Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Yuan Jing Gets Injured

Lu Zheng took a turn at the Sweet Shop.

At this time, the Sweet Shop wasn’t as lively as it was on its opening day, but because it only sold high-end rock sugar, as long as a transaction was made, the income was considerable.

Plus, the quality of their rock sugar was absolutely top-notch, so many wealthy families specifically bought rock sugar from the Sweet Shop, making it a long-term business.

Nowadays, after deducting rent and labor, the Sweet Shop could provide Lu Zheng with an income of one thousand coins almost every day, which translates to a purchasing power equivalent to a thousand dollars in modern terms.

Don’t underestimate this one thousand coins; one per day amounts to the price of Lu Zheng’s three-entry courtyard in a year, something many commoners could never afford in a lifetime.

Encouraging Shi Tou and Ma San, the two employees, a bit, Lu Zheng gave each of them a reward of twenty coins, which immediately made the two feel grateful and promise to work hard for Lu Zheng.

This made Lu Zheng feel as if he had transformed into a capitalist.

They didn’t eat out for lunch; the Liu Family Sisters took Lu Zheng back home.

In the afternoon, Liu Qingquan took Lu Zheng to another garden.

Yu Ling Garden.

This was a specialized theater garden, housing two theater troupes of its own, and occasionally hosting visiting troupes, making it one of the busiest places in Tonglin County.

However, Lu Zheng wasn’t interested in the Great Jing Dynasty’s opera, so he had never been here before.

“Today is Yu Ling Garden’s signature play, ‘Red Silk’s Story,’ which is quite a tearjerker,” Liu Qingyan introduced.

“Red Silk’s Story,” Lu Zheng had heard a storyteller mention before; it was basically about a female ghost named Hong Ling who fell in love with a scholar, and they ended up together after many twists and turns.

The story itself wasn’t anything special. What caught Lu Zheng’s attention was the part where Hong Ling died due to the turmoil in Mo State, and the scholar sold land to move south.

From this, it could be inferred that there were likely enemies to the north of the Great Jing Dynasty.

…

As the group entered Yu Ling Garden, they found that it deserved to be one of the busiest places in Tonglin County. Plus, today being a signature performance day, the courtyard within the enclosed building was indeed lively and packed.

Without consulting Liu Qingyan’s opinion, Lu Zheng directly called over a waiter and spent one hundred coins to rent an elegant room, which was one of the separated rooms on the surrounding lofts of the courtyard.

The view was excellent, and there were sunflower seeds and tea, along with snacks, drinks, and appetizers available for an extra cost, of course.

Liu Qingyan stopped Lu Zheng from ordering more snacks, “We just finished lunch; what do we need more snacks for? Having sunflower seeds and tea is enough.”

A moment later, the opera began.

The Liu Family Sisters were both captivated by it, while Lu Zheng divided his attention between listening to the opera and gazing at Liu Qingyan’s profile.

Her alabaster skin and delicate features were accentuated by the string of pearls and jewels dangling from the copper hairpin, making her complexion appear as if made of powder and jade.

Seeing Liu Qingyan’s face gradually redden, Lu Zheng chuckled and redirected his focus.

To be honest, Yu Ling Garden’s troupe was indeed impressive, and as Lu Zheng concentrated on the performance, he quickly became absorbed in it.

The story concluded with Hong Ling transforming into a human, only to be captured by a Pig Demon. The scholar sought out a hunter for help, who infiltrated the Pig Demon’s lair, lured him out while the hunter set up a trap, and finally killed the Pig Demon, rescuing Hong Ling. They celebrated with a feast of pork as the main dish for their wedding banquet.

Everyone was applauding, but Lu Zheng noticed a burly man in the courtyard who was distinctly out of place with everyone else.

He even seemed… upset?

Moreover, with his Qi Refining achievements, Lu Zheng couldn’t shake an odd feeling about that man.

Besides Lu Zheng, many others noticed him too, so Lu Zheng’s gaze didn’t attract the man’s attention.

