Chapter 52 (Second Update): The Planned Takeout Business
Chapter 52 Planned Takeout Business
A bone-dissolving poison?!
Upon hearing this, Master He's expression changed. "Hasn't such an inhumane poison been extinct in the martial arts world long ago?"
Bai Cen sighed softly and chuckled to himself, "Who would have thought I'd be so lucky, running into someone who's always right behind me."
Master He looked at him.
Bai Cen, however, was open-minded. "But on second thought, I should now be the only successor of the Ninefold True Qi in this martial arts world. It can be considered a blessing in disguise."
The old master of the manor smiled slightly, "Even your way of speaking is just like your father's."
Bai Cen looked at Master He again and said sincerely, "There's always a way out. If I get rid of this poison, I might become a martial arts master. Which martial arts master didn't start from the beginning of a cataclysmic event?"
Old Master He smiled as well, as if he were seeing Cen Mingzhou from many years ago.
Master He deliberately changed the subject, "How is Layman Yu'an?"
As the two walked side by side, they suddenly started talking about their senior uncle. Bai Cen smiled and said, "Our senior uncle is currently researching shipbuilding. He wants to sail out to sea in a ship he built himself."
"Hmm?" Old Master He suddenly relaxed his brow.
Bai Cen sighed, “He always said there wasn’t enough time and there were too many things to change. When I went to see him, he didn’t even have time to talk to me. Going to sea was something he had been thinking about since he was young. Every day he said there wasn’t enough time and he would go in three years; then three years after three years, this is the third three-year period.”
Master He smiled broadly, but with a lowered gaze, he realized that he himself was no different.
"Bai Cen, good people are always blessed." Old Master He patted him on the shoulder again.
Bai Cen nodded, "I take the old master's good wishes to heart."
...
When Master He was with Bai Cen, Zhao Tong was also with De Yuan.
"I'm not going. Can you handle the Eight-Sided Formation Umbrella by yourself?" Zhao Tong said casually, as if asking if you could walk around normally or eat fish.
Deyuan clenched his fist and coughed lightly, "It's better for Elder Master He to be with me than for you to be with me."
Zhao Tong: "..."
However, Zhao Tong had his own concerns: "He is a gentleman, he wouldn't act like a villain. If I go, I'll kill him without hesitation; but if he goes, who knows how much trouble might arise."
Zhao Tong added, "These so-called righteous people are the most cunning. They talk a lot of high-sounding words, but they don't do many good deeds."
“Amitabha, Benefactor Zhao, others are one thing. When Master He retired, you had not yet made a name for yourself in the martial world, so naturally you had no connection with him. But others are others, and should not be confused with Master He. Qingyun Manor has always been fair in the martial world, and there must be a reason for that.”
Zhao Tong gave a nonchalant, sarcastic remark, "What kind of good person would someone be to set up a dungeon in their own manor?"
Deyuan looked at him and said gently, "Benefactor Zhao, you may not know this, but that happened decades ago. Decades ago, the martial world was in chaos, causing immense suffering to the people. At that time, the imperial court was corrupt and unable to manage these matters. Various sects of the martial world gathered together, and matters of the martial world were naturally judged fairly. However, these heinous criminals could not be contained in the dungeons of the government offices. Qingyun Manor was situated in a strategically important location, and it was only at the request of the various sects that Qingyun Manor established a dungeon..."
Zhao Tong scoffed, "It's nothing more than so-called righteous people trying to eliminate dissidents. You and I, aren't we both people who should be imprisoned?"
“Amitabha.” De Yuanping said calmly, “That was decades ago. Now, the martial world is at peace, and the dungeons of Qingyun Manor are mostly filled with people who committed crimes in the past. Now, the owner of Qingyun Manor, Huo Lianchi, is no longer willing to use Qingyun Manor as a dungeon for the martial world.”
"In fact, Master He should have had this intention a long time ago, but he was in a difficult situation and went into seclusion, letting Master Huo take over Qingyun Manor. Now, more than 20 years have passed, and the various sects in the martial arts world are discussing the election of a martial arts alliance leader. If Master Huo does not go, it will be considered that the dungeon of Qingyun Manor will soon be transferred to another place."
Zhao Tong looked up and said, "Won't that mean there's going to be another uproar in the martial arts world?"
“Amitabha, water that is too clear has no fish. The gentleman’s virtue is too good, it is not easy for him to become the leader of the martial arts alliance.” Deyuan actually knew this better than many others.
Zhao Tong chuckled, "Old bald monk, you know perfectly well what's going on, why pretend to be a monk?"
