C4 The Rules That must be Followed

"Little Bao, I'm not trying to discourage you, but even though your Liu family's village is on the main road leading out of the city, bustling with traffic every day, your little grocery store just isn't going to make it. It's too small, and no matter how well-stocked it may be, it can't hold a candle to the supermarkets at either end of the village. Better to cut your losses now and save your money."

The village secretary had stopped by at noon, clearly not optimistic about the grocery store's prospects, and was attempting to persuade Bao Guo to shut it down.

"Third Grandpa, like I've told you, my uncle and mother are the ones who wanted me to open this shop. They even pay me a monthly salary. I'm just here for fun. If I feel like it, I open up; if not, I go out and play. I'm not relying on the shop to make much money. Honestly, I'm just the doorman here. You get what I mean?"

The old secretary drew on his cigarette and exhaled with a sigh. "I'll never understand you city folks, throwing good money away like that. It's just burning cash. Well, I'm heading back. My wife made dumplings; you should come over and join us."

"Sounds good. I'll bring a bottle of wine, and we can have a toast, just the two of us."

"Good lad! Bring over that bottle of Mianzhu. That's how family does it, ha!"

...

Staggering out of the old secretary's house, Bao Guo could barely walk straight. The old man had insisted on just one drink, but they ended up downing half a bottle each, getting thoroughly drunk and ending up arm in arm, calling each other brothers. If his father caught wind of this, he'd be in for a scolding and might have to say goodbye to those dumplings in the future.

Back in the courtyard and freshened up with well water, Bao Guo didn't bother to inventory the scattered merchandise. He was ready to teleport to the other side, but a sudden memory jolted him.

"What in the world? Rules that I have to follow?"

It seemed to be a set of rules, akin to traffic regulations or something similar. Whatever it was, it was clear that these were rules that couldn't be ignored.

"How many items can one transport from one realm to another? You're supposed to bring an equal amount back to maintain the balance of order. What kind of rule is this?"

"Eating a ton over there and then eating some more on this side—does that need to be balanced too?"

Bao Guo paused, realization dawning on him. That was exactly it. To teleport, he needed to consume something first. He was ready to transport himself with a dozen unsharpened knife blanks, a bag of coarse salt, and a heap of spices when he was abruptly stopped. The message was crystal clear: taking items over was fine, but an equal amount must be returned, otherwise...

"Otherwise what? Why can't I remember the consequence? If I only take items one way and not the other, or vice versa, what will happen? Could it be fatal?"

A chill ran down Bao Guo's spine. Death was a grim subject; his grand life was just beginning, and he had no desire to end it. Perhaps it was best to weigh everything first for peace of mind.

"The total is just over 61 kilograms. So, I just need to bring back an equivalent weight from the other side, right? But surely I can't be expected to lug a scale back and forth—it's exhausting, not to mention this scale is an old-fashioned mechanical one, incredibly heavy."

No sooner had he spoken than the scale, along with all the items he'd prepared, vanished.

"What in the world?" Bao Guo stood there, dumbfounded. What was happening? In the gaping void of his mind, those items were still present.

"More scrambled memories. The Void Crow will grow, enlarging the space within itself. That means I'll be able to carry even more in the future. It's just like the Xumi Naqi from online novels—I've got my own personal storage space. How awesome is that?"

With a goofy grin, Bao Guo teleported away.

...

"Father, we've looked everywhere three times over. No signs of him. The dogs can't pick up his scent, and there are no footprints. He's vanished into thin air. Do you think he could be one of those untouchable bigwigs?" Anna's red eyes brimmed with worry. She was scared, as was everyone in the village. Bao Guo's abrupt disappearance left no clues. If he returned with a cadre of formidable allies, what would become of their small village of just over a thousand souls if they were targeted?

"Don't worry. I saw him leave with a piece of our meat and a smile on his face. I've got a feeling he'll be back."

With a loud "Bang!" the wooden door was abruptly slammed open. The scar-faced twins nearly tumbled in together, exclaiming, "Village Chief, Village Chief, that man, he's back and he's brought a whole load of stuff with him. You've got to come see this!"

