I am destroying the protagonist in the fantasy world!

Shopkeeper Zhao thought Lei Yi was worried about the merchants' reluctance to unite, so he consoled him, "Don't worry too much, Mr. Lei. Your words today were sincere, and I think they listened. They just need time to consider."

Lei Yi forced a smile and nodded, but his heart grew heavier. He knew the vendors were merely watching; after all, no one wanted to risk their lives. But he also understood that what truly unsettled him was the vast conspiracy behind this matter. He felt like he was in a fog, unable to see his direction or find a way out.

"I'm fine, Manager Zhao, you go and do your work first." Lei Yi waved his hand, indicating that he wanted to be alone.

The night breeze blew away the alcohol in the air, but it couldn't dispel the confusion in Lei Yi's heart. He looked up at the night sky, which was dotted with stars, but it was completely different from the starry sky he remembered.

He knew he had arrived in a completely unfamiliar world, a fantasy world with unique rules and power systems. And he knew nothing about it. If it were simply to solve the immediate price problem, perhaps he could manage it with the experience and knowledge he brought from the modern world. But if those mysterious businessmen truly harbored a greater conspiracy, how would he respond?

Thinking of this, Lei Yi's heart trembled. He realized that he had to understand the rules of this world as soon as possible. Otherwise, even if he could resolve the crisis this time, he would encounter more troubles in the future, and he might even lose his life.

Master Wang! A name suddenly appeared in Lei Yi's mind.

Master Wang was a famous teacher in Qingshi Town. It was said that he had traveled extensively in his youth and was knowledgeable. Lei Yi had previously visited him to gather information, but Master Wang remained closed, seemingly unwilling to engage with him.

"Forget it, let's give it a try. Even if I hit a wall, I will give it another try." Lei Yi gritted his teeth, stood up and walked towards Master Wang's residence.

As the night deepened, Master Wang's courtyard was completely silent. Lei Yi knocked gently on the door, but received no response for a long time. Just when he thought Master Wang had gone to bed, the door creaked open, revealing Master Wang's surprised face.

"Mr. Lei? It's so late, and you come..." Before Master Wang could finish his words, he was interrupted by Lei Yi.

"Master Wang, I know I'm being presumptuous, but this time I'm truly desperate." Lei Yi looked at Master Wang earnestly, his eyes filled with anxiety and helplessness. "I know I might bring you danger, but..." "Master Lei, I know you have a kind heart and want to do good things for the people." Master Wang looked at Lei Yi's anxious expression and sighed, "But some things are beyond your control. You'd better go back and don't come to me again."

"Master Wang, please consider this as a plea from me!" Lei Yi stepped forward, his tone almost pleading, "I understand I might be putting you in danger, but I'm truly desperate! I must know the truth, or I won't be able to sleep or eat!"

Master Wang was about to offer further advice when he suddenly heard a light cough not far away. He turned and saw a hunched figure carrying a basket standing on a dim street corner. In the dim moonlight, he could vaguely make out it was Granny Zhou, the vegetable vendor.

"Mrs. Zhou, why are you still outside so late?" asked Master Wang.

"Hey, we've run out of salt at home. With my old age, I came out to buy some," Granny Zhou trembled as she stepped forward, her cloudy eyes fixed on Lei Yi. "This young man looks unfamiliar. Are you from out of town?"

"I am..." Lei Yi was about to speak when he was interrupted by Grandma Zhou.

"Young man, listen to the advice of an old lady. For some things, the more you know, the more dangerous it is. You'd better leave this place of trouble as soon as possible." Grandma Zhou said, looking at Lei Yi deeply, her eyes full of warning and worry.

Grandma Zhou's words made Lei Yi's heart tremble. He keenly realized that this seemingly ordinary old woman seemed to know something. He was about to ask more, but Grandma Zhou had already turned and left with the basket, leaving only an old figure behind.

"Master Lei," Master Wang lowered his voice as he saw Granny Zhou walking away, a hint of helplessness in his tone, "You've seen that this matter involves so many people. Even Granny Zhou... you still..."

"Master Wang, don't worry, I won't implicate you!" Lei Yi interrupted Master Wang. He looked directly into his eyes and said firmly, "I just want to know the truth, that's all."

Master Wang fell silent. He looked at the determined young man before him, a mixture of emotions welling up in his heart. He knew Lei Yi truly wanted to help the people, but he also knew the depths of this matter. Once involved, it would be difficult to escape...

After a long while, Master Wang finally sighed and slowly said, "I can tell you something, but you must promise me..."

"I can tell you something, but you have to promise me," Master Wang said solemnly, lowering his voice, almost whispering, "You can't reveal my identity to anyone, and you can't say that I told you these words."

Lei Yi's heart trembled. He knew that Master Wang was taking a huge risk to help him. He nodded solemnly and said firmly, "Master Wang, don't worry. I guarantee with my life that I will never reveal any of your information!"

