No wonder John Bennett found his own appearance somewhat familiar. He hadn’t noticed it before, but now that he thought about his background and age, he suddenly realized he was actually the final boss of the third edition of that game, the ‘Demon Lord’ John Bennett!

Upon learning such a truth, John Bennett no longer knew whether he should laugh or cry.

His future was destined to be that of a famous figure in the martial world, but as for the final outcome—was there even any need to guess? Isn’t every game’s final boss ultimately there just to be defeated?

Picking up the short knife from the ground, John Bennett flicked the blade lightly, a gloomy look flashing in his eyes as he muttered, “Fated to lose? Heh, in my previous life I never fought or competed, and in the end, I died a miserable death. Since Heaven has given me another chance, this time, I’ll take the initiative to fight, to seize what I want. It’s better for me to kill than to be killed!”

Just then, the carriage curtain was lifted, and a charming, pretty maid seemed to have heard the commotion inside and slipped in. She looked at John Bennett in surprise and asked, “Young master, did something happen?”

Looking at this maid, whose looks and bearing were both outstanding, John Bennett’s lips curled into a sinister smile.

This maid before him was named Emily, the mother of the Chu family’s third son, David Bennett, and was sent by his second stepmother.

It was laughable that John Bennett had actually thought this maid was assigned to him by the family, and had even doted on her quite a bit.

But during their time at the Nanshan Mine, Emily not only used his name to throw her weight around, ruining his reputation among some of the Chu family’s servants, but also secretly incited him to provoke and torment those criminal thugs, trying to stir up a riot—clearly aiming to get him killed.

Looking at Emily, John Bennett suddenly grinned and said, “It’s nothing, the knife just fell to the ground.”

For some reason, seeing John Bennett’s smile, Emily suddenly felt a chill, a sense of creeping dread.

But Emily didn’t pay it much mind. She gave John Bennett a sweet, cloying smile and said, “Young master, the official road has been hard to travel lately because of the rain. Why don’t we take the small path through Yuanbao Town? It’s a bit closer.”

John Bennett’s face showed a faint, ambiguous smile as he said, “Take the small path through Yuanbao Town? But I’ve heard those paths all run through the wild forests at the foot of Shangmang Mountain, and it’s easy to run into bandits there.”

Emily pouted, “That’s all just rumors! Many merchant caravans traveling to Tongzhou Prefecture take the small paths. Besides, I want to get back to the manor early to take a bath. I’ve barely bathed at all this past year at the Nanshan Mine, and I feel filthy.”

In the past, whenever Emily acted coquettishly like this, John Bennett would have eagerly pulled her into his arms to comfort her and grant her wishes.

But now, John Bennett just looked at her, a chilling smile on his lips, which made Emily start to panic.

At that moment, John Bennett suddenly reached out and pinched Emily’s fair cheek, squeezing until she almost cried out in pain before letting go. He said blandly, “Alright, let’s go to Yuanbao Town then.”

Emily rubbed her face, suddenly feeling that the John Bennett before her was a bit unfamiliar, almost like a different person.

But remembering the message and promises the second madam had sent her a few days ago, Emily quickly pushed her doubts aside.

Seeing Emily’s sweet smile as she tried to get closer, John Bennett said calmly, “Go tell the servants to change our route to Yuanbao Town. We’ll rest there for a night before moving on.”

Watching Emily leave, John Bennett’s face showed a trace of disdain. Just a foolish woman—nothing special.

But it seemed his body in this life was even more foolish, to have been played so thoroughly by such a woman. Who knows what kind of trauma he suffered later to become the Demon Lord wreathed in demonic flames.

Since Emily insisted on taking the small path through Yuanbao Town, John Bennett was certain there was something fishy about it, but he still agreed—because there was an opportunity waiting for him in Yuanbao Town!

Reborn in this life, John Bennett quickly realized what his true advantage was. It wasn’t his future identity as the Demon Lord, but his familiarity with the plot of the first two editions of the game!

Although John Bennett would one day become the fearsome leader of the Kunlun Demon Sect, that was just in the story introduction—there were no details about his future experiences.

But as a loyal player of “Great Rivers and Lakes,” John Bennett knew the plot of the first two editions inside and out. Even for parts he hadn’t experienced, he’d researched and filled in the gaps through forums and other sources.

By the timeline, John Bennett should now be at the beginning of the first edition’s plot, with more than twenty years to go before the third edition begins.

In other words, John Bennett’s real advantage was that he knew every major and minor event in this world for the next twenty years!

And right now, in Yuanbao Town, if John Bennett remembered correctly, a great opportunity was waiting for him.

Chapter 2: The Quanzhen Secret Manual

Yuanbao Town was just a small town, but it was quite bustling, as the surrounding small roads provided quick access to several prefectures in northern Weijun, attracting a large number of merchants.

After the carriage arrived in Yuanbao Town, John Bennett arranged for an inn, then took Emily and more than a dozen Chu family servants to stroll around the town.