Chapter 90 Bewitching Town
Chapter 90 Bewitching Town
"Yu Tang".
The next morning, Jiang Yutang vaguely heard someone calling her name. She opened her eyes slightly and saw that it was already light outside. The person who called her was Grandpa Weng.
Was she asleep by the fire?
Jiang Yutang was startled to find a blanket covering her.
Jiang Yutang recalled that she had been reading with Old Man Weng by the fire last night, and it seemed that she had become too sleepy towards the end and somehow fell asleep. Old Man Weng must have seen that she was sleeping well, so he didn't wake her up. She woke up at this hour.
"Breakfast is ready, we'll be leaving later," Grandpa Weng reminded him.
"Okay." Jiang Yutang then looked around.
Wang Sumo and Grandpa Qu were jumping around in the open space—
Bai Cen, who was passing by, ate a soup dumpling and then said to Jiang Yutang, "That's called the Awakening Exercise. It's said that Fang Rushi taught it. The master and Master Qu do it every morning, rain or shine, saying that doing it will make you live to ninety-nine. Master Weng doesn't believe it. Master Weng says that doing the Eight Pieces of Brocade will make you live to one hundred!"
Jiang Yutang: "..."
Jiang Yutang hasn't quite gotten used to the painting style of Bazhenlou yet.
Bai Cen exclaimed, "Wow, I have to say, this soup dumpling is really delicious! Old Zhao's cooking skills are impressive!"
After Bai Cen finished speaking, he went back to scooping out soup dumplings from the pot.
Jiang Yutang then noticed another fire in the distance, with a pot on it, and Zhao Tong was cooking noodles.
She must have been sleeping here all along, and the others were afraid of waking her up.
"Yutang, the bowls and chopsticks are ready. Come and eat," Weng He called out.
"Okay." Jiang Yutang stood up.
She wasn't particularly hungry, but the soup dumplings smelled so good.
"Old Zhao, this soup dumpling tastes different from the regular soup dumpling." Bai Cen noticed it, and Jiang Yutang noticed it too. The regular soup dumpling wasn't as good; this one had a chewy, glutinous texture.
But it doesn't seem like glutinous rice.
Wang Sumo and Grandpa Qu were still doing their morning exercises and hadn't eaten yet. Zhao Tong continued kneading the dough: "I added yam."
"No wonder!" Grandpa Weng nodded in satisfaction: "Yams are good!"
Grandpa Weng put down his chopsticks and bowl; he had finished eating.
Having yam soup dumplings to eat early in the morning is just as nice as when I was in Zhenhusi.
The food here wasn't as good as when I was in Zhenhusi.
They've had fruitwood-roasted duck, lotus root and pork rib stew, and now yam noodle soup. They've certainly eaten their fill on this trip. The problem is, he's the accountant, and since he arrived, he hasn't even had a single day of business. Accountants can't stand seeing people just sitting around and eating away at their savings.
Even if it's raining knives these days, we still have to stay in business.
Since he was leaving soon, Old Master Weng took advantage of the free time to go upstairs to pack his things at Bazhenlou. Bazhenlou would be packed up later, and the lamps that had been lit all night under the eaves were mostly extinguished.
Even after the light is off, it will still be warm; it needs to be left to cool for a while before installation.
Seeing that Old Man Weng and Ye Zi had gone to clean up, Bai Cen quickly swallowed his soup noodles in a few bites, then swiftly put down his bowl and chopsticks: "I'm done eating too!"
Then, they rushed to catch up with Old Master Weng and tidied up the Eight Treasures Restaurant together.
Jiang Yutang calmly glanced at the two figures. Perhaps because it wasn't open for business, there wasn't much going on at Bazhenlou. The people in Bazhenlou seemed to be constantly bickering, but they had a very good relationship.
She was still getting used to the place when she finished her soup noodles. Zhao Tong asked in a low voice, "Would you like another bowl?"
