19 Exchanging Flesh

It was only natural to keep in mind that, in the past, these fists would have landed on them instead.

Ximingren recalled his own rebellious days when he first joined the group; back then, it was his Master Ye who was primarily responsible for beating him. Even now, the mere memory made his whole body ache.

The Ghost Scholar’s demeanor was far gentler as well. As Ye Lu approached, he even appeared somewhat docile. He asked, "Master Ye, what do you intend to do with this spectral corpse?"

"Make a weapon." Ye Lu dragged the spectral corpse to the side of the carriage. Once the Vine Wraith's body was laid out, the black dogs, which had been curious enough to approach, watched the entire process. They were suddenly struck with fear of Ye Lu and retreated well beyond a certain radius, refusing to come any closer.

Originally, these black dogs had been quite close to Ye Lu. This was mainly because Ye Lu’s talent as a Son of Mount Tai was extraordinary; the black dogs felt that this bipedal creature smelled wonderful and possessed a gentle nature. Sometimes, when Ye Lu stepped off the carriage, the alpha dog would even let him pat its head.

Ye Lu hadn't even noticed this. He lowered his head and muttered about his plans: "I was a bit angry just now and used too much force. The corpse is somewhat badly damaged, but it should still be usable."

As he spoke, he continued to grumble to himself.

Hearing this, the Ghost Scholar’s mouth twitched. *Master Ye, do you call that "a bit too much force"? That is exactly how hard you used to hit us back then. Does this mean you were actually going easy on us all that time?*

However, the Ghost Scholar could only respond gently: "Understood."

He Lan and He Siliang, who were standing nearby, were fortunately experienced enough. Although they were surprised by Ye Lu’s eccentric talent, there were precedents in the village—He Lan’s own talent wasn't much more conventional. The two quickly composed themselves and, having their own matters to attend to, did not linger long before leaving.

After Ye Lu finished talking with the Ghost Scholar, he only saw a lazy Ximingren behind him.

"Hm? Where did Uncle and the others go?" Ye Lu was a bit puzzled; he wondered why his elders had run off so quickly.

Ximingren had been enjoying the show. He felt that He Lan and He Qi had left so abruptly because they had lost their composure and were too embarrassed to remain in front of their juniors. While Ximingren lazily gloated in his heart, he heard Master Ye’s question and replied, "They still have to deal with the specters on their end, so they headed back."

"It seems the security team still has two of the Vine Wraith’s clones to deal with."

"Oh, it seems this specter is indeed a bit of a nuisance." Ye Lu understood instantly, frowning slightly. It appeared this particular specter was quite unique.

However, Ye Lu’s confusion was short-lived. He soon regained his energy and excitedly told the Ghost Scholar and Ximingren about his initial idea: "My luck is good today. I was just thinking about finding a specter to make a weapon—preferably one related to plants, though minerals would work too. My uncle said those two types are the rarest, and most of the ones that ambush us are animal-type specters."

"I never expected that I would get exactly what I wished for."

"As soon as I saw this specter, I already knew what kind of weapon I was going to make."

*Oh?* The Ghost Scholar, who had only been half-listening while considering how to deal with the Vine Wraith and wondering if it was edible—intending to have the security team take a look later—suddenly became very interested. Seeing the bright gleam in Ye Lu’s eyes, he couldn't help but ask, "What kind of weapon?"

***

"You'll see when the time comes." This time, Ye Lu did not answer directly; instead, he dodged the question, keeping them in suspense.

Now, both of them were piqued. Master Ye had never introduced a weapon so formally before. Generally, if he adopted this attitude, it meant he was at least eighty percent certain of success.

Since Ye Lu refused to say more, there was nothing they could do, though they remained filled with curiosity.

The next day, everyone in the refugee caravan knew of the great achievements of Ye Lu’s trio. They were particularly famous for the fact that Ximingren and Ye Lu had personally beaten a Yellow-Grade spectral entity to death. When the Ghost Scholar was chatting with Aunt Huang outside, he was quietly pulled away.

At first, the Ghost Scholar was baffled, but by the time he regained his senses, he was surrounded by a group of men and women gathered not far from the caravan, right next to the woods.

As soon as Aunt Huang pulled him over, she shouted at the top of her lungs, beaming, "He's here, he's here! I’ve brought the little Ghost boy over. Take a look."

"Let's get this straight: the boy is a bit shy, so you lot better not bully him, or I’ll be at your front doors shouting." Aunt Huang had a cheerful personality and loved making friends; she was usually good-tempered, but the Ghost Scholar had seen her temper when she was crossed.

Once the Ghost Scholar stood steady, he realized that everyone in this small circle was busy—some holding vegetables, others holding meat. He was even holding meat himself—the meat of the Vine Wraith that Ye Lu and the others had taken down yesterday. He had only approached Aunt Huang after confirming with the security team that it was edible, only to be dragged away before he could react.

Looking around, it seemed almost everyone responsible for managing households in He Village was here.

In a sense, this was another way of asserting their standing.

