Chapter 52: The Spatial Gourd

“What’s the matter?” Shen Lie was intrigued by the other’s words and became interested.

“What’s the matter? This discovery is extraordinary, let me tell you,” Duan Yu glanced around cautiously, then pulled Shen Lie aside and whispered mysteriously, “This gourd looks ordinary on the outside, but it holds a world of wonder inside!”

“Oh? What’s going on?” Shen Lie responded with matching curiosity.

Duan Yu seemed pleased with Shen Lie’s reaction, flashing a knowing look as he continued, “I’ve discovered that this gourd has the same properties as the ‘Qian Kun Bag’ from immortal martial arts novels.”

“What!” Shen Lie was so shocked he blurted out an exclamation, only lowering his voice after noticing several people turning their heads. “No way, are you sure?”

Shen Lie knew exactly what a Qian Kun Bag was and understood the importance of spatial items in this era. Possessing such an item meant one could carry a vast amount of survival supplies at all times, eliminating any worries about food.

He had thought about the possibility of such things existing before, but dismissed it as too fantastical. Although the apocalypse had brought many changes, it was hard to believe even items used by immortals would suddenly appear. So, he had not paid much attention.

Now, it seemed his thinking was too conservative. This era truly had everything imaginable, and here was proof—such an item really existed!

“Of course I’m sure. Take a look at this!” Seeing Shen Lie’s skepticism, Duan Yu opened his satchel, revealing a small, jade-green gourd.

“Let’s go to your vehicle. I’ll show you a demonstration,” Duan Yu said, holding the gourd and glancing around before speaking to Shen Lie.

The vehicle Duan Yu referred to wasn’t the armored car but Shen Lie’s own off-road vehicle, which he used for scavenging supplies. It was usually used to ferry survivors from Dongfeng Town.

Since it was break time and the vehicle was empty, the two of them got in. Duan Yu eagerly retrieved a bucket from the back, half-filled with water.

“Watch closely!” Duan Yu pulled out the gourd’s stopper, turned it upside down, and shook it to show it was empty. Then he filled the gourd with water from the bucket until it couldn’t hold any more.

“Find me an empty basin.”

Hearing this, Shen Lie immediately grabbed a plastic washbasin from the trunk and placed it in front of Duan Yu. Then, he watched in astonishment as Duan Yu poured the water from the gourd into the basin—drop by drop.

An incredible sight unfolded.

To Shen Lie’s amazement, the water from the gourd kept flowing and flowing until the basin was completely filled!

Duan Yu smiled with satisfaction, glanced at Shen Lie’s stunned expression, and poured the last drop into the basin. The water reached the very brim, just a little more and it would overflow.

“Well? I didn’t lie, did I? There are plenty of these gourds in that area. And the one I picked is just an immature little gourd. The mature ones must have far larger internal spaces,” Duan Yu said carefully, slipping the gourd back into his satchel and fixing an intense gaze on Shen Lie.

“So, what dangers lie there?” Shen Lie asked, already captivated by such a treasure. He knew that since Duan Yu had come to him, the area where the gourds grew must be extremely dangerous. If Duan Yu’s group could handle it alone, they wouldn’t have shared such information.

“Heh, yes, it’s a bit troublesome. The gourd vines grow near a pond. For some unknown reason, the fish in this pond have mutated—they’re vicious and highly aggressive. Any creature that approaches is immediately swarmed and attacked.”

“But that’s not the worst part. Surrounding the gourd growth area are some shrubs where a nest of mutated hornets reside. These hornets are each about the size of a fist, and their stingers are deadly. Two of my men lost their lives to those poisoned stings.”

“Besides that, there’s a mutated giant toad there. It’s absurdly large—almost as big as a calf—and covered in tough scales that conventional weapons can’t penetrate. This toad can breathe fire, and its flames are intense; even the slightest contact could burn you to ash. It even incinerated one of my vehicles with its fiery breath.”

After hearing this, Shen Lie almost cursed out loud, thinking, Are you kidding me? This isn’t just a little dangerous—it’s a veritable dragon’s den and tiger’s lair! The place is guarded from land, water, and air with no weaknesses. Forget picking gourds, you’d be blasted to pieces before you could even reach out.

“Ahem, Duan, I’ve got some other matters to attend to. I won’t be wading into that mess; there probably aren’t many gourds there anyway. You’ll have to figure it out yourself!” Between the hornets and the toad, Shen Lie was already backing out. He’d survived this long without looking for death.

Seeing Shen Lie’s retreat, Duan Yu grew anxious and urged, “Don’t chicken out! No matter how dangerous it is, there’s always a way to overcome it, right? Besides, as long as we don’t enter the pond, the fish aren’t a big threat. The main dangers are the hornets and that giant toad. With you, me, and your Du Tianwang, grabbing a gourd will be a piece of cake. And items with spatial properties are rare and precious—once this opportunity passes, it won’t come again. Once the team sets off, we’ll have no chance!”

Hearing this, Shen Lie finally understood. It wasn’t really him they wanted—it was Du Lili. With Du Lili’s abilities, both the hornets and the fire-breathing toad could be countered. But since Du Lili was aloof and difficult to enlist, they had brought Shen Lie along.

“How will we split the spoils?” Shen Lie asked. After all, since Du Lili was involved, they needed to agree on the division in advance.

“You and Du Tianwang pick first, then me. Whatever we get, we share in turn,” Duan Yu promised as soon as he sensed Shen Lie’s hesitation lessen.

“Alright, I’ll check with Du Lili first. If she’s not going, then I’m out too,” Shen Lie said, returning to the armored car to find Du Lili and discuss the matter.

A gourd with spatial properties was undoubtedly a rare treasure—useful for themselves or as barter. Shen Lie was tempted, and he guessed Du Lili would find it hard to resist as well. As for the dangers, what risks weren’t there in this post-apocalyptic world?

“Let’s go see!” Du Lili was finally swayed and nodded softly.

…

About three kilometers from the temporary survivor camp stood a small pond surrounded by dense shrubs. Perhaps due to long neglect, the vegetation here grew particularly lush. Strangest of all, on one side of the pond grew three gourd vines, each bearing seven or eight small gourds.

An off-road vehicle tore across the landscape, stopping a fair distance from the pond. Five people disembarked.

“This is the place?” Shen Lie asked Duan Yu, raising binoculars to scan the pond.

“Yes, this is it. Little Ma, Little Zhang, you two stay here and don’t move. Du Tianwang and I will go have a look,” Duan Yu instructed his two subordinates. Though unnecessary, he brought them along to prevent leaks, as both knew the area’s dangers.

“We’ll be careful, boss,” the two men breathed a sigh of relief. They remembered how two companions had been killed by those giant hornets on a previous trip.

“Let’s move quietly,” Duan Yu signaled, and Shen Lie and Du Lili silently followed.