Chapter 15

"Have you obtained the deed yet?" Jin Yuwai asked anxiously.

Looking at the beautiful, plump widow before him, a wicked fire flashed in Jin Yuwai’s eyes. However, since the matter of the deed was a matter of life and death, he still knew the difference between urgency and importance.

After all, there were four Earth Wheel experts and over a dozen strong men watching him like hawks.

In their eyes, Jin Yuwai was merely a small wealthy household in Fufeng City, someone they could easily dispose of.

"I have it." Aunt Wang nodded, looking at Jin Yuwai’s fat and ugly face, sighing inwardly.

For the rest of her life, she would have to spend it with this scoundrel, unsure if this choice was right or wrong.

"Good! Good! Sister Wang has done a great job, quickly give me the deed." Jin Yuwai was overjoyed, the pressure in his heart easing considerably. His gaze involuntarily swept over Aunt Wang’s curvaceous lower body, filled with lust.

What a beautiful woman, I will have my fun for a couple of days and then sell her to a brothel.

As for marrying her, that’s out of the question. A lowly peasant woman and a widow, I, the noble Jin Yuwai, also have my pride, don’t I?

As long as this matter is accomplished and I gain the favor of the Dantai family, what woman can I not get?

Aunt Wang forced herself to suppress her disgust, reaching into her bosom to retrieve the deed.

However, her bosom was empty.

Her face changed drastically as she searched frantically but found no trace of the deed.

"What’s wrong?" Jin Yuwai saw her expression and his heart tightened.

"The deed... the deed is gone." Aunt Wang’s face turned pale, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

"What! You, find it again carefully." Jin Yuwai’s heart sank, still urging her.

"It’s really gone." Aunt Wang’s face showed a look of despair.

"How could this happen, you stupid woman, how did you handle this!" Jin Yuwai couldn’t help but burst out in anger, rolling up his sleeves to kick her.

"Wait, could it have been lost on the mountain? Go back and look for it." Qi Da stopped Jin Yuwai’s violent act.

"I was discovered by a young man named Zhong Wen when I stole the deed." Aunt Wang shook her head weakly, "He didn’t stop me from coming down the mountain, but he definitely took the deed, though I don’t know how."

"You, you wretched woman, how dare you trick me!" Jin Yuwai couldn’t suppress his anger, "I’ll kill you... Ow!"

Qi Da just waved his hand lightly, and Jin Yuwai’s fat body flew far away, landing heavily on the ground, sending dust flying.

"How were you discovered?"

"I don’t know. When I stole the deed, there was no one around." Aunt Wang’s eyes were blank, answering mechanically.

"Since the matter has been exposed, these two are no longer of any value. Dispose of them." Qi Da turned to the dozen or so men coldly, "Leave no trace."

With that, he turned and left with the other three.

"Lord, please, Lord, don’t kill me, it’s all this wretched woman’s fault, I still have value, I still have value!" Jin Yuwai crawled over like a dog, grabbing Qi Da’s leg, tears and snot streaming down his face, "I have money, I can give you a lot of money, properties, shops, and taverns, everything, please spare my life!"

Qi Da looked at him with disgust, kicked him away, and walked away without looking back.

"Please, please... Ah!!!"

After the four left, one of the dozen or so men stepped forward and decisively stabbed Jin Yuwai in the groin, followed by a stab to the heart, ending his ugly life.

"Boss, this woman is quite good-looking, can we have some fun before we kill her?" A man leered at Aunt Wang, who looked like her soul had left her body.

"Look at your pitiful state, move quickly, don’t delay the main task." The leader shook his head helplessly.

The man laughed and walked towards Aunt Wang...

"Keep an eye on the movements at Qingfeng Mountain, report immediately if anything happens." The leader instructed, then left with the others, leaving two men to continue watching.

"This guy is having a good time."

The two men left behind listened to the intermittent sounds coming from the medicinal field, their eyes red with envy.

Thick clouds passed by, blocking the bright moon, and the medicinal field became pitch black without the moonlight...

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"You?" Lin Zhiyun’s beautiful eyes scrutinized Zhong Wen, almost disbelieving what she had just heard.

