Volume One: Another World Chapter Ten: It's Fine If I Take the Loss

After washing up, Li Yu glanced around and saw that Huang Xiu’s room light was already off. He returned to his own room and began to contemplate his next steps.

If he wanted the freedom to travel between worlds, living alone would certainly be the better choice—fewer constraints and less risk of anyone noticing anything unusual.

But… Li Yu gazed at the wall bathed in pale moonlight after the lights were out; on the other side was Huang Xiu’s room.

“Better wait until the college entrance exams are over,” he muttered to himself.

Yet, it was impossible for him to stop venturing into the other world. No young man could resist the allure of personal strength, especially the kind that let you leap over roofs and walk on walls.

After all, that had been every child’s dream at some point.

Moreover, there was a place over there that required his daily sign-in—the Grand Imperial Capital.

“So, here’s the key point: I need to think carefully about how to win favor over there.” Li Yu clapped his hands together. That place was a must-visit, but in the near term, he would need to shorten his stays.

Even though, thanks to his Thunder Bloodline, the villagers needed his help, it wouldn’t hurt to earn a wave of goodwill. That way, even if he did something unusual—like disappearing suddenly—the villagers might just turn a blind eye.

Once he had gathered enough goodwill in this “novice village” and was ready to venture out, they could also provide him with a legitimate identity, making it easier for him to establish himself in the other world.

That night, Li Yu’s thoughts raced endlessly—one moment picturing himself conquering all corners of the other world, the next imagining himself stirring up storms back on Blue Star.

By the time he woke up, it was nearly noon.

“Perhaps the best time to start the day is at noon after all.”

Li Yu stepped outside for some exercise as usual… along with the cold breakfast from the dining table, which accompanied him straight to the trash, to reunite with yesterday’s discarded companions.

When Huang Xiu returned at midday, she looked at the table, surprised, and pointed at the rock sugar and salt. “Yu, what’s all this for?”

“Oh, I’m planning to make a few snacks—these are for experimentation.” Li Yu answered with a calm expression.

These items were the fruit of his late-night brainstorming. Sugar was rare in the village of the other world, as was salt. Li Yu surmised that there must not be any sea nearby; yesterday’s barbecue had tasted mostly of the meat itself, with almost no seasoning whatsoever.

And these two items—one a universally loved treat, the other a household essential vital to health—would surely be well received if he brought them over.

Most importantly, both were easy to handle: just transfer them from their packaging into clear bags, and no one would be able to trace their origins.

The two quickly finished their meal. The dishes were prepared by either Huang Xiu’s mother or Li Yu’s mother and handed off to Huang Xiu at noon to bring back. Their only responsibility was to wash the dishes.

Of course, Li Yu always did the washing himself, leaving the free time for Huang Xiu’s studies.

In the afternoon, after Huang Xiu left for school, Li Yu immediately returned to the other world.

Sure enough, as soon as he arrived, he saw Mu Yunhua waiting outside the door.

Li Yu opened the door and invited her in. A flicker of surprise passed through Mu Yunhua’s eyes—there had been no sign of activity in the house just moments before—but she said nothing and followed him inside.

“Here—try this!” Li Yu brought out a clear bag filled with sugar, then another with salt. “This is salt—you put it in food to make it delicious!”

Mu Yunhua’s eyes widened in utter confusion. She understood the word “food,” but what was this? These sparkling, translucent crystals were entirely foreign to her!

And this was supposed to be salt? Even in the largest city she had visited, she had never seen salt like this.

“Well, of course, you probably haven’t seen these things before,” Li Yu said, smacking his forehead and muttering to himself. Then he popped a sugar into his mouth and, using the local language, said, “Like this—do you understand?”

Mu Yunhua nodded to show she understood, picked up a piece of sugar, tapped it against her forehead, and put it in her mouth.

Li Yu was speechless. No, you don’t understand at all.

Mu Yunhua’s beautiful eyes widened as she chewed, her mouth crunching noisily.

Delicious! The village had never had anything like this.

“These are for you all… as thanks for letting me stay recently,” Li Yu said.

Hearing that, Mu Yunhua nodded enthusiastically, then vanished with a speed that could rival thunder, taking both clear bags from the table with her.

Li Yu could only shake his head helplessly.

On the other side, Mu Yunhua presented the two bags to Elder Mu.

“Grandfather, this tastes amazing… Have you ever seen anything like it?” she asked. “And this—Li Yu says it’s salt.”

“They say the salt used by great figures looks just like this,” Elder Mu replied with a smile. “He’s clearly a pampered young lord, just look at his delicate skin. Distribute these among the clan—let everyone have a taste.”

“Then why would someone like him come to our tiny place?” Mu Yunhua asked curiously.

“The struggles within great families are unlike anything in the mountains. Blood is shed without a single drop being spilled. Perhaps he wanted to escape those storms. After all, even the kingdom is searching for those with the Thunder Bloodline,” Elder Mu mused soberly. “When you go with him to the Grand Imperial Capital, pay attention, observe, and learn as much as you can. That is the only way to survive.”

Mu Yunhua nodded and prepared to step out.

Sitting on his wooden bench, Elder Mu called after her, “Post more people to keep watch from a distance, night and day. Do not investigate further—he may be taken away by powerful retainers. Great families always have their secrets.”

Had Li Yu overheard this, he would have been startled to learn that the villagers already knew he didn’t spend his nights in the assigned wooden cabin.

But no one spoke of it, and at Elder Mu’s instruction, no one would investigate any further.

That evening, Li Yu took a stroll around the village with Mu Yunhua, observing that the villagers’ gazes were now tinged with warmth, in addition to curiosity and awe.

So goodwill could indeed be accumulated!

Li Yu was inwardly pleased.

“Should I skip dinner tonight?” he probed.

Mu Yunhua remembered Elder Mu’s advice and nodded. “As you wish. If you need to study tomorrow, come find me. I’m in the house right across from yours.”

With that, Li Yu understood—the villagers had indeed chosen to turn a blind eye to his comings and goings.

From now on, he could freely arrange his time between this world and Blue Star.

Hmm… that meant he could start bringing more snacks over. Li Yu reflected that this was the upside of low productivity—many things were lacking, providing him ample opportunity to curry favor.

“Is that one abundant?” he asked on the way back, his attention caught by a dried “radish” hanging by the window.

“There are plenty of those in the mountains,” Mu Yunhua replied, glancing at him curiously.

“Can I trade some sugar for them?” Li Yu’s eyes shone with excitement. If he wasn’t mistaken, that was ginseng.

It was so famous on Blue Star that even with his scant knowledge of herbal medicine, he could recognize it at a glance.

Who would have thought that something so valuable would be hanging out in the open, unguarded, in another world?

“It’s not worth much—my family has plenty. I’ll just give you some,” Mu Yunhua replied. “Your sugar and salt are far too precious.”

“No matter, I can take a small loss,” Li Yu insisted, his eyes gleaming. “Are there many in the village? I’ll take them all.”