Visitors in the Night and the Agreement Before Departure

Han Yuchen did not return to the tavern.

That place was surely a complete mess by now, the stench of blood mixed with the sour reek of vomit. Just thinking about it turned his stomach.

Like a ghost, he silently drifted to the entrance of Star Dou Town's eastern district and climbed the most conspicuous ancient tree there, one so massive that it would take three to five people to wrap their arms around it.

He found a comfortable branch, half reclined against it with one arm beneath his head, leisurely swinging his legs.

If you wanted to fish, you had to find a good spot.

And you needed patience.

That move in the tavern had been the most fragrant bait he could toss into the pond.

Now, it was just a matter of seeing what fish would be drawn in by the scent of blood first.

A spoiled second-generation brat like Gao Feng would definitely run home to his parents the moment he got beaten.

Even beating a dog depended on its owner. If the little one got hit, the old one would surely jump out.

He was not afraid of forcing his way into the Star Dou Great Forest, but it would be troublesome.

Like finding a fly in your food—it would not kill you, but it was disgusting.

He needed a few local Tool People.

They could serve as guides, clear the way, and conveniently act as shields.

Simply perfect.

The night wind, carrying the forest's damp scent of grass and wood, stirred the edge of his conical hat.

Time passed, second by second.

About half an hour later.

His sensory network, spread through the moisture in the air, caught several cautious auras.

They were here.

Three figures, like rats in the darkness, crept over from the direction of the town, using the shadows of trees and buildings for cover.

Their movements were cautious and their footsteps light. They were clearly experienced hands.

But their strength...

Pathetically weak.

The strongest among them had Soul Power at only a little over level thirty.

The other two had only just passed level twenty, mere Soul Grandmasters.

With that lineup, they would not even be enough to fill a soul beast's teeth in the eastern district.

The three eventually stopped beneath the ancient tree Han Yuchen was in. They looked up at the pitch-black canopy, their expressions tense yet carrying a trace of reverence.

The leader was the Old Hunter whose voice Han Yuchen had "heard" in the tavern.

His weathered face bore the marks of countless years, and the calluses on his hands were thicker than tree bark. Yet his eyes were bright, revealing the shrewdness and toughness of someone who had fought beasts all his life.

The Old Hunter cleared his throat and clasped his hands toward the tree, lowering his stance considerably.

"Friend in the tree, would you be willing to show yourself?"

His voice was not loud, but it was steady, carrying far through the silent night.

"My name is Meng Li. I am an Old Hunter who makes a living in Star Dou. We mean no harm."

The canopy remained silent.

As if no one were there at all.

The two young men behind Meng Li immediately grew impatient.

One of them could not help asking in a low voice, "Uncle Meng, is he... really here?"

Meng Li did not answer. He merely maintained his clasped-hands salute with even greater respect.

He knew that fierce experts capable of crippling a Soul Elder in a single move usually had eccentric tempers.

The more patient he was, the better their chances of surviving.

Just as the two young men were about to give up.

A black shadow suddenly drifted down from the canopy more than ten meters above, without any warning, like a weightless falling leaf.

His feet touched the ground without stirring even a speck of dust.

The two young men were so frightened by that ghostly movement that their hearts nearly stopped. They instinctively took half a step back, their hands already gripping the weapons at their waists.

Meng Li's pupils contracted as well, and his heart shook violently.

What fast movement technique!

No, this was no longer merely fast. His control over his body and Soul Power had reached an unimaginable level!

He became even more certain that he had made the right bet!

The person before him in the conical hat was undoubtedly an overwhelmingly powerful outsider!

Han Yuchen still wore his conical hat, its shadow concealing his face and revealing only a sharply defined chin.

He did not speak. He simply stood there quietly.

Yet the invisible pressure radiating from him was like a mountain, making it difficult for Meng Li and the others even to breathe.

In the end, Meng Li was the one who endured the pressure and spoke with difficulty.

"Your Excellency... we witnessed your display in the tavern with our own eyes. We are utterly impressed."

He first offered a lavish compliment before getting to the point.

"We know that Your Excellency came for the Jade Eyed Fox in the eastern district."

"But... forgive my bluntness, something has been very wrong in the eastern district lately. It is downright sinister."

"On top of that, the Gao Family will never let this go. They have many people and countless eyes throughout the town. On your own, I fear..."

Gathering his courage, Meng Li voiced his proposal.

"The three of us are willing to guide Your Excellency and deal with those troublesome flies from the Gao Family."

"We only ask that, once this is done, Your Excellency share with us the Purple Cloud Saliva growing near the Jade Eyed Fox."

After saying that, he looked at Han Yuchen nervously, awaiting the final judgment.

Purple Cloud Saliva?

It was a century-old medicinal herb that healed injuries and strengthened one's foundation. It was not particularly precious, but for ordinary soul masters, it could save their lives at a critical moment.

It seemed they wanted something as well.

That made things easier.

People who wanted something from him were the easiest to control.

Han Yuchen felt no ripples in his heart. He even found it somewhat amusing.

Deal with the Gao Family's flies? With the scraps the three of them had?

Still, they were more than sufficient as cannon fodder to draw attention.

He looked at the three before him.

Their strength was lacking, but their eyes were straightforward enough. They did not seem like the sort who would stab someone in the back.

