Li Ba, a graduate of Huaxia Agricultural University, was the sales manager at a well-known seed company in Wucheng before the apocalypse. When the apocalypse struck and order collapsed, the naturally timid Li Ba faced life-and-death situations and managed to scrape by and survive. By chance, he set aside the rules of post-apocalyptic survival to save a grandfather and his granddaughter, and in return, he received a magical bracelet. The bracelet contained a universe within—a plot of land, a stone trough brimming with spring water, and a Tower—all of which opened up a mysterious realm for him. What to do when food runs out? “My Fengshou Group has mountains of grain—I’ll trade it for crystal cores and jade!” Li Ba declared arrogantly. What to do when zombies attack the city? “The mutated plants cultivated by ‘Lord Ba’ can withstand a tide of a million zombies!” Li Ba said with absolute confidence. What if you’re not an Evolver and someone challenges you to a one-on-one duel? “I’ve got talismanic soldiers guarding me. Anyone who dares challenge me will get beaten so badly, even their own mother won’t recognize them!” said Li Ba, his bald head revealing a menacing expression as he spoke viciously. Using the mysterious space and his expertise, Li Ba cultivated crops and tended fields, determined to become a major farmer in the world of *Horse Herding* and pursue a happy life in the post-apocalyptic world.
Chapter 16: The
Gun Clan The transaction concluded to everyone’s satisfaction. Elder Xue personally escorted Li Ba to the door. When they reached the front hall and shop area, Li Ba stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed on the ****** displayed in the showcase. With nearly six thousand jin of grain coupons in his pocket, it was time to realize his dream of becoming a “Family with Guns”! “Brother Li, if you see anything you like, just say the word. I’ll make the call—I’ll give you a discount, 30% off everything!” Old Master Xue, a shrewd old fox, instantly saw through Li Ba’s thoughts and said with a chuckle. Li Ba didn’t beat around the bush. He pulled a rifle straight out of the display case, gave it a test-fire, and was quite satisfied. “How much is this rifle?” “You have a keen eye.” Xue Xiaoquan stepped forward a half-step, beaming as he explained, “This is a Hankou-made ******. Unlike ordinary hunting rifles, it’s a five-shot repeater with a long range and much greater firepower.” “San’er, Brother Li knows a good deal when he sees one. Why go on and on? Just cut to the chase and give him a price!” Old Master Xue said with a chuckle. The old man was full of vigor and vitality, and his manner was as straightforward as ever. “The market price is two hundred jin of grain per rifle. If you want it, Brother Li, as Grandpa said, I’ll give you a 30% discount—take it for 140 jin of grain coupons!” Xue Xiaoquan said readily. Li Ba nodded. This gun was exquisitely crafted—unlike the junk sold in other shops on the market; you’d know it the moment you held it. A single reload yielded five consecutive shots—something an ordinary shotgun simply couldn’t achieve. “How many jin of grain coupons per round?” “If you want them, Brother Li… three jin of grain coupons per round. That’s already the rock-bottom price—any cheaper and we’d be losing money!” “Alright! I’ll take the gun, and add a hundred rounds of ammunition.” Li Ba readily pulled out 440 jin of grain coupons. Xue Xiaoquan took them and immediately sent someone to fetch the ammunition. Since Li Ba’s order was substantial, it had to be retrieved from the warehouse. “Brother Li, while this damn thing packs quite a punch, when it comes to dealing with zombies, bladed weapons are still the most effective.” While waiting for the ammunition, Old Man Xue struck up a casual conversation with Li Ba. “I’m sure you know, Brother Li, that zombies have poor eyesight but incredibly keen hearing—they’re especially sensitive to loud noises. If you run into a zombie out in the wild and fire a gun recklessly, you might attract even more zombies… Unless you have overwhelming firepower, it’s generally best to avoid firing unless absolutely necessary.” At this point, Grandpa Xue took a spear from the display case. The spear was nearly two meters long, with a shiny shaft forged from high-quality iron. The tip was as sharp as a needle and cast a faint, cold glow under the lights. “When it comes to dealing with zombies, a steel spear is still the most effective. Aim carefully, drive the spear through the zombie’s skull, and the fight is over in a flash.” Grandpa Xue swung the spear a few times; though it weighed a full thirty-four jin, the old man held it as if it were weightless—clearly, he was a seasoned fighter. Li Ba wholeheartedly agreed. Since the apocalypse began, though he was naturally afraid of death, he had, when left with no other choice, worked with others to take down several zombies. Zombies are mutated humans infected with a virus; their eyesight has deteriorated, while their hearing and sense of smell have evolved to be incredibly acute. They are extremely sensitive to sound and the scent of blood—even the slightest noise can attract a large horde of them. Although zombies possess twice the strength and 1. 