Jiang Yutang thought for a moment and nodded.
Zhao Tong stopped kneading the dough and made noodles for her separately.
Holding the dough in his left hand and the knife in his right, he quickly shaves the noodles with the short knife, and the noodles fall evenly into the boiling water, carrying an indescribable smoky aroma.
Jiang Yutang couldn't help but glance at Zhao Tong again; that knife was made by Uncle Liu and Liu Che...
Soon, the soup dumplings were scooped out, and Jiang Yutang stood to the side and ate a large bowlful.
As autumn arrives, a bowl of fragrant and warm noodle soup suddenly brings a fresh feeling to the morning.
She came to Bazhenlou to do odd jobs and wash dishes. After finishing her meal, she took the bowls and chopsticks left by Old Master Weng and Bai Cen to the kitchen.
Zhao Tong glanced at Jiang Yutang's back; she was quiet and didn't talk much. Zhao Tong recalled the image of her and Grandpa Weng reading by the fire last night, and then turned to look at Grandpa Weng and Bai Cen, who were tidying up on the second floor.
When he turned around, the dough was kneaded, and Wang Sumo and the old man had finished their morning exercise routine.
The old man ate three large bowls. He had exhausted a lot of energy chasing Bai Cen last night, but he was too proud to rummage for food while Bai Cen was around. He stayed up until morning, when Wang Sumo dragged him to do some morning exercises.
I finally managed to hold on until it was time to eat noodles, and devoured them in no time.
Wang Sumo was exasperated: "With this kind of meal, you've lost your appetite again at lunchtime today."
However, Wang Sumo's eyes narrowed into slits with a smile: "Brother Zhao, you have to teach me how to make this yam noodles tomorrow!"
Zhao Tong agreed.
Wang Sumo was completely satisfied.
Bazhenlou, you know, eats wherever you go, and learns from wherever you go!
At first, she didn't know that many dishes. She just traveled in the carriage, eating as she went, figuring things out and learning a lot along the way.
The saying "Live and learn" will never be wrong, no matter where you are!
Wang Sumo also put down her chopsticks and looked around. Zhao Tong then said, "Wash the dishes in the kitchen."
Wang Sumo couldn't help but laugh.
Sure enough, the kitchen curtain was lifted, and Jiang Yutang came out from inside. Her sleeves were rolled up, indicating that she had just washed the dishes and was about to take the rest.
Just then, Jiang Yutang saw that Wang Sumo had finished eating and Zhao Tong had also finished his work. Without saying anything else, she put the bowls into the pot, picked them up with both hands, and took them all away without saying a word.
Compared to the old man and Bai Cen who would argue and fight over even washing dishes, Zhao Tong suddenly felt that the employer had a good eye...
"Girl, come here," Grandpa Weng called from the second floor.
Wang Sumo went upstairs.
It just so happens that the old man and Bai Cen are also there.
The map was spread out on the table; they were probably looking at which route to take.
With all this commotion at Liucun and Guancheng, the previously planned route needs to be reconsidered.
In addition, with Eagle Gate suddenly launching this attack, although we don't know what they are chasing after Bazhenlou for, Bazhenlou will always encounter situations where most of its people are out, leaving only one or two people to guard it. We need to consider minimizing the number of side paths to avoid Bazhenlou being trapped.
"If we take a different route, we won't be able to eat the female crabs from this first batch of hairy crabs, but the crabs that come later will be even fatter and more delicious." Old Master Weng wasn't exactly comforting. Indeed, the first batch of crabs harvested from the lake were plump, but they were still a while away from being top-quality.
"The female crabs are full of roe first, while the male crabs take another two months. It's a full two months to enjoy the crabs. This route is slower, but you can enjoy them all along the way," Grandpa Weng pointed.
The old man frowned: "Around the lake?"
They had seen this road before.
Bai Cen crossed his arms and leaned closer to take a look: "This lake is really that big. Even if you don't stop for a moment, it will take several days to travel at full speed. The lake spans several towns."
