第九十九章 晴黎材料坊 -3
As the White Shadow Thought-Dragon tore apart the monster’s psychic entity, the crocodile-like beast that could burrow through the ground gradually ceased its struggles.
随着白影念龙撕碎了这怪物的念力体，能够遁地的鳄鱼怪物逐渐停止了挣扎。
“It gnawed at your cart wheel.”
“是它咬了你们的车轮。”
YangZicang, dressed in work pants and a khaki coat, walked over from a distance.
身着工装长裤和卡其外套的杨子藏从远处走来。
This outfit screamed “immense wealth,” instantly drawing the attention of a group of people ahead. Several cart drivers came over and dug into the ground, revealing the corpse of a strange giant crocodile.
这一身看上去就是“巨富”，顿时吸引了前方一群人的眼光。几个车夫过来一刨地，真出现个死了的奇怪大鳄鱼的身子。
“Hello, sir. I am Li Shuguang, the guard of this cargo convoy. Thank you for your help.” Li Shuguang said very politely.
“你好啊，先生，我是这只货队的保镖，李束光。谢谢你的帮忙。”李束光很是客气的道。
The group said, “We had indeed heard that strange burrowing monsters occasionally appeared beneath this forest zone, often causing financial losses or even casualties to nearby travelers. Never expected you to deal with it so effortlessly.”
几人道：“我们的确听说这片林区下方不时有能遁地的怪物出现，经常给附近的旅人造成财物损失，甚至伤亡。没想到在你手中这么轻松就解决了。”
“Just a casual matter. Do you happen to have any lost-nucleus models? I’d like to purchase some. Both obtuse-angle and triangular ones are needed. My name is Jia Zijian.”
“顺手的事而已。请问你们有失念模型吗，我想收购些。钝角和三角形都需要，我叫甲子间。”
“How much chronos are you willing to offer?”
“你打算出多少时序？”
Seeing that Yang Zicang carried no goods, Li Shuguang directly asked in terms of chronos.
李束光见杨子藏并没有带货物，便直接以时序来问。
“For triangular ones, I offer thirty-five years each; for polyline-fold ones, ten years.”
“三角形的我出三十五年一枚，折线的是十年。”
Several cart drivers exchanged delighted glances.
几名车夫欣喜的互相看了眼。
“To be honest, friend, your offer is a bit low. The autumn fair is imminent; it’s the season everyone is buying models to craft the lost-nuclei engines needed for autumn-winter goods. Add three years to each, and I can sell you ten triangular ones.”
“说实话，朋友，你这个出价稍微低了点。秋订会在即，正是大家收购模型制作秋冬所需货物失念引擎的时候，你每样加三年，我可以出售给你十枚三角形的。”
“No need then.”
“那不必了。”
Yang Zicang didn’t make a hasty purchase. The earlier battle had cost him over forty thousand chronos in principal, and the reimbursements had been deposited with Mori. If not for the fact that Qin Meng’s abandoned plot needed stabilization, he would have wanted to return to the Interlace to accumulate more chronos.
杨子藏没有贸然购买，之前的战斗让他损失了四万多的时序本金，至于报销的，都已经存在了莫里那边。要不是秦蒙留下的地块需要快些稳定，他都想回去进入交错地攒时序了。
Because… I’ve already had the idea of buying a shop for Xiaoyu several times. I need to curb my lately somewhat conspicuous extravagant lifestyle.
因为…自己已经好几次动了给小雨盘下个商店的念头。自己得改下这段时间有点冒头的大手大脚风气。
“Hey, friend, I have three pieces here I’ll sell to you.” A puller stepped out and said.
“喂，朋友，我这里有三个卖给你好了。”一个拉车的人走出来道。
Li Shuguang shot a glance at him. The puller glared back unflinchingly.
李束光看了他一眼，车夫毫不惧怕的就瞪了回去。
Xu Xiuchuan, who was handling the daily expenses this time, quickly completed the transaction with him. The puller turned around and said cheerfully to the other pullers:
此次负责日常开销的徐秀川很快和他交易完。这车夫转过身乐呵的对其他车夫说：
“Brothers, this friend of ours is very straightforward—haven’t shortchanged me by even a single day. If you don’t want to wait, you can trade now. Transferring them into timeline is more secure.”
