Chen Zhou suddenly remembered that Yin Wudao also possessed a similar aura.
'Is Yin Wudao also contaminated by the black spots?'
'But he doesn't look even slightly insane. His aura is very stable.'
'Or is he simply hiding it too well?'
Regardless of the case, Chen Zhou vaguely felt that these black spots might be the key to the coming descent of the Golden Buddha.
Chen Zhou made a decisive judgment.
He didn't have any earth-drilling techniques, so he couldn't access the area beneath the provincial capital for the time being—unless he used brute force to tear the city apart and flip the provincial capital over, but there was no need for that yet.
The Western Region was far too mysterious; there hadn't been any news from there at all so far. Currently, if he wanted to investigate the black spots, the best place to go was the Eastern Region.
It seemed he would have to make a trip to the Eastern Region first to find out exactly what those black spots were.
Furthermore, Plague Rat and Poison-Wing were currently in the Eastern Region. If the black spots erupted there, the two of them might be in danger.
"I have two subordinates in the Eastern Region. I can send people to meet up with them and investigate the situation at the same time."
Cangming frowned.
"The Eastern Region is under a very strict lockdown right now. Unless one holds a royal token, ordinary people absolutely cannot infiltrate it."
"Moreover, the rejection reaction between the black spots and human cultivators is very strong..."
Chen Zhou waved his hand. "No matter, they've already snuck in."
Cangming: "..."
Cangming felt a bit of a slap to his face, but at the thought that they were the subordinates of the Dragon Ancestor, they were bound to be people of great supernatural ability. It wasn't impossible to understand.
He asked tentatively, "Does Your Excellency need Cangming to accompany you? Or should I write a secret letter back right now to have my father open the gates for you?"
Chen Zhou shook his head. "No need. The primary objective right now is the Golden Buddha."
"You only need to write a letter back to inform your father of my existence. Tell him to restrain the Sea Race and ensure they don't come into conflict with my people."
"Yes! Cangming understands!"
Cangming was overjoyed. He immediately took out a message transmission jade talisman and began excitedly carving the secret message.
The content was essentially: 'Dad! Great news! Our family ancestor has been resurrected! The Eastern Region is saved! Prepare to welcome him immediately!'
Chen Zhou nodded, then began to contact Plague Rat within his sea of consciousness, telling him to be extra careful.
They finished discussing their business.
Wu Gou had been watching from the side with a cold gaze. Seeing that they had finished their business, he finally couldn't hold back any longer.
He kicked Cangming's fish tail. "Finished? If you're finished, then get lost."
"What are you hanging around in someone else's room for? Are you waiting for the New Year?"
Cangming put away the jade talisman and puffed out his chest righteously.
"The Dragon Ancestor hasn't told me to leave yet. What are you in such a hurry for, you little bald ass?"
He actually didn't want to leave either.
Staying by the Dragon Ancestor's side and bathing in his dragon might had smoothed out the agitation in his spirit. That long-lost feeling of clarity was so comfortable he wanted to groan.
Moreover, those with the bloodline of the Sea Race would instinctively want to be close to the Dragon Ancestor. Only a fool would leave.
Wu Gou hopped up in anger. "You're sitting in my damn seat!"
"Oh, so that's how it is."
Cangming nodded in realization.
Then he stood up and waved his arm.
A stream of water surged up, grabbing the stool he had been sitting on and tossing it directly back to Wu Gou.
Then, the water flowed and instantly condensed beneath his buttocks into a crystal-clear, high-backed Crystal Throne.
Cangming sat down and let out a comfortable sigh.
"This isn't your seat anymore, is it?"
Wu Gou: "..."
Did he care about that crappy stool?
He cared about the table in front of that stool!
And the plate of meat on that table!
"You scoundrel!"
Wu Gou puffed up his cheeks and pulled over another stool to sit on. He picked up his chopsticks and guarded the plate in front of him with his life.
