Chapter 510 – Small-Town Daily Life, Fourth Rank Human Soul, A New Power - Part 2

Chapter 510 – Small-Town Daily Life, Fourth Rank Human Soul, A New Power - Part 2

By noon, the couple sat down to eat minced pork tofu.

Xie Yu took a bite, and her eyes lit up. “Wow, the tofu’s so fine, like it melts in your mouth!”

Li Yuan looked a little glum, but when he thought about it carefully...he had made progress.

Back when he’d first awakened his Heaven Soul, one cut and the entire tofu block would detonate on the spot.

Now? At least it was staying mostly intact.

There was still room to improve. And if there was room, he would keep going.

From that day on, the white-robed wandering hero vanished, replaced by a full-time

househusband

.

He cooked. He cleaned. He scrubbed pots, washed dishes, and laundered clothes.

And in the midst of all this, his mind never stopped working, constantly reflecting and refining his cultivation.

Every time he channeled power, he tried to bring the strength of the Heaven Soul to his fingertips...then compress it back using his domain force.

Sadly the results were...hundreds of shattered cutting boards and dozens of exploded cooking pots. Xie Yu’s dresses were also torn to shreds...by the dozen.

The couple’s meals became increasingly simple, porridge and watery vegetables. The ingredients were always minced. Minced meat, minced rice, minced greens...

Every single dish... came with

minced

in the name.

And so, Xie Yu finally fell in love with eating out. Any chance she got, she’d tug on Li Yuan’s sleeve and insist they go find a place to eat.

After living in Silver Creek for a while, they finally managed, after much waiting in line, to get a seat at the famed Ginger Tavern.

On this particular day, Xie Yu sat happily behind the railing on the upper floor, savoring the dishes with obvious delight. When she noticed Li Yuan staring absentmindedly at his hands, she cheerfully picked up some food with her chopsticks and offered it to him.

“Husband, eat up! We finally got a seat, you know. Just look down there, tons of people still waiting in line!”

“Mhm...” Li Yuan snapped out of his thoughts and nodded.

Then Xie Yu suddenly remembered something and waved eagerly, “Waiter! Waiter! We’d like to order some Springdream Brew!”

A nearby waiter jogged over, scratching his head with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, miss. We’re already out of Springdream Brew for the day.”

“Then how about Springblossom Brew?” she asked.

“We’re out of that too. Both sold out less than two hours after opening.”

“Then...Springwater Brew...?”

The waiter nodded, “Just one pot left.”

Xie Yu pouted. “Can’t you people brew a little more?”

“We really did brew a lot...” the waiter replied, a little embarrassed. “So... shall I bring the Springwater Brew?”

“Fine. One pot of that, then.”

The waiter rushed off.

Xie Yu grumbled, “Hmph. I really thought I’d get to drink Springdream Brew today. Back home we still had several jars stashed in the cellar...”

As soon as she said this, a snicker came from the next table.

She turned to glare and saw two young couples dining nearby. The laughter had come from a cocky-looking youth, who clearly didn’t believe a word of what she’d said.

“Yeah right,” he sneered. “A few jars? You’re dreaming. Even the King of Chu only managed to buy five jars total.”

His friends all chuckled along, looking at Xie Yu like she was some little clown putting on a show.

Her teeth clenched in frustration.

Li Yuan calmly raised a hand in front of her and said, “Less wine isn’t a bad thing.”

“Hmph!” Xie Yu shot him a sharp look.

My own husband! I’m being mocked right in front of him, and all he does is say, drink less? Seriously?!

Meanwhile, the cocky youth next door shouted smugly, “Waiter! Has our Springblossom Brew been warmed up yet?”

Xie Yu was ready to explode. But just a few moments later, her anger melted away. She ignored the neighboring table, focused on her food, sipped the Springwater Brew, and leaned in to whisper, “Husband. Husband.”

“What is it?”

“I found out why this place is always packed.” She leaned even closer, lowering her voice like she was about to share a royal secret. “Do you know who used to own this restaurant?”

Li Yuan gave her a look.

Here we go again.

Xie Yu grinned. “They say, before she became the Empress of the Ghost Prison, Yan Yu was just a mortal woman. And back then, this place belonged to her husband. Now, the restaurant has grown, joined with major trade guilds and all, but no matter how much money it makes, most of the profits go back to the people. That’s why everyone loves this place, why they respect it. Look at the waiters, every single one of them looks so proud to work here.”

“Mhm...” Li Yuan nodded. But he clearly had no interest in following this train of thought any further.

Xie Yu, on the other hand, wasn’t done being dramatic. “Guess who her husband was? I’ll tell you, he was incredible. A legend among legends.”

“Uhh...” Li Yuan’s heart jolted.

Just as Xie Yu was about to keep talking, he swiftly snatched up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth. Then, with a flick of his wrist, his chopsticks blurred, creating streaks in the air as he scooped up more.

“Hey! Hey! Slow down!” Xie Yu blinked in surprise. “Save some for me!”

With that, the epic tale she’d been preparing to tell was forgotten. She lunged forward to battle for food, fiercely competing with her husband for each delicious bite.