“兄弟们，咱这位朋友很耿直啊，一天都没少我的，大家不想等的可以现在就交易了，变成时序更安全。”
With him setting an example, the remaining pullers hurried over to trade.
有他作示范，剩下几个车夫都快步跑了上来交易。
“If you all sell to him, I’m not responsible for the rest of the journey.” Li Shuguang threatened.
“你们全都找他卖的话，接下来的行程我可不负责了。”李束光威胁到。
“What’s up with you? If you want to be responsible, then fix Old Lin’s cartwheel properly.”
“什么玩意儿啊，你要负责，就把老林的车轱辘给修好。”
“Exactly. We hired you to handle monsters, but when the cart broke down, you didn’t say a word. If not for this brother, Old Lin would have suffered a loss in silence today.”
“对啊，请你就是为了应付怪物的，结果车坏了吭都不吭一声，要不是有这位兄弟，老林今天指定吃个哑巴亏。”
The puller called Old Lin waved his hand, “Forget it let’s leave it at that. Better to cause less trouble. It’s simply my bad luck today.”
名为老林的车夫倒是挥挥手：“算了算了，多一事不如少一事，今天算我倒霉。”
Li Shuguang was resentful for a long time, let out a cold snort, but didn’t make a scene. It clear this wasn’t the first escort and trade the group had done together.
李束光憋了半天，冷哼了声，并没发作。几人应该是不止这一次的护送交易了。
Zuo Feixian lowly said to Xu Xiuchuan, that here even the bodyguard can bid up prices for commssion, truly a long-lived fine place.
左非闲跟徐秀川低声交谈道，在这边连保镖还能抬价抽成，真是个长命的好地方。
But there is no court here. Violating verbal agreements either faces no punishment or results in a fierce fight. It’s a place where only the strong can survive.
但这里没有法庭，口头上的约定违反起来要么没有任何惩罚，要么就是一场恶战，是有实力才能待的地儿。
Li Shuguang had clearly grown accustomed to such freeloading behavior. Beyond scolding them a couple of times, he turned to YangZicang and said:
李束光显然已经习惯了这种跑单行为，他除了责怪了几人两句，冲杨子藏道：
“Brother Jiazi, let’s travel together.”
“甲子兄弟，咱们一块儿上路吧。”
A few of them jeered and teased Li Shuguang.
几人笑哈哈的将李束光酸了顿。
YangZicang weighed the bag containing ten or so Lost Model fragments and said, “No, we still need to find someone.”
杨子藏惦了惦装了十来个失念模型的袋子：“不了，我们还要找人。”
Not long after walking further, they began to make out structures built from piled rocks.
继续前行不远，逐渐能看到岩石垒砌的建筑。
Calling it a shantytown might do it a disservice. This place already has the scale of a small town or village, with a sizable population.
说是棚户区已经有点诋毁人家了，这里已经具备村镇的规模，人口也比较多。
Comparison brings pain. That squatter settlement gathering at Ning Yang’s place is indeed a slum compared to here.
有对比就有伤害，宁洋那种地方的棚区聚集地，跟这儿比的确是贫民窟。
……
……
At that moment, over a hundred kilometers away, Ning Yang was squatting dejectedly by the entrance to the shantytown, waiting for the returning cargo fleet.
此刻，远在一百多公里外的宁洋，正失魂落魄地蹲在棚区门口，等着回来的货队。
Having lost access to both water and boiler engines, Ning Yang regarded this excursion to obtain blueprints as the last hope to turn his settlement’s fortune around.
已经失去水源和锅炉引擎的宁洋将这次获得蓝图的行动，当成了聚集地翻身的最后依仗。
Before long, a column formed by human figures and flatbed carts appeared on the horizon.
不多时，一条由人影和板车组成的队伍出现在地平线上。
Zhao Qi’s cargo fleet had arrived as promised.
赵启的货队如约而至。
……
……
As Su Li walked, tears seeped from the corner of his eye. He wiped them away, and others came toward him.
苏黎边走着眼角边渗出丝眼泪，他擦了擦，几人迎面而来。
Having trekked for quite a while and rarely seeing anyone come back from the woods, Xu Xiuchuan couldn’t help but ask, “Excuse me, how much farther is the Liqing Material Workshop?”
