Chapter 5: The Scavenger Camp

The forbidden zone formed in this corner of the eastern Nanhuangzhou is not very large.

And the ruins that Xu Qing and his group departed from are located at the edge of the forbidden zone.

This is also the reason why the scavengers were able to reach the city on the very first day the sunlight arrived.

So, as the sky grew dark, they were already about to walk out of the forbidden zone's perimeter.

Although they encountered some mutated beasts along the way, they were quickly dealt with by the scavengers.

Observing this, Xu Qing formed a judgment in his heart.

He felt that if he were to take action, he could contend with any of these six scavengers, except for the old man known as Team Leader Lei.

"They are not cultivators, but the ruthlessness of their strikes, their grasp of timing, and that attitude of seemingly not caring about death at critical moments increase their lethality."

Xu Qing analyzed in his heart, pondering that aside from Team Leader Lei, he could fight any of the others individually.

If it were two, he might not be unable to handle it, but three together, he feared he would not be able to manage.

Having reached this judgment, Xu Qing became even more cautious.

At the same time, he keenly noticed that as the distance to the outside world grew closer, the expressions of those scavengers also relaxed quite a bit.

They even joked with each other from time to time along the way.

Only the old man known as Team Leader Lei did not speak a single word the entire journey.

And the others were also very respectful toward him, which made Xu Qing curious about the old man's identity.

However, this curiosity did not diminish his vigilance; even now, as they were about to walk out of the forbidden zone, Xu Qing remained alert, and while following these scavengers, he did not get too close.

Instead, he kept a distance, neither too near nor too far, listening to their discussions while cautiously following along.

Until the sky was about to turn completely dark, as a sense of warmth rushed toward his face, Xu Qing paused his steps, looked back at the wasteland behind him, and then looked toward the world ahead.

Between heaven and earth, where he stood, there seemed to be an invisible boundary.

Inside the boundary was the newly formed forbidden zone, gloomy and freezing cold.

Outside the boundary was the normal world, where the earth was returning to spring.

They had walked out of the forbidden zone.

Although it was night in the outside world, the starry sky was brilliant, and the bright moon could be seen hanging high.

Although the land was also desolate, it was far from the gloom and cold of the forbidden zone, and from time to time, one could even hear the sounds of normal birds and beasts.

In the grass in the distance, Xu Qing even saw a rabbit, looking at them vigilantly from there.

All of this made Xu Qing's expression somewhat dazed.

Those scavengers also clearly had their expressions completely relaxed, and even Team Leader Lei smoothed his brow.

"Finally walked out. This time was considered smooth, but whenever possible, Laozi doesn't want to step half a step into the forbidden zone again."

"Not going to the forbidden zone? In this ghostly world, if you want to survive, if you want to live better, you must risk your life in the forbidden zone. Sooner or later, I will buy a residency permit for a Seven Blood Eyes branch city!"

Outside the forbidden zone, these scavengers were clearly in a relaxed mood, their words passing between each other.

Xu Qing remained silent, but listened very carefully. Along this journey, he had learned much information he had previously been unable to access by listening to these people's conversations.

For instance, this Seven Blood Eyes, he had heard these scavengers mention it many times; it seemed to be a very powerful force.

And the name Purple Earth had also been mentioned by them several times.

"Is that all the ambition you have? There are many Seven Blood Eyes branch cities; the nearby Deer Horn City is one of them. However, the qualifications there cannot be bought just because you have enough spirit coins; you also need a recommendation from a Seven Blood Eyes disciple. Besides, what is a residency permit there worth? My goal is to obtain the entry qualifications for Seven Blood Eyes and become a Seven Blood Eyes disciple!"

"If you went to Seven Blood Eyes, you wouldn't live for three days. Who can't brag? Why don't you say your goal is to head to the Wanggu Continent overseas? That is where the origin of the human race is."

Hearing this, Xu Qing's heart stirred; he had seen the name Wanggu on a bamboo slip.

"Wanggu? If I had the ability to ignore those taboo objects in the sea, do you think I wouldn't go?"

Two of the scavengers seemed to have some verbal conflict, bickering with each other.

Xu Qing pricked up his ears, about to continue listening to their conversation to gain information, when the old man Team Leader Lei beside him swept a glance at the two, speaking for the first time on the journey.

"Wanting to go to the Wanggu Continent is not impossible. There are four methods; you can think about which one suits you."

"One, reach Foundation Establishment within fifteen years of age and become a rare heaven-gifted talent. Two, pay three hundred thousand jun of spirit coins to purchase a migration quota from Purple Earth, Seven Blood Eyes, or the Departed Path Sect."

"Three, make an outstanding contribution to the human race in alchemy. Four, be taken as a personal disciple by one of the major families of Purple Earth, one of the Peak Masters of Seven Blood Eyes, or the Sect Master of the Departed Path Sect."

"Oh, there is a fifth method: become a Treasure Nourisher. Think about it, which one suits you?"

The scavengers fell silent one after another, especially when they heard the fifth method; their expressions all became unnatural, and fear appeared in their eyes.

Xu Qing's eyes also narrowed; he had heard the term Treasure Nourisher before.

That was back in the slums, when he had several familiar companions who were taken away by some people in luxurious clothing.

It was said they were to be cultivated into Treasure Nourishers; at the time, the other children in the slums were even envious.

So he hesitated for a moment, looked at the old man Team Leader Lei, and asked softly.

"May I ask... what is a Treasure Nourisher?"

The old man Team Leader Lei's gaze landed on Xu Qing, and he spoke calmly.

"People who use their own bodies to nourish magic treasures, cultivate special techniques, and rely on their flesh and blood to dilute the heterogenous pollution of the magic treasures, so that the increase in heterogenous energy brought about by each use of the treasure is mitigated, allowing for continuous use, while they themselves gradually wither and die."

