Infinite Nightmares

As Zhang Wenda squatted down, the contents of the Qi Gong Books were laid out before him.

Crane Soaring Qi Gong: By imitating the movements of a crane, one could trigger Spontaneous Cultivation. The practitioner’s limbs would begin to move uncontrollably, unleashing their power to achieve a Spirit Communication effect.

Copper Bell Skill: Named for its stance resembling a copper bell. Practitioners could achieve Pushing People Through Columns or generate External Qi.

Chinese Dragon Divine Skill: One could mobilize Cosmic Energy through Dragon Form movements to treat difficult and complicated illnesses.

At first, Zhang Wenda read them very seriously. But when some heaven-defying Qi Gong techniques appeared, the vibe started to feel off: Yijinjing, Nine Yang Inner Power, Nine Yin White Bone Claw.

Seeing all this, Zhang Wenda’s outstretched hand pulled back. He glanced at the glum Lamp God next to him and couldn’t help but wonder, ’In a place like this, is the Lamp God the only con artist around?’

Just as Zhang Wenda was thinking this, a twitchy person sidled up to him and whispered, "I am Emperor Qin. I am Emperor Qin."

"And I’m your daddy!"

The appearance of this man undoubtedly confirmed his suspicions. Zhang Wenda shooed him away and dragged the Lamp God over again.

"Are you kidding me? I only want the real deal. Some of this stuff has to be fake."

The Lamp God’s eyes widened. "Damn, you’re asking *me* about this? How should I know?"

"Aren’t you a con artist? Don’t you have some kind of psychic connection with your peers? Like, you can easily spot one of your own."

"Nope." The Lamp God shook his head repeatedly.

Just then, the aunty who was massaging Song Jianguo’s shoulders commented distractedly, "Don’t forget, you also have to screen for computer viruses. Even if it’s the real thing, you’ll be in big trouble if it’s infected."

Hearing this, Zhang Wenda couldn’t help but frown. ’Even after finding the right place, there are still so many problems.’

After thinking it over, Zhang Wenda decided his best bet was still the Lamp God. ’The guy lives here. He must know something.’

He stood on his tiptoes and patted the Lamp God on the shoulder. "Buddy, I’m really not trying to mess with you. How about this, let’s make a deal? I know you’re a local, you must have a way."

"What do you want now? I brought you here, we’ve looked around. Can’t you just let me go?"

"Not so fast. How about this: if you help me find something I’m satisfied with—or even just point me in the right direction—I can bring myself to part with this treasure and give it to you." As he spoke, Zhang Wenda pulled out the flattened cup and waved it in front of the Lamp God’s face.

"That was mine to begin with! You little thief!"

Dodging the other’s hand, Zhang Wenda stuffed the cup back into his pocket. "Let’s be clear. You scammed me, so I robbed you. Think about it. I don’t need you to pay for anything, just help me find a reliable place."

The Lamp God hesitated upon hearing this. After all, he had spent a lot of money on that item. If it was taken from him, he’d lose a business that cost him nothing to run.

After thinking for a moment, the Lamp God spoke again. "So, how much money did you bring?"

Zhang Wenda took out the small bills and coins from his pocket and counted them. "A total of four yuan and eight jiao."

The Lamp God was about to lose his mind. "Are you kidding me? Friend? That’s next to nothing! What the hell can you buy with that!"

"Relax. I have money coming in every day. Just help me find an ’in’ first, and I’ll figure out the money part myself."

Hearing this, the Lamp God reluctantly agreed and began to lead them forward.

They had only taken a few steps when Zhang Wenda quickly hid behind the aunty. Song Jianguo, curious, followed his gaze and saw a purple rabbit with red eyes looking around as it walked toward them.

"Haozi, look! A rabbit! Such a big rabbit!" Song Jianguo’s eyes lit up when he saw the rabbit, and he almost started drooling.

"Cut the crap and help me hide from it!" Zhang Wenda wasn’t sure if Teacher Rabbit was here looking for him, but at this critical moment, he didn’t want any more complications.

With the help of the enamel mug, Zhang Wenda shrank down and easily slipped past the rabbit without being noticed.

When Zhang Wenda climbed out of the enamel mug, a three-story house built from dog fur appeared before him.

When Zhang Wenda walked inside, he saw a tall counter draped with a thick, black cloth. It looked much more high-class than the goods sold at the street stalls outside. The only strange thing was the large onion sitting in the center of the room.

"What do you want?" a deep male voice asked from behind the curtain.

Hearing the man get straight to the point, Zhang Wenda immediately stated his purpose as well.

After listening to Zhang Wenda, the person behind the black curtain fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "We have both Superpowers and Qi Gong. But first, tell me what you need to boost your strength against. I need to see what would be a good fit for you."

"A humanoid monster that looks to be twice my height. It’s extremely fast, and its weapon is incredibly sharp. Oh, and it’s in the adult world, not the children’s world. Something that can defeat it or kill it is fine. Just one time is all I need."

This time, the person was silent for much longer. Just as Zhang Wenda thought he was about to be rejected, the man spoke. "Possible. We have something. And you don’t need ration tickets to buy things here."

Hearing this, Zhang Wenda was instantly delighted. "How much does it cost?"

’As long as it has a price, all I have to do is earn the money.’ As someone with experience, he was confident.

"It doesn’t cost money. Do you have any foreign exchange certificates?"

A blank look appeared on Zhang Wenda’s face at this unfamiliar term. "What are foreign exchange certificates?"

"You don’t have any? That’s fine too. In that case, we’ll need you to trade something for it."

"What kind of thing? Red Mercury?" Zhang Wenda remembered the incredibly valuable substance someone had mentioned before.

"No. Oil Bab. If you can manage to get three drops of Oil Bab, I can give you a sufficient quantity of Blue Cores."

Hearing this, Zhang Wenda’s expression grew solemn. His right hand pressed against the Red Core and Yellow Core on his arm.

After a moment of thought, Zhang Wenda quickly asked, "Have you seen things like mine before? Where do they come from? And what are Blue Cores?"

"I only sell physical goods here, not information." After saying this, the person fell completely silent.

No matter how many questions Zhang Wenda asked, he didn’t say another word.

A few minutes later, a preoccupied Zhang Wenda walked out of the house, his mind consumed with what had just happened.

’He knows I have these? Do other people have them too?’

’Why did he say he’d give me a "sufficient quantity" of Blue Cores? Can Blue Cores easily deal with the scythe monster? Besides red, yellow, and blue, are there other cores?’

Just as he was hesitating, wondering if he should go back and spend money to buy information first, a familiar figure appeared before him.

The big ears, the red eyes, and that cleft lip—who else could it be but Teacher Rabbit from the Youth Palace?

The rabbit looked down at Zhang Wenda and said slowly, "Did no one ever tell you that a rabbit’s nose is also very sensitive?"