Jian Xingyi first sold his harvest.

Thirteen plots of C-grade land yielded no small amount: two plots each of carrots, white radishes, and chili peppers; four plots of rice; and three plots of spring bamboo shoots. After harvesting, Jian Xingyi processed the bounty into 60 jars of mixed radish pickles, 40 boxes of chili rice toppings, and 30 jars of pickled spring bamboo shoots.

Jian Xingyi gradually listed them for sale.

The most basic mixed pickled radish jar sells for 1000 dawn coins each. Chili Rice Mix, as a staple food, was priced at 1,500 dawn coins, while Pickled Bamboo Shoots, as a gourmet item, sold for 2,000 dawn coins.

A single jar of Pickled Bamboo Shoots already costs as much as a gun accessory. Yet, even though the buyers were limited to the Peace Mountain region, the goods sold steadily.

If all these goods sold out, Jian Xingyi could earn a whopping 180,000!

180,000 out of 1.6 million.

Two weeks was far too short, but thankfully many fields had now upgraded to Grade B! Grade B fields required no synthesis time and doubled harvest yields!

Plus, Jian Xingyi could look forward to his watermelons and feed.

After listing the goods, Heiye returned. Jian Xingyi obtained the contact information for Wildfire, the Guild President of the Wildfire Guild, and immediately drafted a message.

Jian Xingyi took a long time drafting it before deciding to get straight to the point.

Xinghe: 【Hello, I’m Xinghe from the Peace Mountain Region’s Long Live For A Hundred Years Guild. Regarding the matter with Qingtian and Sisi, I believe there’s been a misunderstanding on your guild’s part. Could we discuss this in person? As you know, I sell food items, and perhaps we could explore future collaborations.】

This time, the other party did respond.

Liehuo: 【Enough already! First, attacking a guild administrator, now you show up personally. I don’t want to deal with your messy business. What kind of pleasant cooperation? What else is there to cooperate on? We don’t lack food—why would we need your junk? You know our stance. You’ve been blacklisted by Lava Volcano District. Every time you show up, we’ll beat you up.】

Jian Xingyi: “…”

His tone was already quite mild, but Liehuo clearly looked down on him and Long Live For A Hundred Years.

Haihai shook his head. “Well, they are a top-ten guild. Just barely made it into the top ten, but still top ten. Looks like they’re siding with their own people. No worries, I’ll see if I know anyone who can pull some strings and get you some crystals.”

Haihai was always smooth in his dealings and cared more about the benefits themselves. In no time, he’d made quite a few new friends and quickly accepted the reality of the situation.

Jian Xingyi frowned slightly.

“No need.”

The crystals were useful to him, but he wanted to personally go to the Fire Spirit Divine Flower to collect its essence. If that wasn’t possible, he didn’t want them.

Jian Xingyi shook his head. “Let’s leave it at that for now. I’ll think of a solution later.”

Regardless, the fields and food remained the top priority.

That night, 180,000 credits successfully landed in his account. Many people tagged Jian Xingyi in the Peace Mountain District shopping channel.

【Where does the boss even get all this food?! More than before, so awesome! Spring bamboo shoots are seriously delicious QAQ I’d sell everything I own for them】

【Honestly, chili-infused rice is the real deal! You guys know how amazing a bowl of plain rice tastes after starving for days?!】

【Am I the only one pushing radishes… purely because they’re cheap, ahem.】

【Seriously, radishes are tasty too, right?】

【Wait… Did someone say the troublemaker in the Lava Volcano Zone lately is our own Xinghe big shot?】

【I heard about that. Apparently someone went to Lava Volcano Zone, beat up the Guild Administrator and a girl from Wildfire, and even used magma to scald people. Not sure how exactly it happened, but that person seems to have been banned from Lava Volcano Zone…】

Jian Xingyi froze upon seeing these messages.

When Qingtian and his crew first hunted him down, he’d gotten lucky and remained unharmed, so he hadn’t given it much thought.

But the next day, Qingtian kept pursuing him relentlessly, even spreading rumors that made players across the entire region hate him. If those rumors spread, it would damage his business. He needed to make money and trade—farming was his bottom line!

After the situation escalated, Jian Xingyi and his group spent the entire Heiye back in the Lava Volcano Zone trying to clear their names and confront those slandering them. But it was useless, especially with Sisi and Qingtian stirring the pot. When the argument spilled onto the public chat, it was quickly drowned out by other messages.

