Chapter 110: Tempering Mental Power

Walking on the way to the grain store, Lu Yu sighed inwardly; the treatment one receives when having money is truly worlds apart. Last time he spent less than a thousand, and although the clerk was respectful, he couldn't even get to see the manager.

But this time, having spent only four or five thousand, the manager personally came out, his attitude was beyond reproach, and he even tried to win him over in various ways.

He pondered that if he spent over ten thousand, perhaps even the boss behind the scenes would appear.

"It seems this weapon shop in Zhou Family Fort has no value for further exploration," Lu Yu muttered to himself.

There are no bows here with a draw weight above five hundred catties, no Advanced Armor-Piercing Arrows, and presumably, weapons made of Second-tier Original Alloy are completely non-existent.

If he wants to purchase more powerful weapons, he will likely have to go elsewhere or head directly to Anshan City.

Before going to the grain store, Lu Yu purchased some more daily necessities, like toilet paper and body wash. Although the prices were a bit high, life is truly inconvenient without these things.

Soon, Lu Yu arrived at the grain store. Just like last time, several burly men stood at the entrance, all with their heads held high and chests out, looking insufferably arrogant.

When they saw Lu Yu approaching, they were slightly startled at first, then respect appeared in their eyes, and they all took the initiative to nod and smile at Lu Yu.

Even the boss, who was reading behind the counter, became exceptionally polite and came up to greet him with a face full of smiles.

"Customer, what would you like? Grain, salt, and things like MSG and soy sauce—we have everything here." As the boss spoke, his gaze inadvertently fell on the two bows Lu Yu was carrying on his back.

Am I seeing this right? That is a Five Hundred Catty Draw Weight Bow! This customer is definitely no ordinary person.

Lu Yu said with a calm expression: "I want one hundred catties of the ten-yuan-per-catty Blood Rice, and fifty catties of the three-yuan-per-catty Blood Rice. Also, give me some of each of the seasonings like salt and MSG."

It wasn't that he didn't want to buy more, he was just worried about not being able to carry it back.

He could walk freely with two or three hundred catties of weight on his shoulders, but if it reached four or five hundred catties, he wouldn't even be able to hold his weapons.

After all, quite a few people were secretly coveting him on the road out of the city.

Upon hearing this, the boss's eyes lit up, and he was secretly delighted; he was indeed a wealthy and generous patron.

"Customer, did you come empty-handed?" the boss said with a face full of smiles, "It won't be convenient to carry so many things. Where do you live? I'll have someone drive you there."

Lu Yu shook his head, "I am not from Zhou Family Fort."

"Not from Zhou Family Fort?" The boss was taken aback, and the gazes of the guards at the door toward Lu Yu also became a bit strange.

Could he be from one of the small Zhai outside? The boss hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said: "Customer, even if you are from an outside Zhai, we can still deliver."

Lu Yu looked at him with some surprise, "Boss, are you sure?"

"Hehe, what are you saying, customer," the boss said with a beaming smile, "It's just a bit of gasoline for the round trip, what does that count for?"

One hundred catties of ten-yuan Blood Rice is one thousand yuan, plus the salt and such, it would be nearly two thousand yuan.

By comparison, a liter of gasoline is only twenty or thirty yuan and can run for over ten kilometers!

Lu Yu was truly a bit surprised and couldn't help but sigh; money really can make the devil turn the mill!

"Ahem." Just then, the boss coughed lightly and said: "But I must say the ugly things first, customer, you must leave your identity information and a deposit. We do this for the safety of the store's personnel and property. Don't worry, when you come back next time, the deposit will be returned in full."

"I see." Lu Yu thought about it and felt it was understandable.

After all, it is still safe inside Zhou Family Fort, but once outside, the situation is hard to say.

"Let's talk about it next time."

He still decided to abandon the idea of exposing his own information for a moment of convenience.

"Alright." Seeing this, the boss also nodded with a smile and didn't say anything more.

Soon, the two types of Blood Rice were packed separately, and together with dozens of catties of salt, MSG, soy sauce, and other seasonings, they were all put into a sturdy bag.