难得见到有人从林中回来的，走了半晌的徐秀川忍不住发问：“请问，距离黎晴材料坊还有多远呐？”
The young man who had been rushing out on his own immediately stopped, his crying voice not yet dissipated, he said, “Is there something you need?”
那自顾自往外跑的青年立即停下，用还没消散的哭腔道：“你们有什么事吗？”
“I want to buy some Lost-Obsession Models, and go see this brother-boss’s place there.”
“我想买点失念模型，想去那里的什么兄弟家看看。”
Su Li’s face changed immediately. “No, go somewhere else.”
苏黎脸色一变，“没有，你们去别处吧。”
Yang Zicang carefully surveyed the expression of the person in front of him, able to tell that the emotions concealed within were extremely unstable.
杨子藏细细扫视了眼前之人的神色，看得出来他隐藏的情绪极不稳定。
“You won’t know for sure until you go look—maybe the boss has them somewhere.”
“有没有去看了才知道，万一老板有呢。”
“I am the boss.”
“我就是老板。”
“You are? What’s wrong with you?”
“你就是？你怎么了。”
“We don’t sell Lost-Obsession Models. Go somewhere else, straight to the trade district.”
“我们不卖失念模型，你们去别处吧，直接去贸易区。”
“So what do you sell? Formulas? I could take a look at those too.”
“那你卖什么，配方？我也可以看看。”
Yang Zicang took a few steps forward, and Su Li was still blocking the way ahead, holding herself up with her hands. There must definitely be something wrong.
杨子藏往前走了几步，苏黎还挡在前方拿手撑着自己，肯定是那边有问题。
“You can tell me if there’s anything going on,” Yang Zicang said in a low voice.
“有什么事可以告诉我。”杨子藏轻声道。
“I…” Su Li’s voice was somewhat trembling as she shook her head violently. “You can’t handle this. Leave now!”
“我…”苏黎声音都有点颤抖，他剧烈的摇摇头：“你们不行，快离开吧！”
Zuo Feixian narrowed his eyes, while Xu Xiuchuan hummed a tune fixedly staring at Su Li—anyone could tell there was some issue in that house between them.
左非闲眯着眼，徐秀川嘴中哼哼盯着苏黎，任谁都看得出来那屋子里有问题。
Yang Zicang’s back manifested the shadow of the White Shadow Thought-Dragon.
杨子藏背后浮现出白影念龙的虚影。
Su Li jumped back in surprise and took a step backward, shaking. “You’re red too!”
苏黎吓一跳地颤抖后退了步。“你也是红的！”
A ring inscribed with runes appeared in the sky before Yang Zicang’s chest, with a quadrilateral slowly rotating within him.
杨子藏胸前浮现出圆环，四边形在其中缓缓旋转。
White. Do you think I can make it through now?”
“白的。你觉得现在我能行了吗？”
……
……
Outside the sparsely built town stood various houses: some hanging plaque signs of gathering grounds, others suspended over their doorways with distinctive titles individually inscribed thereupon.
建筑稀稀拉拉的镇子外面还耸立着不同的屋子，有的挂着聚集地的名字，有的门头挂着各自起的名。
These are outposts established by people from nearby small and medium-sized settlements, leveraging Wuyou’s reputation to do business.
这些都是附近中小聚集地的人在此处建立的各自据点，借无忧的名气来做生意。
Since they came from this direction, Yang Zicang and his two companions were the first to see the building with the signboard reading “Li Qing Material Workshop.”
因为是从这个方向来的，杨子藏三人当先便看到了那栋挂着“黎晴材料坊”立牌的屋子。
Dingling~ Yang Zicang pushed open the door, and the brass bell behind it rang with a crisp sound.
叮铃~杨子藏推开门，门后的黄铜铃铛响起清脆的声音。
Inside, someone who looked similar to Su Li had already pieced together several stone slabs. The man squatting beside the formation was pulling his hand back from a piece of lost thought engine material, while a chaotic faint glow radiated from the center of the room.
屋内跟苏黎长相相似的人已将几块石板拼凑在一起。蹲在法阵旁的男人，正将手从一份失念引擎材料上缩回来，屋子正中散发着团混沌的微光。
Noticing the newcomers, Su Qing turned her head to look over.