By the time Village Chief Krod, along with Anna and others, arrived at the village's small square, Bao Guo was already encircled by a throng of over a hundred villagers. Their faces were beet red as they shouted and reached out to him, resembling a scene from a doomsday movie where the protagonist is swarmed by zombies.

"Back off, everyone! What's this chaos? Is this how we treat our esteemed guest? Make way!" Krod's stern rebuke was a first since he'd become the leader of Black Stone Village.

"Village Chief, we mean no disrespect. It's just that this gentleman has what we desperately need. And it seems he's open to trading. Come, have a look. There's top-notch salt and even some weapons."

Salt was the most elusive commodity for Black Stone Village, indeed, for all the villages and towns surrounding the Dark Forest. If this gentleman could secure a constant supply, they had to make a deal. They'd offer anything they had in the village in exchange.

In reality, Bao Guo hadn't brought much—mostly blade blanks that were somewhat heavy, along with salt and spices. He was still unfamiliar with the area, but from their diet, it was clear they were either out of salt or severely lacking it. Bao Guo's gamble paid off; the village had run out of salt, and with the rainy season making trade impossible, they had been suffering. Now that he had brought salt, the possibilities for trade had multiplied.

"Sir, please look at this hide. It's premium wild wolf skin, perfect for crafting high-quality leather armor."

"Sir, take a look at this pouch of dried herbs. You could trade it in town for a good number of copper coins."

Bao Guo, of course, couldn't understand a word. Everyone was speaking their own language, a flurry of wild gesticulations, pointing at what they desired and offering what they had. If both parties had what the other wanted, a trade was made. It was bartering at its most fundamental.

"I don't want the leather, and I certainly don't want to end up in jail, ma'am. I do appreciate genuine leather goods, but if I take them back, I'll be arrested. And what kind of leather is this, anyway? Dinosaur skin? Goodness."

"I'm not interested in meat, dear. If I wanted meat, why would I trade for fur? I'm looking for something more unusual. But honestly, I have no idea what valuable things they possess. And these herbs? I haven't the faintest idea what they're for."

When a disheveled child with a bare bottom and a face smeared with grime approached, clutching a large basket of green bean pods, tugging at his clothes, and pointing first to the coarse salt grains and then to the contents of the basket, Bao Guo felt a pang of compassion. The child was gaunt, his sallow complexion a stark testament to his plight.

"Little one, are you offering to trade this basket of bean pods for some coarse salt? Well, you'll need to tell me what they are first. Actually, never mind, just explain what they're used for."

The child clearly didn't understand Bao Guo's words, but he was clever. Flashing a grin that revealed blackened teeth, the child must have recently eaten something that left his mouth filled with dark residue. He then selected a green bean pod, about a dozen centimeters long, snapped it open, and extracted several tender green beans, larger than a pea. Crushing them in his palm, he rubbed the paste onto his teeth.

"Hey, that's incredible! Hand it over, I want to give it a try."

Bao Guo watched in amazement as the child's mouth, once full of black gunk, was cleaned by the green bean juice, leaving his teeth sparkling white. It was no wonder the locals, despite their rough appearance, had such startlingly white teeth—it was the magic of these beans.

"Here's the deal: this salt for your bean pods, agreed?" Bao Guo dumped the child's bean pods onto the ground and filled his large basket with a generous helping of coarse salt. The child, overjoyed, prostrated himself on the ground in a peculiar salute before scampering off.

Well, as soon as the crowd saw Bao Guo accepting that object, they scattered in an instant. No amount of calling out from Bao Guo could stop them. He was obviously planning to take it back for testing. Who could tell if the thing was toxic or had some other effect?

At that moment, Bao Guo was holding up his phone, flipping on the front camera, and flashing a grin full of pearly whites in anticipation of a lucrative payoff, when the red-haired beauty approached. She leaned in close to the phone, her face filled with curiosity, as she peered into the screen.