Chapter 35: All Eyes on Me!

"Who are you!"

The burly man whom Xu Wang had addressed as Xiahou pointed his sword directly at him.

"Xu Wang."

Xu Wang blinked, then looked at the sword in the man's hand. "Are you giving me that sword?"

"Hmph! Nonsense! You must be suffering from hysteria!"

Xiahou abruptly sheathed his longsword, grabbed his cloth bundle, and walked straight under the wooden shed.

Ning Caichen, who had been cowering like a quail, was terrified. This was a god of slaughter who had just killed five men in one go; he dared not take shelter from the rain under the same shed as Xiahou. He quickly gathered the hem of his robes and scurried toward the outside. He would rather stand in the rain than stay near Xiahou.

But after only two steps, Ning Caichen collided with Xu Wang.

Startled, Ning Caichen instinctively blurted out, "Why did you come in?!"

Xu Wang looked at him with confusion, wondering if the rain had addled his brain. "I’m not an exhibitionist. I’m done bathing, so of course, I need to come in and change my clothes."

Ning Caichen was rendered speechless by this. With Xiahou on his left and Xu Wang on his right, he was caught in a dilemma, so anxious he was on the verge of tears.

Ignoring the scholar, Xu Wang tapped his personal terminal twice, retrieved a brand-new Vault jumpsuit, and put it on. He stuffed the wet one into his subspace backpack.

The Vault jumpsuit was a fine piece of equipment. Not only was the material tough, but it also featured temperature regulation, waterproofing, and radiation protection. Although the radiation protection had its limits, it was still quite good, boasting a rating of 14 in the "Flickering Text" system and coming with two upgrade slots. Xu Wang had taken three sets from the Overseer when he left Vault 92, and they were proving useful now. It was a pity it didn't repel dirt; otherwise, washing would be unnecessary.

On the other side, although Xiahou was busy eating mantou from his bundle, his peripheral vision remained fixed on Xu Wang and Ning Caichen. When he saw Xu Wang tap the strange bracer on his left wrist and conjure a set of unusual clothing out of thin air, Xiahou’s brow furrowed.

"Are you a practitioner of the arts?" Xiahou asked, initiating the conversation.

Xu Wang confirmed Xiahou was speaking to him and smiled. "No, I’m a scavenger." He then opened his eyes wide and asked, "Do you have any more mantou? Could you spare me two?"

Xiahou was surprisingly generous, tossing two large white mantou from his bag toward Xu Wang. Xu Wang caught one with a flourish, but the other slipped through his fingers and hit the ground.

Xu Wang’s expression didn't change. He calmly squatted down, picked up the mantou, and shoved it at Ning Caichen. Under the scholar’s shocked gaze, Xu Wang said matter-of-factly, "The three-second rule. If you pick it up within three seconds, it’s still edible. Don't be shy."

It wasn't that Ning Caichen was being shy; he had simply never encountered anyone like Xu Wang in his life and didn't know how to react. Clutching the slightly dry mantou tightly, he didn't know whether to eat it or not, eventually standing there like a wooden post.

Xu Wang wasn't hungry; he had just eaten steak and an energy bar. He had only asked for the mantou out of a simple, frugal mindset—he would surely find a use for them later.

Xiahou seemed to sense Ning Caichen's unease. After finishing his mantou in a few bites and noticing the rain was letting up, he stood and strode out.

Truth be told, Xiahou’s skill as a renowned swordsman was truly impressive. Xu Wang reckoned that with his current abilities, he would certainly lose in a direct confrontation. In his previous life, as an ordinary person, he had never learned any combat skills. This meant he relied purely on instinct and his augmentations during fights.

He wondered: if items from this otherworldly realm couldn't be brought back to the Wasteland, what about knowledge? Knowledge learned in one's mind surely could be carried back, right? If that were the case, he might find an opportunity to learn from Xiahou or Yan Chixia. Picking up a craft wouldn't occupy those precious upgrade slots. While his body was still within the realm of an ordinary human, he should train more; perhaps he could even increase some attribute points.

Beside him, seeing the terrifying Xiahou depart, Ning Caichen threw away the mantou, put on his tattered shoes, and bolted without even saying goodbye to Xu Wang.

"Wasting food and no manners—the youth these days," Xu Wang lamented, shaking his head. He picked up the discarded mantou, put it in his waist pouch, and continued to wait out the rain leisurely under the shed. The rain hadn't stopped entirely, and since he had just changed into new clothes, he didn't want to get wet again.

As for Ning Caichen running off, so be it. He would end up at Lanruo Temple eventually anyway.

After another half hour, the rain finally ceased. Outside the shed, only mud and puddles remained.

"The air is wonderful." Xu Wang inhaled deeply and finally stepped out.

He didn't rush toward Guobei County. With practiced movements, he thoroughly searched the five bodies Xiahou had left behind. He didn't just take the silver; he took their weapons and lamellar armor as well. Once everything was stuffed into his waist pouch, Xu Wang realized with annoyance that his subspace capacity was full.

The 35-unit weight limit was still a bit too low. Organizing his pouch, he took out his iron-pipe pistol and fashioned a makeshift holster out of willow branches to hang at his waist. Only then did he set off at a leisurely pace, following the direction Ning Caichen had taken.

The wooden shed was not far from Guobei County. After walking for ten minutes, Xu Wang heard the bustling sounds of the town.

Guobei County covered a significant area. Entering the gates, one could see the stone-paved main street. Shops lined both sides, wine banners fluttered, and the air was filled with shouts, laughter, and the occasional "clanging" from a blacksmith’s shop. In the distance, Xu Wang spotted at least five nine-story pagodas—though he couldn't tell if they were Buddhist or Taoist.

"This place is much livelier than I imagined."

Ignoring the strange looks from the locals, Xu Wang walked through the ancient county town. With his short hair and Vault 92 jumpsuit, no one was more conspicuous than he was.

"Attention everyone, eyes on me! I have an announcement!" Standing in the middle of the bustling main street, Xu Wang suddenly raised both hands and shouted!

The townspeople stopped and looked at him with suspicion.

"I will be staying in Guobei County for a while. If I need any help, I will be sure to come find you! Don't worry, I won't be shy at all!" Xu Wang delivered his loud speech, declaring his arrival to the people of Guobei County.

"Boo~~~" A chorus of jeers erupted from the crowd.

"Where did this lunatic come from? Ruining my mood! Screw you!" A hot-tempered man began to curse.

Xu Wang turned to see a burly man in lamellar armor and, beaming with joy, responded even louder, "Thanks! Screw you too!"

As he spoke, Xu Wang held up both middle fingers.

The crowd dispersed. Xu Wang, possessing sharp eyes, spotted Ning Caichen in the throng. The lad looked as if he had seen a ghost and turned to run, clearly wanting nothing to do with him.