Chapter Twenty-Six: Deliberation

Everyone quickly entered the manor and followed several guards around, soon arriving at a spacious room where numerous dining tables had been arranged, allowing everyone to take their seats as they pleased.

Once they were seated, food was brought out and placed before them, dish after dish: steamed buns, noodle soup, braised beef, pigeon soup, roast chicken, suckling pig, giant meatballs… Plates piled high crowded the tables, making mouths water and eyes shine bright with hunger.

“Please, everyone, have something to eat and rest for a while. Soon, I’ll show you to your rooms,” one of the guards said, hurrying to serve the food.

Wang Yue shifted his seat to sit beside Shen Chang’an. “Master Shen, what are you planning to do later?”

Shen Chang’an glanced around at the others and replied in a low voice, “Let’s wait and see.”

Wang Yue, realizing it wasn’t the right place to talk, simply picked up his chopsticks, preparing to eat heartily.

Shen Chang’an cast him a puzzled look, then took Zheng Xin’s hand and prepared to leave the dining hall.

Wang Yue paused, about to speak, but a guard approached Shen Chang’an and asked, “Why are you leaving without eating? Is the food not to your liking?”

Shen Chang’an showed his displeasure and snorted, “It’s because of that awful biscuit you gave me earlier—I vomited everywhere and now I have no appetite.”

The guard was momentarily taken aback. Someone nearby whispered something to him, and he nodded, saying, “Alright, I’ll have someone take you back to rest. Dinner will be brought to you later.”

Shen Chang’an nodded and added, “My brother will stay in the same room with me, is that alright?”

“No problem… Wait, you threw up, but why isn’t your brother eating either?”

Just then, Zheng Xin suddenly retched loudly.

“Good heavens…”

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The guard was startled as Zheng Xin vomited several times, finally raising her head weakly and saying, “I—I’m not feeling well, either…”

“Alright, alright, you two can go.” As he spoke, Wang Yue stood up without eating as well.

“Hey, what’s the matter with you?”

Wang Yue snorted, “She just vomited beside me. It turned my stomach—I’ve lost my appetite.”

“Well, fine, all three of you go. Someone, take these three to their room to rest.”

A guard came over and led them away from the dining hall to their quarters, assigning them to stay together.

“This is it. You three will share this room. Don’t wander about tonight, understood? In a few days, be ready—we’ll have work for you then.”

The three nodded in agreement and waited for the guard to leave.

Once he was gone, Zheng Xin and Wang Yue were about to speak, but Shen Chang’an waved his hand to stop them and produced a talisman, burning it immediately.

With a hiss, something invisible in the air began to burn, filling the room with the acrid smell of charred matter—so strong it was nearly unbearable.

“What is that?” Wang Yue asked in confusion.

Shen Chang’an sighed, “It’s the smell of burning protein. What else could it be? Bugs.”

Zheng Xin’s body stiffened, her face turning pale.

Shen Chang’an changed the subject, “You reacted quickly by vomiting just now.”

Zheng Xin’s expression darkened even more, teeth clenched. “I didn’t fake it—I really did vomit…”

Shen Chang’an raised his brows, hearing Zheng Xin continue, “I saw what everyone was eating—cockroaches, rats, snakes, bats… Ugh…”

“How did you see it?” Shen Chang’an asked, puzzled.

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Zheng Xin’s face was ashen, the urge to vomit rising again; she shook her head, unwilling to speak.

Seeing her distress, Shen Chang’an patted her back, helping her feel a bit better.

Wang Yue’s face was pale as well, and he said with a touch of shame, “I can’t believe both of you saw through it, and I, a member of the Demon Purification Bureau, didn’t. I’m truly embarrassed.”

Shen Chang’an waved a hand gently. “No, actually I didn’t see through it either. I just… found the smell unpleasant and avoided eating.”

He dared not use the Jade Dragon Talisman, but years of activating his nasal spirit had made it highly sensitive. Even without activation, he could sense something was wrong when near those foods.

Shen Chang’an hadn’t expected Zheng Xin to see through the illusion; the monsters’ camouflage here was quite effective, even fooling him. Yet Zheng Xin, by some fluke, managed to see it.

Wang Yue surprised Shen Chang’an as well. He had thought that, even if Demon Purification Bureau members couldn’t recognize the oddity, they wouldn’t try eating something so obviously suspicious. Yet Wang Yue had genuinely intended to eat, making Ye Xu wonder if he was merely a second-rate recruit.

It seemed Wang Yue had joined the bureau thanks to family connections. While his abilities might rival some flag officers, his experience and methods were lacking.

“In any case, none of us ate it, so there shouldn’t be any real harm,” Shen Chang’an comforted Zheng Xin, only to see her react even more strongly.

“If no one ate it, it wouldn’t matter. But those people—do you understand? They’re stuffing these things into their mouths! Ugh, ugh…”

Shen Chang’an’s face twitched; indeed, the scene was quite disturbing.

“Master, never mind that for now. Earlier, you said you had an idea. Could you share it?”

Shen Chang’an sighed, “I have a rough guess about what kind of monster we’re dealing with, but for now, we mustn’t act rashly. There are many monsters living here, and if we’re exposed, our situation could become very dangerous.”

“So, what should we do?” Wang Yue asked.

Shen Chang’an thought for a moment before answering, “When night falls, ordinary folk will be resting. That’s when we’ll act; it’ll save us a lot of trouble.”

“But remember, tonight we’ll just investigate—figure out what’s really going on before making any plans.”

Facing an opponent likely possessing intelligence, Shen Chang’an knew he had to be cautious. The information from Li Qingqing might not be reliable; he intended to look into things himself to avoid any surprises.

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