Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 5 I Can't Slap You to Death

Just as Rong Wanyin was getting anxious, the compass in her arms suddenly began to spin wildly again, and a clear voice came from the stairs: "It's alkali!"

Everyone turned around to see a young man slowly approaching from the stairs. He was tall and straight, with a distinguished demeanor. He was followed by two guards. The taller one was slender and had eyes as sharp as an eagle; the middle-sized one had a stern expression, exuding a calm and reserved aura.

The young man walked straight up to the chef, his eyes gentle yet inquiring. "Shopkeeper, is there any soda added to this porridge?"

The chef was stunned at first, then quickly nodded and said, "Young Master, you're absolutely right. We add caustic soda to make the porridge thicker and more fragrant. We've always made it this way. ... Is there something wrong with the caustic soda?"

The young man stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces before settling on the bowl of discolored porridge. He spoke slowly, "Everyone, the principle behind this isn't complicated. Turmeric juice turns red when it comes into contact with caustic soda. This isn't some kind of curse or sorcery."

After he finished speaking, everyone whispered to each other, half believing and half doubting.

Rong Wanyin raised her head and met the boy's eyes. The boy's eyes were deep and he smiled at her. Rong Wanyin was stunned for a moment, then quickly came to her senses. The corners of her mouth raised, revealing a row of pearly teeth. She smiled sweetly at the boy and nodded, expressing her gratitude.

"I don't care about turmeric yellow or white! As for turning it red, I've never heard of it!" The scarred man knew that his key point had been exposed and that there was no hope of getting the silver. His face was full of anger and he shouted angrily, "If you keep talking nonsense, don't blame me for being ruthless! You must compensate me for the fifty taels today!"

Unexpectedly, Rong Wanyin showed no fear at all and remained calm and composed: "We'll know if it's nonsense after trying it! Shopkeeper..."

But before Rong Wanyin finished her words, the scarred man's heart rang with alarm bells, thinking this was going to be bad. He knew that if Rong Wanyin really did what she said, his carefully planned plan, which he had hoped would make a huge profit from Zhenbaozhai, would be completely ruined. Not only would his efforts be in vain, but the generous reward promised by the mastermind behind the plot would also be gone, and he might even be punished for his incompetence.

Thinking of this, the scarred man's eyes flashed with murderous intent, his heart hardened, and he decided to go all out. While everyone was still unaware, especially Rong Wanyin, he suddenly reached for his waist, grasped the hilt of his long sword, and with a "swish", he drew it out of its sheath. The movement was as fast as a flash of black lightning. Then, he raised the long sword high, his arm muscles tensed, and his body was filled with murderous intent. He slashed at Rong Wanyin viciously.

The scarred man, like an enraged and starving wolf, lunged recklessly at Rong Wanyin's vitals. His long blade sliced ​​through the air, emitting a sharp whistling sound, and the resulting strong wind sent the hair of those around him dancing wildly. In the blink of an eye, the sharp tip of the blade reached Rong Wanyin, barely inches away. The situation was precarious; just a fraction closer and Rong Wanyin would be bloodied and dead.

Although the two guards were extremely anxious, they were several feet away. The crowd was crowded and distant water could not quench immediate thirst. It was too late for them to help in their haste.

Rong Wanyin's eyes suddenly narrowed, and she was shocked. She stepped lightly and dodged to the side like a dragonfly skimming the water. Her body was light and agile, and she narrowly avoided the fierce attack. However, a strand of her hair was still cut off and floated down, and the compass in her arms also fell out.

It happened in a flash. Seeing the long knife gleaming with cold light about to fall on the table with the sound of wind, Rong Wanyin raised her eyebrows, clenched her teeth, and kicked the edge of the table with her heel. There was a loud "crash" and the table was kicked several feet away. Fortunately, the dishes on the table were still intact.

She angrily said, "Don't touch my chicken! I haven't eaten it yet!"

In an instant, the scarred man was furious: "Your life is about to be in danger, and you are still worried about that chicken? You look down on me too much! Look at my Thunder Slash!" The scarred man was furious and his attack became more and more fierce. Every knife was deadly and he swept towards Rong Wanyin. Rong Wanyin leaned back and cleverly avoided the long knife that was cut horizontally. She stretched out her right hand and slapped her several times in a row.
He hit the scarred man in the face and sneered, "I don't care what you call your sword or your chopping block. Remember, this move of mine is called the Dragon, which can't be seen from head to tail. It can't even kill you without a slap. It's a thunderbolt slap!"

The scarred man spat out a mouthful of blood, and a tooth rolled out! Seeing that he couldn't defeat her after a long time, the scarred man became more and more angry, and his moves became more and more vicious, aiming at Rong Wanyin's vital points.

Rong Wanyin was forced into a corner with no way to retreat. Everyone gasped and worried for her. The timid ones even covered their eyes, unable to bear to look at her.

Just when the scarred man was getting carried away and thought he had won, Rong Wanyin suddenly stared blankly at the scarred man's back, her voice trembling as she pointed her finger behind him: "Ghost...female ghost..."

Although the scarred man didn't believe it, he subconsciously turned around. It was this fleeting flaw that allowed Rong Wanyin to suddenly turn sideways and get close to the scarred man's side as fast as a ghost walking at night. Her delicate hand accurately grabbed the scarred man's wrist holding the knife and twisted it.

The scarred man screamed in pain, "Ouch!", and his long sword fell to the ground with a clang. Rong Wanyin took advantage of the situation and hit the scarred man in the chest with an elbow. The scarred man groaned, and his huge body fell heavily to the ground like a collapsed mountain, raising a cloud of dust that filled the surroundings.

The scarred man lay on the ground groaning, furious: "You lied to me!"

Rong Wanyin raised her chin slightly, looking very proud: "My master said that lying to bad people is not called lying, it's called self-protection."

Everyone cheered, and the noise almost blew the roof off.

The two guards couldn't help but look amazed. The tall guard widened his eyes, his mouth slightly open, and murmured, "This girl has great skills!"

The young man silently picked up the compass and carefully examined the "red beans" on it, confirming his thoughts. It seemed that this was also something that belonged to Elder Wuji, and it was still very new. The young man looked at Rong Wanyin. Although he did not express his feelings in words, his eyes were meaningful.

"Thank you, thank you." Rong Wanyin clasped her hands together. Although she spoke politely, the smug look on her face clearly showed that she had taken the responsibility. "Shopkeeper..."

Needless to say, Shopkeeper Gao understood everything clearly and immediately nodded to several of his servants to prepare the items. Shopkeeper Gao was actually quite nervous and hesitant at first, but he finally gritted his teeth and made up his mind. He poured the turmeric water into the caustic soda water. Wow, the water instantly became red as if it was on fire, and it turned red as if it were blood.

When the people around saw it, they shouted "Wow", their eyes widened like bells, their faces full of surprise and curiosity, and they whispered to each other.

While everyone's attention was focused on the turmeric water and everyone was talking about it, the lame waiter took advantage of the chaos and sneaked out the back door, as if he was afraid of being discovered.

(End of this chapter)