5 times the speed of ordinary people, they lack intelligence and rely entirely on instinct to hunt their prey. Therefore, as long as one is experienced, bold, and careful, hunting zombies isn’t particularly difficult. During their escape, Li Ba had personally witnessed his companions working together to kill quite a few zombies. He was also well aware of their basic characteristics. “The claws and fangs of zombies carry a corpse toxin; even the slightest contact will turn a living person into a zombie.” Old Master Xue seemed to have caught his interest and pulled a round shield from under the display stand. “A steel spear paired with an iron shield crafted by my Xue family—one for offense, one for defense. If you’re skilled enough, handling two or three zombies on your own is no problem at all.” Upon hearing this, Li Ba’s interest was piqued. He took the spear and shield from Elder Xue, handled them for a moment, and decided to buy them as well. “What strength!” The steel spear and iron shield, weighing nearly seventy jin, felt not the slightest bit heavy in Li Ba’s hands. Seeing this, Old Master Xue couldn’t help but praise him. Li Ba rubbed his bald head. He, too, had felt his strength increase significantly lately, and his body seemed much more agile. Could it be… that this was due to drinking the water from the spatial spring? If the spring water from the spatial realm could cause plants to mutate, perhaps it could also alter human physiology. Li Ba kept this thought in mind, resolving to study it thoroughly once he returned home. The steel spear and iron shield were priced at a total of 360 jin in grain coupons. Grandfather Xue made the decision to accept only 200 jin in grain coupons, and he even threw in a leather sheath—it was practically a half-price deal. This was a huge favor. Even someone as thick-skinned as Li Ba felt a bit embarrassed, so he decided in his heart to bring over the mutated grain stalks stored in his bracelet’s spatial pocket the very next day as a token of reciprocity. Once the ammunition arrived, Li Ba settled the bill and took his leave. As he walked out, he held the ****** in his right hand, shouldered the ammunition in his left, had the steel spear and iron shield slung diagonally across his back, and a cigarette clenched between his teeth. With his black trench coat and shaved head, he exuded an air of dominance that drew the attention of many passersby. He finally got a taste of what it felt like to exude dominance and was brimming with pride. After browsing a few more general stores and buying some burlap sacks, plastic sheeting, and other items, he finally walked out the market gates. He turned a corner, and seeing that no one was around, Li Ba stowed the miscellaneous items into the space within his bracelet and walked along the road toward the southeast side of the market. Not far from there was a market specializing in the sale of cars. Upon arriving, he saw at a glance that the lot was packed with several hundred cars. Most were sedans; trucks were a rare sight. “Hey, buddy, what kind of car are you looking for? I’ve got everything from BMWs to Audis—cheap and at the fairest prices.” A middle-aged man ran over. As he opened his mouth, revealing two large Jin Ya, he greeted Li Ba with a broad grin. Glancing around, Li Ba indeed spotted quite a few luxury cars, but their bodies were all covered in a thick layer of dust, as if they’d been parked there for a long time, ignored by everyone. In the post-apocalyptic world, nearly half the population had turned into zombies, and cars were everywhere. As long as you were bold enough to make your way from Xibu to the provincial highway, you’d find all kinds of luxury cars lining the road. Therefore, vehicles were the least valuable commodity in the post-apocalyptic world, but fuel was very expensive. Li Ba scanned the area but found nothing to his liking. Most of the vehicles here were passenger cars; trucks were a rare sight. The few that were parked there either had flat tires or were in such disrepair that it would be nearly impossible to drive them out of the city. After walking around for a while, he finally found the car he wanted to buy. “That one!” Li Ba pointed. Not far away stood an agricultural tricycle that