Young master, why not become a corpse immortal?

Chapter 324 What the heart holds, what the heart fears

Lin Jiang returned to his mansion in Beijing.

The mansion left behind by the former official of the Ministry of Justice has now been completely converted into a dining hall. Although there are not many people here now, it is still quite lively.

As soon as Lin Jiang stepped across the threshold, a waiter greeted him with a beaming smile:
"Young master, are you here for a meal or to stay the night?"

"Try our signature dishes."

Lin Jiang smiled and chose a table in the hall to sit down.

The waiter immediately and quickly recited the names of several dishes.

Hearing the names of the dishes, Lin Jiang couldn't help but recall many of the meals made by Chef Song.

At that time, the elaborately crafted verses about each home-style dish, presented in a rhythmic and captivating way, were surprisingly delightful.

Lin Jiang casually ordered a few familiar dishes, and the waiter immediately went to the kitchen to report the order, leaving Lin Jiang to wait alone.

A moment later, an elderly man strolled slowly towards the shop entrance. Several diners who were eating were immediately drawn to his figure.

The group of people looked puzzled and whispered among themselves.

"He looks a bit like the Liang family."

"Isn't Master Liang that old?"

"I've heard that those who cultivate can control their appearance if they reach a high level. Maybe Master Liang is too young and wants to change his appearance?"

"That sounds strange, is it really true?"

"I don't have much skill, so I'll just take it as hearsay."

Although some people around seemed to have recognized Liang Huashan, no one took the initiative to approach him and speak to him.

After all, at present we only have a similar appearance, so it wouldn't be good to ask about it rashly.

Liang Huashan walked over and sat down beside Lin Jiang, then looked around and said:

"I had heard that a new restaurant had opened here, but I had never been there and didn't know what it was like."

"The head chef here is the cook I used to employ. If she's still in charge, the taste will naturally be just as good," Lin Jiang said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Liang Huashan nodded slightly, and then asked:
"I heard that His Majesty summoned you in the palace and questioned you at length. Does His Majesty have something important to discuss with you?"

No one knew that Lin Jiang was Zhao Liulang's master, and Lin Jiang had no intention of telling Liang Huashan about it, so he casually said:

"I have the ability to handle calamities. The emperor entrusted me to investigate the calamities that will befall the world tomorrow. This trip to the palace is mainly to discuss this matter."

Liang Huashan nodded knowingly:
"Did you summon me out today because of this matter?"

"Yes, I plan to head west. On the way, I will probably pass by the place where Master Ye died, so I would like to ask Master Liang if he would like to set off with me."

Upon hearing Lin Jiang's words, Liang Huashan's expression immediately froze:
"I...I can't, I won't go..."

Liang Huashan almost instinctively squeezed these words out of his throat.

But after saying those words, he pursed his lips.

Lin Jiang was completely unprepared for Liang Huashan's excited reaction. It wasn't until Liang Huashan closed his eyes and calmed down for a while that he opened them again.

"Don't worry about me, Young Master Lin."

"Ms. Liang, are you afraid?"

Lin Jiang noticed that Liang Huashan's mood was off.

Upon hearing this, Liang Huashan's expression shifted several times before finally settling into a long sigh:

"Fear... I don't know if this can really be called fear. But whenever I think of Master Ye, it's as if I'm looking into an abyss. I want to stay far away from it, but I can't help but want to fall into it."

His words were indistinct, and although he did not admit it, Lin Jiang did catch a hint of something unusual in his words.

Liang Huashan kept comforting himself with the idea that Ye Wanzhuang was highly skilled and must have a backup plan, but if he really went to the battlefield and found her remains in the middle of the battle, he might not be able to bear it.

After a moment of silence, Liang Huashan sighed softly again:

"Although I cannot go with you, I can give you a precious gift."

"What kind of treasure is it?"

“This is my most prized painting to date,” Liang Huashan said. “Although this painting is not sentient, it embodies most of my hard work. If you, young master, truly find Master Ye, I humbly request that you present this painting to her for her perusal.”

Lin Jiang accepted the task.

The prized painting was naturally no longer in Liang Huashan's possession. Just then, the waiter brought over various dishes, and Lin Jiang seized the opportunity to say:
"Let's enjoy the food first, then we'll talk about everything else."

The two savored the dishes, and Liang Huashan looked surprised as he took a bite:
"It tastes very good."

"It seems my cooking skills have improved again."

Lin Jiang also felt that the taste was even better than before, and he was delighted, so he ate a few more bowls of rice.

After finishing his meal, Lin Jiang felt that the restaurant's dishes were excellent, so he did not intend to look for Chef Song.

Just as they were about to leave with Liang Huashan, two people suddenly walked in from outside the door:
A middle-aged man with a goatee, and a man with a dazed expression.

Seeing Lin Jiang's growing astonishment, the stunned man suddenly broke into a delighted smile:

"Young Master! You've arrived!"

She hurriedly called towards the kitchen, "Song Niang! Young Master has arrived!"

The man's shout was exceptionally clear, and it resounded throughout the entire canteen almost instantly. Everyone who was eating turned their heads and looked in Lin Jiang's direction.

Immediately afterwards, a series of crackling sounds came from the second floor, and a semi-transparent spirit with a kitchen knife on its head cried out and flew down, landing with a thud in front of Lin Jiang.

"Master! You're back!"

The cook was overjoyed. She circled Linjiang several times, jumping and cheering.

