Chapter Thirteen: The Weapon Shop and the Ambush

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Inside the inn’s room, Tang Zhen chatted casually with Qian Long. According to Qian Long, he had been busy the past two days selling the food Tang Zhen left behind. After comparing prices at several places, he finally decided to sell the “premium” food to a certain grocery store because they offered the highest price.

As a result, these grains and oils, which were worthless in Tang Zhen’s original world, fetched a good price in this otherworld, with the most valuable being the seasonings. For the natives of this world, meals cooked with these seasonings tasted exceptionally delicious.

As he spoke, Qian Long handed over some brain beads to Tang Zhen. Tang Zhen selected one hundred beads from them and gave them back to Qian Long. Although Qian Long declined at first, Tang Zhen insisted he accept them. He didn’t care much about the beads themselves, but valued Qian Long as a person.

Reluctantly, Qian Long accepted the beads and mentioned he had his eye on a piece of equipment. With these beads in hand, he planned to buy it from the weapon shop later.

Tang Zhen said, “We’re free now; why don’t we check out the weapon shop in town?”

Though speaking casually, Tang Zhen was also eager to inspect the weapons, as their prices were exorbitant and he couldn’t help but feel tempted. Taking this opportunity to have a look seemed fitting.

Qian Long was just as eager, so they set off immediately.

Side by side, they left the inn and walked along the cluttered street, soon arriving at the weapon shop across the street from the grocery store.

The weapon shop was named “Blade Edge,” written in a strange script that Qian Long couldn’t read. The name was something he had heard from others.

Tang Zhen recalled that his phone’s app store had a translation plugin for languages and scripts, priced at ten thousand gold coins. He thought that once he had enough funds, he could try downloading it to see how well it worked.

The weapon shop faced the street, with several rows of wooden racks displaying many swords and blades that gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

Deeper inside, racks held various armors and protective gear of diverse types, though none could be called aesthetically pleasing.

At the very back of the shop, Tang Zhen spotted several matchlock guns hanging on the wall, along with daggers and a flintlock pistol displayed behind the counter.

Testing these weapons, he found their edges sharp, weights moderate, and overall quality quite good.

Seeing Tang Zhen’s careful inspection, Qian Long spoke up, “These are all ordinary weapons, but their prices aren’t low. Regular wanderers simply can’t afford them.”

Hearing this, Tang Zhen sensed a deeper meaning and couldn’t help but ask, “These weapons are good, then? Does that mean there are even better ones?”

“Of course. But ordinary wanderers like us can’t get access to them.”

Qian Long explained enthusiastically, “Those weapons are called magic weapons, ranked from one to nine stars. The materials used to forge them are rare and precious, so they possess strange attributes, called ‘properties’ by the craftsmen. Their prices are exorbitant, and owning one is a symbol of status and power.”

As they talked, they entered the shop.

Looking around, the shop’s back courtyard had a few blacksmiths swinging hammers, sweating beside the furnace as they shaped glowing red iron bars on anvils into swords.

About a dozen assistants busied themselves nearby.

Inside, the shop displayed more weapons, which seemed finer than those outside.

Tang Zhen drew a slender longsword for examination. The blade was about ninety centimeters long, with a finely crafted handle and sheath. The polished blade shone like a mirror, and it was smooth to wield, emitting a sharp glint along the edge.

He liked this sword and asked the clerk its price. The reply was 280 white brain beads.

Tang Zhen silently gasped at the price.

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Brain beads were extremely important to him, but having a good weapon for self-defense was even more crucial. Still, the beads’ value outweighed the weapon’s, so he sighed quietly and put the sword back.

Looking at Qian Long, he saw the man fiddling with a shortbow, seemingly reluctant to part with it.

The shortbow’s body was made of some unknown material, shimmering with a purplish-red hue, with green vein-like patterns across its surface. The bowstring was black, very flexible but not sharp enough to cut the hand.

Qian Long tried pulling the string but struggled slightly; it seemed to have considerable draw weight.

Tang Zhen smiled, realizing that this was exactly what Qian Long wanted.

In his storage, he happened to have a set of bows and arrows. Though their quality might not surpass the one Qian Long was handling, at least they wouldn’t cost him any brain beads. Judging by the shortbow’s appearance, its value was considerable. Qian Long was likely just indulging in the experience.

Deciding to give Qian Long the bow and arrows from his storage, Tang Zhen planned to buy a few more sets for himself when he returned, as he might need them someday.

With this in mind, Tang Zhen pulled the reluctant Qian Long back and told him he would give him a similar set soon.

Qian Long’s eyes brightened but remained doubtful, still following Tang Zhen out of the weapon shop.

Passing by some street market stalls, Tang Zhen spent some brain beads to buy several pieces of jewelry he had admired earlier, then quietly stored them in his storage space.

Back in the inn, Tang Zhen first told Qian Long about the Murong sisters, then shared his ambition to build a tower city!

