Chapter 62: You actually dare to come out?

Source Water Supply Base, main hall entrance.

A group of six walked in just like that, under everyone's gaze.

At the head was a tall, slender girl of about eighteen or nineteen.

The girl wore a pale cyan combat suit, wrapped tight against her body.

The faintly full curve of her chest, and her alluring waist-to-hip ratio, were perfectly outlined.

She had delicate features, a high, pert nose, thick long lashes, and skin white as snow.

But what left the deepest impression was still the girl's hair.

It was a cascade of white long hair falling to her waist — a white that was not the withered, unhealthy kind.

But rather, like satin — smooth and lustrous.

Behind her followed several men and women, some tall and broad, some fierce in presence, figures like bodyguards.

Among them, one had a heavy camera slung over his shoulder.

"Looks like Goddess Jiang is off to the wilderness again to film material."

"Gotta say, even though her videos are all team-produced, the quality is just too high — I watch every episode."

"By the way, Goddess Jiang's followers online must be close to ten million, right?"

"More than that — already around fifteen million!"

"Tsk tsk, if only I could have a girlfriend like Goddess Jiang, I'd gladly live ten years less!"

"Heh, living twenty years less wouldn't help either. She's a sophomore at the Modu Ability Academy — she'd look at you? Dream on!"

"......"

In the main hall, the gathered ability users buzzed with discussion, and Xu Jingming, seated, finally remembered.

Wasn't this the very Goddess Jiang that Zhang Hao had been crying and begging him to get an autographed photo from, before he left Jiangcheng?!

After arriving in Modu, Xu Jingming would chat with Zhang Hao on the phone from time to time.

When they had nothing to talk about, Zhang Hao would always bring this up.

Xu Jingming was truly fed up, so he had even followed her.

Unfortunately, while at school, he had never once run into her.

He hadn't expected that the moment he came to the wilderness, he'd run right into her.

"Still, Zhang Hao's taste isn't bad."

To be fair, among all the girls Xu Jingming had seen, in both his past life and this one —

Only Song Qiuyun could compare with this Jiang Chuxuan.

Of course,

In looks the two were evenly matched — Song Qiuyun was charmingly demure, while this Jiang Chuxuan was coldly stunning.

As for figure, Xu Jingming actually felt Song Qiuyun had a slight edge.

Just like that, Jiang Chuxuan and her group went straight upstairs under the gaze of everyone in the hall.

The supply base was a comprehensive building — besides offering equipment sales and the purchase of fierce beast materials and rare flowers and herbs.

The higher floors also offered lodging, just like a hotel.

Most ability users, if they didn't return to the city, would choose to stay at this supply base.

"Mr., your Adventurer's Certificate is ready."

"Also, this is your satellite smartwatch, with a map of the wilderness built in."

Not long after Jiang Chuxuan and the others had left, a female server walked over gracefully, handing over a black card and a smartwatch.

The black card was the Adventurer's Certificate, recording basic information such as name and level.

Xu Jingming put the certificate away safely, and put the smartwatch directly on his wrist.

He tapped lightly on the screen, and sure enough, a map of the wilderness was projected out.

It not only marked in detail the activity of fierce beasts in each area, but even noted the danger level.

However, it was limited to the outer regions — the deeper interior regions were a blank fog.

Of course, even these marked portions weren't entirely reliable.

Because fierce beasts could leave their original territory at any time to hunt.

Still, better than nothing — it was a reference after all.

"Thank you."

Confirming the smartwatch was fine, Xu Jingming politely thanked her and was about to get up and leave.

But he was stopped by a voice:

"Hey, buddy, want some pills?"

Turning his head, he saw a lean middle-aged man.

The man wore a smile on his face and said, "This should be your first time in the wilderness, right, buddy?

Going into the wilderness without pills won't do — I've got all kinds of pills right here. How about it? Want to take a look? Price is negotiable."

"Pills?" Xu Jingming's sword brows rose.

Pills were indeed a must to prepare before entering the wilderness — whether healing pills or detox pills, they were of great use at critical moments.

"What are your pills priced at?" Xu Jingming asked with interest.

"First-grade healing pills are 20,000 each, first-grade detox pills are 15,000 each.

Second-grade ones are a bit pricier, but still fine — 40,000 and 30,000 respectively."

Seeing there might be a sale, the middle-aged man hurriedly introduced.

"Oh? That's really not expensive."

Xu Jingming said this, but his gaze was faintly cold.

Pills are divided into nine grades, from Rank 1 to Rank 9.

The higher the grade of the pill, the stronger its effect.

But even a Rank 1 pill is generally quite expensive—at least thirty or forty thousand apiece.

Yet this fellow's asking price was almost half of that!

Combined with the man's furtive manner, Xu Jingming was almost certain this was a swindler selling fake pills.

And, most likely, a seasoned one at that.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have specifically targeted newcomers who had just registered as adventurers for the first time and didn't know the trade well.

