“Where are your senior brothers?” Chen Mu looked around but didn’t see Cheng Ming or the Daoist He.
“I sneaked out on my own,” Cheng Ming chuckled.
“Aren’t you afraid of being kidnapped?” Chen Mu rolled his eyes.
“No one can kidnap me,” Cheng Ming said with a smug face.
“What if I offer you free food and accommodation, would you come with me then?” Chen Mu smiled mischievously.
“Really?” Cheng Ming’s eyes suddenly sparkled.
“See, it’s actually pretty easy to kidnap you,” Chen Mu laughed. “Even if kidnapping doesn’t work, there’s still the sack, mesmerizing smoke, and little toys. One of them is bound to suit you.”
Cheng Ming pursed his lips and remained silent.
“What are you doing sneaking out anyway?” Chen Mu asked, curious.
The little guy was dressed in gold and jade, living a life of luxury. Why would he think about running away from home?
“My senior brother is so annoying!” As if opening the floodgate, Cheng Ming started to complain while stuffing osmanthus cakes into his mouth.
“He controls what I eat, when I sleep, and forces me to practice every day. Master never controlled me so much when he was alive,” he said, his eyes reddening.
Chen Mu’s heart skipped a beat. From these words and this scene, it seemed that First Rank Feng Ren might be in a bit of trouble. “Just eat the cakes, eat the cakes.”
Cheng Ming sniffled, shoved another osmanthus cake into his mouth, and calmed his emotions, a look of grievance on his face: “He even stands at the door when I go to the toilet!”
It was hard to tell that Daoist Cheng Ming actually had such a strong desire for control.
Imagining the hardships the kid in front of him had to endure, Chen Mu struggled to suppress the smile that was about to break out.
“I’m not going to run away. Why doesn’t he just tie a rope around my neck?!”
“Heh!”
“Cough cough…”
“You just ran out,” Chen Mu pointed out.
“That’s because he forced me!” Cheng Ming said indignantly.
“Like ropes? I’ll tie you up when we get back.” A voice laced with a faint smile suddenly came from behind Cheng Ming.
The face of the formerly indignant Cheng Ming immediately turned into a smile: “Big senior brother! I missed you so much!”
Chen Mu: “…”
Your face changes faster than a flipped script.
…
“How should I address you…” Cheng Yi looked at Chen Mu with a gentle smile.
“My surname is Mu,” Chen Mu said, rising to his feet with a polite bow.
“Thank you, Mr. Mu, for watching over him,” Cheng Yi said sincerely.
“No thanks needed. We have a similar wild kid at home, always causing a ruckus,” Chen Mu smiled, then teasingly glanced at Cheng Ming: “Don’t scold him when you get back.”
“Just give him a spanking.”
“He’s got plenty of padding; it won’t hurt his bones or muscles.”
Cheng Ming: “…”
Cheng Yi laughed heartily: “Thank you for the advice, Mr. Mu.”
“We’re busy with something at home, so we must be going now,” Cheng Yi said, bowing to take his leave.
Chen Mu smiled in response and watched the two leave.
Before exiting the teahouse, the little Daoist Cheng Ming even turned around to make a face at Chen Mu.
Chen Mu smiled back.
He decided then and there never to come to Xinyuan Teahouse again.
He wasn’t in a hurry to leave; he still had tea left to drink.
It was a pity about the osmanthus cakes; he hadn’t had many before Cheng Ming snatched them up.
Before he could lament any longer, the teahouse waiter brought over a fresh pot of tea and three plates of pastries, saying they were a gift from someone.
“This Cheng Yi sure knows how to play the game, doesn’t he?” Chen Mu thought about the few times he had met Cheng Yi and found they weren’t exactly pleasant.
Then he pushed the thought aside; after all, there were two new types of pastries on the table that needed to be tasted while they were still warm. Once they cooled down, it would be harder to discern their ingredients, and then how could he replicate them?
“Mmm, pack up a serving of the other kinds to take away, too.”
Your adventure continues at m-v-l-e-mpyr
“They’re all from the same menu, so if I’m going to replicate, might as well do it in one go.”
…
Shanglin Neighborhood, Chen Residence.
Drinking tea, eating cakes, and listening to gossip at Xinyuan Teahouse all afternoon.