Deyuan looked at him and said calmly, "Only after seeing through the illusions can one step out of the mortal world."
Zhao Tong tore the blades of grass in his hand into pieces and threw them aimlessly forward. The last piece actually flew far away with the wind.
The two of them stared at the blade of grass that had flown far away, remaining silent for a long time.
“Benefactor Zhao, please stay at the Eight Treasures Pavilion,” Deyuan said gently.
Zhao Tong didn't turn to look at him, but continued to gaze at the last glimmer of light about to disappear behind the mountains in the distance. "You go your way, I have my own place to go, don't worry about me..."
“Amitabha.” Deyuan smiled, “This old monk truly believes that Bazhenlou is a very good place.”
Zhao Tong then turned to look at him, "What's good?"
Zhao Tong frowned. "The Cloud-Piercing Mountain-Splitting Hand? Or that handyman who seems to have no internal energy but knows every move clearly? Or the boss who likes to watch the excitement?"
After Zhao Tong finished speaking, De Yuan smiled again, "Benefactor Zhao, aren't you observing very carefully?"
Zhao Tong scoffed, "You've been talking non-stop for so long, how could I not have taken a good look at them?"
"Excellent." Deyuan's eyes were full of kindness and gentleness.
Zhao Tong continued, "These people are supposed to be from the martial arts world, but none of them seem like proper martial arts practitioners."
Deyuan reminded him, "Isn't this the kind of martial arts world that Benefactor Zhao is looking for?"
After Deyuan finished speaking, Zhao Tong was stunned and looked at him in surprise.
When sitting here with him, Deyuan rarely put his hands together in prayer, but now he did so and said gently, "Even though one is in the martial world, one's heart is outside of it. No matter where you are, this place is a pure land, isn't it?"
Zhao Tong did not look away.
Deyuan continued, “Every day I slaughter chickens and ducks, kill fish and cook them, walk the Jianghu roads, meet Jianghu people, and hear Jianghu stories. I am both in and out of the Jianghu. Is there a better place than this?”
After Deyuan finished speaking, Zhao Tong seemed to suddenly understand.
Deyuan turned around and looked at the brightly lit Bazhenlou. During the day, it was hidden in the mountains and fields, low-key and calm; but after night, it was bustling and bright.
"If even a paradise like this can bring peace of mind, how can Benefactor Zhao find peace outside of it?" Deyuan pointed out.
Zhao Tong suddenly stopped talking and quietly looked at the Eight Treasures Pavilion behind him.
“Benefactor Zhao, all good things must come to an end. I am simply leaving this feast first. Benefactor Zhao, even without me, you have already overcome your inner demons and are ready to take this step,” Deyuan told him again.
He didn't say anything.
"Don't worry about having no friends on the road ahead. Isn't the Eight Treasures Restaurant just missing a sous chef?" Deyuan smiled. "Isn't a fish-cleaning knife supposed to be used for cleaning fish?"
Zhao Tong suddenly frowned, momentarily stunned by De Yuan's words.
Deyuan nodded to him in greeting and got up, slowly walking towards the brightly lit Bazhenlou Restaurant.
Sous-chef?
Zhao Tong glanced at the job posting hanging on the second floor of the Eight Treasures Restaurant from afar, then looked down at the fish-cleaning knife at his waist.
— A fish-cleaning knife isn't meant for butchering fish, is it?
Zhao Tong felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
*
By the time the old man and Wang Sumo returned in their carriage, it was already completely dark.
Bai Cen complained, "If I don't come back soon, my stomach will be growling. There was a flood in the west before, and the refugees were so hungry that they even ate tree bark. I'm afraid I'll end up eating the Eight Treasures Pavilion."
Bai Cen reached out to take the things from the carriage while inwardly grumbling.
Wang Sumo, who was about to hand him the item, suddenly stopped and said with interest, "Then go and gnaw on it, let me see~"
Bai Cen: "..."
Bai Cen has a big head.
Oh no, how could I forget that the boss loves watching a good show!
Bai Cen smiled apologetically, "I wasn't joking, was I? You're really going to bite it?"
"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond." Wang Sumo blocked the road.
Bai Cen: ┭┮﹏┭┮
Wang Sumo: "Go quickly."
When Zhao Tong followed De Yuan back, he saw Bai Cen diligently gnawing on the wood of the Eight Treasures Pavilion.
Zhao Tong: "..."
However, this person is probably somewhat abnormal.
Bai Cen was inwardly annoyed, thinking, "Why did you have to be so talkative? Why did you have to be so talkative!"
Why did you have to say that extra line?
