A Moonlit Pact and the Secret of the Cellar

Han Yuchen's hand froze halfway through picking up a dish.

He slowly raised his eyes and finally looked this bold young girl squarely in the face.

Hmm, now that she was closer, he could see her more clearly.

There was a heroic air between her brows, her nose was high and straight, and her tightly pressed lips made her seem a little stubborn.

She had the makings of a beauty.

Too bad her chest was a little flat.

Han Yuchen felt nothing inside and even found it a little funny.

Is this little girl interrogating me?

On what grounds?

That martial soul of hers without a soul ring, or her family's run-down inn that's about to go bankrupt?

He said nothing. He simply put the piece of braised pork into his mouth and chewed it unhurriedly.

As though he were savoring some peerless delicacy.

His leisurely manner choked all the questions Liu Yan had prepared right in her throat.

It was like punching cotton.

The feeling was awful.

Liu Yan took a deep breath and suppressed the irritation in her heart.

She knew that this Sickly Child before her was definitely hiding his true strength.

Those two unfathomable moves just now had absolutely been his doing.

Her intuition told her so.

This man was her only lifeline.

She could not offend him. She could only gamble.

"I mean no harm."

Liu Yan softened her tone, though her gaze remained sharp.

"I just want to confirm something."

"If you really were the one who helped us just now, then I, Liu Yan, on behalf of the Liu Family, will owe you an enormous favor."

Han Yuchen finally swallowed the meat in his mouth.

He wiped his lips with a napkin, his movements as elegant as a nobleman's.

Then he smiled.

The smile was faint, yet it carried the amused air of someone who saw through everything.

He neither admitted it nor denied it.

He merely leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and asked in return.

"If I did it, what will you do?"

"If I didn't, what will you do?"

The question was like a precise scalpel, instantly cutting through all of Liu Yan's disguises.

It tossed the choice right back into her own hands.

Liu Yan choked.

She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails nearly dug into her flesh.

She stared fixedly into Han Yuchen's unfathomable eyes, as though trying to find something within them.

But there was nothing in those eyes.

Only tranquil darkness, like the sea at midnight.

Several seconds later, she deflated.

Trying to play games in front of this guy was simply asking for humiliation.

So she decided to lay her cards on the table.

"If you're an ordinary person, I'll advise you to leave Maple Forest Town overnight. The Luo Family always seeks revenge over the smallest slight."

Her voice was soft, but every word carried a fierce resolve.

"But if you have the ability..."

Liu Yan paused, as though making some momentous decision.

"My... Liu Family wants to ask you for a favor."

"The reward will be exceedingly generous."

Oh?

So she was calling in help already?

Han Yuchen became interested.

He leaned back in his chair and made a gesture for her to continue.

Seeing Han Yuchen's reaction, Liu Yan felt somewhat reassured.

She warily glanced around, confirmed that her father was still in the kitchen and had not come out, then lowered her voice and leaned closer.

A faint, girlish fragrance drifted into Han Yuchen's nose.

"The reason the Luo Family has kept targeting us isn't for that little protection money."

"What they want is this inn."

"Or rather, something beneath this inn."

Han Yuchen raised a brow.

The story was starting to get interesting.

This was not simply some thug bullying a young girl, but a treasure hunt?

I like it.

Liu Yan lowered her voice further, until it was nearly inaudible.

"My Liu Family has guarded a secret cellar for generations."

"Inside the cellar is something left behind by our ancestors."

"The Luo Family somehow got wind of it. That's why they've been scheming to drive us all to extinction and seize this place."

Han Yuchen remained calm on the surface, his fingers lightly tapping against the table.

Inside, his mind was already racing.

Something that could make a family with soul masters covet it so desperately, even to the point of causing such a huge disturbance...

It was certainly no ordinary item.

At the very least, it had to be a soul bone, right?

Or perhaps some rare Heavenly Treasure?

Either way, it was worth taking a look.

"What makes you think I can help you?"

Han Yuchen asked blandly.

"Because just now, I might have merely slipped?"

"Instinct."

Liu Yan answered without hesitation.

"Anyone who can finish a meal without changing expression in front of Steward Luo is definitely no ordinary person."

"And although you pretended to be terrified just now, your eyes were too calm."

"That wasn't fear. It was... it was like you were watching a show."

Heh, this little girl's quite observant.

Interesting.

Han Yuchen stopped beating around the bush.

He looked at Liu Yan, and his gaze deepened like a starry sky.

"I can consider helping you."

"But my reward may not be as simple as Gold Soul Coins."

"And before I help you, I must see that cellar and what's inside it with my own eyes."

That request made Liu Yan's expression change instantly.

That was the Liu Family's greatest secret!

The rule passed down through generations was that outsiders must never learn of it!

Her first instinct was to refuse.

But then she thought of that beastly young master of the Luo Family coming personally tomorrow...

She thought of her father's grief-stricken face and frail body...

All her resolve began to waver.

If she refused, the Liu Family would be destroyed today.

If she agreed, perhaps there was still a sliver of hope.

She had no choice.

Liu Yan's chest heaved violently.

After a long while.

As though she had exhausted all her strength, she gritted her teeth and forced out a single word.

"Fine."

Midnight.

The moon was dark, and the wind was high.

Knock, knock.

An extremely faint knock sounded.

