Bloody Kyoto

The capital city is the residence of the emperor and the seat of the nation's destiny. Such an important place should not be ruined because of the Yun family.

The Yun family... cannot bear the consequences of that karma.

Thinking of the impending fate of the Yun family, Second Master Yun could no longer hold back.

"Ancestor, we must go to the palace as soon as possible to propose to the Emperor of Shang that he move the capital."

“It’s no use.” Ancestor Yun shook his head. “Zhu Yihua is also involved in this matter. He is already a player in it. Even if he is the emperor, he cannot escape it.”

"Ancestor, the emperor can die, but the capital cannot be destroyed, otherwise our Yun family..."

With a strong pull, Old Ancestor Yun helped Second Master Yun stand up.

Even if the emperor dies, there are still princes, princesses, empresses, and ministers.

"More importantly, there's our Yun family and Ah Hui. That otherworldly person definitely won't let us go."

"The only thing we can gamble on now is to kill the otherworldly people, protect the emperor, protect the capital, and protect our Yun family."

Upon hearing this, Master Yun calmed down.

That's right, wasn't their initial goal to find and kill the otherworldly beings?

Once she's dead, everything will be fine.

The old ancestor and he exchanged a glance, both understanding what to do.

They must find that otherworldly being at all costs and kill him; only then can the Yun family be safe.

"Go find some of Huo Yunxia's old belongings and collect some of the blood of people born in the Year of the Dog. I will conduct further calculations in a few days. We must find that otherworldly person."

After instructing Second Master Yun, the Old Ancestor Yun continued without waiting for his reply, "The collected heart's blood must be given willingly, and you must also provide sufficient funds to avoid unnecessary karmic entanglements."

*

After selling all the steamed buns on Friday, he didn't even bother to tidy up before hurriedly closing the shop and running to the backyard to hand a note to Li Nanle.

"Aunt Li, this was given to me by Brother Zhao this morning."

Li Nanle took it, opened it, glanced at it, and then placed it into the space behind her sleeve.

Looking up at Friday, he asked, "When you have time, secretly ask your Brother Zhao when A Niu is coming back."

I hadn't seen Ah Niu for several days, and I thought he was out running errands. Turns out, Brother Zhao took him away.

"Aunt Li, I'll ask Brother Zhao when I see him."

Thinking of the message on the note, Li Nanle added, "The shop's secret seasoning is sold out, so we'll close for a few days after the buns are sold out tomorrow. I'll be going out for a few days to find the secret seasoning."

Upon hearing that Aunt Li was going out to find the secret seasoning, Friday knew it was just an excuse.

He readily agreed, "Okay, I understand. Aunt Li, please be careful out there."

That afternoon, Li Nanle drove Xiao Guai out of the city, and the canal wharf was just outside the city.

Many people who frequently buy steamed buns greet Li Nanle warmly when they see him.

"Mr. Li, where are you going?"

Li Nanle replied with a smile, "Go find spices for making steamed buns. The shop will be closed for a few days after tomorrow, so remember to bring your own lunch at home."

Upon hearing this, many of the workers carrying bags began to wail and scream.

Bringing your own lunch is indeed cheaper, but without meat or sweets, it's not very satisfying.

"Aunt Li, can't we buy spices in the capital?"

"I can buy it, but it's too expensive, I'd lose a lot of money."

Upon hearing this, those who also wanted to persuade her to buy instead of looking for it herself fell silent.

Aunt Li's steamed buns are not only big but also taste great; they're always wondering if they're losing money.

Now that they hear that buying spices would result in a loss, they naturally can't bring it up again, since they've already gotten a good deal.

Those steamed buns, one of them was enough to fill you up most of the time, especially since they were sweet, which was great for poor people like them.

Aside from occasionally buying some maltose for the kids to sweeten their mouths, adults really can't bear to eat it themselves.

Nowadays, you can buy a sweet steamed bun for just two coins, which not only sweetens your mouth but also fills your stomach.

These are the kinds of shops that genuinely don't want to close down; they'd prefer to stay open indefinitely.

I don't want the shop to close down, but at least I can't lose money.

"Aunt Li, we don't really care about the taste."

Some people say that this means there's no need to add spices.

Li Nanle shook his head. "No, spices are not only for flavoring, but also for adding nutrition. They are absolutely essential."

Upon hearing this, some people's eyes reddened, and they turned away to secretly wipe away their tears.

"Aunt Li, why didn't you take that boy with you? It's too dangerous for him to go out alone."

Searching for spices definitely requires going into the mountains, and having someone watching over her alone inevitably causes concern.

Li Nanle responded with a smile, "Xiao Wuzi has a sick mother at home who needs to be taken care of, so he can't be away from home for several days."

"Then hire another one..." The speaker stopped halfway through his sentence, suddenly remembering the situation at the steamed bun shop. Hiring another person would probably result in another loss, so he swallowed the rest of his words.

Many people suggested raising the price of steamed buns and mantou, but considering their own circumstances, they figured they wouldn't be able to afford them if prices were raised.

In the end, selfishness took over, and no one said it aloud.

Looking at that thin figure sitting on the donkey cart, everyone felt a pang of sadness.

*

Three days after Li Nanle left the capital, he arrived at a small village 400 miles away from the city.

This is a small village surrounded by mountains, with only one narrow path leading out.

As evening approached, smoke rose from the rooftops of every household.

Li Nanle appeared as a young girl this time, but it was very different from her real appearance.

She was wearing a white dress and walking slowly through the village with her head down. Her destination was the only large house in the village.

Liu Zihe's family lives there.

Villagers who were rushing home after finishing their farm work couldn't help but stop and stare at Li Nanle when they saw him.

In their small village, apart from a wealthy family who came to visit recently, you rarely see such respectable people.

After Li Nanle had walked away, everyone hurried home.

"Judging from the direction that woman is heading, she's probably going to that mansion; she's probably a female member of that family."

One villager speculated.

"It seems so. But why is this young lady from a wealthy family traveling alone? Shouldn't she be accompanied by maids and servants?"

"Probably because there was no danger in the village, they didn't bring anyone with them!"

"That's how it should be."

As Li Nanle approached the mansion, she raised her head, her red eyes looking exceptionally eerie.

She went up and knocked on the door, which opened quickly. The person who opened the door was probably a butler, who was over fifty years old.

He froze the moment he saw Li Nanle, then took a step back, asking, "You, you, who are you! And who are you looking for?"

Li Nanle walked slowly into the courtyard. The butler sensed something was wrong and was about to report it when he turned around.

A vine pierced his heart, and he died without even a cry.

Li Nanle tossed a seed of sesame vine to the side of the courtyard wall, and as he walked in, he infused the seed with his special abilities.

The sesame vines grew rapidly, soon encircling the entire house and completely surrounding it, including the air.

People inside the house must have discovered the vines, because a cacophony of panicked noises could be heard.

"Run! The monster is coming!"

"No, there's no way to escape. We're blocked by vines from above."

"Cut a gash with a knife, quick!"