However, Cangming didn't even look at him. Instead, he stared longingly at Song Zi'an, who was coming out from the back kitchen with fresh dishes.
On the tray in Song Zi'an's hands were two more plates of freshly cooked Happy Meat.
Cangming gulped as he watched.
Under the erosion of the black spots, his soul was unstable, and the symbiotic death qi within his body often grew restless.
Now, the madness brought by the black spots was being suppressed by the Dragon Ancestor, but the agitation of the symbiotic death qi had yet to be pacified.
A spiritual meal like this, capable of suppressing mutations and soothing the soul, held a fatal attraction for him.
Cangming stole a glance at Chen Zhou and found the Dragon Ancestor looking at him with a faint smile and a slight nod.
Having received permission, Cangming instantly straightened his back.
"Trouble the chef to bring this prince a set of bowls and chopsticks as well!"
Wu Gou was furious and slammed his palm onto the table.
"Have you no shame? Do you have any shame at all?"
"First you steal my seat, now you're stealing my food?"
"Are you an Eastern Region prince or an Eastern Region beggar?"
Cangming took the bowl and chopsticks handed over by Song Zi'an and, with lightning speed, grabbed a large piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Mmm..."
The sensation of his soul being soothed hit him instantly. Cangming was so moved he was about to cry.
He spoke while eating, his words muffled.
"The Dragon Ancestor didn't say anything, so what's it to you?"
"His Excellency just nodded to me. This is called a reward!"
Wu Gou was so angry he choked. He could only speed up his eating, his chopsticks moving like shadows as he tried to snatch more mouthfuls for himself.
"It smells so good!"
Cangming sighed with emotion as he ate, completely disregarding his image.
As a member of the Eastern Region's imperial family, he had grown up on a diet of fine food and wine. What delicacies of the mountains and seas had he not tasted?
He never considered himself a glutton.
But this table of glowing spiritual meals was indeed exceptionally delicious, making him lose all imperial decorum.
Aside from when the black spots erupted and he lost his mind, he had never been so out of character.
"As expected of someone by the Dragon Ancestor's side. Even a cook who makes meals is so extraordinary."
Cangming praised sincerely.
After finishing his contact with Plague Rat, Chen Zhou returned to reality.
He discovered that in less than the time it took to finish a cup of tea, these two—who looked like reincarnations of hungry ghosts—had actually devoured the two plates of food Song Zi'an had just brought out, along with all the leftovers from before.
Specifically, the plate that had held the Happy Meat was licked so clean it shone like a mirror.
The two of them were currently each clutching a plate, licking them while glaring at each other.
"Benefactor Song, is there more?" Wu Gou asked, still wanting more.
"Great Chef Song, this prince will reward you handsomely. Can you go make some more!" Cangming also shouted.
Song Zi'an laughed so hard his mouth wouldn't close. To receive such crazed pursuit from diners was the highest affirmation for a chef.
"Yes, yes, yes! There's plenty!" Song Zi'an ran back to the kitchen happily.
Chen Zhou: "..."
Watching this scene, Chen Zhou's lip twitched.
Whatever, as long as they enjoyed it.
As for where this meat came from or whether it was gouged out from some malevolent ghost, it didn't matter.
As long as it didn't kill the one eating it, it was a good ingredient.
Chen Zhou shook his head and said seriously, "Wu Gou, I have business to attend to in the Eastern Region. I'm going to personally investigate the truth behind the black spots."
"After I leave, I'll leave this side hall in your hands."
Chen Zhou instructed, "The little pig will stay as well. You two behave yourselves and watch the house. Most importantly, look after Song Zi'an."
Without a second thought, Wu Gou guaranteed, "Don't you worry. As long as I have a single breath left in me, no one will touch a hair on Benefactor Song's head."
"If anyone wants to touch the chef, they'll have to crawl over my dead body first!"
No joke, this was his long-term meal ticket. Anyone trying to touch the chef was trying to break his rice bowl, and Wu Gou would be the first to object.
Rate on N.U.
