Chapter 144: Discovering a New Land
Chapter 144: Discovering a New Land
Li Zian glanced at his mobile phone screen.
The call was from Pan Renlong.
Pan Renlong had called two days ago. That time, Li Zian was still sitting in Yu Meilin’s car. This was the second call.
Are you that eager to find out if I am dead?
Li Zian took a deep breath. Only after his emotions settled did he slide to answer. “Hello?”
“Master, haven’t you recovered from your cold yet?” Pan Renlong’s voice came through.
Damn you!
Li Zian cursed inside, but he kept his tone very calm. “It was just a minor cold. I didn’t even take a single pill, and I got better on my own.”
You want to test me? I will give you the result directly. Your move.
“Master truly lives up to the title. My father was also cured by you. It is really my honor to know a skilled person like you, Master.”
“You flatter me, Mr. Pan.”
“It’s like this. My father wants to get together with you, Master. I would like to invite you to dinner tonight. How about it?”
Li Zian asked a question. “Will it be at your home?”
Pan Renlong said, “No. The cook at home is too ordinary, and cannot prepare dishes worthy of entertaining you, Master. However, there is a French restaurant on Weihai Middle Road. Their foie gras is quite good. How about we set it at that restaurant? By the way, that restaurant is called Story of Paris. The name is a bit special, but it is the most popular Western restaurant in the embassy district.”
Li Zian fell silent.
Going could be another trap.
But if he didn’t go, how would he know what move the other side wanted to make?
Also, would that Huang Bo show up?
“Master, is it not convenient for you?” Pan Renlong’s voice came.
“It is convenient. Evening, right? What time?” Li Zian had already made a decision.
The other side wanted to deal with him, but didn’t he also want to deal with them? Everyone was doing the same thing. If you don’t enter the tiger’s den, how can you get the tiger’s skin?
“Well, how about six o’clock? That’s the prime dinner time.” Pan Renlong said.
Li Zian thought for a moment. “Unfortunately, I have something to do at that time. Let’s set it for eight o’clock. Is that okay?”
“Of course it’s no problem. Then I will reserve a table on my end, awaiting your esteemed presence, Master.”
“Hehe, you’re too kind, Mr. Pan. See you tonight.”
“See you tonight.” Pan Renlong hung up the phone.
Li Zian put away his mobile phone and went to the kitchen to make lunch. He wasn’t just making lunch; he also needed to prepare new medicinal plasters, the Movement-Halting Ointment and the Body-Poisoning Ointment.
Among the secret recipes sealed within the Great Sluggish Cauldron, most were medicinal plasters for treating illnesses and saving people. Only the secret recipes for preparing the Movement-Halting Ointment and the Body-Poisoning Ointment were exceptions. The former was an ointment that caused anesthesia and hallucinations, while the latter was a poison ointment.
The main ingredient for the Movement-Halting Ointment was datura. This plant itself had properties that caused anesthesia and hallucinations. Supplemented with several other materials with similar toxicity, like wormwood and heaven blue, and then refined with furnace-body hair into an ointment.
Movement-Halting, Movement-Halting—the name of this ointment indicated it was an anesthetic ointment. But it didn’t just have anesthetic effects; it also had the effect of causing hallucinations.
However, while the anesthetic effect could be imagined, what kind of hallucinations it could produce was unknown since it had never been used before, so Li Zian had no way of knowing.
The Body-Poisoning Ointment was a poison ointment mainly made from castor beans, supplemented with toxic materials like oleander, Water Fairy, and poinsettia, and then refined with furnace-body hair into an ointment.
Castor beans contained toxic protein and ricin, which could damage a person’s liver, kidneys, and circulatory system. But it wouldn’t take effect immediately; there was a subtle incubation period. It was perfect for poisoning people.
Both these poison ointments required one ingredient called “furnace-body hair,” which was his hair, or armpit hair would also work. This was another variable because, judging from the miraculous effects of the soups he brewed and the medicinal plasters he prepared for treating illnesses and saving people, these two poison ointments definitely wouldn’t just have the limited effects of the medicinal materials themselves.