"Yes, there’s no one more suitable than me." Zhong Wen’s gaze was unwavering, meeting the goddess’s eyes.

"A man, taking over Aunt Wang’s job?" Lin Zhiyun confirmed again.

"In my eyes, men and women are equal." Zhong Wen’s tone was firm, "A job should be done by the most suitable person, not decided by gender."

The phrase "men and women are equal" made Liu Qiqi’s eyes light up, and her gaze towards Zhong Wen softened.

In this world of extreme male dominance, saying "men and women are equal" was truly a radical idea. Lin Zhiyun was shocked but found it hard to feel repulsed.

"How do you prove you are the most suitable person?" Lin Zhiyun couldn’t help but ask.

Originally, she planned to find another peasant woman from the village to take over Aunt Wang’s job.

"My cooking skills are unparalleled, I clean rooms quickly and thoroughly, and the clothes I wash look like they’re brand new..." Zhong Wen boasted.

"Words are just words, anyone can talk." Lin Zhiyun was almost amused by Zhong Wen’s words but tried to maintain her dignity as an Earth Wheel expert.

"That’s easy, a test will show. I’ll be responsible for lunch today, as a job interview. If the Palace Master is not satisfied with my cooking, it will be a failure. How about that?"

"If you mean that chicken soup with ‘Sai Shengxian,’ it is indeed delicious." Lin Zhiyun thought he was going to use the same trick again.

Zhong Wen felt a bit belittled: "That chicken soup is just a small trick. Today, I will show my true skills."

Seeing Zhong Wen’s determination, Lin Zhiyun couldn’t refuse and nodded, thinking of finding an excuse to make him give up later.

Thus, Zhong Wen, with inflated confidence, went down the mountain to buy supplies.

With the "Haha Cookbook Dagan Edition," Zhong Wen could easily find substitutes for some of the cooking ingredients from his previous life. For example, a type of "sour fruit" juice tastes like vinegar; the Sichuan pepper he loved in his previous life can be replaced by a plant called "Tianma grass"; and a flower called "Diehongjiao" can be used to make a sweet juice similar to sugar water by soaking its petals in water...

Zhong Wen, returning with a full load, did not go directly back to the Piaohua Palace but first went to the secret cave where the female assassin Leng Wushuang was staying.

"Stop practicing that lousy sword technique and come help me peel potatoes."

Zhong Wen was quite disdainful of the killing techniques of the Wanjin Tower.

Leng Wushuang looked at him with her beautiful big eyes, her round face puffing up cutely.

She was wearing an orange jacket Zhong Wen had bought for her, and her expression was much softer, no longer looking like a cold-blooded assassin. Her chest, with its prominent curves, was quite impressive.

"What are you looking at? Hurry up, buying the ingredients took too long, and I’m running out of time to prepare the food. Come help me, it’s my job interview at the Piaohua Palace today." Zhong Wen said to himself, "Use this knife to peel these potatoes and cut those leaves for me. I’ll handle the fish first, and I’ll reward you when I’m done."

"Job interview?" Leng Wushuang looked confused, "Are you applying to be a doctor?"

Zhong Wen’s medical skills had already won the assassin girl’s recognition.

"Not a doctor, a cook." Zhong Wen started scraping the fish scales without looking up, "And a janitor."

Leng Wushuang: "..."

Although she didn’t know what a "janitor" was, she understood "cook" and "cleaning."

"What are you standing there for? Haven’t you slept too much and become stupid?" Zhong Wen urged.

"You’re the one who’s stupid." Leng Wushuang rolled her eyes but really picked up the knife to start peeling the potatoes, "You’re a man, going to the Piaohua Palace to cook and clean for a group of women, aren’t you afraid of being ridiculed?"

"What’s wrong with being a man? Are men so precious?" Zhong Wen said dismissively.

"At least in most people’s eyes, men are much more noble than women." Leng Wushuang, born into a poor family, was very skilled at peeling potatoes, "Moreover, with your medical skills, you could do well anywhere, and your status would be far higher than the head of a small sect like the Piaohua Palace."

"Remember, no one is born inferior." Zhong Wen suddenly looked up, looking at Leng Wushuang seriously, "Nobility is not determined by birth or gender, but by this."

