NABC Chapter 347 The Strange Head
Chapter 347 The Strange Head
Chapter 347 The Strange Head
"Do you have money to be so carefree?" Seeing Chang Lei's eagerness to try, Tang Zijun quickly stopped him.
Chang Lei waved his hand dismissively. "You've known me for a long time. When have I ever paid for anything while traveling all over the country? Don't look at me like that. I was just worried about being targeted by magical girls when I was short of money."
"It's not Lao Chang." Tang Zijun put her arm around his shoulder. "I know you're powerful, you can snap your fingers and a bunch of people will give you things for free, but the problem is, this isn't the real world. Those dealers are a bunch of pitiful people themselves. It's not appropriate for you to do this."
Upon hearing this, Chang Lei's expression shifted, and after a moment's hesitation, he finally managed to utter, "You have girls willing to pay for you, so what am I supposed to do?"
"Am I the kind of person who lives off a woman...?" Upon hearing this, Tang Zijun rolled her eyes at him speechlessly, then patted her pocket. "Don't worry, it's all prepared."
Chang Lei stared at Tang Zijun with some suspicion. Seeing that he didn't seem to be joking, he then put his hand into Tang Zijun's pocket.
Immediately afterwards, a slightly hardened sensation, like that of a tiny person, came back to my hand.
"You?" Chang Lei's eyes widened as he hesitated for two seconds, then whispered, "You're planning to bring two figurines to pay for?"
Are you crazy, or do you think I'm crazy?
"Who said I paid with figurines?" Tang Zijun glared at him irritably, then pulled two glittering little monsters out of her pocket. "Take a good look at what these are."
Chang Lei stared intently at it, and then he couldn't look away.
There were two small figures cast in gold, which looked like dolls. They were dressed in cute gold clothes, and their eyes were made of buttons.
"Gardener and perfumer, right?::" Chang Lei muttered dryly.
"Who told you to recognize people? Let me show you the material of this thing." Tang Zijun slapped Chang Lei on the back, then explained, "This is what Qin Nan had me practice with when I was learning magic. It's pure gold, enough for your expenses."
"Alright, then I won't be polite, hahaha." Chang Lei happily accepted the two dolls and turned to walk inside.
"Wait a minute."
Chang Lei had only taken a few steps when Tang Zijun called him back again.
"What's wrong now?"
"I gave you this money so you could spend it; don't sneak a piece and take it back with you."
1
"Go away, do you think I'm that kind of person?!"
Not daring to look Tang Zijun in the eye, Chang Lei waved his hand and disappeared into the crowd in a flash.
Looking in the direction Chang Lei left, Tang Zijun slowly pushed up her glasses.
Just kidding, I'm only saying this because I know what kind of person you are, Lao Chang.
After a pause, Tang Zijun turned to look at Gloriand. "Let's go inside and take a look around. Perfect timing, you can show me around here, I also want to buy some gifts for my sister."
Grelando was stunned. She never expected that Tang Zijun would carry two gold statues with her, and they were the kind of gold statues with extremely fine craftsmanship.
However, she quickly realized that if the other party could use a gold-plated train as a vehicle, what was so surprising about them carrying several gold statues?
As for the gift Tang Zijun mentioned bringing for her sister, Grelando subconsciously assumed it was for Katie.
Upon hearing Tang Zijun's words, Gloriand quickly nodded. "Come with me, I'll show you around the Alchemy District, I'm sure you'll love it there."
Upon entering the market area, the surrounding environment was immediately enveloped in a cacophony of noise.
Everywhere you look, there are mercenaries dressed in various leather armor and linen clothes. Occasionally, you can see a few people in church robes walking by in the distance. They move very fast, as if they don't want to stay here any longer.
In addition, there were some people wearing black robes that covered their faces. They carried bundles that were half a person's height on their backs and kept walking deeper into the market, looking quite mysterious.
The Riverfront is indeed the largest human settlement in the vicinity. The market is bustling with activity. Tang Zijun and Gloriand had to stay very close together, otherwise they would probably be squeezed out of each other if they weren't careful.
Unlike Tang Zijun, who was curiously looking around at the stalls, Grelando's gaze remained fixed on Tang Zijun.
Firstly, she was worried that there were too many people here, and if they accidentally got separated, it would be difficult to find each other. Secondly, she was also observing Tang Zijun's expression, as she was worried that Tang Zijun would be disgusted by this chaotic environment.
After all, in her mind, nobles were high and mighty, so how could they possibly be willing to mingle with a bunch of filthy commoners?
However, after observing for a long time, she did not see the slightest impatience on Tang Zijun's face. Instead, she found that Tang Zijun was full of curiosity, as if everything around him filled him with interest.
"Is this your first time in a place like this?" After a moment's hesitation, Gloriand asked tentatively.
"yes.
"What do you think of this place?"
"Hmm...it's quite fun and novel. There are many things here that I've never seen before." Tang Zijun thought for a moment and replied, "Actually, this is just the outermost area of the stalls. Most of the things they sell are ordinary items, or some grains and meats. The really good stuff is all inside."
Seeing that Grelando said this, the two quickened their pace.
Pushing through the crowd, they soon arrived at a stall with wooden shelves. The goods here had visibly changed. Most noticeably, Tang Zijun began to see all sorts of strange and grotesque monster heads.
"Most of the vendors here are mercenaries. After they go out to hunt monsters, they bring the monster carcasses here to sell."
