These weapons were exquisitely crafted. There were folded and forged swords, as well as military knives cut from special steel. They were incomparable to the cheap knock-offs found on the streets. Due to their materials and craftsmanship, they were naturally expensive, clearly the beloved collectibles of their original owners.
Tang Zhen inspected them and selected two long knives, setting them aside to give to Qian Long.
Tang Zhen had observed carefully that Qian Long seemed to be the strongest among this group of people. Everyone else was very cautious around him, and even the organizer was polite to him.
Befriending such a person would do him no harm!
The rest of the swords and knives were wrapped in a tattered blanket by Tang Zhen and placed casually to the side. Compared to the importance wanderers placed on weapons, Tang Zhen didn't value these knives much. If he could return to Earth, these knives could be bought with money.
After a short rest, the search continued.
Perhaps due to the doubled luck, Tang Zhen found more banknotes, gold and silver ornaments in this room, and also a good amount of cigarettes and alcohol.
After confirming that no corners were missed, Tang Zhen began to collect and pack the spoils. Just before leaving to collect brain beads, Tang Zhen also found a large gold chain, weighing nearly a hundred grams, around the zombie's neck!
Tang Zhen naturally accepted this wealth without hesitation.
After leaving the room, Tang Zhen suddenly remembered something.
According to what Qian Long had said earlier, there was usually a hidden room or a basement in such abandoned buildings. Inside, there would be one or more powerful monsters guarding a cornerstone. Once obtained, one could establish their own tower city through a certain ritual!
Tang Zhen really wanted to get the cornerstone, but he currently didn't have the ability to take it from the monsters.
According to Qian Long's account, the monsters guarding the cornerstone were not only powerful in combat, but some even possessed extremely strange and magical powers. Ordinary people were no match for them; fighting them would only be suicide.
Qian Long couldn't clearly explain how powerful the monsters' combat abilities were, but they were very formidable!
Even if these powerful monsters were defeated regardless of the cost, and the precious cornerstone was obtained, it didn't mean that the tower city could be successfully established.
It was said that after establishing a tower city, one also had to deal with monster attacks and persist for a sufficient amount of time or fulfill certain conditions before being recognized by the gods of this world, and only then would the tower city be officially completed.
Therefore, although the solitary wanderers knew about the existence of the cornerstone, few would overestimate themselves and try to obtain it, even though its acquisition price was very high.
Under normal circumstances, after an abandoned building was explored, it would stand alone in the wilderness until the cornerstone was taken, after which it would slowly collapse into ruins.
But for Tang Zhen, who was determined to seek wealth and prosperity in this world, the cornerstone was a very important item that could help him establish his own tower city and recruit a group of residents to serve him.
This way, he could continuously acquire wealth from this world without having to do it himself.
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In the open space in front of the abandoned building, the wanderers who had completed their search were gathering together. Some wanderers were preparing to display items they didn't need for trade. After the transactions were completed, all the wanderers would quickly leave to avoid being robbed by bandits and tower city legions who might come upon hearing the news.
Tang Zhen noticed that two wanderers hadn't appeared, presumably having met with misfortune during the room search.
He checked each stall, distinguishing the items the wanderers were trading, and found that wanderers didn't value gold and silver currency much. They usually wouldn't pick it up if they encountered it, and even if they did, they didn't attach much importance to it. Banknotes were like waste paper to wanderers; no one would even bother to pick them up.
The most expensive and best-selling items in the market were three: clothing, food, and weapons!
Tattered clothes were common when exploring abandoned buildings, but abandoned buildings themselves were not common, so the price of clothing among wanderers was neither high nor low.
Food's importance was always paramount. Wanderers mostly obtained food from the wilderness, but the barren wilderness clearly couldn't easily fill the wanderers' stomachs. So the price of food remained high, and some food from abandoned buildings could even fetch a good price among wanderers.
The best-selling and highest-priced items were, naturally, good weapons!
The chance of encountering weapons while exploring abandoned buildings was very low, and even if occasionally found, they were mostly kitchen knives or iron rods. Therefore, most wanderers used crude self-made weapons. As it concerned their lives, wanderers would often spare no expense to buy good weapons when they were available for sale.
Tang Zhen being able to obtain so many knives at once was absolutely a stroke of extreme luck; the double luck card played a crucial role!
With a plan in mind, Tang Zhen found an empty spot next to Qian Long and displayed all items except the valuables, including the knives he had found.
As soon as these knives were displayed, they immediately attracted the attention of the wanderers, and almost everyone gathered around. They looked at the weapons with greedy eyes, secretly envying Tang Zhen's good fortune, and some also started asking for prices.
Qian Long also looked at the knives with longing eyes, but soon his gaze cleared. He glanced at Tang Zhen, who seemed a bit bewildered by the wanderers' inquiries, and quickly spoke up: "This one is fifty first-level brain beads, this one is eighty first-level brain beads, and this one is a hundred!"
