Chapter 10 The Visit

As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell into dead silence.

Zhou Yimin and Qiu Xiaoling didn’t dare to speak at all, both inwardly sighing in frustration—had they come at the wrong time? Moreover, while Qiu Xiaoling had some idea from being present the day before, Zhou Yimin was completely in the dark—she hadn’t even had the chance to fill him in before the new guy showed up.

Yan Zhen stared at the sunny young man. “Go on, speak.”

The sunny young man stiffened. “Sorry, Boss, I can’t betray the organization.”

Yan Zhen studied him for a long moment, watching as cold sweat broke out on his forehead, before finally smiling faintly. “That’s fine.” He tapped his temple lightly with a finger. “I’ve heard that traitors get shot.”

The sunny young man broke into a cold sweat, his pupils involuntarily contracting as if recalling something terrifying. Fortunately, those thoughts stayed in his head—now that he thought about it, this Boss Yan seemed to hold their Captain Lin in high regard. If he blurted out anything careless, he might end up in even worse trouble…

After a moment, the sunny young man forced a laugh and awkwardly excused himself before leaving.

Yan Zhen snorted softly. “Annoying.”

Zhou Yimin rubbed his nose and stood up. “Well, Master Yan, I won’t disturb you any longer, in case I hold up your business. You have my number, right? If there’s anything you need me to do, just give me a call.”

Yan Zhen nodded. “Sure.”

Qiu Xiaoling was also tactful. She really wanted to ask about the material of the hairpin or whether it was some legendary magical artifact, but given the current atmosphere, she decided against it. After all, as long as it worked, what did the details matter? Knowing the principles wouldn’t help her anyway.

Still, she didn’t immediately say goodbye. Instead, she hesitated before speaking up. “Um… Boss.”

Yan Zhen turned his clear gaze toward her.

Qiu Xiaoling lowered her voice. “Can I still buy things here?”

In legends, treasures were often said to be destined for those fated to receive them. She had already gotten that jade hairpin—did she still have the luck to buy anything else? If she could, she’d pay any price within her means. This time, she had brought all her savings.

Yan Zhen looked surprised. “Of course you can.”

Qiu Xiaoling brightened. “Really?”

Yan Zhen frowned. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

Her heart raced. “Anything I want?”

Yan Zhen: “Anything.” This human female talked too much.

Without another moment’s hesitation, Qiu Xiaoling immediately went to the shelves and began picking through the items. Even if she didn’t know whether the others had the same uses, they had to be good, right? At the very least, she could pick a couple of jade pieces of the same material…

Zhou Yimin had just reached the door when he overheard Qiu Xiaoling’s conversation with Yan Zhen. Suddenly remembering himself, he hurriedly added, “Master Yan, could I also buy a few things?”

Yan Zhen pursed his lips. “No need to keep asking me. It’s a shop—you can buy anything.”

Zhou Yimin immediately fell silent, realizing the man was growing impatient, and quickly went to browse as well. Recalling that Qiu Xiaoling’s jade hairpin could ward off fire, he decided to pick something of the same material. And since the one he had could ward off evil, he’d pick another like it…

However, when the two of them asked about the prices this time, they weren’t as cheap as before.

Qiu Xiaoling spent all her savings—200,000—on a pair of jade bracelets and a jade pendant. The bracelets were made of the same material as the hairpin, while the pendant was multicolored—she and Zhou Yimin chose matching ones.

Zhou Yimin bought several multicolored jade rings and jade hairpins of the same type, both men’s and women’s styles, intending to give them to his parents and wife when he got back. Recently, he had been plagued by bad luck every day, so he had sent his wife back to her parents’ home to avoid involving her. Now that everything was settled, he had already brought her back…

After these two left, Yan Zhen walked unhappily into the backyard, poking at the different wild animal carcasses with his fingers.

This one’s legs can be braised, the wings of this one can be red-braised, and those fruits—might as well juice them…

·

After preparing eight dishes, one soup, a bucket of rice, and a large bottle of juice, Yan Zhen peeled a tree off the mountain, sawed it open, and made a half-person-tall food box with ten layers. Carrying it in his hand, he walked out. After closing the shop door, he slowly looked around and chose a direction to go.

Dan Zai’s scent is this way…

Yan Zhen’s steps didn’t seem particularly special, but within just a few minutes, he had left the street. He looked around again, turned right, and then walked casually for less than three minutes before exiting another street.

Just like that, Yan Zhen twisted and turned through the alleys until he reached B City’s First Street, arriving in front of a small lane.

Ah, Dan Zai’s scent is strongest here.

Then, Yan Zhen walked straight into the lane, reaching the end.

There was a tightly shut small door here. He pushed it but it didn’t budge, so he increased his strength.

“Boom!”

The door was pushed… down.

Behind the door was a pitch-black path. After the loud crash of the door collapsing, a giant dog swiftly dashed out, lunging fiercely at Yan Zhen!

Yan Zhen tilted his head to look, then extended a hand and pressed it against the giant dog’s head.

“Ow!” The giant dog let out a miserable howl and collapsed to the ground.

Yan Zhen lifted the giant dog with one hand and walked along the pitch-black path. But since the dog was over a meter tall, while he was technically carrying it, it looked more like he was dragging it inside.

When the dark path ended, a faint light appeared ahead, vaguely revealing a small courtyard. At the very front was a bamboo house with a bamboo curtain hanging over the door.

Yan Zhen let go of the dog, which let out another “Ow!” before tucking its tail and scurrying to the other side, lying down motionless.

At that moment, the sound of a wheelchair turning could be heard. The bamboo curtain was lifted, and an irritated voice came through.

“What the hell is going on now? If you can’t even guard the door, I might as well turn you into hot pot!”

Lin Yangfeng often locked himself in his room, ignoring everything outside. Even if chaos erupted beyond his walls, as long as it stayed quiet in front of his room, he wouldn’t care. But today, for some reason, the stupid dog those people had left here was barking nonstop, giving him a headache. He wanted to kill the damn thing.

However, the moment Lin Yangfeng emerged, he looked up and saw a slender young man standing quietly in the courtyard. The man’s eyes brightened the instant they landed on him.

The next second, Lin Yangfeng heard the man say, “Oh, you want hot pot?” The man glanced at the stupid dog and shook his head. “No, this one doesn’t have enough spiritual energy. You won’t get full.”

Lin Yangfeng took a deep breath, a lump of frustration stuck in his throat, unsure how to vent it.

After holding it in for a moment, he finally said, “…What are you doing here?”

Yan Zhen smiled like a blooming flower, raising the ten-layer food box with his slender arm, his tone light and cheerful. “I came to bring you food.”

Lin Yangfeng: “I don’t need it. Wait—how did you find me? Did those idiots tell you?”

Yan Zhen shook his head, looking earnestly into Lin Yangfeng’s eyes, and said seriously, “No matter where you go, I can always find you.” Because you’re my Dan Zai, I’ve memorized your scent!