Chapter 86 The Secret of the Tofu Beauty

Chapter 86 The Secret of the Tofu Beauty

West Street, noon.

This is one of the busiest working-class districts in Beijing, where the sounds of vendors hawking their wares and haggling fill the air.

The "Wang's Tofu Shop" located at the street corner is extremely popular.

The freshly cooked hot tofu was steaming, and its aroma wafted down half the street.

The shop owner, Lao Wang, was a middle-aged man in his fifties with a kind face. He was serving tofu pudding to his neighbors with a smile. He seemed like an honest and down-to-earth businessman.

However.

"Boom—Boom—Boom—"

A series of heavy, synchronized footsteps broke the hustle and bustle of the marketplace.

Han Zheng, clad in heavy black armor, his hand resting on his sword, led fifty menacing black-armored guards, forming a black iron wall that instantly surrounded the small tofu shop.

"Official investigation! All bystanders, please stand back!"

Han Zheng shouted so loudly that the aunties selling tofu nearby dropped their bowls in fright.

"Ouch! What are you doing?"

"What did Old Wang do wrong? Why is there such a big fuss?"

"These are the Black Armor Guards? How come they even target tofu vendors? This is such a nuisance!"

Although the people were afraid, they pointed and whispered among themselves, their eyes revealing their dissatisfaction.

After all, in their eyes, Old Wang was a very kind person who would even feed stray cats and dogs. How could he be a bad person?

Old Wang wiped the water off his hands, looked terrified and innocent as he approached, bowing low like a shrimp.

"Sir! What...what's going on? I'm a law-abiding citizen! Is there some misunderstanding?"

Han Zheng looked at the old man in front of him with a wrinkled face and timid eyes, and his heart was pounding.

He clutched the simple map drawn by Tang Li in his hand, his palms sweaty.

On the map, the red circle is drawn crookedly, and that's where the tofu shop is located.

Beside it, in delicate small regular script, was a note: "[Under the millstone in the backyard, there is a very ominous sign]".

Feng shui?

A malevolent aura?

This reason sounds exactly like the princess is making a fool of them!

Han Zheng swallowed.

If they really can't find anything, disturbing the peace is a minor issue; the real problem is how to explain it to the regent who's on the verge of going berserk!

"Whether someone is a law-abiding citizen or not can only be determined through a search."

Han Zheng gritted his teeth, the image of Pei Yunjing's scarlet eyes and the death order to "dig three feet into the ground" flashing through his mind.

I'm taking the gamble!

Since I'm going to die anyway, I might as well trust the princess this once!

"Someone come here!"

Han Zheng drew his sword, pointed it at the backyard of the shop, and gave a stern order:

"Search it! Especially that stone mill in the backyard where you grind tofu, push it aside! Dig three feet into the ground to see what's hiding underneath!"

"yes!"

A dozen or so black-armored guards rushed into the backyard like wolves and tigers.

Old Wang's hunched body stiffened slightly, and a sinister glint flashed across his cloudy eyes, but it disappeared in an instant.

He suddenly knelt on the ground, wailing and crying out in despair:

"Sir, you mustn't! That's an ancestral millstone! If you break it, how am I supposed to do business?! You are the upright and just official, I can't live like this anymore..."

The surrounding people also started to jeer:

"That's outrageous!"

"These are simply bandits!"

The veins on Han Zheng's forehead throbbed as he stared intently at the backyard, bearing immense pressure.

If not, he will strip off this skin today and apologize to the prince!

"Commander! We've made a discovery!"

Suddenly, a shocked shout came from the backyard.

"There's nothing underneath the millstone! There's an entrance to a cellar!"

Han Zheng perked up, kicked aside Old Wang who was blocking his way, and strode into the backyard.

The huge millstone had been pushed aside by several strong men, revealing a dark hole underneath.

A strong, pungent smell of tung oil, mixed with the cold, rusty odor, instantly wafted out of the cave entrance.

Han Zheng held up a torch and peered out.

"hiss--"

Even though he was a seasoned veteran, he couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

The not-so-large cellar was densely packed with things.

On the left are bundles of Northern Rong scimitars wrapped in oiled paper, their cold light gleaming.

On the right are dozens of unopened jars of potent oil!

This is hardly the cellar of a tofu shop.

This is clearly an arsenal large enough to blow up half a street!

"It really exists..."

Han Zheng muttered to himself, feeling a chill run down his spine.

Just then.

"Die, you Great Sheng dog!"

A venomous roar suddenly came from behind.

The "honest man" Lao Wang, who was kneeling and wailing in the front hall, suddenly had a short dagger in his hand. He was as agile as a monkey. Taking advantage of the moment when Han Zheng was checking the cellar, he suddenly sprang up and stabbed Han Zheng in the back!

This attack was swift, accurate, and ruthless; there was no trace of his previous aged and decrepit appearance.

"court death!"

Han Zheng reacted extremely quickly.

He didn't even turn around; he simply swung his sword horizontally.

"Pfft!"

Blood splattered.

Old Wang's head flew off, and the headless corpse lurched forward two steps before crashing heavily to the cellar entrance, spraying blood onto the jars of flammable oil.

"Ah—! Murder!"

The people outside screamed and scattered in terror.

Han Zheng sheathed his sword, looked at the corpse on the ground, then at the weapons in the cellar, his heart pounding wildly.

Spy work.

They really are Northern Rong spies!

Hidden so deeply, disguised so well, yet it was precisely exposed by that seemingly childish "feng shui diagram"!

With trembling hands, Han Zheng pulled the map out of his pocket.

Looking at the red circle that Tang Li had casually drawn, his eyes changed from doubt to deep awe, or even... fear.

"Amazing..."

Han Zheng wiped the cold sweat from his face, his voice trembling:

"The circle the princess drew... it's damn accurate!"

This is hardly feng shui.

This is simply divine insight!

"Quickly! Pass down the order!"

Han Zheng suddenly raised his head, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit:

"Follow this map, move on to the next point! Don't miss a single one!"