Firelit Streets and Alleys

In Eastsea City's Seaside District, evening had fallen over Seafood Street. The salty, damp sea breeze carried the scents of countless foods as it rolled through the streets and alleys. Amid this bustling everyday scene, Huo Yuhao stood before a storefront with the Demon Spirit's green-skirted girl form beside him. A red notice pasted on the door read: "Owner urgently transferring business, price negotiable."

The shop was small, and its frontage was somewhat worn. It had previously sold wonton noodles; inside, the greasy stove and clutter piled in the corners were still visible. A middle-aged man in a sleeveless undershirt squatted at the entrance smoking. He was the owner, Old Chen.

"Boss, can we take a look at the place?" Huo Yuhao stepped forward, his tone calm.

Old Chen looked up and sized up the young pair before him. The man wore ordinary dark clothes and looked refined and clean, with steady eyes. The girl appeared timid and delicate, like someone from out of town. "Looking at the shop? You two siblings?" Old Chen stood and patted his trousers. "Come on in and have a look. It's not much space, but the stove and equipment can all still be used. They're just a bit old."

Huo Yuhao walked around inside. With a slight movement of his Spirit Eyes, he immediately understood the structure, ventilation, and water and electrical lines. The Demon Spirit—now publicly his younger sister, "Huo Xiaoling"—followed behind curiously and cautiously, not quite daring to touch the greasy things.

"How much are you planning to transfer it for?" Huo Yuhao asked.

"This amount, including the next half year's rent." Old Chen gestured with his hand. "To be honest with you, something came up back home, and I need to get back urgently. This location isn't bad, but the competition's fierce and the work's tiring. You two are young, so if you're serious about taking it, there's room to discuss the price."

Huo Yuhao nodded. Rather than bargaining immediately, he asked, "For food businesses on this street, is the management strict? Are permits hard to get?"

"Ah, those people at the district management office collect monthly management and sanitation fees eagerly enough." Old Chen blew out a puff of smoke. "You'll have to handle the official permits yourself—fill out forms, register, wait for approval. It's troublesome, but they can't be bothered to make things difficult for small stalls and shops like yours. Plenty of people start operating first and sort out the paperwork later."

Only after understanding the situation did Huo Yuhao begin discussing the price with Old Chen. He did not say much, but every word was practical. He neither pressed the price down ruthlessly and seemed mean-spirited, nor agreed at once and appeared inexperienced. In the end, they settled on a price both sides found acceptable. They agreed to exchange payment and sign a simple transfer agreement the next day, with the remaining lease term transferred directly to Huo Yuhao.

"Good, kid. You're straightforward." Old Chen was quite pleased. "Oh, right. Old Li next door on the left sells Iron-Pot Beef. He's a decent man too. The proprietress of the seafood congee place on the right can be a little particular, so just watch yourselves around her. That's this street for you—there are all kinds of people."

After leaving the shop, Huo Yuhao did not intend to rely entirely on Old Chen's suggestion to "sort it out later." After finding a cheap inn nearby and getting settled, he concentrated and activated the auxiliary unit on his wrist.

His spiritual power flowed into it like a thin stream, and the unit flickered with faint light. His goal was not to create things from nothing, but to "accelerate" and "correct." First, in the underlying redundant sector of the municipal soul tool information network, he silently "pre-generated" two inactive draft household registration files, linking them to plausible migration histories that were difficult to trace—for example, people who had come to make a living from a mining town whose records had been partly destroyed in a soul tool accident. Then he found the offline data cache of the Seafood Street district management office, where the soul tool terminals had almost no protection at all. He did not directly write anything into the system. Instead, he carefully altered the data transmission logs and a batch update file awaiting submission, subtly "embedding" his shop information, based on his genuine agreement with Old Chen, along with the indexes for the two household registration drafts. This way, the next time the office staff carried out routine data synchronization, the information would naturally appear in the system, like normal files whose entry had merely been delayed through oversight. It minimized the risk of being detected by the core security mechanisms.

After finishing all that, he relaxed slightly. Technology was only an aid. Truly fitting in would depend on the solid, ordinary days ahead.

The next day, they paid the money, signed the agreement, and received the keys from Old Chen. Huo Yuhao and "Xiaoling" began cleaning and renovating the shop. There was no major reconstruction, only a thorough cleaning. The greasy stove was scraped and washed spotless, the walls were repainted, and Huo Yuhao personally adjusted the ventilation. Using limited materials, he made several small devices that allowed the charcoal fire to burn more evenly. The tables and chairs were polished until they shone. Though old, they were clean.

When purchasing basic supplies, Huo Yuhao deliberately went to the market to buy bowls, chopsticks, and seasonings, while also familiarizing himself with the area. Through the secret channels Di Tian had left behind, he received the first batch of Silver-Scaled Fish and distinctive herbs from the outskirts of the forest. The fish were disguised as ordinary catches and delivered mixed among other seafood, though their flesh faintly carried spiritual energy.

"Brother Yuhao, these fish are so pretty," Xiaoling said softly as she looked at the fish in the basin, their scales glimmering faintly.

"Yes. They're one of our shop's greatest strengths." As Huo Yuhao spoke, he hung a simple wooden sign reading "Yuling Grilled Fish" outside the entrance. "But remember, no matter who asks, say they're ordinary sea fish bought from Old Wu's Fish Stall at the docks."

Before the shop opened, Huo Yuhao took Xiaoling and wrapped several grilled fish in oiled paper. They first visited Uncle Li next door, who ran Iron-Pot Beef. Old Li was a man in his fifties, wearing a grease-stained apron as he watched over several large black iron pots that bubbled and steamed.