瞧见人进来，苏晴转头看了过来。
“Guests? Oh, brother, you’re back.” Su Qing, who had been squatting, stood up and calmly glanced at Su Li behind the group.
“客人？喔，哥你回来了。”蹲着的苏晴站起身来，平静地看向几人身后的苏黎。
Su Li turned his head away.
苏黎转过头去。
It was true that the two of them hadn’t had “lost thought models” to sell recently. But right now, this person who looked exactly like his brother was refining a lost thought engine!
最近自己两人没有“失念模型”卖，这是真的。可此刻，这外貌跟弟弟一模一样的人正在炼制失念引擎！
Xu Xiuchuan and Zuo Feixian exchanged a glance behind Yang Zicang and shook their heads slightly.
徐秀川和左非闲在杨子藏背后互瞥了下，轻轻摇头。
Inside the house, made of alternating stone and wooden planks, a quiet atmosphere prevailed. Yang Zicang swept his gaze around the room and found nothing unusual.
石头和木板相间砌出来的屋内此刻散发着静谧的气氛。杨子藏扫视了眼屋内，发现没什么异常。
“We’d like to buy some lost thought models.”
“我们想买点失念模型。”
“Sorry, we only handle material trading and processing here. If you go next door to Wuyou’s trade district, you’ll easily find some.”
“不好意思，这边只进行材料交易和加工，你去隔壁无忧的货贸区，会很容易收到。”
“I told you we don’t have them. Please leave now,” said Su Li from the doorway.
“我说过没有了，你们快走吧。”门口的苏黎也说道。
Su Li forced herself to hold steady… The one impersonating her younger brother moved so fast that in just this short time, he had already selected a complete set of fossils from the piled materials and even started attempting to craft a “Primeval Relic”—a Lost Thought Engine.
苏黎强提着口气…那冒充弟弟的人动作好快，就这么会儿，已经从堆积的材料中选出了成套化石，甚至已经开始尝试制作“远古遗珍”的失念引擎。
“Primeval Relic” was the name her brother and that customer surnamed Gu had given to it, a term for something much older in this world.
“远古遗珍”是弟弟和那位顾姓顾客所起的名字，是对这个世界更为久远的一种物品的称呼。
Yang Zicang cast his gaze downward at the materials on the floor.
杨子藏的目光下撇，看向地面上的材料。
It was only then that he smelled an extremely faint scent of blood in the air. Had “Silent Night” not heightened his innate perception of the surroundings, he might never have detected it. To be precise, this wasn’t so much smelling as it was confirming through perception.
此刻他才嗅到，空气中散发着极其微弱的血腥味。若不是沉吟之夜加深了自己对周围环境的本能感知，恐怕都嗅不出来。确切的说这也不是嗅出来的，而是借助感知所确认到的。
Yang Zicang spoke: “What you’re trying to craft—is it fossil relics?”
杨子藏开口道：“你想制作的是化石遗物吗？”
“Oh?” Su Qing’s eyes flickered. “Fossil relics—where did you hear that term?”
“哦？”苏晴的眸光闪了下：“化石遗物，你从哪儿听来的？”
“Some of my friends who coexist with nightmare specters told me about it. Come to think of it, I don’t even know what it’s called around here.”
“我的一些跟恶魇供生的朋友告诉我的，说起来，我还不知道这边怎么叫它呢。”
Upon hearing Yang Zicang’s mention of “friends who coexist with nightmare specters,” Su Li beside him retreated a couple steps without a trace.
听到杨子藏说“恶魇供生的朋友”，他身边的苏黎不着痕迹地后退两步。
At this moment, Su Li was like a startled bird—even knowing that the three before him were all Silver-White Models, in this lawless place, no one would genuinely trust others solely based on that. Those silly enough to believe everything they heard would sooner or later be devoured whole.
苏黎此刻宛如惊弓之鸟，哪怕他知道眼前三人都是银白模型，但在这无法之地，谁也不会真的因此而全然相信别人。那种傻呵呵什么都信的人，迟早会被别人吃得骨头都不剩。
Standing before the ball of light, Su Qing turned around to look over:
光团前的苏晴转过身看过来：
“You actually know about fossil relics.”
“你竟然知道化石遗物。”