Without even noticing Zhao Tong standing to the side, he channeled his anger into the strength in his teeth and gnawed hard.
From the side, they looked like termites who hadn't had enough.
Zhao Tong: →_→
Are all the people at Bazhenlou so abnormal?
Nearby, Master He and Deyuan were talking when the old man and Wang Sumo helped unload the things from the carriage. There weren't many things, and they were light, so it was only a short walk.
The old man was exasperated. "They actually made him gnaw on wood."
Wang Sumo: "Last time, Ah Zhen helped me replace a piece of wood. The edges were a bit uneven, making it difficult to tighten. She asked me to get something to grind it."
Take the old man: (⊙o⊙)…
"You just let him grind it with his teeth?" The old man was stunned.
Wang Sumo coughed lightly, "I didn't expect him to be so engrossed. I was just teasing him, thinking it wouldn't hurt to procrastinate a bit..."
What the old man was worried about was the Eight Treasures Pavilion, "It's almost been gnawed clean by him, I wonder what its zodiac sign is!"
The old man rushed over and said, "Stop talking like that."
Wang Sumo couldn't help but laugh.
Bai Cen and the old man were never at peace.
The old man went to deal with Bai Cen, and Wang Sumo had an extra bag that was hard to carry. Just as he was about to call out to Master He, a hand automatically picked up the bag before he could even utter a sound.
Just as Wang Sumo was about to express his gratitude, he saw that the person was Zhao Tong.
Wang Sumo was stunned.
Zhao Tong asked calmly, "Where should I put it?"
Wang Sumo came to her senses and said in surprise, "On the octagonal table in the small courtyard on the first floor."
Zhao Tong calmly carried his things up the steps.
Wang Sumo quickly followed, but Zhao Tong suddenly turned around, startling Wang Sumo.
Zhao Tong didn't say anything, just glanced at her, then suddenly reached out and "snatched" another bag from her, then carried it up with her.
Wang Sumo: "..."
How kind of you!
After placing the items on the octagonal table, Zhao Tong looked around curiously.
Previously, you couldn't see such details from below the Bazhen Tower. The Bazhen Tower was still under construction, and the flowers and plants in the small garden hadn't been put away yet.
Zhao Tong found it amazing that flowers and plants could be grown on such a moving carriage roof.
If you look closely, the flower beds planted with these flowers and plants also have a hidden mechanism. They seem to be like snap-fit mechanisms, allowing you to push the entire flower bed planted with flowers and plants into the corresponding positions and then release the mechanism.
Zhao Tong watched intently.
Just like killing chickens and sheep, you need to understand and be familiar with the process in order to make sure that every cut is on the right spot – like the butcher Ding dissecting an ox.
Zhao Tong quickly saw through the structure of these flower beds; they were indeed masterpieces of craftsmanship.
The whole world knows that Bazhenlou was created by Xuanjimen. There is only one Bazhenlou in the martial arts world, and Bazhenlou is the best brand of Xuanjimen.
Zhao Tong recalled the inescapable trap that had captured the four of them earlier that day.
No matter how fiercely the four of them fought, the net of heaven and earth fell, and the more they struggled, the tighter it became.
Although he was the last to find out.
Moreover, judging from the reactions of Master He and Old Master Qu, this was not the first time he had been arrested. Zhao Tong looked back at the horizontal bar on the second floor, where Wang Sumo must have taken the crossbow-like object, which contained a net.
From this perspective, the entire Bazhenlou restaurant is not only a restaurant, but also a huge mobile contraption that hides many hidden weapons, props, and mechanisms.
The screens at Bazhenlou should be more than these...
Zhao Tong indeed found it mysterious and couldn't help but look around the flower bed. He didn't see anything else, but his eyes immediately fell on the inconspicuous fish tank in the corner.
You can't see this fish tank from downstairs at Bazhenlou; you can only see it from the small courtyard.
Zhao Tong leaned closer, not to see how many fish were in the tank, but to first try stroking the tank to see if it could be turned.
But I'm also worried that turning it so easily might not be good...
In the end, I accidentally lifted the fish tank up, and nothing happened around it.
Zhao Tong sighed inwardly, "Is he possessed?"
I thought there were hidden mechanisms everywhere, but in the end it was just an ordinary fish tank.
Zhao Tong put it down in frustration.
What exactly was he doing just now?
But no matter what he did, it was all out of curiosity about Bazhenlou.
It seems that he really did take Deyuan's words to heart, otherwise why would he suddenly become so interested in Bazhenlou?
However, it was ultimately incompatible with the Eight Treasures Pavilion.
