Lu Zheng made a round at Sweet Food Studio.
At this time, Sweet Food Studio was naturally not as bustling as it was on its opening day, but since it only sold high-end rock sugar, even a single transaction brought in considerable revenue.
Moreover, the quality of their rock sugar was absolutely top-notch, so many wealthy households specifically bought from Sweet Food Studio, ensuring long-term business.
Now, after deducting rent and labour costs, Sweet Food Studio could provide Lu Zheng with a daily income of one guan, equivalent to the purchasing power of a thousand yuan in modern times.
Don’t underestimate this one guan; a daily income of one guan meant that in a year, it would amount to the price of Lu Zheng’s three-courtyard house, something most commoners could never afford in a lifetime.
After encouraging his two assistants, Stone and Ma San, Lu Zheng gave each of them twenty wen as a reward, which immediately made them deeply grateful, vowing to work hard for him.
This made Lu Zheng feel as though he had already transformed into a capitalist.
He didn’t eat out at noon; the Liu sisters dragged him back home.
In the afternoon, Liu Qingquan pulled Lu Zheng along to another garden.
Yuling Garden.
This was a dedicated theatre, housing two resident troupes, with occasional visiting troupes stopping by, making it one of the liveliest spots in Tonglin County.
However, Lu Zheng had no interest in the operas of the Da Jing Dynasty, so he had never visited.
“Today is Yuling Garden’s signature play, *The Tale of Hongling*, very tear-jerking,” Liu Qingyan introduced.
*The Tale of Hongling*—Lu Zheng had heard this story from a storyteller. It was about a female ghost named Hongling who fell in love with a scholar, and after many twists and turns, they ended up together.
The story itself wasn’t particularly unique, but Lu Zheng had noted that Hongling died due to the war in Mozhou, and the scholar sold his land to migrate south.
From this, it could be inferred that the Da Jing Dynasty likely had enemies in the north.
…
The group entered Yuling Garden, and it lived up to its reputation as one of Tonglin County’s liveliest places. Especially since today featured the signature play, the courtyard within the circular building was truly packed, with every seat taken.
Without consulting Liu Qingyan, Lu Zheng directly called over an attendant and spent a hundred wen to secure a private room, one of the partitioned compartments on the upper floor around the courtyard.
The view was excellent, with melon seeds and tea provided, along with pastries, drinks, and small dishes available at an additional cost.
Liu Qingyan stopped Lu Zheng from ordering pastries, “We just ate lunch, what do we need pastries for? Melon seeds and tea are enough.”
Shortly after, the opera began.
Both Liu Qingyan and Liu Qingquan were captivated, while Lu Zheng, listening to the play, glanced at Liu Qingyan’s profile.
Her skin was fair as snow, her eyes bright and expressive, a sparrow-shaped bronze hairpin adorned with a string of beaded jade at the side, accentuating her delicate, jade-like beauty.
Noticing Liu Qingyan’s face gradually flushing, Lu Zheng smiled and shifted his attention.
Indeed, Yuling Garden’s troupe was quite skilled. Once Lu Zheng focused on the performance, he quickly became engrossed.
Until the story’s climax, where Hongling was reborn but abducted by a pig demon. The scholar sought help from a hunter, who ventured into the mountains, found the demon’s lair, and with the scholar luring it out, the hunter set a trap, ambushed the demon, killed it, and rescued Hongling. The story ended with a grand wedding feast featuring pork as the main dish.
Everyone applauded, but Lu Zheng noticed a burly man in the courtyard who stood out from the crowd.
He seemed… angry?
Moreover, having cultivated his qi, Lu Zheng felt an odd sensation when looking at the man.
Besides Lu Zheng, many others also noticed this man, so his gaze didn’t attract the man’s attention.
The Liu sisters noticed him too.
Liu Qingquan trembled slightly, while Liu Qingyan said to Lu Zheng, “The sun’s getting low, let’s head home.”
“Alright!”
The private rooms at Yuling Garden had a dedicated exit passage, so they didn’t have to squeeze through the courtyard crowd, leaving through a back door.
…
After escorting the Liu sisters home, Lu Zheng travelled back to the modern world, replied to a few messages, washed up, and returned to the ancient world.
The modern world was too hot, and air conditioning felt uncomfortable. Tonglin County, with its cool evening breeze, was far more pleasant.
“It’s been a while since I visited Baiyun Temple. I should find time in the next few days to see Master, pay my respects, and maybe see if I can get something useful from him.”
“Also, the loot from those four tomb robbers needs to be sold soon. With the money, I might be able to buy a large flat, right?”
“Oh, and the Cold Condensation Spell. I’ve got a rough understanding of it these past two days. If I push tomorrow, I might figure it out.”
Thinking over his plans, Lu Zheng checked the time on his phone; it was only 8:30 PM.
Opening a folder, he picked an old movie, *Zombie Taoist*, and watched it idly.
“It’s a famous starting world for transmigrators, but the times are too chaotic, and those who end up there are just unlucky.”
As Lu Zheng mused, the movie reached its final scene, where a Qing Dynasty zombie leapt from the second floor of a house, landing with a loud thud.
*Bang!*
A loud bang came from outside Lu Zheng’s window.
“What the hell!”
Lu Zheng’s pupils contracted. He instantly pocketed his phone, grabbed a long sword from beside the bed with his right hand, took two evil-repelling talismans from under the pillow with his left, and darted to the window.
Peeking through a crack, he squinted outside.
A dark figure was half-crouched on the ground. By moonlight, Lu Zheng could see the person was wearing a Taoist robe.
A Taoist?
“Junior Brother Yuanzheng?” the figure suddenly spoke.
Lu Zheng jumped, “Senior Brother Yuanjing?”
It was his nominal senior brother from Baiyun Temple?
Lu Zheng flashed to the door and rushed out.
For safety, he didn’t approach Yuanjing immediately, stopping three or four feet away.
Seeing Lu Zheng pause, Yuanjing didn’t mind. He formed a Taoist seal with his right hand and said, “The cloud temple always holds the white clouds.”
The seal was a secret of Baiyun Temple, and the phrase was the opening line of *The Baiyun Constant Refining Qi Scripture*. It was definitely him.
“Senior Brother, what happened?”
Lu Zheng helped Yuanjing up, noticing a large gash on his right shoulder and a dirty footprint on his chest.
His internal qi was clearly disrupted, with two broken ribs; he was seriously injured.
“Ran into a powerful demon and got careless,” Yuanjing explained. “I didn’t dare return to the county office, fearing it might follow. I remembered you mentioned your address, so I came to stay for the night.”
After a pause, he added, “But I injured it badly too. It’s probably hiding somewhere to recover, so it shouldn’t show up.”
Lu Zheng: *So you’re saying it’s fine to bring trouble to my doorstep…*
He helped Yuanjing into a guest room in the back courtyard and settled him on the bed.
“The old man next door, Mr. Liu, is a doctor. I’ll go get him to check on you.”
“No need.”
Yuanjing shook his head calmly, “I’ve already set my bones and connected them with qi. As for internal injuries, mortal physicians can’t do much. I just need a safe place to heal. You don’t need to worry about me, go rest.”
