Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 158 (Patreon)

Chapter 158: The Ruins of Parlo City

In the forest, the branches were bare, creating a desolate scene.

Paths made of square stone bricks led in all directions through the forest, where there were many clean lakes, nearly each with several wooden houses built beside them, belonging to the residents of Babu Town.

These lakeside houses, during the tourist season, would be rented out at high prices, a common practice.

During the off-season, however, a few sets would be left idle.

Before heading to the ancient city ruins, Luo rented a lakeside cabin nearby as a temporary residence.

"What exactly are you trying to do?" Sanbica Norton couldn't help asking after hearing Luo repeatedly inquire about the ancient city ruins.

Before coming here, Luo had asked her to look up related information, and now, ironically, he himself couldn't remember, using her as an interrogation tool.

On the forest path, mottled fallen leaves were scattered about, the surroundings serene and tranquil, with sunlight falling through the trees in slanting, soft columns of light.

"Tear down the walls."

Luo's body merged into the beams of light, appearing almost holy.

However, the words he spoke sent a chill through Sanbica's body.

"What did you say?" she exclaimed, staring with wide eyes.

Tearing down the walls of the ancient city ruins? These were well-preserved cultural sites, and under the laws of the Yorbian Continent, even deliberately chipping a corner could land one in prison for years, let alone tearing down walls.

Luo touched his head and said seriously, "Don't get worked up; I just want to find something inside one of the walls. Since I don't know the exact location, we might have to tear down quite a bit."

"You're insane." Sanbica's mouth fell open, though her face was hidden behind a mask, unseen by Luo.

"Just tearing down the walls to see if there's anything inside, and afterward, I can restore it with my Nen. It's no big deal, right?" Luo expressed his doubt.

"..."

It was then that Sanbica realized, with Luo's Nen, even if it was just for fun, everything could be restored afterward. She hadn't thought of that before.

"Let's go and see anyway. If the site's security is too tight, even if I can restore it afterward, it's useless if we can't get to it. If it doesn't work during the day, consider this a reconnaissance, and we'll come back at midnight to tear it down."

Luo walked forward into the light, speaking earnestly.

"You seem pretty familiar with this." Sanbica walked beside him, catching him off guard with her comment.

Luo gave an awkward smile and explained, "Just trying to avoid unnecessary trouble."

Sanbica snorted softly, feeling like she had boarded a ship of thieves. First, they went to Meteor Street to steal a knife, which had its reasons, but now Luo had information from somewhere about finding something in an ancient city ruin.

If there were valuable items, they would have been discovered by archaeologists long ago. After all, the Parlo City Ruins had been around for hundreds of years.

The world's six continents have unearthed many ancient relics, with over ninety percent of known world heritage sites under strict protection by various national governments.

Even if governments were unwilling to spend resources and manpower on developing or repairing these sites, they wouldn't allow outsiders easy access.

For outsiders to gain access to these sites, applying for permission was a basic requirement, followed by ample funding. And after all the money and effort, it was mostly just for reputation.

Parlo City was merely a human site left eroded by time, fundamentally different from those state-protected sites, accessible for anyone to visit and explore, and its archaeological value was not as high as those world-class heritage sites.

However, the monetary value of Parlo City Ruins should not be underestimated.

Each year, countless visitors drawn by its reputation brought in far more revenue from ticket sales than the cost of maintenance, making it a significant source of income for local officials, hence the strict protection of the site.

As they reached the end of the path, the trees became less dense, and more people appeared, all heading towards the Parlo City Ruins.

"It seems to be mostly couples."

Luo observed the people around him, noting that most were couples dressed in winter clothes, walking closely together. There were young people as well as middle-aged couples.

Parlo City was known in ancient times by another name, "The City of Love," and many legends related to love were passed down, some of which had been adapted into stage plays.

Although the authenticity of these stories was uncertain, their veracity was highly regarded.

In the city, there was a well-preserved statue, a symbol of Parlo City and a place of pilgrimage for many couples.

Most visitors were primarily drawn by the love

 legends of Parlo City.

Additionally, there was another more famous legend about the tomb of the lord of Parlo City, which many archaeologists and treasure hunters sought to uncover. According to ancient texts, the burial goods included the most beautiful gemstones of that era.

Those who knew of Parlo City were also aware of this additional information, but Luo had asked her to check on it before, and after finding out the location of the ruins, he lost interest in other details.

He only wanted to know the location, and then he had a specific goal in mind, which was odd.

Sanbica was puzzled by this, whispering, "Your knowledge of Parlo City Ruins is superficial, yet you want to find something there?"

This was a somewhat paradoxical déjà vu. Despite knowing little, how could he be sure there was something in the walls of Parlo City Ruins?

Luo, unaware of Sanbica's thoughts, looked ahead and spoke openly, "A musical score."

"A musical score?" Sanbica was surprised.

"The Dark Sonata, have you heard of it?" Luo saw the scattered crowd and the outline of the ruins in the distance; they were nearly there.

"I've heard of it." A grave look appeared in Sanbica's eyes as she said, "My master once told me that there are many peculiar items in the world that, once activated, can manifest unknown powers, similar to Nen. The score of the Dark Sonata is one of those."

"Moreover, the Dark Sonata is rumored to have been created by a demon lord and is a very dangerous score. When played, it brings disaster. What do you want with the score?"

Many Nen users knew about the rumors surrounding the Dark Sonata, which held a legendary status.

In the various professional systems, being a music hunter was a niche occupation, yet every music hunter held an interest in this legendary demonic melody.

This curiosity and fascination were similar to other professions; relic hunters sought undiscovered sites, and gourmet hunters were interested in unseen ingredients.

Sanbica was not a music hunter, but she had a good understanding of this area, which surprised Luo.

"You know quite a bit," Luo commented.

Sanbica frowned slightly and said, "You haven't answered my question yet."

"I know the piece is dangerous, but I want to find it to remove the Nen from it," Luo explained. Essentially, he intended to remove the Nen attached to the score, and he wasn't lying.

To Luo, the Dark Sonata was very special, unlike any ancient artifact that had absorbed Nen before, possibly representing a huge opportunity for him.

"You can also remove Nen?" Sanbica didn't know what to say. A Nen exorcist was a rare profession, and Luo could do it? What else didn't she know about him?

"Yeah, if you ever need it, I can give you a discount," Luo joked.

"..."

As they talked, they reached the entrance to the Parlo City Ruins, where many people were already lined up.

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