Rumor has it that one day, Boss Cen burst into the ability-users squad in a flurry, and then deafening laughter erupted from inside.

Shortly after, someone spotted Little Boss Cen emerging with a red face. No one from the ability-users squad would say exactly what had happened. Little Boss Cen is a bit shy, after all—everyone knows that.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, there were three beast tides in the mountains. Thanks to Dahei’s warnings, they were usually scattered by the squad members before they could even form a proper group. In the village, the points system was fully up and running.

In Cen An’s backyard, the vegetable patch had expanded to twenty plots, and most villagers had exchanged for vegetables at least once. Many people benefited from this. Yu Wenchao was one of them.

He was in his twenties, an ordinary person with no special abilities, and his family was so poor they had nothing left but the walls of their home. It wasn’t that he was lazy; rather, he had a father with a leg disability to support.

He himself isn’t exactly robust either. In fact, most ordinary people in the village aren’t in the best of health. Having gone hungry and cold since childhood, simply reaching adulthood was a blessing from heaven; expecting a strong, healthy body would be asking for too much.

Yu Wenchao’s problem was that he had inherited his mother’s illness. There were no doctors here, so he didn’t know exactly what was wrong with him, but he simply got tired very easily. His mother had been the same way, and she had died of exhaustion just after turning fifty.

Yu Wenchao felt that he, too, would likely live only a few more years. But then he thought: by that time, his father would probably be gone. Not wanting to be a burden to others with his frail health, he had chosen not to marry. When the time came, with no ties to bind him, it would be for the best to simply pass away.

During the beast tide, he also went to the small market to help out. But since he wasn’t in good health, he worked slowly and didn’t accumulate many points. When it came time to redeem them, his meager points were only enough for some wild vegetables and grains.

Since there was still some food at home back then, he didn’t use his points, thinking he’d save up more later to get his old man some eggs to help him regain his strength…

“Ahem, Xiao Chao, I heard from Grandma Zhao next door that the village’s point system has changed. Besides food and supplies, can we now exchange points for vegetables grown by Boss Xiao Cen?”

Old Man Yu’s leg had been eaten by a mutant beast, and he’d been bedridden for seven or eight years. But he had a pair of nimble hands and knew how to weave bamboo baskets and containers. Many neighbors would bring him raw materials to help weave them; he worked quickly and skillfully, so he got along very well with everyone in the neighborhood.

Yu Wenchao gave a nod, grabbed the teapot from the table, and took a big gulp. “I’ve heard about it.” It’s been sweltering lately; every time he steps outside, he’s drenched in sweat in no time.

Old Man Yu got to his feet. “Can we trade our points for them? I hear those vegetables are good for your health. Why don’t you trade for a few to try? You’re still so young—it might actually do you some good.”

Yu Wenchao paused for a moment before replying calmly, “We don’t have enough points to exchange for vegetables. I’ll get you an egg tomorrow to help you build up your strength.”

Old Man Yu clicked his tongue. “Why are those vegetables more expensive than eggs?” He thought for a moment, then added, “Come to think of it, those vegetables really do work. They say Boss Cen grows them himself… Ah, we just aren’t lucky enough to get our hands on them!”

Yu Wenchao gently set down the teapot.

The next morning, he went to the ability-users squad first thing.

Liao Wanwan was currently in charge of the point exchange system. She asked him, “What would you like to exchange for?” 

Yu Wenchao replied, “Two eggs.”

He had noted down the points required for eggs earlier, and now he had exactly enough.

Liao Wanwan glanced at him. “You can exchange for eggs, sure, but why not get some vegetables instead? With those points, you could get four heads of bok choy—or even two bunches of sweet asparagus.”

Yu Wenchao was taken aback. “Chinese cabbage? Four heads? Isn’t Chinese cabbage more expensive than eggs?”

“Who told you that?” Liao Wanwan laughed. “Don’t you think about it? If Chinese cabbage really were more expensive than eggs, do you think our leader would agree to that?”

