuan shot a wooden spike into Chen San’s calf when he questioned the order, and he agreed to obey.

Song Xiaozhu unlocked the last level 2 weapon and armor recipes and learned that her supplies of beast hides and iron were limited. Unlocking every level 2 recipe triggered a Repair Quest to upgrade her Workbench to level 3, and she began considering how to meet its requirements.

• Song Xiaozhu reviewed the Simple Steel Saber and Simple Spear recipes, which used basic materials and granted different combat bonuses.
• Song Xiaozhu noted that Qiu Shuyu was collecting scrap iron for the logging camp, but the supply barely covered its orders.
• Song Xiaozhu unlocked the Leather Armor recipe, completing the available helmet, armor, and glove recipes while still lacking shoes.
• The notification voice announced that Song Xiaozhu had unlocked all level 2 recipes and triggered a Repair Quest to upgrade her Workbench, which would add Batch Synthesis and Employee Recipe modules.
• The notification voice set the Repair Quest requirements at 200 Repair Points, unlocking all current synthesized items, and 10 Energy Stones; Song Xiaozhu had 110 Repair Points.

Song Xiaozhu chose a quest to arrange for Old Chen's family after learning District Chief Hu had detained them. Old Madam Hu questioned the family and hinted at the danger facing Chen Quanquan before asking Old Chen whether he wanted to see his daughter.

• Song Xiaozhu considered her remaining Growth Quest and wondered what Energy Stones were.
• Qiu Shuyu reported that Old Madam Hu had arrested Old Chen's family, leaving the group worried about them and the logging camp's order.
• Song Xiaozhu received Growth Quest 7, rejected the option to kill Chen Quanquan and her husband, and chose to make arrangements for Old Chen's family.
• Chen San recounted how he had surveilled the logging camp and traced Qiu Shuyu's deliveries to Old Chen's family.
• Old Madam Hu questioned Old Chen's family about their lives and children, then asked Old Chen if he wanted to visit Chen Quanquan.

Old Madam Hu forced Old Chen to go check on Xiaojie and Master Bai while his wife and daughter stayed with her. Liu Xuangang returned to Liu Family Village, raising suspicions for Song Xiaozhu, while Xiao Yunjie questioned his explanation for how he had been released.

• Old Madam Hu ordered Old Chen to visit Xiaojie and Master Bai and made his wife and daughter stay behind.
• Liu Xuangang returned to Liu Family Village, and Xiao Yunjie calmed the excited villagers while arranging for him to rest.
• Song Xiaozhu and the others wondered whether Liu Xuangang's return was connected to the previous beast tide and the expected Polluted Beasts.
• Xiao Yunjie sent the village's important figures and Xiao Tong away before privately asking Liu Xuangang what had happened.
• Liu Xuangang claimed the iron ore beneath the temple had only been redundant backup material and that the isolation zone had failed by coincidence, but Xiao Yunjie doubted his account.

Liu Xuangang told Xiao Yunjie that Fan Cang had ordered him to excavate the Earth Temple, including its Awakening Stones, and revealed that the temple was a second line of defense requiring Liu Family Village’s people as human sacrifice. Xiao Yunjie decided they should keep the iron ore and use the excavation to prepare the village to escape, though Liu Xuangang worried they could not process the resources themselves.

• Liu Xuangang told Xiao Yunjie that Fan Cang had released him and ordered him to dig everything out of the Earth Temple, including its Awakening Stones.
• Xiao Yunjie questioned why Fan Cang wanted the village to excavate the temple and realized that it was a backup defense for when the isolation barrier failed.
• Liu Xuangang confirmed that activating the Earth Temple required Liu Family Village’s people, whose flesh and blood would become part of the barrier.
• Xiao Yunjie concluded that the Fortress had allowed the village to live around the temple because its residents were intended as human sacrifice.
• Xiao Yunjie urged Liu Xuangang to keep the iron ore and use the opportunity to arm the village and prepare to flee, but Liu Xuangang said they lacked the technology to refine it.

Song Xiaozhu visited Xiao Yunjie and Liu Xuangang, warned them that District Chief Hu might use Old Chen’s family to pressure her, and learned that Liu Family Village had a large supply of iron ore. She demonstrated that she could make weapons, leaving Liu Xuangang convinced she could help the village.

