Stirling was confused a little at the old man's mysterious smile. He then pulled something wrapped in coarse cloth from a package and placed it on the table, saying: "Mister, look at this and see if it helps."

  The old man glanced at what Stirling had pulled out and asked with raised eyebrows: "What is this?"

  "Open it, and you will find out." Stirling pouted at the object.

  The old man, curious, casually opened the cloth and found a wooden plaque inside. "So, it was William who brought you here..." The old man looked familiar with the wooden token. He picked it up and examined it for a moment, then muttered to himself:

  "Another bonus for that fellow..."

  "Mister, what do you mean by bonus? Is there a problem?"

  The old man whispered. But Stirling heard without missing a single word.

  "Ah, nothing much. It's that he recommended you, and he got the award credit." The old man smiled and said nothing more. He then pulled a badge from under the table and handed it to Stirling:

  "This is your ID badge. Don't lose it. In this city, being without an ID is terrible."

  "Also, pay a monthly tithe to the city. If you hire maids or servants, you will also have to pay their taxes."

  Stirling took the badge and, at the old man's gesture, joined the queue entering the city. Soon, Stirling arrived at the city gate again. This time, the guards didn't stop Stirling but let him in. After many twists and turns, Stirling finally made it to Farfield City, as he had hoped.

  Entering through the city gate is a wide, straight road. The road was paved with big, rectangular bluestone slabs. It stretched from behind the city gates to the back, with its destination unclear. On both sides of the road stood rows of low houses, interspersed with a few taller structures. These looked very ancient. Some even collapsed, not having seen repairs for ages. Beyond that, another thick wall blocked the view. The sight made Stirling frown a little.

  Stirling felt a little puzzled. But he paid little attention since he knew little about this world. As the sky grew darker, he must find a place to stay.

  As Stirling was about to continue along the road, a sudden voice called out to him from behind.

  "Mr. Luis Chilavert!"

  Stirling kept moving at first, but then he realized instantly that Luis Chilavert was his alias. He turned to look towards the voice. A man in a cyan uniform waved at him, apparently beckoning him over.

  The man's behavior baffled Stirling. But after a moment's hesitation, he walked toward the man. When he reached him, the man looked him up and down, then pulled out a pamphlet. After reading it for a moment, he said to Stirling:

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  "First time in Fairfield City?"

  "Yes." Stirling didn't hesitate.

  "Your house is at 333 Three Rivers District, near East Street. Here's your key." The man said, handing Stirling a key.

  "Huh? Sir, we're allocating housing?"

  The man's words stunned Stirling.

  "Of course, stop talking nonsense. Take it and go over. You know the way, right? Turn right here, walk to the end, then turn left, and it's the seventh row!" The man said with annoyance, then tossed the key to Stirling and added:

  "There's a curfew at night. No one except the night watch is allowed out!" With that, the man left Stirling and hurried away.

  Stirling looked at the key in his hand, then at the man's departing back, his brow furrowed.

  Stirling muttered to himself. Then he realized that, even if this place was odd, it couldn't be odder than Rock Village. He couldn't help but feel he was overanxious. He shook his head, then took the path the man showed at once, moving east down the road.

  Half an hour later, Stirling finally found his house.

  333 Three Rivers District, a firm and shabby house. But to Stirling's surprise, this small house actually had a small courtyard (a kind of front yard). Compared to the shabby wooden houses in Rock Village, it was a mansion!

  Stirling unlocked the wooden door with his key, pushed it open, and walked in. A sudden burst of light filled his eyes. The cottage looked a bit worn outside, but the courtyard was very tidy. With not a single weed growing in it, it looked as if someone had lived there daily. In case Stirling pulled out the Quicksand Map from his pocket and opened it to examine it.

  Once in the city, the Quicksand Map worked like a magnifying glass. It marked the city's layout in detail. Upon entering, Stirling opened it and looked, noticing no red crosses marked anywhere. This gave him peace of mind in coming here. Yet, this didn't mean the city was danger-free; it only meant that no one there was hostile to Stirling at the moment.

  Stirling put the Quicksand Map back into his pocket and walked inside. The house had two bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen. It covered about 70 square meters. It seemed quite spacious at first glance. Stirling looked around. Besides the wooden bed, the room had no bedding or cushions. There wasn't even a cabinet for storage. It was bare, to say the least.

  Stirling shook his head. He tossed his bag onto the wooden bed and lay down on the bare planks. His mind was still on what had happened in Rock Village.

  Even after a few days, the shock of those strange experiences was still significant. A demonic priest with a human face on his chest, a stone statue that could spit out treasures, a ghostly insect that sucked human essence and blood, and William, a skilled martial artist...

  Stirling fell into a deep sleep as he pondered this. After three days of travel, he felt worn out. Now in a stable spot, he could not hold back.

  Even in sleep, Stirling activated the Evergreen Skill out of habit. The Aether flow inside him trickled out from his lower abdomen, moving through his body.

  After an unknown amount of time, in a daze, Stirling sensed he was smelling a fragrance.

  The scent was so familiar, yet unnamable. It was like the rich aroma of lilies in full bloom, or the distant fragrance of plum blossoms amidst the snow. Stirling felt as if he was engulfed in a captivating atmosphere. His body was no longer resting on a hard wooden plank, but on fluffy clouds.

  Huh...

  In this dreamy cloud, a woman in a red gauze dress had arrived beside Stirling in the blink of an eye.

  A veil covered her face, obscuring her true form. Her figure was enchanting; her waist slender and graceful beneath the veil. Her soft, snow-white hands caressed Stirling's face inch by inch. And her sensual red lips breathed a stream of hot air against him.

  Stirling, at his age, was full of hormones. How could he control himself in such a situation? He felt a surge of heat in his ears, a flagpole raised in his lower abdomen, and hot sweat covered his back!