Chapter 1461: There are three in total (Part 1) [Requesting monthly votes]

What are you doing?

The proprietress went to the kitchen to urge them to prepare the food.

Just as she turned the corner, she saw someone bending down under the eaves, shoving something into the water tank. The person who had heard her voice jumped like a startled bird, their hand trembling, and the object they had picked up fell back into the water with a splash. The person hurriedly picked it up and stuffed it back into their clothes; the proprietress only caught a glimpse of its reflection. Her neighbor was a squad leader in the Fourth Prefecture, and with restaurants being inspected constantly, she had become somewhat wary.

This water tank is for putting out fires in critical moments.

If you destroy this jar and set it on fire, her house will burn down.

Or is it someone who committed a crime?

The proprietress quickly stepped forward and pointed at the man with her round fan.

"Don't move. What were you stuffing into your clothes just now? Why are you hiding it like that? Did you steal something?" The proprietress deliberately raised her voice, and the kitchen helper couple came out when they heard the noise. The couple's sturdy figures gave her a great sense of security.

The cook was carrying a knife specifically for chopping pork ribs.

The man looked up and chuckled awkwardly, as if afraid of being slashed: "It wasn't stealing, it wasn't stealing, the thing just fell into the jar because I didn't put it away properly."

The proprietress looked over: "What is that?"

Only then did she see the man's face clearly; he was indeed a customer of the restaurant.

The man hesitated for a moment, then carefully took out a transparent glass tube from his bosom. The tube had silver lotus-carved bases at both ends. Inside the transparent glass tube was a small, seven-colored figure holding a sword in one hand, floating in a pearly liquid.

What is this?

Putting everything else aside, the craftsmanship alone is extremely valuable.

Even the shop owner, who wasn't very knowledgeable, knew this thing wasn't cheap.

The diner explained, "This is a treasure I acquired by chance. I heard there are many nobles in the capital, so I brought it here to try my luck and hopefully sell it for a high price. I'm worried about it being stolen, so I don't dare put it on my luggage. I only feel at ease when I carry it with me at all times. I just finished filling it with water and it accidentally fell into the tank. If it cracks and affects the appearance, I'll lose a lot of money."

The proprietress immediately tensed up upon hearing this.

I instinctively took a small step back, afraid of being scammed by other diners.

Even though this thing was dropped in her shop, it has nothing to do with her. If anything happens to it, she can't be blamed.

The diners initially thought the proprietress knew something and broke out in a cold sweat. But when they heard her excuse, they breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly said, "No, no, the food is fine. We're not unreasonable people."

The proprietress patted her chest and promised to give the diners a complimentary specialty dish, as a gesture of hospitality and to demonstrate the simple and honest folk customs of Fengluo.

That was the end of it.

The customer returned with his food and furtively wiped the water stains off the tube with a handkerchief. As he wiped, he noticed something was wrong; a little more pearly liquid had seeped out of the tube after he had just cleaned it. He was horrified and, upon closer inspection, discovered a tiny crack in the tube.

"Oh no, oh no, it's disfigured."

You must have accidentally bumped your skin on a rock somewhere.

Upon hearing this, his companion was shocked and exclaimed, "How could this be?"

The commission was exorbitantly high, indirectly indicating the item's rarity. If they damaged it and the client sought compensation, their entire family wouldn't be able to scrape together the money even if they sold everything they owned. A closer inspection revealed a crack. The accomplice, cursing the item for being all show and no substance, thinking of ways to salvage it, decided to sell it off early.

Just disguise yourself, and if you're lucky, you won't be discovered.

The unexpected turn of events ruined their appetite, and they paid the bill and left in a hurry. No sooner had they left than the complimentary dishes, freshly cooked by the proprietress's cook, were brought to the table, only to find it empty. A question to a waiter revealed that the restaurant staff had left in a rush.

When the waiter returned the food to the kitchen untouched, the proprietress stopped him: "Did the customer not like it?"

Even the servants serving the food were scratching their heads.

"When I took it there, they had already paid and left."

Could it be that you're complaining about how slow their service is?

The proprietress asked in surprise, "You couldn't wait and just paid and left?"

She paused her snacking on melon seeds during a break from her busy schedule, feeling that something was amiss. Those who could do business in the capital were generally quite perceptive. She couldn't help but recall the frequent searches of outsiders by the Four Guards Prefecture lately, and a sense of unease crept over her.

"Those two people didn't sound like they were from another country..."

It's also a regional accent, but not from the capital.

The proprietress hurriedly got up from her recliner, adhering to the principle of "better to kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free," and prepared to report to the authorities. Those people were innocent; it was just a misunderstanding, and she would at most receive a few words of criticism. But if the Four Prefectures found out they were guilty, she would be an accomplice. She knew which was more serious. The proprietress left with the words, "You mind the shop, I'm going out for a bit."