The clueless young man was naturally Chen Dajiang, and the man next to him was Manager Liu.

Shopkeeper Liu, having not seen Lin Jiang for a long time, greeted him with a broad smile: "Young Master, it's been a long time." "Boss Liu." Lin Jiang had a good impression of this boss he had walked alongside for a while and hadn't wanted to bother him, but since they had met face to face, he greeted him warmly.

Cook Song wanted to persuade Lin Jiang to stay and try his cooking, but Lin Jiang didn't want to appear special in front of everyone. So she simply handed over the kitchen duties to the cooks and then cleared out a quiet spot in the backyard for Lin Jiang to rest.

The people in the dining hall were left looking at each other in bewilderment, completely unaware of who this handsome young man was.

Liang Huashan wanted to leave, but was warmly pulled back by Cook Song.

The cook, Song, had never met Liang Huashan before and only thought he was an old man who was familiar with the owner, so she was naturally very enthusiastic when recruiting people.

Liang Huashan was both amused and exasperated, but he still stayed.

The group arrived at the empty room in the back. Cook Song went to the kitchen to personally prepare several new dishes, while Chen Dajiang stood by grinning foolishly. Only Manager Liu stroked his beard and said:
"Young master is truly remarkable. I never imagined that you would run such a large restaurant after only staying in the capital for half a year."

Lin Jiang chuckled to himself.

If Manager Liu knew that he had become the emperor's tutor, he would probably be even more astonished.

However, most of the information about Manager Liu came from Chen Dajiang, and he was unaware of the subsequent events.

"You flatter me, Manager Liu."

"There are very few people like the young master who can build such a large business at such a young age. If the master knew, he would be very happy."

He muttered a couple more sentences:

"You've been gone for a long time, and you rarely write. My employer keeps talking about you to me."

"This time I'm heading west, and I'll naturally have to go back to Cangsong along the way. I'll personally listen to Grandma's ramblings then, and I don't think she'll be unhappy about it," Lin Jiang said with a smile.

"If that's the case, that would be wonderful, and the old lady wouldn't nag me so much anymore."

After he finished speaking, Chef Song, who was not far away, approached with the fragrant food.

Lin Jiang tasted it and found it to be very delicious. He praised it so much that Chef Song was overjoyed and spun around happily.

At first, Chef Song did indeed intend to turn it into a canteen, but in the end, her thoughts were no longer just about cooking for guests. If the new food could be approved by Lin Jiang, it would be a great encouragement to her.

She was quite pleased and moved to the last room. Then, Chef Song approached Chen Dajiang and pretended to hug him.

Chen Dajiang instinctively opened his arms, but Chef Song actually passed right through him.

The two then realized what was happening. Chef Song blushed instantly, her body flashing in and out of sight, while Chen Dajiang looked dejected, staring blankly at his empty palms.

Liang Huashan glanced at the two of them and asked in a low voice:
"Are these two really lovers?"

"Yes."

Liang Huashan glanced at the two of them again, and a nostalgic smile appeared on his face, as if he had just remembered something.

He took a pen out of his pocket and quietly pointed it in their direction.

The next moment, a streak of ink flew out from the brush and silently entered the body of Chef Song.

Originally blushing with embarrassment and a hint of regret, Chef Song suddenly seemed to realize something. She blinked slightly in confusion, then gently patted her clothes.

A moment later, a look of surprise suddenly appeared on her face.

Lin Jiang watched as Chef Song floated over to Chen Dajiang, who still looked regretful, and reached out her hand.

I pinched him lightly.

Startled by the pain, Chen Dajiang instinctively jumped to the side, then looked around in confusion.

When Chen Dajiang discovered that it was Chef Song, he was so shocked that he was speechless for a moment.

He couldn't help but start gesturing wildly, first pointing repeatedly at Chef Song, and then at himself.

Cook Song nodded vigorously.

Then, Chen Dajiang, who often practiced martial arts, slowly approached Song, the cook, carefully opened his arms, and gently embraced her.

This time, Chen Dajiang was finally able to truly touch the girl in his arms.

Despite the slight chill, a genuine, silly smile bloomed on his face.

Song, the cook, quietly shed tears, carefully wiping them away with her hand, then slightly turned her head away, as if afraid that the cleaver above her head might touch Chen's soybean paste.

Liang Huashan put down his brush and looked at the couple in front of him with great satisfaction.

Although they didn't say a word, anyone could tell that the two of them were truly overjoyed at that moment.

Lin Jiang looked at Liang Huashan with some surprise, and the latter said softly:

"It's just a technique of applying ink to her body, a way to paint her body."

After saying that, Liang Huashan also said to Lin Jiang, "Then I will go back to my residence first. You can come and find me before you leave, and I will give you the scroll."

Lin Jiang nodded, and Liang Huashan also turned to take his leave.

Only after Liang Huashan's figure had completely disappeared did Manager Liu approach Lin Jiang and ask in a low voice:

"Young Master, who is that? He has an extraordinary air about him; he must be no ordinary person."

"He is Liang Huashan, a famous calligrapher and painter in Beijing."

Upon hearing this, Manager Liu blinked, his face immediately filled with astonishment.

Lianghua Mountain?!

Isn't that the famous Dianxing in the capital?

How come he's so familiar with the young master?

For a moment, Manager Liu felt that he might have praised too early.

His young master was far more capable than he had imagined.

(End of this chapter)