And in that moment, her thoughts wandered to her Xie Wei, who lived behind the walls of the imperial palace, a woman who held the reins of power over an entire empire.

But...was her sister happy? Could she ever be like this? Laughing shamelessly across the table, fighting over food with the person she loved, then thinking about whether to go stroll the night market afterward?

Suddenly, Li Yuan stood up. “Yu’er, I’m heading to the restroom.”

“Hurry back,” she replied, barely looking up.

A few moments later, Li Yuan returned. But this time, he was carrying two wine jars. He placed them gently on the table beside her and said, “My dear wife, I saw how much you liked Springdream Brew, so I went and got two jars for you.”

In the distance, the mocking youth from earlier burst out laughing again.

But in the very next breath, Li Yuan broke the wax seal, and a rich, intoxicating fragrance wafted through the room.

It was unmistakable. That uniquely floral, mellow aroma could only belong to one thing, Springdream Brew.

The moment it spread, every sneering face froze in place.

Eyes widened. Jaws dropped. Mouths hung open wide enough to fit an entire goose egg.

And that included Xie Yu herself.

“I-Is it really Springdream Brew...?” she stammered.

Li Yuan nodded calmly. “I just got lucky. Ran into an old friend. Turns out he had a private stash, so he gave me two jars. Drink up.”

As he poured the wine, a quiet murmur stirred in the restaurant, the kind that spread fast among the wealthy.

And just like that, a swarm of well-dressed patrons sprang into action, each demanding to know why they hadn’t gotten any.

But the answer was the same for all of them.

“The wine was a gift. From the owner. If you’ve got a problem, go take it up with him.”

And who was the owner?

A few people knew. It was Xie Qing’an, the White Impermanence of the Court of Judges, one of Yan Yu’s top enforcers.

Who dared go demand wine from

him

?

A few steps, a few words from him...those were already an enormous favor.

So, with no options left, the noble crowd had no choice but to sit back down in quiet frustration.

Meanwhile, Xie Yu drank happily, basking in the envious stares around her. Then she leaned in close and whispered, “Husband, you know White Impermanence?”

Li Yuan nodded. “We’ve met a few times. Traded a favor for the wine.”

Xie Yu frowned. “Isn’t this too generous? What if it’s wasted on me?”

Li Yuan smiled, his voice soft. “If it makes you happy, then it’s worth it.”

Just as they were chatting, the sharp click of footsteps echoed from the staircase.

A moment later, a slightly chubby, well-dressed middle-aged man came hurrying over to their table. With a beaming smile, he pulled a finely carved jade token from his sleeve and held it out respectfully.

“I am Xue Jinbao, manager of the Ginger Tavern. This is our VIP token. With this, you may enter and dine at any time, no need to wait in line.

“And if you ever wish to drink Springdream Brew again, just say the word. Our staff will fetch it directly from the wine vault. This token isn’t limited to this location.

“It grants access to all of Ginger Tavern’s affiliated establishments—teahouses, taverns, restaurants, you name it. There are only three of these in existence. Yours is the very first.”

Xie Yu stared at the token in stunned silence, forgetting to even reach for it.

Around them, every pair of eyes turned greener than the next.

Xue Jinbao bowed once more with utmost respect before quietly stepping away.

Still caught in a dreamlike daze, Xie Yu picked up the jade token and turned it over. On the back, carved in elegant archaic script, was

Miss Yu

.

Li Yuan let out a wry chuckle. “Didn’t expect him to go so far with this favor... Xie Yu, just keep it.”

She glanced around, then spotted the very youths who had mocked her earlier. With a playful flick of her wrist, she waved the token at them, her pretty face tilting up in a beaming smile.

After drinking and eating her fill, Xie Yu left the Ginger Tavern thoroughly satisfied, practically glowing with joy.

Up in the upper pavilion, Xue Jinbao wiped the sweat from his forehead as he watched the couple disappear into the distance.

Then he turned to the tall, pale man in white standing beside him and whispered, “Master Bai...who

was

that man exactly? What kind of person could make

you

come all the way down here in person?”

“A friend,” Xie Qing’an simply replied.

Xue Jinbao nodded. But he knew very well that this man, stern-faced White Impermanence, was known for being incorruptible, unmoved even by personal ties. For him to make such an exception, this

friend

had to be someone worth engraving into memory.

So Xue Jinbao burned the image of that couple into his mind, marking them with the highest level of respect.

Shortly after, Xie Qing’an left. As he moved through the night, a crow suddenly landed on a nearby rooftop beside him.

He paused and bowed his head. “Lady Divine Crow.”

That title had become widely known ever since the daughter of the King of Chu first called her that. Some even speculated the divine crow was the same quiet young girl who sat at the feet of the jade statue of Yan Yu.

The crow let out a sharp caw. “Wine delivered? Token handed over?”

Xie Qing’an nodded. “Yes. But, who is that man, really?”

The crow cawed again, almost laughing. “Your friend. A friend just close enough to trade for two jars of wine and one precious token.”

Xie Qing’an fell silent for a moment, then nodded deeply. “Understood.”

The crow spread its wings and vanished into the night sky, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Xie Qing’an, too, melted back into the shadows.