Him?
And who is he?
Madam Zhou was momentarily stunned, but after glancing at her husband and son, she said no more.
“Jiao-niang has treated two patients,” Zhou Liu-lang suddenly said, instead of answering the question.
Of course he was going to bring up that girl!
Madam Zhou was instantly furious.
“What foolish thing is that girl up to now?” she snapped.
“Mother, she’s not a fool — we are, and so is Secretariat Editor Liu,” Zhou Liu-lang shouted in return.
It was probably the first time in his life that he had ever spoken to his mother this way.
Madam Zhou was stunned by his outburst, her mouth opening and closing without a word.
“I was disrespectful just now. I ask that you please listen carefully to what I have to say, and only make your judgment after I’ve finished,” Zhou Liu-lang bowed to his mother and said. Then he lifted his head and continued, “Jiao-niang treated two patients — she received a house from the Chen family and ten thousand guan from the Tong family.”
They already knew about these things — why bring them up again?
Master Zhou and Madam Zhou frowned slightly, but remained silent.
“That ten thousand guan from the Tong family — Mother, you even wanted to take it and keep it for her,” Zhou Liu-lang went on. “But she refused.”
Madam Zhou’s face turned ashen.
“…She refused because she had already spent the money,” Zhou Liu-lang continued quickly, giving her no chance to speak. “She bought… a restaurant.”
A restaurant?
Master Zhou was startled. This girl actually had plans to make money — but she was just a fragile girl; how could she run a restaurant? This was nonsense!
Meanwhile, Madam Zhou suddenly seemed to realize something and sat up straight with a startled cry.
“Tai Ping Residence!” she exclaimed.
Tai Ping Residence? Master Zhou was not familiar with it. When he left the capital, he hadn’t even heard that name.
“Is it well-known?” he asked, noticing his wife’s surprised expression.
“Very famous…” Madam Zhou murmured, then looked at Zhou Liu-lang and raised an eyebrow. “And you say you didn’t lie to me!”
Zhou Liu-lang ignored her and continued.
“…The reason for opening Tai Ping Residence goes back even further,” he said. “When she was first forcibly brought back from the Chen family, once I took her out to eat.”
Madam Zhou snorted.
At that time, he was always taking this girl out — who knew how many things he was secretly hiding from her!
Let’s wait until you finish telling the whole story before settling the score!
“At that time, the ‘Passing Immortal’ had just started to become popular outside the capital,” Zhou Liu-lang said. “So I took her there.”
“That’s only right — our own family, newly come to the capital, had seen nothing. It’s good for her to gain some experience,” Master Zhou said. Then he asked, “Did she enjoy the meal?”
Zhou Liu-lang smiled.
“Whether she enjoyed it or not, I don’t know. But I do know the owner and the chef of Immortal’s Abode were very happy,” he said. “Because the ‘Passing Immortal’ was Cheng Jiao-niang.”
What?
Master Zhou and Madam Zhou were momentarily stunned, somewhat confused.
“You both must know the story behind the Passing Immortal,” Zhou Liu-lang said.
“Of course,” they replied. Their whole family had eaten there before, and the origin of the Passing Immortal was written in large characters on the wall of Immortal’s Abode.
They said it was an encounter with an immortal, but who would really believe that?
“It’s indeed true,” Zhou Liu-lang said. “Only, it’s not an immortal — it’s a person.”
As he said this, he turned his head and called out loudly,
“Steward Cao!”
The door opened, and Steward Cao entered with his head lowered, kneeling and offering his respects.
“Tell Master and Madam about the last place where you and Fourth Master Chen stopped to rest and eat before bringing Jiao-niang to the capital,” Zhou Li-ulang said.
Steward Cao responded and then carefully recounted the events of that day.
Master Zhou and Madam Zhou were not fools. After listening to him and then considering Zhou Liu-lang’s words, they somewhat understood what was going on, but were too shocked to believe it.
“So, it was her all along?” the two said in surprise.
“There’s nothing unusual about that — she’s always loved good food,” Zhou Liu-lang waved his hand and dismissed Steward Cao, then continued, “Mother, didn’t you send someone to Jiang-zhou to inquire about Jiao-niang? That maid came back and said that when she was with the Cheng family, there was a quarrel because Ban Qin made excellent pastries. After Ban Qin came to our family, it was no different. She kept saying all her skills were taught by the mistress…”
Only no one believed it.
A fool for more than ten years…
Zhou Liu-lang exhaled.
“…And recently, there’s the yellow sparrow from Minister Chen’s family,” he continued. “If you’re interested, just ask around—you’ll find out it was Jiao-niang who made it when she was there.”