"Customer, you are welcome to come often." The boss watched Lu Yu leave with a beaming smile.

"This person is truly a formidable character," a guard said, looking at Lu Yu's back, unable to help but sigh.

"Indeed, with his strength to lift three hundred catties with one hand, he has probably reached the Body Tempering Third Layer, right?"

"Maybe he is a Martial Artist in the Refining Flesh Realm; otherwise, how would he dare to come here all by himself?"

"That's right, one look and you can tell he is fearless and bold because of his high skills."

Along the way, Lu Yu vigilantly kept an eye on the movements behind him, fearing that someone might shoot a cold arrow from the shadows.

Although this possibility was not high, it is better to be safe than sorry.

As he walked down the street, he immediately attracted countless gazes.

There were those who were shocked, those who were envious, those who were jealous, and some people's eyes were darting around, not knowing what they were plotting.

Whenever Lu Yu's gaze swept over, those people would lower their heads.

Throughout this journey, Lu Yu's nerves were taut, watching in all directions and listening to everything, not letting any slight disturbance around him go unnoticed.

Not until he had walked one or two kilometers and left Zhou Family Fort far behind did Lu Yu breathe a sigh of relief, put down the goods he was carrying, and turn around.

He saw several sneaky figures following far behind, peering toward this side.

Seeing Lu Yu suddenly turn his head, they were startled, whispered to each other for a moment, and then turned and slipped away.

Lu Yu snorted coldly; this group had followed for so long without daring to make a move, so they were clearly not the bold type.

He would let them go for now, but if they dared to follow again next time, they wouldn't be able to get away so easily.

After resting for a while, he picked up the goods and continued on his way.

He stopped from time to time on the way to carefully check the surrounding situation.

After about half an hour, Lu Family Stockade was finally in sight.

Lu Yu let out a long breath and quickened his pace toward the Zhai.

When he arrived, he was surprised to find that many people were already waiting at the entrance. There were his father, mother, younger brother, as well as Wang Shu, Qin Hai, Li Yang, and even Ji Bingyu was there.

Everyone had a look of relief on their faces.

"Dad, what are you all doing?" Lu Yu said, unable to laugh or cry, "Didn't I say it would be fine?"

"We also just heard the bell and rushed over," Lu Guohao said with a guilty conscience.

In fact, ever since Lu Yu left, he had been restless and couldn't even concentrate on his martial arts practice.

Especially when it reached noon and Lu Yu still hadn't returned, he became even more worried.

As for his wife, she had been waiting here the whole time, looking forward with anxious eyes.

"Yes, yes, we just arrived as well."

"Brother Fan, you didn't run into any trouble on this trip, did you?" Li Yang and the others asked hurriedly.

"What kind of trouble could I run into at Zhou Family Fort?"

Lu Yu smiled and waved his hand, "Alright, everyone go back to practicing martial arts. If I go out alone again next time, don't be like this." As he spoke, he looked at Ji Bingyu not far away, only to see her with her head lowered, looking full of self-reproach.

The crowd dispersed one after another; before Wang Liang left, he looked at Lu Yu and nodded.

Lu Yu roughly understood his meaning; presumably, the wooden stakes had already been set up, and he could go over later to practice his Footwork.

He would certainly go, but before that, there were still some things that needed to be handled.

Returning home, Lu Yu put down the goods and unslung the bow and arrows from his body. After walking such a long way, his whole body was soaked with sweat.

"Xiao Yu, how did it go this time? Did you manage to find out any news?" Lu Guohao asked hurriedly.

"Mm, I found that person."

"!!!" Lu Guohao was startled, a look of joy appearing on his face, "Then what happened later? Does he know where we are from?" Geng Lian and his younger brother Lu Jun, who were on the side, also looked over nervously.

Lu Yu sighed softly and nodded, "He knows. Not only does he know, but he is also plotting to make a move against us in a while."

Lu Guohao's eyes widened instantly, and the expressions of the whole family became very grim.

"Don't worry, Dad." Lu Yu smiled slightly, "I have already figured out their plan, so they are destined not to succeed. Leave this matter to me."