“If we take this path, the situation with our boss will be completely different from what we planned before.” Bai Cen looked at Wang Sumo.
Indeed, Wang Sumo remembered that the last time he looked at how to get to Liangzhou, he saw three routes, one of which was a waterway, which was inconvenient to travel. Then there were official roads and non-official roads.
At the time, it was said that the official road was easy to travel, but it was a detour, and it would take more than two months to reach Liangzhou with frequent stops. The non-official road could save a month of time. However, due to the previous flood in Yangcheng, displaced people took over Gangong Mountain and became bandits. Several attempts by the imperial court to suppress the bandits had failed.
Previously, another group of people had spun off and occupied Teapot Mountain.
If you don't take the official road, you'll pass by Teapot Mountain.
The situation on this road is currently unclear. Caravans and security escort agencies are not passing through here and are all waiting for news. Bazhenlou is too conspicuous and would be too conspicuous if it were to be passed through the city.
I hesitated at the time.
Wang Sumo still wanted to head towards Teapot Mountain first, to save time.
In addition, it's quite a distance to Teapot Mountain, so maybe once we get there it will be fine, and if all else fails we can return to the main road.
It's a cool autumn day. If things go smoothly, I can go to Liangzhou in September to eat female crabs!
Looking back now, although Eagle Gate's sudden appearance in Shanhe Town was partly to help the government find Old Master Weng, it was just a side effect; there must have been other motives.
At that time, Bazhenlou was heading towards Teapot Mountain, and Yingmen came to chase after them.
Nobody knows what's really going on.
But it's alright on the official road. But if it's a side road, with bandits ahead and Eagle Gate behind, something just feels off...
In short, by taking the official road and circling the lake, we can enjoy hairy crabs two months later. The best time for female crabs will have passed, but they won't be bad either, and the male crabs will be at their peak in terms of roe.
If we take the Teapot Mountain route, it's not the official road. We don't know what the situation is right now. If all goes well, we can arrive two months earlier. But whether it's Eagle Gate or the Sujin lineage, I don't know what's wrong with the wild martial arts sects along this route. I always feel like there's a trap.
"Are we about to fork in the road?" Wang Sumo asked, noticing there was still some distance to go on the map.
At this point, Old Master Weng, Old Master Qu, and Bai Cen all looked at Wang Sumo, completely bewildered.
“Master, logically speaking, judging from the map, we could split up further ahead; however, lately everyone has been deliberately avoiding that area, so we’re starting to decide which route to take here,” Bai Cen said cryptically.
Wang Sumo stepped forward and saw the small dot on the map.
That's the town.
"Bewitching Town?" Wang Sumo shuddered involuntarily. "What kind of town has such a name?"
This name sounds really strange.
“Bewitching Town is quite famous in the martial arts world.” Old Master Weng looked at Wang Sumo: “It is indeed called that, and it is also somewhat eerie, so eerie that the name is just right.”
Strange...
Early in the morning, Wang Sumo suddenly pulled her clothes tighter, feeling a chill on her neck and a cool sensation on her back.
"This town has been isolated from the world for about ten years. During these ten years, whether it's people from the martial arts world or passing merchants, they all tacitly avoid it. I've also heard that some people, driven by curiosity, went to this town, but no one has ever come out." The old man Weng became more and more mysterious as he spoke.
Wang Sumo originally enjoyed listening to lively events, especially those with a touch of the eerie and terrifying. He was both afraid and fascinated by them, and simply couldn't resist listening.
"Then, what happened next? No one went there, and no one came out. What happened to the original residents of the town? Did any of them come out?" Wang Sumo asked.
Bai Cen shook his head: "I haven't heard of it."
Wang Sumo took a deep breath and continued to let her imagination run wild: "Maybe, like Liu Village, the town itself has been hollowed out to form a network of secret passages, and the people inside have long been able to come and go freely?"
