The No. 1 Hunfen King in the Entire Server [Interstellar] Chapter 55

As he walked along the narrow, damp streets of the town, the crowd grew denser. He overheard a few vagrants sitting on the ground, chatting.

“That new guy—what’s so special about him besides looking good? Why are so many women fawning over him?”

“Haven’t you heard? Even Lady Christine from the Count’s family confessed to him and got flat-out rejected.”

“What? He turned down Christine?”

“He’s got big ambitions, probably aiming for the princess.”

“This winter, everyone coming to town is here for the princess.”

“Fools dreaming. The witch’s curse isn’t that easy to break.”

So, his public rejection had already become national gossip?

Lin Jing tugged at the corner of his lips, pulled his hat lower, and suddenly felt lucky that he was wearing men’s clothes and a hat—it made him less recognizable.

After leaving the alley, the main street was even livelier. A towering city gate loomed ahead, leading to a grand plaza in the center.

Behind the plaza stood a church with towering spires piercing the sapphire sky. The balcony windows were adorned with intricate stained glass, and the white stone walls were covered in elaborate relief carvings, exuding a sacred and majestic aura.

In the middle of the plaza stood a statue of a woman, her long curls cascading down her back, her eyes gazing into the distance with a graceful and gentle posture. A bird, long worn down by time, rested on her shoulder. The steps surrounding the statue were filled with white doves, which, startled by the commotion, suddenly took flight in unison. Their wings brushed against the sunlight as they soared towards the church’s arches.

Golden light poured down, the first snow melted away—it was the romance of a fairy tale world.

The whole city was abuzz with excitement.

Even though the steward had said he needed the king’s permission to approach the forest—what if? What if he got lucky and found a hidden path?

Lin Jing was negotiating with a coachman over the fare.

The coachman said, “Ten gold coins.”

Lin Jing agreed without hesitation. “Deal.”

But because he answered too quickly, the coachman gave him a once-over and suddenly showed an apologetic smile. “Sorry, sir. The city is too crowded these days, and the roads are congested, so the fare will have to increase.”

Lin Jing raised an eyebrow. “How much?”

“An extra five gold coins.”

Lin Jing was eager to get moving. “Fine. Just take me to the edge of the forest.”

The coachman hesitated again. “Oh, you’re going to the forest? Sorry, I didn’t catch that earlier. Sir, the trip to the forest will cost extra.”

Lin Jing: “?”

Even if he were slow, he could see what was happening. This guy saw his fine clothes and assumed he was some rich fool to be fleeced.

Lin Jing, who had just been about to climb into the carriage, pulled his leg back. “Oh? My apologies, I don’t have enough on me. I’ll ask someone else.”

He made a show of turning to leave. The coachman peeked at him and, seeing that he really was walking away, panicked and grabbed his wrist. “Alright, alright! You seem to be in a hurry, so I’ll give you a special price—fifteen gold coins.”

Lin Jing decided he would waste this crook’s time today. He furrowed his brows and sighed. “But… I think even ten gold coins is too much for a trip to the forest. I might as well walk—it’ll just take a little longer.”

The coachman hesitated. “Well… actually, eight gold coins would be fine.”

Lin Jing countered instantly. “Five.”

The coachman complained, “You’re really pushing it now. Seven.”

Lin Jing turned to leave again.

The coachman caved. “Six! Six! Sir, I really can’t go any lower.”

Just as Lin Jing was about to repeat his trick, a bright flute melody rang out from the plaza, followed by the excited screams of young women.

“Again?” The nearby vagrants grumbled.

Lin Jing was momentarily distracted from haggling and turned his head—just in time to see countless white doves take flight in alarm, filling the sky and sweeping in a gust of chilly winter air. The crowd parted slightly due to the birds, giving Lin Jing a clear view of the figure at the center—a silver-haired young man playing a flute?

The coachman muttered, “That guy again.”

The melody was crisp and beautiful, echoing across the plaza. The young noblewomen surrounding him were dressed in exquisite gowns. Clad in a black cloak, with silver hair cascading over his shoulders, the youth’s slender, pale fingers danced over the flute. The golden sunlight of early winter shimmered around him, giving him an almost divine radiance.

A bard from a distant land.

The coachman continued grumbling, “Christine’s already become the laughingstock of the city because of him. Do those noble ladies have no sense? Why are they still throwing themselves at him?”

The thread in his mind snapped. Lin Jing had been about to look away, but upon hearing those words, his head immediately turned back.

Confused and shocked—this was the person who rejected Christine’s confession?

A melodious tune seemed to awaken the morning. A white dove landed on the outstretched palm of a statue, pecking at something unknown.

Lin Jing squinted, trying to get a clear look at the person, but they were quickly swallowed up by the crowd.

Then, an unexpected event occurred—a child.

“I’m gonna knock that pigeon down.”

The boy, carried by his mother on the outskirts of the crowd, waved a slingshot in his hands, aiming a small stone at the dove perched on the statue.

Whoosh.

The stone cut through the air, heading straight for the bird.

His mother gasped in shock, and she wasn’t the only one. As the stone zipped past people’s heads, the girls in the crowd shrieked in fear.

“Oh my God, what was that?”