“That fool actually…” Madam Zhou murmured, unable to hold back.
“She’s not foolish,” Zhou Liu-lang said again.
“Not foolish?” Master Zhou suddenly sat up straight, as if recalling something, and asked, “Then why did she give the Passing Immortal to Immortal’s Abode for nothing?”
For nothing?
A faint, indescribable smile touched Zhou Liu-lang’s lips as he shook his head.
“Because the owner of Immortal’s Abode has a godparent relationship,” he said, looking at Master Zhou. “Secretariat Editor Liu.”
Secretariat Editor Liu?
The topic turned back once again to Master Liu.
Master Zhou and Madam Zhou listened in stunned silence. It seemed they understood something, but the exact details remained elusive.
“Later, when Immortal’s Abode moved into the city, they sold the original place. Cheng Jiao-niang used the money from the Tong family to buy it and renamed it Tai Ping Residence,” Zhou Liu-lang said.
That fool had actually quietly done so many things behind their backs?
Master Zhou and Madam Zhou were somewhat stunned.
No wonder she often went out back then.
“Then, she started making tofu. Her tofu even has another name — Tai Ping Tofu,” Zhou Liu-lang continued.
Tai Ping Tofu!
Madam Zhou sat up straight again, her face full of astonishment.
“What exactly is Tai Ping Tofu?” Master Zhou asked.
How had it only been two or three months since he left the capital, yet it felt like a whole lifetime had passed—he barely recognized anything anymore.
“It’s money… lots and lots of money…” Madam Zhou murmured.
Everything and everyone in the world is measured by value.
Hearing “lots and lots of money,” Master Zhou immediately understood.
This girl’s restaurant and food business had actually made a name for itself.
It was truly surprising.
“How could you keep such a big matter from us?” he frowned and said. “If she, a lone woman, is guarding such a business, wouldn’t someone just come and snatch it away?”
“Yes, how could she possibly manage it all by herself? It’s heartless — what does she take us for?” Madam Zhou said angrily. Then she looked at Master Zhou. “It’s just as well you’re back. I can’t control her. You go talk to her — we should take charge of Tai Ping Residence. A young girl wouldn’t understand, she’s just causing trouble.”
What a joke! How could an unmarried daughter possibly hold such a big enterprise?
“Mother, please listen to me finish speaking before you decide whether to ask her for it or not,” Zhou Liu-lang said, looking at Madam Zhou with a complicated expression.
Madam Zhou snorted.
“What? You think I wouldn’t ask for it?” she said. “If it weren’t for our family, could she have kept those businesses safe?”
Not to mention a lone girl—there were many families with parents, wives, and children intact, yet when the man died, whether relatives or outsiders, they turned into wolves with red eyes, looking for any chance to seize the family’s property.
Such things happened every day in the capital. It was nothing unusual and had reached the point where people were indifferent and ignored it.
Young people don’t understand how harsh the world really is.
Zhou Liu-lang said nothing.
“You are right. Her restaurant and tofu business make so much money that certainly some people are jealous and scheming. Soon enough, ruffians came to cause trouble,” he continued.
“That’s natural. The world is harsh. How could someone so alone and without support manage to build a business smoothly?” Master Zhou said.
“And then, those ruffians were immediately shot on the spot,” Zhou Liu-lang said.
“…Wait, wait, trouble caused… oh dear.” Master Zhou opened his mouth to speak but suddenly bit his tongue and stared at Zhou Liu-lang. “What? Shot?”
Madam Zhou also widened her eyes in shock.
“Yes, on the spot, in broad daylight, in front of everyone, five of them were shot dead in one fell swoop,” Zhou Liu-lang said, even making a gesture of drawing a bow and shooting an arrow.
Five of them, in broad daylight, shot dead on the spot.
Five lives!
Master Zhou nearly stood up.
“Trouble caused? And then?” he shouted, eyes wide.
“Then… there was no ‘then,’” Zhou Liu-lang said.
No ‘then’?
Master Zhou and Madam Zhou were stunned.
“Puxiu Temple came forward to testify that the ruffians’ intention to steal the secret recipe of Tai Ping Tofu was a crime punishable by death. The ruffians’ ringleader, Zhu Wu, committed suicide out of guilt. The evidence is conclusive. In this case, Tai Ping Residence is innocent,” Zhou Liu-lang said.
Just that simple?
To have Puxiu Temple step in to defend her — that was no longer a matter of the Zhou family’s face.
Master Zhou and Madam Zhou sat back down in stunned silence.
“It’s just that simple,” Zhou Liu-lang said.
“Well, that’s lucky. It’s good that nothing happened,” Master Zhou said slowly. Although he was a military man who had followed his father to the battlefield and killed men since childhood, hearing this still made his heart pound.
