Chapter 20: The Transaction

Upon entering the small settlement known as "Lower Horse Town," the group of eight naturally drew everyone's attention.

Contrary to Chen Jian's expectations, however, the locals were not focusing on their "strange attire," but rather on the four Holy Blood members led by Xu Lie. Countless gazes converged upon them, as if they bore some visible mark on their faces.

Chen Jian was initially puzzled, but after a moment of reflection, he understood: Xu Lie and his team had clearly passed through here recently. Since they had come from Jinling and were heading to Chuansha, they were bound to pass through this location, and passing through meant they would have needed to resupply. To resupply here, they likely hadn't bothered to hide their purpose. After all, the Holy Blood members viewed themselves as superior beings in this land; they relied on their special status to gather intelligence, secure resources, and propagate their faith. Thus, grandly declaring their intent to "hunt monsters" was only natural.

This also explained why the residents of Lower Horse Town looked at them with a mixture of suspicion and awe. Putting himself in their shoes, Chen Jian realized he would have reacted the same way. After all, they had only stayed in Chuansha City for a single night. To wipe out a giant monster in such a short time—that was truly terrifying strength.

Wait, was he essentially bragging about himself? Chen Jian chuckled, suddenly realizing why the four Holy Blood members referred to his own team as "God-Chosen." They had truly classified his team as beings several levels above themselves.

With this thought in mind, Chen Jian followed Xu Lie toward a building in the center of the town constructed from wood and broken bricks. Judging by the sign hanging outside, it was an inn converted from old barracks, with an added hall that served as a storefront.

Stepping inside, Chen Jian immediately spotted the rifle hanging on the wall: a Type 95-1.

Startled, Chen Jian gave his team a subtle look. While Xu Lie was busy communicating with the boss behind a metal counter, the team members drifted toward the weapon.

"The receiver and barrel are rusted through, but the plastic components are still intact. That seems to be the general state of most firearms in this world," one remarked. "But that's not the point. The point is, in our era, this rifle hadn't been retired from service yet—though it was close. By our timeline, it would have been completely replaced by the Type 191 within twenty years, reaching the point of total disappearance."

"In other words," Chen Jian concluded, "the catastrophe that destroyed this world occurred around 2040, give or take ten years."

When Chen Jian finished speaking, a heavy expression fell over everyone's faces. Twenty years—that was far shorter than they had expected. If they hadn't traveled through time, they would have been forced to witness this disaster. More than that, their families, friends, and comrades would have faced it head-on. Would they have felt helpless in their absence?

A flicker of sorrow passed through the group, but a moment later, He Shuo coughed to break the somber atmosphere. "There is no point in dwelling on this now—focus on the problem at hand."

"The Type 95-1 uses DBP-10 ammunition, the same caliber as the 191," he continued. "If we can find a 95-1 here, we might be able to find the ammunition too. We don't need much; even a few hundred rounds would solve our immediate crisis. I think we should talk to the boss here and see if he has any, and what we can trade for them."

"Agreed," Chen Jian said, nodding. The team quickly shook off their negative emotions.

Chen Jian walked to the counter, arriving just in time to witness the tail end of the transaction between Xu Lie and the boss.

"...What kind of joke are you playing? Five grams of gold for a single bullet?" Xu Lie demanded. "Do you realize the bullets you sold me before were duds? If I hadn't been lucky, I'd be dead! This is a desecration of the Holy Blood! Do you understand me?"

The shopkeeper trembled like a leaf in the wind, his voice stuttering. "My lord... my lord... this is the lowest price... To find these bullets, we lost several scavengers. The monster nests are too terrifying, we, we..."

"Spare me the nonsense!" Xu Lie snapped. "I have a dead battery here. I'll trade it for all the pistol ammunition you have, plus the supplies I need and our room and board for the next two days. If you have any objections, tell me, and I will report them to the Holy Blood Temple exactly as stated!"

The boss was left speechless, his jaw hanging open. After a long silence, he slumped in defeat. "Fine... take them all..."

Xu Lie swept the ammunition off the counter with satisfaction. Chen Jian remarked with a wry smile, "You could have just taken it by force. Why bother trading?"

Xu Lie didn't seem bothered by the tease. "In other settlements, there would be no need to trade. But this is a trade hub, and we must abide by the rules of commerce. Very well, it's your turn."

Xu Lie stepped aside, and Chen Jian walked up, taking out a 5.8mm round. "I want ammunition like this. As much as you have."

A flicker of surprise crossed the boss's eyes. He carefully took the pristine, softly gleaming bullet and examined it closely before replying, "I have it! I have 40 rounds of this ammunition."

"However," he added, "it is very expensive. Since you came with the lords, I can give you a discount... 15 grams of gold per bullet, how about that?"

Chen Jian didn't understand the world's pricing system, so he glanced at Xu Lie. The latter, unable to intervene on his behalf due to his status, simply shook his head to indicate the price was absurdly high.

Chen Jian understood, but he didn't attempt to haggle. Instead, he drew his QSW-06 suppressed pistol, chambered a round, aimed, and fired in one fluid motion.

*Thwack.*

A small bullet hole appeared in the wooden beam behind the boss. The shopkeeper jumped, scrambling under the desk with practiced agility, as if he were well-accustomed to such scenes. Chen Jian’s expression shifted slightly, but he remained calm. He ejected the magazine, cleared the chamber, and slapped the pistol onto the counter.

"This gun, in exchange for all your ammunition."

"Deal!" The boss poked his head out from under the counter, nodding eagerly. He dove back down and, after a moment of rummaging, emerged with a full box of ammunition.

It was indeed DBP-10. To Chen Jian's surprise, the rounds were in excellent condition; aside from minor oxidation, there was no rust. *So much for the myth that steel-cased ammo isn't rust-resistant,* he thought.

Chen Jian tucked the ammunition into his belt with satisfaction, leaving the pistol on the counter. With the first tentative trade complete, the eight of them turned and headed toward the residential area in the back.

Xu Lie slowed his pace, leaning toward Chen Jian. "No matter how precious ammunition is, it can never be more valuable than the gun itself. Besides, hardly anyone uses that caliber—it’s worthless. If you had given me that gun, I could have traded it for hundreds, maybe thousands of rounds. God-Chosen, you still know too little about this world."

Chen Jian offered a mysterious smile. "It isn't that we know too little about this world; it's that you know too little about us. You don't understand—sometimes a trade is more than just a trade. It’s a way to test the waters."