There's something wrong with me

In the blink of an eye, over a month passed.

The inn didn't do any promotion.

But after being tasted and highly praised by several guests,

the news of the delicious food at the inn outside the city gradually spread in the vicinity.

The most obvious sign was that the usual total guest count of twenty to thirty tables had increased to over a hundred.

"Good day, Manager, is Zhang Xiao Ge cooking today?"

"Oh? Brother Li, you're here too? Are you also here to try Chef Zhang's cooking?"

It was also on the afternoon a month later.

Acquainted guests chatted while waiting for their meals.

Some were old regulars, wishing they could come once a day.

Some even lived here.

But it cannot be denied that they were all wealthy people.

Otherwise, who would specifically live in an inn just to eat?

However, there were also a few Bosses and wealthy gentlemen who wanted to invite Zhang Feng to be their private chef.

Zhang Feng refused all these invitations.

In addition, the Manager's nephew was a subordinate of Hang General, so these people didn't become angry and 'cause trouble'.

It was just that during this time, the Manager's nephew hadn't come.

Looking at the situation, it was likely not his turn to 'go out and exchange money'.

Zhang Feng also felt it was quite good, as he could cultivate his skills while waiting.

In this way, another three days passed.

The inn's business was getting better and better.

Today, it was already nine o'clock at night, a time when people in this area should basically be heading home to sleep.

But at the inn, at this hour, the tables were still full.

Although there hadn't been any expansion yet, there were only sixteen tables (including the tables and chairs recently added outside the inn).

However, this bustling scene also indirectly confirmed the saying 'food is the paramount necessity of the people', which is popular in any era.

Including the extra tables set up outside, this was also a preliminary test of the business turnover.

If the city government were to investigate, they would just pay a fine and then collect the tables.

With the Manager's nephew's status and the Manager knowing these officers, the fine wouldn't be too severe.

But regarding the matter of land approval, just having money wasn't enough; without his nephew coming in person, it wouldn't work either.

Because these officers and the Manager were small figures, how could they discuss the matter of 'land'?

Zhang Feng also saw how difficult things were these days, inexplicably difficult.

And he felt that even if his nephew did come, his influence wouldn't be enough.

However, the inn had also made a lot of money during this time.

Excluding daily expenses and fines, there were one hundred and fifty silver dollars.

Zhang Feng himself received one hundred and twenty silver dollars.

Even though the Manager was very stingy and reluctant, giving money felt like cutting flesh with a knife, it was precisely because he was shrewd that he knew who helped him earn this money.

If the distribution wasn't handled well and Zhang Feng left, he would be nothing.

Furthermore, whenever the inn closed late at night, Zhang Feng would occasionally paint a picture for him, saying that after the expansion, there might be one hundred and fifty silver dollars in income every day.

Even if he just lay there, he could earn fifty a day.

Then all other problems disappeared, leaving only the most crucial one.

That was, how to protect the money?

He was thinking about this matter now.

Would more people see him making money and come to take advantage?

So, the inn also added a few daring and capable waiters.

This gave the Manager a bit more sense of security.

Fifty days later, in the evening.

Eleven o'clock.

In the back kitchen.

Zhang Feng was stir-frying a meat dish while contemplating the issue of talismans.

He would occasionally pick up a few pieces of meat to taste, ensuring the cooking time was right, and also filling his stomach.

During this period, he didn't lack food.

Coupled with his physique already being 120 and having opened five Spiritual Minds,

even though there were more and more guests, he didn't feel busy.

Stir-frying and cooking were now instinctive actions done automatically, not hindering his cultivation and research.

It was just that the Earth Thorn was about to be thoroughly researched, but that nephew still hadn't come.

This gave Zhang Feng a few more ideas.

After all, he had previously thought of using the nephew's connection to go to Hang General's mansion from a 'peaceful angle' to find more secret manuals.

But now the nephew hadn't come.

If more time passed, there would be no need for peace; he could go directly to the door.

Although the money that should be given would still be given, and the politeness that should be shown would still be shown,

with his own strength as a fallback, there was no need for such roundabout and cautious planning.

But now, the earth element research was almost complete, and new talismans needed to be added to the research project.

Zhang Feng thought for a moment and decided to go see those two Dao Friends first to see if they had more talismans.

In these nearly two months, Zhang Feng had also visited them a few times, but it was mainly for treatment, and he hadn't asked about more talismans.

So, first, go find the Dao Friends.