As they walked, Grelando quietly explained things to Tang Zijun.
"By the way, weren't you looking to collect some monster samples? You can buy a lot here, and the prices are relatively cheap. After all, the most expensive thing right now is food."
"Can't we eat the flesh of these monsters?" Tang Zijun asked.
"Some are possible, but most are not," Gloriand replied. "These monsters don't have much intelligence. They don't stay away from pollution; instead, they are tempted by divine power. Gradually, their bodies mutate, and their flesh becomes inedible."
"Is it another instance of divine power contamination?" Tang Zijun frowned slightly.
Seeing the change in Tang Zijun's expression, Gloland continued, "Actually, there's nothing we can do about it. The meat we can eat now is all farmed, and most of the monster corpses in the wild have become materials for alchemy."
"So, these bodies can also be refined into gold?"
"These... are basically what alchemists have left over. Well-preserved or rare monster corpses are generally not left here, but are taken to the alchemy area to be sold."
"Who were these corpses sold to?"
"Usually, they're sold to livestock farmers. They buy the monsters' meat, chop it up, and feed it to their livestock to dilute the remaining contamination." Gloriand paused, then added softly, "...However, some people who can't survive will buy the monsters' meat to eat."
"What will happen if we eat this meat?" Tang Zijun asked casually.
"Eating it occasionally won't cause any problems, but if you eat this kind of contaminated meat for a long time, it will have a huge impact on your mental health. In severe cases, it can even turn you into a madman who will frantically attack all living things around him."
Tang Zijun walked thoughtfully to a vendor's stall, her gaze slowly falling on a huge fish head.
This fish's head is as big as a cartwheel, and its ferocious mouth is full of sharp teeth. Just one look at it is enough to startle people. It has the strongest visual impact of all the fish in the shop.
"This is a merman's head. It used to be quite common on the front lines of the river, but it became less common later. Now, only a few people hide by the river to ambush humans who approach," Gloland said softly.
Tang Zijun nodded slightly, then turned and continued walking deeper into the market without lingering.
Seeing this didn't spark his desire to buy it; it was just that the merman did remind him of the murloc creatures in Warcraft. He wondered if the murloc language here was also... *sigh*
Now that she knew the best stuff was inside, Tang Zijun naturally wouldn't waste money on the small vendors outside. Compared to those ordinary monster bodies, the alchemical bodies were definitely more valuable for research.
With Grelando leading the way, Tang Zijun quickly arrived at the alchemy zone.
If there's any difference between this place and the previous ones, it's that there are fewer people. Unlike the crowded streets outside, the streets here are relatively quiet, and the people here are dressed much more elegantly.
Tang Zijun now truly felt like she was in a fantasy world; it would be even better if the air wasn't filled with a fishy stench.
Wandering aimlessly, Tang Zijun passed several stalls without stopping. Although he came to buy samples, he had no idea what to buy, so he chose the approach most people would take: browse through them all.
Most of the items sold in the Alchemy Zone were creations that Tang Zijun couldn't understand. Unlike the steampunk style she had imagined, the items here were mostly strangely shaped stones and potions. At the same time, there were also some tooth pendants and wooden amulets containing special energy.
After wandering around for a while, just as Tang Zijun was about to randomly pick a shop to buy some things to take back and try, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a human head displayed on a nearby shop.
Tang Zijun paused slightly, raised her eyebrows, and turned to look at the human head.
The alchemy district sells a wide variety of things, and displaying a skull is nothing special; Tang Zijun had already seen quite a few human skulls earlier.
However, the head of the woman in front of us is different.
Its skin has an almost perfect, delicate texture, fair and moist, as if you can feel the rhythm of blood flowing under the skin.
Its delicate texture, like the finest silk, is flawless and gleams softly under the light.
The head's eyelids drooped, as if it were immersed in a dream, and the whole head gave people an unusual feeling, as if it were not an inanimate object at all.
Tang Zijun stared intently at the female head that was casually placed on the wooden table.
"Impressive creation, isn't it?" Seeing a customer approach, the shop owner grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "This isn't something ordinary alchemy could produce."
Tang Zijun blinked slightly, as if he hadn't heard the boss's voice, and slowly approached the head, looking as if his soul had been bewitched.
The shopkeeper frowned slightly upon seeing this. "Let me tell you, don't touch this if you're not buying it. It's very valuable."
Although the river front is a human settlement, it is not as peaceful as one might imagine; murder, robbery, and other crimes occur frequently.
The lord's guards and the church's healers only expel evil creatures or cultists; they don't concern themselves with the chaos caused by ordinary people.
So when he saw Tang Zijun getting closer and closer, the boss became a little nervous.
Seeing this, Gloria quickly spoke up, "Don't misunderstand, my master just wants to get a closer look. If he likes it, you'll be well paid."
"Don't give me that, I—"
Just as the shopkeeper was about to say something, the human head that was originally placed on the wooden table suddenly opened its eyes when Tang Zijun got close enough.
—! ! ? ?
Seeing this, the boss's unfinished words caught in his throat.
Tang Zijun was also startled and instinctively shielded Grelando behind her, her eyes fixed on the woman's head that had opened its eyes with an uncertain expression.
A faint, eerie green light flashed quickly from the woman's eyes.
Immediately afterwards, a series of noisy mechanical sounds rang out.
[...sizzle...]
[...Sizzle, help... sizzle... help sizzle...]