8 Karna

The next morning, after I awoke and took care of other things, I exited the back room and met up with Yun Ling.

After yesterday's talk and me explaining my situation, she seemed relieved and greeted me with a warm smile. I guess my talk-no-Jutsu was effective.

"Hey Edo, sorry, but I have to ask…what you called that round red thing?"

Or she just like Picca.

Anyways, after having small talk with her, and being forced to promise to get more of that 'heavenly dish', I exited the shop and headed to the surrounding mountains to hunt for more beasts and their Demon-Souls.

After all, I still need a substantial amount of SP to get the cultivation technique, and I need to get it fast because without it I'm just slightly bigger ant in front of true experts.

And so, hunting the demons beasts for several hours I gathered nearly four thousand points.

This time my gains were so immensely bigger because I went after only demon beasts that I could kill quickly and effectively. I didn't try to find and fight beasts above a certain threshold, after which they would give me more trouble, and waste more of my time.

Like this, several hours passed, and I became a nightmare for every demon beast below gold rank. Even weaker Dark-Gold beasts fell to my mighty punch.

Ohh, how I anticipate the day I'll get my hands on thundergod sword.

Of course, with my martial skills, my whole body is a weapon, but sometimes, a fist of bone and flesh is just not enough.

Anyways, I still need to worry about Nie Li coming and showing his 'swag', namely his plot armour.

I mean, come on, if his cultivation speed didn't receive any penalty when he used 'spirit devouring technique' which is said to be disadvantageous to the person in the long run, I don't know what it is if not plot-armour.

Speaking of plot-armour, it seemed that God took pity on me, and reincarnated/transmigrated me as early as three years before Nie Li.

Now that one burden is lifted off my shoulders, I can focus on the other. Namely, the people sent after me by God, due to my wrenching myself out of his control, before his influence and hidden push's could burrow deeper into me.

That was also why I had such a huge personality disorder. On one side was the influence god had on me in my past life, then my very own past-life personality, then this personality without any burdens, and finally the 'new' influence the god tried to place on me when I unlocked/unsealed my memories.

Honestly, what a dick. It almost made me go and become a tyrant, with no consideration to people besides me, who gives no thought that he makes more trouble than solves in his pursuit of strength.

Like Yu Yang, the Fire Law goddess, who decided to be a selfish brat, and destroy the seal on a tiny world, for whatever reason. I think it was for the Ancestor Sword fragments that were in the Tiny world, but I cannot be sure, as I don't have a copy of the book.

(A/N: if you haven't noticed, I subtly asked help on this subject ;¶ )

Anyways, less of that, more of my story.

So, as I was saying after I hunted beasts until lunch when I ran back to the village, to again trade for purple smoke stone for meat.

Honestly, sometimes people stupidity surprises me.

After I came back, I saw an even bigger crowd of people, in which every person was carrying one or more bags, presumably filled with Purple Smoke Rocks/Stones.

I don't remember there being so many 'trade goods' when Nie Li and his gang came here.

Well, if I remember correctly, they only came here for just a few days and didn't try to explicitly spread the word of the Trade. He only relied on the town lord to convey his word, or something similar.

It only returned meagre returns for Nie Li, while mine method definitely is better, and it seemed to make the people head out and try to find more of those 'worthless but precious' stones, which directly increased the tradeable amount.

Like yesterday, I asked for them to form a line. The 'veterans' who witnessed what happened to trouble makers yesterday, immediately organised to a neat line. The 'newcomers' seemed perplexed but shortly joined them.

Of course, with an increased amount of people, there will be more sneaky-but-not-really fools, who wanted to profit in ways I don't approve. From people cutting in line to scumbags who wanted to get a 'protection fee' covertly, all received a pebble to the forehead. Honestly, how can they even try to justify their actions when there's nothing the people would need protection from.

After a couple of cracked skulls, everyone calmed down and the trading started. I inquired is there a way to be quicker in absorbing the stones to my inventory, and system informed to will the panel that represents the inventory, only I can see, be horizontal, and then just pour the stones on it. I tried with one stone by dropping it with my hand, and it worked!

With the newfound vigour, I breezed through the majority of 'clients' and the only few people left only had a meagre amount of stones.

And then the 'heroes' came. At the front a warrior with a bandaged head and arm…and leg…and chest.

Yes, I did badly to that Xiao Kuang.

Well, …at least he's healing fast.

After him was running and puffing fat official-looking guys, all sweaty and pudgy, what you would expect from people who sit in the front of the line that gets the resources, and don't move when they had enough, because they never have enough.

"Stop! Stop the transactions this instant! We need to have a talk!"- the fattest du-*ahem* the 'chief' half-shouted, half-heaved.

I gave the Chief's son a questioning gaze. Kuang seemingly avoided my gaze with an embarrassed look on his face I could detect even through the bandages.

"Hmm…what?"-I asked.

The Chief tried to wipe his sweat with a napkin of expensive-looking clothing, but as he was sweating buckets and seeing the pointless endeavour, he abandoned the plan and just directly started shouting in my face with his…unpleasant..smell…just radiating off of him.

" We, the council, the protector of people, evil stopper, have a system of laws in place. They are sacred. As it was our ancestors who established this safe-heaven who created them!"-the chief said spitting everywhere, with a…grimace?…on his face…Toh, I get it. He's trying to look intimidating. Yikes…

"Uhuh, that's cool and all, but why the history lesson?"- I asked, backing off the chief so that his spit wouldn't reach me.

