“A talk? What’s there to be afraid of?”
“The Lord of Rebirth and Communion just started spreading the faith in Mangliang City, so it’s only natural the higher-ups are uneasy.”
Yin Yang comforted Zheng Guang in return, leaving the latter speechless.
“Just be careful, regardless.”
“Understood, understood.”
Yin Yang and Nie Pi put their luggage into the tent.
“Have you eaten?”
Zheng Guang looked at Yin Yang, and seeing him shake his head, said, “My mom made some noodles. Come have some.”
“Oh, I’d feel bad about that.”
Yin Yang’s words were polite, but his feet were honest.
Seeing Nie Pi hadn’t followed, he turned and waved. “Come on! Zheng Guang’s family owns a restaurant; the food is delicious.”
Zheng Guang waved as well. “Yeah, come on.”
Only then did Nie Pi follow, though his expression remained worried. “Brother, is Cat Boss really okay?”
“Don’t worry, its senses are very sharp.”
Yin Yang wasn’t worried about Canned Food at all. Over the past two days, the cat had been in the spotlight.
Leading its little subordinates to search for survivors everywhere, it had saved countless people.
Because of this, many citizens had already proposed building a cat statue in the future Mangliang City and treating stray cats well.
Soon after, someone recognized Canned Food.
After all, a tabby cat wearing sunglasses and commanding subordinates was quite easy to identify.
They all knew this was Dong Yang’s cat.
And the fact that Dong Yang was a believer of the Lord of Rebirth and Communion was no secret in Mangliang City; it wasn’t even considered strange anymore.
This was because the number of believers was growing by the day, especially after learning the Lord could grant the deceased entry into the divine kingdom.
Otherwise, Su Baadao wouldn’t have gone so far as to summon Sister Qu for a talk.
“Oh? It’s you, young man! Come, come, have something to eat.”
Zheng Guang’s mother was no stranger to Yin Yang, knowing him as her son’s friend and ‘informant.’
Moreover, Yin Yang used to frequent her restaurant, making him a regular.
“Thank you, Auntie.”
Yin Yang didn’t stand on ceremony and sat down with Nie Pi, ready to eat.
Zheng Guang’s mother served them both a large, brimming bowl of noodles. They were already starving, and after giving their thanks, they began to eat heartily.
Nie Pi’s eyes lit up after the first bite. Seeing this, Yin Yang gave him a ‘told you so’ look.
Zheng Guang’s mother watched the two of them eat with great joy.
As a chef, nothing was more satisfying than seeing diners finish every bit of the food she had carefully prepared.
“I’m not bragging, but my mom’s noodles are the best in Mangliang City!”
“Back when my parents first came here, we were so poor that even the mice would leave our house in tears.”
“Later, my mom set up a small stall selling hand-pulled noodles. In two years, we had a shop; in five, a branch. That’s how my family got to where we are today.”
Zheng Guang spoke with pride. After finishing his noodles, Nie Pi rubbed his stomach and asked, “Are hand-pulled noodles really that profitable?”
“...”
Zheng Guang looked at Nie Pi, somewhat speechless. “Shouldn’t you be thinking my mom’s skills are just that good?”
Nie Pi’s smile turned a bit awkward. Yin Yang, still eating, chimed in.
“Auntie’s skills are indeed excellent. Take these noodles—they use three different types of flour to achieve a chewy yet rich texture. And the broth is even more meticulous.”
“This isn’t ordinary bone broth; it’s fish bone broth. To remove the fishiness, you used Jiubo Flower, Shengjing Leaf, Sea...”
Yin Yang rattled off more than a dozen ingredients like he was reciting a menu. Zheng Guang was stunned and looked at his mother in confusion.
“Mom, did you pass the secret recipe to Dong Yang?”
Zheng Guang’s mother finally snapped out of it and looked at Yin Yang in surprise. “You... you could taste all that?”
Her tone was uncertain because some of the ingredients Yin Yang mentioned were added specifically to balance other flavors, making them extremely difficult to detect. Yet, Yin Yang had identified them with precision.
“Yes, I tasted it the first time I ate at your place. It’s because you use real, quality ingredients that I go there so often.”
Hearing this, Zheng Guang grew proud again. “Of course! My family has been in business for so many years based on using real ingredients. How else could the taste be this good?”
Yin Yang finished his noodles and wiped his mouth with a smile. “That makes sense.”
However, Yin Yang knew full well that if he were the one making it, he could replicate the exact same flavor using only one-fifteenth of the cost.
As for nutritional value, there was no need to worry. He could even run a reverse-marketing campaign, claiming their noodles were guilt-free and wouldn’t cause weight gain.
Then, with proper marketing and selling at one-third of the competitor’s price, he could drive them out of business within a year and monopolize the market.
Bad money drives out good—it was as simple as that.
After they finished eating, Yin Yang and Nie Pi helped clear the table.
Zheng Guang’s mother was already asking if Yin Yang had a girlfriend. If he didn’t, Zheng Guang had a younger cousin—beautiful, kind-hearted, a college graduate who had just returned from the big city...
Yin Yang chatted with a smile, thinking to himself that there truly was no such thing as a free lunch.
As they spoke, his expression suddenly changed, and he abruptly looked toward the east.
Gurgle...
Shadows began to boil in the corner, but Yin Yang immediately suppressed them.
The wound on his abdomen began to throb with a dull ache. The newly awakened Headless Ghost was becoming agitated.
It sensed the aura of its liver!
It was in the east!
It had been taken out of a Hidden Vault or a gold seal!
“What’s wrong?”
Zheng Guang was startled by his sudden change in expression.
“It’s nothing. My stomach hurts; I need to use the restroom.”
“Go straight out; there are temporary toilets there.”
“Thanks.”
Yin Yang lowered his head and walked out, his expression growing darker with every step.
Nie Pi keenly sensed that something was wrong because his attention had been on Yin Yang the entire time.
He was like a head steward observing every micro-expression of an emperor.
‘Something definitely happened.’
He set down his bowl and gave a polite, apologetic smile to Zheng Guang and his mother.
“Sorry, my stomach hurts a bit too.”
He hurried after Yin Yang.
After they left, a bewildered Zheng Guang turned to his mother.
“Mom, they couldn’t be acting just to get out of washing the dishes, could they?”
Zheng Guang’s mother gave him a speechless look.
...
Yin Yang’s eyes gradually turned red as killing intent condensed.
This was highly abnormal!
‘Is it true that a bad liver really makes one irritable?’
Yin Yang wanted to splash his face with cold water, but the earthquake had just happened, and water was incredibly precious. Where could he find water to wash his face?
“Brother, did something happen?”
Nie Pi caught up, his face full of concern.
“It’s nothing. You need the restroom too?”
Yin Yang forced a smile.
But the moment Nie Pi saw that smile, he knew whatever had happened was huge—so big that he wouldn’t be able to help at all.
“Brother.”
“Yeah?”
“I’ll take care of everything back here. You don’t have to worry!”
Yin Yang paused, then broke into a smile.
“Yeah.”
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