Chapter 84: Qianmen Main Street Tofu Shop

Upon witnessing Lu Yang manifest the form of Mangu through a sequence of pictographic boxing, Lan Ting quietly retrieved a slip of yellow talisman paper.

It was wiser, she decided, to simply draw a transformation talisman of her own.

As expected of an immortal sect renowned for its imaginative whimsy and spellcraft, using a boxing technique to masquerade as transformation magic required a remarkably profound comprehension of the arcane arts to achieve.

Fellow Daoist Lu Yang’s understanding of spells had surely reached a sublime realm where law was no longer just law and technique no longer just technique, piercing directly to the absolute origin of all things.

Among those of the same cultivation tier, Lan Ting believed no one could surpass Lu Yang in the mastery of spells.

Only then did Lu Yang recall that Lan Ting had previously taken the tiger pelt to forge a talisman; it appeared her attainments in the domain of runes were exceptionally deep.

Lan Ting gestured toward her own eyes, saying, "My eyes possess a certain mystical eccentricity, rendering me highly sensitive to patterns. I can pierce through the core of runes and discern the vital nodes of formations. I was born with a natural aptitude for crafting talismans and drawing arrays."

"However, my energy is limited, so I focus primarily on talisman crafting. As for formations, I possess only a superficial understanding."

Though Lan Ting spoke with humility, this was in truth a magnificent talent, one destined to carry her far in the realms of runes and formations, drawing the envy of countless grandmasters.

Before long, Lan Ting finished drawing a transformation talisman and affixed it to herself, her stunning beauty miraculously dissolving into the visage of an ordinary maiden.

Thus, the barbecue shop welcomed a new attendant.

Two days after Lan Ting joined, the establishment remained as bustling as ever, though the addition of a new worker significantly lightened the burden for the three companions.

Noticing a shadow of discontent upon Mangu's face, Lu Yang extended his divine sense to inquire while serving dishes to the patrons, "Has something occurred? You seem rather disheartened."

Mangu nodded and replied, "I wonder if Brother Lu has noticed, but the number of patrons at our shop has dwindled over the past few days. I calculated our recent earnings, and it is indeed the case."

Lu Yang caught himself in surprise, for he truly had not paid attention to such matters, asking, "Is it because of Lan Ting?"

Logically, the addition of a female worker should have drawn a larger crowd.

"No, the decline began even before Lan Ting arrived. I cannot fathom the reason, nor do I know where the fault lies," Mangu said, having pondered the issue incessantly.

Lu Yang remained unconcerned, secretly wishing the shop's business would slow down further, and said, "Keep thinking on it then, I must head out to deliver food."

A month prior, at Meng Jingzhou's suggestion, the shop had initiated a delivery service, placing a box by the entrance during the day where anyone desiring a delivery could write down their preferred skewers, delivery time, and address, with the three of them taking turns to deliver at night.

Tonight, the duty fell to Lu Yang.

Lu Yang had not ventured out during the evening in recent days, and stepping onto the streets now, he discerned that the thoroughfares were noticeably emptier of pedestrians than before.

Perhaps this very atmosphere was the cause of the dwindling foot traffic at the barbecue shop, Lu Yang mused.

"Let me see where this delivery goes... the tofu shop on Front Gate Street?"

Wen Xiangyu had long heard rumors of a highly popular barbecue shop that had opened nearby, and she desperately wished to taste whether it was truly as delectable as the legends proclaimed, yet ever since her husband passed away and she inherited his tofu shop, she rarely ventured out after nightfall.

It was not out of vanity, but her fair skin and striking beauty drew the covetous eyes of far too many, making a solitary night excursion exceedingly perilous.

Later, upon learning that the shop offered a delivery service, she had penned her desires on a slip of paper and cast it into the box outside the shop.

For the past few days, she had felt overwhelmed by exhaustion, a weariness that grew even more severe tonight; before the skewers could arrive, she succumbed to the heavy slumber and lay down early upon her bed.

The shop attendant, she assumed, would surely be able to awaken her.