She was just an ordinary citizen, not even knowing which way the government office gate faced. Her only connection was a neighbor who held the rank of squad leader in the Four Guards Prefecture. After asking around, she still didn't know where her neighbor was, and she didn't dare to speak to any of the other unfamiliar soldiers in the Four Guards Prefecture.

This dragged on until the neighbor finished their shift and went home.

The team leader was frightened by a shadowy figure at his doorstep.

Who are you, you scoundrel?

Ambushing him at his doorstep?

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the person curled up was the proprietress.

What are you doing here?

Squatting outside his door late at night, how can that not be considered a good reputation? No matter how good the security is in Fengluo, sleeping outside someone's door late at night can easily lead to trouble.

The proprietress was shaken awake and was nearly startled by the number of people in the queue.

"Wow, you scared me to death! Why did it take you so long to get back?"

Team leader: "..."

The proprietress, remembering why she'd come, hurriedly said, "Never mind that, I have something to tell you. A few strange customers came in today, one of them carrying something that looked quite unusual. When you came to investigate, he claimed he'd accidentally lost it in his water tank, so you couldn't find it. When I found it, he looked terrified and guilty; it was obviously suspicious. It wasn't stolen, but it might have been looted from someone's grave; it didn't look like it came from a legitimate source. I gave them a dish, but they didn't even eat it before paying and leaving. They seemed like complete thieves..."

The proprietress repeatedly emphasized her guess.

Everything that needs to be said has been said; whether or not to investigate is a matter for the Four Commanderies Prefecture.

The team leader initially didn't pay much attention, simply because his neighbor was a shrew and cunning person who liked to use underhanded tactics in business and occasionally abused his name to intimidate others. Considering that she was all alone and struggling in the capital, he didn't make things difficult for her, as long as she hadn't really committed a serious mistake.

The more he listened, the more he felt something was wrong.

"What is that?"

"It's a glass tube, about as thick as my arm."

She was deeply impressed by the translucent, pearlescent liquid inside the tube, not to mention the colorful glass figure holding a sword.

I've never seen anything like this before.

They weren't even sure if the team leader was the one the higher-ups were looking for.

He could only say, "Take me to see."

A curfew had been imposed in the city recently, and restaurants closed early, making the streets seem rather deserted. The team leader felt uneasy the moment he stepped into a restaurant; his normally smooth-flowing martial energy was inexplicably agitated. He raised his hand to block the proprietress, conjuring a long spear in her startled and confused gaze. The two quietly passed through the main hall, the proprietress nervously whispering, "It's that water vat."

The water was calm, reflecting a bright crescent moon.

The team leader felt his skin temperature rising uncontrollably, as if something in the water tank was trying to drag him into hell.

Upon closer inspection, wisps of colorful light float on the water's surface.

What is this water vat used for on a daily basis?

"Put out the fire when the water is flowing, and drink the water when there is no fire."

The proprietress had an expression that said he knew the answer already. Once, when the shop was shut down, it was this guy who inspected it and said the shop didn't meet fire safety standards and that her shop needed two water tanks. She was so angry that she went out and brought back four large tanks, several times bigger than the water tanks in other shops.

"Water?"

"What else can we do? We can't just let it go to waste."

As they were talking, a slight rustling sound came from the night breeze.

The smacking sounds are just like a mouse gnawing and stealing food.

The team leader rolled his eyes: "You should keep a few cats in your shop to catch mice, or you'll lose everything if a customer accidentally eats something that's not safe."

Businesses that fail to meet hygiene standards for food ingredients must also be shut down for rectification.

The proprietress was about to yell in anger when she saw the captain's expression suddenly turn serious. She then pushed herself aside and pulled something from her waist: "Take this token and immediately go find the Four Guards' Office for patrolling."

He smelled the stench of blood in the evening breeze.

It's not the blood of slaughtered pigs, cattle, or sheep, it's human blood!

He came down from the battlefield; he couldn't possibly have mistaken the smell!

The proprietress, quick-witted and obedient, didn't press for details, grabbed the token, and ran towards the main hall. The squad leader, meanwhile, cautiously approached the direction from which the stench of blood was coming, flicked his spear, and carefully pushed open the small door to the kitchen. The source of the sound was right next to the stove, where a large shadowy figure lurked. If the proprietress were there, she would surely have recognized one of the shadowy figures as the cook, and the corpses below as the helpers and servants.

The captain's pupils trembled with shock.

The shadow lifted up a face smeared with blood.

Sensing the presence of the leader, it emitted a guttural, inhuman wheezing sound, causing the energy of heaven and earth to surge and erupt. With a bang, it suddenly burst open the small door to the back kitchen and pounced straight at the leader. It was enormous, yet its movements were as agile as a living person, and its strength was astonishing!

"What is that?!"

