The Rules of Maple Forest Town

Dust swirled along the main road.

Han Yuchen strolled along at an unhurried pace, like a scholar who had failed the imperial examinations. His face was pale, and every few steps, he had to brace himself against a roadside tree to catch his breath.

Damn it, acting was exhausting too.

This Sickly Child shell was practically perfect camouflage. Who would have thought that this body hid a level-twenty Soul Master, along with a Star Atlas comparable to a divine artifact?

His left foot had just lifted before it gently came back down, landing in a different spot.

There was a green bamboo viper in the grass. He could not be bothered to deal with it, so it was easier to go around.

The clatter of hooves and wheels came from ahead. A merchant caravan was hurrying along nervously. Every guard had a hand on their weapon, their wary gazes sweeping both sides of the road.

When they saw the sickly-looking Han Yuchen by the roadside, they merely glanced at him before urging their carriages onward at greater speed.

Heh, these days, even bandits don't think I'm their type.

Safe. Too safe.

Night fell.

Han Yuchen slipped into a small patch of woods beside the road and confirmed that there were no living creatures within a hundred meters.

With a thought—

A set of brand-new cooking utensils appeared out of thin air, along with fresh beef and several cleaned fish. He had bought them all in Nuoding City and tossed them into Dimensional Space.

So convenient. Essential for home, travel, murder, and robbery.

He pressed together the index and middle fingers of his right hand, and a faint blue glow of Soul Power lit up.

Blade of Flowing Water.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Water blades condensed from Soul Power traced several elegant arcs through the air. The beef on the cutting board was instantly sliced into evenly thick pieces, each one as thin as a cicada's wing.

Even a three-star Michelin chef from my previous life would have to bow to this knife work.

He casually set up a grill, using Soul Power to precisely control the heat.

Sizzle—

The slices of meat hit the blazing-hot grill and immediately released an enticing sound. The rich scent of meat mingled with the fragrance of secret sauce, spreading through the woods.

Beside it, fish soup bubbled away, steaming hot. The milky-white broth rolled and churned, its fresh aroma filling the air.

Han Yuchen leaned against a tree, leisurely turning the grilled meat as he took a sip of the savory fish soup.

Ah, this feels good.

The path of cultivation required a balance between work and rest.

Tang San was probably clutching some dry rations and meditating miserably in some corner right about now.

What a tragedy. Heartbreaking to hear, tearful to witness.

A few days later.

The farther he traveled from the big cities, the tenser the atmosphere on the main road became.

From a passing caravan worker, Han Yuchen pieced together some scattered information.

Up ahead was a place called Maple Forest Town, and it had been anything but peaceful lately.

A Soul Master family surnamed Luo had turned the place into a complete mess, leaving everyone bitter and resentful.

He had not planned to bother with this nonsense.

But after taking out his map, he saw that Maple Forest Town was the last decent supply stop on the way to the Star Dou Great Forest.

So he had no choice.

He might as well take a look at what kind of people the Luo Family were, to have the power to run real estate development in town.

Toward evening, the outline of Maple Forest Town appeared on the horizon.

The moment Han Yuchen entered the town, he sensed a stifling atmosphere.

The streets were desolate. Most shops had shut their doors, and the occasional pedestrian kept their head down as they hurried past.

Several servants in matching uniforms swaggered through the streets on patrol. Bright steel blades hung at their waists, while savage wolf-head emblems were embroidered on their chests.

Their eyes looked as though they were inspecting chickens in their own backyard.

Han Yuchen concealed all fluctuations of Soul Power and retained his harmless, frail appearance as he walked slowly onward.

After looking around, he found that only one inn in town still had its lights on.

Liu Family Inn.

Fine. This would do.

He pushed the door open and entered.

The inn was just as deserted. Only two or three tables were occupied, and the guests all ate with their heads lowered, not daring to speak loudly.

Behind the counter, a worried middle-aged man was doing the accounts. Beside him, a girl of thirteen or fourteen held a rag and scrubbed at a table over and over with force.

The girl had delicate features and a neat ponytail. Yet the stubbornness between her brows made her seem like a young leopard that refused to admit defeat.

When she saw Han Yuchen enter, she merely lifted her eyelids coldly in acknowledgment.

