Chapter Seventeen: Everything Needs Proof!!!

“This road is mine to open, this tree is mine to plant! If you want to pass, leave a toll!” Chen Tong shouted loudly, his voice echoing through the valley.

The caravan leader knew that resisting in such a situation would be like smashing an egg with a rock. Hastily, he pulled out a pouch of money from his bosom, wearing a broad smile as he handed it over.

“Brave fellows, this is a small token of our goodwill. We hope you’ll show mercy and let us pass.”

Chen Tong reached out to take the pouch. Upon opening it, his brow immediately furrowed—it was filled with a pile of small silver coins. His irritation flared; the lesson from last time was still fresh in his mind. These fragmented silvers barely converted into any meaningful system currency.

“No good. Exchange these small silver coins for copper coins,” Chen Tong said coldly, his gaze radiating an unchallengeable authority.

The caravan leader was momentarily stunned, his face full of confusion. He simply couldn’t understand why these bandits had such a peculiar fondness for copper coins.

In his understanding, silver was the more valuable, convenient currency for carrying and trading.

“Honored sirs, this silver is worth far more than copper coins and much easier to carry. Why do you insist on copper coins?” he cautiously asked, trying to persuade Chen Tong to accept the silver.

Chen Tong snorted coldly, brandishing the knife in his hand with a glint of steel flashing before the caravan leader’s eyes, causing him to shiver.

“Enough nonsense. I said exchange it, so exchange it. Don’t force me to act.”

Seeing Chen Tong’s resolute stance, the caravan leader dared not resist and sighed helplessly.

He turned to his men and gave a few orders. They began rummaging through their goods.

Before long, they produced nearly a thousand strings of copper coins, neatly tied with rope.

Chen Tong looked at the copper coins and finally broke into a satisfied smile.

He nodded and said, “You’re wise. I’ll let you pass this time. But next time you use this road, don’t try to fool us with small silver.”

The caravan felt as if they had been granted a great pardon and quickly urged their horses, hastily leaving, afraid the bandits might change their minds.

Watching the caravan fade into the distance, the bandits of Black Wind Village erupted in cheers.

“Thank you, Young Master. You really know what you’re doing. These copper coins will definitely fetch us some good stuff!”

One of the bandits exclaimed excitedly.

…

Back at the mountain stronghold, Chen Tong barely had time to catch his breath before rushing to his room to deal with the copper coins they had seized.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, his eyes fixed intently on the system’s exchange interface, his hands trembled slightly as he placed the warm copper coins one by one into the designated area.

As the coins were inserted, the numbers on the system interface began to jump joyfully.

Each copper coin converted into two hundred system credits. Watching the number climb steadily, Chen Tong’s heart pounded faster.

Finally, the number stabilized at two hundred thousand system credits. A look of satisfaction crossed his face.

Though not a vast fortune, in these chaotic times, it was enough to serve as a crucial boost for the development of Black Wind Village.

Alone in his room, facing the system interface, Chen Tong fell into deep contemplation.

Simple resource exchanges, like buying food or weapons, could only solve immediate needs.

To fundamentally enhance the stronghold’s strength and his own influence in this world, he must rely on the system’s functionalities.

“Two hundred thousand system credits... far from enough to realize long-term goals,” Chen Tong muttered, his brow furrowing.

His fingers tapped lightly on the table, while his mind raced through various development possibilities.

“Perhaps I can first use the system to exchange for some advanced agricultural tools to increase farmland yield.”

“This would not only solve the stronghold’s food problem but also generate surplus grain for trade.”

At this thought, Chen Tong’s eyes lit up. He quickly searched the system’s marketplace for agricultural tools.

However, some advanced agricultural tools, while greatly improving productivity, were complex to operate and required certain technical knowledge.

The key issue: certification was needed!

“Looks like I’ll also need to exchange some related books and technical manuals, so the brothers can learn.”

Chen Tong shook his head in resignation, realizing the path to development was fraught with challenges.

Besides agriculture, he also considered the stronghold’s defense.

“If I could exchange for some powerful weapons and strengthen the fortifications, we’d have more confidence facing government forces and other factions.”

As he pondered, Chen Tong searched the system for weapons and defensive facilities.

But weapon exchanges were costly and required special usage permissions.

And again, certification was essential!

“Damn it!”

Chen Tong cursed under his breath.

“It seems I have to find a way to improve my and my brothers’ skills to better utilize these weapons.”

He fell into deep thought, realizing that strengthening power wasn’t merely about material resources but also about enhancing human capability and quality.

As he reflected, Chen Tong suddenly recalled the system’s certification function.

Although he had been resistant to certifications before, now he had to reconsider this feature.

“Looks like certification is the only way!”

Chen Tong murmured, weighing the pros and cons.

After careful deliberation, he conceived a preliminary plan.

First, exchange some agricultural tools and technical materials, as well as basic weapons and defensive facilities.

As for certification, he would first learn about the specific requirements and procedures before deciding.

“This is just the first step. The road ahead is still long.”

…

Since resolving to obtain a medical practitioner’s license, Chen Tong seemed like a changed man.

He locked himself in his room, the desk piled high with books on medical practice purchased through the system. Dense texts and complex charts appeared to him as treasures waiting to be unearthed.

Before the first rays of sunlight had fully entered the room, Chen Tong was already seated at his desk, his pen tirelessly jotting down key points.

He studied human anatomy carefully, pondering the positions and structures of bones, muscles, and internal organs.

“The humerus is the thickest long bone of the upper limb, forming the shoulder joint with the scapula at its upper end, and the elbow joint with the radius and ulna at its lower end…”

Chen Tong softly recited, sketching simple diagrams of the skeleton on paper, striving to memorize every detail.

By noon, the aroma of food wafted into the room, but Chen Tong was oblivious.

His gaze remained locked on the physiology book, immersed in the wondrous mechanisms of the human body.

“The heart is like a pump that never stops, contracting and relaxing to drive blood flow through the vessels. The left atrium receives oxygen-rich blood from the pulmonary veins and pumps it into the left ventricle…”

Chen Tong muttered to himself, gesturing the path of blood circulation with his hands, attempting to make the abstract knowledge more tangible.