by Tai Baiyang
After all, merchants always flattered each other.
Zhang Mu didn't try to take the opportunity to cut the price, but said with a smile, "Boss Xue, don't be modest. I was introduced by one of my friends. I trust your craftsmanship.
Besides, handmade sword did not pursue appearances, but practicality. Although I don't need it to have high anti-personnel force in the modern world, it is a tradition. Personally, I admire you for keeping this craft faithfully."
After listening to Zhang Mu's words, Boss Xue's eyes brightened up. Zhang Mu's words directly hit his heart, making him feel like he suddenly met a bosom friend.
"Little brother, thank you for your comforting words. I feel much better now. Oh right, little brother, I forgot to ask your name."
"Zhang Mu. My name is Zhang Mu."
"Zhang Mu, Zhang Mu... good name!"
Boss Xue whispered, then made a hearty laugh, "Brother Zhang, let's get straight to the point. What kind of sword do you want? A ready-made sword or a tailor-made sword? If you want me to tailor a sword for you, I don't have any orders now, so I only need three days to make it for you."
Zhang Mu frowned, "Three days... I'm in a hurry, so I can't wait that long. Please sell me a ready-made sword."
"Ok. Come with me," Xue Liang turned around and walked to the back room. Zhang Mu immediately followed him.
Chapter 3: Tailored Tang Sword
After walking into the back room, Zhang Mu saw Xue Liang holding a metal handle on the ground. When the handle was lifted, it revealed a deep hole with a wooden ladder. He didn't hesitate and climbed into the hole. Zhang Mu followed him down.
It was a basement. As the wind blew from inside the hole, an incandescent lamp swayed in the room, emitting a dazzling light. After a while, Zhang Mu’s eyes adapted to the light and barely managed to open them.
The basement wasn’t big. He could see everything with a glance. There was a very conspicuous work table in the middle that occupied most of the space in the room. It was cluttered with a variety of semi-finished products and tools.
Zhang Mu looked up and saw various knives and swords hanging on the wall.
Zhang Mu was speechless. He quietly looked around and spotted dozens of straw rice bags and other heaps of food in the deepest corner.
So this was how Xue Liang had survived through the most difficult time after the catastrophe. When it happened, many people had starved to death in their rooms because they were too scared to leave their houses.
Xue Liang showed a confident smile on his mouth after he saw the surprise on Zhang Mu's face. In this room, he was the king of his territory.
His degenerate look disappeared, speaking to Zhang Mu with a smile, "Brother Zhang, which knife or sword do you like? They are not tailor-made tools, so maybe you will feel a little uncomfortable using them. Anyway, you don't look like an expert in the use of the knife. In that case, it should not be a problem to you."
Zhang Mu looked around but didn't find a suitable one. Finally, he moved his eyes to a long sword hanging in a corner of the wall.
The sword blade was slim and narrow and had a sharp tip. The most important thing was that it was about 1.2 m long with a cold light flashing through its blade.
Zhang Mu felt an itch in his heart. He pointed at the sword and immediately said, "This one. I want this lengthened Tang sword."
However, Xue Liang showed an embarrassed look on his face.
"Well, Brother Zhang, you have a pair of sharp eyes. This Tang sword is indeed one of the best weapons I have made. However, it was customized for someone else. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been twenty centimetres longer than your average Tang sword. It has been edged according to that person's habit. It isn't right for you. Not that I'm unwilling to sell it to you, however, it has been put in the corner of the basement for half a year, for that person only paid me two thousand RMB for the deposit and never came here after that. You should listen to my advice. It's too long. You won't feel comfortable when using it."
Zhang Mu knew that Xue Liang's words were sincere, and he was slightly touched in his heart. However, he still waved his hand and said, "Since the person had breached his promise, it's better to sell it to me than to just putting it there. Besides, it has been edged. That saves me a lot of time."
