With virtue

The young Taoist priest swaggered into the inn and went up to the second floor with practiced ease. It wasn't his first time at this restaurant, so he knew his way around like the back of his hand.

However, as soon as he came up, he noticed that something was a little different.

The entire second floor was no longer what he remembered. The decorations had all been redone, and half of the second floor had been cleared out. Several rooms had been opened up to form a huge single-level space, furnished only with a few tables and chairs. The monotonous areas around the room were separated by bamboo curtains and screens, creating a quiet atmosphere.

The table was by the window, and Young Master Wang leaned against it. Seeing the young Taoist priest come up, he clapped his hands and waved, saying, "You've finally arrived! How were you? Did you sleep well? How are you feeling? Mr. Yuan told me you almost died up there last night, but now you seem... to be recovering quite well? That Rejuvenating Pill must have been very effective, right?"

Zhao Yunshu didn't exchange any pleasantries with him. He walked straight over, passed the maids who were bowing around him, sat down with a thud, picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup of tea, drank it all in one gulp, and then said, "I won't die. But Young Master Wang, your information network is quite impressive. I just woke up and Mr. Zhou arrived right after."

Young Master Wang tilted his head back and let out a hearty laugh: "Haha, of course!"

As he spoke, he pushed a plate of food in front of Zhao Yunshu and said, "Dingzhou City isn't that big. Someone as tall as you, if you really wanted to see it, how could you possibly lose it?"

Zhao Yunshu looked at the plate he pushed towards her, and swallowed hard as the aroma wafted up.

On the table, there was a large plate of tender mutton, a whole roasted duck, piping hot lamb trotters, braised sea cucumber, a fresh fish fried crispy, a large bowl of ham, shrimp balls, and mixed vegetables, and a bowl of clear soup. There wasn't a trace of oil in the soup, but it had a meaty aroma.

Although it was just a simple meal, it was still quite lively.

"But, I'm not trying to be mean, little Taoist, but you really are a strange person. The last time I saw you, you got into a fight at the inn over a pipa player, and then you went out to chase after the Nine Beauties and catch ghosts, and you were so tired that you fell asleep. And now, just a few days later, you're fighting with that evil Taoist Anhe again. Should I say you have a strong fighting spirit, or should I say you're just unlucky?"

Zhao Yunshu reached for his chopsticks, picked up a piece of mutton, and put it in his mouth. While chewing, he mumbled, "No, it's just that I'm lucky. I always seem to run into the people I want to meet. But this time it was indeed a bit dangerous. Mr. Yuan arrived just in time, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to see him." If someone who values ​​family upbringing saw him like this, they would surely give him three slaps on the head. But he and Young Master Wang were both young, so neither of them cared.

"That's what Mr. Yuan told me too. He said you arrived just in time, otherwise he would have been in trouble. You two saved each other's lives," said Young Master Wang from the side.

Logically, there should have been some more pleasantries, but Zhao Yunshu was too lazy to waste time and said directly, "Young Master Wang, this isn't the first time we've dealt with each other, so just get to the point. What brings you here?"

That's what he said, but his chopsticks kept going.

No wonder Young Master Wang likes this place's mutton. The mutton is succulent and tastes different from the usual ones. The lean meat is crisp and springy, while the fat is fragrant and smooth. You can't help but want to eat a couple more bites.

The young Taoist priest had no dietary restrictions; he never minded eating more of the world's delicacies.

Young Master Wang, however, was in no hurry to answer. He watched the young Taoist eat while playing with his chopsticks.

He seems quite adept at handling things; if the person who knocked Zhao Yunshu was nearby, he would have been slapped on the hand as well.

But naturally no one corrected him at this moment. They saw Young Master Wang spin the chopsticks in his palm, turning them left and right twice, then turning them in the opposite direction. Finally, he twirled them like a windmill, threw them into the air, and caught them in his palm.

While playing with it, he didn't stop talking, saying, "Two things. First, last night you shielded Mr. Yuan from disaster on that mountain for me, and you also severed Anhe's body, which saved my teacher and helped me get rid of a major threat. I remember that."

If the young Taoist priest hadn't been there, Yuan Zhisheng would probably have been defeated by An He, the evil Taoist priest. But now, not only did he survive, he even killed An He, which can be described as a happy ending for everyone.

"Secondly, now that Anhe is dead, Dingzhou will definitely be in chaos. This is not just your problem. Anhe, the sorcerer, has a mastermind behind him, and I also have things to do behind my back. You and I are now facing the same opponent, so I want to make a deal with you." He put down his chopsticks, stared straight at Zhao Yunshu, as if trying to see through his secrets, and his tone became serious.