Jian Xingyi feared even players from Peace Mountain—his regular clientele—might be swayed by the rumors and misunderstand him.

Jian Xingyi was so frightened he rarely used voice chat.

Xinghe: 【It was me… I only discovered Sisi had joined Wildfire when I went to collect resources in Lava Volcano. She even brought Guild Administrator Qingtian to hunt me down. To protect myself, I had no choice but to use a skill I acquired in a dungeon—essentially, I splashed magma at them.】

Jian Xingyi roughly described the sequence of events.

【Huh? Wait, hunted?! They hunted you?! How dare they?! Which bastard dares hunt my dad?! I was counting on food from him in two days!】

【Wait, Sisi?! That disgusting green tea is flirting with someone again?】

【Let me see which idiot wants to follow in Blue Sky and White Clouds Guild President’s footsteps!】

【Blacklist Xinghe? Kick Xinghe out of the Lava Volcano Zone? Seriously? They’re so full of themselves. Think we’re out of players in Peace Mountain?】

In an instant, players from the Peace Mountain Zone flooded into the Lava Volcano Zone. Within five minutes, both sides were bickering, spamming the public chat.

【Peace Mountain Zone players keep saying Sisi is so bad, but where’s the proof? Sisi herself said she was framed by Blue Sky and White Clouds! But Xinghe pouring lava on us? That’s rock-solid proof!】

【The whole server knows Sisi is a manipulative schemer. Her history of causing harm has been documented. Lava Volcano players, I seriously doubt you’ve been hanging out in the heat too long and gotten brainwashed by NPCs. You look like you’re about to start drinking lava any second.】

【Honestly, I don’t even know who Sisi is, but you, Xinghe, coming to our server to cause trouble and injure our Guild Administrator is just wrong! Now you’re ganging up to personally attack us—what’s wrong with you? Think having Grapevine Peak in your server gives you free rein to do whatever you want?】

Both sides were arguing fiercely.

Jian Xingyi silently observed for a while and realized the Lava Volcano players were purely being led by Qingtian and his crew, stirring up some inexplicable group spirit and sense of honor…

…along with their inexplicable support for the Scorching Wilderness guild.

Jian Xingyi recalled Liehuo’s question, “Don’t we have food?” and immediately checked the trading channel for the Lava Volcano area.

Sure enough, Sisi’s signature meat was listed on the channel. Though listed under Qingtian’s name, Sisi likely dared not show her face. This time, she hadn’t dared refine high-grade meat either, so the offerings looked pitifully meager. Still, it was edible. Two members of the Wildfire Guild were also selling rice. It seemed some players had unlocked cooking recipes and business skills, though naturally, their levels weren’t as high as Jian Xingyi’s.

These foods looked average and were scarce, all marked “sold out.” Yet they were enough to earn the Lava Volcano players’ loyalty to the Wildfire Guild—otherwise, they’d go hungry.

So that’s how it was…

A flash of inspiration struck Jian Xingyi, who turned to discuss plans with the others.

 ━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Two days later, Jian Xingyi’s crops matured again.

Watermelons required no synthesis and could be eaten directly. Thus, Jian Xingyi used all his C-grade fields to grow watermelons and foxtail grass—another non-synthesized crop used solely as feed.

This time, Jian Xingyi harvested a total of 70 watermelons. This quantity was quite substantial, proving that S-grade seeds yielded abundant harvests.

The remaining B-grade fields were planted with the previous seeds. Sure enough, the harvest not only doubled in quantity, but synthesizing pickles and chili rice required no time at all—they could be listed directly!

Jian Xingyi was overjoyed. Yet, instead of starting breeding or listing items immediately, he… cut open a watermelon to eat.

Who knew how long he’d been waiting!

Crack!

Jian Xingyi sliced the watermelon clean in half. The plump fruit split into two semicircles, revealing bright red flesh.

Juice dripped from the center of the flesh, its vivid red color promising sweetness.

“Wow…”

“Wow…”

Lone Wolf and Haihai, invited by Jian Xingyi to share in the joy, sat at the table, eagerly waiting for him to cut the fruit, practically drooling.

Jian Xingyi handed them spoons, and they each scooped a bite from the center of the watermelon.

Crunch.

The flesh was soft and pink, yielding to their touch as juice oozed out.