He put the fish tank down, and because it was filled with water earlier, some water splashed out when he put it down, which forced his gaze to fall on the fish tank. Only then did he see that the fish in the tank were not ornamental fish, but rather very ugly crucian carp.
Bazhenlou is a restaurant, presumably raising crucian carp to be killed and eaten the next day.
But it's placed in a spot meant for keeping ornamental fish?
Zhao Tong found the Eight Treasures Pavilion increasingly strange. With the fish-cleaning knife tucked into his waistband, Zhao Tong subconsciously reached out and grabbed a crucian carp from the fish tank.
The fish are slippery and not easy to catch with bare hands.
But he is Zhao Tong.
He knew perfectly well that fish were slippery, and that he could easily catch them by either wearing gloves or wrapping a handkerchief around his hand.
He casually grabbed a fish and took a look.
These are not farmed crucian carp; they are wild crucian carp caught by fishing.
Suddenly I realized that this Eight Treasures Pavilion is actually quite interesting...
Wang Sumo blinked as well. Hmm! He's obviously a pro! A novice would struggle to even catch a fish, but Zhao Tong held the fish with his left hand and habitually placed his right hand on the fish-cleaning knife at his waist. He was an expert to the extreme.
Seeing the fish being killed, and then the chickens and ducks being killed, firsthand experience is far more authentic than hearing He Ping and He Qingque recount it one by one in Carp Town.
Zhao Tong is really suited to be a sous chef!
Zhao Tong happened to notice the gaze as well, and turned around to see Wang Sumo. Zhao Tong's personality was not as smooth as Bai Cen's, nor as refined as Old Master He's, but he was also more eccentric than the old man, indifferent to everything. "Is this the fish we're going to kill tomorrow?"
Suddenly, someone asked this question. In the entire small courtyard on the first floor, the only thing on everyone's mind was whether or not they would have to kill the fish tomorrow.
He was thinking of killing the fish!
Actually, we don't have to wait until tomorrow; we can kill them tonight!
Zhao Tong was serious.
Wang Sumo also saw the desire in his eyes for the fish-killing knife, and quickly stepped forward to stop him, "Don't kill it, don't kill it, don't kill it, these are ornamental fish from Bazhenlou."
Zhao Tong: "..."
Zhao Tong looked down at the unremarkable, or rather, somewhat ugly, crucian carp in his hand, then looked at Wang Sumo as if he were listening to a fairy tale. No, perhaps the other party was testing him.
He didn't like this kind of probing.
Wang Sumo gently "took" her fish back from his hand and put it back in the fish tank. Only then did her brow relax slightly.
It's like snatching a head from the executioner's hand.
Put it back in the tank, and it's finally safe.
Wang Sumo said, "The ornamental fish we have here are a bit special. We don't pick and choose colorful koi, but we do want crucian carp that are lucky enough to survive."
Zhao Tong frowned slightly.
Wang Sumo bent down and touched the crucian carp in the fish tank, saying leisurely, "You don't know, these crucian carp are incredibly lucky. They were almost thrown into the oil several times, but they always survived. These are true lucky charms; they became ornamental fish through their own luck, not because of their birth!"
Zhao Tong thought he had misheard.
Wang Sumo suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to ask him curiously, "Can they reproduce on their own?"
Zhao Tong: "..."
Finally, Zhao Tong came down from the small courtyard and ran into the old man.
He dodged to the left, and the old man also dodged to the left; then he went to the right, and the old man also went to the right; finally, no matter which side he went to, he seemed to always bump into the old man.
He simply stopped moving and let the old man carrying the basin go first.
So, take the old man away from him.
Wang Sumo was still in the courtyard on the first floor when Zhao Tong overheard the old man saying to Wang Sumo, "Next time I see Ah Zhen, I have to ask if these stairs can be widened. If someone's eyes and feet aren't coordinated, they'll have to wobble for ages to get up here."
Are your eyes and feet out of sync?
Zhao Tong couldn't help but look down at his feet.
Are you referring to him?
Zhao Tong: "..."
However, the people at Bazhenlou all seem a bit off...
It's okay, he's not exactly normal anyway.
Zhao Tong lowered his eyes.
*
After a few simple tasks, we had dinner at the octagonal table in the courtyard on the first floor.
It's called dinner, but it's more like a late-night snack.
The dishes were all pre-packaged from Shanhe Town and brought back in food boxes. The taste was so-so, but passable.
The old man was used to the dishes made by Wang Sumo, and he felt that although the dishes smelled good, they didn't taste good.
Master He ate with refined manners and elegance.
