In comparison, Zong Chuke's coldness was completely dissolved in this man's gentle and warm demeanor.

  "The biggest mistake you made was that you shouldn't have appeared in front of me at this time." These black-clad men were not to be trifled with, and the feud between Zong Chuke and Pei Tan had long since escalated to a life-and-death struggle.

  Among those black-clad men, a familiar and astute face appeared. "Lord Shang, kill this brat, and we can avenge our young master."

  From the moment Pei Tan stepped in, the door of the wine house behind him had been tightly closed by the black-clothed man guarding the entrance. It was clear that if Pei Tan didn't come, it would be fine, but now that he's here, he has walked into a trap and there is no way out.

  Zong Chuke's eyes were deep and mysterious: "Do you know why I want people to drive away the commoners on the street?"

  Drive away the common people, it's just the first move, open the door of the wine house wide, deliberately let people look from outside, ordinary people dare not enter, those who dare to come in must not be ordinary people.

  Pei Tan gazed at him, and Zong Chuke's eyes stared at his as if watching a rabbit that had long been waiting in ambush.

  The lives of Zixian'er and her husband, even the life of Jingyu'er, are nothing to be concerned about for Zong Chuke. But as for Pei Tan's life, it is something that would haunt Zong Chuke in his midnight dreams like an evil spirit coming to collect a debt.

  "It seems that Pei has made progress today, but still hasn't broken through." Rarely did Pei's expression change, and he still looked calm and collected. The only difference was the way he looked at Zong Chuke.

  At first, Zong Huo's case, he insisted on taking Zong Huo's life away, not entirely because of that poor fisherman's daughter. Before trampling the old fisherman to death on Horse Street, Zong Huo and his father had already stained their hands with several lives of ordinary people.

  How can such an overbearing person be tolerated?

  Zong Chuke came to Wangyuelou today, with the banner still being Wei Hou's order. Because of the presence of the powerful Wei family, the evil deeds and appearance of Zong's father and son are so hateful that people grit their teeth in anger.

  Watching the black-clad man slowly approaching him, Pei Tan's face was gloomy: "Does the Grand Secretary really want me to pay with my life for your young master? But is your young master truly dead?"

  Zong Chuke's eyes were gloomy, and he indeed had no reaction to Pei Tan's sudden question: "Regardless of whether my son is dead or not, the fact that you killed him is true."

  With the support of the Wei family, it is possible to secretly replace the dead prisoner with a substitute, but without a substitute, Zong Huo's death would be nailed on the board. In short, as long as Pei Tan is still alive in this world, Zong Huo can only be a "dead man" in the dark underground forever.

  Zong Chuke's eyes turned dark and gloomy: "I have been planning until now, your Pei family's power has always been limited to the Hedong region. Letting you, a mere child, jump around until today is already my mercy."

  Even Zilian'er, who had fallen to the ground, could not have imagined that her and Wenlang's two lives were merely bait for Pei Tan's trap.

  She crouched on the ground, gazing at Pei Tan with tears in her eyes, "Lord Pei..."

  Pei Tan looked at the couple on the ground, one unconscious and the other injured, and saw a scene of power bullying the weak unfolding before his eyes.

  No matter how much evil the Zhong family father and son have done, they will only continue to do more in the future.

  Pei Tan's eyes fell gently downward.

  Zi'an'er struggled for a while, then began to crawl towards the place where Wen Lang was dying. This couple in distress would rather die together than live alone.

  Pei Tan looked at Zong Chuke's face, that face had become overcast due to the loss of family and morality.

  At this moment, it's even a bit bloodthirsty and cruel.

  "Wang Yue's wine shop husband and wife, hiding escaped slaves, the crime is unforgivable. After being questioned by the Minister of Justice himself, they actually poisoned the imperial officer. According to the Tang Dynasty law, this official will execute the two on the spot..." As soon as Zong Chuke finished speaking, all the black-clad men revealed the sharp knives hidden under their clothes.

  Pei Tan had a faint smile on his face, and the dark guard behind him who had been keeping his head down and silent took a step forward.

  But no matter how you look at it, this is just a last-ditch effort.

  Zi Cui'er, who was still struggling to move forward on the ground, froze completely. She looked at Zong Chuke as if she didn't dare to believe what he had just said - that they were husband and wife hiding escaped slaves, plotting to murder officials of the imperial court...She looked at Pei Tan, who was now being held at knifepoint.

  Pei Tan's figure seemed even more slender and weak, and even with the silent dark guard standing in front of him blocking the way, it seemed like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, a lone force.

  Pathetically weak.

  Until he heard the voice coming from his throat: "Even if Pei Mou dies here today, would it be too childish for the Prime Minister to put all these crimes on two ordinary and powerless commoners?"

  Not to mention the ordinary people on both sides of Chang'an Street, even if they were two top-notch killers with rigorous training, wanting to harm the Grand Master of Daluo Temple would be a pipe dream.

  Zong Chuke snorted coldly, "When you arrive at the underworld's court of darkness, you will naturally understand that everything is not a joke."

  ——

  Zong Huo's eyes flashed with anger, and Ji Lang, who was kneeling on the ground to treat him, had hands that shook violently: "Your life is not a joke, sir. Please, for your own sake... abstain from all meat and fish, eat vegetarian food and drink clear water."