She glanced down. “You want the eggs to boost your health, right? Is someone in your family sick? Then I suggest you get the sweet asparagus. It’s a bit pricier, but it’s even better for the average person.”

Seeing that he didn’t refuse, Liao Wanwan turned around, picked two bright green sweet asparagus spears, and placed them in his hands. “If you want to try something different next time, you can switch to colorful tomatoes—same price.”

Even after holding the sweet asparagus in his hands, Yu Wenchao still looked bewildered. He’d heard of Boss Xiao Cen’s produce—rumored to have once been reserved exclusively for the ability-users squad, offering numerous benefits to ability users. Later, when cultivation expanded, villagers were allowed to exchange their points for it.

Lately, even while walking down the street, he’d overheard villagers talking about the miraculous effects they’d experienced after eating the vegetables: their backs no longer ached, their legs no longer hurt, and elderly people who’d previously been unable to climb the mountain could now do so again!

No one had mentioned whether the vegetables were expensive, but he had a feeling they couldn’t be cheap—certainly not cheap enough for him to afford.

…His past experiences had long taught him that good fortune had nothing to do with him.

As his father used to say, people like them just weren’t meant to have that kind of luck.

Just like during the beast tide, when he couldn’t redeem any gear. Now, he couldn’t redeem those miraculous vegetables either. But he never expected these vegetables to just fall into his hands like this…

After Liao Wanwan finished exchanging them for him and was about to call the next person, she saw him suddenly stand up. “These vegetables… Was the exchange price for these vegetables set by Boss Xiao Cen?”

“That’s right,” Liao Wanwan nodded readily. “If you don’t want to use points to redeem them, you can also buy them at Brother Cen’s place—just use crystal cores.”

“No, that’s not what I meant…” Yu Wenchao wanted to explain something, but in the end, he said nothing. He walked out silently. That evening, the Yu family had sweet asparagus soup for dinner.

The sweet asparagus was incredibly fresh; even when boiled in plain water, the resulting soup was rich and sweet.

Old Man Yu couldn’t bear to drink it all; he stopped after just one bowl and began rambling, “Young Boss Cen is a good man. He cares about us. It’s only because he’s our leader that we can live such good lives…”

Having been bedridden for so long, his health was in poor shape, and he couldn’t usually feel any changes.

But Yu Wenchao was different. As soon as he swallowed a bowl of the soup, he immediately felt the difference… The soup seemed to turn into a warm current, radiating from his stomach and flowing throughout his entire body, sweeping away all his fatigue and weakness.

It was as if, in that instant, he had become a normal person…

Yu Wenchao stared blankly at the soup bowl. Usually so quiet, he spoke up: “Yeah. He really is a good man…”

Luck might not favor him, but there was one person who would. Like a great tree, he spread his shade, offering equal shelter to the small creatures passing by—strong yet gentle.

On the other side of the village, someone else had also exchanged vegetables today.

Sun Qiuhua pushed open the wooden door and stepped into the courtyard. A lively figure rushed out. “Mom!” 

Sun Xiaoshu looked at her basket. “What’s that? Oh, it’s bok choy!”

Sun Xiaoshu would always remember that a few months ago, when he was on the verge of death, a mouthful of soup with a strong, fresh herbal scent was poured into his mouth, saving him from the brink of death.

Since then, even though he hadn’t eaten any other vegetables, he always felt that Chinese cabbage tasted better than any other. Plus, it was cheap—truly a wonderful vegetable.

Sun Qiuhua stroked her son’s sweat-dampened head. “Ever since that time, you haven’t been able to use your water-type ability. I always felt it had something to do with that crystal core, so I traded for this bok choy.”

A third-rate ability user might not qualify for an ability-users squad, but to an ordinary person, it’s a powerful asset. No one would be willing to give that up.