Qian Long was stunned by Tang Zhen’s idea. In his mind, becoming a resident of a tower city was nearly impossible, let alone establishing one. Was Tang Zhen completely out of his mind?

“Are you… sure… you really… want to build a tower city?” Qian Long stammered, eyes fixed on Tang Zhen.

“I’m serious. Once I set a goal, I never give up halfway. Buddy, are you interested in joining me in this grand undertaking?”

Qian Long, a bit frustrated, propped his head with his hand and said with a hint of sarcasm, “I guess you must be crazy. But damn, why do I feel like giving it a try?”

“Enough talk. Are you in or not?”

“Hell, if this tower city project fails, dying is the worst that can happen. I’m in!”

“Don’t be so pessimistic. Honestly, I’m going to build the biggest tower city in this world, and then wipe out all those tower cities built by the alien races!”

Qian Long rolled his eyes. “Wipe out those alien-built tower cities, huh… You haven’t seen how terrifying their warriors are. Now I’m certain—you really are crazy…”

Though he felt Tang Zhen was playing with fire, having joined the plan, Qian Long grew serious.

They began discussing how to acquire foundation stones, where to build the tower city, how to gather the necessary materials, and how to defend against monster sieges once it was built.

Tang Zhen realized that building a tower city required much preparation, and he was still a novice in many respects. His original idea was simpler than reality demanded.

Fortunately, they now had a preliminary plan and only needed to follow it step by step.

Building a tower city was no trivial matter, so early precautions were necessary. If enemies caught wind of it, trouble would ensue. The town wouldn’t be safe anymore. Tang Zhen, Qian Long, and the Murong sisters needed to find a new residence quickly.

Still, living in town had advantages: convenient trading, protection from monster attacks, and access to information. Besides, the town was close to the tower city, and trading caravans passed through the market from time to time.

Tang Zhen even considered finding a chance to explore inside the tower city.

Though the Murong sisters could shelter in an old factory now, Tang Zhen feared the place might be discovered by monsters, who would then devour the sisters as well.

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Tang Zhen asked Qian Long if he knew any ideal location for building the tower city. Qian Long recalled a place that was secluded, easy to defend, and difficult to attack, not far from here.

The site had once been a bandit camp formed by several hundred wanderers. Anyone familiar with the area deliberately avoided it.

Later, the bandit group was wiped out by a powerful passing monster, and the valley had been empty ever since.

Qian Long had stumbled upon the camp’s location by chance and had visited once after the bandits were killed, hoping to find useful supplies. Unfortunately, scavengers had already cleared it out.

Given the suitable location, Tang Zhen naturally planned to inspect it in person.

However, their first priority was to bring back the Murong sisters before things got complicated, so they set off immediately, leaving the wanderer town and heading straight for the abandoned factory.

Shortly after leaving town, they passed through a patch of withered vines. Suddenly, a chorus of chirping birds filled the air.

Tang Zhen looked up to see a kind of dove-like bird, appearing plump and appetizing.

Looking at the birds in the tree, Tang Zhen casually asked, “You said you often went hungry before. Didn’t you ever hunt these birds for food?”

Qian Long shook his head. “What would I use to hunt them? A bow and arrow? I don’t have one.”

“Why don’t you make one yourself?” Tang Zhen replied.

Qian Long shook his head again. “The bows and arrows I make don’t have any real killing power. Their range is too short, and the damage is too small.”

Tang Zhen nodded, recalling that a real bow required complicated craftsmanship—not just a bamboo stick with a string. Though his original world had bows like the English longbow, this world seemed to lack the suitable wood for bow-making. The wilderness was full of wild grass and strange vines resembling forests, but no actual trees.

Finding the walk dull, Tang Zhen continued the topic: “If you don’t have bows and arrows, don’t you use traps or slingshots?”

“Traps are hit or miss. These birds are cunning and often don’t fall for them. And what’s a slingshot?” Qian Long asked, puzzled.

“A slingshot is a kind of bow, isn’t it?”

Tang Zhen was taken aback. “A slingshot is a slingshot—you don’t know what that is?”

Qian Long shook his head in confusion, clearly unaware.

Tang Zhen shook his head silently, reminding himself this was another world and he couldn’t think in terms of his own.

He just said he would give Qian Long a slingshot later and dropped the subject.

They had barely gone far along the path covered with wild grass when Qian Long’s expression turned serious. He grabbed Tang Zhen’s sleeve and whispered, “Be careful. Someone’s planning an ambush. Be ready to fight!”

Tang Zhen’s heart jolted. He calmly scanned the surroundings but saw nothing unusual. Yet he trusted Qian Long’s instincts—like a wild animal’s—honed through countless life-and-death struggles.

Opening his map, he saw many hidden figures in the nearby grass, forming an encirclement. This sight broke out a cold sweat on Tang Zhen.

He realized he had been careless.

At that moment, two cold arrows suddenly shot out from the grass, aiming straight for the two of them.