He pointed to Leng Wushuang’s full left breast.

"You pervert!" Leng Wushuang’s face darkened.

"What are you thinking? I meant the heart!" Zhong Wen was exasperated, "Your mind is so impure."

"Hmph!" Leng Wushuang’s face turned slightly red, but she just lowered her head to peel the potatoes, ignoring him.

However, Zhong Wen’s words echoed in her ears.

No one is born inferior... How nice it would be if that were true.

"Your hands are so skilled, it’s a waste for you to be an assassin." Watching Leng Wushuang quickly peel the potatoes and skillfully handle the green vegetables, Zhong Wen couldn’t help but praise her.

Leng Wushuang didn’t say anything, but the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

In the cave, the two sat facing each other, not speaking, each preparing the ingredients in front of them. The stone room was quiet, the atmosphere warm.

"Xiao Leng, you really helped me a lot today." When all the ingredients were ready, Zhong Wen stood up, stretching, and said with a smile.

"Don’t call me Xiao Leng, I’m older than you."

"Frosty?"

"Don’t call me Frosty." Leng Wushuang’s forehead twitched.

"Ah, what’s wrong with calling you Frosty? It’s so cute..." Zhong Wen was about to protest but saw Leng Wushuang on the verge of exploding, so he compromised, "How about just calling you Wushuang?"

Leng Wushuang was helpless with Zhong Wen’s forced familiarity and ignored him.

The next moment, the pile of ingredients on the stone table suddenly disappeared.

Leng Wushuang looked at Zhong Wen in surprise, not understanding how he did it. Given her background and experience, she had never heard of a storage ring, the most top-tier treasure in the world.

"Right, I promised to reward you, I can’t go back on my word." Zhong Wen didn’t explain, walking to Leng Wushuang, winking, and extending his right hand, "What happens next, don’t tell anyone."

He gently placed his right hand on Leng Wushuang’s Baihui acupoint.

Leng Wushuang was startled but didn’t dodge, just watching him quietly.

"Ti Hu Guan Ding!" Zhong Wen activated the skill in his mind.

In an instant, Leng Wushuang felt a flood of information rush into her brain, almost making her flee in shock.

When Zhong Wen removed his hand, Leng Wushuang found a cultivation technique called "Tai Su Xuan Yin Gong" in her mind.

"Are you human or a ghost?" Leng Wushuang was thoroughly frightened by Zhong Wen’s mysterious abilities, stuttering.

"Can’t you chat properly?" Zhong Wen was dissatisfied, "Have you ever seen such a handsome ghost?"

After calming down, Leng Wushuang began to ponder the cultivation technique in her mind.

She understood that she was just a minor assassin, and no matter what Zhong Wen wanted from her, as long as it helped her take revenge, she would do her best to satisfy him.

Without realizing it, Zhong Wen had become a "big figure" in her mind.

"The Wanjin Tower’s cultivation techniques are harmful, don’t practice them anymore. Practice this instead." Zhong Wen said, and a small bottle appeared in his hand, "This is ‘Zhuanshen Pill,’ which can speed up your cultivation."

"What level is this cultivation technique?" Leng Wushuang, having mastered the "Tai Su Xuan Yin Gong" through the "Ti Hu Guan Ding," found it profound and extraordinary.

"Star Spirit level."

"What is the Star Spirit level?" Leng Wushuang had never heard of it.

"Guess."

"..."

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What beautiful dishes!

Seeing the table of dishes Zhong Wen had prepared, Lin Zhiyun, Liu Qiqi, and Yin Ning’er were all pleasantly surprised.

The glossy hollow stem vegetables;

The steamed sea bass sprinkled with red flowers and green leaves;

The golden fried potato cubes sprinkled with black sesame and green onions, fragrant;

The Mapo Tofu slowly simmered with Tianma grass powder and other spices;

The neatly sliced three-yellow chicken, with a special sauce on the side;

In the center of the table, a large bowl of green and white "Jade and White Jade Meat and Bone Soup," with green onions and oil floating on the surface.

It was more like a beautiful painting than a table of dishes, making the women hesitate to eat.

Only the little girl was drooling, and if it weren’t for her master, she would have already grabbed the chicken.

"Zh