• Song Xiaozhu opened the shop with Qiu Shuyu and watched the villagers buy out its simple meals while ignoring the tools.
• Song Xiaozhu went with Qiu Shuyu to visit Xiao Yunjie and asked her not to stop anyone who came from the community to fetch Old Chen’s family.
• Song Xiaozhu met Liu Xuangang, explained the danger to Old Chen’s family, and learned that Liu Family Village had an ample supply of iron ore.
• Song Xiaozhu listed the tools, fishing rods, traps, and weapons she could make, then used her Workbench to produce a spear and a steel saber.
• Liu Xuangang examined the weapons as Qiu Shuyu guarded Song Xiaozhu, and he recognized her as Liu Family Village’s hope.

Song Xiaozhu learned that the Fortress intended to use Liu Family Village’s people to awaken the Earth Temple, and that the villagers were preparing weapons to escape when the isolation zone broke. Xiao Yunjie revealed their plan to flee amid the chaos, leaving Song Xiaozhu aware of the danger and their desperate route to survival.

• Liu Xuangang tested Song Xiaozhu’s steel saber and asked how Liu Family Village could order weapons.
• Song Xiaozhu questioned why Liu Xuangang and Xiao Yunjie wanted so many weapons, and Xiao Yunjie disclosed the threat involving the Earth Temple and human sacrifice.
• Song Xiaozhu realized the Earth Temple’s defenses had been activated by the blood of Liu Family Village’s dead during the beast tide.
• Xiao Yunjie told Song Xiaozhu that the village would arm itself and escape after the isolation zone broke, fleeing to Deer Town or the Scavenger Community.
• Song Xiaozhu considered Xiao Yunjie’s plan and said she understood.

Song Xiaozhu reassured Xiao Yunjie that she would stay in Liu Family Village and urged everyone to inspect the iron ore before Fan Cang could further damage the isolation zone. After learning why Hu Yuan hated the village, Song Xiaozhu went to meet Old Chen and planned to help his family through threats and tempting offers.

• Song Xiaozhu promised Xiao Yunjie she would keep her shop open in Liu Family Village, while Xiao Yunjie explained that Fan Cang would deliberately damage the isolation zone.
• Liu Huli arrived to report that Old Chen had come, and Song Xiaozhu decided to meet him before inspecting the iron mine.
• Song Xiaozhu asked whether Liu Family Village could cooperate with Hu Yuan, and Xiao Yunjie revealed that Hu Yuan had once sent her to assassinate Liu Xuangang over her son's death.
• Xiao Yunjie explained that she had defied Hu Yuan, married Liu Xuangang, and had a son with him, deepening the feud between Hu Yuan and Liu Family Village.
• Song Xiaozhu told Xiao Yunjie she would help Old Chen's family using threats and tempting offers.

Song Xiaozhu arranged for Old Chen's family to be sent safely to Liu Family Village in exchange for selling her special arrowheads to Old Madam Hu. She then went beneath the Earth Temple with Xiao Yunjie and the others, hoping to synthesize iron raw material directly from the massive ore wall.

• Old Chen begged Song Xiaozhu and Xiao Yunjie to save his wife and daughter, and Song Xiaozhu sent him to District Chief Hu with a bow and arrows and instructions to request that his family be sent to Liu Family Village.
• Old Madam Hu recognized the paralyzing arrowhead and ordered Chen San to take Old Chen and his whole family to Liu Family Village.
• Song Xiaozhu considered the limits on how many arrowheads she could synthesize and reflected that their paralysis effect gave her leverage with Old Madam Hu.
• Xiao Yunjie took Song Xiaozhu beneath the Earth Temple, where she saw a towering iron ore wall and asked Qiu Shuyu and Liu Xuangang to dig beneath it.
• Qiu Shuyu and Liu Xuangang began digging a hole beneath the ore wall so Song Xiaozhu could test whether her Workbench would produce iron raw material.

Song Xiaozhu used the Workbench to synthesize iron raw material and steel blades directly from Liu Family Village’s iron ore. After producing a hundred blades, she asked Village Chief Liu to send people to gather wood so she could continue hollowing out the ore wall.

• Liu Xuangang and Qiu Shuyu dug a two-meter-square hole in the iron ore wall while Song Xiaozhu assessed whether it was safe to use the Workbench there.
• Song Xiaozhu placed the Workbench inside the hole and repeatedly synthesized [Iron Raw Material] from the ore, including several critical hits.
• Song Xiaozhu combined [Iron Raw Material] and [Raw Wood Material] to make ten steel blades at a time, despite several failed attempts.
• Liu Xuangang and Xiao Yunjie watched Song Xiaozhu produce a hundred steel blades and realized why her Taobao Shop could sell goods so cheaply.
• Song Xiaozhu stopped after the Workbench had moved about a meter upward, then told Village Chief Liu to send people with Qiu Shuyu to collect wood for more steel blades.