Xue Liang didn't know what this young man was thinking. From the way Zhang Mu's spoke, he knew that he wasn't a layman. However, why didn't he know this general knowledge of the sword?
"I honestly think that you should think it over."
"No, thanks. How much is this sword? Tell me the price and I will buy it."
Xue Liang knew that Zhang Mu had made his decision and wasn't ready to change it.
He told him the price, "Since it isn’t a reserved sword anymore and it's really been pleasant talking with you, I can consider this earnest request of yours. Give me two thousand and five RMB and it will be yours."
Two thousand and five RMB. That sure was a cheap price. In other cases, he wouldn’t be able to buy it at that price.
Zhang Mu was glad about his luck. The 3000 RMB was just enough. He appreciated the unlucky man whose money was just stolen by him.
Even though Zhang Mu's instinct as a merchant was wriggling in his heart, he still didn't negotiate the price. He knew the meaning of "enough is enough". He couldn't take the risk of breaking their friendship which they just built. Besides, if Xue Liang was annoyed due to that and refused to sell him the sword, that would be his loss.
Zhang Mu immediately gave Xue Liang the money.
"Very well. You're big-hearted. Little brother, the sword belongs to you now. As for me, I will go to write a receipt for you."
Zhang Mu smiled and waved his hand.
"No, thanks. I don't need any receipt."
He walked to the wall and took the Tang sword, holding it in his hands.
He gently stroked the cold blade. For the first time after returning to the past, his heart felt at ease.
"Well, since you don't need me to write the receipt... I can return you a hundred RMB."
Xue Liang felt strange in his heart, but he didn't think too much. He gave Zhang Mu a hundred RMB.
Zhang Mu didn't refuse him. He did need the money right now.
Zhang Mu wanted to check the Tang sword more carefully but suddenly saw the clock on the wall. He frowned, then sheathed the sword and held it in his hand.
"Boss Xue, I have something else planned. Goodbye!"
After that, Zhang Mu hurriedly climbed up the ladder and ran out of the shop.
Before Xue Liang realized it, Zhang Mu had run away. This big guy stood at the same spot and whispered, "Well, Brother Zhang is really... unusual."
After leaving the alley, Zhang Mu ran holding the long sword in his hand. He ignored other people's surprised eyes and ran into a second-hand market.
The second-hand market was pretty famous in the people who were in the bottom of the society of Luo Yang City.
Although the stuff sold here were second-hand goods, most of them were authentic. Besides, they were really cheap. Zhang Mu searched his pocket and only found six hundred RMB. He must spend them it carefully.
Zhang Mu had a deep impression of this place. Although it was just an unremarkable place now, in the future, due to the practical goods and the several grain stores in the market, it was quite the treasure in the eyes of the several forces in Luo Yang City.
Chapter 4: Bloody Massacre
Zhang Mu strolled around the streets and bought a lot of things. He walked to a secluded place and checked the quartz watch he just bought from a second-hand watch shop.
The watch was old fashioned, but also very cheap. Besides, it looked very durable. After bargaining with the shopkeeper, he only spent 100 RMB to buy it.
"19: 34. There are about half an hour and two minutes left. There is still time. I have bought fifteen packets of compressed biscuits, five bottles of mineral water, twenty ham sausages, two candles and two lighters. If I don't waste them, they are e
nough for three days."
Zhang Mu also bought a pair of comfortable sports shoes, a lot of cheap clothes, and a king-size backpack. They had almost cost him all his money.
The pair of shoes was the most expensive item he had bought, but it was well-spent. He didn't mind if the food tasted bad, but he couldn't take the risk of hurting his feet. If he couldn't run fast enough, he may die before he fulfilled his ambitions.
Zhang Mu felt a little accomplished as he looked at the filled backpack.
Although time was running out, in order to keep himself in good condition, Zhang Mu sat against the wall to take a rest.