Wang Fuzi felt relieved after receiving Lei Yi's assurance. He beckoned Lei Yi to come closer, then lowered his voice and began to narrate.

"This world is far more complex than you see..." Master Wang spoke slowly in a low voice. "The country we live in is called the Daqian Dynasty. On the surface, everything is calm, but undercurrents surge. In the court, several major forces headed by the Prime Minister check and balance each other, fighting openly and secretly. In the martial arts world, major sects and aristocratic families are everywhere, and their grievances and entanglements are intricate and complex..."

Lei Yi listened very carefully. He realized that the information Master Wang said was crucial. It was crucial for him to understand this world and how he would survive in this world in the future.

"You asked me before why those disaster victims, who were clearly dying, didn't receive any help," Master Wang paused, a hint of bitterness in his tone, "That's because they broke the rules..."

"Rules?" Lei Yi keenly caught the key information in Master Wang's words.

"That's right, rules," Master Wang sighed. "This world is governed by countless rules. Some are obvious, while others are hidden in the dark. Once violated, you will be mercilessly punished..."

Master Wang then explained to Lei Yi that the victims had fallen into this state because they had inadvertently entered a forbidden area and violated the rules, thus suffering this fate. Those seemingly indifferent passersby weren't truly heartless, but rather they all understood that in this world, there are some things that cannot be interfered with, otherwise it will only bring greater disaster.

Lei Yi then realized that this world was far more cruel than he had imagined. Here, survival was the only rule, and rules were supreme.

"What about you, Master Wang?" Lei Yi couldn't help but ask, "Why did you tell me all this when you knew it?"

Master Wang gave a bitter smile and did not directly answer Lei Yi's question. Instead, he asked, "Do you remember what I told you before? I said, there are some things that you can't control just because you want to..."

Lei Yi was silent. He knew that Master Wang was reminding him not to take risks easily.

"But," Master Wang changed the subject, "I also said that I believe you are a kind-hearted child. I believe you will make the right choice..."

Lei Yi looked up at Master Wang, his eyes filled with gratitude and admiration. He knew that Master Wang was encouraging him to pursue the truth and help those in need.

"Alright, it's getting late, you should hurry back," Master Wang said, checking the sky. "Remember what I said: the more you know about some things, the more dangerous it becomes..."

Lei Yi wanted to say something more, but Master Wang pushed him out the door. He stood at the door, looking at Master Wang's hunched back, his heart filled with gratitude and awe. He knew that what Master Wang told him today would change his life...

However, at this moment, a burst of hurried footsteps could be heard, accompanied by several gruff shouts, approaching from afar... With a loud "bang!", the simple wooden door of Master Wang's house was powerfully driven open, sending sawdust flying everywhere. Three men in black, with stern faces, burst into the house, their sharp gazes scanning the surroundings until they finally landed on Lei Yi.

"Who are you?" One of the men in black stepped forward and asked in a cold tone.

Upon seeing this, Master Wang turned around abruptly, protecting Lei Yi behind him, and said in a hurried tone, "Who are you? What do you want to do? This is just a teacher's home, you are not welcome!"

"Old man, mind your own business!" another man in black shouted impatiently, "We are looking for him!" As he said that, he pointed at Lei Yi.

Lei Yi was shocked. He knew he had been discovered, but he didn't understand who these people were and why they were looking for him.

"Go! Leave me alone!" Master Wang realized the situation was critical and pushed Lei Yi out the door, shouting, "Go!"

Lei Yi knew that if he stayed he would only become a burden to Master Wang, so he gritted his teeth, turned around and ran out the door.

"Want to leave? Not that easy!" Seeing this, the man in black immediately chased after him.

Lei Yi ran desperately, the wind whistling in his ears, but he didn't dare to relax at all, because he knew that if he was caught up, the consequences would be unimaginable.

However, at this moment, he suddenly felt a black screen in front of his eyes and lost consciousness...

After an unknown amount of time, Lei Yi slowly woke up and found himself lying on a simple wooden bed. He struggled to sit up and looked around, only to find himself in a shabby room with no one in it.

"Where am I?" Lei Yi rubbed his head, which was still aching, and tried hard to recall what had happened before.

He remembered being chased by men in black, then losing consciousness, and he had no memory of what happened after that.

"Who are those men in black? Why do they want to arrest me?" Lei Yi's heart was full of confusion and anxiety.

He knew that he had inadvertently been involved in a huge conspiracy, and the more he knew, the more dangerous it would be.

Lei Yi stood up and walked to the window. He opened it, and a gust of fresh air hit him. He looked up into the distance and saw the setting sun. The sky was a fiery red, as if foreshadowing something...

"Time is running out..." Lei Yi muttered to himself. He knew that he only had a few days left to spend a week safely in the small town, but troubles kept coming one after another.