Conquer the other worlds with abandon, they've fallen in love with me!

Just as dawn was breaking, noises came from the kitchen.

Lin Yu opened his eyes and stared at the wooden beam for a few seconds in a daze.

The sizzling sound of the pan and the popping of oil mingled with the sound of footsteps as Arya busied herself with the commotion.

He threw back the covers and sat up, the wooden board creaking as it did so.

"Awake?" Arya's voice came from the kitchen, light and cheerful. "Perfect timing, dinner's ready."

On the table was a bowl of hot porridge, a dish of pickled vegetables, and two pieces of dark bread.

Today, I added diced smoked meat to the congee, and there was oil floating on the surface, making it much more substantial than yesterday.

Arya stood by the table, untying her apron. Her hair was casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, with a few stray strands falling beside her ears. Her face still carried the languid look of someone who had just woken up.

"Did you sleep well last night?" She folded the apron and placed it on the cabinet.

"It's alright." Lin Yu picked up the bowl and took a sip. "How about you?"

"Me too..." Arya paused, then a slight smile played on her lips. "That's good."

"Oh, right," Lin Yu put down his bowl, "I'm going to town today. Is there anything you need me to bring back?"

Arya hesitated for a moment, then tapped her fingers on the edge of the table: "No, there's nothing I need to bring. If you can, remember to buy yourself a few clothes."

Also... be careful on the road, there are many people in town, unlike in the village.

"Okay." Lin Yu finished the last mouthful of porridge, stood up, and said, "I'll go see Miss Bell now."

Seeing Lin Yu leave, Arya also stood up and followed him toward the door.

Lin Yu pushed open the door, and the morning light rushed in.

He glanced back at Arya; she was still standing in the doorway, her expression obscured by the backlight.

"Be careful on the road," she said again, her voice softer than before.

Lin Yu nodded, turned around and left.

When she arrived at Bell Farm, she was filling the water tank in the yard.

I didn't wear overalls today; instead, I wore a loose gray top with the neckline wide open, revealing a dark bralette underneath when I bent over.

Her hair was casually tied into a low ponytail, with the tail swaying back and forth behind her.

"You're here?" Bell straightened up and put the barrel on the ground. "Pretty early."

"I have something to tell you," Lin Yu said bluntly. "I have found a definitive way to cure your condition."

Bell shook the wooden bucket in his hand: "Really?"

"Really," Lin Yu said, "but the herbs aren't cheap, so you'll have to pay for them."

Bell nodded; that made sense.

"How much do you need?"

Lin Yu replied without changing his expression, "Ten gold coins."

Bell was unscrewing the water bottle cap to get a drink when he heard this, and his hand trembled, almost spilling the water.

She took a big gulp, choked a bit as she swallowed, and coughed twice: "How much did you say?"

"Ten gold coins," Lin Yu repeated, his expression unchanged.

Bell put down the kettle and looked him up and down: "What kind of medicinal herbs are so expensive?"

Are the leaves made of gold, or the roots?

Lin Yu did not answer the question.

He took two steps forward and stood in front of Bell, raising his head slightly.

The morning light shone from the side, casting shadows of varying depths on his face.

"Miss Belle," Lin Yu said with a smile, "you wouldn't want your illness to go untreated, would you?"

Bell's lips twitched.

This brat has a handsome face, his eyes crinkle when he speaks, and his voice is gentle.

But why does that sound so irritating?

She stared at Lin Yu for a few seconds, then gritted her teeth.

Ten gold coins—not a lot, but not a little—enough for her to buy several calves.

But that awful illness... every time she went to the hospital, it hurt her so much she felt like she was dying.

I toss and turn at night, unable to sleep. My magic is not flowing smoothly, and it will inexplicably come out when I am stimulated.

It's seriously affecting her work and life; she's had enough.

"Fine," Bell gritted out, "Ten gold coins it is, but if you can't cure me..."

"If it can't be cured, I'll refund your money," Lin Yu said.

"Who asked you to return the money?" Bell squinted. "If you can't be cured, I'll tie you up and throw you into the cowshed, making you milk me every day until you pay it all back."

Lin Yu remained unfazed: "Then Miss Bell may be disappointed. I have great confidence in my skills."

