Timeline Player

When Chi Que arrived at the church, it was already night. Reid was peering out from the doorway when he saw him and trotted up to greet him: "Shopkeeper, you've finally arrived! Lord Isaac has been waiting for you!"

Chi Que nodded slightly and followed Reid through the long corridor, finally stopping in front of a carved oak door.

Reed had already knocked on the study door: "Lord Isaac, the shopkeeper has arrived."

"Come in," Isaac's voice came from inside the door.

Reid pushed open the door and stepped aside to make way for Chi Que, who had no choice but to put aside his concerns for the time being and walk into the study.

Although it was a study, the interior was furnished quite comfortably. Isaac sat in an armchair, holding a classic book in his hands.

Upon seeing Chi Que enter, he stood up and said solemnly, "Shopkeeper, I apologize for inviting you here, and I apologize for the intrusion."

Chi Que's gaze lingered on the bookshelf for a moment before turning to Isaac: "Close the door. Lord Isaac and I have some things to discuss, and it's not convenient for others to be present."

These words seemed to be addressed to Reed. Upon hearing this, the apprentice hurriedly responded and immediately closed the door.

Isaac's expression remained unchanged; he merely nodded slightly. After a moment, he put down the book in his hand and solemnly said, "I invited you here today, Manager, to commission you to prepare a dish."

"What cake?" Chi Que's expression remained unchanged.

Isaac pulled a book from the table and handed it to him: "The recipe is written in this book."

Chi Que took the cake, examined it for a few moments, and gave Isaac a meaningful look: "What do you want this cake for?"

"I intend to present it as a birthday gift to the Duchess," Isaac said softly. "The Duchess's birthday is in a few days, and it would be impolite for me to go empty-handed. Naturally, I should bring a gift."

"I accept this request." Chi Que nodded slowly.

Chi Que saw a look of relief in Isaac's eyes, but it was fleeting, and he almost thought it was an illusion.

"That would be perfect."

"However, it's in a few days... the timing is a bit tight." Chi Que decided to take advantage of the situation and ask for more benefits.

"Ingredients are not a problem," Isaac immediately replied.

"I will send someone to your door every day to provide the freshest raw materials, which you can also use for cooking and resale."

"That's very good." Chi Que nodded.

With enough ingredients, he can sell more food and quickly improve his skills as a chef.

"Then I'll take my leave first." Chi Que waved the book in his hand, glanced at the bookshelf, and left with a smile.

Isaac was now alone in the room.

Almost the instant he sat back in his armchair, a figure silently appeared from the gap behind the bookshelf.

This was one of his personal guards, or more accurately, the personal guard "assigned" to him by King Azelia.

"My lord," the attendant asked, "Are you alright? What did you discuss with the shopkeeper?"

Although he asked this question, he didn't seem to care about Isaac's safety; instead, he was more concerned about what the two had talked about earlier.

Isaac picked up the book again: "It's nothing, just asked him to prepare a gift for the duchess."

"Oh?" the guard drawled.

"Compared to that," Isaac said, ignoring the guard's skepticism, "I'm quite certain he comes from the Demon Kingdom."

The guard's eyes narrowed: "Are you sure?"

Isaac nodded slightly: "If they weren't from the Demon Kingdom, how could he possibly produce so many spices of such exceptional quality?"

He glanced at the guard and said as if it were nothing more than a casual remark, "If I remember correctly, His Majesty has been seeking opportunities to trade with the Demon Kingdom."

The guard remained silent, then suddenly remembered that day:

......

"The Demon King?" King Azelia sat on his throne, unimpressed. "Forget those ancient myths. They're nothing more than a story passed down for thousands of years, a tale of an ancient theocracy whitewashing its own demise."

"In the past thousand years, how many countries, and even within our own borders, have risen or rebelled without donning the banner of the so-called Demon King? And what was the result?" the king said with a mocking laugh.

"The Demon Kingdom is not some terrifying symbol, but a real entity located in the Far East, a great power that has risen rapidly in the last decade and has the right to engage in dialogue with us on an equal footing," the king commented.

......

The guard stopped recalling and lowered his head: "I understand, sir. What do you plan to do with that shopkeeper?"

"I still have to deal with the Duchess," Isaac said calmly. "Contact with that shopkeeper will be left to the rest of the royal family."

The guard smiled and said, "His Majesty will be very pleased."

Looking out the window, Isaac suddenly sighed, "But actually, I'm quite glad that the shopkeeper is from the Demon Kingdom."

The attendant didn't respond, but he understood Isaac's unspoken meaning.

It is precisely because they are from the Demon Kingdom that they are able to have peaceful dialogue.

Otherwise, even if it were just a small country that controlled the spice supply chain, they would have resorted to violence just now, right?

"Is it because he's a high-ranking official in the Demon Kingdom, and befriending him would benefit trade?" the attendant guessed.

"You could say that," Isaac shook his head, while inwardly offering another answer:

"Because he's a really good cook."

......

Chi Que walked in the cold night. He had noticed the presence of the third person, but he did not make a sound.

"It seems that the relationship between Isaac and the royal family isn't as friendly as it appears," he mused, before detouring to the market nearing closing time.

The market was much emptier at night, but fortunately, a few stalls selling general merchandise were still open. After some searching, Chi Que selected a fairly thick quilt and a buckwheat pillow.

The harvest festival is coming soon, and a kind of buckwheat cake will be made, so buckwheat hulls are very cheap during this time.

Pushing open the kitchen door, Ke Lei was sitting quietly on a small stool, probably having finished eating. For some reason, she was still holding the bread knife in her hand. Hearing the noise, she immediately looked at Chi Que.

"I'm back," Chi Que said briefly. "Come with me."

He led Ke Lei up the stairs leading to the attic, which was a bit narrow, but enough for her to move around.

"You'll sleep here from now on." Chi Que spread out the blankets, pointed to the makeshift bed on the floor, and added, "Sleep on this blanket for today."

The maid walked to the laid-out quilt, carefully touched it, felt the texture of the fabric, and then nodded.

"Alright, get some rest. I'll come wake you up tomorrow morning." Chi Que turned and went downstairs, leaving her with this small space.

Ke Lei nodded again, placed the bread knife next to her pillow, and then burrowed into the blankets like a little mouse.

He returned to the first floor of the food shop, took out the antique mirror he had received from Vincent that afternoon, and examined it carefully.

It looks ordinary and has nothing special about it.

He took some water and wiped the mirror repeatedly. After a long time, the hazy grayness on the mirror seemed to have faded a little.

"It seems to work, but it's too much trouble. Let's give it to Ke Lei and let her wipe it when she has nothing to do, as a way to pass the time." Chi Que ultimately chose to exploit the maid's labor.

Chi Que put the ancient mirror down temporarily, then took out the book that Isaac had given him and opened it.

This is a book held in the church, which records events from the ancient "Year of the Wild Beasts" to the "Year of the New Heaven and Earth".

Interspersed throughout are numerous mythological metaphors and accounts of the daily lives of our ancestors; one particular record has been specially highlighted.

Records concerning the Lord of Blood.