The first bite… refreshing, sweet, and utterly satisfying!

It made you crave another bite, and then another!

Jian Xingyi sliced the watermelon into wedges, and the three devoured them greedily.

“Holy crap… so satisfying…” Lone Wolf licked his juice-covered fingers. “Never thought we’d get to eat something this good at a time like this!”

Haihai’s mouth was full of fruit flesh. “And why do I feel like… I have more energy? Is it just me? Suddenly feel so much more alert, my vision’s clearer too.”

Jian Xingyi ate with blissful satisfaction, floating on air as he said, ”Because the food has a stamina bonus~. “

”?!

“?!

Haihai stared blankly, ”Whoa, dude, isn’t 6000 a bit too low…”

Lone Wolf: “What?!”

Haihai: “Alright, looks like 6000 really is absurd.”

Jian Xingyi gave a nervous chuckle. “It is absurd. I’ll list it at 4000 in our local mall later. 6000 was just… compensation for those in the Lava Volcano area?”

Haihai’s eyes brimmed with satisfaction. “Our little Xinghe’s all grown up now—he even knows how to rip people off.”

Jian Xingyi continued his awkward chuckle.

Life’s circumstances, that’s all…

Over the next two days, players from Lava Volcano and Peace Mountain continued their sporadic arguments—clarifications, insults, assertions… the cycle repeated over and over.

Strength lies in numbers. Perhaps some in Lava Volcano began to doubt Sisi, doubt Qingtian. But regardless of the truth, the conflict had escalated to this point—there was no logic in switching sides now.

Until wandering merchants began appearing in Lava Volcano, selling “Mystery Fruits”…

After entering the game, many players adopted a new profession—wandering merchant.

Transactions in this game typically occurred through the in-game marketplace. However, certain items—like Jian Xingyi’s food that couldn’t be listed due to insufficient level, or numerous upgrade materials banned from marketplace trading by the system, or even everyday consumables rendered obsolete by the game’s progression—could only be sold with the help of wandering merchants.

Since players couldn’t sell these items themselves, and player payment receipts had daily limits, after Jian Xingyi received Firelight’s 5,000 dawn coins, he couldn’t accept any more transfers that day.

The reason wandering merchants could receive payments was purely because they exploited a bug.

Take the one Jian Xingyi approached, for instance.

Introduced by Haihai, this new acquaintance had listed a rifle for 100,000 dawn coins in the marketplace. But when players entered the game, all items were reset, causing the rifle to vanish.

Thus, he could accept player payments up to 100,000 coins.

Jian Xingyi ended up collecting 70 plump, heavy watermelons. He gave 15 to the wandering merchant to sell in the Lava Volcano Zone.

At first, everyone scoffed.

What the hell is this? Selling for 6,000? Might as well just loot.

Wait…

Watermelons?

Lava Volcano Zone Marketplace Chat.

【Has anyone tried the watermelons the wandering merchant is selling? Real or fake? Watermelons in the apocalypse? How extravagant! Not a scam, right?】

【But wandering merchants usually wouldn’t scam people, would they?】

Moments later.

【Holy crap, it’s amazing! My girlfriend’s combat power is too low. She was resigned to dying in the next zombie wave and had been really down. I wanted to tell her to live in the moment, so I gritted my teeth and bought one for us to share. Never expected… It’s insanely delicious! The kind of deliciousness that makes you feel like dying would be worth it!! After eating it, my stamina felt better and my mood lifted! Thanks, wandering merchant!】

【My friend’s a top player. He said that after eating it, he didn’t feel hot or tired at all during the dungeon run. So magical! That watermelon seems enchanted!】

【Holy crap, it’s getting snatched up! I saw Skyclad and Wildfire scrambling too. Looks like all the top players are fighting for the buff!】

【Aaargh, I can’t get any! How good is it?! I want some so bad!】

【Aaargh can’t get any +1. Forget taste—I need the buffs for dungeons!】

Three hours later, all 15 watermelons sold out.

90,000. After deducting the merchant’s 10% cut, Jian Xingyi’s net profit was 81,000.

Everyone frantically asked the wandering merchant where he got the supply.

As agreed earlier, the wandering merchant casually tossed out, “A player named Xinghe asked me to help sell them.”

…??

What?

“Didn’t you guys block him? He couldn’t sell them himself, so he asked me to help out. Just this once, though—I’ve hit my sales cap, so no more after this.”

