This family happened to be the Fugui family. Fugui had marks on his face, scars left by whipping, and he looked at Chen Shi, who had just climbed over the wall, with fear.
Fugui's legs went weak, and he felt an urge to kneel and beg for mercy.
Chen Shi didn't know what Fugui was thinking. He looked around and whispered, "Fugui, where are your parents?"
Fugui's parents weren't home; he was alone.
With a trembling voice, Fugui said, "They're... outside cooking..."
"Cooking?"
Chen Shi frowned slightly, pushed open the door, and walked out.
Seeing him leave, Fugui finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Before, he didn't recognize Chen Shi, so he dared to befriend him. Chen Shi had saved him and became his benefactor, which made him a bit uneasy.
But later, when he heard that Chen Shi was the infamous "Dead Child," all he felt was fear.
"A child who came back to life isn't human. Who knows if the one in that child's body is him or a ghost?"
His mother had told him, "Even if it's his own soul, it first became a ghost before turning human!"
Chen Shi walked out of Fugui's house and headed down the street. Gradually, he heard wailing sounds coming from the houses on either side.
The people wailing seemed to want to cry out in pain but didn't dare to make a sound, so they could only moan quietly.
He looked around but still didn't see a single villager.
Every few steps, he saw an Imperial Guard standing on the side of the road.
These guards saw he was a child and had come from Fugui's house, so they didn't question him.
The wailing grew quieter but still came from the houses on both sides.
He arrived at the center of Boxwood Village, where there was an open space with a ruined temple and several large trees providing shade.
There were about a dozen villagers from Boxwood Village here, cooking on four outdoor stoves with iron pots boiling water. There were also steamers, with hot steam rising from them.
An old man was scalding chickens and ducks in hot water to pluck their feathers, while three villagers were stir-frying dishes. A few women squatted by the well, washing vegetables, fruits, and eggs, and someone at the table was chopping vegetables and arranging them on plates.
Several Imperial Guards stood around, watching them cook.
Though it seemed lively, the villagers of Boxwood Village were all injured, with whip marks on their bodies and faces.
It was almost noon, the time for cooking. Judging by the scale of Boxwood Village, it seemed they were preparing a feast, using up all their household supplies.
Chen Shi was looking around when an Imperial Guard noticed his clean face and called out, "Boy, come here! You deliver the dishes!"
Chen Shi stepped forward.
"When the dishes are ready, take them to the temple."
The guard, holding a leather whip, said, "The people in the temple are important folks from the provincial capital. Be smart, don't ask what you shouldn't, don't listen to what you shouldn't. Understand?"
"Understood, understood!" Chen Shi nodded repeatedly.
The surrounding villagers of Boxwood Village heard his voice and looked over, dumbfounded.
The guard waved his whip and sneered, "What are you looking at? Get to work! You, go stir-fry! Hurry up!"
He was pointing at Fugui's father.
Fugui's father hurried over, glanced at Chen Shi, didn't dare to speak, and lowered his head to cook.
He was the village cook, called upon for weddings and funerals in the area. Though his dishes weren't as refined as those in the city's restaurants, the taste was just as good.
In just a quarter of an hour, he had stir-fried four dishes.
Chen Shi draped a white towel over his wrist, carried a tray, and headed to the temple.
Fugui's father opened his mouth but said nothing.
Chen Shi reached the temple door and saw a person lying in the ruins of the hall, with a big hole in his head, blood mixed with brain matter flowing everywhere, face down on the ground.
Chen Shi recognized half of the face.
It was Sanwang.
His chest filled with blood, rushing to his head, his mind went blank, and he heard the sound of rushing blood, like the wind howling!
In a daze, he remembered the strange dream from last night.
In the dream, Sanwang warned him to run!
It turned out...
Sanwang was really dead.
He stood quietly for a moment, calming his mind.
Chen Shi lowered his head, stepped over the high threshold, and entered the temple.
The old temple was no longer as he had seen it before. Previously, it was simple, with only cushions, an offering table, incense burners, a divine altar, and a bronze statue. Now, the cushions, offering table, incense burners, and divine altar had been moved out.
Inside the temple were a Luohan bed and four round-backed chairs. A young scholar sat on the Luohan bed, opposite a woman, with a chessboard between them, both playing a game.
The other four round-backed chairs were also occupied by young scholars, some drinking tea, some eating dried fruits, very relaxed.
They seemed to be members of the Zhao family, living in comfort, with no murderous aura about them.
Standing beside them were several Imperial Guards, one of whom was particularly burly, towering over others like a standing brown bear, with a yellowish face and fierce eyes, carrying a three-eyed fire gun on his back, the muzzle stained with dried blood.
In the center of the temple was a square Eight Immortals table with six chairs underneath.
The temple wasn't large, and with these items, plus twelve people, a table, six chairs, and a divine altar bronze statue, it felt a bit crowded.
Chen Shi's gaze swept over these Zhao family members. They didn't have the aura of wild beasts, but the six Imperial Guards behind them gave Chen Shi a lot of pressure.
These guards had divine altars floating behind their heads, with divine fetuses seated on them.
They maintained their divine altars and fetuses, very alert, unlike the useless subordinates of Li Xiaoding!
They were battle-hardened experts!
Chen Shi had faced three of Zhao's Imperial Guards on the post road, taking one by surprise, using the terrain to defeat another, and ambushing the last one in the water. If it had been a head-on fight, Chen Shi might not have been able to withstand even one of their spells!
And here, there were six guards with the same strength!
One of them was even stronger than the others!
Chen Shi mentally labeled these guards as Left One, Left Two, Left Three, Right One, Right Two, Right Three.