looked about eighty percent new—perfect for his needs. Big Jin Ya was taken aback for a moment, then gave Li Ba a thumbs-up and grinned, saying, “Smooth sailing, smooth sailing. The road ahead is clear. Buddy, you’ve got a good eye!” Oh my god! Li Ba rolled his eyes at the remark. This guy was even reciting an advertising jingle—he knew it by heart. He might as well have been a specialist in selling farm vehicles before the apocalypse. The vehicle wasn’t expensive—it only cost ten jin of grain coupons, practically a bargain. Gas, however, wasn’t cheap: one jin of grain coupons for one liter of diesel. Li Ba waved his hand generously, handing over fifty jin of grain coupons outright—enough to cover the vehicle’s price and fill the tank. At the same time, he didn’t forget to instruct Jin Ya to send someone to check the vehicle’s condition. If it stalled on the road, that wouldn’t be fun at all. “Got it!” After collecting the grain coupons, Big Jin Ya was full of energy and called his men to get to work. In just twenty minutes or so, the tank was full and the inspection was complete. As the deafening roar of the engine cut through the air, Big Jin Ya came running over, drenched in sweat. “Bro, the truck’s in great shape—all taken care of. I guarantee you won’t need any repairs for three thousand kilometers.” Li Ba grunted in acknowledgment and prepared to drive off. Just as he was getting into the car, Da Jin Ya called out from behind him, “Buddy, this car’s got plenty of horsepower and runs great, but it’s a bit noisy. Be careful when you head out of town!” Li Ba waved him off. He knew what Big Jin Ya meant—the loud noise could easily attract zombies when leaving the city. He appreciated the concern, but for him, a little extra noise wasn’t a problem. He was only planning to cruise around the vicinity of the safe zone; he wouldn’t be going far. If he were actually going out to scavenge for supplies, he wouldn’t have chosen this Shifeng agricultural tricycle anyway. He climbed into the driver’s seat. The steel spear stuck in his back was getting in the way, so Li Ba tossed it into the cargo area. He placed the ****** and Iron Shield next to the passenger seat, stepped on the gas, and the exhaust roared with a “da-da” sound as black smoke billowed out, and the tricycle rolled out of the parking lot. Li Ba drove the tricycle along the streets, heading out of the city. He’d chosen this agricultural tricycle mainly because of its semi-enclosed cargo bed and the impressive horsepower of its four-cylinder diesel engine—it was perfect for hauling cargo. As for the excessive noise, that wasn’t a problem. He hadn’t planned on driving this clunker into the nearby town to search for supplies anyway. After leaving the city, Li Ba first made a stop at the refugee camp. It takes a village to raise a child. He planned to find Da Fang and Xiao Fang and bring them into town. These two brothers were decent guys who had helped Li Ba out quite a bit in the past. Bringing them along would give him two extra pairs of hands. Driving the tricycle along the stinking paths of the refugee camp, it wasn’t long before Li Ba arrived at the shack where the Dafang and Xiaofang brothers lived. The wooden door was closed; clearly, the two brothers had gone off to do manual labor. Glancing over, Li Ba spotted a middle-aged man across the way—his hair disheveled and filthy, his gaunt, emaciated upper body bare—crouching in the corner. A pair of eyes, brimming with envy, stole a glance at him. “Come here.” Li Ba beckoned to the man with a flick of his finger. The man paused in surprise, then hurried over, scampering like a little puppy. “Master Ba,” the man said as he reached the car, bowing and scraping before Li Ba—his tone suggesting he knew him. A foul stench wafted from the man. Li Ba frowned and tossed him a bran bun. It was a handout Li Chao—that bastard—had given to Yan'er a few days ago. Ever since arriving in the city, Li Ba had nearly thrown away such inedible food. But right now, it came in handy. “Take a message to Da Fang and Xiao Fang: tell them not to go to work tomorrow. Have them wait for me at home.” As he spoke, Li Ba shot the man a sidelong glance. Seeing the man’s eyes gleaming as he stared at the bran bun in his hand like a starving wolf, Li Ba grinned. “If you deliver the message, you’ll get another bran bun tomorrow. But if you just take the food without doing any work, I’ll make you pay dearly!” “Don’t worry, Boss. I’ll be stationed right outside their door right away and make sure to deliver your message.” “Mm-hmm.” Li Ba didn’t feel like beating around the bush either. He rolled up the window, stepped on the gas, and amid the roar of the engine and billowing black smoke, the tricycle sped off.
