Chapter 207: Inquire Here (35)
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: GaeaTiamat
This was a small but bustling city. The streets were crowded with people, and in the marketplace, vendors were selling their goods in small groups. A vendor selling rouge and powder walked ahead of a flower seller, while a seller of fan pendants and scarves stood next to a vendor of daily necessities. There were also many selling fragrant drinks, seasonal fruits, antiques, paintings, and sugar figures. It created a lively scene.
The only oddity was that, at a glance, the city was predominantly populated by men, with only two or three elderly women wearing veils who strolled around.
White and black robes flashed by as Liu Fuguang glanced at a lightbox on the street. It bore the words “Ten Thousand Foot Shop” in black ink. He chuckled. “Quite clever.”
Yan Huan smirked and said, “The poor have their ways.”
Running a small shop didn’t cost much. Unlike grand restaurants that could afford to keep their signs brightly lit all night to attract customers, small shops used lightboxes. They covered square frames with white paper, placed a large candle inside, and wrote the shop name in bold ink. As night fell, the lightbox would shine brightly and draw attention.
Liu Fuguang pondered for a moment, then lifted the blue curtain and entered the shop.
Brewing and selling alcohol was usually tightly controlled by the government. Wealthy merchants with connections could openly buy and sell alcohol, and operated what were called legitimate shops. Those who couldn’t afford the connections had to buy alcohol wholesale from the legitimate shops, then sell it for a small profit. To get an understanding of the local situation, those small shops were the most suitable places to visit.
The marketplace was vibrant, and the people showed no signs of the despair seen in Wuping’s citizens. As the guests entered, the shop assistant respectfully approached. “What would you like, gentlemen?”
Liu Fuguang smiled, “Two jugs of wine, and…”
He was still hesitantly looking around when Yan Huan interrupted, “Two jugs of Eighteen Immortals.”
He nonchalantly flicked out a gold coin, rubbed so smooth its emblem was unrecognizable, and said fluidly, “A pot of lamb stewed in milk and blood, three plates of five-flavored apricot goose, five roasted quail, six wine-steamed shad, a pot of lotus root soup, and two boxes of snow tofu for dessert, with a pot of Boxia on the side, kept warm.”
Liu Fuguang couldn’t stop him in time. The assistant was left staring in shock, and the small shop fell silent.
After a moment of silence, Liu Fuguang felt his face flush slightly and he cleared his throat. The shopkeeper hurriedly emerged from the back, kicked the assistant in the rear and exclaimed excitedly, “You fool! Hurry to the Gaoyang Restaurant and order everything the gentleman wants!”
The assistant clutched the small gold coin and dashed out. The shopkeeper grabbed it back, tucked it into his robe, and handed the assistant a money bag from his waist.
“Go!”
As he tucked the gold coin back into his robe, the shopkeeper, now all smiles, hovered around them like a bee drawn to honey.
“Such generosity, gentlemen! Where do you come from?”
“We are travelers from afar,” Liu Fuguang smiled. “We saw how bustling and prosperous your city is and decided to stay a few days to explore.”
As he said that, he glanced at Yan Huan, his brow slightly furrowed.
I can’t even eat. Why order so much? Not to mention, ordering six shad and three geese was unheard of. Who could eat all that?
They were walking in an ordinary city, and using illusions to conceal their true forms, but the thin layer of illusion still allowed them to see each other’s real appearances. As Liu Fuguang turned his gaze, and cast a reproachful look at Yan Huan, Yan Huan’s heart fluttered. A tingling sensation ran down his spine, and made him sit up straight, changing his posture to hide his longing reaction.
“You should be able to eat a little now,” Yan Huan cleared his throat. “It’s fine.”
When the dishes were served, the lamb stew was made with tender lamb cooked with milk and blood; rich and fragrant without any gamey taste. The apricot goose was sweet and delicious, the roasted quail was tender, and the wine-steamed shad was the most exquisite. The trembling, jade-like snow tofu, made from soft tofu topped with colorful cherry shreds, was served last. The Boxia, a rabbit meat hotpot, meant to be eaten piece by piece, dipped in sauces of wine, vinegar, and pepper, was steaming hot and heartwarming.
The neighboring tables stopped eating, and put down their chopsticks to watch.
Yan Huan, unconcerned by the onlookers, picked the tenderest pieces of lamb, drizzled them with sauce, and offered them to Liu Fuguang. He tore a goose leg, taking the meat from the center, along with two small, flower-petal-like pieces of meat from above the leg, and placed them in Liu Fuguang’s bowl, and discarded the rest.
No one had ever seen such a luxurious method of eating. They stared in shock. Their jaws dropped.
Yan Huan didn’t eat himself, as he focused on serving his partner. He carefully picked out the best pieces, and presented them to Liu Fuguang. The snow tofu was cut in half, the rabbit meat was sliced thinly and cooked in an instant.
Liu Fuguang, who hadn’t eaten in a long time, found himself unexpectedly delighted, as he ate whatever Yan Huan offered. He felt a layer of sweat form on his body as he indulged.
When he saw Liu Fuguang’s gluttonous expression, Yan Huan struggled to contain himself, and his chest rumbled with suppressed growls. His heart swelled with pride and satisfaction. The dragon’s beastly nature was boastfully displayed—he was feeding his mate, his eternal lover.
He longed to hold Fuguang in his arms; to ease the hunger for touch; to sincerely and humbly praise his beauty; to sigh over his perfection; to run his fingers through his hair; to nuzzle his earlobes; and to gently kiss those soft lips.
Still, he had been deprived for so long that just quietly watching and feeding his lover, and making him happy and comfortable, was enough to ease his longings.