...

The next day, before dawn.

The winter wind was like a knife.

Alone on the dark dirt road leading into the city.

Zhang Feng walked while looking at the side of the road.

Swish—

In less than a second, a sharp Earth Thorn about one meter long and ten centimeters in diameter formed there.

This was a technique Zhang Feng activated using structure.

If he didn't use structure, it would only be seventy to eighty centimeters long, the diameter would shrink to seven to eight centimeters, and it would be more brittle.

This was an Earth Thorn 'hard-pressed' out of spiritual energy.

It was quite like the difference between a wild method and a regular army.

His previous hard-pressing was the wild method.

Structure was the regular army.

It was also like before, he just used spiritual energy forcefully, completely like splashing a basin of water on someone.

Now, he could condense it into a water gun, with greater lethality.

But whether it was a wild method or a regular army, both benefited from knowledge like geology.

And with the basic structural formula, the technique's power was greater.

Especially since Zhang Feng, by analogy, also felt that a 'Water Thorn' should be able to be cast.

This was thanks to the ocean world, where he was in contact with water and played with water every day.

His control over water far surpassed other elements.

In particular, Zhang Feng had another idea: if his Water Thorn could be cast, then the formulas for other 'various thorns' should also be similar to the earth element.

Although different elements would cause relative changes in structural points,

Zhang Feng also felt that the general structure was unchanged, and the basic core principle was 'a line-like circular stability'.

The 'line' was because the Earth Thorn was drawn out in one breath.

The 'circle' was its formed shape, similar to a circle, but with slightly concave sides, forming a very strange symbol.

And 'line' and 'circle' were the general structure of the Earth Thorn.

Zhang Feng was currently trying to deduce the principle of the 'internal detailed structure' of the Water Thorn based on this general structure.

Of course, if there was a standard 'Water Thorn talisman', it would be even better.

The parsing speed would be further accelerated.

...

Arriving in the city.

In the winter before dawn, street vendors had already started shouting their wares.

"Baozi~"

"Matches, cigarettes~"

There were vendors pushing carts, and also those with small boards hanging from their chests.

But more carried shoulder poles, with small cages hanging from both ends, like containers for steaming baozi, with steam puffing out from the gaps.

"Brother Zhang!"

While Zhang Feng was walking and looking around,

a middle-aged man in a suit sitting in a carriage nearby stopped the coachman and enthusiastically said to Zhang Feng, "Where are you going? I'll give you a ride!"

"No need, Manager Zhou." Zhang Feng cupped his hands towards him; he was a regular guest at the inn and had even given him a 'tip'.

According to him, this was popular in the West and Hong Kong.

"Courtesy, courtesy." Manager Zhou, wearing a well-fitting Western suit, skillfully got up and returned the bow, his movements perfect.

But to Zhang Feng, it always felt awkward.

Thinking carefully again,

it was that his movements were too standard and classical, perfectly integrated with the surrounding era, but his clothes were too conspicuous.

Shaking his head inwardly,

Zhang Feng bade farewell to this wealthy gentleman and walked directly towards the 'slum' in the north of the city.

Upon arriving here,

the smell of decay and rot, compared to the complex Nine Dragon Walled City, was several grades worse.

Even though it was winter, the smell was very strong.

Because by the wall not far away, there was a corpse.

Zhang Feng glanced at it and judged from its state that the cause of death was hunger and cold combined last night.

People coming and going ignored it, doing what they were supposed to do.

It seemed quite cruel, but compared to the apocalypse and the martial arts world,

this was much better.

In the apocalypse, Zhang Feng saw some people, after discovering a normal corpse, treating it completely as a reserve food supply.

Truly, if someone were fighting over a corpse now,

Zhang Feng would also feel it was very normal.

Because after living through these dozen or so lives,

Zhang Feng already felt that he was no longer normal.

It was also thinking of this that

Zhang Feng suddenly felt that his inner demons indeed needed to be suppressed, otherwise his thoughts would sometimes become extreme, close to the oppressive feeling in the apocalypse.

So, after finishing learning in this world, he must relax.

Calculating again, after going through the next world, it would be a new growth world.

Let's set it there for now.

Gathering his thoughts,

Zhang Feng arrived in front of a small bungalow in a small alley.

Tap, tap—

He knocked a few times.

Although outsiders couldn't hear any movement, Zhang Feng's exceptional hearing could hear faint footsteps inside the house.

