From a country cook to a master chef

Back at the tavern, thinking about what had happened that night, Lin Jue immediately took out four incense burners from his storage bag, lit them, and placed them in the four corners of the tavern.

These incense sticks have been soaked in the Spirit Servant Gourd Water. If anyone sneaks into the tavern again, he can use the Spirit Servant Seal to retaliate.

As Lin Jue passed by the wolf cub's den, he shook his head at it with a look of disappointment.

If it were a dog, it would never remain silent when it saw a stranger enter the backyard.

After finishing the incense, Lin Jue shook off the snowflakes, returned to his dormitory, took off his soaked clothes and hung them on the small stove to dry, then dragged his tired body to bed.

As far as he knew, the Black Bamboo Gang was deeply rooted in Xiayuanfang, with influence in both the legal and illegal worlds. Since the Gao family's power waned, their businesses had a strong tendency to spread to Jing'anfang.

Xiayuanfang was mostly inhabited by ordinary people, and with the devastation of a snowstorm, the Black Bamboo Gang was also having a hard time.

As a bustling area in the outer city, Jing'anfang was lined with taverns and teahouses, and gambling dens and rice shops were thriving. If the Black Bamboo Gang could get involved here, the daily fees they collected from small merchants would probably be dozens of times that of Xiayuanfang.

Qinghe Tavern is situated with its back to the Qinghe River and adjacent to Xiayuanfang, a unique location that explains why it attracted the attention of the Black Bamboo Gang.

As a martial artist at the Divine Illumination Realm, Xiang Yuan's presence naturally prevented anyone from coveting the tavern. However, now that Xiang Yuan has passed away, even if outsiders are unaware of his whereabouts, they cannot help but become suspicious given his prolonged absence. It is impossible for them to remain indifferent to the lucrative Qinghe Tavern.

The fire in the furnace burned dimly. Lin Jue lay on the bed, his eyes flickering with the firelight as he pondered how to break the deadlock. All around was quiet, with only the occasional creaking sound of cold wind whistling through the window.

Just then, a sharp cry of "Brother Lin!" pierced the silence of the night. Lin Jue jumped up, his eyes sharp as a night hawk, and ran towards the source of the sound without hesitation.

"Qin Kuai!"

Lin Jue pushed open the door, his expression suddenly turning cold. He saw Qin Kuai, whom he had just met, sitting on the bed in the boudoir, holding Yuan Rou's hands down, his eyes burning with desire.

"Beast!"

Lin Jue roared and activated the Spirit Seal within his body. Qin Kuai, who was about to attack him, instantly collapsed to the ground, his face filled with disbelief. "Damn it, what did you do to me?"

"Get out of here!"

After kicking away the barking Qin Kuai, Lin Jue quickly grabbed the blanket and covered Yuan Rou's body, then lowered the curtains on both sides of the bed before feeling a little relieved.

He turned and glared angrily at Qin Kuai, who had shrunk into the corner.

"Don't come any closer. Don't forget, I am the young leader of the Black Bamboo Gang, the son of Qin Chi, the 'Wind-Splitting Leg'."

Seeing that Lin Jue was about to kill him, Qin Kuai hurriedly said, "It was my fault. I'll just compensate you with some money. If you touch me, the Black Bamboo Gang will never let you off the hook."

Lin Jue's eyes were cold and he snorted. Just as he raised his foot to kick Qin Kuai, he suddenly heard something fall to the ground behind him. The next second, he was tightly hugged from behind.

"Yuan Rou".

Lin Jue was taken aback. As soon as he turned around, a lovely and charming woman with rosy cheeks pressed against him, her sweet lips kissing his face incessantly.

Lin Jue was only twenty years old and had never experienced such a scene before. His breathing became heavy, and he couldn't help but open his eyes, which were originally closed, to look at the woman's body.

As his breathing quickened, he finally noticed a strange fragrance lingering in the room.

Based on the current situation, Lin Jue immediately realized that this was a despicable tactic used by Qin Kuai, most likely some kind of evil magic like the aphrodisiac.

As the effects of the acacia incense took hold, Yuan Rou's delicate body trembled, her black hair cascading messily over her shoulders, her face flushed with an intoxicating blush, her lips slightly parted as she let out soft moans of unbearable pleasure, her eyes glazed and alluring.

Burning with passion, she lost her senses and all she wanted was to be with someone.

Lin Jue was a genuinely ambitious young man. After being kissed by Yuan Rou with a sweet fragrance, he accidentally inhaled the aphrodisiac and felt a surge of passion in his heart and body. This strange feeling made him instantly infatuated.

Overwhelmed by passion, he couldn't help but grab Yuan Rou's hand and let his hands roam freely over her smooth, silky body.

……

The next morning, the sunlight gently streamed through the window and slowly fell on the sleeping man's face.

In a hazy state, Lin Jue felt as if he were having an incredibly erotic dream, where he seemed to be making love with someone for a long time, experiencing satisfaction time and time again.

Half asleep and half awake, he smiled slightly, savoring the girl's tenderness and sweetness, seemingly still not satisfied.

Bang! Bang!

A series of rapid, clear knocks came from the tavern door.

Lin Jue woke up from his dream with a start. When he opened his eyes, he saw a lovely and sweet face.

"Miss Yuan Rou!"

Looking at the girl's face, which was both strange and familiar, Lin Jue's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly became extremely clear-headed.

"Brother Lin!"

The woman, still half asleep, reached out and brushed the messy hair from her forehead. She slowly opened her eyes, and the moment she saw Lin Jue, she abruptly pulled the blanket over herself.

Lin Jue then realized he was still naked. He quickly dressed and got out of bed. When he looked at Qin Kuai, his handsome face instantly turned frosty, and he said coldly:

"The Black Bamboo Gang, is it?"

Lin Jue approached, grabbed Qin Kuai's hair, and dragged him out of the room.

"Let go of my paws and release me right now!"

Qin Kuai tried to reach out and grab Lin Jue's hand, but was horrified to find that he still couldn't control his body, and he cursed in frustration.

Lin Jue threw him into the backyard, then went to the tavern entrance, only to find that it was a tax collector. After sending him away, he angrily returned to the courtyard.

Yuan Rou sat on the edge of the bed, her face flushed, looking out the window at the two people in the courtyard, trying hard to recall everything that had happened last night.

After finishing her chores in the kitchen and taking a shower, she returned to her room to rest when she was suddenly pushed down onto the bed. In her panic, she called out "Brother Lin," but she couldn't remember anything after that.

She didn't speak, silently staring at Brother Lin in the courtyard, secretly praying that he was the man in her dreams.

After an unknown amount of time, she got up, dressed, and leaned against the door frame, gently tucking her hair behind her ear, and looked tenderly at Lin Jue.

The three remained frozen in place, none of them speaking, until Qin Kuai broke the silence.

"You and she were always together. Now that you have her, you should be grateful to me!"

Snapped!

Lin Jue unceremoniously raised his hand and gave Qin Kuai a big slap in the face.

"Shut up!"

Hearing their conversation, Yuan Rou was overjoyed, her cheeks flushed again, and she retreated back into the house, gently closing the door behind her.

She had only known Lin Jue for a short time, but they were introduced by a matchmaker and their marriage was officially registered by the government, making her Lin Jue's official wife.

Last night, no outsiders benefited, so I was naturally overjoyed.

Just as Lin Jue was about to slap Qin Kuai a few more times, a loud bang suddenly sounded at the door.

Something seemed to have bumped into the tavern door.