Zhang Ping had just seen three knives, with each one more expensive than the last.

The price of the Nine-Ring Phantom Axe was 500,000 Mingzhu Coins!

The Ghost Scythe was priced at 600,000.

The final one, the 'Chill Maiden's Featherblade,' was priced at 2 million.

Mingzhu City had a huge wealth gap, and Zhang Ping wasn’t clear about the income of Awakener’s here.

But based on his investigations over the past few days, he learned that an ordinary farmer in Mingzhu City made about 3,000 Mingzhu Coins a year, which meant that to buy the 'Chill Maiden's Featherblade,' he’d have to go without food and water for over 666 years.

It’s so expensive.

Zhang Ping couldn’t help but sigh in his heart. Though he knew that such superpowered equipment would be costly, he hadn’t expected it to be that expensive.

“Old man, do you have any cheaper weapons?” Zhang Ping turned around and, noticing that the cheapest weapon still cost over 10,000 Mingzhu Coins, he walked over to the elderly man and asked softly.

The old man took a puff from his pipe, and after about a minute and a half, he finally looked at Zhang Ping and slowly said, “What did you say?”

“Old man, I was asking if there are any cheaper weapons?” Zhang Ping had no choice but to ask again.

The old man stared at Zhang Ping, his response delayed by a beat, before he muttered in a completely unrelated manner, “My son is waiting for me to have dinner.”

“...”

Zhang Ping was speechless.

No wonder the customers earlier had left empty-handed.

Just then, a burly middle-aged man rushed into the shop.

He appeared to be over thirty, dressed in ragged camouflage, his inverted triangle-shaped body making his arms thicker than Zhang Ping’s thighs. He carried a rough, dark sword on his back, clearly an experienced old-school Adventurer.

“Sorry, this shop isn’t selling anything right now,” he said, placing the weapon in the corner and stepping towards Zhang Ping.

The old man, seeing the middle-aged man, grumbled, “Snotty Qiang, where did you take Dashan this time? Where is he?”

“Uncle Liu, why are you opening the shop again? Didn’t I tell you to wait at home? I’ll find Dashan soon,” the man named 'Snotty Qiang' smiled bitterly.

The old man knocked Snotty Qiang on the head with his long pipe, exasperated, “All you do is mess around all day. Hurry up and call Dashan home for dinner.”

“Alright, Uncle Liu, I’ll get Dashan home for dinner right away. We’ll close up and go upstairs now,” Snotty Qiang immediately agreed.

The old man knocked Snotty Qiang’s head again, displeased, “I’ll stay here. What if an old customer comes by and can’t find me?”

“Alright, alright, we’ll stay here and not go anywhere,” Snotty Qiang smiled wryly.

He was an experienced Adventurer with a four-person team under him. Over the past ten years, he had saved up quite a bit, and not going on missions for a few months wouldn’t affect his livelihood.

But his team members were all living paycheck to paycheck. Once they stopped taking missions, they struggled to make ends meet.

However, Uncle Liu was like a father to him. Ever since his son, Dashan, had gone missing, Uncle Liu’s mental state had worsened day by day, and he couldn’t leave him alone in this condition.

At that moment, he noticed Zhang Ping, who was about to leave, and his eyes lit up. An idea suddenly struck him.

There was a clear difference in temperament between students and working adults.

Anyone capable of joining the Three Major Organizations would never come here to buy weapons, and those who chose to become farmers wouldn’t either. So, could this student be looking to become an Adventurer?

“Little buddy, wait a minute.” He thought for a moment and called out to Zhang Ping.

Zhang Ping turned around to see Snotty Qiang approaching and asked, “Is there something you need?”

“Let’s talk,” Snotty Qiang said with a friendly smile.

Zhang Ping hesitated for a moment but, seeing no ill intent from Snotty Qiang, nodded in agreement.

The two of them stepped outside the shop. Snotty Qiang instinctively reached into his pocket and offered Zhang Ping a cigarette. Zhang Ping waved his hand, signaling that he didn’t smoke.