After all, this was not a battlefield, and the opponents were not Western bandits. Even if they were utterly wicked, killing them on the spot like that wasn’t something just anyone could do.
“Who did the killing? Did she hire guards?” he hesitated before asking, as if wanting to confirm or deny something.
Zhou Liu-lang looked at him.
“Father, you know as well as I do that without the owner’s order, no one would kill over something that doesn’t concern them,” he said.
Master Zhou’s expression shifted, but he said nothing.
“What do you mean?” Madam Zhou, still a bit confused, asked. “Are you saying those people were killed on that fool’s orders?”
Master Zhou didn’t answer her.
“Continue,” he said to Zhou Liu-lang, his expression complex, his gaze finally serious.
“Killing those ruffians and walking away unscathed—Tai Ping Residence has definitely intimidated those with ill intentions. But it’s also because no one can guess who the real powerful backer behind Tai Ping Residence is,” Zhou Liu-lang said.
Master Zhou nodded.
“The unknown is the most frightening,” he said. “But this kind of thing can’t be hidden from those who are determined to find out.”
“Exactly. So, someone soon discovered that the true owner of Tai Ping Residence is Cheng Jiao-niang,” Zhou Liu-lang continued. “And then, they found out about our family.”
Master Zhou looked at him for a moment.
“I see now!” he exclaimed, slapping his thigh.
Madam Zhou was startled and still hadn’t quite caught up.
“So we were the ones taking the blame for her troubles!” Master Zhou said angrily. “I always wondered why I wouldn’t offend anyone in daily life, but even if I did, why wouldn’t I be on guard? And yet, suddenly, silently, someone schemed against us! So that’s how it happened!”
Madam Zhou understood at this point.
“That disaster star!” she was both angry and anxious. She hadn’t expected the misfortune that had haunted her for so long was actually brought by this girl.
Wasn’t she already kicked out? But sure enough, once she’s involved, bad luck just won’t let go!
“She takes all the good reputation and money, while all the blame, resentment, and jealousy fall on us!”
Just like the chaos that erupted at home when she treated people’s illnesses.
The smiles were all given to her, but the grievances and complaints were all theirs.
“I told you to kick her out and send her back to Jiang-zhou! But you wouldn’t listen!” Madam Zhou snapped, slapping the round fan in her hand so hard it made a sound, tears streaming with anger. “You said she wouldn’t cause any trouble. Look, look at what kind of trouble she’s caused now! The kind that destroys a family!”
The room suddenly grew loud, and the noise carried out into the courtyard.
The maids who had been standing under the corridor hurriedly led the girls to retreat outside the courtyard gate.
“Father, Mother,” Zhou Liu-lang raised his voice, looking at his father’s darkened face and his mother’s tear-streaked anger. “I haven’t finished speaking yet.”
“What else is there to say!” Madam Zhou cut him off sharply, pointing at him with her fan. “You’ve known all along, haven’t you? No wonder when your father got into trouble, you weren’t worried at all. Instead, you went to her place every day. So you both knew! And you hid it from us! Now you want to plead for that fool, don’t you? Let me tell you, don’t even think about it. I’m going to give her a good lesson so she knows what real severity means!”
“Enough, Mother!” Zhou Liu-lang grabbed her as she was about to storm out. “If you want to know what real severity means, look at those ruffians, look at Zhu Wu who was driven to suicide, and look at Secretariat Editor Liu who’s now struck by illness. That’s what real severity is!”
The room fell silent.
Master Zhou and Madam Zhou stared at him, somewhat stunned.
“What are you talking about?” Madam Zhou asked.
She was confused, unable to make sense of the chaotic words. Who was who, and who was talking about what?
Zhou Liu-lang exhaled and sat upright.
“I’ll continue,” he said, as if the previous argument had never happened, speaking faster. “Someone with ill intentions finally discovered that Cheng Jiao-niang is the true owner of Tai Ping Residence. He also learned about our family, and so harbored deep hatred. First, he schemed against Father, determined to teach a lesson and send a warning to people—to show what happens to those who offend them, and also to vent his anger. At the same time, he ordered someone to cut off the hand of Tai Ping Residence’s head chef.”
A hand!
Madam Zhou, being a woman, couldn’t help but cover her mouth in shock.
“Who exactly did this?” she asked. “Who is this person with such malice? How could they be so ruthless?”
“It’s Dou Qi, the owner of Immortal’s Abode,” Zhou Liu-lang said. “If you want to talk about grudges, it all started from the beginning.”
So that’s how it was.
But, the owner of a food establishment?
