Chapter 219 - 217: Scrap Metal

Yang Shen looked at the Nine Martial Venerable Memorial Hall, which was now close at hand, and then glanced at the red dots in his mind.

The area around Jiuwu Port was probably the largest settlement in East Japan. Of the 13 red dots, a surprising five were in this area. The closest was only two kilometers away, but the farthest was tens of kilometers away.

Yang Shen gritted his teeth and cupped his hands in the direction of the memorial hall. ’Director, I’ll take care of some real business first. When I meet the man himself, I’ll pay my respects in person—and buy you a "Source Energy Forest"!’

With that, he pulled a small notebook from his pocket. He had prepared it to stave off boredom on the voyage, and it was filled with research notes on Pre-Qin Texts.

Yang Shen flipped to the last page and, following the guidance in his head, began to sketch a simple map, marking the approximate locations of all 13 red dots.

’I definitely won’t make it to the distant ones in time, but if I note down their locations, maybe I can come back later?’

’As for the five near Jiuwu Port, I’m afraid time will be tight to hit them all. And knowing this system’s usual bullshit, the other red dots will probably disappear once I get my hands on three of them. I’ll have to be smart about this.’

Once he finished, Yang Shen didn’t hesitate and immediately headed north.

....

In a small alley stood a dilapidated shack of a shop, its interior filthy, cramped, and crammed with cheap merchandise.

The owner was a middle-aged man with brown skin and curly hair. His heritage was anyone’s guess; he was clearly of mixed descent.

A figure appeared as suddenly as a gust of wind, his eyes darting around and scanning everything in the shop like searchlights, giving the owner a fright.

But when he realized he was dealing with a Martial Artist, he immediately plastered on a smile. On the Dongying Remnant Island, Martial Arts Practitioners were exceedingly rare, and none of them were people you could afford to offend.

Yang Shen’s gaze finally locked onto a hammer hanging in the back.

"Boss, is that thing for sale?"

The owner looked back. "Oh, this hammer? It’s a family heirloom, passed down for eight generations! Back in the day, my grandfather’s grandfather came from the Hai Realm to Cyan Blue to make a living, carrying only this hammer..."

Yang Shen said, "Your grandfather’s grandfather is only five generations back. Let’s be practical."

"Thirty thousand."

"200."

"Deal."

The owner immediately took down the shabby little hammer and handed it over. In reality, his son had found it by the river a while back. He’d kept it, figuring it was at least a couple pounds of iron.

The moment Yang Shen took the hammer, a relatively simple message appeared in his mind.

The hammer itself was nothing special, but its material was extraordinary—a top-tier metal from an Exotic Realm...

’As a "Curiosity," the system doesn’t provide a detailed description like it does for "Inherited Family Treasures." I’ll probably have to figure out its other properties on my own.’

’Being able to just buy it saves a lot of trouble.’

Without further hesitation, Yang Shen leaped away, stirring up a powerful gust of wind.

The shop owner stared blankly at Yang Shen’s retreating figure. The speed of the transaction made him start to wonder... ’Did I sell it too cheap...’

’Ah, forget it. It’s a miracle a Martial Artist was willing to pay at all on this chaotic Dongying Remnant Island.’

’Having a Martial Artist sneak into your home at midnight with a knife to your throat is the norm here.’

...

Even in the filthiest places, there are bars.

For carnal desire and the numbness of alcohol are the balms most needed in times of chaos.

In a crude underground tavern, pent-up sailors waved their bottles as a dancer, still alluring despite her age, danced sultrily around a steel pole on stage.

Occasionally, a one or two-Yanhua bill would be tucked into her costume. These small notes, not even enough to buy a pack of gum in Yanhua, were sufficient to bring a wide smile to the dancer’s face here.

A tall figure walked in and looked around, his gaze finally landing on the stage.

Ignoring the furtive stares from the crowd, Yang Shen swaggered right onto the stage, leaving the dancer completely flustered.

The dancer had the features of a European mix—the legacy of some unknown sailor—but she said, "Sir, this is against the rules..."

Desperate sailors were capable of anything, but patrons were supposed to stay off the stage.

A little groping was one thing, but getting on stage for some... ’hands-on interaction’... especially with so many people watching...

That costs extra.

However, just as the European dancer was about to defuse the minor crisis with her charms, sidling up to him with a dazzlingly flirtatious smile, Yang Shen shoved her head aside.

His eyes were fixed with delight on the "steel pole."

He wrenched it free in one go, tossed a wad of large bills onto the stage under everyone’s stunned gazes, and strode away.

The dancer and the security guard who was about to intervene were both stunned.

’People come here to watch the dancing... What the hell was that about, taking the pole?’

Meanwhile, outside the bar, Yang Shen had already ripped the metal plating off what looked like a steel pole but was actually "iron-clad wood," revealing a length of dark-green timber inside.

’This is some kind of "High Source Plant"... in other words, a Spirit Plant...’

’What a weird shape. What kind of Spirit Plant grows this perfectly straight?’

This Spirit Plant also came with no system description, but when Yang Shen infused it with Spiritual Qi, he could clearly feel a faint spark of life remaining within...

