Chapter 20 The Merchant’s Disguise
"Our plan is to disguise ourselves as traveling merchants selling miscellaneous goods. Then, through the Elves' open market, we can reach other places. Right now, we're approximately at this border area. The Bloodstained Inquisition and the Elves have already clashed several times. The most recent battle was less than 25 kilometers from our shelter." Lan Chi explained. He calculated the local unit of measurement and continued, "25 kilometers is about 250 li in your measurement system."
Nightshade nodded. "That's a feasible plan. We really do need to leave here quickly. The Bloodstained Cult is basically a cult. They have a lot of power, and others can't do much about them. Although they're targeted by several major kingdoms and many racial factions, they can't be eradicated. Outside, several entire countries fall under their sphere of influence."
He stared at the map for a while, then pointed to the junction of three boundaries. "We can go to this location. It should be relatively safe to operate around here."
He pointed to the upper left of this location on the map. "This is Dwarf territory. To the right is the Holy Empire. Down here might be more chaotic—it's Racial Alliance territory. The Racial Alliance is a mixed coalition made up of some weaker races. This would be a good place to hide our identities."
Nightshade picked up the charcoal pen from the table and drew a route on the wall. "I need to recover my strength now, and I also need to prepare some materials. Let's go to the Elves first to buy medicinal ingredients. I can brew a batch of recovery potions to sell. Then we'll follow this route to the Dwarf territory first. They have rare ores there that I need to forge weapons. After making the weapons, we'll plan our next move."
"Agreed." Lan Chi nodded, approving of Nightshade's plan. He waved to the hut. "Little Hut, bring out our products. Let Nightshade see which ones we can sell."
"Okay," the hut replied. The wall undulated for a moment, and several items were spat out. "Here, Little Hut brand longbow, Little Hut brand dagger, Little Hut brand wooden axe, and Little Hut brand utensils."
Nightshade looked at the wet items on the ground and felt thoroughly unsettled.
Lan Chi patted him on the shoulder and handed him a towel. "Don't complain. Little Hut made, guaranteed quality." Internally, he was laughing wildly. Finally, he wouldn't have to endure this alone!
Nightshade resignedly took the towel and wiped the slime off each item, then examined the quality of the weapons. He weighed them in his hands—the material was dense, the craftsmanship, though lacking in aesthetic appeal, was exceptionally solid. As Lan Chi had said, compared to ordinary wooden items on the market, the quality was indeed good.
"The quality of these items is good, but they won't sell for much, especially in Elf territory." Nightshade evaluated objectively. "Elves prefer exquisite items. If Little Hut could produce exquisite carved patterns, the price could double." These things wouldn't sell for much. He needed to figure out a way to brew a batch of potions instead.
"That's fine. We're just using this as a front anyway." Lan Chi waved his hand dismissively. "Come, let me show you something real. Little Hut, open the growing room."
"Okay," the hut replied. A crack opened in the wall, and a water-like door formed within it.
"Go in and take a look. There are good things in here." Lan Chi led the way in, with Nightshade following closely behind.
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Behind the door, the growing room had expanded from the original twenty square meters to one hundred square meters. It had become a miniature plant kingdom. From the ceiling hung clusters of strangely shaped fruits. On the ground, three long troughs were filled with various plants. The most abundant crop was the common food, Wheat Berry Fruit, with fruits a full size larger than those found outside.
Lan Chi pointed to the five-meter planting area at the front and introduced, "These few are mutated plants I created. Mutated Wheat Berry Fruit, Mutated Golden Thread Grass, Mutated Snake Bone Flower. The other areas are planted with normal plants. Some of these plants here are single specimens, so I didn't mutate them."
He shifted the topic and asked, "By the way, is your alchemy ability still intact? Take a look at these plants—can you use them to make potions or similar products?"
Nightshade examined them carefully and after a moment of thought said, "Apart from these few mutated plants whose properties are unclear, the others, though they are basic medicinal ingredients, lack key catalysts and several auxiliary materials. Here, I cannot produce finished potions."
"Oh, that's fine. As long as the materials are useful, it's not a waste to have collected them." Lan Chi shrugged indifferently. "Let me ask you something—can I learn alchemy? I want to become a professional."
Nightshade raised an eyebrow. He spread his hands and said, "I can teach you the basic knowledge. But in the trial ground, you cannot complete 'class transition' or 'advancement.' The necessary ritual materials and stable environment aren't available here. To become a true professional, you must leave here and go to the main world."
"Sigh, alright." Lan Chi was somewhat disappointed. He reached up, picked a mutated wild fruit hanging above, and handed it to Nightshade. "Oh, right, you haven't eaten yet. Try this mutated wild fruit."
Nightshade took the fruit and cautiously bit into it. The flesh was sweet, but the moment he swallowed, a gentle and vast life energy exploded within his withered body!
He stiffened slightly, and the remaining half of the fruit nearly slipped from his hand. "This energy...?!" He looked at Lan Chi in shock. "Ordinary wild fruits could never have such power! How did you..."
"Heh, not bad, right?" Lan Chi grinned proudly. "These things are hot commodities on the trading market. I only dare to sell them on the trading channel for now. I don't plan to trade them openly outside. Last time we sold scorpion-tailed bee honey, we almost got caught by those Bloodstained people."
He pointed to two large wooden barrels stacked nearby. "Mutated Wheat Berry Fruits. These are what I plan to use for trading. They grow relatively fast—ripe every three days. I've already stored two barrels of fruit. For a traveling merchant, I think these goods should be enough."
Nightshade took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and nodded. Lan Chi's preparations were more thorough and smarter than he had expected—keeping a low profile was the way to survive longer. "Agreed," he said in a low voice. "Let's proceed with this plan."
...
The next morning, the team began their final preparations.
Lan Chi and Nightshade walked out of the hut and stood in the clearing. A low sound came from within the hut. The wooden structure, originally rooted in the ground, slowly contracted and lifted. The walls folded and reassembled, the roof collapsed and transformed.
In just over ten minutes, a rustic wooden wagon appeared before them. Its appearance resembled the covered wagons from the Western frontier era, but it was at least half the size. The internal structure was compact and sturdy. The wheels were woven from tough vines, and the exterior of the carriage was covered with a large canopy made of tree fiber.
A spirited Flame Hoof stood in front of the wagon, impatiently striking the ground with its hooves, sending up tiny sparks.
Inside the carriage, several open wooden boxes neatly displayed "Little Hut brand" daggers and bows. Beside them sat the two barrels of mutated Wheat Berry Fruits. Everything appeared orderly.
"Ready." Lan Chi summoned the mutated scorpion-tailed bee leader that had been scouting the perimeter. "You lead the way up front. Avoid conflict zones and large creatures. The other four will spread out on the left, right, and rear of the wagon for alert. Report back immediately if anything happens."
The five scorpion-tailed bees vibrated their wings, emitting a low hum, then soared into the air and quickly took their positions.
Lan Chi exchanged a glance with Nightshade and boarded the wagon.
With a light whinny from the Flame Hoof, the wagon slowly started moving, rolling across the grassland toward the Elf market marked on the map.