“Little buddy, you must be about to graduate, right?” Snotty Qiang realized and hung the cigarette behind his ear before asking.

Zhang Ping nodded and said, “Almost.”

“Do you have any thoughts on becoming a blacksmith?” Snotty Qiang asked cautiously.

Zhang Ping, recalling the somewhat absent-minded old man, immediately understood Snotty Qiang’s intentions and responded accordingly, “It’s better than being a farmer.”

“That’s right, better than being a farmer.” Snotty Qiang nodded eagerly.

It is not that they look down upon the farmers in Mingzhu city, but their lifestyle was quite different from the farmers of Zhang Ping’s past life.

Although Zhang Ping had joked with Su Jingyao about going back to farming, he knew that being a farmer wasn’t just about planting crops. During the off-season, there were many other tasks that needed to be done. For example, Mingzhu city didn’t have a proper sewage system, nor could it afford one. Therefore, special farmers were hired to handle human waste and household garbage. Additionally, they were responsible for road repairs, patching up city walls, and raising livestock—all requiring cooperation with Awakeners.

In Zhang Ping’s eyes, Mingzhu city’s farmers were more like the workers in real-time strategy games, doing everything except fighting.

“Brother, are you saying...” Zhang Ping looked toward Iron Soul and then turned his searching gaze to Snotty Qiang.

Seeing that Zhang Ping had caught on, Snotty Qiang became more open. “I won’t hide it from you. That old man is my uncle, closer than a father. His son, Dashan, went missing a while ago, and now Uncle Liu’s mind isn’t as sharp as it used to be. I’m looking for someone to help take care of him and also watch the shop. Of course, when I have time, I’ll come by and teach some blacksmithing. I can’t promise much, but at least I can guarantee you’ll learn the trade. What do you think?”

“Meals and accommodation included?” Zhang Ping asked, his curiosity piqued.

Snotty Qiang nodded. “Not only that, but there’s also a monthly salary of 100 Mingzhu coins!”

“I’ll think about it and give you an answer tomorrow. Is that okay?” Zhang Ping was tempted, but there was still some doubt lingering in his mind. Could Dashan have been eaten by the Skyborn Fox?

At school, ‘Luo Shiyu’ only ate girls, and the Skyborn Fox disguised as a teacher was rarely seen, so the boys at school were actually safer than outside the campus. However, the unsettling feeling after the morning inspection of the dormitory made Zhang Ping feel uncomfortable.

“Alright, take your time to think it over. By the way, I know you came in to find a decent weapon, right? Consider this a favor between us. The atmosphere in the city is getting strange lately, so stay alert.” Snotty Qiang handed Zhang Ping a dagger, then turned and left.

After parting with Snotty Qiang, Zhang Ping walked out of Iron Soul, his mind still dwelling on whether to accept the offer. His eyes naturally fell on the dagger. The blade was sheathed in fishskin leather, and he couldn’t resist drawing it out. To his surprise, the material of the dagger was exactly like the ‘Chill Maiden's Featherblade.’ The blade was translucent white, faintly emanating a chilling aura.

Good grief.

This was quite a generous gift.

Maybe... I should just accept the offer?

Although the school was relatively safe, nothing could be taken for granted.

Zhang Ping didn’t want to risk putting his life in the hands of the chaotic mind of a wild beast. What if ‘Luo Shiyu’ decided to change things up and try a different flavor?

At that moment, Zhang Ping decided he would accept Snotty Qiang’s offer tomorrow.

While walking, Zhang Ping found it hard to stop admiring the dagger. Since it looked like a part of the ‘Chill Maiden's Featherblade,’ he decided to name it ‘Beauty Tear.’ Unfortunately, Mingzhu Ability Academy didn’t teach dagger techniques; their weapon classes only covered swords, knives, and bows—other weapons weren’t part of the curriculum. Luckily, some of the knife techniques could be adapted for use with a dagger.

As Zhang Ping walked back, he mentally visualized combat scenarios using ‘Beauty Tear.’ When he passed by a park, he suddenly spotted a one-meter-tall Skyborn Fox cub sitting on a swing!