After ten minutes, Zhang Mu's strength slightly recovered. He stood up and stored the sheathed part of the Tang sword into the backpack. Only the sword handle was exposed.
He ran about wildly and finally came to the last station of his shopping spree: a small food market.
It was about the closing time. Many shopkeepers had begun to clean their shops. Zhang Mu ran into the market. After ten minutes, he had a black rubbish bag in his hand, walking out of the market with satisfaction in his heart.
Zhang Mu lowered his head and looked at the watch again. There was still fifteen minutes. He let out a solid breath and his facial expression gradually returned to normal.
After knowing that there was still time, he slowly walked to his last destination: The People’s Square.
Zhang Mu passed by the crowd and directly walked to the top of a small hill. He shook his shoulders and flung off the heavy backpack. Leaning against a big, old locust tree, he directly sat down on the lawn.
He stayed there quietly with a stalk of grass dangling from his mouth, gazing at the crowd passing through the busy road and the setting sun. Zhang Mu understood that there were only five minutes left of peace, but now, his heart had completely calmed down.
He had done everything he could do, and now, he only needed to wait for the cataclysm's arrival.
"Zi... Zi... Zi..."
The quartz watch on his hand started to vibrate. Time was up.
Zhang Mu's pupils contracted. He instantly raised his head, gazing at the sky which had suddenly changed.
As he had expected, it started at the same time. A clearly visible wave suddenly appeared in the sky and spread towards every directions.
The wave meant... the evolution was staring!
"Ding!"
After hearing the strange, but familiar sound, Zhang Mu's blood was boiling with enthusiasm.
While the wave swept through the whole planet, Zhang Mu froze, as well as the crowd on the streets. They still kept their postures of the previous second. In front of Zhang Mu's eyes, a bird was opening its wings, keeping its pose of flying to the sky.
Time seemed to have stopped at this moment.
As the wave swept through Zhang Mu's body, he smiled bitterly in his heart.
He didn't feel any change happening to his body. He didn't feel the feeling of which the evolvers had told him in his past life.
It looks like I expected too much. It seems that I have to keep going in the direction of my old career.
After half a year in cataclysm, people finally knew that the wave was the turning point of evolution. The people who had potential would feel that their souls were burning at this moment.
Although Zhang Mu felt a little depressed, he quickly adjusted his mentality and waited for the next thing that he knew would happen.
Three seconds later, the cold, mechanical voice appeared in everyone's brain, shaking their souls just like what Zhang Mu had expected.
"Testing Field Number Forty-Seven opens. For the next three days, it's the debugging period of the new testing field. The danger coefficient is raised to three times more dangerous than normal. The code of the new era: Paradise."
The mechanical voice paused for a while, then suddenly changed its tone, becoming a little sarcastic.
"Ten seconds later, we will start to randomly select the first guinea pigs. We don't need people who have bad luck. Remember, don't leave your houses during the debugging time... Although I don't think that any of you will have this idea. Ha ha ha ha..."
With the creepy laugh, the crowd found that they could control their bodies again. Unlike the people who looked at each other with disbelief, fear, and shock, Zhang Mu's eyes were only filled with sadness.
He wasn't any better than these people when he first experienced this scene. After all, it was too shocking to suddenly lose control of your own body and hear an unknown voice in your brain.
However, this was his second experience.
"Guinea pigs", "Testing Field Number Forty-Seven", and "Debugging time". These words banged on Zhang Mu's heart like hammers.
In his past life, he, fortunately, became the last Era Merchant in Luoyang City. He struggled for his life working under other people and survived for ten years by relying on his discretion and his large networking.
However, when "Paradise" came to its end, the people who were thousands of times stronger than him were also as weak as an ant in the storm.
Could it be their fate to be shoved about by "that presence"?
That thing... it wasn't something he could obtain now, but it must be a bug of the system.
I will show you that I, Zhang Mu, won't be your guinea pig again!
Finally, Zhang Mu overcame his anger and calmed down.
