radicalducati Page 12
Page 12
Feng'er, the head manager, comes from a scholarly family, and playing along with the situation is part of her growth.
However, the Hu dance challenged the outdated etiquette and few women in the Central Plains learned it, except in the land of flowers and moon, hence the special name of Hu Ji Hu Wu (Hu women's dance).
"That's good, I'll head back now."
Zhang Xiaoshan reeked of alcohol and left at midnight.
As the head manager, Feng'er, watched the departing figure, she sighed, thinking that the Zhang family would not only not decline in the future, but would likely reach another peak.
Aside from recommending her as the head manager, all the planning for the Hong Mansion was done by this eldest son.
What's hidden on the second and third floors? It's definitely another bomb from this young master.
In the following days, the Hong family's reputation undoubtedly soared.
Not to mention the endless stream of repeat customers at Hongfu, the pastry delivery service alone caused a stir in Bianjing.
We depart for delivery at 6:00 AM every morning and always arrive before 7:00 AM.
These pastries include cupcakes, egg tarts, bread... and even noodles, steamed buns, and tea eggs...
In just three days, more than a thousand dignitaries and wealthy merchants ordered breakfast at the Hong Mansion.
These breakfasts weren't just a few coins per meal; they ranged from small pastries costing a few coins to deluxe sets costing ten taels of silver. The profits from just one morning exceeded a thousand taels of silver.
And this is just the beginning.
Three days later, the first batch of cakes as tribute was successfully delivered to the palace, totaling one hundred catties, with one catty worth one tael of gold. Every year, this would again be a purchase of ten thousand taels of gold from the imperial treasury.
Hongfu Breakfast Pastries reached its peak, with over 10,000 people placing orders.
This is the tribute effect; apart from the loss of some pastries in the Red Mansion over three days, the daily breakfast income is at least three thousand taels.
Meanwhile, another food delivery worker has joined the ranks of high-income earners in Bianjing.
···
At dawn on July 15th, a thick fog rolled in, signifying the opening of the gates of hell!
Today is the first grand event of Ghost Street, with the first black market auction taking place at Tianji Tower, and Zhang Xiaoshan has undoubtedly been invited.
A thick fog blanketed the Qiantang River.
In the morning mist, a covered boat seemed to come from the gates of hell, picking up Zhang Xiaoshan, Jue Wu, and Jue Tong, and sailing back into the thick fog to ferry them to the underworld.
The Ghost Street is located in the slums, and according to the Qimen Dunjia divination method, it has eight entrances, four visible and four hidden.
The four main paths are located in the territories of Zhang San Niangzi, Yang Chenghu, the Snake King, and the Butcher, respectively.
There are four secret passages, one each controlled by the Ghost King, the God of Wealth, the Heavenly Official of Tomb Raiders, and the Black Widow.
Zhang Xiaoshan, on the other hand, was adept at both overt and covert operations, appearing and disappearing unpredictably.
As for the Ghost Street festival?
These eight families will then invite their distinguished guests to participate.
Therefore, the person from the Nine Gates who received Zhang Xiaoshan this time was none other than Ghost Yama.
Today, there are three establishments on Ghost Street—the Golden-Faced Buddha, the Ghost Yama, and the God of Wealth—but only one is the Ghost Yama, who is in charge.
An Shigeng was also among those invited, so it was impossible for him to appear as the God of Wealth.
"Young Master Zhang, this way please. A VIP room has been arranged for you!"
Led by Gui Yanluo's subordinates, Zhang Xiaoshan's appearance attracted the attention of many.
Especially the Nine Gates of Ghost Street, their eyes gleamed as they looked at Zhang Xiaoshan.
They had all planned to approach Zhang Xiaoshan, but unfortunately, he was protected by skilled bodyguards, and although the Zhang family were merchants, their social standing was not something they could easily approach.
For several months, I still couldn't find an opportunity.
Moreover, after the opening of Hongfu, Zhang Xiaoshan's status was elevated once again.
At this moment, everyone turned their heads to look at the imposing young master Zhang, hoping to make a connection with him.