Then the person avoided the crack in the door and pressed against an inconspicuous crack in the wall, looking at him.

Zhang Feng looked towards the crack in the wall at the same time, "Dao Friend, it's me."

"Dao Brother!"

The person who came was a Dao Friend, and when he saw it was Zhang Feng, he quickly opened the door.

Zhang Feng didn't say much and walked straight into the small house.

Creak—

After closing the door, the Dao Friend also quickly followed.

When they arrived at the side room, the Dao Friend Senior Brother was just getting up from the bed.

He was able to move a little more flexibly now.

"Dao Friend, you're here." His speech was no longer intermittent.

"En." Zhang Feng nodded slightly, then took a step forward to feel his pulse. "The inn has been quite busy lately, so it's been more than ten days since I last saw Dao Friend Lin."

Zhang Feng withdrew his hand from feeling the pulse. "The measurement seems fine. The Qi and blood in your body have smoothed out a lot, and your bones are gradually resetting.

During the recovery period, how do you feel? Have there been any instances of煞气紊乱 (Sha Qi disorder) at ordinary times?"

"No." Dao Friend Lin had a look of gratitude and astonishment, and solemnly clasped his fists, saying, "Dao Friend's divine hands, while treating my injuries, not only cleared my Sha Qi but also straightened out my meridians.

Such medical skills are unparalleled in the world!"

"As long as it can be cured." Zhang Feng spoke very directly, "Dao Friend Lin, I have to go back to the inn later, so I'll be straightforward about the purpose of my visit this time."

As Zhang Feng spoke, he took out their original talisman, and under their widened eyes, he took out ten more detailed ones.

"The spiritual energy in your original talismans has dispersed.

But during this time, relying on your talisman drawing method, I have copied ten more. You can use these for self-defense first.

If it's not enough, I can draw a few more on the spot."

"This..." Dao Friend Lin looked at the stack of talismans and was somewhat bewildered.

Because it would take his junior brother at least half a day to successfully draw one talisman.

But this Dao Friend is giving away ten at the start?

And looking at the spiritual energy fluctuations on them, it was clear that he had drawn ten in one go in a short period.

Such attainment, and such abundant spiritual energy.

He truly had never heard of it.

"Dao Friend..." The Dao Friend looked at Zhang Feng's talismans and asked in shock, "You... you said you copied them? Could it be... you didn't know the method of talismans before?"

"Yes." Zhang Feng nodded under their even more shocked gazes and said again, "This is the second reason I came to find you.

Do you have any other talismans? If so, I would like to copy some more."

...

Two minutes later, he left this place.

This time it was a wasted trip.

The two of them didn't have any other spell talismans.

That Earth Thorn technique was their sect's ultimate secret.

As for other spells, they were similar to Zhang Feng's earlier methods, relying on brute force with spiritual energy.

As for their sect, fifty years ago, it was considered a first-rate sect in this world.

But after some changes, only the two of them remain now.

However, their brute force methods also had some points for reference.

Now.

Zhang Feng walked towards the inn while looking at their sect's 'untransmittable' secret manual.

And based on their secret manual.

Zhang Feng further supplemented his knowledge of cultivation.

After all, they were legitimate.

A sect with hundreds of years of inheritance always has something to learn from.

For example, regarding common problems in cultivation, there are many annotations on them.

For instance, inner demons.

Their secret manual also refers to them as such.

And it particularly emphasizes that inner demons have a profound impact on cultivation.

In minor cases, it affects cultivation speed. In severe cases, one might become possessed, develop an extremely extreme personality, or have spiritual energy conflicts, completely losing their cultivation, or even suffer severe injuries or death.

Zhang Feng felt that these were quite serious after reading them.

But regarding the solution, the manual mentioned a very interesting practice method.

That is 'fishing'.

This fishing is not a cultivation term, but genuinely going to some refreshing places and fishing normally.

Zhang Feng found this quite interesting after seeing it.

Because just thinking about those 'unknown fish', never knowing what the next cast will bring, seems to make one much happier.

Indeed.

These major sects still have some 'cultivation methods'.

But before, although I knew how to fish, I never really thought about this.

However, now I know.

Then I can find an opportunity to try it out.

...

Another half a month passed.

Something happy happened.

The Manager's nephew arrived.

This afternoon.

The inn's backyard.

Zhang Feng also saw the Manager's nephew, a short, stocky man in his early twenties.

His physique was not bad, 17 points.

