As soon as Li Xuan slipped the Void Pearl over his wrist, his stomach gave an indignant growl.
He hadn't eaten anything all morning. He'd been too busy transplanting flower seedlings to bother with the dining hall's usual offering of moldy steamed buns. By now, he was starving—his front practically glued to his back from hunger.
"Nothing's more important than eating!" Li Xuan declared. "System, open the shop!"
He turned on his heel and marched back into his thatched hut.
[System Marketplace]
[One Meat, Two Veggies Bento Box] – 1 Point
[Wahaha Spring Water] – 1 Point
[Nine-Petal Jade Dew Pills (x10)] – 200 Points
[Miracle Herb Hoe (Special Offer)] – 10 Points (Original Price: 10,000 Points)
---
"Miracle Herb Hoe? What the heck is that? But hey—90% off? Something worth ten thousand points for just ten? I'd be stupid not to buy it!"
Without hesitation, Li Xuan purchased the bento box, water, and the ridiculously discounted hoe.
And just like that, his points were gone.
He'd have to wait for tonight's settlement to hopefully earn some back.
The next second, the bento, the water, and the hoe popped into existence before him with a shimmer of light.
The hoe itself was no bigger than an adult's forearm. At a glance, it looked completely unremarkable—just like the kind of weeding tool you'd find tossed in any farmer's shed. Honestly, if you threw it into a pile of tools, you'd never spot it again.
But Li Xuan wasn't fooled by appearances.
"Never judge a hoe by its handle," he muttered with a smirk, picking it up to examine the stats.
He didn't have a proper appraisal skill, but the system graciously provided item info—something he'd definitely take advantage of.
Item: Miracle Herb Hoe
Rarity: Red Tier
Description: A hoe imbued with mystical power. Has a 25% chance to enhance the quality of harvested herbs and a 20% chance to yield herb seeds.
Note: Exclusive equipment for 'Herbalist' profession.
"An exclusive tool for herbalists… and with these cheat-level perks? Now this is interesting."
Li Xuan nodded approvingly and stashed the hoe into his storage space. No need to use it just yet.
Just as he was about to sit down and finally eat, he heard the faint sound of voices outside.
He froze, footsteps softening as he crept toward the courtyard.
From the sound of it, the people had been lingering outside for a while—no one had knocked, which already set off alarm bells in Li Xuan's mind. Visitors who didn't knock were rarely good news.
"I heard a six-year-old kid lives here. So how the hell does he have so many successful flower seedlings?"
"Who cares how old the brat is? He's not one of us. With all these seedlings, we'll be kings of the flower fields!"
"Right, Big Bro, Second Bro, let's just haul everything out of here. Then it's wine, meat, and women every night!"
"Be careful when we go in. Killing's fine, but don't you dare break the flowerpots!"
"Relax, Big Bro! What could go wrong? It's just a six-year-old."
Every single word made it straight into Li Xuan's ears.
"Huh. Didn't even make a sale today, and already attracted robbers? What luck."
His lips curled into a cruel smile as he silently drew a dagger from the sheath strapped to his leg.
He crept to the main gate, waiting like a wolf at a rabbit hole.
Li Xuan wasn't afraid—not in the slightest. Here in the Flower Sea, most of the flower slaves were either former soul masters or their descendants. When they were brought here, the Flower Sea's overseer had stripped them of their soul power to keep them from damaging the precious plants in any squabbles.
So now, these former cultivators were weaker than regular people—soft as tofu after a thunderstorm.
But Li Xuan was different.
He was already at Soul Power Level 10. His physical strength matched that of a grown man. The only downside? His body was still that of a six-year-old. If they grabbed him, he'd lose his advantage instantly.
Which is why brute force wasn't the plan.
Tactics were.
In the Flower Sea, no courtyard door was allowed to be locked. So odds were good these three idiots would waltz right in, thinking they were invincible.
Perfect.
Li Xuan crouched near the entrance, poised for a silent ambush.
Moments later, the creaky wooden door began to open.
Li Xuan's body tensed like a drawn bowstring, his eyes locked on the intruders.
Sure enough, the three men strolled in without a care, their eyes glued to the potted seedlings in the courtyard. They didn't even look around.
Exactly the opening Li Xuan needed.
He burst from his hiding spot like a shadow in motion. With a running leap, he landed squarely on the back of the nearest thug.
The dagger sliced clean across the man's throat—blood sprayed like a burst pipe.
"Third Bro!"
The other two shouted in unison.
Li Xuan didn't wait. He dashed past the falling corpse and lunged at the next man—this one looked like the leader.
The man's eyes widened in horror. He stumbled backward, trying to avoid the strike, but without his soul power, he was just a big sack of meat.
Too slow.
The dagger flashed again—another clean throat slice.
Blood sprayed directly onto Li Xuan's face.
A six-year-old child, soaked in red, eyes cold and expressionless—he looked like a demon straight out of a nightmare.
"D-Daddy! Grandpa! Ancestor, please! D-Don't kill me!"
The third thief dropped to his knees, pounding his forehead into the dirt.
His voice shook with terror—he was already broken.
Who would've thought a six-year-old could kill two grown men in the blink of an eye?
It was unnatural. It was terrifying.
Li Xuan walked toward him slowly, blood still dripping from his cheek.
He smiled—a wide, unsettling grin.
"What's your name? And where were those two growing their flowers?"
His voice came out low and raspy, like a blade dragged across gravel.
"J-Just north of here, about three kilometers! That's where we grow ours! Honest! Please don't kill me!" the man blurted, stumbling over every word.
Li Xuan nodded, satisfied. "I see."
The thug looked up, trembling.
"C-Can I go now, little master?"
Li Xuan shook his head.
"Nope. You're staying... as fertilizer."
Before the man could react, Li Xuan's dagger flashed again—another life ended in silence.
He stood still for a second, watching the final body crumple to the ground.
Then, his expression finally shifted.
"Urgh—!"
He doubled over and gagged.
The coppery taste of blood, the reek of death—it all hit him at once.
It was his first time killing someone.
Sure, the action had been clean and decisive, but now that the adrenaline had faded, the reality hit him like a brick to the gut.
He dry-heaved for a long while, finally wiping his mouth and staggering upright again.
"Good thing I didn't eat first," he muttered, grimacing. "Would've been a waste of a perfectly good bento."
After a moment to gather himself, he straightened up.
Now came the best part:
Loot time.
Killing without looting? That's just unpaid labor.
The trio didn't have much, but Li Xuan scored three seed pouches with over 140 seeds in total.
Not bad.
And sticking to his no-waste philosophy, he even stripped them of their clothes. Spare fabric was always useful.
Only once all that was done did he finally smile again—cold, satisfied.
"Anyone else tries to rob me?"
"They'll end up just like these three."