"Uncle Li, keeping busy? My sister and I just took over the shop next door. We're opening tomorrow to sell grilled fish, so here's a little something for you to try." Huo Yuhao smiled warmly and handed over the fish.

Old Li was somewhat surprised. As he accepted the oiled-paper package, heat mixed with an unusual fragrance wafted out, making him sniff involuntarily. "Oh, you really shouldn't have... You're a polite young man. Whoa, this fish smells amazing!" He took a bite, and his eyes lit up. "Not bad, kid! You've got skill! We're neighbors from now on, so we should look out for each other! On this street, it's repeat customers that matter. You need honesty and good flavor if you want to establish yourself."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Old Li lowered his voice. "Auntie Wang from the congee shop on the right... she isn't a bad person, but she talks too much and likes to nitpick. Just be a little careful. Don't give her grounds to lecture you."

"Thank you for the advice, Uncle Li." Huo Yuhao thanked him sincerely. This simple exchange between neighbors made them feel more grounded than any disguise could.

On opening day, there was no ceremony. The charcoal fire was lit, and Silver-Scaled Fish brushed with a secret sauce sizzled on the grill. Their aroma, mixed with the distinctive scent of strange herbs, swiftly drifted through the street. At first, only a scattered few diners were drawn in by the smell, but after tasting it, they immediately praised the tender, flavorful fish and its lingering aftertaste.

Huo Yuhao wore an apron and focused on controlling the heat, his movements clean and efficient. Xiaoling was initially flustered. She nearly dropped a plate and spent ages counting on her fingers when calculating the bill. Huo Yuhao did not rush her, merely reminding her quietly, "Slow down. Look carefully at the coins. When you take payment and serve the food, say something like, 'Please wait a moment,' or, 'Your fish is ready.'"

After a busy noon, Xiaoling gradually got the hang of things. Her smile was still shy, but at least she stopped making mistakes. After closing, Huo Yuhao cleaned the stove while seemingly casually asking, "Did you hear anything interesting today?"

Xiaoling thought for a moment. "One man said his child is almost six, and he's worrying over whether to save up and buy a ten-year Soul Spirit from the Spirit Pagoda, or take a gamble and see if the child can awaken a good martial soul... Two women were also saying that Eastsea Soul Master Academy's tuition has gone up again."

"Yes, those are the truest parts of life." Huo Yuhao nodded. The wrist-mounted unit silently recorded these voices of everyday people, piecing together the perspective of ordinary people in this era.

After closing in the evening, it was time to study. Using ordinary metal sheets and an engraving knife he had bought, Huo Yuhao taught Xiaoling the most basic method of etching soul tool energy circuits. "You're a natural spirit, inherently sensitive to the flow of energy. Don't use brute force. Feel the 'veins' of the metal, guide your natural power, and let it pass lightly through like a stream flowing into a channel..."

Xiaoling studied with great seriousness. Her pure perception allowed her to learn quickly. When she etched her first pattern capable of faintly guiding energy, childlike delight appeared on her face.

Late at night, Huo Yuhao would carry out his most important daily practice—sensing the Eternal Snowflake. He calmed his mind and focused, sinking his consciousness into his connection with the snowflake. Soon, a thread of peaceful, steady sensation reached him, carrying the simple yet vigorous life force unique to a child. The direction... clearly pointed northeast, not within Eastsea City, but farther away... toward Aolai City.

In Aolai City... As long as you're safe, that's enough. Huo Yuhao silently repeated the words in his heart. Confirming that safety each day was the deepest comfort in his heart.

Before sleeping, he would chat with Xiaoling for a while.

"Xiaoling, you aren't a soul beast born of flesh and blood." Huo Yuhao looked into her exceptionally clear eyes beneath the lamplight. "Di Tian told me that ten thousand years ago, when the Emperor Auspicious Beast fell and Star Dou energy scattered in turmoil, the forest's endless vitality and the grief, hopes, and other intense thoughts of countless soul beasts wishing for their race to endure gradually intertwined and condensed over long years. In the end, nourished by the Lake of Life, you were born. You are a natural spirit, as well as the pure embodiment of the soul beast race's collective will and a portion of its remaining fortune."

Xiaoling nodded, hazy and distant memories in her eyes. "I... don't remember much myself. It felt like, a very, very long time ago, there was a patch of golden light that was warm but sad... Then I woke up inside a crystal flower. Auntie Bi Ji said I was a little like... a dream left behind by the Auspicious Beast for the forest, a hope. I can feel the forest's 'breathing,' and I can vaguely feel everyone's sorrow and... unwillingness to accept it."

"So you're naturally sensitive to emotions and auras," Huo Yuhao said. "I'll teach you a method derived from the Divine Realm. It has nothing to do with fighting and focuses on 'perception' and 'harmonization.' It can help you better sort through the emotional ripples within yourself and around you, preserve a clear mind in this chaotic human world, and perhaps... allow you to sense more clearly the flow of that 'fortune' sharing the same origin as you."

He began teaching her a simplified and adjusted meditation method based on emotional perception and resonance with the primordial energy of heaven and earth. For Xiaoling, it was both necessary for maintaining her disguise and possibly a path toward her deeper future mission.

Thus, the days passed steadily amid the smoky warmth of grilled fish, exchanges with neighbors, the clinking sound of engraving knives, and the silent daily watch over that thread of safety in the distance. Yuling Grilled Fish gradually earned a reputation. To the diners, Huo Yuhao became the calm, quiet "Boss Huo" with exceptional skill, while Xiaoling was the hardworking yet somewhat shy "little sister Xiaoling." Like two inconspicuous drops of water, they blended into the bustling river of everyday life in Eastsea City, quietly lying low, waiting—and preparing.