Han Yuchen did not mind. He went straight to a corner and sat down.

"Shopkeeper, one superior room. Bring me a few signature dishes too, and a pot of hot tea."

"Of course, sir. Please wait a moment."

The middle-aged shopkeeper answered and turned toward the kitchen.

The girl brought over a pot of tea and set it down heavily on the table.

Han Yuchen picked up his teacup and observed the father and daughter from the corner of his eye.

There were traces of Soul Power fluctuations, though extremely weak.

The shopkeeper was probably a Soul Master at around level ten. That was likely all he would ever amount to. The girl, however, seemed to have just awakened her martial soul and had not yet obtained a soul ring.

What a pity she had been born in a place like this.

The dishes arrived quickly, and they were surprisingly tasty.

Han Yuchen ate unhurriedly, but his ears caught every sound around him.

Just then—

Bang!

With a loud crash, the inn's already battered wooden door was viciously kicked open from outside.

Wood splinters flew everywhere.

The Luo Family servants who had been patrolling the streets earlier sauntered inside arrogantly.

At their head was a middle-aged man who looked like a steward. His face was covered in flesh, his eyes triangular, and his gaze carried undisguised greed and viciousness.

The few guests who had still been eating in the inn trembled in fright. They hurriedly tossed down several copper soul coins, then slipped out through the back door with their heads lowered.

In an instant, the spacious inn was left with only Han Yuchen and the Liu father and daughter.

Steward Luo walked to the counter and slapped a sheet of paper onto it. His spittle nearly sprayed onto Shopkeeper Liu's face.

"Old Liu, it's time to pay this month's protection fee!"

Shopkeeper Liu hastily forced a smile. "Steward Luo, this... didn't we just pay last month?"

"Cut the nonsense!" Steward Luo's eyes widened. "Young Master Luo said that from this month onward, all businesses in town will pay double protection fees!"

Shopkeeper Liu's face instantly fell, and even his voice trembled. "Double? Steward Luo, please show some mercy. This is a small business with little profit. Recently, there have hardly been any customers in town... We really can't come up with that much money."

"Can't come up with it?" Steward Luo sneered, turning his gaze toward the girl beside him, who had been biting her lip and glaring at them.

"Heh, that's fine too."

He stretched out a greasy hand, intending to touch the girl's face.

Slap!

Liu Yan knocked his hand away, her almond eyes wide with fury.

"You've gone too far!"

"Oh?" Rather than getting angry, Steward Luo's smile became even more lecherous. "Little hot pepper, you've got quite the temper. Fine. If you won't pay, then let your precious daughter accompany our young master for a few drinks and chat about life. Then I'll waive this month's protection fee for you!"

"You... you're shameless!" Liu Yan trembled with rage.

"Even if my daughter dies, she will never go see that beast!" Shopkeeper Liu finally threw caution to the wind. He pulled his daughter behind him, using his gaunt body to shield her.

"Die?"

The smile on Steward Luo's face vanished instantly, replaced by a ferocious expression.

"Old Liu, you don't know when to appreciate kindness, do you? Today, you'll pay whether you want to or not! And she must come with us!"

He waved a hand.

"Get them! Take the girl away! Anyone who dares stop you, break his legs!"

"Yes!"

The servants behind him grinned viciously, cracking their knuckles as they surrounded them.

In the corner of the inn—

Han Yuchen still had his head lowered. He slowly picked up a piece of braised pork and put it into his mouth.

Mm. The heat was just right. Rich, but not greasy.

The scene before him was all too familiar.

Hadn't the guards at Nuoding City's gates worn the same faces?

The same recipe, the same flavor.

He just did not know whether Maple Forest Town's bones were as hard as Nuoding City's.

Just as the servants' hands were about to seize Liu Yan's arm, Shopkeeper Liu blocked them. One of the men kicked him to the ground, and he groaned in pain.

Liu Yan cried out in alarm, her eyes filled with despair and fury.

The servants' wild laughter and the father and daughter's anguished cries echoed through the entire inn.

Amid the clamor—

Han Yuchen finally finished his last bite of food.

He set down his chopsticks and picked up the cup of tea on the table, which had already gone a little cold.

Then he gently blew on it.

Scattering the faint, insignificant ripples across the surface.