"Oh, come, come! Aunt Huang, what are you saying? Aren't we just curious about the little Ghost’s family? They were three little ones, and we never saw who was in charge, but now we finally have. We aren't the type to be rude, don't you worry." Among the crowd was a woman picking vegetables, and the Ghost Scholar even spotted a man processing medicinal herbs. The woman who had spoken shifted to the side, waving at the Ghost Scholar to sit with them.

The Ghost Scholar understood that this was the village's official recognition of them as a proper family. Once there was someone to take the lead, they would no longer be excluded from certain affairs; it was a good sign.

The only surprise for the Ghost Scholar was that it happened under these circumstances.

Then again, everyone was in the village now. Those responsible for security had to patrol, while the rest had tasks to attend to—either preparing dry rations or checking the harvest. They had to talk while they worked.

The Ghost Scholar accepted this quickly. Without being coy, he sat down boldly. He was still wearing the same green robe, patched up and worn again—there was no help for it; they hadn't encountered a market, so they had nowhere to trade for cloth. The only remaining fabric at home had been taken by Uncle He Qi, who said he would find someone in the village skilled at tailoring to make outfits for the three of them.

But that would take some time.

"I'm from the Qian family; Qian Bachun is my husband." The woman who spoke smiled before she even uttered a word, her tone carrying a blend of kindness and heartiness. She was tall, and a faint trace of spectral energy radiated from her, though it was negligibly weak. She looked at the Ghost Scholar with a smile and said, "Qian Gouzi and Qian Linzi from the security team are my two good-for-nothing boys. Little Xi probably knows those two."

The Ghost Scholar realized with a start. He had indeed heard of Ximingren mentioning two teenage boys in the security team who were not yet adults but were physically robust. That wasn't the point, though; the point was that the two boys were interesting—every time they went hunting, they always managed to find good things.

Sometimes it was plants with spectral energy, other times it was fruit. It must have been the brothers' talent. Those items were generally of little use, other than having a good flavor that awakened talent-holders enjoyed. The brothers didn't ask for much; as long as they were given meat, they would trade.

Ximingren had traded with them a few times.

"So it was them." The Ghost Scholar relaxed instantly. He smiled, holding the meat in his hands more comfortably. He had eaten those items a few times; they tasted good, and he had intended to trade for more in the future.

"Oh? Is this the meat from that Yellow-Grade specter?" The Qian family aunt noticed the Ghost Scholar’s change in attitude; once her boys were mentioned, he was clearly more at ease. Her smile turned slightly helpless as she asked, "The security team said this is edible?"

As soon as she spoke, everyone present pricked up their ears, including a few young boys in the corners—those whose talents hadn't awakened or had just awakened, unable to do real work but unable to sit still, so they were sent to run errands by the adults.

Seeing this, the Ghost Scholar understood immediately. They wanted to know what he planned to do with the specter meat and what the requirements for trading were. He had mentioned it to Aunt Huang briefly this morning; he hadn't expected her to be so efficient, having organized this meeting by the afternoon.

The Ghost Scholar marveled at the speed of the people in this world.

He had no idea that it was because Yellow-Grade specters were so rare, especially their meat. After hearing Aunt Huang’s exaggerated accounts, many families were interested. During these times of fleeing famine, there were many dangers on the road. While they had enough grain, their biggest worry was that the household breadwinners lacked enough spectral energy.

Hearing about a Yellow-Grade specter, they were naturally tempted.

"Yes, Lu brought the meat to Captain He Lan this morning to check it. It is edible and can replenish quite a bit of spectral energy. It’s said to help refine the bones and tendons, though, being only a Yellow-Grade specter, the effect is limited. After eating about ten pounds, it’s no longer effective," the Ghost Scholar explained gently.

Speaking of this, the Ghost Scholar felt a bit helpless.

The specter was useful, but not much to the three of them. Ximingren and Ye Lu each had their own secret methods for refining their bodies. As for him, he was the "brainy" type. Even if he wanted to eat it, how much could he consume? Making jerky? This Vine Wraith weighed at least several hundred pounds; he couldn't finish it even if he worked himself to death. He had to trade it.

Not to mention, he heard the security team had also taken down two White-Travel grade Vine Wraith clones. The properties were only present in the main body, which was why he had set the price a bit higher.

"Good stuff." A thin, young man nearby had eyes that lit up. He was genuinely happy to hear this, saying in a low voice, "My husband is in the security team, and this is exactly the kind of meat we need."

They were a couple who had married just last year. The wife had a good talent—a combat-type—and was currently in the security team, bringing meat home every so often. The husband had come from another village, similar to Ximingren’s background, though his village hadn't been merged, and he didn't have many family members left. Fortunately, he had learned about medicinal herbs since childhood and knew some medicine. After coming of age, he had caught the eye of He Xiaoniang.

"You're called Ghost, right?" The young man was completely sold and couldn't help but ask, "Are you trading this meat? I know a bit of medicine, and we have some stored herbs. If there’s anything you need, we can trade."

However, as he said this, the young man didn't hold much hope. Such good things—who would be willing to trade them?