Han Yuchen opened his eyes from meditation, a wisp of starlight flashing through them before vanishing.

He rose and opened the door.

Outside, Liu Yan had changed into a neat black night outfit. Her hair was tied high, and she carried an old oil lamp in her hand.

Under the lamplight, her face looked somewhat pale and nervous.

"Follow me."

She made a gesture for silence, then turned and led the way.

Han Yuchen followed silently behind her.

Like two nimble cats, they passed through the silent inn hall, went around the sleeping Shopkeeper Liu, and arrived at the kitchen.

Liu Yan stopped in front of a huge water vat.

She reached behind it and fumbled around for a moment.

Click.

With a soft sound, the floor beside it slowly split open, revealing a cold flight of stairs leading underground.

The mechanism was quite ingenious.

"Let's go."

Liu Yan descended first, and the dim yellow light was quickly swallowed by the darkness.

Han Yuchen followed her down the stairs.

A damp, rotten stench rushed toward him.

The hidden door slowly closed behind them.

In an instant, the world held only the small patch of light beneath their feet and boundless darkness.

The cellar was not large, perhaps only twenty square meters.

Unexpectedly, it was very dry inside.

The four walls were covered in incomprehensible runes that seemed to glow faintly.

Those runes formed a natural barrier, cutting off all Soul Power detection.

No wonder the Luo Family had gone to such lengths yet could only use the clumsiest method of seizing the land.

These runes were something else.

They were at least the work of someone from a thousand years ago.

At the center of the cellar stood a stone platform half the height of a person.

Resting quietly atop it was an ancient black iron box.

The box was small and square, covered in rust, yet it emitted faint, almost imperceptible fluctuations of strange energy.

That was it.

Han Yuchen's gaze was instantly drawn to the iron box.

He walked toward it step by step.

As the distance closed.

The Star Atlas that had lain dormant deep within his soul suddenly trembled slightly!

Ding.

A familiar chime rang only in his mind.

Though it was far less intense than when it had sensed the Soul Fragment, that feeling of being from the same source could not be wrong!

Han Yuchen's breathing abruptly stopped for a moment.

His pupils contracted sharply in the darkness.

Fuck! This isn't a soul bone, nor is it a Heavenly Treasure!

This was a corrupted creation of Solonsen!

Though it was only the lowest-grade, most inconspicuous Power Fragment, it contained a trace of the purest Chaos Origin...

To the Star Atlas, it was practically the ultimate tonic!

I've struck it rich!

This time, I'd really found a treasure!

He instantly decided that he had to have this thing!

Not even Jesus could keep it from me. I said so!

"This is the box."

Liu Yan did not notice anything unusual about Han Yuchen.

She took a strangely shaped brass key from her robes and walked forward.

"Our ancestor's instructions said that the box contains an ominous object, and that the Liu Family must guard it for generations."

Click.

She inserted the key into the lock and gave it a gentle twist.

The iron box opened at once.

A cold, chaotic aura instantly spilled out from within.

Liu Yan could not help shivering as she instinctively took half a step back.

Han Yuchen, however, stepped closer as if nothing was wrong.

The inside of the box was lined with black satin.

Resting quietly atop it was a fist-sized black crystal with an extremely irregular shape.

Thick black vapor seemed to flow slowly across the crystal's surface, making it look utterly bizarre.

"Our ancestor said it must never fall into the hands of someone with ill intentions, or it would bring about a great disaster."

Liu Yan's voice trembled slightly.

Han Yuchen stared at the crystal, his gaze burning.

Ill intentions?

Heh, then it suits me perfectly.

He slowly raised his head and looked at Liu Yan, his expression more serious than ever.

"I'll take this job."

"I'll settle the Luo Family's problem before sunset tomorrow."

"As payment, this stone is mine."

His tone was calm, yet brooked no argument.

Liu Yan froze.

She had not expected that the payment Han Yuchen wanted would be this ominous object her family regarded as a curse.

Though reluctant to part with it, she understood that this was already the best possible outcome.

Trading a hot potato for the safety of her entire family.

It was worth it.

"Fine, it's a deal!"

She nodded firmly.

Han Yuchen smiled in satisfaction.

He reached out and directly took the black crystal from the box.

The moment it entered his hand, an icy chill spread through his palm, as though he were holding a piece of Ten-thousand-year Profound Ice.

Strands of black vapor tried to burrow into his body through his arm.

Dream on.

With a thought from Han Yuchen, the power of the Star Atlas activated instantly.

Like mice spotting a cat, the black vapor shrieked and recoiled.

He casually tossed the crystal into his Dimensional Space.

Done.

The two left the cellar and restored everything to its original state.

Han Yuchen returned to his room and sat down cross-legged.

This was not merely a favor.

This was his first struggle for resources against Solonsen's forces since arriving in this world.

Though the other side might not even know he existed.

Still, this was a beginning.

He slowly closed his eyes and adjusted his condition.

Tomorrow, a fine show would unfold.

The next day.

Early morning.

The sky had only just begun to brighten.

A burst of noisy footsteps and arrogant shouting shattered Maple Forest Town's morning tranquility.

It also woke everyone in the inn.

"Liu Family, get your asses out here!"

"Our Young Master Luo Tian has come to pay you a personal visit!"

"If you don't open up, we'll tear this shitty inn apart!"

The storm had arrived.