But the real danger came from Right Three, the bear-like guard. Not only was he burly, but he also exuded a strong killing intent, clearly having taken many lives, a master of life-and-death combat!
All eyes were on Chen Shi.
They hadn't seen Chen Shi before, but as soon as he entered the temple, their gaze landed on him and didn't move away.
As guards, they were very experienced.
If Chen Shi showed even the slightest flaw or unusual expression, he would likely be killed instantly by their Midnight Demon Slaying Sword!
"He will kill you all!"
A fat fortune-teller shrank in the corner, excitedly shouting when he saw Chen Shi, "He's Chen Shi, the murderer, he'll kill you all!"
But no one heard him except Chen Shi.
Chen Shi walked steadily, looking calm, as he approached the Eight Immortals table.
Sitting on the Luohan bed was Third Young Master Zhao Yue, and the woman playing chess with him was his sister Zhao Xue'e, who was graceful and elegant.
Zhao Yue straightened his back, sniffed the aroma of the dishes, and praised, "The village cook's food smells quite good. Everyone, let's sit down."
Chen Shi put down the dishes, pulled out the towel from his elbow, and wiped the table.
Zhao Yan stepped forward, intending to pull out a chair, but Chen Shi quickly bent down and wiped the chair clean with the towel.
Zhao Yan laughed, "Third Brother, this kid is quite clever! It's rare to see such a smart kid in the countryside!"
Chen Shi wiped the other five chairs one by one before inviting the other five Zhao family members to sit.
During the process, he felt the bear-like guard's gaze fixed on him, his hand gripping the three-eyed fire gun's handle.
This person put a lot of pressure on him. While wiping the table and chairs, he was actually looking for an opportunity to strike, but the guard made him realize that if he acted, his head would be smashed the next moment!
Chen Shi silently wiped the sixth chair clean, draped the towel over his elbow, and was about to turn and leave.
He hadn't found any opportunity to act.
If there's no chance, just wait a bit longer; an opportunity will come.
"Hold on!"
The bear-like guard spoke, his voice deep and resonant, making Chen Shi's eardrums buzz.
Chen Shi stopped, his mind racing with thoughts, wondering where he had slipped up. The guard said, "Taste the dishes first."
Chen Shi turned around and picked up a pair of chopsticks.
Zhao Xue'e laughed, "Helian Zheng, you're being too cautious."
The guard, Helian Zheng, said, "Better safe than sorry. After all, someone was killed yesterday, and the whole village was punished. Who knows if these cunning villagers have poisoned the food? Little guy, taste each dish first. After that, don't leave yet."
Chen Shi agreed, reaching out to pick up the first dish.
Fugui's father's cooking was typical countryside fare. The first dish was celery and wood ear mushrooms, with crispy celery and tender mushrooms, very appetizing.
Chen Shi tasted a bit and moved on to the second dish.
This dish was spicy chicken, made with a freshly crowing young rooster. The chicken was cut into small pieces, marinated with ginger, scallions, and salt, soaked in egg liquid, then fried in oil, stir-fried, and finally mixed with green and red peppers, resulting in a tender and spicy flavor.
The third dish was stir-fried blood duck, with duck meat soaked in its own blood, stir-fried in a pan with various spices to lock in the freshness.
Chen Shi tasted three dishes and reached for the fourth, but his arm was too short to reach, so he moved to the other side of the table.
He bent down to pick up the fourth dish, which was stir-fried field frog.
Field frog, or bullfrog, was decapitated, skinned, cleaned with water, then stir-fried with salt and oil, with chili powder added before serving for a spicy kick.
Chen Shi had just taken a bite of a frog leg when he suddenly froze.
Now, on the opposite side of the table, he was separated from the bear-like Helian Zheng by just the table. After tasting the fourth dish, everyone around the table relaxed, chatting and laughing, except for Helian Zheng, who remained vigilant, still watching him.
Now was a good time to act!
Chen Shi hesitated; it was a good time, but not the best.
He continued eating the frog leg, holding the chopsticks, intending to retreat.
He still had a second chance to deliver food.
Zhao Xue'e, sitting next to Chen Shi, spoke to her brother Zhao Yue, "Third Brother, how long have Wanderer Fu Shan and the others been gone? They haven't returned yet."
Zhao Yue was also puzzled, "They should have captured Chen Shi by now... Wait a minute!"
He noticed Chen Shi's exposed skin and was startled, a thought flashing through his mind: "Why doesn't he have any injuries?"
Everyone in Boxwood Village had been whipped, some beaten nearly to death, but this boy delivering food had no whip marks!
Zhao Yue, worthy of being the third young master of the Zhao family and the leader of this mission, immediately realized the key point, his expression tense, signaling Helian Zheng across from him.
Helian Zheng understood, subtly stepping forward, planning to move around the Eight Immortals table, his hand reaching for the three-eyed fire gun on his back.
Zhao Yue, equally subtle, smiled, "Since the food is fine..."
"Swish!"
Zhao Yue's eyes widened in disbelief as a chopstick pierced his right temple, the tip emerging from his left temple, stained with blood!
Chen Shi's right hand had driven the entire chopstick into Zhao Yue's head. Zhao Yue looked bewildered: "Why did he act now?"
Chen Shi's left hand rose, another chopstick swiftly stabbing into Zhao Xue'e's chest, piercing her heart.
Zhao Xue'e hadn't even reacted, turning her head this way, not feeling any pain due to the speed of the stab.
"Where did I slip up?" Chen Shi wondered.
—Thanks to Jin Buyi for the silver reward, helping Chen Shi level up to a two-star character! Once he reaches one-star, there will be a character card, and readers can support the character every day!