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Lu Guohao asked tentatively.

Having Lu Yu do everything made him feel very uneasy inside.

Just like now, don't look at how lightly Lu Yu speaks of it; only Lu Yu himself knows the dangers involved.

"Dad, you have already done enough. Don't worry, I can solve this matter alone." As he spoke, he opened the bag and took out various seasonings and two large bags of Blood Rice.

He opened one of the bags and said, "Dad, Mom, what is in this bag is Blood Rice that costs three yuan per jin. I will take thirty jin in a while, and you can eat the rest. It's not that I'm reluctant to let you eat the ten-yuan-per-jin kind, but your current Constitution cannot meet the requirements yet."

"Xiao Yu, what are you saying?" Geng Lian was moved to tears, "Mom can just eat regular rice; you should keep this three-yuan-per-jin kind for yourself to eat."

"Ahem." Lu Guohao coughed lightly, "Since Xiao Yu said so, let's do as he says. Xiao Yu, don't worry, I will step up my martial arts practice and won't let your intentions go to waste."

Lu Yu gave his father a knowing smile; it was good that his father could understand his meaning.

He didn't expect his father and younger brother to become incredibly powerful; in this apocalypse, having some ability to protect themselves was enough.

Lu Yu found two bags and packed thirty jin of each of the two types of Blood Rice respectively.

He intended to send the three-yuan-per-jin kind to Ji Bingyu; the ten-yuan-per-jin kind was prepared for Wang Shu.

Both of these people were currently indispensable figures in the Zhai; the stronger they were, the more pressure they could help him share.

He first arrived at Ji Bingyu's residence. Seeing Lu Yu come over, Ji Bingyu appeared somewhat at a loss, standing there with her face full of guilt.

"I'm sorry, Lu Yu, I... I still couldn't predict what will happen in the Zhai in the future." As she spoke, she took a folded thousand-yuan bill out of her pocket, handed it to Lu Yu with both hands, and said stammeringly, "This money, you... you take it back, I... I wasn't able to help."

Lu Yu shook his head slightly, placed the heavy bag on the table, turned to look at her, and said, "What silly things are you saying? How can there be a reason to take back money that has already been given?"

"But, but..." Ji Bingyu's lips trembled slightly, not knowing what to say.

"You have no need to blame yourself at all; the Zhai isn't yours alone." Lu Yu comforted her, "I told you those things just because I wanted an extra layer of security. Fortunately, this trip out wasn't in vain; I already know who that person is."

"Really?" Ji Bingyu suddenly raised her head, a pair of dark, bright eyes flashing with light.

"Mm, that person doesn't know we are from that place; it was just us overthinking things." Lu Yu said with a smile.

He was not intentionally lying to deceive her; if he told the truth, it would probably just make her worry again.

As a man, one shouldn't let others worry for him.

"So that's how it is, that's great." Ji Bingyu cried tears of joy.

She had been trying hard to suggest to herself, hoping to have a dream of Future Prediction, but things went contrary to her wishes, and she hadn't had any such dreams at all.

She was also very anxious, but there was just nothing she could do.

"Mm, this bag contains Blood Rice; have you heard of it?"

"Blood Rice?" Ji Bingyu had a strong reaction; clearly, she had heard of it, so she hurriedly waved her hands.

"Lu Yu, you have already been very good to me; I cannot accept this Blood Rice, no matter what, I cannot accept it."

Lu Yu was somewhat helpless, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Ji Bingyu, actually, I am doing this not just for you, but also for everyone in the Zhai."

"Think about it, if your strength becomes stronger and you can control your ability freely, when we encounter danger in the future, won't everyone be able to turn danger into safety with the help of your ability?"

Ji Bingyu was stunned for a moment, and after thinking about it carefully, it seemed that this was indeed the logic.

But she immediately thought of something else, and with a face full of sorrow, she said, "Lu Yu, I also want to use my ability as I wish, but my Mental Power is too weak. The method for training Mental Power that my sister taught me—I have tried it many times, but I just can't seem to do it."

"What?" Lu Yu almost stood up from the stool, "You have a method to train Mental Power?"