As expected of a soldier who eats and drinks well, and is in a world with spiritual energy, his physique is easy to maintain.

Because Zhang Feng saw that he didn't have much martial arts skill, just practiced occasionally, purely getting by.

"Uncle!"

Although Zhang Feng was casually observing, he wasn't in a hurry at all.

But he was very anxious and quickly said to the Manager, "What do you need? Say it quickly. We have a time limit for coming and going. I need to hurry back."

"Yes..." The Manager didn't waste time and quickly informed him about the land purchase and expansion.

After quickly finishing speaking.

Facing his nephew's disbelieving gaze, he also solemnly introduced Zhang Feng and asked his nephew to taste the dishes Zhang Feng had cooked.

During this time, he also took out the recent account book and showed it to his nephew.

Then, the nephew also felt that they were going to get rich.

This land must definitely be bought.

"I'll go and talk to our 'Factory Director' first!"

He also left quickly.

The 'Factory Director' he mentioned was the person in charge of the copper coin factory and also his direct superior.

This Factory Director was also a confidant of Hang General.

If he stepped forward, many things would be minor matters.

...

In the evening.

In a hidden factory.

"It's like this..."

The nephew found this Factory Director, who was around forty years old, and informed him about the land purchase matter one by one.

After speaking, the nephew also held up three fingers.

"Peng Ge! As long as this matter is handled well, my uncle said he will give you 30% of the profits!"

"30%..." Peng Ge stroked the beard on his chin and said, "To be honest with you, my friend, I really heard a Boss say that Chef Zhang's cooking is delicious.

I didn't expect him to be your uncle's cook."

"Hehe, did you hear about him, Ge?" The nephew said with a smile, "That's a coincidence, then what do you think about this land matter I mentioned, Ge?"

"Land..."

Peng Ge was thinking.

Especially to be honest, he really wanted to join in.

Because, the Manager, Hang General, the nephew, and him.

Although the four of them looked different, their goals were the same.

Especially with Hang General setting an example.

Peng Ge, who was in charge of the copper coin factory, naturally also looked 'forward' with both eyes.

It's just that he always felt that this 30% was too little.

But if it was too much, he felt it was inappropriate. After all, he and the nephew were like brothers who ate from the same pot.

The nephew was also a small leader in the copper factory.

He couldn't be too greedy.

"Peng Ge..." The nephew saw that Peng Ge hadn't spoken for a long time, so he offered him a cigarette and lit it for him personally.

"What are you thinking?"

"Oh~" Peng Ge slowly nodded, then slowly exhaled a smoke ring, looking like he agreed, but also like he was being perfunctory.

After this series of small actions, the nephew was so anxious he was almost scratching his ears and cheeks.

Watching Peng Ge exhale smoke like this for half a minute.

Facing Peng Ge's manipulation, the nephew couldn't sit still and said again, "We're all brothers, just say what's on your mind and give me a definite answer..."

"Don't panic, don't rush." Peng Ge took another satisfying puff of his cigarette. "The more we are at a time of decision like this, the more we need to stay calm."

As he spoke, he looked at the anxious nephew, "It's not that I'm deliberately messing with you, or stringing you along, Ge. It's such a big matter, you have to let me think.

After all, I'm not very familiar with the land official in the city. If we're getting a land deed, we'll inevitably have to grease some palms.

Our Big Boss often says that harmony brings wealth.

If we really go there with guns to demand land.

Leaving aside whether they will give us the land or not, at least the Big Boss won't let the two of us off."

"Yes, yes..." The nephew chuckled a few times, but in his heart, he cursed, 'That sounds good, what Big Boss? What greasing palms? Actually, you just want more money!

Isn't the inn's share enough for you?

The inn hasn't even been expanded yet, and you want to rip off your own people first!

What kind of scumbag is this!

Using petty greed and caution all on his own people, do you really think I'm stupid?'

The nephew thought bitterly, but his face was beaming with a smile, and he said sincerely, "Don't worry, Peng Ge! I'll handle the money for the greasing of palms!"

"Alright!" Peng Ge also smiled, "I'll go out now, go to the city and ask, see how much that land costs.

When I come back, I'll give you a definite answer.

We're family, I definitely have to help with this!"

"Thank you, Peng Ge!" The nephew felt that this matter should be settled.

"Oh right! Where is the inn?" Peng Ge asked again, "I'll go and see that Chef Zhang first, and find out his background."