"Young Master Zhang, over here!"
With a signal, Zhang Xiaoshan looked toward a private room, where the Ghost Doctor was beckoning to him.
This wasn't the Ghost Doctor's private room, but Zhuge Zhengwo's. Therefore, Zhang Xiaoshan also saw Zhuge Zhengwo and Wuqing, and then walked away.
Those who were watching felt a pang of regret.
Who is Zhuge Zhengwo?
Few of them dared to appear before Zhuge Zhengwo.
However, the appearance of Zhuge Zhengwo, a man of integrity, at Tianji Tower caused dissatisfaction among the crowd, as most of the things in Ghost Street were shady dealings.
Besides, I, Zhuge Zhengwo, am a poor wretch with no money either!
Chapter Fifteen: Awakening to the Past - Ghost Heart Pill
"Mr. Zhuge, Senior Ghost Doctor, and Heartless Girl!"
"Young Master Zhang, two masters!"
It wasn't surprising that the three looked at Zhang Xiaoshan, but they all nodded when they saw the two monks he had brought with him.
The five masters taken over by the Zhang family were all martial monks who had violated the Buddhist precept against killing.
However, this killing was not a true "breaking of the precepts," because every year the Southern Shaolin Temple would send many martial monks to the coast to suppress pirates and Japanese pirates, and sometimes it was unavoidable to accidentally kill someone.
However, the five masters Juexin slaughtered the entire mountain stronghold, killing all three hundred people without leaving a single one alive.
All this was because the people of the mountain stronghold committed arson, murder, looting, and all sorts of evil deeds.
When Master Juexin and his five disciples returned from suppressing the Japanese pirates, they passed through a mountain village and discovered that the village had just been looted.
Leaving aside the innocent people who were brutally murdered, seeing the women being violated by beasts, each suffering a fate worse than death, Juexin and his five companions were consumed by murderous intent and, in a fit of rage, killed them.
In their rage, the entire mountain stronghold was wiped out; they all became victims of their clubs.
Although the bandits in the stronghold were all deserving of death, Juexin and his five companions were praised by the martial arts world and the common people for their righteous anger in killing them.
But the first and foremost precept of Shaolin is against killing!
The massacre of an entire family is no longer a matter of 'occasional slip-up'.
Even those who deserve to die are bound by the Shaolin precepts, so all five were placed in 'confinement'.
Until the Zhang family 'leased' the masters, the abbot of the Southern Shaolin Temple, who was not a rigid person, rented out all five masters.
At the Southern Shaolin Temple, five martial monks who broke the precepts could only be confined to solitary confinement.
Rather than doing that, it would be better to let the five people go down the mountain. As long as their original intentions remain unchanged, it is also a form of spiritual practice.
On the contrary, punishing them with 'wrongful punishment' that they shouldn't have received might cause them to develop evil thoughts and go astray.
After all, from any perspective, Juexin and his five friends are not wrong.
The only mistake is Shaolin's 'precepts'.
"How are the heartless girl's legs?"
"The method that Young Master Zhang mentioned earlier has been confirmed by the Ghost Doctor to be feasible. I should thank you, sir."
Zhuge Zhengwo looked at Zhang Xiaoshan. Although the method was simple, the determination to rebuild from the ashes was something that ordinary people could not imagine.
With the affirmation of the imperial physician and the ghost doctor, it was not impossible for Wuqing to stand up.
The only problem now is how to crush the merciless leg bone?
I couldn't bring myself to do it to Zhuge Zheng.
"It's good that I can help Miss Heartless. Senior Ghost Doctor, how about the things I ordered?"
"Knowing that you would come, young master, you made preparations long ago?"
As he spoke, the Ghost Doctor took out a sandalwood box and handed it to Zhang Xiaoshan.
Without trying to hide it from Zhuge Zhengwo, Zhang Xiaoshan opened the wooden box, revealing three palm-sized jade boxes inside, each with a small label—
Black Jade Broken Heart Ointment, Dragon Blood Powder, Ghost Heart Pill!