To become a squad leader in the fiercely competitive Four Commands Prefecture, he naturally possessed considerable skill. With a swift roll and leap onto the roof, he turned and thrust his spear, piercing the man's shoulder and pinning him to the ground. Cannibalism—in the capital, this was considered a heinous crime!

I thought this one shot would be enough, but to my surprise, it pulled the spear straight out of its flesh, its stiff face showing no sign of pain.

The team leader was terrified upon seeing this.

"Demon, prepare to die!"

Just then, reinforcements arrived.

The group worked together to subdue the cook. The proprietress lit a candle, nearly fainting from the sight in the kitchen. Blood was splattered on the floor and walls, and corpses with their heads and half-eaten bodies lay on the ground.

What chilled her to the bone even more was that the squad leader pointed his gun at her.

"Water?"

The team leader seemed to remember something.

He brought the tip of his gun an inch closer, and the proprietress was so frightened that she took a step back.

He pressed, "Have you eaten any food cooked with this water today?"

The proprietress, her face pale, shook her head: "No, no."

They were so busy disclaiming any responsibility and waiting for the team leader to go home that they had no appetite for food. The proprietress was also clever; she immediately guessed that there was a problem with the water source and that the people in her shop had been harmed by the water in the tank.

The team leader then thought of another, even more critical, question, and he almost broke down in tears: "Does the restaurant use this water to cook for its customers?"

If that's the case, there's likely to be a big problem tonight!

This restaurant is inexpensive and popular with many casual diners.

The proprietress quickly waved her hand: "No, no."

The water used for washing and cooking vegetables for the guests was all spring water from outside the city, which was brought in daily. The water in the vat was mostly rainwater and leftover spring water from the day's use. Although she couldn't taste the difference between the two, the guests liked this gimmick and were willing to pay for the spring water—because this spring water was no ordinary spring water. Its source was located on the back mountain of the Kang Kingdom's national temple—the national temple did not enshrine gods or Buddhas, but only the national fortune tablet of Kang Kingdom. It was usually very popular with worshippers, from high-ranking officials and nobles to peddlers and laborers.

Upon hearing this, the squad leader breathed a sigh of relief and ordered, "Lock the man up, and hand over all the water in this vat and the kitchen clutter."

The proprietress was so frightened that tears welled up in her eyes.

The team leader said, "This is a good thing for you."

It's good enough if you're involved and not secretly silenced.

Being imprisoned in the dungeon of the Four Provinces Prefecture was a form of protection.

The proprietress dared not argue.

The news reached Ning Yan's ears with lightning speed. The entire medical office was brightly lit, and all fifteen physicians were gathered around the cook, who was bound hand and foot. All the soldiers involved were sent for examination, especially the captain who had fought with the cook, who was ordered to strip naked for a check for wounds. Ning Yan didn't believe the proprietress's words and even mobilized the elite troops of the Four Guards to screen the diners in the restaurant.

As for the strange customer the proprietress mentioned?

A thorough, door-to-door search was conducted.

Ning Yan looked up at the moon and said, "This is the waxing crescent moon."

The information provided by Cui Mi indicated that the time would be the waning moon.

Either the plague hasn't reached the point of large-scale outbreak yet, or Cui Mi provided intelligence that allowed her to intervene in advance, causing a change in fate and a series of butterfly effects that brought the timeline forward.

Cui Mi's face turned deathly pale.

He accidentally touched his older brother's hand.

The scene I see has changed.

The situation did not improve; it got worse.

He stammered, "I'm...I'm sorry..."

Perhaps the brothers shouldn't have come.

Ning Yan calmly said, "What are you apologizing for? I am the regent and the Grand Councilor of Kang State. I will bear all the blame."

A future that could be predicted was no longer one from the moment Cui Mi saw it! Whether it's good or bad, it's up to people to decide.

A private residence in Fengluo City.

The burly man, who was sleeping on his side, was snoring loudly. He was soon woken up by the frequent trembling beside him. He turned to his side impatiently and said, "Why are you trembling? No matter how much you want your wife, don't do it next to me."

I could vaguely make out some things by the moonlight streaming in through the window.

My companion wasn't doing any handicrafts, and the other person was shivering from the cold.

"Damn it, it's almost the hottest time of summer, why are you cold?"

He impatiently moved closer, his pupils suddenly dilating.

The scream was cut short before it could even escape his throat.

Medical Office —

Dong Dao and the others frowned as they inspected the leftover food collected from the Four Prefectures.

All the leftovers were treated with the same tank of water. The stir-fried dishes were fine, but the two cold dishes had problems: "This at least proves that the source of the disease can be eliminated by boiling at high temperatures, so it can't be considered a complete loss..."

A physician from the medical community came in and said, "That person's consciousness is tightly shut. Acupuncture and medicine are ineffective, and there is no sign of him regaining his senses."

─=≡Σ(((つω)つ

I discovered I've been flagged as an AI while browsing Xiaohongshu today _(:з」∠)_

Honestly, that was incredibly vulgar.