Sun Xiaoshu nodded, his round face beaming. “Okay, okay. I’ll eat it tonight. If I get better, I’ll go catch some fish for you. I can even bring a couple over to Boss Xiao Cen.”

Sun Qiuhua heard the first part and was about to refuse, but when she heard the second part, she thought for a moment. “Be careful when you’re catching fish, and be quiet when you deliver them—don’t let Boss Xiao Cen see you.”

Her son shot her a look that said: Who in the whole village doesn’t know? 

Just as the two were talking, a neighbor from next door pushed open the door and stepped out.

It was a woman, thin as a skeleton, with a waxen complexion—it was obvious at a glance that she was in poor health. However, her hair was neatly combed, her clothes were well-tailored, and she was struggling to carry a large sack on her back.

The woman’s name was Zhang Xuedong, and she was a few years older than Sun Qiuhua. It was said that she had once had a husband and a son, but both had passed away, so she lived alone.

Seeing how hard she was struggling to walk, Sun Qiuhua hurried to help her up. The sack was large but not very heavy. “What have you saved up here? More clothes?”

Zhang Xuedong smiled at her. “Yes, I’m going to the small market to sell them and make some money.”

Sun Qiuhua saw that by the time she’d walked from the house to the courtyard gate, beads of sweat had formed on her temples. She couldn’t help but say, “If you ask me, you shouldn’t be in such a hurry to make money. With your health, you should be saving up points to get some vegetables—that’s what really matters.”

“I’m saving up,” Zhang Xuedong smiled at her and stepped out the door.

Once outside, however, she didn’t head toward the small market; instead, she turned and went up the mountain.

The mountain was deserted. She found a spot, opened her bag, and emptied it out—it was a bag of wood ash. Watching the ashes scatter in the wind, she let out a cold laugh.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

“Brother Cen, we’re here to bring you some crystal cores!”

Hearing those boisterous voices, he knew it had to be Wang Lie and Xiao Ji.

Cen An was repairing the bamboo water pipes in the courtyard. Hearing the commotion, he looked up. “I told you not to deliver them every day. And why are you two the ones coming?” (Unspoken: Can you two even do the math right?)

Wang Lie didn’t seem to care. “Team Leader Shi has already calculated it all; it’s written on the note inside.” He leaned in, rolling up his sleeves. “I’ll fix it for you, Brother Cen. You go check the bill.”

Cen An was pushed aside by him. He shook his head, took the cloth bag from Xiao Ji’s hand, and, without even looking at it, shoved it haphazardly into his backpack.

Ever since agreeing to take a “cut” from the ability-users squad, Captain Shi’s team has sent someone over once a day to deliver crystal cores—sometimes as many as a thousand, other times as few as a hundred. It mainly depends on the squad’s activities that day; if they’re out hunting mutant beasts, the haul is larger. If they’re just patrolling near the village, it’s smaller.

It really makes a difference having a squad leader. Since Squad Leader Shi returned, the mountains surrounding the village have become much safer. In the past, they’d occasionally see villagers being attacked nearby, but now there aren’t any at all.

He wondered what Yongning Village will look like once Captain Liao returns as well.

Of course, Dahei is part of the reason too… After getting to know the ability-users squad, this big guy has even learned to “order” his meals—once he’s had his fill of a certain type of mutant beast, he’ll switch things up for a change of pace.

However, he’s also provided the ability-users squad with plenty of rock crystals, all of which Cen An has fashioned into rock crystal daggers. Now, every member of the ability-users squad has their own rock crystal dagger, so they no longer have to take turns using them.

Over there, Wang Lie twisted the iron wire into shape in just a few quick motions, and water gushed down the bamboo pipe. Below, a small clay basin had been built. A ring of tiny red flowers grew around the basin, swaying gently with the splashing droplets—a charming sight.

A few days earlier, Cen An had connected the bamboo pipes to bring spring water from the foot of the mountain. In the sweltering summer heat, having a constant supply of cool mountain spring water at home was a true luxury.

