bookandnovel Chapter 614: A Marketplace in the Storm
Chapter 614: A Marketplace in the Storm
"We can’t do anything about the natural disasters, but we can try to get stronger so that we don’t all succumb to the apocalypse." Chu Mo said with a sigh.
"From what I have heard, the supplies that could be collected have become so scarce that it’s nearly impossible to find a pack of noodles when you go out." Mother Chu said, looking like she was mourning a departed loved one.
Her charitable character had not faded with the apocalypse.
"That’s true. After all, the city was even cleaned before. If not for this wind ruining many places, we would probably be rebuilding it to its former glory." Chu Mo replied to his wife.
"Then how about those places I heard were like markets where people can exchange things? Can we take the excess food we have to exchange for other things like jewelry and crystal cores?" Mother Chu asked again.
Everyone could understand that she was soft-hearted and wanted to help other survivors since their sect had enough food and resources.
"That’s not a bad idea. No matter how many crystal cores we collect, it can never be enough. After all, the more our cultivation advances, the more we will need more resources to breakthrough. So, more crystal cores are good." Chu Miao interrupted them because she wanted to give her mother an excuse to help out and make her feel better.
She was aware that as a cultivator, if her mother didn’t get this out of her chest, it might become an inner demon in her path to ascension later.
It was better to deal with inner demons earlier.
Mother Chu’s eyes lit up immediately, though she tried hard to hide it. "So... we can really do that?"
"Yes." Chu Miao nodded calmly. "But we have to be careful about how we do it."
Everyone turned to look at her.
"Careful?" Grandpa Chu asked, not understanding what she meant.
"Yes." Chu Miao walked back to her seat and sat down, her fingers lightly tapping the armrest as she thought. "Right now, the world is unstable. Resources are scarce, and people are desperate. If we suddenly appear with too many supplies, it could attract unnecessary attention."
"That’s true." Ye Xuan agreed. "Greed is more dangerous than zombies sometimes."
The room fell silent for a moment as everyone reflected on those words.
They had seen it before. Humans betraying each other for a bag of rice or a bottle of clean water.
"In that case, how do we proceed?" Chu Mo asked.
"The last time I met Monkey, he mentioned a market in some mall that people use to exchange things. It seems to be owned by a base and people pay taxes to sell stuff there. The taxes are in the form of supplies as well. If we can join it and secure a spot, we can do business without worry. We just have to know what to take out and when and in what quantity." Chu Miao explained.
"You mean... like a private market?" Chu Hao leaned forward, suddenly interested.
"And what do we exchange?" Butler Cheng asked.
"Food, basic supplies, maybe low-grade talismans." Chu Miao listed everything calmly. "In return, we take crystal cores, rare materials, information,... anything valuable."
"Information?" Qi Long raised an eyebrow in question.
"Yes." Chu Miao’s eyes sharpened with a cold light.
"Right now, information is just as important as resources. We need to know what’s happening in other cities, how zombies are evolving, and whether others have encountered what we sensed."
Everyone immediately understood what she meant.
That hidden presence.
"That’s a good plan." Grandpa Chu nodded in agreement.
"It helps others survive while also strengthening us."
"And it reduces the risk of people turning against us out of desperation." Chu Mo added thoughtfully.
"Exactly." Chu Miao said.
"But..." Chu Hao scratched his head. "What if someone tries to cause trouble inside?"
This was indeed not out of the question considering the things they will be selling.
No one has seen fresh vegetables and fruits for a long time. So, suddenly having such things to sell will definitely attract trouble.
"Then they won’t leave." Ye Xuan replied coldly.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly.
The asura seemed to have descended and no one doubted his words.
At this moment, apart from those strong zombies and probably the zombie king, no one could threaten them.
"If they come here with ill intentions, they can stay here forever." Ye Xuan added calmly, as if discussing something trivial.
"That solves that problem." Murong Yi said with a small smile as he walked into the house.
"Still, even though the market isn’t ours, since we will be trading there, we should set clear rules for our customers." Grandpa Chu said seriously.
"Of course." Chu Miao agreed. "No weapons allowed inside the exchange area. Anyone who breaks the rules will be dealt with immediately."
This would indeed deter many people who want the supplies they have.
"Should we have guards as well?" Chu Hao asked curiously.
"I don’t think that’s necessary. The people selling will all be cultivators of at least the fourth level of Qi refinement. For ordinary people or even superpower users, this level of strength is enough to blind them." Chu Miao immediately rejected the idea of wasting human resources.
The plan was quickly taking shape.
Mother Chu looked at her daughter, her expression softening.
"Thank you." She said quietly.
Chu Miao paused for a moment, then shook her head.
"There’s no need to thank me. This benefits us too."
But everyone could tell that she had done it for her mother.
Outside, the storm raged on relentlessly.
Debris crashed against buildings, and the howling wind sounded like a beast roaring across the land.
If this was in the cultivation world, people would think that a beast tide was on the way.
Some people volunteered to go to the market place and set up some stalls.
They couldn’t crowd everything together, so they had to trade separately.
So, temporary structures were set up in the mall, simple but sturdy.
Tables, storage units, and defensive formations were arranged carefully around each stall.
In this way, there would be added protection in case something unexpected happened.
Ye Xuan personally set up several layered arrays around the area they chose.
"These will suppress anyone who tries to act out and cause trouble." He explained to his companions who were looking at him strangely.
Chu Hao whistled. "You’re basically setting up a trap disguised as a market."
Ye Xuan glanced at him. "It’s called precaution."
"Sure." Chu Hao replied as if he didn’t believe a word his brother-in-law said.
Ye Xuan, however, didn’t bother with him anymore.
That evening, inside Ye Xuan’s apartment, Chu Miao stood by the window once again. Her gaze looking into the distance.
"Are you thinking about that presence we felt before?" Ye Xuan’s voice came from behind her.
He walked over to her and hugged her from behind. Wrapping his long arms around her slender waist.
He still couldn’t understand how someone could have such a small waist that felt as if it would snap with the smallest pressure.
"Yes." She admitted quickly. "It didn’t act and that’s what bothers me the most."
That thing not acting meant that it knew how to be a patient hunter.
That was way too dangerous.
If it had attacked, they could gauge its strength.
But it didn’t. And that meant it was waiting for something or planning something.
"We’ll deal with it when the time comes." Ye Xuan said calmly.
Chu Miao nodded, but her expression remained serious.
"I just hope we’re not already part of its plan."
Chu Miao would never have thought that her fleeting worry was actually the truth.
They were indeed a part of that zombie’s plan and it was a sinister plan meant to end them while making it stronger.
When the storm cooled the next day and the four-hour window opened, those assigned to head to the market set off immediately.
Because of the debris and dust, they couldn’t drive and at most, they could only walk.
However, to save time, Chu Miao decided to teleport them there. She had the coordinates anyway, so teleporting to a specific spot was not a problem.
They first walked out of the protective barrier of the sect before teleporting.
Once they were in the mall, they waited for a while before some figures started appearing one by one.
Groups of survivors emerged from hiding, scanning their surroundings nervously.
It looked like everyone had discovered the pattern in the winds wrecking havoc and knew to take advantage of the four hour window.
Li Kun seemed to have different plans from the rest.
He took some array disks Ye Xuan had gifted him and set up a protective barrier outside the mall.
He then set up a stall with a long table and on top, he placed fresh fruits and cabbages.
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