Chapter 2 – Exploring the Other World

(unedited version)

After finishing the skewers, Cheng Zhou set off to return to his rented room.

Cheng Zhou picked up a package from the express delivery cabinet at the entrance of the estate.

Back in the rented room, Cheng Zhou quickly closed the door and opened the package. There was an electric baton in the package, which was the “object” purchased by Cheng Zhou.

Not long ago, Cheng Zhou worked night shifts until later than 11:00 pm. When he came home, it was already early morning, and the road was deserted.

Cheng Zhou saw a meteor landing on the way. Before he could react, a beam of light penetrated his body. After that, he found himself in an ancient forest.

At that time, Cheng Zhou was confused and thought he was dreaming. However, soon he heard a howl of wild animals. A wild animal that looked like a mountain boar rushed straight towards him.

The beast resembles somewhat like a mountain boar. Different from the mountain boar, it has horns like a ram on its head, which makes it look more ferocious than ordinary mountain boars.

Cheng Zhou runs away in fear. The mountain road is rugged. When Cheng Zhou feels that he is going to be hit by a horned boar and was paralyzed, he suddenly returns to the road he was taking on his way home.

Walking on the wide road, Cheng Zhou thought he was too tired, so he fell into a dream.

After returning to the rented room, Cheng Zhou found that his clothes and shoes were soiled and covered with grass and leaves.

Cheng Zhou intuitively thought that he should have encountered a supernatural event. For two days, he just rested. Cheng Zhou couldn’t restrain his curiosity. Recalling his experience that night, he unconsciously thought of going to the other world again. As a result, a light suddenly appeared on him, and then he was swept into the forest he saw previously.

This time, Cheng Zhou didn’t see the wild horned mountain boar again but saw the dung left by it.

When Cheng Zhou wanted to continue exploring the jungle, a colorful snake fell from the tree. Cheng Zhou quickly thought of the rented room in fear, and with a stroke of luck, he return to it.

It has been eight days since that last exploration of the other world. During this period, Cheng Zhou has been wavering whether to continue the exploration or not, but he can’t make up his mind.

The previous two experiences told him that his body can enter a strange world, which is full of opportunities and dangers.

He knows nothing about that world. It would be too unjustifiable for him to die in an unknown world.

These days, Cheng Zhou has been hesitating whether to be an ordinary person or gamble to see if he has a chance to turn over from being a salted fish.

If the work had been smooth sailing, Cheng Zhou might not have made up his mind so quickly. However, now that the work is gone, Cheng Zhou felt that this was a hint from God. Dying from overeating are the brave ones while dying from hunger are cowards. He was destined not to be mediocre in his life. He will either achieve success and fame or die in a foreign world.

Cheng Zhou changed into a jacket specially designed for field exploration. Armed with an electric baton and a military knife bought from Taobao, he was thinking silently in his heart to go into the other world.

A green light appeared in the rented room. Cheng Zhou passed through the green light and appeared in the forest again.

Cheng Zhou discovered that he will appear wherever he disappeared from the last time.

Fortunately, when he entered the forest this time, I didn’t see a wild boar or a snake.

Afraid of being bitten by a snake, Cheng Zhou deliberately sprinkled a lot of realgar powder on his body before he came. Although he doesn’t know whether realgar powder in this world will be useful against snakes in this world, it’s always more reassuring to sprinkle some on himself.

Cheng Zhou is trekking in the mountains. This is the third time he has come to this magical world. Compared with the previous two times, with psychological preparation, Cheng Zhou is much calmer than before.

This is Cheng Zhou’s first formal exploration of the foreign world. Cheng Zhou is both nervous and excited.

After walking in the mountains for more than an hour, Cheng Zhou found a series of footprints. Cheng Zhou realized that there should be indigenous people in this world.

A burst of the howling of wild animals and a string of strange language that he didn’t understand came into Cheng Zhou’s ears.

Cheng Zhou followed the sound and saw several people in sackcloth and straw sandals confronting a huge beast.

The beast confronting several indigenous people looks familiar. It’s that horned wild boar Cheng Zhou met the last time.

Seeing Cheng Zhou, the horned wild boar immediately gave up on several of the indigenous people and rushed straight towards Cheng Zhou.

Cheng Zhou turned on the electric baton and stabbed the horned mountain boar. A minute later, the mountain boar fell to the ground and was convulsing.

The electric baton bought by Cheng Zhou is actually contraband. It took Cheng Zhou 800 silver yuan. The seller advertised that the electric baton can stun an elephant within ten seconds. However, it took a full minute to stun the mountain boar. He did not know whether the seller’s propaganda is exaggerated, or whether the horned wild boar is too bristly and its skin too thick, which even surpasses the elephant.

This minute felt like a long time for Cheng Zhou. Fortunately, a minute later, the horned boar fell to the ground and lost consciousness.

Seeing that the mountain boar was stunned, several indigenous people knelt down and muttered something through their mouths. Unfortunately, Cheng Zhou couldn’t understand a single word.

Cheng Zhou glanced at the several indigenous people and sighed to himself that the language barrier is really a huge problem. Otherwise, he can ask about the situation of this world and save a lot of time.

Several indigenous people stared at the mountain boar with greedy eyes and the electric baton in Cheng Zhou’s hand with awe.

