In the southwestern heartland of the华府 (Huá fǔ) Greater Metropolitan Area, within the Chongshu Province, a black sports car traversed a winding mountain road outside the city of Qingchuan.
Bamboo groves were ubiquitous, and the air carried a faint, fresh scent of bamboo.
Wen Wen, as usual, was enjoying the wind on the car roof, his hands busy on the Hunter's Hub. He was auctioning off some of his unused spoils on the Hunter website.
For instance, the set of Frost Armor he'd stripped from the Ice Queen. The abdomen of this armor had been shattered by Wen Wen’s blow. To sell it, Wen Wen had conveniently modified it into a crop top…
Besides the armor, Wen Wen, who had profited handsomely from multiple missions, had far too many items to sell.
To ensure he sold them without taking a loss, he kept a close eye on market trends whenever he had free time. If similar products rose in price, he’d raise his prices too. If they fell, he’d lower his to be a single Hunter Coin cheaper than other sellers.
In short, it was great fun to play this game on a boring journey.
Actually, Wen Wen could have arrived faster by taking a plane. However, he wanted to hone his strength en route, which was why he chose to drive. Besides, Wen Wen wasn't the one driving; he only needed to enjoy the experience.
As the car neared Qingchuan city, Wen Wen climbed in from the window, curiously observing the roadside.
This was his first time in Chongshu Province, and he held certain expectations for things here.
The first was the legendary "Hell Spicy Hot Pot," rumored to provide a sensational experience from top to bottom.
The second was his desire to see the Iron-Eating Beasts!
Iron-Eating Beasts were unique and adorable animals of Chongshu Province, the most popular pet species in the entire Federation, bar none.
Their bodies resembled bears, with black and white markings, like a black and white ball of meat, incredibly charming. Adults were no larger than ordinary dogs, subsisted on bamboo, were very clingy, and made for perfect pets.
Unfortunately, they were difficult to keep alive outside of Chongshu Province, leading many residents from other regions to suspect that Iron-Eating Beasts didn't actually exist.
The Qingchuan Municipal Government had issued a notice stating that the government would provide Iron-Eating Beasts as pets for free to anyone who met certain conditions. This had led many young women to marry into Qingchuan City, which in turn had become known as the City of Iron-Eating Beasts!
Seeing the fluffy, black-and-white balls of meat scattered everywhere along the roadside, Wen Wen felt a sliver of purification in his soul. He called out to San Zai'er to stop the car, got out, and grabbed a free-roaming cub, rubbing it vigorously.
"Such a cute creature, why is it called an Iron-Eating Beast?"
An old man by the roadside said to Wen Wen, "Legend has it that in ancient times, Iron-Eating Beasts were as strong as bulls and could bite through metal, hence the name. In ancient times, the primary enemies of our ancestors in Huá fǔ were those who rode Iron-Eating Beasts into battle."
Wen Wen looked skeptically at the cub, which was busy playing with its toes, and asked, "Fighting while riding these things?"
The old man chuckled and said, "That's why they failed…"
After playing with the Iron-Eating Beast, Wen Wen got back into the car, giving San Zai'er a look of disdain. Why wasn't his pet an Iron-Eating Beast!
San Zai'er was on the verge of tears. If you've got the guts, let those cubs drive the car!
…
The car stopped at the Federation's First Curio Museum, the place Wen Wen had come to explore.
The museum occupied a vast area, but it looked somewhat dilapidated, with very few visitors.
Of course, this so-called First Curio Museum of the Federation wasn't truly the first; it simply bore that name.
Wen Wen had researched the museum online and knew it was a place that had gone to bizarre extremes to attract attention. The fact that it hadn't gone bankrupt yet was a miracle.
After paying fifty yuan for a ticket, Wen Wen stepped into the much-maligned museum. Including Wen Wen, there were only three tourists, but the museum had assigned them a guide.
As the three entered, the first exhibit stunned Wen Wen.
"Greetings, tourists. I am your guide, Qiao Kun. As everyone knows, after tree resin drips and is buried underground for tens of thousands of years, under pressure and heat, it forms fossils. These fossils are called amber."
"Insects, or fragments of flora and fauna, are often found in amber. What stands before you now is the second-largest piece of amber in the Federation. The name of this amber is, Ancient Giraffe!"
Guide Qiao Kun finished his passionate speech and awaited the exclamations of surprise from Wen Wen and the other two tourists. However, he found them all expressionless, as they were beyond being able to comment.
For behind guide Qiao Kun stood a giraffe encased in crystal!
Wen Wen rolled his eyes. Was this museum treating them like fools?
What kind of tree would produce enough resin to encase a giraffe? And what kind of foolish giraffe would allow itself to be encased by resin?
Wen Wen shook his head. Now he understood where all the bad reviews online came from. He pointed at the giraffe and said, "You claim this is the second largest in the Federation. Is there anything larger than this?"
Qiao Kun proudly replied, "The world's largest piece of amber is also in our museum. The name of that exhibit is, Ancient Tyrannosaurus Rex!"
Wen Wen was now utterly speechless. His hope of finding clues about Wen Rui in such a silly place was truly naive. Perhaps Wen Rui himself had been so shocked by this absurdity that he'd decided to stay here for a while…
However, since he'd already paid, and with the intention of seeing just how idiotic this place could get, Wen Wen followed the guide through the entire tour. Afterward, he felt his intelligence had been insulted.
There were things like a human footprint fossil from 150 million years ago, a wristwatch unearthed in 3000 BCE, a preserved alien corpse wrapped in foil, and a Tyrannosaurus Rex encased in amber. These were, at least, actual objects. For some, like the 'Cursed Mask' and the 'Black Death Virus,' the shelves were empty, with only seemingly impressive descriptions…
"This spear once pierced the first 'Saint Son' of the Creator God. Incredible power remains on it…" At the end, Qiao Kun pointed to an exquisite spear.
Wen Wen was beyond words. If he remembered correctly, the spear that pierced the Saint Son was still preserved at the Church of Glory, serving as a deterrent. Its appearance was not this refined, modern-craftsmanship style, but a rusty yet divinely imbued, old iron spear…
"Sigh… I must have lost my mind to come here for a visit." Wen Wen shook his head and prepared to leave.
A hint of disdain flickered in Qiao Kun's eyes. "Tourist, do you think our exhibits are all fake?"
Wen Wen said as he walked, "Perhaps these things are real to you. So I won't shatter your delusions."
With that, he left the museum without a moment's delay, feeling that any longer spent here was too much.
Once all the tourists had departed, Qiao Kun straightened up, exuding an indescribable aura. If Wen Wen had seen this aura, he would never have mistaken him for an ordinary person.
Qiao Kun's lips curled as he muttered to himself, "Senses can deceive you, information can deceive you, common sense and experience can deceive you, but knowledge will not."
"Only the ignorant would see this place as a joke. Your leaving like this is your loss…"