Everyone was stunned… unwilling to believe it.

How could this be?

Meanwhile, the players from Peace Mountain who’d been arguing with them all day suddenly vanished without a trace.

【Folks, I’m outta here! Xinghe’s listing food!】

【Holy crap, watermelon?!】

The Lava Volcano players refused to believe it and rushed to the Peace Mountain area’s marketplace page.

…Holy crap.

Watermelon.

Only 4000 dawn coins, not 6000.

Clicking for details revealed the system description: an S-grade ingredient that boosts strength and stamina by 50% upon consumption.

No wonder dungeon runs felt so effortless in Lava Volcano! This effect lasts at least a day!

Not only that, but there were also fresh spring bamboo shoots, fragrant chili rice porridge, crispy and delicious radishes…

These foods looked far superior to what was available in their own region—not only visibly fresh, but also incredibly tasty!

Peace Mountain players were currently scrambling to buy them.

A Lava Volcano player quietly typed a line.

【Peace Mountain players eat so well normally, yet they still come pick fights with us? Divine Gold…】

【Just a little jealousy—all the good stuff always goes to others…】

Jian Xingyi replied specifically.

Xinghe: 【It’s not that I won’t sell!】

Not only that, but Jian Xingyi also uploaded his chat logs with Liehuo.

In the logs, Liehuo was as tough as nails.

—Don’t we have our own food? Why would we eat your junk?

—You’ve been blacklisted by Lava Volcano. Come here once, and we’ll beat you up once.

After handling these matters, Jian Xingyi went to monitor the mall’s transaction records.

He listed the remaining 55 watermelons for 220,000 credits, plus the last three types of food (40 units each, totaling 180,000 credits), along with the 81,000 from the wandering merchant and the 180,000 from the previous two days…

This week, he’d earned a total of 660,000, moving closer to his 1.6 million goal!

This progress was incredibly encouraging!

Jian Xingyi bit his thumb in excitement. Next, he could focus on farming and upgrading his fields from C to B tier…

And if everything went smoothly, even better things awaited—like… The Lava Volcano mall page was already going wild.

【Hahahaha, so the magical fruits you wandering merchants sell actually come from Xinghe? Hilarious! Didn’t you block us? How come you’re still buying so happily!】

【You Peace District folks, don’t push your luck! But seriously, am I the only one sensing something off… about the Wildfire Guild’s actions?】

Just then, the previously silent Grapevine Peak suddenly posted.

Firelight: 【Here’s the thing. When Xinghe and Wildfire clashed, we happened to have members on-site who captured some footage. Oh, not the second clash circulating online—the first one. Everyone can take a look.】

Everyone was immediately stunned.

The footage was from when Shanhai, after wandering the wilderness for ages, accidentally connected to the internet in a village and discovered the guild chat discussing the incident. He then sent the video of Qingtian hunting down Jian Xingyi that day to Firelight.

Grapevine Peak members couldn’t act recklessly, lest they be criticized for abusing force and being unworthy of leadership. Thus, they developed the habit of recording evidence.

After the video surfaced, everyone was stunned.

【Um… what was Xinghe’s combat rating again? 6?】

【LOL, he’s getting absolutely chased down in that video… If I were him, throwing lava would be too mild.】

If Jian Xingyi saw this, he’d probably retort, “It was clearly 56!”

【Hmm… So the liars are Qingtian and the Wildfire guild? Did Xinghe really start the fight?】

【Can you explain about Sisi? Wasn’t she the one competing in the Peace Mountain event? And what’s the real deal between you and Xinghe?】

【We demand an explanation from the guilds @Wildfire @Qingtian】

Perhaps pressured by public opinion, just as Jian Xingyi was about to head to the courtyard to tinker with the breeding area, he received a text from Wildfire, the Guild President of Wildfire.

Liehuo: 【Uh, I spoke too fast without thinking earlier. I think your suggestion is good—talking face-to-face might be more appropriate! We also warmly welcome you to trade in our district!】

Jian Xingyi raised an eyebrow.

This was an attempt at reconciliation—smoothing things over to quell everyone’s doubts.

The plan he’d discussed with Haihai really worked…! No need for elaborate schemes—just let them experience the beauty of the food, and they’d surrender willingly.

Xinghe: 【Trading is fine, but double the price. What do you say?】

Liehuo: 【Huh?】