Cheng Zhou talked with several people for a while, like a chicken talking with a duck. A few people helped Cheng Zhou carry wild boar and returned to the village.

As soon as Cheng Zhou entered the village, he immediately felt like returning to the primitive society.

The houses in the village are dilapidated, and some thatched houses even have poor wind and cold protection at first sight.

The village head greeted Cheng Zhou and warmly welcomed him.

The village head viewed Cheng Zhou in awe. From time to time, he secretly glanced at the electric baton in his hand and muttered a series of words. Cheng Zhou listened somewhat helplessly and was bewildered.

Seeing that Cheng Zhou didn’t speak, the village head thought that Cheng Zhou had a high status and disdained to talk to him. His attitude towards Cheng Zhou became more and more respectful.

Cheng Zhou wandered around the village and saw a large field.

Wheat should be planted in the fields here, some of which are like rye. The wheat has begun to grow ears, and the color is dark. Most of the wheat is short, and it looked poorly nourished at first sight.

There is one field of wheat that is an exception. The wheat in this field is unusually tall, and the ears of the wheat are heavy. It looks like a giant that suddenly appears among a group of dwarfs.

At first, Cheng Zhou thought that the wheat planted in the two wheat fields belonged to different varieties. However, looking around, he only found that there seemed to be no other difference in that special wheat field except that the wheat grew lusher.

Cheng Zhou gazed at the wheat field on the left and the one on the right. It was obvious that the fertility of the land was similar, but the growth of seedlings in the two wheat fields was very different.

The village head looked at Cheng Zhou, hesitated, and took out a chubby insect that seemed like a baby silkworm.

The insect was held in the palm of the hand by the village head. Its body bulged up and sent out green light waves. Then, the wheat seedlings in the field rose in the blink of an eye.

Seeing this scene, waves of shock suddenly surged up Cheng Zhou’s heart.

Cheng Zhou thought he had arrived in an undeveloped primitive world. Suddenly, he found that he might have arrived in a magical world.

The crops here can grow rapidly by relying on insects, which are better than chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Cheng Zhou glanced at the insect in the village head’s palm and couldn’t help but flash the color of envy in his eyes.

It’s amazing that there are such magical insects in this world. If he can bring this insect back to his own world, he doesn’t know whether he can use this insect to accelerate the growth of some precious medicinal herbs. If he can use this insect to accelerate the growth of ginseng, saffron, and other precious medicinal plants, will he not be rich?

Seeing the envy on Cheng Zhou’s face, the village head carefully put the bug away. He stretched out two fingers and kept gesturing at Cheng Zhou. Cheng Zhou didn’t understand much but generally understood that there seemed to be something wrong with the worm. The village head didn’t want to give the worm to himself.

Cheng Zhou took out his military knife and dismembered the pork. Then he motioned to the villagers that they could barter and exchange the things.

He doesn’t know whether the villagers didn’t understand or were too poor. There was nothing to trade at all. The villagers stared at Cheng Zhou for a long time and didn’t move.

After a long time, the village head took out a silver coin and Cheng Zhou wielded the knife to cut a pork leg to the village head.

In fact, Cheng Zhou doesn’t really want silver coins. Gold coins may still be acceptable but silver coins are not worth any value. However, Cheng Zhou feels that the village head seems to have made a good start, or he can play the role of throwing bricks to attract jade.

Unfortunately, the crowd fell into silence again. Perhaps the village head was a rare rich family in the village, and other residents in the village couldn’t take out silver coins.

Cheng Zhou peeked greedily at the worm in the village head’s palm. The village head shrugged and smiled.

A seven or eight-year-old child eyed at Cheng Zhou for a while, then took out a wooden box with a worm lying in it.

The villagers looked at the worm taken out by the child, one by one, they were shocked, with panic permeating in their eyes.

Cheng Zhou was intrigued and said in secret: If feeling sleepy, a pillow is sent. He just wanted an insect, and it was sent to him. But what was with the expressions of the villagers? Are they so reluctant?

The opportunity could not be lost or it would never come again. Fearing that the child would regret it, Cheng Zhou quickly cut off a leg and handed it to the boy.

The boy handed the insect to Cheng Zhou and ran away just as fast as he was afraid Cheng Zhou would regret it.

Cheng Zhou watched the boy run away and said in secret: The boy ran too fast. He initially wanted to cut more pork for the boy. After all, he got a magical insect. He didn’t expect the other party to run like this.

Several villagers looked in the direction the boy left. In panic and envy, a few villagers couldn’t help but whisper.

The insect reached Cheng Zhou’s hand and bit him. Then it quickly integrated into Cheng Zhou’s body.

After the insect enters the body, Cheng Zhou feels the strength in his body drained quickly.

Feeling the exhaustion of his strength, Cheng Zhou subconsciously clenched the electric baton in his hand. Although these foreign indigenous people were in awe of him, if he fell into exhaustion, these people might attack him. At this time, only the electric baton can give him a sense of security.

Cheng Zhou waited a little longer. Seeing that no one was willing to trade pork, he closed the stall.

Cheng Zhou asked three people to help move the remaining wild boar meat to the entrance of the forest. After arriving at the entrance of the forest, Cheng Zhou cut three pieces of pork as a reward and sent them away.

After confirming that the villagers left, Cheng Zhou silently meditated his thoughts on his rented room, and then returned to his original world smoothly.