“The last batch sold out. The next one will take a few more days,” Cen An replied softly. Though he didn’t mention that the Ability Squad would come directly to collect it then, eliminating the need for a stall…

Tian Yuan shared his joy. “Vegetables really do sell well. I can never sell all the game I hunt. Going to the little market today?”

“I plan to,” Cen An nodded, and the two headed toward the small market together.

Tian Yuan still carried his burlap sack, its contents wriggling energetically inside.

Since Tian Yuan was with him, Cen An skipped going home and went straight to his stall at the small market. He set down his basket, and Tian Yuan emptied the contents of his burlap sack.

Two rabbits, some kind of bird, and a… snake over a meter long?

Cen An startled at the sight of the brightly colored snake. Tian Yuan waved it off. “I just got lucky. This snake was fighting that sharp-beaked eagle, so I got the upper hand. Snake meat’s tasty—lots of folks like it.”

Cen An wasn’t afraid of snakes—after days of trekking through the woods, he wasn’t one to fuss over such things. But the snake’s colors made him suspect it might be venomous. Seeing the sharp-beaked eagle, bitten by the snake, still hopping around lively, he dropped the subject.

He’d smelled blood since earlier, assuming it came from the game in the burlap sack. Only now did he realize it was coming from Tian Yuan himself. “You’re hurt?” he asked.

Tian Yuan rolled up his sleeve to reveal three deep, bone-exposing claw marks on his arm, roughly bandaged. He shrugged. “Nothing serious. Just got scratched by the hawk.”

In this world, unlike his past life, injuries and death were commonplace. Compared to that, his wound was indeed minor.

Cen An hesitated briefly, using the basket as a screen to retrieve a packet of rejuvenation paste from his backpack. He handed it over. “I made this medicine myself. It’s a bit better than what you’d buy out there. Take it and use it.”

Tian Yuan didn’t hesitate to accept. “Thanks! I’ll snag you a fish sometime—they’re super fresh right now!”

Cen An started to say it wasn’t necessary, but before he could finish, Tian Yuan turned back to apply the ointment. Cen An shook his head helplessly and went back to organizing the basket.

A shadow fell over his head. He instinctively looked up, frowning. The figure looked familiar… Yu Fei, was it?

This was actually the first ability user he’d encountered since arriving in this world. Back then, he’d bought a small bundle of mang grass from Yu Fei’s stall, only to be reminded by that mischievous little girl from the Qu Yue family…

Yu Fei still stared at him with that peculiar, probing gaze. Cen An gave a perfunctory smile. “Need something?”

Yu Fei’s voice was hoarse. “The herbs for the Ability Squad—did you sell them?”

Cen An remained calm. “I’m not sure what you’re asking about. Perhaps you should ask someone from the Ability Squad.”

Yu Fei’s lips curled into a smile that was hard to read—whether mocking or impatient—before abruptly changing the subject. “That medicine from earlier. Give me a packet.” He opened his palm, revealing a handful of crystal cores.

Cen An frowned slightly. He didn’t want too many people knowing he had medicine…

Tian Yuan suddenly looked up. “Huh? What medicine? This one?” He handed over a leaf-wrapped packet. “Sir, you want this? You don’t need that many crystal cores—two will do. But I’ve used half of it already. Hope you don’t mind.”

He cheerfully placed the medicine packet into the other’s hand, picked up two crystal cores, and grinned at Cen An. “Who knew this stuff could sell? Next time we should make more.”

Cen An saw clearly, however, that what he had given away wasn’t the medicine packet from earlier, but a paste made from some common herbs, roughly crushed together. This was the same ointment applied to Zhao Wu’s wounds earlier—likely a locally used type of healing salve.

Tian Yuan shot him a meaningful glance, and Cen An lowered his eyes.

Yu Fei stared at the half-used ointment in his hand, his expression cold and his voice growing hoarse and unpleasant. “I’ll remember you.”

Only after he left did Tian Yuan exhale in relief. “How did you manage to attract another ability user?”

Cen An, lost in thought, casually remarked, “How did you know he was an ability user? Didn’t you say only ability users can sense each other’s energy? Are you one too?”

He’d spoken offhandedly, but Tian Yuan nodded without hesitation. “I am an ability user.”

Cen An froze. “You’re an ability user?”

Tian Yuan chuckled, flicking out his index finger. A flame as small as a candle wick danced from it. “But I’m a low-level ability user, not even reaching Level 1. See? That’s the biggest flame I can produce.”

“Oh…” Cen An eyed the tiny flame—barely enough to light a cigarette.

Tian Yuan glanced around, satisfied no one was watching. He carefully produced a leaf-wrapped packet—the rejuvenation paste Cen An had given him earlier.

He slathered it onto his wound without hesitation. “Whoa! This stuff packs a punch!”

He continued, “Yongning Village has a permanent population of about five hundred. Fifty-two of them are ability users—roughly a ten-to-one ratio. Of those fifty-two, twenty-five belong to the Ability Squad. They’re all Level 1 or higher, capable of fighting mutant beasts.”

“As for the remaining twenty-seven, twenty-two are like me—they’ve awakened abilities but are too low-level, not even reaching Level 1. They’re barely stronger than ordinary people.”

