Chapter Twenty-Four: Have You Ever Lied to Me

This was already the second time Lin Lei had taken Yang Xueli flying.

The first time had lasted only a few dozen seconds, yet even then, sparks of affection had ignited between them. This time, the flight would take nearly an hour. If he continued to carry her in his arms like a princess, no matter how saintly Lin Lei might be, he wouldn’t be able to withstand the temptation.

So... Lin Lei found some iron chains and canvas straps, fashioned a simple sling, and had Yang Xueli sit in it while he flew.

“Tch! All thoughts, no courage,” Yang Xueli couldn’t help but sneer at his method.

After flying for about forty minutes, they reached the outskirts of a mountain range, fifty kilometers from Oxhead Mountain.

“Up ahead is Wild Wolf Ridge. Before the apocalypse, this was a nature reserve, home to many wild animals,” Yang Xueli dutifully explained, living up to her role as guide.

Wild Wolf Ridge was famous for its large wolf population.

Before the apocalypse, greedy hunters had slaughtered the wolves until they became a protected species, but after four years of recovery, who knew how many wolves now inhabited this mountain?

To be safe, Lin Lei handed the laser greatsword to Yang Xueli.

In truth, as a level-three evolver, Yang Xueli was better suited to wielding close-combat weapons. As for Lin Lei, he had a particle oscillation dagger for melee and a tactical rifle for ranged attacks, more than enough firepower.

The two ventured into the mountains, encountering many mutant plants along the way. Unfortunately, their recycling value was low, and Lin Lei didn’t want to waste time.

Soon, with help from the system, Lin Lei discovered their first mutant beast.

A level-one mutant wild boar, worth 0.05 contribution points upon killing.

“Only 0.05 contribution points? A level-one crystal core alone is worth 0.1 points!” Lin Lei muttered to the system while Yang Xueli wasn’t looking.

“This wild boar does not contain a mutant beast crystal core,” the system replied.

Thankfully, a level-one mutant wild boar was large enough to be worth 0.05 points. If it were a level-one mutant ant without a core, it would probably be valued by weight, just like the mutant plants.

“Damn, it works like that?” Lin Lei was surprised.

“Determining recycling value is a basic function of this system,” the system explained. By analyzing the boar’s value, it could naturally tell whether it contained a core.

“Then is there a difference in recycling value between ordinary stones and jade?” Lin Lei suddenly wondered.

In the real world, there was the gamble of jade stones. If the system could truly distinguish them, he wouldn’t mind making a tidy profit.

After all, one contribution point was worth two hundred thousand in cash. If Lin Lei got rich through stone gambling, earning a billion or two would mean four or five thousand contribution points.

“Jade is essentially a special form of stone. Its recycling value is the same as ordinary stone, with no difference, unless it is a spirit jade capable of absorbing and storing spiritual energy. In that case, the system will assess its value based on the amount of energy stored,” the system explained.

As expected, the system viewed money as worthless as ever. Diamonds, no doubt, would be valued like coal, recycled by the ton.

Earth was now in an era devoid of spiritual energy, so there was no spiritual power for jade to absorb. Lin Lei’s dreams of sudden wealth were ruthlessly dashed.

Better to focus on hunting mutant beasts for profit!

A level-one mutant wild boar was much larger than a common boar, over two meters long—like a small car—with a pair of sharp tusks over twenty centimeters in length. Clearly, it was not to be trifled with.

Unfortunately for it, it had met an even more formidable foe. Before Lin Lei could act, Yang Xueli charged in with the sword, using a tree stump to spring forward. With a flip in midair, she landed behind the boar and drove the laser sword into its skull, killing it instantly.

Clean, efficient, so quick the boar didn’t even have time to react.

When the fight was over, Lin Lei saw Yang Xueli cracking open the boar’s skull, getting herself covered in blood. Startled, he asked, “What are you doing?”

“Looking for a mutant beast’s crystal core. But it seems luck isn’t with me—there’s none in this one,” Yang Xueli replied after searching carefully.

“I see. There’s no need to dissect it, though. I have a special detection method. Time’s short; let’s just take the whole boar and dissect it later. But since you killed it, what would you like in exchange?” Lin Lei asked.

A level-one mutant wild boar was worth as much as five level-one zombies. If they traded according to their previous agreement, Yang Xueli would be at a disadvantage.

After all, wild boar meat was edible—trading five hundred pounds of boar for five pounds of rice was foolish.

“It was your weapon that killed it, anyway. If you need it, just take it,” Yang Xueli replied indifferently.

“That won’t do—even brothers keep accounts clear!” Yang Xueli had agreed to give him this mutant beast, but if they couldn’t settle on a proper exchange, he’d have to ask her every time she killed one. That would be a nuisance. After some thought, Lin Lei proposed, “How about this: for mutant beasts with a crystal core, the body is mine; for those without, I’ll keep them for now, and we’ll split them evenly when we get back.”

“Heh, even brothers keep accounts, and we’re not brothers. Divide it however you want, I don’t care,” Yang Xueli huffed, ignoring Lin Lei and heading deeper into the mountains.

“Damn, my big mouth—said the wrong thing again. Curse these rules,” Lin Lei muttered helplessly. Still, at least the agreement was clear, otherwise it would be a real loss.

Worried about Yang Xueli on her own, Lin Lei stowed the boar carcass into his storage space and hurried after her.

The two searched the forest for half the day. With the system’s guidance, they encountered more than a dozen mutant beasts—venomous mutant snakes, lightning-fast mutant hares... Even an unidentified mutant bird. But whether airborne or earthbound, none escaped their combined might.

“Not bad luck—this mutant bird has a crystal core. That’s the third core we’ve found,” Lin Lei said, trying to make conversation.

But Yang Xueli ignored him.

“Aren’t you the least bit suspicious? You’ve never checked the first two—what if I’m lying?” Lin Lei pressed.

“Have you lied to me before?” Yang Xueli suddenly asked.

“Of course not. If you don’t believe me, open it up and see—the core is definitely there,” Lin Lei swore.

At last she was willing to speak to him; he had to seize the chance.

“I’m asking—have you ever lied to me?” Yang Xueli repeated.

“Uh...”

Now he’d hoisted himself by his own petard.

Not to mention anything else—just this morning, he’d lied to Yang Xueli, saying he couldn’t eat pork.

“So you have lied to me!” Seeing his hesitation, Yang Xueli understood instantly.

“There are things I can’t explain right now. Just believe me—I have my reasons. I never meant to deceive you,” Lin Lei insisted, bracing himself.

“I don’t need your explanation. Just tell me—what exactly have you lied to me about?” When a woman is being unreasonable, there is no arguing with her.

No need for your excuses—just the truth.