Chapter 422 Source Walker

"And the hostile races?" Lin Lee pressed, his eyes still holding that blank, curious look, concealing his inner calculation.

"Ah, them." Wang Yi spat disdainfully on the floor near his feet, earning a subtle frown from the nearest maid. "In this realm, there is no primary hostile race... just humans. But in other realms there are a lot of alien races... almost all of them consider humans as a threat. They are fierce, ugly, and have powerful cultivation techniques. They consider us humans from the main world as invaders, or worse, prey. They will not hesitate to kill us for our advanced cultivation techniques or devour us for nourishment. If you encounter any races besides humans, you must kill them first."

He then gave a dismissive gesture toward the door, "You have heard enough, Brother. Find a local cloth shop, get some proper robes, and get out of here. As for your situation, you need to find a way to access your memories and your mission. Until then, lie low. And stay away from the sect disciples."

Wang Yi dismissed him with a casual wave of his hand, clearly finished with his obligation to a ’poor countryman’ who had lost his way. "I have important business to attend to. You may leave now."

Lin Lee immediately nodded, his expression polite and calm. He then paused just before standing up, his calm gaze settling back on Wang Yi.

"Brother, before I leave, can you tell me one last thing?" Lin Lee asked, a flicker of genuine curiosity in his eyes that he didn’t bother to suppress completely.

Wang Yi raised an eyebrow, impatient but slightly mollified by the submissive tone. "What is it? Speak quickly," he said, taking another large sip of tea.

"Is there anyone else in this realm, besides yourself, who you know to have arrived from the main world?" Lin Lee inquired, his tone deceptively casual.

Wang Yi immediately shook his head. "No, there is no one else I know of. And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you. Sometimes, even a fellow source walker will hunt you after recognizing you. We are all competing for Origin Points, after all." He leaned forward, lowering his voice again. "Origin Points have a huge appeal for us seekers. They can enhance our Source Talent, making us stronger. And there are even rumors that with enough Origin Points, one can open the ’Origin Space,’ which allows you to get anything you desire by consuming them inside that space. That kind of power... no one would share the path to it."

Lin Lee’s internal focus sharpened considerably. Origin Space, consuming Origin Points for desires. The mechanism sounded suspiciously similar to the golden wishing star in his possession.

’A wish-granting space powered by the currency, feels like a deliberate game setting.’ Lin Lee mused thinking of this setting, his thoughts regarding Origin points completely changed.

He stood up, his expression a polite mask of understanding. "Thank you. You have been more than generous with your help."

Wang Yi waved a hand dismissively, already turning his attention back to the two fanning maids. "Go on, good luck."

Lin Lee merely nodded once and turned, silently exiting the cabin, descended the wooden stairs, his mind already churning through the implications of Wang Yi’s revelations. As he reached the ground floor, he glanced back at the sign above the entrance: WANG CUISINE.

’Wang Cuisine,’ he mused internally, the word Wang now standing out to him not just as a name, but as an identifier. The entire building, from its clean stone walls to the bustling trade inside, was a testament to Wang Yi’s mercantile Source Talent and its successful application in this realm.

His pupils flickered slightly as his gaze settled on the tag or logo beside the Wang Cuisine. The tag is also written as Wang Cuisine, but the language Wang Yi had used was clearly not native to this continent; it was the language of the ’main world,’ the language of the ’Source Walkers.’ If Wang Yi, a merchant, used his name and a main-world term for his business, it was a brand, a signal.

’If this ’Source Walker’ is successful, he won’t be the only one who advertises his trade. Others who arrived might have done the same,’ Lin Lee thought, a cold, calculated curiosity rising within him. ’The unique words from the main world, the Source Walker language, will be the subtle markers. I can track their presence, their specialties, and their locations using this newly acquired language.’

