Day four of rationing started with Little Sparrow fainting.
Not dramatically. Just stopped mid-sentence while arguing with Wei Lin about Gerald’s structural analysis capabilities and folded like a puppet with cut strings. Hunter caught him before he hit the ground. The kid weighed nothing. Ten years old and hollow feeling.
"He’s fine," Wei Lin said. Clinical. Diagnostic. "Caloric deficiency induced syncope. His body mass index was already suboptimal. Reduced food intake created energy deficit. Basic biology."
"He fainted because we’re starving," Hunter translated.
"That’s what I said."
Little Sparrow ca around quickly. Blinked up at Hunter with confused eyes. "Did Gerald predict this?"
"Gerald’s a rock. He doesn’t predict things."
"He tried to warn . I should have listened." The kid clutched his rock tighter. Genuinely distressed that he’d disappointed a piece of sedintary wisdom.
Hunter set him down carefully. Looked around the waystation courtyard. Everyone was working. Clearing debris. Reinforcing walls. Following Han’s thodical instructions. But they moved slower. Weaker. Three days of single al rations were showing.
i sat against a wall. Watching. Too tired to help with the junior division. Seven and a half years old and fading.
His daughter. Looking at him with those too-wise eyes that said she understood exactly how bad things were.
Hunter’s chest felt tight. Not his ribs this ti. Sothing worse.
[LUNA] FOOD STORES: CRITICAL (◕‿◕✿)
[LUNA] CURRENT SUPPLIES: 1.5 days remaining
[LUNA] PEOPLE: 15
[LUNA] RECOMNDATION: Acquire food imdiately
[LUNA] SIDE MISSION STILL AVAILABLE ♥
Not happening, Hunter thought back. We hunt tomorrow.
[LUNA] IF YOU SURVIVE THAT LONG
[LUNA] PEOPLE ARE LITERALLY FAINTING
[LUNA] BUT SURE, STICK TO YOUR MORALS (◕‿◕✿)
Hunter ignored her. Was getting practice at that. Though she had a point. They were out of ti. Tomorrow’s hunt needed to succeed or people would start dying. Not from violence. From hunger. Slow. Undramatic. Just bodies giving up.
"Rider approaching." Iron Zhou’s voice cut through the work noise. The old guard pointed south. Professional. Alert despite hunger. "Single horse. Moving fast."
Everyone stopped working. Weapons appeared. Three days of starvation hadn’t killed their paranoia.
Hunter’s spiritual sense extended. Foundation Realm awareness stretching outward. Found the rider. Alone. No hostile intent. Just urgency.
"Scout," Qiu identified. rchant experience reading the approach. "Advance rider for a caravan. They send soone ahead to check waystation conditions before committing the main group."
The rchant caravan. Two days early. Perfect timing. Terrible timing.
[LUNA] OPPORTUNITY DETECTED! (◕‿◕✿)
[LUNA] SIDE MISSION UPDATED
[LUNA] TARGET APPROACHING
[LUNA] ACCEPT NOW?
No.
[LUNA] YOU’RE SO STUBBORN
[LUNA] IT’S ANNOYING ♥
The scout arrived minutes later. Young guy. Maybe twenty. Wary eyes scanning the waystation. Saw the work crews. The ard cultivators. The children. His expression cycled through surprise, calculation, caution.
"Waystation’s occupied," he called. Staying on his horse. Ready to flee if necessary. "Didn’t know. Haven’t been through here in five years. Place was abandoned."
"It’s occupied now," Hunter confird. Trying to sound official. Legitimate. Not desperate. "Shadow Legion. We’re establishing a base here."
"Shadow Legion?" The scout’s eyebrows rose. "Never heard of you. What sect?"
"Independent."
"Rogue cultivators holding territory?" Doubt. Suspicion. "That’s unusual."
"We killed the Iron Wolves Blood Path cultivators," Qiu interjected smoothly. rchant diplomacy engaging. "Eliminated the threat in this region. Waystation is safe now. We’re offering shelter and security to travelers. For reasonable fees."
The scout’s expression shifted. Calculation winning over suspicion. "The Iron Wolves are gone? You can prove that?"
"We can show you their graves," Han offered. Tactical honesty. "Forty three victims buried properly. Six cultivators executed. The threat is eliminated."
"My employer will want verification." The scout was already thinking comrcially. "rchant Zhao. He’s been avoiding this route for years because of the bandits. If it’s really safe..."
"Tell him to co see for himself," Qiu said. "First rchant through gets favorable terms. We’re establishing regular service."
The scout nodded. Turned his horse. "I’ll inform rchant Zhao. He’ll arrive within the hour. If your claims check out, we’ll trade."
He rode off. Fast. Efficient.
Hunter looked at Qiu. "Favorable terms?"
"We need them more than they need us. Negotiating position is weak." Qiu’s rchant brain was already calculating. "But if we can establish credibility, prove the route is safe, they might trade fairly."
"Might?"
"rchants sll desperation like sharks sll blood. We’re very desperate. They’ll adjust prices accordingly."
"That’s exploitative."
"That’s economics." Qiu shrugged. "We can hope for fairness or prepare for reality. I prefer reality."
[LUNA] ROBBERY IS STILL MORE EFFICIENT (◕‿◕✿)
[LUNA] JUST SAYING
Hunter really needed Luna to have an off switch.
An hour later, five wagons rolled through the broken gates. Professional caravan. Eight guards. rchant Zhao leading. Mid forties. Sharp eyes that missed nothing. Experienced trader who’d survived thirty years of dangerous routes.
He assessed the waystation with practiced efficiency. Saw the repairs in progress. The ard cultivators. The hungry people trying to look capable. His expression gave nothing away.
"rchant Zhao." Qiu stepped forward. rchant greeting rchant. "Welco to Shadow Rest waystation. Thank you for stopping."
"Shadow Rest?" Zhao’s eyebrows rose. "That’s new. Place was naless ruins last I checked."
"Things change. We’re establishing permanent presence here. Offering security, shelter, trade opportunities."
"So I heard." Zhao dismounted. Gestured to his guards to stay alert. "You eliminated the Iron Wolves?"
"We can show you evidence."
"Please do."
Han led him to the grave site. All forty three marked graves. Then to the destroyed Blood Path camp. The cages still visible. The corruption still lingering. Physical proof of what had happened.
Zhao’s expression tightened. Professional trader seeing the cost of evil cultivation. "This is real. You really killed them."
"All of them," Han confird. "Blood Path is eliminated in this region."
"That’s significant." Zhao looked at Hunter properly now. Reassessing. "Foundation Realm?"
"Early Foundation."
"And you destroyed twenty one Blood Path cultivators with fifteen people?"
"Fourteen at the ti," Hunter corrected. "And yes. We didn’t have a choice."
"Impressive." Zhao’s tone suggested he actually ant it. "Azure Cloud Sect will want to know about this. They’ve been hunting the Iron Wolves for months."
"About that, we’ve already been investigated," Qiu said smoothly. Controlling information. "Sect knows we’re here. We’re operating with their awareness."
Not quite a lie, probably. The sects probably knew about the destruction of the evil cultivators by now. Still, not quite the truth either, definitely. rchant speak.
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
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