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Chapter 89 Animal Workshop
A strange smell filled my nose and mouth.

It wasn't just the smell of blood; how to describe it... it was like a mixture of many different smells, including earth, livestock, excrement, and some other indescribable odors.

While not quite nauseating, it was certainly disgusting.

However, Magistrate Shi showed no displeasure. He took a deep breath as if he were enjoying himself after getting off the sedan chair, and then revealed a satisfied smile.

"Young man, look how well my workshop is doing, isn't it? Could you put in a good word for me with Madam later? It would be even better if she could receive me in person."

Zhou You looked up upon hearing this.

In the blink of an eye.

What I saw and obtained was utterly hellish.

To the left of the workshop was a livestock shed, but unlike those in ordinary farmhouses, this shed was filled with all sorts of deformed monsters—

There were six-legged donkeys, two-headed pigs, mules waving dozens of human arms, and foals with human faces.
Each one is like a deformed species born from nuclear radiation, only glimpsed in the deepest nightmares.

But this is not the scariest thing.

To the right of the livestock shed, there was a large pool that had been dug out by humans. Numerous melted human bodies floated in it, as if they were oil that had come into contact with flames. Dozens of hands and feet were frantically paddling in it. Occasionally, a few mouths could be seen floating on the surface of the pool, opening up amidst the flesh and blood, emitting silent screams.

Although he couldn't hear their words, Zhou You understood their meaning just from their lip movements.

Please, kill us.

Meanwhile, Magistrate Shi was still smugly showing off.

"Look at these on the left. These are new varieties we specially created. We've heard that the Grand Duke Jupiter likes deformed creatures, so we improved our animal-making methods and went through a lot of hardship to produce these. As for the ones on the right..."

Magistrate Shi drew out the last syllable.

"This is the 'essence' that I, the magistrate, barely managed to distill by sacrificing the lives of hundreds of people. It is completely different from what is usually supplied to caravans and commoners. The quality is amazing. Even the lady herself would have to praise it."

Zhou You didn't respond; he just looked up and stared blankly at the back of the warehouse.

There, a row of disheveled refugees stood shivering.

Looking at this scene of hell on earth, everyone's faces showed fear and despair, but no one dared to utter a sound.

The reason for this is already explained by the numerous whip marks all over his body.

Following Zhou You's gaze, Magistrate Shi also saw the group of people, and he smiled.

"Brother, you saw them too? I just collected these guys recently—we were a little short on offerings for the Grand Duke Jupiter, so I picked out some of the better quality refugees from the recent influx into the city and planned to make another batch today."

Zhou You remained silent. He glanced around at the refugees, and then...
As luck would have it, I spotted two very familiar faces, one large and one small, among them.

—It was the mother and daughter I met when I entered the city.

Immediately, the old Taoist's mocking voice rang out from inside the pocket.

"My dear disciple, what do you intend to do? Will you pretend not to see it and mind your own business, or will you try to fight your way out of these yamen runners like an ant trying to shake a tree?"

His words were full of schadenfreude, as if he had finally found Zhou You's Achilles' heel.

But the person completely ignored it.

Zhou You simply closed his eyes slowly, going over all the possible excuses and words in his mind.

then.

When he opened his eyes again, his face was full of smiles.

But unlike the previous politeness, this smile now carried a hint of displeasure.

Then, he began to speak softly.

"—I say, Magistrate Shi, are you trying to fool the Star Lord and his wife with these?"

The obese man's expression froze instantly. As if he had heard something utterly terrifying, his eyes were filled with horror. After a long while, he managed a forced smile.

"Wait, brother, these are all carefully prepared by us, so how can you say we're trying to fool you?"

Hearing the other person's deliberate flattery and ingratiation, Zhou You's voice gradually turned cold.
"Meticulous??? You meticulously prepared this whole bunch of stuff?"

Zhou You gestured with his chin towards the livestock and flesh.

The voice became increasingly harsh.

"Do you think the Star Lord and his wife are peasants from the mountains, or country bumpkins who have never seen the world? They've already seen enough of this kind of stuff. Are you bringing these junks to celebrate someone's birthday, or are you treating them like country bumpkins?"

But I heard that in the past...

The magistrate tried to explain, but was immediately interrupted by a sidelong glance from Zhou You.

"The past is the past, and the present is the present! Do you know how much the madam prepared for this birthday celebration? And you're trying to fob her off with this?"

Unlike his previous gentle and refined attitude, Zhou You's current momentum was far too forceful, to the point that even Magistrate Shi couldn't help but shrink back.

"Then what do you suggest we do? Everything's ready, I can't just redo it, can I?"

However, at this moment, Zhou You's aggressive attitude suddenly stopped, and then he revealed a mysterious smile.

Magistrate Shi paused for two seconds, then immediately understood and gave a knowing smile in return.

"Brother, could you give me a little pointers?"

Before they knew it, several silver notes had been slipped into someone's pocket.

Although this thing was just a few pieces of waste paper to Zhou You, his expression changed accordingly, just like a truly greedy person. After counting it a few times without leaving a trace, he nodded with satisfaction.

"—It's simple, just stop all of these for now."

"What about the Tai Sui's birthday—"

Zhou You gave him a look that said, "I've taken the money, how could I not help you?"

"You don't need to worry about that. In a few days, I'll think of a reason to invite Madam over and have her help you resolve these issues. Then I'll create an opportunity for you to be alone with Madam, and then..."

Its meaning is self-evident.

Magistrate Shi's expression immediately became extremely interesting. He suppressed his excitement and then whispered to Zhou You.

"What about this group of refugees?"

"Leave it for now and deal with it when Madam arrives. But remember to feed them normal food. Madam has recently improved her magic and is planning to find some test subjects to try it out."

"Well then, thank you very much, brother."

"You're welcome, just do it this way."

After discussing for a while, the two sides finally settled on a plan that was impossible to implement at all—after all, Lady Bone had long since passed away—and then Magistrate Shi patted Zhou You's shoulder forcefully, his words becoming increasingly intimate.

"Brother, I knew I hadn't misjudged you. You really are capable! You'll definitely get your share of the rewards once this is done!"

Zhou You simply smiled, neither humble nor arrogant.

"These aren't urgent—by the way, Brother Shi, as I mentioned earlier, the inn might still need some regular food, and for some reason, I might need a bit more. What do you think?"

"You don't need to worry about that," Magistrate Shi patted his chest. "Leave this small matter to me, brother."

Then, he turned his head and scolded the group of yamen runners.

"What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and help me to the granary!"

(End of this chapter)