“What kind of family is this Dou Qi from?” Master Zhou asked.
Madam Zhou wasn’t concerned about that and took over the conversation.
“So, what’s the situation now?” she asked, with some urgency. “Because of a little thing like some ‘Passing Immortal,’ all this trouble happened—how is it going to end?”
“It’s already settled,” Zhou Liu-lang said. “Just like before, those who offended her or coveted her property are either dead or living worse than the dead.”
Master Zhou and Madam Zhou exchanged a glance, both confused.
“How can it be ‘settled’ like that?” they asked.
“Because Secretariat Editor Liu contracted a wind-stroke,” Zhou Liu-lang explained.
What kind of logic is this? Why is it going back to Secretariat Editor Liu again?
“Dou Qi isn’t from any notable family,” Zhou Liu-lang said, “but he has a godfather.”
“And that godfather is Secretariat Editor Liu.”
Master Zhou and Madam Zhou looked at their son in astonishment once again.
Wait, wait—let them sort out the threads.
Cheng Jiao-niang, Tai Ping Residence.
Dou Qi, Immortal’s Abode.
Secretariat Editor Liu, Dou Qi’s godfather.
All this messy talk actually only involves these three people and two establishments. When you connect the dots, so many things have happened back and forth. It sounds tumultuous, but in reality, it’s calm and no one noticed.
Master Zhou finally began to understand what his son said at the very beginning.
“Father, Master Liu has contracted the wind-stroke.”
“Mother, this time your wish has come true.”
No wonder when they went to the government office it wasn’t as grave and serious as expected, no wonder the message conveyed was that they were fine.
This case can be seen as serious or not serious, depending on whether someone insists on holding on to it.
Now, the person holding onto it has fallen ill with the wind-stroke and is bedridden. This lifetime, he probably won’t stand again. Even if he could, the court wouldn’t use him anymore. No matter how powerful or favored he was before, from the moment he fell, he is nothing in this officialdom.
A useless man who is nothing—how could he still pose a threat?
So that’s how it is. So that’s how it is.
Master Zhou exhaled and sat back down, but soon straightened up again.
“You mean…” He looked at his son, his expression flickering in the lamplight, his voice a bit hoarse, “she’s the one who took him out?”
Who “she” is and who “he” is, Master Zhou didn’t say, but Zhou Liu-lang nodded.
“Of course. She would definitely take him out. For those who try to covet her, she always settles things decisively,” he said.
“How is that possible?” Master Zhou shook his head stiffly. “It’s impossible. How could she have done it?”
“I don’t know how she did it,” Zhou Liu-lang said, then smiled slightly. “Maybe it was like killing those ruffians, or like when she struck down the abbess of Small Xuan-miao Temple and her adulterous partner with thunder and fire back in Jiang-zhou.”
In any case, that’s how she did it—quietly and without anyone noticing.
Jiang–zhou?
Why Jiang–zhou again?
Master Zhou and Madam Zhou stared at their son once more.
“Mother, you sent someone to Jiang-zhou to inquire about Jiao-niang’s affairs but didn’t listen closely. I listened carefully. Back then, when Jiao-niang was expelled from the Cheng family in Jiang-zhou and took refuge in a family temple and Taoist shrine called Small Xuan-miao Temple—not the current Xuan-miao Temple—there was originally an abbess there, a lecherous woman who kept wild ruffians. Although infamous, she had lived peacefully and unharmed. But just ten or fifteen days after Cheng Jiao-niang moved in, she was struck dead by a bolt of thunder and fire,” Zhou Liu-lang said, looking at his parents. “Father, do you believe there are coincidences?”
He shook his head as he spoke.
“I don’t believe it,” he said.
Suddenly struck dead by thunder and fire, suddenly afflicted with a debilitating wind-stroke…
How many sudden things like this happen in the world, and all of them turn out so greatly favorable to oneself?
Master Zhou slowly shook his head and swallowed instinctively.
Could it be that the fool from Jiang–zhou truly is the direct disciple of the True Master Li?
One who calls the wind and summons the rain, controls life and death…
“I don’t know how she did it,” Zhou Liu-lang said. “All I know is that those people coveted her wealth or her person, so…”
He glanced toward Madam Zhou.
“Mother, do you still want to demand her belongings now?” he asked.
Madam Zhou had been lost in thought after hearing about the lightning strike, and was suddenly startled by the question. The fan in her hand slipped and fell to the ground.
The sound — pat-tak — was unusually sharp in the quiet room.
They’re dead, all dead. Those people, those who had entanglements with her, those who coveted her wealth…
This isn’t just a jinx, it’s a disaster star. No, a killer star.
A killer star!
