A Chance Encounter on the Way Home, a Low-Key "Genius"

The bloodshed and stench of the Soul Hunting Forest were left far behind.

The dirt road outside Nuoding City carried a peaceful scent of dust and fresh grass.

Han Yuchen tossed every valuable thing from the Mandala Snake—the venom sac, snake bones, and snake skin—into the Dimensional Space.

Then he pulled out the shabby clothes he had worn when entering the forest and changed back into them.

The collar had been washed white, and the cuffs were patched.

He deliberately smeared some dust on his face, hunched his back, made his steps unsteady, and coughed from time to time.

Done.

The realm of an expert was knowing when to show off and when to hold back.

From now on, I'm not Han Yuchen, the Level 20 Quasi Great Soul Master with one ring and two skills.

I'm an "ordinary sickly little genius" who has just awakened his martial spirit, got ridiculously lucky, and picked up a ten-year soul ring near the edge of the forest.

Mm, that was the persona.

These ragged clothes were practically natural camouflage.

He ambled along, enjoying the leisure of having survived a disaster.

Suddenly, a noisy commotion came from ahead.

A carriage was parked by the roadside.

The carriage was made from fine materials, and even its wheels were plated with iron. It was clearly expensive.

Several young men stood beside it, dressed to the nines and utterly out of place on this dirt road.

They were surrounding a commoner boy.

The boy was only eleven or twelve, dressed in coarse linen and skinny as a bean sprout, his face full of terror.

"Oh, a classic scene."

Han Yuchen grew interested and slowly wandered over like a genuine passerby.

The leader among them had his chin raised high enough to stab someone.

"A mud-legged peasant dirtied this young master's carriage. Do you know how much this carriage costs?"

"If you don't pay ten Gold Soul Coins today, I'll break your legs!"

Listening from the side, Han Yuchen silently assessed the boy's worth.

Twelve or thirteen years old. His Soul Power was probably no higher than Level 15.

Judging by his behavior, his martial spirit was likely nothing special either.

The commoner boy being surrounded had gone pale with fright and trembled nonstop.

"I... I don't have any money... I really didn't do it on purpose..."

Ten Gold Soul Coins?

Even selling the kid would not get enough.

"No money?"

The leading boy sneered, a vicious gleam flashing in his eyes.

"Then you'll pay with your legs!"

Buzz!

A soul ring lit up around him.

Yellow—a Hundred-Year Soul Ring.

A completely black cat with claws gleaming coldly emerged behind him.

A Beast Spirit, the Sharp Claw Cat.

"Get him! Leave a few marks on his face first!"

The Sharp Claw Cat let out a piercing shriek and turned into a black shadow, pouncing at the commoner boy's face!

Heh, they were actually doing it.

Han Yuchen shook his head inwardly.

Just as the Sharp Claw Cat's claws were about to touch the boy's cheek—

Han Yuchen seemed to trip over a stone beneath his foot, and his body suddenly tilted.

The mouth of a small waterskin hanging from his waist "just happened" to come loose.

Pfft—

The waterskin flew out, and a stream of water traced a precise arc through the air, splashing directly onto the Sharp Claw Cat's face.

"Miaaaoow!!!"

A miserable scream, distorted beyond recognition, rang out instantly!

The once-majestic Sharp Claw Cat reacted as though its eyes had been seared by a red-hot iron. It froze in midair, then crashed heavily to the ground, clutching its head and rolling around wildly as it wailed without end.

Ordinary water?

How naive.

This water had been enhanced, processed using the compression technique of [Blade of Flowing Water].

Every droplet was like a needle.

That was enough to make it suffer for quite a while.

The scene fell silent in an instant.

Those rich young men, including their leader, were all dumbfounded.

They looked at the martial spirit rolling on the ground, then at Han Yuchen, whose face was full of "innocence" and "panic."

Han Yuchen hurriedly waved his hands, forcing a frightened expression onto his face. Even his voice trembled.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I... I didn't do it on purpose!"

"I'm weak and sickly. I lost my footing. I really didn't mean to!"

The leader's face turned the color of pig liver.

He felt that he had suffered an enormous humiliation in front of a worthless weakling.

Humiliation turned to rage!

"You're fucking dead!"

With a furious roar, he withdrew his still-screaming martial spirit, rushed forward in a single stride, and swung a hand at Han Yuchen's face!

His palm cut through the air.

If that slap landed, half an ordinary child's face would swell up.

Han Yuchen did not even blink.

His body made an "instinctive" response.

As if frightened stupid, he blankly raised an arm across his face.

The most basic blocking motion.

Smack!

A dull thud rang out.

But it was not the sound of a palm striking an arm.

The leading boy felt as though he had slapped a rapidly spinning top!

An utterly irresistible and bizarre force traveled through his palm, dragging his entire arm violently to the side!

His own body was pulled off balance by that force.

His left foot caught his right.

Thud!

With a loud crash—

He had tripped himself and landed flat on his face.

His entire face was buried in the dirt.

Han Yuchen looked as though he had been scared out of his wits. He staggered back repeatedly, his face full of terror.

"B-Big Brother, y-you... how did you fall down by yourself?"

"Are you okay? Do you want me to help you up?"

His companions were completely petrified.

Their mouths hung wide open, their eyes round as saucers, utterly unable to understand what had just happened.

What was going on?

Was this haunted?

The leading boy climbed up from the ground, his mouth full of dirt. His nose had been scraped open and was bleeding, leaving him in an utterly wretched state.

As he looked at Han Yuchen, there was more than anger in his eyes. There was also the terror of someone who had seen a ghost.

What happened today was too fucking bizarre!

"Y-you just wait!"

He threw out the most classic threat, no longer bothering with the commoner boy. Dragging his companions along, he scrambled into the carriage and fled in a cloud of dust.

As if ghosts were chasing them from behind.

The crisis was over.

The commoner boy who had been rescued stood there blankly for a long while before finally coming to his senses.

He ran up to Han Yuchen, so grateful he nearly dropped to his knees.

"Thank you, thank you for saving me!"

Han Yuchen still looked sickly as ever and waved his hand.

"It's nothing. I was just lucky. They were unlucky on their own."

After saying that, he did not linger. He turned and continued slowly toward Nuoding City.

The commoner boy watched his thin, frail back, his eyes filled with awe and confusion.

Lucky?

Was it really... just luck?

A faint curve rose at the corner of Han Yuchen's mouth.

The rebound of [Restraint], combined with the fine control of [Blade of Flowing Water].

Using divine skills on small fry like this was simply a dimensionality-reduction strike.

Playing the pig to eat the tiger truly was the most interesting game in the world.

Nuoding City, here I come.

Master, I'm fucking coming for you.

Han Yuchen let out a strange "geigei" laugh like Bear Grylls.