Starting with the flesh-based stimulant

Zhou He walked at a moderate pace.

We walked through the city gate towards Taochuan, facing the crescent moon.

Taochuan and Jincheng are not very close, so the peddler must have had some considerations when making his choice.

Zhou He left in a hurry, his mind racing.

He thought he had simply traveled through time, and that what he needed to do was find out the reasons behind the things that had happened to him.

Then, take the opportunity to continuously improve yourself and slowly find your way home.

To be honest, he wasn't in a hurry. After all, he was all alone in that world, and apart from a few patients he interacted with frequently, he didn't have much of a social life.

But things developed faster than he expected.

It was so fast that he couldn't react in time.

Why is this happening?

Zhou He was also a little confused.

What bothered him most was that he couldn't understand it, and he couldn't simply stop thinking about it like others.

His thirst for knowledge has always been strong.

One secret after another, like apples coated with poisonous icing, made Zhou He want to explore them.

Even if it's dangerous.

As dawn approached, Zhou He finally caught sight of Tao Chuan.

It's called Taochuan, but it's actually a cluster of mountains that seem to be connected together, forming a small nest.

Peach trees grow on several mountains, and when the peach blossoms bloom in April and May, some people come here to enjoy the flowers and drink wine.

After August or September, the peaches gradually ripen, and many merchants come here to buy them, which slowly forms a small market.

In addition, Taochuan is located on the only way to Jincheng, and its popularity has been growing. Over time, it has been developed into a small town.

The town grew bigger and bigger, and the population increased.

I don't know when, but there came a man named Taochuan. Although he was irritable and tyrannical, he was also a protector of the area.

Upon reaching the summit, Zhou He looked down and saw that most of the peach blossoms on several trees had already faded, the leaves were a ghastly green, and the trees were laden with green peaches.

In the Taochuan village, there was a tall and majestic building that looked somewhat like a temple, but also vaguely resembled a dwelling.

That was the residence of Grandpa Taochuan.

I don't know if the peddler will get there first, or if he's still on the road.

Although he had a thousand questions, Zhou He knew that most of them could be answered by the peddler.

As you enter Taochuan Village, several nearby villagers are sweeping and cleaning diligently, while women bring in basins of water to keep the yellow soil from flying.

Upon seeing Zhou He, an old man dressed in black came forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said to Zhou He:

"Where do you come from, sir?"

Zhou He turned and pointed in the direction of Jincheng, without answering.

He didn't know whether the old man was friend or foe at that moment.

After all, he had just severed all ties with Master Taochuan yesterday. If you really think about it, the peddler was the instigator, but he was the one who killed him with a knife.

The old man in black didn't mind. He cupped his hands in greeting again, pushed open the heavy temple door, bowed slightly, and said to Zhou He:

"If you want to burn incense, you need to pay some incense fee."

Zhou He pressed down on the brim of his hat.

The other party doesn't know that Grandpa Taochuan is gone?

Upon entering the temple gate, the layout of the courtyard was peculiar.

There was a temple ahead, dark and gloomy, with little light even in the early morning. Only the oil lamps lit on the offering table added a touch of brightness.

Behind the altar, a huge statue of a deity sat silently in the darkness.

His face was blurred, as if all the dust had gathered together, obscuring Zhou He's searching gaze.

"Hey, Brother Zhou, your footwork is pretty good."

A cheap, sleazy sound came from the side door behind the statue. Zhou He looked over and saw that half of the peddler's body was inside the temple, making it difficult to see clearly. The other half of his body was pressed against the side door, and the early morning sunlight from the backyard shone on him, casting a golden glow on his body.

Without saying much, Zhou He wasn't surprised that the peddler knew about this better than he did.

This person possesses too many techniques that I cannot understand, and too many thoughts that I cannot fathom.

Zhou He's curiosity stemmed from the desire to find out something sooner or later.

But there was no rush, because his current identity was no different from before.

It's still the same chess piece.

Perhaps it has already advanced a few steps and surrounded and killed another piece.

But in the end, the central palace was not crossed; it simply kept moving forward, nothing more.

Stepping into the courtyard, there was an astonishingly large peach tree.

The peach tree was old, its bark scarred and gnarled, and it was about as thick as two or three people could hug. Its leaves provided shade, but most of the yard was bathed in dappled sunlight.

There were no fruits or flowers on the peach tree.

Only when he got closer could Zhou He see clearly that those were not leaves at all.

They looked like teeth, green, biting each other.

The peddler was already sitting at the stone table under the tree, waving to Zhou He:

"Brother Zhou, come and sit down. This old man Tao even saved up some good tea leaves to give me."

Zhou smiled, sat opposite the peddler, picked up the brewed tea, took a sip, and savored it.

It's bitter, but the bitterness is followed by a sweet aftertaste. It's not a smooth tea, but it's definitely a good tea.

"Mr. Chen is much faster than me."

Zhou He spoke, which can be seen as a response to the peddler's earlier remark.

The peddler chuckled, added some more hot water to their covered bowls, and diligently put the lids on Zhou He before speaking:

"Brother Zhou, I've given you the information I promised regarding the meat merchants. You've used the road guide, and you've even eaten the meat. So, we've settled the matter, haven't we?"

Zhou lifted the brim of his hat with one finger and smiled:

"The previous business deal is over. I heard Mr. Chen has new business opportunities, and I'd like to get involved."

This was not only because of what Yongqiang said in Jincheng, but also because of Zhou's curiosity.

I'm curious about what this peddler is up to, and how he managed to survive in this world and become a chess player by using his status as a wild meat vendor.

What's even more intriguing is that he himself is an unexpected bonus for Yongqiang; the peddler is the one he pinned his hopes on, the one who would save the world.

What should the peddler do then?

Too many mysteries lay before Zhou He, and he almost trembled with fear.

From the fear of coming into this world, to the despair and desire for death, to the fleeting arrogance after rebirth, to the disorientation after being shrouded in mist, and now, with more mysteries before him, he is thirsting for knowledge.

Zhou He could no longer figure out what he really wanted.

He just wanted to know.

So he came, taking the initiative to get involved.

The peddler grinned, showing his big teeth, and pushed the covered teacup towards Zhou He:

"Actually, I wasn't lying to you before. Carrying meat for the Li family is indeed a big business."

Zhou He picked up the covered teacup and waited for the tea to be swallowed.

It is indeed a good tea.

"Mr. Chen, I don't quite understand what you mean."

"Wasn't carrying the meat earlier to lure Momokawa out? Why is there a backup plan?"