Traveling Between Two Worlds: From Bread for Maids to Fantasy Overlord

The sand and dust from Black Wind Ridge still clung to their clothes. Huang Yiming, holding Yang Xiu's hand, stood before the heavy wooden gate of Qin Family Fort, gazing up at the fortress nestled in the mountain valley. The city walls, built of rough bluestone, stood over two zhang high, with rusted spears stuck atop them. Guards in leather armor patrolled back and forth, their eyes scanning passersby warily, exuding the chilling aura unique to mortal forces.

Yang Xiu clutched Huang Yiming's sleeve tightly, half her body hidden behind him, only her wet eyes visible. She was still wearing the same faded, coarse cloth clothes, her face bearing the marks of her past weariness—having endured displacement in Black Wind Ridge and the humiliation of being a slave trader, she now stepped into this unfamiliar stronghold, her heart filled with fear. Only the boy beside her, who had saved her with a few bags of bread, offered her a sliver of security. She dared not look up, afraid of encountering more villains, her fingers crumpling the hem of Huang Yiming's clothes, yet she refused to let go for even a moment.

"Halt! Where did this wild brat come from, dressed so strangely, daring to trespass into Qin Family Fortress?" The guard captain squinted at Huang Yiming, his tone extremely sarcastic.

Huang Yiming, dressed in modern casual wear, looked completely out of place in the eyes of these otherworldly people dressed in coarse linen clothes and sporting ancient hairstyles. Upon seeing this, the guards surrounded him, holding their spears across the doorway with disdain in their eyes, clearly mistaking him for a homeless vagrant or even a spy with ulterior motives.

"We've come to seek refuge with the Lord of the Fortress; we have important matters to discuss." Huang Yiming's tone was calm; he didn't want to waste time at the city gate. He had just finished the arduous journey of the first volume and had finally arrived here with Yang Xiu. He only wanted to quickly establish a foothold and take the first step in cross-world trade, but these gatekeepers were making things difficult for him in every way, clearly bullying the weak and fearing the strong.

"Seek refuge? With your wretched appearance, you dare to meet our lord? I bet you're a spy from Black Wind Ridge, trying to infiltrate the fort and cause trouble!" The guard captain sneered, raising his hand to shove Huang Yiming. The guards behind him joined in the commotion, spewing sarcastic remarks: "Get lost, or we'll break your legs and feed you to the wolves!"

Yang Xiu trembled at the sight and instinctively shrank into Huang Yiming's arms, sobbing softly, "Young Master, should we...should we leave..." She was terrified of conflict and of falling into displacement again.

Huang Yiming patted Yang Xiu's hand, his eyes gently reassuring her: "Don't be afraid, I'm here, no one can hurt you." When he turned to look at the group of guards, his eyes instantly turned cold. He hadn't wanted to show off his abilities so soon after arriving, but these people were pushing their luck—if he backed down now, it would only be harder for him to gain a foothold in Qin Family Fortress in the future, so he might as well establish his authority directly.

All the onlookers saw was Huang Yiming calmly drawing a dark, cold short weapon from his waist. Its strange shape was unlike anything they had ever seen before. The guards were initially taken aback, then burst into laughter, completely disregarding this inconspicuous object.

"What kind of junk is this? Even a fire poker is better than this. You think you can scare people with this?"

"I think this kid's starving, trying to pull this trick with some piece of junk. Get him out of here!"

The guard captain roared and swung his fist at Huang Yiming. Huang Yiming's eyes sharpened, he raised his gun, aimed at the thick wooden pillar of the city gate beside him, and gently pulled the trigger with his index finger.

"Bang--!"

A deafening roar suddenly erupted, echoing throughout the entire city gate square! Dust flew everywhere, and wood chips scattered in all directions. The sturdy wooden pillar, which required two people to hug, was instantly pierced with a dark, gaping wound, the depth of which was clearly visible and shocking.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

The guards, who had been so arrogant just moments before, froze instantly, their laughter ceasing abruptly. The captain's fist, raised halfway through its swing, stopped mid-air; his legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud, trembling uncontrollably, his face ashen white, all traces of his previous arrogance gone. The other guards were even more terrified, dropping their spears and kowtowing repeatedly, muttering "Master, spare our lives!" and "We were blind to your greatness!" Their foreheads bled from the repeated kowtowing, a truly pathetic display.

In the Azure Netherworld, where cultivation reigns supreme and mortals are but ants, such a powerful and (in their eyes) silent weapon is simply beyond the reach of ordinary beings; only legendary celestial treasures could achieve this. They dared not offend the immortals, only regretting their earlier loose tongue that had provoked this calamity.

Yang Xiu was also startled by the loud noise. She looked up at Huang Yiming with admiration and relief in her eyes. So this young master was that powerful! With him here, she really didn't need to be afraid. She hugged Huang Yiming's arm tightly, all the fear on her face vanishing, replaced by dependence.

Pedestrians in the square and residents inside the fortress rushed over upon hearing the commotion, crowding the area. Seeing the broken wooden pillar and the kneeling guard begging for mercy, they all gasped in shock. Their eyes, filled with awe, looked at Huang Yiming.

Huang Yiming holstered his gun, his expression indifferent, as if he had just done something trivial. Leading the still somewhat frightened Yang Xiu, he strode confidently across the city gate, asking detachedly, "Now, may you take me to see the Fortress Lord?"

The captain of the guards scrambled to his feet, bowing and scraping, his tone obsequious to the extreme: "Y-yes! Immortal Master, please follow me. I'll take you to see the Lord of the Fortress right away!"

Huang Yiming nodded slightly, leading Yang Xiu forward slowly. The guards behind them respectfully led the way, not daring to breathe loudly. The people along the way gave way, their eyes filled with awe, whispering among themselves, speculating about the origins of this mysterious young man.