Tang Zhen smiled and nodded, agreeing with Qian Long's pricing, but felt pleasantly surprised by how high the knives could sell for. He hadn't expected the price of weapons in this world to be so high. It seemed he should quickly get a batch of swords and knives to sell after he returned.
It turned out that the prices Qian Long quoted were not expensive. Several wanderers, upon hearing the quoted prices, immediately pulled out their personal pouches and handed brain beads to Tang Zhen, one by one.
Wanderers with ample brain beads immediately fondled their newly acquired weapons with great affection. As for wanderers who didn't have enough brain beads, Tang Zhen allowed them to make up the difference with gold, silver, and banknotes, which caused some wanderers to secretly mock Tang Zhen for being simple-minded, then happily traded with him.
Qian Long also seemed puzzled by Tang Zhen's actions, but he didn't ask any questions.
The trading scene was lively. The dozen or so knives and various small items Tang Zhen had acquired were quickly traded away, in exchange for a large pile of brain beads, which Tang Zhen estimated to be at least a thousand.
After the transaction ended, Tang Zhen called Qian Long aside and gave him one of the long knives he had previously set aside.
This long knife had a slender appearance, likely a Miao knife. Judging by its patterns and craftsmanship, it seemed to be made using a combination of folded forging and differential hardening, making the blade moderately flexible and exceptionally sharp.
Qian Long didn't decline. His eyes lit up as he took the long knife, carefully caressed it for a moment, and then forcefully pressed a bag of brain beads into Tang Zhen's hand.
"It's definitely not enough, but this is all I have left," Qian Long said, with a hint of apology in his tone.
"I don't want it, you keep it," Tang Zhen pushed the bag Qian Long offered back, firmly refusing to take Qian Long's brain beads. To his surprise, Qian Long was even more direct, throwing the knife back at Tang Zhen, indicating that if he didn't take the brain beads, he wouldn't take the knife either.
Tang Zhen, left with no choice, accepted the brain beads.
With the transactions complete and fees paid to the exploration organizer, most wanderers chose to leave quickly.
Perhaps stimulated by Tang Zhen's haul, a few individuals chose to re-enter the abandoned building, meticulously searching for any corners that might have been overlooked. This time, however, they could move freely and enter any room they wished.
Tang Zhen naturally wouldn't miss such an opportunity to get rich. Earlier, through observation, he had initially confirmed Qian Long's character as trustworthy, so this time, he and Qian Long acted together, carefully searching every corner of each room, not letting go of any valuable items.
When the two of them left the last room, the backpack they picked up was filled with banknotes, gold, silver, jewelry, and some antique odds and ends.
This time, the harvest was quite substantial. He roughly estimated that the banknotes alone amounted to no less than four to five hundred thousand. The value of the gold, silver, jewelry, and other items was immeasurable, but it was at least no less than two hundred thousand.
Tang Zhen couldn't help but secretly sigh to himself, this time he had truly become rich overnight!
After confirming that there were no more usable resources in the abandoned building, Tang Zhen and Qian Long quickly left the area and entered the wilderness, where tall grass swayed everywhere.
Staying in an abandoned building at night was absolutely forbidden, because every night, the vicinity of the abandoned building would become a paradise for monsters. They would occupy the place, and some extremely strange things would also happen. Wanderers who spent the night in an abandoned building rarely lived to see the sun rise the next day.
Therefore, spending the night in an abandoned building became a taboo for wanderers. Although Tang Zhen was curious about what would happen there at night, he wouldn't take unnecessary risks.
Although the wanderers who gathered to explore the abandoned building this time had all sworn an oath to the gods, promising not to do anything detrimental to their companions during the exploration, who could guarantee that no one would risk violating the oath and facing divine punishment to commit an act of betrayal?
Therefore, leaving early was the best strategy!
This time's harvest made Qian Long very satisfied, and he talked more on the way.
According to Qian Long, many wanderers never had the chance to explore abandoned buildings. Firstly, the chance of an abandoned building appearing was very small, and even if one was found, a group of people had to gather to be qualified to explore it. Secondly, once an abandoned building was discovered, nearby armed forces would immediately dispatch armed personnel to occupy the area, strictly prohibiting wanderers from approaching, or they would be killed without mercy.
Qian Long had wandered in the wilderness for so many years, and during that time, he had only explored three abandoned buildings.
When it was time to part ways, Qian Long asked Tang Zhen if he was willing to wander and explore with him, so they could look out for each other.
He frankly stated that he had a good impression of Tang Zhen. There was no numbness in his eyes like ordinary wanderers, and his way of handling things was also very good. If it weren't for these reasons, he wouldn't have spoken up, as he had been wandering alone all these years.
Tang Zhen's heart stirred upon hearing this. The other party had also left a good impression on him—righteous and straightforward, and despite their short acquaintance, he had always looked out for him. Tang Zhen needed a guide in this world, and after establishing a tower city, he would also need a trustworthy person to help him. Qian Long seemed to fit the criteria well.
Tang Zhen thought for a moment that having a local guide would be good, so he nodded and agreed to venture into the endless wilderness with Qian Long.