Chen Mu felt a heavy sense of oppression lift from his mind, and his body relaxed.
“Sigh, even Proficiency in the liver needs a balance of work and rest,” Chen Mu lamented.
That’s why burying his head in novels in his previous life was wrong. There should be breaks in between to continue indulging with renewed energy.
“The Face-changing Technique needs more work,” Chen Mu looked towards the bottom of the grey wall at the entry.
Shapeshifting: 230/10000/First Rank;
He could already roughly change his facial structure. It was possible to change his own face beyond recognition, but not to mimic someone else’s.
“Need to consider the scent as well.”
Cheng Yi couldn’t recognize him, but Cheng Ming could smell it out.
“Maybe I can refine a few Solid Fragrance Pills,” Chen Mu pondered, stroking his chin.
The Solid Fragrance Pills came from the “Golden Wind Jade Dew Secret Method.”
After consumption, it could subtly change the body’s scent, freshen breath, and leave a floral fragrance on the person. It was one of the secret medicines used by the author to infiltrate female groups.
It’s said to have made a tidy sum of money.
But if he was already rich, why go through the trouble of becoming a flower-stealing bandit? The ladies at Chunfeng Tower were all up for grabs, weren’t they?
He just didn’t understand.
“The formula definitely needs changing. After all, I’m a grown man. A floral scent would be too delicate.”
“Green onion scent wouldn’t be bad, garlic’s nice too.”
“Hard choices.”
…
In a side hall of Shangyang Island.
“Do you know the clue to Lin Que’s death?” Sikou Yu asked coolly from the head seat.
Sun Fu bowed deeply: “I happened to learn a bit of information by chance.”
“Did that new hall master claim Lin Que’s relics?” Sikou Yu waved his hand and asked another question instead.
Sun Wu bent even lower. The master in front of him didn’t seem to care about Lin Que’s death.
“That’s not the case, as the gang’s rules do not allow it,” Sun Fu hurriedly replied.
“Zhang, the hall master, didn’t have time to loot either. By the time the main hall arrived, everyone on the ship was in deep sleep, the boss said they were hit by powerful Mesmerizing Smoke.”
“Then where did my things go?” Sikou Yu frowned and murmured.
“The majority of Lin hall master’s belongings are now in the hands of his widow,” Sun Fu cautiously suggested.
Yet sweat began to bead on his forehead. This idea would undoubtedly spell disaster for Lin Que’s widow, but he could no longer care about that. By entering this side hall, he was already opposing Zuo Sheng.
“I’ve searched; they were not there,” Sikou Yu said with some agitation.
Sun Fu’s heart skipped a beat, but he kept his composure: “It’s also possible that they were taken by the person who killed Lin hall master.”
“According to the scene at the time, the thief seemed to have looted the White Tiger Hall’s large ship to some extent.”
“Several of the finest blades in the storeroom have disappeared.”
Sikou Yu’s eyes lit up: “Tell me what you know.”
“Speak well, and I don’t mind meeting your request. Of course, it can’t be excessive.”
“Save me, young master!” Sun Fu suddenly knelt on the ground.
Sikou Yu looked on with interest: “There’s something going on here.”
…
After a long while, Sun Fu laid out everything— the causes and effects, his own suspicions, and the predicament he faced.
“Zuo Sheng?” Sikou Yu tapped his chair armrest with his index finger, deep in thought.
“He is Uncle Jin’s closed-door disciple, with a complicated background. I wouldn’t antagonize him for no reason,” Sikou Yu stated coolly.
“But before I leave, I will ensure your safety.”
“If you find what I want, I will make sure you get a certain share of the Jade Dew potions.”
“With the Jade Dew potions to boost your strength, even if I leave, you will be unharmed.”
Sikou Yu glanced at the ecstatic Sun Fu: “But all of this is predicated on the information you provided being true, and you finding what I want.”
“All at your command, young master!” Sun Fu’s face beamed.
He was an eyewitness to the White Tiger Hall incident and was eighty percent certain there was something wrong with that scholar!
“Do you know what the item looks like, young master?” Sun Fu asked.
“A grey stone. It’s said to be about the size of two fists.”
“A stone?”