Bell pouted, feeling like he'd been tricked, but there was nothing he could do about Lin Yu.

She took out a money bag from the house, counted out ten gold coins, and slapped them into Lin Yu's hand.

The gold coins were heavy and gleamed alluringly in the morning light.

"And now?" Bell crossed his arms. "Where do we buy the materials?"

"Let's go to town." Lin Yu put the gold coins away and looked up at her. "You have to come with me."

Why?

"So that you can supervise the whole process," Lin Yu said sincerely, "to prevent me from playing any tricks. You can keep an eye on it the whole time, so you can rest assured."

Bell thought about it and agreed, nodding and saying, "You're smart to know what's good for you. I'll go change my clothes."

In reality, Lin Yu just wanted Bell to protect him closely.

The road from Holm Village to the nearest town is not safe; there are thieves in the game, but with Bell around, the safety level is much higher.

...

The two walked south along the village road. The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the air was filled with the damp, grassy smell.

A horse-drawn carriage was parked at the village entrance. The driver was an old man with wrinkles on his face that looked like they were carved by a knife. He had a piece of dry grass in his mouth and was squinting as he leaned against the carriage floor, basking in the sun.

"Go to the nearest town." Lin Yu tossed a silver coin over.

The old man took the money, then removed the hay from his mouth: "Let's go."

The carriage swayed and rattled onto the road, its wheels crunching over the gravel.

Bell sat perfectly still, the spear resting against her shoulder, her tail curled into an S-shape and draped over her lap.

"Where are you from?" she suddenly asked.

Silla Castle.

"Oh, a big city." Bell tilted her head to look at him. "Then how did you end up in this backwater?"

"Looking for someone, but couldn't find them."

Bell didn't press further, and after a moment of silence, suddenly asked, "You stayed at her house yesterday?"

"who?"

"Arya".

"Um."

Bell curled her tail in a different direction: "She's a strange person. She's been in the village for so many years and has never gotten close to any man. You're the first one."

Lin Yu didn't reply, but looked at the farmland by the roadside.

Bell stopped talking, flicked its tail to the other side, and swayed along with the carriage.

The carriage stopped at the town entrance, and Lin Yu and Bell got out.

The town is called "Wind Chime Town," supposedly because there is an old windmill in the center of the town, and when the wind blows, the bells on the windmill will ring.

The streets are lined with all sorts of shops: blacksmith shops, tailor shops, general stores, bakeries... The air is filled with the smells of food, spices, and leather.

There were quite a few people on the street, mostly villagers from nearby and passing vendors. Occasionally, a few armored mercenaries carrying weapons walked by, their boots making a clattering sound on the stone pavement.

Lin Yu stood at the street corner and looked around. He saw a wooden sign hanging diagonally across the street, with a picture of a crucible and a medicine bottle on it.

"Over there." He waved to Bell.

Upon entering the herbal medicine shop, a mixed smell of herbs wafted over, bitter, astringent, and slightly sour.

On the counter were rows of ceramic jars, each with a label on its mouth with lines of crooked writing. Behind them, shelves were piled with various dried plants and bottles and jars.

The boss was a middle-aged bald man wearing round-framed glasses, who was hunched over behind the counter taking notes.

Hearing someone come in, he looked up and adjusted his glasses: "What would you like to order?"

Lin Yu took out a piece of paper from his pocket, on which was a list he had written the night before.

The boss took the paper, glanced at it, and slowly raised his eyebrows: "So many?"

"I want them all," Lin Yu said.

Belle leaned closer to take a look at the paper. It was covered with dense writing. She didn't recognize many words, but she could tell that quite a few lines had been written.

"Are these all for my medical treatment?" she asked in a low voice.

"Hmm." Lin Yu said without changing his expression, "Your illness is rather special, and it requires a lot of materials."

Bell was skeptical, but didn't say anything more, crossing his arms and watching Lin Yu go over the order with the boss.

The shopkeeper started wandering between the shelves with a piece of paper in his hand. Lin Yu followed behind him, occasionally taking a jar of herbs from the shelf to smell, or pinching a little in his palm and rubbing it together, then nodding or shaking his head.

Bell leaned against the door, watching him with his arms crossed.

This guy's movements when picking out medicinal herbs are quite skilled; it doesn't seem like he's faking it.