Of course, the Liu Family Sisters also noticed him.

Liu Qingquan shivered slightly, while Liu Qingyan said to Lu Zheng, “The sun is starting to set; we should hurry home.”

“Sure!”

Yu Ling Garden’s elegant rooms had their exit, so they didn’t have to crowd with everyone else in the courtyard, instead leaving through a backdoor.

…

After seeing the Liu Family Sisters home, Lu Zheng crossed back to the modern world, replied to a few messages, freshened up, and then returned to the ancient era.

The modern world was too hot; even with air conditioning, it was uncomfortable. It was better to be here in Tonglin County, where the cool evening breeze was pleasant.

“It’s been a while since I visited the White Cloud Temple. I should find time in the coming days to visit Master, greet him, and see if I can get anything else from him.”

“Also, the loot taken from those four grave robbers should be sold off as soon as possible. If exchanged for money, it should buy a large apartment, right?”

“And there’s the Cold Condensation Curse. I’ve got a rough idea over the past days; if I put in some effort tomorrow, I might just get it.”

After considering the plan, Lu Zheng checked the time on his phone; it was only eight-thirty.

Opening a folder, Lu Zheng selected an old movie, “Zombie Daoist,” and started watching it out of idleness.

“Another well-known initial crossover world, but the times were too chaotic, and those who crossed over were quite unlucky.”

As Lu Zheng thought about this, the movie reached its final scene where a Qing Dynasty zombie jumped from the second floor of a house, landing with a loud bang.

“Bang!”

Just then, a loud sound came from outside Lu Zheng’s window.

“What the heck!”

Lu Zheng’s pupils shrunk. He quickly put his phone away, pulled out the long saber from beside the bed with his right hand, and grabbed two Exorcism Talismans from under his pillow with his left, then rushed to the window with a single step.

Peeking through a gap, Lu Zheng squinted his eyes to look outside.

A dark figure, half-lying on the ground. Under the moonlight, Lu Zheng could see that the person was wearing a Daoist Robe.

Was it a Daoist?

“Yuan Zheng, Junior Brother?” the figure suddenly spoke.

Lu Zheng was startled, “Yuan Jing, Senior Brother?”

The person turned out to be his senior brother from the White Cloud Temple!

Lu Zheng’s figure flashed, and he opened the door to rush out.

However, to be safe, Lu Zheng didn’t get too close to Yuan Jing, stopping at a distance of three to four feet.

Seeing Lu Zheng stop, Yuan Jing didn’t mind, and instead, he formed a Dao Seal with his right hand, saying, “The Common White Cloud is always present.”

The Dao Seal was a secret of the White Cloud Temple, and the mantra was the first line of the “White Cloud’s Common Refining Qi Scripture,” confirming his identity.

“Senior Brother, what happened?”

Lu Zheng stepped forward to support Yuan Jing, only to see that his right shoulder had a large wound, and there was a dirty footprint on his chest.

His True Qi was clearly disrupted, and his chest had two broken ribs, indicating serious injuries.

“I encountered a powerful demon and was careless for a moment,” Yuan Jing explained. “I didn’t dare return to the County Government Office for fear of being followed, so I recalled you mentioned your home address and came to stay for a night.”

Pausing, Yuan Jing continued, “However, I also seriously injured him, so I expect he’s finding a place to heal and won’t appear.”

Lu Zheng: So, you’re not worried about dragging me into trouble…

Thus, Lu Zheng helped Yuan Jing into a chamber in the backyard, laying him on the bed.

“Elder Liu, next door, is a physician; I’ll knock on the door to have him take a look at you.”

“No need.”

Yuan Jing shook his head, remaining calm, “I’ve already aligned my own bones and reconnected them with True Qi. As for the internal injuries, a mortal physician can’t do much; as long as I have a place to heal peacefully, it’ll be fine. Junior Brother, don’t worry about me. Just go rest.”