The resilient aura they carried, tempered at the edge of life and death, was genuine as well.

They were qualified Tool People.

"Fine."

Han Yuchen finally spoke. His voice was calm, but it carried unquestionable authority.

Those two words instantly filled Meng Li and the other two with wild joy. They nearly jumped up on the spot.

But Han Yuchen's next words were like a bucket of ice water, instantly sobering them up.

"However, I have three conditions."

He raised one finger.

"First, from now on, once we enter the forest, all actions will follow my command. If I tell you to go east, you do not go west. If I tell you to shut up, you do not even breathe. Anyone who objects can leave now."

He raised a second finger.

"Second, the Jade Eyed Fox and everything within its territory, aside from that Purple Cloud Saliva—every flower, blade of grass, bottle, and jar—belongs to me. You may not harbor any designs on them."

Finally, he raised a third finger, his tone turning teasing.

"Third, and most importantly, tell me every rumor you know about the Ghost Fire in the eastern district. Leave out nothing. The more detailed, the better."

Each of the three conditions was more overbearing than the last.

The first in particular practically meant handing their lives entirely into his hands.

Yet Meng Li and the other two did not hesitate for even a second.

"No problem! We will follow all of Your Excellency's arrangements!"

Meng Li answered decisively.

What a joke. Being able to cling to the thigh of such an immortal-like expert, they would accept not merely three conditions, but thirty!

This was a heaven-sent opportunity!

Seeing how readily they agreed, Han Yuchen nodded in satisfaction.

Meng Li immediately began pouring out everything he knew about the Ghost Fire without holding anything back.

"That Ghost Fire is wicked. It only appears after midnight, drifting about in patches of green light."

"Whenever it appears, the nearby soul beasts go mad. They become more than ten times as violent as usual and slaughter one another!"

"And several hunting parties have said that if you get too close, you become dizzy and disoriented, as though your soul is being sucked away. It is incredibly eerie!"

As expected.

The energy field leaking from the Soul Fragment had already begun affecting the surrounding environment and living creatures.

It had even developed a weak mental attack effect.

It seemed he had to retrieve it as soon as possible.

Otherwise, if this went on too long, who knew what monstrous thing might mutate out of it.

Just as they reached their agreement.

At the other end of Star Dou Town, inside the luxurious inn booked by the Gao Family.

Gao Feng, who had received emergency treatment and was wrapped from head to toe in bandages, with only a pair of venomous eyes exposed, was roaring hysterically at his subordinates.

"Trash! You're all trash! With so many of you, you couldn't even keep an eye on one person!"

"Go! Send word back to the family immediately! Send an elder over! I want him dead! I want him torn to pieces!"

"And gather all our people in town. Keep a close watch on that bastard in the conical hat! The moment he enters the forest will be the day he dies!"

Those roars and those orders.

Through the moisture spread throughout the town's air, like the most loyal telegraph operators, were relayed word for word into Han Yuchen's mind in real time.

The corner of his mouth beneath the conical hat curved into a cold smile.

Heh, they're pretty efficient.

That saves me the trouble of looking for them.

Perfect. I can wipe them all out in one go.

"Enough."

Han Yuchen interrupted Meng Li, who was still rambling on.

"Go back and prepare. Bring your best equipment and supplies."

"At dawn, we will meet here and officially enter the mountains."

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

As if granted a pardon, Meng Li and the other two respectfully bowed, then immediately turned and hurried back to make preparations.

Han Yuchen did not leave.

Instead, he sat cross-legged once more and closed his eyes.

The power of his soul surged forth like a tide, completely linking with the vast network of moisture throughout the outer eastern district of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Before entering, he intended to draw a high-definition map that belonged solely to him.

Buzz—

His consciousness instantly soared a thousand meters into the sky.

In his "vision," the earth became a three-dimensional sand table made of countless blue points of light.

Where there were streams, where there were pools, where moisture was thick, where conditions were unusually dry...

Endless streams of information flooded into his mind, rapidly processed, constructed, and simulated by the Star Atlas.

A real-time 3D map covering a radius of ten li, precise down to every tree and every stone, was rapidly taking shape in his mind!

Even the soul beasts active at night were marked as moving red dots on the map, because their breath carried moisture!

With the full-map cheat activated, he could do whatever he wanted.

The night passed without incident.

When the first pale light of dawn appeared on the horizon.

The morning glow pierced the darkness, gilding the boundless forest with a golden edge.

Han Yuchen slowly opened his eyes.

Two brilliant sparks of starlight flashed through his deep eyes before vanishing.

Within his vision, that perfect hydrological map had been completely formed.

Every detail was clear in his mind.

Meng Li and the other two had already arrived beneath the tree on time, carrying bulging packs.

As they watched Han Yuchen silently descend from the tree once again, the reverence in their eyes deepened further.

He had not moved all night, yet his aura was even more unfathomable than before.

What kind of monster was he?

Han Yuchen ignored their inner thoughts.

He glanced at the fully equipped Mengli Squad beside him, then turned his gaze toward the dark green ocean shrouded in morning mist, filled with unknowns and danger.

He spoke lightly.

"Move out."

The group of four headed toward the rising sun and officially stepped into this legendary land of endless peril.