"Go ahead," Zhao Yunshu replied while eating, showing no sign of nervousness.

Young Master Wang nodded, seemingly quite satisfied with the young Taoist's reaction, and continued, "Do me a favor, and I'll help you find Anhe's whereabouts. If I find him, I'll send my people to help you. Anhe must have a black-headed sorcerer by his side, and you'll need help too."

The young Taoist priest then said, "Didn't Young Master Wang say he was leaving? You shouldn't have anything to do with Dingzhou City now, right? Why did you send Mr. Yuan to do this, and now you want to drag me into it?"

He asked a question that raised a point of doubt.

Young Master Wang laughed heartily, "Haha, it's hard to refuse a favor, so what do you think?"

"Okay." Zhao Yunshu nodded.

He didn't even ask what the other party wanted him to do, because even without Young Master Wang's help, he was going to stay and find his master's remains and three souls. Since the other party was willing to help, he was happy to agree directly.

As for what kind of help the other party wanted, he could roughly guess.

Young Master Wang was slightly taken aback by his quick agreement, then clapped his hands and laughed, "Good! I had prepared a whole bunch of arguments, thinking you might try to bargain, but I was too narrow-minded. Daoist, you're a straightforward person, agreeing without even asking, which makes me seem stingy."

Zhao Yunshu put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, and said, "I agreed readily, but that doesn't mean I'm a fool. Young Master Wang is already taking advantage of me by helping me find Anhe Daoist. Moreover, I also took one of Mr. Yuan's Rejuvenating Pills, so I already owe him a favor. Young Master, you don't need to use this favor to force me. If I put on airs again, I'll be ungrateful."

Young Master Wang nodded, no longer displaying the careless attitude he had shown while playing with the chopsticks. Instead, he said seriously, "Don't worry, I won't ask you to do anything immoral or immoral, nor will I ask you to die in vain. I want you to do what you are already good at."

"Last night, you and Mr. Yuan broke so many curse spells together. I'm sure you both realized that those walking corpses and curse spells, although they were all An He's doing, could not have been done by An He alone. He doesn't have the ability to be in two places at once, so how could he have set up such powerful objects in hundreds of places outside Dingzhou City? There are definitely many of his accomplices, sorcerers who run errands for him and are at his beck and call, and ordinary people who help him check the situation and purchase materials. There are definitely quite a few of them."

He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, saying, "I cannot stay in Dingzhou for long. I will be setting off back to Shu in five or six days at most. But I am a martial artist and I am not very familiar with the affairs of you sorcerers. There are not many sorcerers in Dingzhou that I can trust. I need you to help me find the spies in Dingzhou before I leave."

"You're a new face, and you're quite capable, much better than those incompetent fools in the current Righteous Army. It'll be much easier for you to do this, what do you say?"

Zhao Yunshu pondered for a moment, then frowned slightly: "Are there no powerful mages left in Dingzhou City? How did they end up here?"

If it comes to comparing magic with Anhe and the sorcerer, this little Taoist priest wouldn't dare to make a guarantee. In such matters, the famous local sorcerers would be more suitable, and there must be similar people in the residence of the Yiwu Army's military governor.

Young Master Wang said, "You'll understand when you come with me to a place later. All I can say is that no matter where you are, it's impossible to work together wholeheartedly. And I don't want Dingzhou to really fall."

Speaking of this, he suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, you just wanted to ask about Anhe's whereabouts, right? I don't know right now, but according to news this morning, another group of refugees died outside the city in the latter half of last night, and their bodies have been dragged to the mass grave. This shows that those people are even bolder than we thought. Anhe the sorcerer is dead, but instead of restraining themselves, they are speeding up their actions."

Zhao Yunshu frowned, her brows furrowing more and more as she listened.

Young Master Wang looked at him, his previously serious expression suddenly changing to a playful grin: "Alright, little Taoist, let's eat first. You know, this meal isn't something you can usually get!"

Young Master Wang picked up a small piece of sea cucumber, but didn't eat it right away. Instead, he placed it on his plate, then scooped out a little bit of sauce from the sea cucumber and blew on it gently. Before even tasting it, a fragrant aroma wafted over, even the smell of mutton was somewhat masked by the little bit of sauce.

Zhao Yunshu looked at it and saw that the sauce was a bright red color, and it looked like agate when placed on the white porcelain plate.

Young Master Wang boasted, "This is called konjac sauce, a delicacy from the Yunnan and Sichuan regions. I brought a small jar with me on this trip, and even this small jar would sell for fifty taels of silver in Chengdu! And there's no market for it."