Black Jade Rejuvenating Ointment and Dragon Blood Powder are what Zhang Xiaoshan wants, but what about Ghost Heart Pill?
"Ghost Heart Pill? Senior, what is this?"
"Young Master Zhang, do you know why I am called the Ghost Doctor?"
"Please enlighten me, senior!"
Seeing the Ghost Doctor preparing to sigh and boast about his seniority, Zhuge Zhengwo couldn't help but think of something, his expression changed drastically, and he glanced at the Ghost Heart Pill with some fear.
"The Ghost Heart Pill was created by me after ten years of research on a fragment of a witchcraft manual."
'ten years?'
Upon hearing that the Ghost Doctor had spent ten years researching the elixir, Zhang Xiaoshan was astonished and found it unbelievable.
"Young Master Zhang thinks I'm bragging, but you don't know that I'm already sixty-seven years old."
Sixty-seven?
He was another senior figure in his sixties, and the Ghost Doctor didn't look like the old monk Xianxia, with his white hair and beard; instead, he looked like a middle-aged man in his early forties.
At least before, even Zhang Xiaoshan hadn't noticed any of the Ghost Doctor's disguise.
There are techniques to maintain youthful appearance and methods to preserve health!
"Speaking of the Ghost Heart Pill, it can be described as one of the most poisonous things in the world, and it is extremely insidious."
Old Wang sells melons, praising his own wares.
However, the introduction of the Ghost Doctor somewhat tarnished his reputation and damaged his image as a highly skilled person.
"This Ghost Heart Pill uses the incredibly mysterious Golden Silkworm Gu from Miao territory as a medicinal ingredient, combined with the secret techniques of the Central Plains Demonic Sect. Once a master takes the Ghost Heart Pill, he will become a fearless and invincible ghost corpse, even more terrifying than in life."
what?
Upon hearing the Ghost Doctor's explanation, everyone except Zhuge Zhengwo, who knew a little about the secret, looked at the jade box in Zhang Xiaoshan's hand with fear.
Although Zhang Xiaoshan didn't know the specifics, he knew from the literal meaning of the words how terrifying this thing was.
"The weakness of the ghost corpse lies in its heart. As long as the Golden Silkworm Gu inside the heart is destroyed, the ghost corpse can be killed. Otherwise, even if the ghost corpse's head is cut off, it will continue to live for ten days to half a month until it kills the other party, and it will not become useless immediately."
Self-disclosure of weaknesses?
Both Zhang Xiaoshan and Zhuge Zhengwo felt that the Ghost Doctor trusted them too much.
Of course, they didn't really think the Ghost Doctor was 'naive,' otherwise they would be the ones who were naive.
"Moreover, the ghost corpse has another terrifying aspect, which is its bloodlust."
Anyone killed by the ghost corpses will have their life essence devoured and used to feed the corpse worms and golden silkworms.
In this way, young master should understand how terrifying ghost corpses are.
The demon corpse will only grow stronger as it kills!
Hiss...
If the ghost corpses are fearless and undaunted, wouldn't they be worried?
However, the addition of a growth attribute makes everyone tremble with fear. Ghost corpses are already terrifying, and with unlimited growth, they may become truly invincible.
In comparison, the divine weapon behind An Shigeng is utterly weak.
"There are six Ghost Heart Pills in total. I refined nine back then and used three."
As for the secret recipe of the Ghost Heart Pill, I have already burned it.
As for these six pills, I'm not worried about them falling into anyone's hands, but I owe you a favor, and these six Ghost Heart Pills are how I repay that favor."
"Thank you very much, senior. I am unworthy of such a title!"
Zhang Xiaoshan did not refuse. This thing was so terrifying that even if he didn't use it, it was impossible for it to fall into the hands of others.
Moreover, Zhang Xiaoshan was not a pedantic person. He understood that poison, like swords, depended on who used it.
Zhuge Zheng wanted to destroy such a cruel and insidious thing, but he didn't know how to bring it up.
In particular, he could tell that Zhang Xiaoshan was not an evil person, but he was certainly not a pure and virtuous one either, and it was impossible for him to destroy such a sinister and evil thing.