Xiao Ji looked on with curiosity. “This little pond is pretty. What kind of flowers are these? I’d like to plant a ring of them at home, too.” “I don’t know,”

Cen An said, pulling out a cold jade melon. “Yu Lin planted them. You can ask him.”

Xiao Ji shrank back, thinking, “Forget it, forget it.”

It wasn’t until the cold jade melons ripened that Cen An realized they were actually just regular watermelons.

Large and thin-skinned, a single prick from a knife tip caused the entire melon to burst open, revealing the bright red, sandy flesh inside. Wang Lie and Xiao Ji didn’t stand on ceremony; they each grabbed a slice and took a bite…

The sweet, juicy pulp was plump and abundant, oozing out to instantly fill their mouths.

On a hot summer day, munching on watermelon while a gentle breeze blew—it was pure bliss! Moreover, the Cold Jade Melon truly lived up to its name; it remained ice-cold at all times, making it perfect for hot weather.

Cen An asked, “Have you tested the effects of the Cold Jade Melon yet?”

Come to think of it, the Cold Jade Melon was arguably the most ill-fated crop at “Harvest Farm” (ahem, does anyone even remember that name?).

Before the beast tide, Cen An had planted the Cold Jade Melons. During the beast tide, they ripened once, but their purpose wasn’t clear at the time. He couldn’t very well hand someone a melon while everyone was fighting off the mutant beast horde and say, “Help me figure out what this thing is good for.”

So, the first batch of ripe Cold Jade Melons ended up stockpiled in his backpack.

Before the Sun Festival, a second batch of Cold Jade Melons ripened. At the time, Cen An cut one open himself and found it tasted quite good. He’d originally planned to set up a stall at the Daylight Festival so everyone could try some, but then he remembered he still didn’t know what it was for, so he decided against it.

Earlier, he’d tried to bring some Cold Jade Melons to the ability-users squad for everyone to try, but then “that” incident happened—he panicked so much he dropped his basket, and the melons were smashed to pieces.

Recently, the third batch of Cold Jade Melons has ripened, and Cen An finally remembered this matter, so he sent ten of them over.

When he asked about it, Wang Lie remembered too. He wiped his mouth and shook his head. “It didn’t work. Just like before, none of us felt any effect after eating them.”

“Never mind then,” Cen An shrugged, unconcerned. “Maybe they just don’t have any special effects. Let’s just treat them as a seasonal summer crop.” After all, watermelons are meant to be eaten in the summer.

He thought for a moment. “Give three Cold Jade Melons to each member of the ability-users squad. Let everyone take some home to share with their families. Send thirty over to the points exchange counter every day—anyone who redeems an item gets a free Cold Jade Melon. As for the rest…”

Before he could come up with a solution, Xiao Ji suddenly suggested, “Why not sell them to outsiders?” 

Cen An was taken aback. “Outsiders?”

Wang Lie caught on as well. “Oh, Brother Cen, you’ve been in the village for less than a year, so you probably don’t know yet.”

He explained, “Every year after the Day of the Sun Festival, Team Leader Shi sends out a caravan to trade with nearby factions. There’s been a lot going on this year, so it’s been delayed by a month, but they’ll be here soon.”

“Nearby factions?” Cen An was taken aback. “Are there people living nearby? What kind of business do they do?”

“We call it trade, but really it’s just exchanging goods. Yongning Village is geographically isolated, and Team Leader Shi worries we might miss out on news from the outside world. As for what we sell, it’s mostly things like animal hides we stockpiled during the beast tides. These items aren’t valuable, so we don’t have to worry about anyone stealing them.”

“As for the nearby factions, well, they’re actually quite far away. Even for an ability user, it would take half a month to get there and back.”

Cen An nodded and asked in detail about the factions in the vicinity.