However, what the actual effects were still needed to be tested on a living creature after preparation.
During this period, every time he went out to buy groceries and encountered a pharmacy selling traditional Chinese medicinal materials, he would go in and look around. As long as it was a material required by the secret recipes, he would buy a little and bring it back. Sometimes when walking and he saw needed materials in the green belts, he would also collect some. Over time, he had already gathered most of the materials listed in the secret recipes sealed within the Great Sluggish Cauldron.
The materials required for these two poison ointments were very common materials. Castor beans were also considered traditional Chinese medicinal materials, and any store selling traditional Chinese medicinal materials would have them. Oleander and the like were also available in green belts and had long been collected.
So, he only needed to pluck hair to prepare them.
Pluck head hair?
That was impossible.
The Master’s head could be cut off, but his hairstyle must not be messed up.
However, since they were poison ointments after all, Li Zian decided to have lunch first and prepare them in the afternoon. Anyway, there was still a long time until eight in the evening.
He fried a few dishes. While preparing the soup for the Old Matriarch, Li Zian sent a message to Mu Chuntao: What are you doing?
A few seconds later, he received a message from King Kong Lolita: Thinking about my husband. I’m practicing yoga for him.
Just a simple sentence, and someone felt an itch.
Li Zian sent a smiley face emoji: If you miss me, come over.
King Kong Lolita: You’re not my husband. Why should I come over?
Li Zian: I made your favorite Mapo Tofu. Mine is authentic. Come and try it.
King Kong Lolita: Then call me ‘wife,’ and I’ll come over for a meal.
Li Zian: …
King Kong Lolita: If you don’t call me, I’ll ignore you, and I won’t give you any melon seeds either. Hmph!
You’re just coming for a free meal, yet you act so arrogant?
But Li Zian fell for it anyway. He obediently replied: Wife, be good. Come over quickly to eat.
King Kong Lolita: Mm-hmm, coming right away!
Li Zian smiled. His heart felt as sweet as if he had drunk a cup of honey water.
Then, he felt troubled again.
He and Yu Meilin were husband and wife, but in reality, they were like friends.
He and Mu Chuntao were friends, but in reality, they were like husband and wife.
This chaotic and contradictory life was like stepping on a landmine. Who knew when it would explode? When that time came, would husband and wife still be husband and wife? Would friends still be friends?
It was unclear and tangled.
It was almost mealtime. Tang Qing came down from upstairs first and entered the kitchen to bring out the dishes and rice.
When Li Zian brought the prepared Great Benefit Phoenix Claw Soup to the dining table, the Old Matriarch came downstairs, pulling the restless little ancestor Li Xiaomei who was hopping around.
“Dad, Teacher Tang praised me today.” Li Xiaomei rushed to Li Zian’s front, hugged his leg, her little face full of a proud smile.
But Li Zian sighed inwardly. He didn’t need to think or have any premonitions; he knew the little ancestor would immediately ask him for a reward.
“Dad, don’t you think you should reward me?” Li Xiaomei’s smile was so sweet.
Who could bear to refuse such a pitiful reward request from a little Celestial Maiden?
Li Zian gave a wry smile. “Go ahead, what reward do you want?”
“Ice cream!” Li Xiaomei held up three fingers. “Two ice creams!”
Li Zian lightly slapped Li Xiaomei’s little head. “That’s three, you silly.”
“Then three ice creams!”
Li Zian: “…”
Little classmate Li Xiaomei, you are beyond help. Truly.
Dad has already seen through your life.
Lin Shengnan walked over. Seeing the soup pot placed on the dining table, her face immediately showed a smile. “We get to drink Great Benefit Phoenix Claw Soup again today. How wonderful.”
Li Zian smiled and said, “Grandma, you should drink more.”
Lin Shengnan suddenly remembered something and said, “That medicine you gave me the other day, I had a bit of diarrhea these past two days, but I slept much better. Before, I used to wake up two or three times a night, but these last two nights I slept straight through till morning. Do you have any more of that medicine? Give me some more.”