He decided to stay. Leaving now would mean losing a precious chance, wasting precious time and energy, and abandoning this goldmine of information. If he can find another Source Walkers, he could learn the rules of this cosmic game, learn about the hostile races, and, more importantly, learn about the ’Origin Space’ and its connection to the ultimate wish-granting power.

His decision made, Lin Lee turned and walked briskly away from the restaurant. He quickly located a local cloth shop, paid a small sum of the tarnished gold ingots... observing the surprised delight of the mortal shopkeeper... and changed his clothes. The casual shirt, pants and hooded robe were replaced by simple, loose-fitting cotton trousers, a long white shirt and a light brown linen robe, garments common to the local populace. He suppressed his aura entirely to the Qi Gathering level, seamlessly blending into the flow of the town.

After leaving the shop, he found a modest but well-maintained inn nearby and booked a simple, quiet room on the second floor. His priority was information and stabilization, not luxury.

Meanwhile, inside the private cabin at Wang Cuisine, Wang Yi was enjoying the skillful attention of the two maids when his two lackeys returned. They stood respectfully before him, reporting their findings.

"Young Master Wang, we observed the man you spoke with. He changed his clothes and purchased a light brown robe, then booked a room at the Eastern Inn," the older lackey, a thin young man named Zhi, reported.

Wang Yi’s brow furrowed, and his smooth relaxation faded. He sat up, dismissing the maids with a sharp gesture, his expression turning ugly.

"He booked a room?" Wang Yi demanded, the casual enjoyment gone from his voice. "I told him to leave and lie low! That doesn’t mean he gets to stay inside the town. If any local sect disciples or, worse, one of the genuine higher-level Source Walkers discovers him, they will use him to compromise my location and endanger my own life. My mission is not yet complete, I can’t afford to exit this realm before that... it will be a huge loss to my family."

Wang Yi’s eyes narrowed, a cold calculation replacing the earlier confidence. He wouldn’t allow a careless rookie to jeopardize his advancement.

"Go to the inn," he instructed his subordinates, his voice low and hard. "Wait until tomorrow morning. Then, bring him to my courtyard residence. I need to have a serious, final conversation with this idiot."

...

The next morning, Lin Lee was having a simple breakfast of spiced porridge and steamed buns in the common room of the inn, his ears open to the low murmur of local gossip, when the wooden door swung open. Wang Yi’s two subordinates, Zhi and the other young man, walked in. They scanned the room quickly, their eyes immediately locking onto Lin Lee’s quiet table.

They approached him, their expressions businesslike and devoid of the casual curiosity they had shown the day before.

"Sir!" Zhi greeted him, his voice firm. "Our Young Master wishes to speak with you. He asks that you accompany us now to his residence."

Lin Lee paused, setting his porcelain bowl down with a quiet clink. He nodded once, the polite mask of the amiable amnesiac firmly in place. "Lead the way."

He stood up, his body feeling light and refreshed after a night of suppressed cultivation, and followed them out.

They walked toward the central, more affluent area of the town. Soon, they stopped before a large, well-built courtyard house. The stone walls were impeccably clean, and the mahogany gate was guarded by two stern-looking, low-level Qi Gathering cultivators.

Upon walking inside, Lin Lee’s gaze swept over the luxurious, open hall. His eyes landed on Wang Yi, who was lying stretched out on a finely carved wooden recliner. Sunlight streamed in from the courtyard, illuminating his relaxed form as several beautiful maids massaged his back and oiled his arms.

’He is certainly enjoying the fruits of his Source Talent,’ Lin Lee mused internally, a flicker of amusement touching his eyes. ’A life of ease and pleasure, powered by a forced cosmic mission.’

He appeared in front of Wang Yi, who turned his head and sat up slightly, waving the maids away.

"Brother," Wang Yi began, his tone a mix of geniality and reproach. "You didn’t tell me your name yesterday. And I forgot to introduce myself formally. My name is Wang Yi."

Lin Lee settled into the chair offered opposite the recliner, maintaining his composed demeanor. "Lin Lee."

... Chapter End ...