The most unfortunate one was still the dove—it took a direct hit. Crying out in pain, it immediately tried to take off, but its wing was injured. It wobbled mid-air, struggling to stay up.

As the commotion continued, Lin Jing’s eyes stayed locked on the bird, watching it flounder—flap twice, drop a little, flap twice, drop again. From a tiny speck in the distance, it grew larger and larger, until even the details of its feathers became clear.

Wait, feathers—

The dove smacked into the ground right at his feet.

At the same time, something hard hit Lin Jing square in the face.

His reflexes kicked in, and he caught the object midair. It was a stone, apparently dropped by the bird from the statue.

Why was he always so unlucky in these games?

Before he could complain, the flute music suddenly stopped, though the noisy chatter remained. Looking past the sunlight, he found himself locking eyes with a pair of silver-blue irises—the bard had looked up.

Lin Jing froze, clenched the marble in his palm, and swiftly boarded a carriage.

“Go.”

The driver was taken aback. No haggling?

“Wait, hold on, we haven’t even settled the price—”

Lin Jing grew impatient. “Ten gold coins, just go!”

The driver, delighted, didn’t need to be told twice. “Alright!”

Only after getting into the carriage did Lin Jing finally relax. In a role-playing mode like this, it was best not to attract too much attention—easier to stay undercover as a player. After all, in a mid-level 500-point match, few people were truly “good.”

He glanced at the cool object in his palm and wiped it clean, realizing it wasn’t a rock but a glass marble. Who knew where that bird had found it, carrying it in its beak? The marble was transparent, with a tiny hint of red at its core that bled outward in a mesmerizing way. Lin Jing examined it for a while before deciding it might be worth some money and tucking it away.

At the city gates, he instructed the driver to wait—he still needed a ride back.

The Black Forest remained lush even in winter. A dusting of snow only kissed the treetops, leaving silver highlights.

But Lin Jing immediately ran into a problem.

A tall hedge of thorns encircled the entire forest, with only one gated entrance, guarded by a row of soldiers. He hadn’t even stepped forward before the guard dogs started barking furiously. The soldiers didn’t ask questions—they just stared at him, cold and unyielding.

Security was way too tight.

Lin Jing forced a smile and backed away from the entrance, sneaking off to a more secluded corner. Squatting down, he studied the hedge. Thick vines covered it, their leaves forming a dense barrier. Climbing was out of the question—thorns were everywhere. Even just observing from a distance, he had to be careful not to get scratched.

“Maybe I could burn it down?” he muttered to himself.

His musings were suddenly interrupted.

“You can’t.”

Lin Jing stiffened and turned around—but no one was there. He looked up—still nothing.

“Stop looking. I’m down here.” A grumbling voice came from below.

Lin Jing glanced down.

A rat.

A palm-sized brown-furred rat stared up at him with beady black eyes. Strangely enough, Lin Jing could read its expression—annoyance, frustration, resignation, and a distinct “Yeah, yeah, just laugh already” kind of emotion.

“You…” Lin Jing hesitated.

The rat looked like it wanted to cover its face with its paws but couldn’t reach. It groaned, “It’s exactly what you think.”

Lin Jing poked its tail with a finger. “A sentient, fairy-tale rat?”

The rat exploded in rage. “I’M A PERSON! This godd*mn survival game gave me this role, what the h*ll was I supposed to do?”

Lin Jing, oddly comforted by this, stifled a laugh and tried to soothe him. “Calm down, man. Let’s talk this through.”

The rat was livid. “D*mn this game, why isn’t there a rating system? I swear, I’d crash its servers.”

Lin Jing smirked. “If you keep ranting, it’ll be nightfall soon.”

The rat finally took a deep breath and settled down.

Lin Jing asked, “So, why are you looking for me?” There was no way this rat would expose himself without reason.

“Let’s team up,” the rat said. “I need some participation points.”

“Hm?”

The rat curled its tail. “You can’t get into the Black Forest. Even I, with my small body, couldn’t squeeze through the hedge. You need a royal permit. But how the h*ll am I supposed to get one when I look like this? This round is a lost cause. I figured I’d just tag along with someone and score some points instead. You were the only one who seemed trustworthy.”

Lin Jing said nothing and just stared.

The rat was blunt. “Let’s cooperate, bro. Mutual aid. Even a rat has its perks—I can gather information for you.”

Lin Jing remained silent.

The rat scratched its ears anxiously. “Look, I’m just here for the points. It won’t cost you anything.”

Lin Jing chuckled and said seriously, “Sure, we can work together. But only if you let me carry around rat poison. That cool with you, bro?”

The rat: “…” I swear to—

Lin Jing could practically see the string of profanities forming in its tiny, furious mind. But in the end, it swallowed them down, suppressing its anger.

“Fine.”

Lin Jing contentedly tossed the little creature into his pocket.

He cast one last glance at the Black Forest and the thorny fence in the twilight.

To his relief, his mother and two older sisters had yet to return from the estate, giving him ample time to change clothes and freshen up.

Shedding his male disguise, he changed into a complex gown, once again becoming a noble young lady with black hair and brown eyes.

Lin Jing tossed the snoring rat onto a nest made from his old clothes. From the window, he saw the carriage returning with passengers and immediately pretended to be engrossed in a book. When Jenny called for him, he dutifully went downstairs for dinner.