Li Zian felt a stir in his heart and thought to himself, “What I gave her was actually tomato juice mixed with my Furnace Body Blood. I never expected it to have such an effect. Could it be that I accidentally brewed a new medicine? It seems I should try developing a new drug.”
Lin Shengnan walked up to Li Zian, extended her right hand, curled her index finger, and lightly tapped Li Zian on the forehead. “I’m talking to you, why are you spacing out?”
Li Zian snapped out of his thoughts and said with a laugh, “Yes, yes, yes. If you want that medicine, I can mix some for you tomorrow. I may not have much of anything else, but I have plenty of medicine.”
Lin Shengnan smiled. “Did that hurt?”
Li Zian awkwardly replied, “No, it didn’t hurt.”
Lin Shengnan added, “Your brain doesn’t work right if it’s not tapped. Xiaomei takes after you—always mixing up three and two.”
Li Xiaomei pouted.
Lin Shengnan immediately went to comfort Li Xiaomei. “My little ancestor, tell your dad to buy you ice cream. If he doesn’t, I’ll tap his forehead.”
Li Xiaomei giggled. “Okay!”
Ding-dong, ding-dong!
The doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” Tang Qing said.
Li Zian hurried over first. “Let me go. You serve Grandma some soup.”
“Okay,” Tang Qing responded.
The door opened, and Mu Chuntao came in, holding a fruit plate with several fresh, juicy peaches.
Li Zian had a dazed reaction because he had a scientifically inexplicable instinctive response to the peaches on the plate, and now it included sunflower seeds too.
Mu Chuntao didn’t greet Li Zian, just smiled at him and walked inside.
“Grandma, the peaches I bought today are really good—they’re genuine white flower peaches. I brought a few for you,” Mu Chuntao said as she headed straight to the dining room. Her smile and voice were beyond sweet and well-behaved.
“Oh, peaches! Why are you so polite?” Lin Shengnan said.
Mu Chuntao smiled and said, “Grandma, you’re getting younger every day. You should eat more peaches—they’re longevity peaches! The Queen Mother of the West’s favorite was the white flower peach. If you eat them, you’ll definitely live longer.”
Lin Shengnan grinned from ear to ear. “The Queen Mother of the West ate Immortal Peaches, not white flower peaches. By the way, have you eaten yet?”
Mu Chuntao placed the peaches on the dining table. “Not yet, I was just about to cook some instant noodles.”
Li Zian thought, “This acting is really good.”
Lin Shengnan said, “Oh, you young people always eat such unhealthy stuff. Sit down, eat here. Our Zian is a great cook. Today we even have Great Benefit Phoenix Claw Soup—it’s really good for you, you should have some.”
Mu Chuntao pretended to be embarrassed. “Grandma, how can I impose like that?”
“Oh, what’s there to be embarrassed about? Just sit down and eat,” Lin Shengnan said.
“Then I won’t stand on ceremony,” Mu Chuntao said as she sat down.
Tang Qing set out a bowl and chopsticks for Mu Chuntao and served her a bowl of rice.
Mu Chuntao said thank you and glanced at Li Xiaomei.
Li Xiaomei said, “Aunt Tao, I’ll tell you a secret.”
“What secret?” Although not really interested, Mu Chuntao still looked very curious.
“Teacher Tang praised me today, haha!” Li Xiaomei laughed happily.
Mu Chuntao also looked very pleased. “Xiaomei is so awesome!”
Li Zian took his seat, and Tang Qing served him a bowl of rice.
“Thank you,” Li Zian said.
Tang Qing smiled but didn’t say anything polite in return.
Just then, a foot without a shoe, only covered in stockings, suddenly landed on Li Zian’s foot and slowly started creeping upward…
Sigh.
Li Zian felt troubled again.
He shouldn’t have invited her over for a meal.
One mouth could indeed get full from eating.
But it seemed the hunger wasn’t in his mouth.
That mouth was picky—it only wanted meat. What was he supposed to do?