Lu Zhi was a thief who had recently become a source of great frustration for the local constables, frequently infiltrating homes during the night to steal wealth while the occupants slept soundly, retreating swiftly without leaving a trace, and when the constables questioned the neighbors, the reply was always that they had slept too deeply to notice any movement.

This time, he set his sights on the tofu shop on Front Gate Street, whose proprietress was a famously beautiful widow, her renowned tofu yielding profits over the years that made surrounding shopkeepers green with envy.

Possessing a lithe agility akin to a monkey, Lu Zhi scaled the roof in absolute silence and, with a subtle twist of his body, pried open the second-floor window.

"She should be fast asleep."

Lu Zhi brimmed with confidence, having chanced upon a yellow paper talisman that induced deep slumber; when pasted outside a residence, anyone within a fifty-meter radius would be affected and fall into a deathly sleep, a trick that had never failed him.

Treading softly and holding his breath, he beheld the beauty curled upon the bed, a smirk of successful scheming playing upon his lips.

He then turned to rummage through the cabinets for valuables, knowing from experience that women favored hiding their treasures in such places.

"Nothing?" Lu Zhi frowned, turning his gaze back toward the bed of the tofu shop proprietress.

Since it was not here, it must be hidden beneath the bed.

He lowered his body with utmost caution, peering beneath the frame, only for his heart to seize violently in his chest.

There was actually a human face staring back at him from under the bed!

"A ghost!"

Zheng Shouhe was a flower-thief who had lately caused many a headache for the constabulary, typically hiding beneath the beds of single women in advance, only to crawl out and defile them once they fell fast asleep.

Occasionally, however, he would encounter instances where the woman was engaged in an illicit tryst, forcing him to remain hidden beneath the bed in agonizing patience.

This time, he targeted the tofu shop on Front Gate Street, for the beautiful widow who ran it had captivated the souls of countless men.

Following his usual routine, Zheng Shouhe had concealed himself beneath the bed early on, waiting for the dark of night to share a clandestine encounter of fish and water with the proprietress.

"So sleepy." Zheng Shouhe had never felt such an overwhelming drowsiness; usually, the longer he waited, the sharper his mind became, yet tonight, for some inexplicable reason, a profound weariness kept surging within him.

His eyelids fought a losing battle, and though he tried to open them several times, he could not resist the heavy slumber and drifted off.

A sudden shriek startled him awake, sounding as though someone were crying out about a ghost.

Zheng Shouhe snapped his eyes open to find Lu Zhi sprawled on the floor, staring beneath the bed at him in stark terror; moving with explosive speed, he clapped a hand over Lu Zhi’s mouth, dragged himself out from under the bed, and drew a dagger from behind his waist, pressing it firmly against Lu Zhi’s throat.

Zheng Shouhe then beheld Wen Xiangyu, who had shrunk into a trembling ball upon the bed, shivering with fright.

Evidently, Wen Xiangyu had also been awakened by Lu Zhi's sudden outcry.

"You get up too! What a wretched day of continuous ill fortune!"

Grumbling curses under his breath, Zheng Shouhe retrieved a length of rope and bound Lu Zhi securely, intending to enjoy Wen Xiangyu before putting both of them to death.

Just then, a heavy knocking echoed from the door downstairs.

"Is anyone home? I'm here to deliver food."

Zheng Shouhe clicked his tongue in annoyance at this wretched turn of luck, and keeping Lu Zhi bound, he forced Wen Xiangyu to descend the stairs alongside him.

Threatening Wen Xiangyu with the blade against her flesh, Zheng Shouhe hissed in a low whisper, "Tell the person outside to leave!"

Everyone in Yanjiang County knew the beautiful widow lived alone; if he forced her to stay silent and the person outside heard a man's voice, suspicion would inevitably arise.

"Just leave the items at the threshold, I shall come out to retrieve them in a moment," Wen Xiangyu called out, her voice soft and trembling.

"That won't do, you haven't paid yet," the voice outside replied.

A ruthless glint flared in Zheng Shouhe’s eyes; if this outsider was so intent on seeking death, then he could blame no one but himself!