This time, a girl suddenly screamed loud in the crowd as if she saw the most horrible thing in the world.
People looked back and looked at the girl in green. She covered her mouth with both hands and her legs were shaking. Her bags had dropped on the ground and the vegetables she just bought scattered all around the ground.
A middle-aged man who was cursing about the whole event suddenly pounced on a slender teenager. The man's face looked very ferocious with blood red veins spreading on his skin.
The middle-aged man held the teenager to the ground and his teeth sunk into the teenager's neck, tearing off his flesh one piece after another.
The teenager's aorta had ruptured and his eyes were opened wide. Obviously, he had died. His blood stained the middle-aged man's shirt red, but he didn't mind it at all and bit at the teenager's flesh ferociously.
No, it wasn't biting. It was eating.
The man heard the girl in green's scream. He, or it, looked back at the girl with his vicious eyes, terrifying her out of her wits and made her collapse to the ground. The middle-aged man seemed to be reluctant to give up the flesh in his mouth. He turned back and bit the corpse again.
However, people found that they didn't have time to pay attention to her because the same scene was happening everywhere. About 30% of the people had become bloodthirsty monsters and attacked the ones around them.
"Run!"
Someone suddenly shouted and that woke up the crowd. They didn't care how many people were blocking in front of them or how many had been attacked. They just scrambled for their lives without a care for others.
The new era announced its coming with blood and death.
Chapter 5: Let the Plan Begin
Zhang Mu gazed at the crowd in silence. He had seen too many similar things happening in the future and he knew that this was just the beginning. If it wasn't because these lower level zombie only focused on the preys they had caught, none of these people would be able to escape alive.
Zhang Mu remembered the mechanical voice's last words with a contemptuous look.
The so-called debugging period was his best opportunity to strengthen himself, he won't just let it go. However, it was indeed very dangerous.
After the new era started, every big city would have an era merchant. The first five people who traded with the era merchant in their city became his sub-merchant and helped the merchant trade with other cities.
In Zhang Mu's past life, because he was too hungry and found that the zombie suddenly became sluggish after three days, he had run out of his hiding place.
Fortunately, he came to the People's Square
and saw the mysterious era merchant. That meeting eventually changed his whole life. Even though he was just an ordinary person who didn't have any potential to evolve, he still survived ten years into the future.
At that time, Zhang Mu used five first-rank zombies' crystals to trade with the era merchant. After that, he became the last sub-merchant of Luo Yang city.
However, after a year, he finally understood what he had missed when he chatted with other sub-merchants.
To be the first sub-merchant, one had to make the first transaction and to trade with an era merchant during the debugging period. Every point he had missed had diminished his chances of becoming one of the top sub-merchants.
Zhang Mu licked his chapped lips, slowly drawing out his tailored Tang sword, then putting the sheath and the backpack on the ground.
His right hand held the Tang sword and his left hand carried the black rubbish bag. He nimbly walked to the square.
At this time, body parts were strewed all over the square and blood stained the originally white ground red.
Although Zhang Mu had rich experience, he didn't dare to let down his guard. After all, his current body was weak. Right now, he was just a thief who was forced to train his hands by his master. He knew that his body was nimble, but if he were to be surrounded by these zombies, there wouldn't be any chance for him to survive.
Zhang Mu had made a plan in his heart. He lowered his body and observed the zombies on the square, searching for the appropriate targets.
Got it. That zombie looks suitable.
It was a female zombie who once was a young, slender girl. However, it’s eating speed wasn't inferior to other zombies. Zhang Mu saw that she had almost hollowed out the male corpse under her and was still tirelessly putting bloody flesh into its mouth with her sharp claws.
Compared to other zombies, this female zombie should be the weakest one. After all, a zombie's abilities were based on their original physical qualities. This zombie was a very thin girl and she was wearing a pair of high-heeled shoes. It shouldn't be difficult to kill.