【Identification Complete】

【Mutated Beast：Skyborn Fox】

【Race：Mutated Fox】

【Potential：⭐⭐⭐⭐】

【Lifespan：53】

【Level：Beginner Level Mutated Beast】

【Grade：3】

【Talent】

【Cognitive Distortion: You have the ability to twist the biological cognition of others, altering their perceptions.】

【Common Sense Disruption: When performing abnormal actions, you can forcibly break the target’s common sense, making them unable to detect the anomaly.】

This was a rather weak cub.

Zhang Ping walked forward slowly, a sense of restlessness growing inside him.

Evidence!

This Skyborn Fox was the best evidence.

If he killed the Skyborn Fox and sent its body to the Investigation Unit, perhaps things could take a turn for the better.

The Investigation Unit was different from the Patrol Squad. The Patrol Squad had thirteen teams, but the team leaders all directly followed the orders of the Squad Commander. On the other hand, the Investigation Unit was centered around its captain, and many teams were not even stationed in Mingzhu city. This meant that some teams had likely not been infiltrated by the Skyborn Fox.

Once the Investigation Unit received the Skyborn Fox's body, they would definitely be able to deduce the current situation in Mingzhu city. There might be a chance to save the city.

“Just do it!”

The more Zhang Ping thought about it, the more tempted he became.

He couldn’t bear to live in a world where girls were killed in the cafeteria every few days, or where he saw Skyborn Foxes eating people on the streets. Worst of all, he had to pretend he didn’t see anything.

He turned and walked back, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of the dagger.

The reason he had decided to take action was partly because he had just received Beauty Tear. Without the dagger in his hand, he might not have had the courage to act.

This was what they called “armed with a weapon, the desire to kill arises.”

However, just as he reached the corner of the park, a hand landed on his shoulder. Before he could react, a woman’s voice whispered in his ear, “Don’t move.”

He immediately felt a chill run down his spine.

Ice!

The person was an Awakener who controlled the ice element.

Zhang Ping’s previously restless mind quickly calmed down. First, the person wasn’t a Skyborn Fox, and second, he didn’t feel any murderous intent.

“Don’t turn around, don’t speak. Take this, and leave here.” The woman spoke calmly, slipping a note into Zhang Ping’s hand.

Suddenly, the chill behind him vanished.

He didn’t look back, but pretended to have lost something. After searching for a moment, he simply left the area.

“That woman’s level is probably much higher than mine, or she wouldn’t have noticed me.” He speculated on his way back.

It was nighttime, and with his Night Walker talent and the Assassin Ring, there were very few who could detect him. The fact that the woman had been able to lock onto him meant she must have been much stronger.

Of course, it was also possible that she had a teammate with a “perception” ability who had given her a tip-off.

Regardless of the possibility, it seemed highly likely that she had detected the Skyborn Fox’s infiltration.

“Could she or they be hiring someone to kill beasts?” Zhang Ping wondered to himself, not in a hurry to read the note left by the woman. He went back to his dorm and decided to rest.

The next day, at 4 AM.

Zhang Ping opened his eyes, got out of bed quietly, and walked into the bathroom, sitting down on the toilet lid.

He took out the note from his pocket and slowly unfolded it.

The note read: “23, Marts Lia, Be Skirt.”

Zhang Ping frowned. After a moment, he figured it out. Today was the 19th, which meant the 23rd was in four days.

So, the woman was asking him to meet at a store called “Marts Lia” to discuss something? But the problem was, where was Marts Lia?

Zhang Ping pondered, his head starting to ache.

He understood that this code was likely to protect against the Skyborn Fox. If he fell into their hands, the note’s information wouldn’t lead back to her.

If he thought about it this way, then Marts Lia must be a place that the Skyborn Fox wouldn’t understand.

The Skyborn Fox was intelligent. It could think and even disguise itself, but a Mutated Beast was still a Mutated Beast, and its way of thinking must be different.

The issue was, Zhang Ping hadn’t been in this world for long, and even though he had the memories of the original owner, he still couldn’t figure out what “Marts Lia” and “Be Skirt” meant.