When the cool, sweet snow tofu slipped down Liu Fuguang’s throat, Yan Huan pressed his hand to the bowl, his voice low and trembling.
“No more, take a break,” he murmured, with longing in his heart. “If you eat any more, you won’t be able to digest it.”
Reluctantly, Liu Fuguang put down his chopsticks. He looked around with a sudden awareness of the situation, and blushed slightly.
They were supposed to be investigating, but he had indulged his appetite, and forgotten their important mission…
Yan Huan was about to tell the assistant to pack up the remaining food when he noticed Liu Fuguang’s blushing face. His nine eyes stared fixedly, as if glued to him.
“Ahem,” Liu Fuguang cleared his throat again, ignored Yan Huan, and turned to the shopkeeper. “Please, keep the change, but I have a few questions.”
The shopkeeper stopped counting the money, with a beaming smile on his face. “Ask away, please!”
“We’re new here and heard this place has unique customs…Is there anything we should be aware of?”
The shopkeeper thought quickly for a moment and answered, “There’s nothing much to be careful about, just, uh…”
The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, then bent down and whispered, “Gentlemen, remember not to go out after midnight. At night, the Nine Sons Mother Goddess patrols, and offending her would be disastrous!”
The Nine Sons Mother Goddess?
Liu Fuguang glanced at Yan Huan and saw that was still delirious, his gaze fervent and fixed intently on him. Irritated, Liu Fuguang turned away again and pretended to be curious, as he said, “What is this Nine Sons Mother Goddess? We’ve traveled far and wide and never heard of her. What kind of deity is she?”
The shopkeeper’s smile became somewhat strained. Whether it was because the weather was too hot or the shop was too stuffy, he wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and explained in a quieter voice, as if afraid something might overhear, “The Nine Sons Mother Goddess is the deity who blesses people with many sons. Every household here worships her devoutly.”
Liu Fuguang remained expressionless but smiled skeptically. “Shopkeeper, aren’t you exaggerating? Giving birth to sons or daughters is a natural law. How can this goddess only ensure the birth of sons and disregard the fate of daughters?”
The shopkeeper chuckled, “Sir, you’re mistaken. Everyone knows the preference for sons over daughters. Having a good son to uphold the family and achieve great things is invaluable, but what can a daughter do? She can’t achieve the same!”
Liu Fuguang lowered his eyes and sensed something suspicious in those few words. He maintained a calm demeanor and was about to speak when Yan Huan suddenly said, “You said that offending her would lead to something serious. What exactly happens?”
The shopkeeper quickly bent lower in front of Yan Huan. He subconsciously felt closer to the young man in white but was extremely intimidated by the man in black, like a rabbit facing an eagle, or a lamb before a wolf, and wished he could shrink into a hidden corner.
“Sir,” he trembled. “There’s a story behind this. A few years ago, a reckless girl from East Street didn’t believe in the Nine Sons Mother Goddess. Her family didn’t discipline her properly, and she snuck out at midnight to see the goddess in person. No one knows what she saw, but she fainted on the spot and lay outside all night until her family found her the next day. That was bad enough, but it wasn’t the end! A few days later, the girl went mad, grabbed a sharp knife, stabbed nine large holes in her belly, ran out of the house crying and laughing hysterically, and collapsed dead after running half way down the street. The scene was…”
He shuddered repeatedly, and the listeners felt equally terrified. The girl’s death must have been extremely painful, with her insides spilling out.
Liu Fuguang asked a few more questions but couldn’t get more specific information. He and Yan Huan then left the shop and returned to the street.
“No wonder,” he said in a low voice. “There are so few women on the streets, and not a single young girl.”
Yan Huan sneered, “What Nine Sons Mother Goddess? It’s just a trick.”
At that moment, a young voice called out, “You two, please wait!”
The voice wasn’t loud but carried a faint trace of spiritual power. Yan Huan ignored it, but Liu Fuguang paused and turned to look.
A young man, about seventeen or eighteen, approached quickly. He greeted them with a bow, “Blessings of the boundless heavens, I am Jin Cuixu. Greetings, fellow Daoists!”
Liu Fuguang observed him, noted his foundation, an establishment level cultivation base and pure aura. Beginning the address with “boundless heavens” indicated he was a proper practitioner, so Liu Fuguang smiled gently. “I wouldn’t dare call myself a fellow Daoist. Young Daoist, you called us. Is there something you need?”
Jin Cuixu smiled sheepishly and got straight to the point. “I am ashamed to say, I grew up in a Daoist temple and have the innate ability to see auras. Just now, I saw immense spiritual light and dark energy here and wondered if there were any experts present. Are you two here for the Nine Sons Mother Goddess?”
His straightforwardness surprised Liu Fuguang, who found the young man interesting and nodded, “We are not exactly here for her. Are you?”
Jin Cuixu sighed, “My sect sent me down the mountain to investigate a series of murders in this area. After asking around and inspecting the place, the only major suspect is the so-called Nine Sons Mother Goddess. However the surrounding cities have worshipped her for years, and she appears to be a genuine deity. How could I…?”
“She cannot be a true deity,” Liu Fuguang advised the younger practitioner kindly. “And this Nine Sons Mother Goddess will never become a true deity.”
Jin Cuixu’s neck shrank, but he was not timid and quickly asked, “Why? Do you have a reason, Senior?”
Liu Fuguang shook his head. “If there were truly a deity who could bless offspring and was so petty, she would never dare to favor sons and ignore daughters.”
“Unless,” he added slowly, “she sought to fall into demonic ways and meet a tragic end.”
Thank you both for the chapter.