A moment later, he said, “The Cold Jade Melon has no other use, so we could sell it. However, keeping it fresh is difficult. If we have any extra storage items, we could give it a try.”

Wang Lie nodded. “I’ll go back and discuss this with Team Leader Shi.”

If they used storage items, they’d also have to consider the risk of them being stolen along the way. After all, storage items are quite valuable. Just as they were speaking, a series of hurried footsteps sounded from outside. “Brother Cen, something’s happened to my dad! Can you go check on him?”

Cen An looked up—it was Liao Wanwan. His expression immediately turned grave. “Something happened to Team Leader Liao? What is it?”

“It’s a psychic backlash!” Liao Wanwan’s face was pale, and her hands and feet were ice-cold. She couldn’t figure it out herself—her father’s psychic powers had been very stable lately, even more stable than her ability as a low-level ability user. How could they suddenly go haywire?

Cen An immediately said, “Let’s go! Xiao Ji, go to my bedroom and grab a wooden box!” Xiao Ji nodded and dashed inside.

Cen An and Wang Lie followed Liao Wanwan out the door, and Xiao Yi, who had been munching on watermelon, ran after them.

They arrived at the Liao residence. Just as they were about to enter, a powerful force suddenly surged from inside. Wang Lie instinctively pulled Cen An out of the way.

There was a thunderous crash as the ground rippled, and the entire house collapsed with a roar. Spikes poured out in droves, as if they were free, striking indiscriminately at places to land.

Wang Lie led Cen An as they weaved left and right, narrowly avoiding the spikes, and managed to get them several dozen meters away. Liao Wanwan was completely frozen in shock, breaking down and screaming, “Father!!!”

The commotion was immense. Villagers from all around rushed out to see what was happening, but upon witnessing the scene, they all fell silent.

It was true that the villagers lacked supernatural abilities, but they had all witnessed scenes of such abilities running amok. This was clearly a case of earth-type abilities running amok… After such an outburst, very few ability users survive…

The villagers immediately began to panic. Setting aside Leader Shi for the moment, Leader Liao was a genuinely good man! Although he hadn’t been out in a long time due to illness, the villagers still remembered his kindness.

Could such a good person really be leaving us like this?

“Don’t panic!” Cen An said in a deep voice. “Where’s the ability user? Go dig him out first. As long as he’s not dead, he can be saved!”

He flipped his hand to produce the Dew of Life, speaking with absolute certainty, “As long as there’s a single breath left, I can save them!” Liao Wanwan was the first to react. She pushed all her fear deep into her heart and shouted, “Yes!”

She summoned her meager psychic power, carefully lifting one pile of earth and rubble after another, meticulously searching for her father’s whereabouts. The villagers also sprang into action, rushing to help. Without psychic abilities, they dug away inch by inch with their bare hands.

Before long, two vines suddenly shot out from behind them, lifting the largest section of the roof to reveal the person beneath. Liao Wanwan rushed over, overjoyed. “We found him! Brother Cen, we found him!”

Cen An didn’t even have time to look back to see who it was; he immediately ran over, his first concern being Team Leader Liao’s condition.

【Superpower Backlash】

【Critically Injured, Near Death】

The two statuses flickered, as if uncertain, then changed to 【Poisoned, Near Death】 【Ability Self-Destruction】.

Apparently confirming the accuracy, the system even highlighted these two statuses in bold.

Poisoned?

Cen An froze. How could he be poisoned? And not just poisoned, but on the verge of death from poisoning and an ability to self-detonate… Just how vicious must that poison be?

But he didn’t have time to think about it. “Xiao Yi?”

Xiao Yi immediately ran over. “Big Brother!”

Cen An said quickly, “Go home right now, find our hybrid seed field, dig up the plant that’s completely purple—make sure to take it up by the roots, leaves and all—and bring it to me immediately.”

Xiao Yi nodded immediately.

A wind-elemental ability user stepped forward immediately. “I’ll take him.”