Bai Cen held his bowl, watching Deyuan and Zhao Tong shoveling rice into their mouths across from him. No wonder they insisted on having Bazhenlou cook for them earlier; they were truly starving…
Only Wang Sumo stared blankly at the food box.
"What are you looking at, girl?" the old man asked, his eyes sharp.
Wang Sumo then looked up. Because the old man was sitting opposite her, his view obscured by the food box, she peeked out from the side of the box and said sincerely, "Grandpa, I think this food box is so pretty!"
Wang Sumo's words came from the bottom of her heart.
Wang Sumo asked from the nearest window, "Hey, do you think it's good?"
Bai Cen's teeth and mouth are still sore, and nothing looks good to him!
but--
The boss said it looks good, even if it doesn't look good; he's someone with experience who's learned from mistakes!
"Beautiful! So beautiful!" Bai Cen gave it plenty of emotional value.
Wang Sumo glared at him, and only then did he calm down.
Master He couldn't help but laugh.
Zhao Tong also glanced at the food box on the table, seemingly out of curiosity. It has to be said that people have a herd mentality.
Everything was fine before, but now he probably has expectations in his mind. He wants to stay in Bazhenlou, so he subconsciously observes the other people in Bazhenlou and does the same things as them, trying to fit in.
But he stared at it for a long time and still couldn't see what was so appealing about it...
"Isn't it just a dark food box?" Zhao Tong said calmly.
Wang Sumo, Bai Cen, and Old Master Qu all stared intently at him.
The old man said: "If you can't speak properly, then don't speak at all!"
Bai Cen: [People who have never chewed wood are just stubborn.]
Wang Sumo: [What's wrong with it? It's beautiful from every angle!]
Zhao Tong suddenly felt the pressure, paused for a moment, and then said against his will, "The material is alright..."
After he finished speaking, the people on the other side breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhao Tong suddenly had a headache. What on earth was he doing?!
"Amitabha." Deyuan was pleased. "Benefactor Zhao is right, the material of this food box is very good."
Zhao Tong was annoyed. This chapter had already been turned over, but it would have been better not to give him a way out and instead expose her shortcomings again.
"I'm thinking about something~" It was Wang Sumo who truly came to his rescue.
Wang Sumo suddenly rested her chin on her hand, blinked, and asked out of the blue, "Can Bazhenlou also do delivery?"
around:"……"
The old man said, "Girl, aren't you busy enough already? Hiring a sous chef and flipping tables one more time isn't enough, you also have to do delivery?"
Bai Cen echoed, "Boss, we have to take things one step at a time. If Bazhenlou wants to expand its business, we need to find a sous chef first."
Wang Sumo smiled politely, but didn't say anything.
However, Zhao Tong said in a deep voice, "She likes this food box and wants to use it to store food."
After Zhao Tong finished speaking, the people around him reacted with a mixture of emotions: Σ(⊙▽⊙"a
He even noticed such a strange detail?!
Sure enough, Wang Sumo couldn't help but exclaim with delight, "Look at their awareness!"
What happened to the promised teamwork?
Both Bai Cen and Old Master Qu were in a bind.
What's the difference between this and buying the box and returning the pearl?
This lousy food container!
But Wang Sumo, standing to the side, was enjoying it immensely. "This black food box already has a red border, which looks great. If you add a small, golden Bazhenlou logo in the lower right corner, it will be absolutely gorgeous."
Wang Sumo was delighted, “Bazhenlou delivery service is limited to one order per day, delivered between lunch and dinner!”
He's starting to act on a whim again.
Everyone at the table except Deyuan: "..."
Deyuan: "Amitabha."
*
After dinner, Bai Cen and Grandpa Qu cleaned up and washed the dishes.
Master He and Deyuan discussed tomorrow's itinerary.
Wang Sumo was looking at the map in his hand. He always checked the map before the end of each day to determine the best route to the Eight Treasures Pavilion the next day.
Zhao Tong took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Miss Wang, do you have a moment? I have something to discuss with you."
Wang Sumo glanced at him, then looked down at the map again, and simply replied, "Welcome."
Zhao Tong: ? ? ?
Zhao Tong was surprised, then said in a deep voice, "You didn't even ask me what it was about..."
Wang Sumo put down the map and looked at him with a smile, "Isn't that the job posting for a sous chef you're holding? Welcome to Bazhenlou."
[Author's Note]
Posting this early today! [Sprinkling flowers]
Although today is a day off in lieu of a holiday, it is still Sunday.
So there's also a weekend red envelope giveaway in this chapter! The first 100 will be sent out together at noon on Monday~ [Lucky]
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