Xu Qing's eyes shrank; he was speechless for a long while and fell silent.

The others also seemed to have lost the desire to talk because of the three words "Treasure Nourisher," walking silently in the dark night.

Until they had left the forbidden zone for some distance, Team Leader Lei chose to set up camp on a plain.

Unlike the forbidden zone, camping in the outside world included not only the tents themselves but also a lit bonfire.

As the flames burned, the warmth in the surroundings grew stronger. These scavengers also sat around the bonfire, each taking out food to roast, and gradually, the fragrance overflowed.

Looking at their food, Xu Qing swallowed his saliva, sat in the distance, took out half a piece of hard dried meat from his leather bag, and tore at it forcefully with his mouth.

Team Leader Lei, who was by the bonfire, swept his gaze over and stood up to walk to where Xu Qing was.

As Xu Qing suddenly looked up, Team Leader Lei threw over a leather bag containing a few hot steamed buns.

The moment he saw the buns, Xu Qing's eyes went straight; he suppressed his impulse and spoke in a low voice.

"Thank you."

Team Leader Lei did not speak and returned to the bonfire, where a scavenger beside him laughed and spoke.

"Team Leader Lei, why be so good to this kid?"

"We are all pitiful people. Meeting is fate; help if you can."

There were three buns, very hot in his hand.

Xu Qing hesitated for a moment, seeing that everyone by the fire was also eating the same buns, so he first pretended to take a bite, observing those scavengers. After a long while, finding that they remained as usual, he endured for a long time before truly taking a small bite, holding it in his mouth and waiting for a moment.

Confirming there was no harm, he then slowly chewed until it was crushed and slowly swallowed.

Waiting for a long time again, and confirming once more there was no harm, he felt relieved in his heart and could no longer hold back, eating an entire one in big mouthfuls.

Then he hesitated for a moment and ate the second one in small bites as well.

Although his stomach was still hungry, he wrapped up the last bun and carefully placed it in his leather bag, as if storing a treasure.

Soon the night grew later, and the scavengers returned to their tents one after another. Team Leader Lei, just like yesterday, handed the sleeping bag to him and said a sentence before leaving.

"It's yours."

Xu Qing looked up, watched Team Leader Lei, and suddenly spoke.

"Why?"

"Why what? Three buns, a sleeping bag? ...There is no why. If you have the heart, get me something to eat later." Team Leader Lei turned and walked toward his tent.

"What do you like to eat?"

"Me?" Team Leader Lei stood by the tent and thought for a moment.

"Snakes, I guess. That stuff tastes pretty good." After saying this, he walked into the tent.

Xu Qing held the sleeping bag, watched Team Leader Lei's tent for a long time, nodded heavily, and crawled into the sleeping bag, closing his eyes.

But he did not fall asleep immediately; instead, while his eyes were closed, he silently circulated the Sea Mountain Art, which had already become his habit.

Even though it was extremely cold while cultivating, he did not give up in the slightest, seizing every moment to work hard at his cultivation.

Especially regarding what Team Leader Lei said today about reaching Foundation Establishment before fifteen, although he did not compare himself to the kind of heaven-gifted talents in his words, he still had some thoughts in his heart.

"I am fourteen this year..." Xu Qing muttered, continuing to cultivate.

Just like that, time slowly passed, and soon five days went by.

Xu Qing followed these scavengers, crossing mountain ridges and walking through grasslands.

Three people left halfway along the way, which confirmed Xu Qing's previous judgment that these people were a temporarily assembled group.

Until the seventh day, after the two scavengers carrying blades also left, only Xu Qing and Team Leader Lei remained.

That night, under a mountain, by the bonfire, the old man Team Leader Lei looked at Xu Qing, who had finished eating the bun in small bites and was carefully putting away the other half, and spoke slowly.

"Kid, by noon tomorrow, we can reach our destination. That is where I live; it is a camp where scavengers gather."

Xu Qing looked up at the old man.

The old man looked into the distance and continued to speak.

"Scavenger camps are often built next to forbidden zones, so outside the camp on the other side of the mountain, there is also a forbidden zone."

"Compared to the newly formed forbidden zone you were in before, that place has existed for a long time. Inside, there are not only fierce beasts but also dangerous areas, and the heterogenous energy is extremely dense. If an ordinary person goes in for a day and doesn't come out, they will surely die. Even for me, I can only hold on for seven days inside at most."

"But it is rich in Seven-Leaf Grass, which is a necessary item for refining White Pills."

"White Pills are the basic elixirs used by cultivators to resolve their own heterogenous energy. Therefore, many outsiders come here on weekdays. They cherish their lives and are unfamiliar with the geography, so they rarely go to pick them themselves, preferring to spend spirit coins to let local scavengers go in and pick them."

The old man said this and looked at Xu Qing.

"Do you understand what I mean?"

"You mean that the local scavengers in the camp are all desperate people who will do anything for money."

Hearing about the White Pills and their effects, Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, pondered, and spoke softly.

Surprise appeared in the eyes of the old man Team Leader Lei, and he smiled.

"The part you answered is correct; what I want to tell you is that in the scavenger camp, the rule is the law of the jungle, where strength is paramount."

"But it is at least a place to live, and it has a market, a place to buy and sell daily necessities, and sometimes even merchant caravans come by, so every house within it has no small value."

"Therefore, it is not a place anyone can enter just by saying so; every new face wanting to obtain the right of residence must undergo a beast trial, which is a rule set by the camp master."

"And you, if you pass successfully, I can allow you to reside at my place for a fee," the old man said slowly, looking at Xu Qing.