With that, he scooped up Xiao Yi, channeled his wind-elemental ability, and instantly accelerated to top speed.

Xiao Yi, of course, wasn’t going to make a fuss at a time like this. He sat quietly in his arms, his mind already racing to recall exactly where that purple plant was, saving them the time it would take to search.

Cen An lowered his head again, took out the Rain Dew Essence, and said just four words to Liao Wanwan: “I can save him.”

Liao Wanwan immediately let out a sigh of relief, her expression a mix of a smile and a frown as she struggled to hold back the sobs welling up in her throat. It was as if Cen An’s assurance that he could be saved meant her father would be up and about in the very next second.

And in fact, that was pretty much the case.

Cen An first administered a bottle of Rain Dew Essence to Captain Liao.

Captain Liao’s deathly pallor immediately improved, and the external wounds on his body began to close and stop bleeding… but this scene was obvious not just to Liao Wanwan, but even to the villagers gathered nearby.

However, fearing they might disturb Cen An’s rescue efforts, everyone suppressed their excitement and didn’t even dare to breathe a sigh. An ability user soon returned with Xiao Yi, and Cen An took out that purple plant.

The mixed seed packet had been planted ten days earlier; the rest were nothing special—just ordinary varieties like Sparrow Tongue Bud and baby bok choy.

But this purple plant was different—it was an antidote herb. Combined with several common medicinal herbs, it could be used to make antidote pills capable of neutralizing most poisons. Even for poisons that couldn’t be completely neutralized, it could at least alleviate their effects.

Cen An had originally intended to save it for Yu Lin. Although the power of a curse isn’t technically a poison, the antidote herb should still be able to alleviate its effects. But right now, a human life is more important.

He reached into his backpack, pulled out a few common herbs, and followed the formula to make an antidote pill.

The black pill gave off a bitter scent, but fortunately, Team Leader Liao was a real man who wasn’t afraid of bitterness.

As soon as Cen An offered it, he opened his mouth and swallowed it without hesitation.

The moment the antidote pill hit his stomach, Captain Liao’s face turned pale, and he opened his mouth to spit out a mouthful of black blood.

Instantly, the two terrifying status effects on his status bar vanished, replaced by 【Recovering from Minor Injuries】.

“He’s okay now,” Cen An exhaled with relief. “Let’s find a place for Captain Liao to rest properly.”

A deafening cheer erupted from the crowd.

For the villagers of Yongning Village, this wasn’t the first time they’d witnessed such a scene. It happened with Xiao Ji last time, and now with Team Leader Liao… It seemed that as long as their leader was present, even death couldn’t take them away.

How could they not be moved by this?

Team Leader Shi stepped forward immediately to restore order, telling those who needed to go home to do so and those who needed to work to get back to it. He also found a nearby house for the Liao family to stay in. Since their previous house had collapsed so badly, they decided to abandon it; they could sort through their belongings later.

Cen An wiped the sweat from his brow and stood up. Only when he turned around did he notice Yu Fei, Yu Lin, and Tian Yuan standing behind him. It turned out that Yu Lin was the one who had used the vines to save them just now.

“Here, have some water, Brother Cen.” Yu Lin handed him a bamboo cup filled with red date tea that had been boiled and left to cool—it was obvious who it was meant for. He smiled sweetly. “I saw you running this way, so I gave chase. I never expected I’d end up saving someone, too!”

The others behind them exchanged glances—it would be strange if Yu Lin were genuinely happy just for having saved someone.

Cen An took a big gulp of tea and laughed, “Thanks, Xiao Lin. You’ve been a huge help this time.”

Over there, Shi Long, having finished making arrangements, walked over, frowning. “Young Master Cen, Old Liao’s abilities have been very stable lately. Why did they suddenly go haywire?”

Cen An’s expression turned serious. “That’s exactly what I wanted to say. Team Leader Liao isn’t experiencing a power surge—he’s been poisoned.”