A flag bearing the shop’s sign fluttered in the wind.
Su Mu led Qing’er into the morning market.
Before long, Qing’er was miserably chewing on a steamed bun she had bought.
Low storefronts lined both sides, giving the street an open feel, and from time to time she could see crowds bustling about as loose queues formed in front of the breakfast stalls.
But just as Qing’er had said, after walking a good distance, Su Mu still hadn’t spotted the mouthwatering meat she was craving.
“Chief, see? How could there be that kind of thing in the morning…”
Su Mu was also holding a plain white bun, but she only tossed it idly, her feet never stopping as they followed her instincts.
Suddenly, Su Mu stopped. Qing’er, caught off guard, bumped into her back, and her nose immediately stung.
“Smell that?”
Before Qing’er’s nose could recover, she too caught the thick aroma, mingled with a hint of alcohol. Before she could react, Su Mu had already quickened her pace and ducked into an alley. Seeing this, Qing’er had no choice but to hurry after her.
After a while, Su Mu finally found the source of the fragrance and couldn’t help grinning.
‘Isn’t this it? A tavern…’
Wu Zigi was having a lousy day.
To deal with the freshly acquired “taro,” he had to rush out overnight and slaughter a few sheep, but to keep guests from tasting anything off, he had to hurriedly toss the whole sheep into the pot.
The taro was already chopped; only half of it still lay on the cutting board, sliced fine, while the larger chunks had been thrown to the dogs. The other half was already simmering and flavorful, waiting only for the last batch to go in.
And just then, some clueless scholar with a little blue-haired kid showed up at dawn looking for meat and wine. Wu Zigi did his best to speak in a hoarse voice, scowling at the smiling pink-haired scholar.
“Please go back. The shop isn’t open yet.”
Hearing this, Su Mu thought for a moment.
“Really? I can already smell your stewed meat. I don’t believe you.”
“Then when do you open?”
Wu Zigi gave a light snort and answered vaguely, “Let’s just say you probably won’t last that long.”
That only piqued Su Mu’s interest even more.
Wu Zigi’s mouth twitched involuntarily, but hidden beneath his bushy beard, the tiny expression was impossible to read.
“That’s stewed for the dogs. If you want people food, go to the breakfast stalls outside the alley.”
Hearing this, Qing’er subtly tugged at Su Mu’s sleeve, trying to urge her to change course.
Wu Zigi thought such an obvious dismissal would be enough to send the greenhorn packing, but Su Mu was the exception. She wasn’t afraid of danger, didn’t care about face, and even had a touch of rebelliousness—the more someone tried to stop her from doing something, the more curious she became.
“Stewed for the dogs? Smells that good? Then I’ve got to take a look.”
At those words, Wu Zigi was completely stunned.
‘Not bro, you’re really gonna fight the dogs for food?’
But Su Mu just stared at him with amusement, her expression practically saying, ‘Protecting your food?’
“It’s fine, I’m into that. A mixed diet keeps things balanced.”
“That’s for the dogs, and I didn’t remove the organs.”
‘Balanced? What the hell is he talking about?’
But the next moment, Su Mu’s expression changed. She slammed the table, startling Wu Zigi.
“Wait—did you wash the intestines?”
“Of course I washed them.” For some reason, Wu Zigi’s momentum faltered. Even when he faced that certain person, he had never felt so weak. After all, who else would jump around like this and say things so irritating?
“Phew.” Su Mu finally relaxed. She had been afraid that fragrant pot still had some “special program” stewed inside—if she ended up tasting intestines, that would be a disaster.
“Since you washed them, I can eat them. Don’t worry, I’ll pay you.”
Su Mu habitually reached for her purse. Lately, she had discovered that money was truly useful when traveling. It might not save you in an emergency, but it sure worked on everyone.
“I don’t want your money. Just go do whatever you were doing and stop bothering me…”
Wu Zigi’s eyes suddenly went wide as he caught a glimpse of something golden yellow poking out of Su Mu’s purse. His hand subconsciously went to the cleaver under the table.
If it was just a greenhorn, he could chase him off and be done with it. A little spending money would just mean some rich kid sneaking out to play. But if someone dared to carry gold on them, that was definitely suspicious.
Either the guy was a fugitive with blood on his hands who had robbed a bank or a treasury, already risking his neck and not caring if a couple of people saw him; or he was from the government, carrying official rewards and deliberately showing off.
Either way, it meant his identity was far from simple.
But Wu Zigi didn’t sense any inner force from Su Mu. Could he afford to be careless? Even if it brought more trouble, he couldn’t let the trouble inside be discovered first. Thinking of the half “taro” still lying on the cutting board, Wu Zigi muttered to himself that it was fine.
“You really are an odd one. Fine, I’ll let you taste it. Want some wine with it?”
Su Mu tilted her head. To be honest, she wasn’t fond of the stuff—especially since Su Yong had soaked her in it since she was little. But this was Ming Dynasty wine! Might as well give it a try.
Hearing this, Wu Zigi replied casually and turned away with a cold smile. This was perfect. He, Wu Zigi, had seen many experts, and especially after being around Su Yong for so long, he had lost interest in that. But even that fellow who was half in the pot—a first-rate swordsman—had still fallen for his colorless, odorless knockout drug.
That spindly-limbed character outside couldn’t possibly resist. Once the guy passed out, he’d grab the blue-haired kid directly.
As for the mutton soup… he hadn’t wanted to serve it so early anyway; the ingredients weren’t fully seasoned, and someone might taste the human flavor. Otherwise, he would have already put that guy in the pot. He just feared the human scent would waft out and attract sharp-nosed types.
Some people specialized in sniffing out exactly that.
“Hehe, guest, here comes the wine.”
Setting a bowl of burning liquor with white foam on the surface before Su Mu, Wu Zigi casually wiped his wine-stained hand behind his back and put on a big smile.
But Su Mu only stared at the bowl with a troubled expression, occasionally blowing gently at the foam on top. Her blue eyes reflected in the wine, and the look in them seemed strange, making Wu Zigi’s heart tighten.
‘Has he caught on?’
After a long moment, Su Mu finally spoke hesitantly.
“Boss… this wine of yours… it’s really dirty.”
Wu Zigi was almost floored by her reason and didn’t know how to respond for a moment.
‘What kind of heavenly life did this pretty boy live before? What did he expect from a roadside tavern? He wasn’t complaining when he was fighting dogs for bones!’
Wu Zigi was furious, but he dared not act rashly. He could only pretend to turn away casually. Fortunately, after a moment, he heard the sound of her taking a small sip.
One second, two seconds… bang!
Hearing the sound of her collapsing onto the table, Wu Zigi rejoiced inwardly, but he was also puzzled.
The drug, though subtle, shouldn’t be this potent. It shouldn’t have taken effect this quickly.
He turned around and saw Su Mu lying facedown on the table, snoring away. Her face was flushed, dead drunk.
At the sight, Wu Zigi’s mouth twitched, and it took him a while to snap out of it.
‘Not bro, are you seriously the type who gets drunk from just dipping a chopstick in wine?’