"Of course, my pills here are famously both cheap and effective."

The middle-aged man thumped his own chest as if giving his guarantee.

However, what greeted him was Xu Jingming's teasing voice:

"You've swindled plenty of newcomers with this trick, haven't you?"

"Hm?"

The middle-aged man froze for a moment, and the smile that had been plastered on his face instantly vanished. "You saw through it long ago?"

"What do you think?" Xu Jingming looked at him with a half-smile.

"Good, very good!"

The middle-aged man's eyes narrowed, and the aura emanating from his body gradually grew dangerous:

"You're still the first one to dare toy with me inside a supply base!"

Before Xu Jingming could speak, a sharp, girlish shout came from the side: "Zhao Chunlin! You're swindling newcomers here again!"

It was a party of four, and the voice belonged to—

—one of them, a young woman in her twenties wearing a black battle suit and carrying a long black sword at her side.

She rushed over with her willow brows sharply raised, fuming, and shielded Xu Jingming behind her.

"Wang Qian?"

At the sight of this woman, Zhao Chunlin's face showed a trace of wariness, and he gave a cold snort:

"Consider yourself lucky, kid. But for the next few days, you'd best not leave the supply base.

Otherwise, you'll regret it."

After casting a meaningful glance at Xu Jingming and dropping one harsh line, Zhao Chunlin turned and left.

"Tsk, tsk. Being targeted by that guy Zhao Chunlin, this newcomer is done for."

"Of all people to provoke, he had to pick Zhao Chunlin."

"I heard he advanced to Mid Second-Tier not long ago. This little fellow is only Upper First-Tier—the final outcome is probably going to be pretty grim."

"..."

The commotion here also drew the attention of the other ability-users in the hall.

In this Yuanshui Supply Base, a Mid Second-Tier ability-user was already considered quite a decent fighting force.

And Xu Jingming, who was only Upper First-Tier yet dared to clash with the other party, naturally became the object of sympathy.

"You just had a clash with Zhao Chunlin?"

Hearing the chatter of the people around her, the young woman Wang Qian, who had been shielding Xu Jingming behind her, immediately frowned.

Without waiting for Xu Jingming to reply, she went on on her own: "Forget it. Since you've provoked him, don't leave the supply base for the time being.

Fighting is forbidden inside the supply base, so he can't do anything to you."

"Thanks for the warning."

Although he didn't care about Zhao Chunlin's threat, this young woman had not only called out to stop the other's swindling—

She had also kindly warned him. Naturally, Xu Jingming held goodwill toward her as well.

"It was nothing. I was swindled by him back in the day, so I don't want others to be tricked too." Wang Qian waved her hand.

"So he's just been running this scam all along, and nobody does anything about it?" Xu Jingming's brow furrowed slightly.

"Heh, Zhao Chunlin has ties to the black market—who would dare touch him?" Wang Qian said with a cold laugh.

In fact, the man not only had black-market backing, he also had connections with the upper echelons of this supply base.

Otherwise, how could he have been running his scam here for several years?

"Xiao Qian, we should head back to our room."

Hearing her other teammates calling her, Wang Qian answered, and before leaving, she made sure to remind him once more:

"Remember—whatever you do, don't leave the supply base during this period!"

"Quite the warm-hearted girl."

Watching Wang Qian and her teammates gradually walk away, Xu Jingming couldn't help but nod.

There aren't that many good people in the world. Those who've been rained on don't hold the umbrella for others—they smash the other person's umbrella instead.

For instance, just now, he was certain there were others in the hall who had been swindled before.

Yet when Zhao Chunlin approached him, not a single one of them spoke up to warn him.

Some might even have been gloating inside.

Only this Wang Qian had not only spoken up on her own initiative, but had also shielded him behind her like a mother hen.

"That personality of hers is rather similar to my high-school class monitor Lin Qingyuan's—both equally kind and gentle."

Xu Jingming murmured to himself.

As for Zhao Chunlin, he had never taken him to heart from start to finish.

After all, whether a Mid Second-Tier ability-user could even withstand the force of one of his shots was already a question.

After that, Xu Jingming purchased a tactical backpack through official channels at the supply base, along with enough fresh water and energy bars to last over a month.

He also bought ten first-grade Healing Pills, ten first-grade Antidote Pills, and one second-grade Blood Burst Pill.

The tactical backpack and supplies weren't expensive, costing a total of less than 100,000, but the pills alone cost him 900,000.

Of course, it was worth it.

Especially the second-grade Blood Burst Pill, worth 300,000 — it was a life-saving treasure for desperate fights.

After procuring all the supplies, Xu Jingming rented a room at the supply base and slept for the night.

Early the next morning, he walked out of the supply base fully armed.

However, just as Xu Jingming stepped onto the plaza in front of the supply base, a familiar voice rang out from not far ahead:

"Yo, didn't expect you actually dared to come out."