  As expected, he didn't even finish speaking before being kicked to the ground by Zong Huo. Ji Lang only had time to let out a miserable cry, covering the back of his head with his hands and trembling, but he didn't dare say a word of apology.

  Zong Huo's eyes grew even more menacing: "You quack, if you can't even let me touch wine and women, then so be it. But now you're even trying to stop me from eating meat? What use are you to me?"

  Jilangzhong immediately knelt down on the ground, constantly knocking his head but did not dare to argue.

  The leader of the dead soldiers stood coldly on one side, even if the fastest speed of the local pigeon house was used to transmit it back to Chang'an, Zong Chuke would receive their message at least ten days later. Now it's only been three days, but Zong Huo has already run out of patience.

  Ji Langzhong, in order to save his life, forced himself to say: "... Ah, Young Master's words, actually I've already heard of a divine chef in the city who specializes in providing vegetarian dishes for various temples in Wuzhou. He can make vegetarian dishes taste like a golden feast. Young Master, you can send someone to find this divine chef and have him take charge of all your meals at home."

  Ji Lang was well aware that his value was about to be exhausted, and if Zong Chu Ke in Chang'an really found a famous doctor who could cure him, then he would not live long in Wuzhou either. Zong Huo would definitely kill him out of anger.

  Zong Huo's palm slowly clenched, and the lives of anyone else in this world, except for his own, were no different from those of ants. Keeping these annoying dead soldiers and Lang Zhong was just temporarily tolerating a group of ants.

  "Send someone out to find better food for me. If you serve this garbage to me again at the next meal, I'll have you eat everything in the latrine."

  To save his life, he cannot kill Ji Langzhong or these annoying dead soldiers, but he can use all means to torture them in a way that makes them worse than death.

  The leader of the dead warriors expressionless in the pale faces around him knelt down: "...Yes, subordinate obey orders."

  To find the divine chef, half of the dead soldiers in the mansion were mobilized. The mountains around Wuzhou are surrounded by temples, and this divine chef is said to be the abbot of the most famous Jinshan Temple, who personally cooks vegetarian dishes and sends them up the mountain. Buddhist monks all emphasize not eating worldly food, so the emphasis on vegetarian dishes is almost as important as Confucianism's emphasis on ingredients. Since this divine chef can get the recognition of the abbot of Jinshan Temple, his culinary skills must be extraordinary.

  Wuzhou was originally the base of Zong Chuke's years of hard work, with the Zong family's hidden chess pieces everywhere. Now, looking for a cook in Wuzhou wouldn't be too difficult.

  At the time when Zong Huo was in a bad mood and forcing two kitchen boys to go to the toilet to carry feces, this divine cook was led back to Zong Huo's yard.

  Zong Ho stared coldly at the old man kneeling in front of him: "You're the Divine Chef?"

  Not a bit of an otherworldly air about him, so slovenly and antiquated, just like a beggar picked up from the alleys of Wuzhou City.

  A fierce and murderous intent flashed in Zong Huo's eyes.

  The old man bowed all the way down and said, "I am but a humble old man, I pay my respects to Master Zong."

  The legendary chef is said to be a man approaching his 70s, who has been cooking vegetarian dishes for the temple for many years and is extremely skilled in culinary arts. He must be too young if he's not over 70.

  Zong Huo looked at this "divine chef" with distrust, and after a long time, he said gloomily: "Go and cook a meal for me now. If you don't live up to your reputation, I'll take your life."

  Yin Wu's face seemed to pale, people who have been in contact with temples for many years, the ones they see are all virtuous and respected high monks, which one would casually hang on their mouths saying killing people and seeing blood.

  "...I'm going now."

  The leader of the dead warriors' gaze was as sharp as a knife on the face of this stranger, and Yin Wuchang was led to the kitchen door, after entering, subconsciously

  She turned around and closed the door.

  A knife was stuck directly on the door, and the leader of the dead soldiers stared at YIN WU Chang's face with a gloomy gaze: "What are you doing?"

  Not to mention that Yín Wú Cháng is an old man, even young people can't withstand such a bloodthirsty gaze. Yín Wú Cháng subconsciously trembled: "This old man... when cooking, can never have others by his side."

  The leader of the dead warriors stared at him with a sinister gaze, his murderous intent clear even to the most obtuse person.

  Then, the leader of the dead soldiers slowly pushed open the kitchen door with a knife and stepped in with one foot. He stood in front of Yin Wuchang: "Don't allow others to be present? Is it convenient for you to manipulate food and drink at any time?"

  Yin Wu Chang was even more frightened: "How is this possible? I've been cooking for decades..."

  "Shut up!" The leader of the dead soldiers' face turned cold, almost pinning Yin Wuchang against the wall of the kitchen. He said in a cold and gloomy tone, "Now you only have two choices: either honestly cook a meal for the young master here, or... useless people only have one way to go - to die."

  It's either this place or something else, clearly forcing people into a mold.

  Yin Wu Chang only seemed to realize now that he had walked into a trap, but it was already too late, this time it wasn't some kind and benevolent monk, but rather the King of Hell who would take your life if you weren't careful.

  "I understand, I understand." Yin Wuchang said with difficulty.

  The leader of the dead warriors finally expressionlessly let him go.