The Chief, now suddenly looking smug for whatever reason, started shouting again about how great his forefathers and mothers were, just this time I perceived not only arrogance but also..fake superiority? Wait, does he think I backed off because I am afraid of him? I mean, it would look…like it…from outsiders view…

Sigh…

"… and so, by deploying our limited and personal resources, we came to an agreement to listen to our ancestor's words, and enact justice on you. By the 46th Law, any citizen in the Heavenly Fate Plateau must pay 20 per cent Tax when doing any kind of trade. Any kind of Trade must be overseen by an appointed official. Failing to be overseen by an appointed official, but still proceeding to trade, must hand over 50 per cent of the person's entire wealth."- He finally stopped reading from the scroll he pulled out of nowhere in the middle of his speech.

I was surprised. This was…so stupid.

" So, I just want to be clear, but any citizen of Heavenly Fate Plateau must uphold this law?"-I asked.

"Of course, we are, and always be, impartial. Anyone will be punished for not obeying laws of this sacred place."-He looked at me with a smug look.

I wonder why this didn't happen to Nie Li's group. Of course, there was some harassment on their part too, but nowhere near this level. It either that proves plot-armour existence, or there was some complication with the mayor. Looking at his 'round no matter how you turn him' stature, I wasn't sure he could survive the three years without heart attacks.

Anyways, that's not important.

" uhuh… And.."- I started, and everyone perked up, I hesitated, afraid to shatter their scheme so quickly. I don't think I need to explain what it is.

"…what about. Not-citizens of the plateau?"

"…"

They just stared at me, trying to get anything out of their throats, sadly, the short fuse ended…

"Shut up, kid! How dare you lie in front of our eyes! How dare you claim you are not from this place!"- the mayor shouted and jumped with a red face like a spoiled kid that didn't get what he wanted.

"… You even wear clothes with Plateaus colours! What do you have to say now, huh?"- He shrieked again.

The other officials started to converse between themselves, searching how to save the sinking ship?

" And I can't wear clothes in these colours? Are you racist? Do you think people of not this place are unworthy to wear colours?"- I rebuked him half-jokingly, and looking at his slack-jawed expression, he seemed to take to heart and beyond,

" Wha-No, wait, I didn't say that!"-He shrieked. Seems like racism is a horror to any politicians, no matter the universe.

"But you think so? Right? Why are you so mad? It's just a trade. You don't need to put down people because of their different birthplace!"- I messed with him again, fusing bitchy interviewed tactics and racism spot. It sometimes feels good to be the bad guy.

" Wha- No!"- He seemed to want to say something else, but I cut him off.

"Listen now. I will be here tomorrow at 2 hours after midday. If you want to say something, say it then."

Without further words, I turned around and walked off. I didn't head directly towards the congee shop, as I didn't want to show the Chief any 'correct' direction on how to deal with this situation.

Plus, I ate while travelling, so I didn't have any reason to go there apart from greeting Yun Ling.

Hmmm…

Fuck! Why did I remember it only now? Sigh, I still don't know about her father, who I still didn't see once.

Okay, I'll ask her today after coming back.

After making up my mind, I ran towards the forests surrounding the village. For the rest of the evening, only roars of pain from beasts could be heard over the forest.

After hunting the whole day, my clothes inevitably got tattered. I would put the jacket Yun Ling gave me in my inventory whenever I'm fighting.

Now, before people start saying that if a jacket of hers is so precious to me, why I don't help her with at least her finances. Well, I asked her, and she said she wanted to make her mark by herself, which I respected. I don't want to have a girl by my side who only thinks how awesome I am and why I don't take the last step between the fated love. Like in so many other stories I've read in my free time. I want a woman with a character, and to have that, I need to respect her wishes and don't protect her from the whole world. The best example is probably the heir of sacred phoenix empire in the work Againz Tha Godz. She was so protected, that the Rapist Yun Che managed to trick her…

Pathetic…

Okay, enough of that, as that was heading to a dangerous direction.

Anyways, as I was coming back to the village, I met with a peculiar sight. A huge snake was threatening to eat small furballs, only for their mother, I assume, to roar valiantly. Sadly, it was clear the black wolf was poisoned, and the snake was only waiting for the poison to do its job, without bringing any danger to oneself.

After a few minutes, the wolf could only growl while lying on the ground.

Finally, the snake started to move, but it didn't see a boulder making its way to its head.

*splat*

"That was…disapointing…"

I quickly approached the snake and extracted the demon-soul. The made my way to the wolf, who was still growling, although at this time it was more whining.

I effortlessly and painlessly killed it and extracted the Demon-soul. Finally, I approached the furballs, but out of three, only one was somewhat moving.

I picked it up and realised it was covered in blood, probably from their mother, if the huge blood mark on the body of the adult wolf was any indication. I looked more closely and understood that the snake could also spray the venom, as the other two furballs were sprayed by a green liquid.

I looked back at the young cub and saw it looking at me with angry eyes.

"Well, that's cute and all, but you still need a name, don't you, young fella. Hmm, yeah, you're male. How about…Karna. As you bathed in the blood your predecessors, similar to how he did, I think it fits, no?"

The only answer was a weak and small growl.

(A/N: Go look up Karna, as it is legit mythos. From there you might know from where I'm coming from;)