He grimaced as he bandaged himself, and Cen An lent a hand. “What about the other five?”

“Of the remaining five, two are elderly ability users who retired from the Ability Squad. They occasionally return to train the younger members. Another pair is a mother and daughter, but they’ve gone out recently. You won’t see them anytime soon. The last one is Yu Fei.”

His expression turned serious. “You need to be careful around Yu Fei.”

Cen An asked, “Is his ability very powerful?”

Tian Yuan shook his head. “He’s an outsider like you, settling in Yongning Village three years ago. He’s a psionic, but in all this time, no one knows what his ability is or how high his rank is. All we know is he frequently ventures deep into the mountains—where high-level psionic beasts roam—and always returns unscathed. “

”Also, screams are often heard coming from his residence.“ Tian Yuan frowned. ”Some suspect he’s holding someone captive at home, that Yu Fei might be torturing that person. However, since he arrived, there haven’t been any missing persons cases in Yongning Village, so no one has meddled in his affairs.”

Cen An nodded, his thoughts drifting to the Dog Master. He wondered which of these two mysterious figures—Yu Fei or the Dog Master—possessed the higher level of supernatural ability.

As the sun began to dip toward the west, the small market grew busier. Not wanting to disturb Tian Yuan’s business, Cen An got up and went for a stroll.

The little girl from Qu Yue’s family wasn’t setting up her stall today. He felt a pang of regret but settled for buying some iron nails and scrap metal from another vendor.

This stall owner was also a special ability user. Cen An recognized him vaguely, probably from the day he’d bought the bok choy.

The vendor recognized him, too, not only giving him a discount but also tossing in a lump of iron as a freebie—Cen An had no idea where it came from.

As for lime and clay, he hadn’t spotted any.

Not only that, he hadn’t seen any ore or gemstones either, making him wonder if there were no mineral deposits near Yongning Village.

If that were the case, it would be troublesome. After all, many recipes required mineral resources as raw materials, especially for weapons and equipment.

He did spot two familiar faces, the elderly couple he’d met the day he paid the stall fee.

The two seniors were still selling wild greens today, with large bundles neatly tied and laid out on the ground.

Cen An asked the price—a whole bundle of wild greens for just one crystal core. He wondered if that could even cover a meal.

The old lady wore a flattering smile. “Young man, take your pick, take your pick. They’re all good greens. I didn’t bring any that weren’t fresh and tender. They’re delicious even boiled in plain water.”

Cen An pursed his lips, took one crystal core from his meager supply, and handed it over as he crouched to examine the bundles.

All edible wild greens, occasionally mixed with some edible herbs… Huh? This bundle is sparrow tongue buds—perfect for herbal tea…

“Hm?” His movements halted abruptly. He picked up the bundle and examined it closely. “Grandma, where did you gather these wild greens?”

The old woman froze. “This…”

Cen An explained, “I’m not gonna go gathering greens. I just noticed the clay on this root. I need some clay for making things.”

The old woman caught on and immediately smiled. “Oh my! Young man, do you have that skill? That’s wonderful! Just make whatever you can, trade it for food to get by—much safer than going up the mountain!”

Cen An responded with a couple of smiles, and the old woman gave him the place.

The place sounded close enough. Seeing the sun hadn’t yet set, Cen An decided to head there immediately.

He stopped by the stall to inform Tian Yuan, then carried his basket out of the village.

A small river flowed along the eastern edge of the village. Following the river upstream, he turned left upon reaching a wild pond… and arrived at his destination.

It was actually beside the wild pond, where a patch of reeds swayed in the wind, rustling softly.

Cen An hadn’t expected this unexpected bonus. Reeds could be used to make straw mats, straw raincoats, conical hats… they were extremely versatile materials!

Moreover, the wild pond was perfect for fishing. Once he crafted a fishing rod, he’d have fish to eat!

Cen An felt a surge of joy at discovering this new map. He drew his iron sword and swiftly cut down a patch of reeds.

【Congratulations! You have obtained Reed x48】

Then he began digging clay. Ten clay pieces could make a large water jar, six clay pieces a small one…

Cen An dug up twenty portions of clay in one go before finally stopping.

By then, the sun had already set, and the surroundings were shrouded in a gray haze. Though not far from the village, this place wasn’t entirely safe.

He stowed his gathered items—backpacking what could go in his pack—and hurried downstream, basket in hand.

Night brought a chill, the cold wind raising tiny goosebumps on his skin.

The tail end of the rainy season lingered, and a light drizzle began to fall.

With no one around, Cen An wasted no time. He gathered thirty reeds and wove them into a straw raincoat. Then he took fifteen more reeds to fashion a conical hat.

Armed with his new gear, the fine rain threads were finally kept at bay, and his pace quickened.

Suddenly, he heard a piercing scream.

Through the thick curtain of rain, the scream seemed to come from hell itself, or like the final, desperate cry of someone being devoured by a beast…

A chill ran down his spine. He snapped his head up and realized he had reached the edge of the village.

Ahead stood a dilapidated, abandoned thatched hut—even more ramshackle than the shack he’d left behind. It was hard to believe anyone still lived there.

And the scream… it was coming from inside.