————

In an alley filled with puddles of trash water, several menacing-looking local thugs were gathered, drinking beer and gnawing on chicken frames.

Every shred of meat was gnawed clean.

Yang Shen walked right in and began to look around as if no one was there.

"Hey kid, you blind? Is this some place you can just waltz into?"

Yang Shen ignored him completely, lifting a scrapped tricycle with one hand. He looked under it, then gently set it back down.

The thug’s expression instantly switched to a fawning smile. "Sir! Is there anything we can do for you?"

Yang Shen made a slow circle, his gaze finally landing on the nose of the burliest thug.

’He had a nose ring. I don’t know what custom that’s from, some kind of livestock role-playing fetish, maybe.’

Pointing to the nose ring, Yang Shen asked, "Is it for sale?"

The thug panicked. A nearby lackey said nervously, "Sir, we have other... merchandise..."

Yang Shen shook his head. "I want this."

The thug’s mind went blank. After a long moment, he stood up, his face a mask of humiliation and tearful resolve. Through gritted teeth, he said:

"Please... be gentle, sir... I’m scared of pain."

Yang Shen nodded, reached out, and plucked the ring from the man’s nose...

’It’s big, but not that big... It’s shaped like a two-headed Dragon, almost like a child’s bracelet...’

A faint Spiritual Qi swirled around it, but it was almost imperceptible.

"How much?"

The burly man was stunned for a moment. "Oh... you just wanted this. If you like it, sir, just take it. It’s worthless..."

Yang Shen tossed down a hundred-Yuan bill and left, leaving the thugs staring at each other.

"Boss... just now, were you..."

"Shut up! That was a Martial Artist! What was I supposed to do if he insisted?!"

"You just give in when he insists?! Then where does that put me!"

The sounds of a chaotic scuffle immediately erupted from the alley.

————

Yang Shen was highly efficient. He hadn’t thought a few hours would be nearly enough to collect all five items, but thanks to the local lack of a "Martial Artist Traffic Safety Law," he’d actually managed it.

The farthest one was over ten kilometers from Jiuwu Port, a distance he had to sprint for quite a while.

The five "Curiosities" he collected were a small hammer, a Spirit Plant, a nose ring, half a sign, and a fish scale.

Among them, the small hammer, the half-sign, and the fish scale were the simplest material-type Curiosities: one metal, one wood, and one organic material. He’d have to ask an expert about their specific uses, or look them up after returning to Yanhua.

The fish scale, it should be noted, was the size of a washbasin. It was also the most expensive item, costing him 2,000 Yanhua coins—a fortune on the Dongying Remnant Island. It had been washed ashore by the tide, and while no one knew what it came from, its size suggested a massive Sea Beast. A local merchant had been using it as a decorative piece.

’These items might not count as true Treasures of Heaven and Earth, but gathering so many so quickly thanks to the side quest’s guidance was a massive score!’

As for the length of Spirit Plant, after he used his Spirit Plant Inheritance to infuse it with Spiritual Qi, the feedback he received was... that its sap could awaken insectoid bloodlines.

’Isn’t this right up my alley!’

’The Sun Worms back home have the Jade Pendant for food, but that only makes them stronger; it can’t induce a qualitative transformation.’

’I’ll take this back and blow those little critters’ minds!’

The "nose ring" was the most baffling item so far. It gave almost no feedback when he infused it with Spiritual Qi, yet it was faintly emitting Spiritual Qi on its own. He’d probably have to spend some more time figuring it out.

When Yang Shen returned to the Sea Cape laden with a pile of "scrap metal," everyone on deck stared in surprise.

’Did he go on a shopping spree?’

Yang Shen smiled, looking up and preparing to explain, but then he saw a familiar figure.

Chen Beiwang!

The Martial Arts Tractor himself looked thoroughly hungover, hugging the deck railing as he vomited over the side. From a small merchant boat below, a stream of curses drifted up.

’Well, I’ll be damned... Haven’t seen him in ages. So this is where he’s been—partying so hard in East Japan that he dropped off the map.’

’That makes sense. This team is led by Xu Mo, and I’m only here because of my connections. There are also a lot of Xu Mo’s students. It’s perfectly reasonable for Chen Beiwang to be here too!’

And next to Chen Beiwang stood a figure who was impossible to ignore.

He was over two meters tall, with an incredibly powerful physique, sharp-looking short hair, and a rugged, chiseled beard.

He wore a flashy white suit, but the shirt was unbuttoned to his stomach, revealing monstrous pecs and a thick carpet of chest hair.

A single glance, even from a distance, seemed to radiate an overwhelming aura of testosterone.

’Another huge practitioner of the Horizontal Training Route. Compared to this guy, Tian Zihan was practically a loli!’

This powerhouse of a man, radiating an immense presence, wore sunglasses. He raised a hand in greeting to Yang Shen from across the deck and called out cheerfully:

"Yo! Kid! You must be Xu Bamboo’s little boyfriend!"

Yang Shen: ???

The powerhouse flashed a row of perfectly straight, steel-capped teeth. "I’m friends with Chen Beiwang, Xu Cheng, and Xu Mo. We’re all family here."

’So this whole squad is just a network of connections, huh!’

’Oh, wait, so am I. Never mind, then.’

————