“It’s unlikely.” Zhao Tong’s voice suddenly rang out from behind.
Wang Sumo was startled!
He was so engrossed in the commotion that he didn't even notice the sound of people coming upstairs behind him.
This was the first time Wang Sumo had been frightened in the Eight Treasures Pavilion.
She and Lu Wenqu had never been so frightened before, even when someone broke into Bazhenlou in the middle of the night.
But Zhao Tong didn't mean to scare her; he came up with Jiang Yutang.
Zhao Tong continued, "Bewitching Town was haunted before. Taoist priests were hired. As far as I remember, some wealthy merchants in the town spent their entire fortunes to seek help from old monks, Taoist priests, and righteous martial arts sects. They even consulted the Rakshasa Alliance, but nothing came of it. After that, Bewitching Town became a ghost town, and no one wanted to go there anymore. But the martial world is vast, and there are always those who are not afraid of death and want to go and see it for themselves."
When these words came out of Zhao Tong's mouth, they had an even more calmly insane quality.
Bai Cen crossed his arms and continued, "Yes, ghost towns like these are usually accompanied by treasures, martial arts manuals, and astonishing weapons. Bewitching Town is no exception, so there will always be people who want to go on adventures."
"What treasures, martial arts manuals, and weapons could there be?" Wang Sumo was so skeptical.
Jiang Yutang looked at Zhao Tong: "Bai Xiaotong has also investigated this matter. There are rumors about treasures, but there is also one thing: over the years, so many people have entered the Bewitching Town, and not a single one has come out alive, except for a hall master from the Rakshasa Alliance."
Everyone turned their attention to Zhao Tong.
Zhao Tong didn't hide anything: "That's right, it really happened. At the time, I wasn't clear about what was going on inside the Rakshasa Alliance, but I happened to know about this. I happened to see the person who came back; he had gone mad and was talking incoherently. I couldn't get any information about how he got back; he only said that there were many dead people in the town, and..."
At this point, Zhao Tong paused and glanced at Wang Sumo and Jiang Yutang.
They were probably afraid of scaring them.
But Wang Sumo's curiosity got the better of her, and she was both curious and eager to hear: "And what..."
Zhao Tong took a deep breath and continued, "He said he saw a ghost in the town. The ghost had a clear face, but it was originally wearing a mask. However, as soon as it was taken off, it quickly turned red and twisted like a monster..."
Upon hearing this, Wang Sumo shuddered again and involuntarily stepped back. Fortunately, Bai Cen reached out to stop her, otherwise she would have bumped into the cold railing.
Bai Cen smiled politely.
As he stroked his beard, the old man fell into deep thought.
Jiang Yutang also took a deep breath and asked, "Has the Rakshasa Alliance blocked the news about this? There's not a whisper of it in the martial arts world."
Zhao Tong looked at her and said, "This person died right after he finished speaking. There were only a few people present. He was poisoned, and no one dared to investigate further. But from then on, the Rakshasa Alliance began to avoid the Bewitching Town and did not touch anything related to it."
"This is really weird~" Bai Cen himself got goosebumps.
"Old Qu, have you heard of him?" Old Master Weng suddenly asked, but Old Master Qu did not speak. Everyone looked in the direction Old Master Weng asked and saw that Old Master Qu was clenching his palms and staring blankly at a certain spot, not hearing anything at all.
"Grandpa?" Bai Cen tried calling out.
The old man then came to his senses, but his brows were furrowed.
Just now, he remembered what Zhu Yu had told him:
When he took off his mask, I saw a scar on his right wrist that looked like a centipede, which was quite frightening. That half of his face was very handsome, like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy, but within a few breaths of the mask being removed, it suddenly began to slowly turn red, like a crab being put into a hot pot. The face was still the same face, but it looked like a ghost, and its appearance was extremely ferocious and terrifying.
This is a person...
[Author's Note]
Since we're already here...
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