Chapter Forty-Two: Temptation Grass

As dusk fell, Jiang Pingchuan followed Zhou Ning’er back to the noodle shop, his arms laden with bundles large and small. The moment he reached the doorway, he sensed a subtle, almost imperceptible change in the air around the place. Jiang Pingchuan had once studied the feng shui of the noodle shop and the grand Zhou family compound behind it with meticulous care. The residence’s layout was particularly refined, belonging to the highest tier of geomantic configurations. Legend had it that Zhou Ning’er’s great-grandfather had personally overseen its construction. After the incident with Zhou Ning’er, Jiang had reset the focal points of energy in the backyard, yet now the noodle shop felt oddly off, as if the vital force that once protected the place was leaking away.

Stepping inside behind Zhou Ning’er, Jiang immediately noticed the heavy gloom clouding the faces of the two people within. There had been no sign of trouble when they left that morning. Now, however, Madam Zhou and Xiao Wu both wore expressions of deep distress, and curiously, several bowls of noodles sat untouched on every table. Some noodles had barely been touched, while others were scattered in broken pieces on the floor, clearly spat out after being chewed.

“Aunt Zhou, where’s Uncle Zhou? What happened here?” Jiang set his bundles on the table and surveyed the chaos. The counter’s table had been overturned, a bench lay on its side. Madam Zhou sat red-eyed on a bench, and Xiao Wu’s brow was furrowed. Something significant had clearly happened in their absence.

“Pingchuan, the shopkeeper was taken to the county office. There’s been trouble at the noodle shop,” Xiao Wu replied, his voice heavy with worry. His clothes were stained with soup, as if someone had doused him with it, though the rag slung over his shoulder remained clean. Evidently, after they left, he hadn’t even had a chance to wipe the tables for new customers. Upon hearing that her father had been taken away, Zhou Ning’er’s anger flared. Without a word, she strode toward the door, intent on going to the county office herself, but Jiang caught her arm and shook his head at her furious glare.

“Let me go! He’s my father, not yours!” Zhou Ning’er shouted at Jiang in a fit of rage. Madam Zhou, startled by her daughter’s sudden outburst, hurriedly stood and pulled her back. Now, of all times, they could only rely on Jiang Pingchuan—his abilities were well known to them.

“Ning’er, don’t be hasty. This isn’t as simple as it seems. Let’s hear what happened from Xiao Wu before we decide,” Jiang said, releasing Zhou Ning’er and indicating for Xiao Wu to continue. Xiao Wu nodded.

“After you left, something strange happened. Suddenly, our noodles tasted terrible. The regulars started vomiting and having diarrhea after eating. Then Gao Yao brought people, saying someone had reported our noodles were poisoned. The shopkeeper was taken away by Gao Yao to the county office,” Xiao Wu recounted, glancing at the dozens of untouched bowls. Their shop had never experienced anything like this before. Customers usually finished every drop of soup, but now they wouldn’t even lift their chopsticks.

Jiang listened, recalling the odd energy he’d felt at the entrance. He walked to a table, picked up some plain noodles with his chopsticks, and tasted them. The flavor was unchanged, just as he remembered. Why, then, had customers found them inedible and gotten sick?

He began eating the noodles in big mouthfuls, astonishing Madam Zhou and Xiao Wu. They had only managed a single bite earlier, only to be overwhelmed by a foul, fishy stench and spit it out immediately. Yet Jiang seemed to be relishing every bite.

Seeing Jiang eat with such gusto, Zhou Ning’er sat beside him and tried the noodles herself; after just one bite, she grimaced and spat it out, coughing and retching. Clearly, she found the noodles utterly revolting, and stared at Jiang in disbelief as he finished his bowl and contentedly smacked his lips.

“There’s nothing wrong with the noodles. The problem lies in the energy within the customers themselves,” Jiang declared, wiping his mouth. He snapped his fingers in front of Zhou Ning’er, then did the same for Madam Zhou and Xiao Wu, who looked at him in bewilderment, their stomachs still churning at the memory of the taste.

“All right, try them again and see if I’m right,” Jiang said, pushing bowls of noodles in front of them. The three exchanged uncertain glances; they had already tried and failed to swallow even one bite. Still, Zhou Ning’er hesitated, then took another mouthful—her eyes widened in surprise. The taste was no longer repulsive but strangely pleasant, utterly unlike before.

Seeing her reaction, Xiao Wu and Madam Zhou also picked up their chopsticks. After the first bite, Xiao Wu’s eyes grew moist with relief: the noodles tasted just as they always had. Madam Zhou and Xiao Wu finished their bowls, then looked at Jiang in confusion. Jiang smiled, picked up another bowl, and inspected it.

“The noodle shop’s feng shui has been tampered with. It’s obvious Gao Yao is behind this. The reason you all tasted something foul is that the entire shop’s energy has been corrupted, affecting everything inside—including the customers. All things possess spirit and are susceptible to such influence. At dawn, we’ll go to the county office and speak to the magistrate,” Jiang said, setting his bowl down and heading outside to inspect the shop’s facade. The strange energy had been strongest at the entrance, so he looked for the source.

He soon discovered three dead rats discarded beside the base of the stone lion statues at the door; one of them was still alive. Of the other two, one was missing its head, the other its tail. The half-dead rat had a stalk of grass shoved into its mouth—a plant called Greedbane. But this herb did not incite greed; it killed it, stifling all appetite. The grass pierced straight through the rat’s body, entering the mouth and coming out the other end, leaving the creature half alive.

This was a deliberate blemish on the feng shui pattern. No matter how auspicious the setting, such filth would render it lifeless and stagnant. That, Jiang realized, was why the noodles had become unpalatable, even toxic. The customers thought they were eating noodles, but in truth, they were consuming the stench and filth of the rats. The two dead rats reeked, and the half-living one was the key to breaking the energy flow.

Night had fallen, and the street outside was empty. The three inside the shop had not come out, and Jiang, reluctant to use his inner energy—since doing so left him weakened for days—decided on another method. Though his internal energies could slowly recover, in this land their restoration was painfully slow.

Glancing around to be sure he was alone, Jiang untied his belt and poured a stream of boy’s urine over the half-dead rat. Black smoke began to curl from the rat’s body. Jiang continued until the rat finally died, writhing in its last agony. He pulled up his pants and scanned the area again, relieved to see no witnesses.

“Pingchuan, you’re so disgusting…” came a cheerful voice behind him.

“Ah… you, you, you—” Jiang spun around, blushing, caught off guard by Zhou Ning’er’s teasing smile.

“I… what? What about me?” he stammered, feeling as if he’d just been caught bathing naked in front of her, mortified beyond words.

“So, why did you come out?” he managed, annoyed as Zhou Ning’er wrinkled her nose in mock disgust.

“I was worried about you, so I came out to check. How was I supposed to know you’d be so gross, peeing in front of my family’s noodle shop? Ugh, it stinks!” She leaned in to sniff him, then pinched her nose and flapped her hand in front of her face. Jiang rolled his eyes—there was no smell, but she clearly just wanted to tease him.

Realizing she was only here to make fun of him, Jiang looked at her helplessly, unable to suppress a smile.

“Come on, let’s get some sleep. Tomorrow, we’ll have to rescue Uncle Zhou,” he said, turning back toward the shop.

“Mm,” Zhou Ning’er replied, cheeks flushed as she glanced at the spot where Jiang had just relieved himself. She hurried to catch up, slipping her arm through his as they walked inside together.