Surrounded by several people, the old man realized that he wouldn't be able to escape unscathed without saying something, so he resignedly squatted down.

"Sigh, come to think of it, this happened so many years ago, but it really started a few months ago..."

Then, the old man told a long and bizarre story.

Before the end times began, this place was a prosperous and peaceful place with simple and honest people. However, a group of refugees from other countries shattered the tranquility of Qinglonggang.

They spoke a strange language, their eyes filled with pleading and despair, and eventually the indigenous people agreed to let them settle there.

Unexpectedly, after the apocalypse began, those outsiders seemed to have gained the ability to foresee the future, frantically hoarding supplies, leading to the current shortage of resources, forcing everyone to take out their tools and sell them again.

As for the beads in each person's hand, they are classified according to color grade. The lighter the color, the higher the power. Amber is considered the lowest grade.

This was strongly demanded by those who monopolized the granaries; the punishment for losing them was nothing more than whipping, roasting, and ultimately death.

After the old man finished speaking, he remained silent for a long while.

"Foreigners? So you are now subject to them."

Jiang Ruan had no memory of this. During the apocalypse, she was exhausted from traveling back and forth and had long forgotten why it started or when it started. She only remembered the result, which she had witnessed firsthand and would never forget.

"Ha, we're at their mercy. They have grain, and they want us to exchange it for money, but money has long since become worthless, completely useless. So they shamelessly thought of pearls, gold, and so on..."

The old man's veins bulged; he was utterly disgusted by their behavior. "Sir," he said, "I have a question. Since money is useless, why don't you charge some gold for setting up tents and selling calligraphy and paintings?"

Jiang Yan thought about speaking up, but he didn't understand why the old man still needed money.

"I... don't have any special skills. I know in my heart that it's not right to do business with this level of expertise. It's not just that I don't want to accept gold, but mainly because I can't get it."

The old man lowered his head, feeling both ashamed and helpless, but only for a moment before continuing to speak.

“You people shouldn’t have come. Qinglonggang has been quite unsafe lately. I knew you weren’t from here from the moment you arrived. Moreover, you lack basic awareness of the crisis.”

If I'm not mistaken, while you were eyeing this place, you yourselves also became targets in someone else's eyes; you've been watched for a while now.

His words instantly snapped An Xia, who was a little confused, out of her daze. How could they have been exposed so soon after they arrived?

"What... do you mean? We're new here and not familiar with the area, but we can't be considered a threat. There are quite a few people coming and going from Qinglonggang, we've seen a dozen or twenty of them, so why are we being targeted?"

The old man looked at An Xia, who was speaking, and pointed at her with his finger, "Because of you, you doubted the zombies I drew and loudly complained."

“You newcomers don’t know who comes and goes here. Although there are new people, they have all been recognized, so they have a familiar smell on them. Moreover, they know that the zombie I drew is the only kind of zombie here.”

Only those who recognize this kind of zombie are recognized here. You newcomers didn't go to the person in charge to gain recognition first, but instead came here to act strangely.

"Do you think you can avoid being noticed?"

As the old man spoke, his tone inevitably carried a hint of complaint and reproach.

After all, it's not a big deal if they're discovered, but we shouldn't cause them any trouble.

"In that case, all our actions will likely be noticed, and someone will probably come and have something to say about it."

Jiang Ruan looked out the door, and the sound of hurried footsteps gradually approached, confirming her guess.

"Boss, fifteen men, all of them know a thing or two." Hua Yi listened intently, having already gotten a pretty good idea of ​​the situation of the men who entered through the gate.

The old man looked at Hua Yi, who had suddenly spoken up, and thought he was quite formidable, because those fifteen people were a group that frequented the area, and they were ruthless and had a vicious eye.

"Uh-huh!"

"Who does he think he is to cause us trouble? Let's just confront him head-on and let strength decide everything!"

Duan Yu looked at the timid old man who had once again acted shrewdly, at An Xia who was somewhat worried and regretful, and at Jiang Yan who was paying attention to An Xia's expression, and felt a surge of irritation.

He suddenly stood up and stood facing the door, waiting for the fifteen people to walk in. He was just about to compose himself and teach them a lesson.

"He's acting crazy again!" Jiang Yan snapped out of her daze after Duan Yu stood up, and seeing his displeased expression, she thought he was going insane again.

He had just been staring at An Xia, thinking that from the moment they came in until now, An Xia seemed to have unintentionally exposed them, as if she knew the danger and did it on purpose.

That's why I took another look.

"Who are you people? Why didn't you report your arrival in Qinglonggang? You must come with us now!"

The leader of the group stood still, surrounded by several men with knives, and spoke with a strong voice.

Duan Yu snorted, released the pistol he had been holding, and instead drew the longsword from his waist, confronting them.

Seeing this, An Xia, Hua Yi, and the others also lined up to confront each other. The old man from before hid himself deep behind him, while Jiang Ruan slowly stood up in the tense situation.

"We're just here to take refuge. It's been very dangerous outside lately, with zombies and the plague, and we haven't had a single day of peace. That's why we're here to seek refuge. We just haven't had a chance to ask for their approval yet."

Jiang Ruan didn't want a conflict to break out so quickly. Gu An was still unaware of the situation, and it might be inappropriate for something to happen to her first.

"What? Seeking refuge? This is the first time I've ever heard of someone wanting to seek refuge in Qinglonggang. Are you really stupid or just pretending? Don't try to fool me. Come with me and we elders will tell if you're telling the truth."

"Elder?"

Jiang Ruan didn't understand, but felt that this person might be the manager he mentioned, so she nodded and said, "Okay, I'd be happy to go. I haven't had time to visit, but now I have some free time. Wait for me to pack up, and we'll leave immediately."

Jiang Ruan did not object and immediately agreed.

Anxia quickly turned around upon hearing her meaning, "Ruanruan, are you really going to visit them? They don't sound like good people. We need to be careful."

Ever since Anxia learned that danger had begun the moment she entered the Qinglonggang territory, she had been very vigilant. Apart from being dazzled by the markets upon entering and making a few comments, she had been observing the situation the whole time.

"Don't worry, Xiaxia, don't feel guilty. Everything is unknown for us here. We are a team, so relax, I know what I'm doing."

Knowing that An Xia was reminding her, Jiang Ruan smiled and patted An Xia on the back, then led the others away with the fifteen people...