Only a few days after An Chen left, news arrived from Sunset Town and Heaven Dou City.
"A dragon rolled over in Sunset Forest... even Heaven Dou City shook three times... the Heaven Dou Imperial Family was alarmed and sent troops to seal off the forest entrances, planning to venture deep inside to investigate..."
Dressed in a gray-blue robe, An Chen sat in a corner of the inn, with a bamboo hat, a pot of tea, and several plates of pastries on his table.
He sipped his tea, his ears pricked as he listened to the discussions around him.
An Chen frowned slightly. After setting down his cup, he tapped his fingers lightly against the table, digesting the information.
A little fox with enormous ears sat on the stool beside him, twitching his nose. His eyes stayed fixed on the pastries as he stole glances at the absorbed An Chen.
After a moment, seeing that An Chen had not moved, Big Ears leaped onto the table, hooked a pastry toward himself with a paw, and began eating.
An attendant noticed and hurried over. After glancing at An Chen's attire, he offered a tactful reminder. "Dear guest, please keep an eye on your soul beast. These plates are for people, not soul beasts."
Only then did An Chen return to his senses. Without even looking at the attendant, he conjured two Gold Soul Coins in his hand and placed them on the table.
"Is that enough?"
The attendant's eyes lit up. He quickly picked up the Gold Soul Coins and nodded. "Yes, more than enough."
Then he turned and hurried back to the counter.
An Chen looked at the frightened Big Ears on the table and shook his head. "Go ahead. You can eat the plate too, now."
Big Ears flapped