"How about it? This is a good thing, isn't it? Konjac sauce originated from Yelang. It is made by fermenting konjac leaves, konjac fruits, glutinous rice, pepper, and honey together. The konjac tree only grows in the Nanyue region. Its wood is similar to that of a grain tree, and its leaves are like those of a mulberry, only two or three inches long. It doesn't grow much, only a few leaves. The local people collect them and ferment them into sauce. During the Han Dynasty, Tang Meng was sent as an envoy to Nanyue with the emperor's decree. When he met the King of Nanyue, he was served konjac sauce. Upon his return, he submitted a memorial to Emperor Wu, saying that Nanyue had konjac sauce and that the Zangke River could connect to Panyu. Emperor Wu then sent troops to open up the southwest barbarians."

"Therefore, there is a poem that says: 'A crimson carpet clusters on a white jade plate, a radiant golden cauldron reveals abundant spirit. The essence of mulberries ripens on the branches in August, brewing new amber for the world.'"

As he got excited, he picked up a piece of ham, shrimp balls, and mixed vegetables with his chopsticks and continued, "And this dish looks ordinary, but it's actually the most demanding when it comes to cooking time and temperature. This ham isn't homemade cured pork; it's top-quality ham that I brought from Dongyang in Wuzhou. It's made by taking a whole pig's hind leg, curing it thoroughly with sea salt, and then hanging it up to smoke for three whole winters."

He pointed to the bowl of clear soup and said, "This soup is even more special. It's a specialty from Pengshan in Sichuan, called 'Floating Soup' or 'Boiling Water.' It's made with pork bones, old hens, ham, various kinds of fish, shellfish, and mountain delicacies and mushrooms. You put all the ingredients in a big pot with cold water, boil it over high heat for a day to extract the essence, then simmer it over low heat for three days, skimming off the foam every hour. In the end, a big pot of dozens of kilograms of ingredients only yields a small pot of clear soup, as clear as water. This bowl is the first broth from that small pot."

"Dozens of pounds of fish, meat, and mountain delicacies, simmered for four or five days, using up so much charcoal, just to get this one bite. How about it? I'm treating you to dinner today. I haven't embarrassed you, have I?" Young Master Wang said smugly.

Zhao Yunshu nodded repeatedly as he listened, but his chopsticks never stopped. He scooped up two more spoonfuls of clear soup and poured them over his rice, then ate heartily.

"Good, good! It's really delicious!" The young Taoist priest nodded repeatedly.

Eat when you're hungry.

Since we're going to eat, let's eat properly. Master said that eating is the most important thing in this world, so no matter what, let's have a good meal.

Then, without delay, find that damn Anhe...

Crushing his bones to dust is one thing, but he will definitely never be reincarnated.

After they finished eating, the two went downstairs together. The innkeeper bowed respectfully as he saw them off, as if afraid of offending Young Master Wang.

Young Master Wang ignored all that and led Zhao Yunshu all the way to the street, their feet never stopping, heading directly toward the house that Zhao Yunshu had noticed when she first entered the city.

Chen Wanchuan had mentioned that the area was the residence of the military governor of the Yiwu Army.

The further you go, the wider the road becomes, eventually wide enough for ten large horses to walk side by side.

After passing through this magnificent street, we finally arrived at the front of the mansion.

The mansion was clearly auspicious, with excellent feng shui, its front and back exuding wind and water, and its grand entrance, vermilion gate, and a long string of various lintels and archways.

The main gate alone was about three zhang wide, with a plaque hanging above it that read "Yiwu Army Military Governor's Mansion" in large characters.

The two lions in front of the gate are not stone lions, but two iron lions. I don't know how they were moved here. I don't know how they were cast. The craftsmanship is excellent. They are lifelike, with angry eyes and open mouths. Their manes are like balls wrapped around their necks. They are much more impressive than the two lions at the entrance of the City God Temple.

Ten armored soldiers stood guard at the entrance, positioned on either side, each holding a long spear, their faces expressionless. Such an imposing scene caused Zhao Yunshu to pause in his tracks as he approached.

Young Master Wang, however, seemed completely unconcerned, as if oblivious, and walked straight to the soldiers.

The leader of the armored guards at the gate, upon seeing Young Master Wang, quickly sheathed his spear, stepped forward, and stood before him, saying, "Young Master, you've come... for that matter?"

Young Master Wang nodded slightly.

The soldiers immediately made way.

Then Young Master Wang waved to Zhao Yunshu: "What are you daydreaming about? Come in, there's a prisoner I captured inside, you need to take a look."