[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h":3,"chapter-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-90":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Devouring Evil, Exterminating Demons Across All Heavens",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2267035,4426,"Chapter 90: The Gentleman","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-90",90,"\u003Cp>Moonlight slanted through the doorway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The back kitchen had been lit with lamps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Wenjing softly yawned, then scooped half a gourd of water from the stove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boiled water from last night had been kept warm on the stove—it was still hot enough for washing up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every night, she slept only two watches before rising to prepare today’s pastries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When dawn began to break and the kitchen helpers and apprentices arrived, the back kitchen would grow frantic as everyone prepared today’s meals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would work until after noon, past mealtime, when Dao Bashi took the stage to tell stories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then would Madam Wenjing have time to sleep another two watches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Altogether, her daily sleep was not short.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After growing accustomed to this routine, even if she rose at dawn, she felt only slight fatigue, never exhaustion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once washed, her spirit gradually stirred awake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Wenjing rolled up her sleeves, poured glutinous rice flour into a basin, mixed it with warm water, and added a touch of sugarcane juice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five wooden basins: one held plain dough, the other four colored with peach blossoms, blue-leaf extract, banana flowers, and soybean powder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The inn’s pastries had always been its signature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kitchen helpers could easily manage roasted lamb or blue-leaf rice, no problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Madam Wenjing herself could master the exact texture of the pastries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After kneading several dough balls, she covered the basins with damp gauze, lit an incense stick, and timed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this brief pause, she took half a bowl of sugarcane juice from beside the stove, mixed in warm water, and sipped slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her grandfather died early, and though he suffered many illnesses, that was expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her parents both passed away two years ago—both from digestive ailments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The couple ran a tavern themselves, grew the business steadily, hired staff, and turned it into a full inn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet as tavern owners, they never ate properly in their youth; in old age, they lost all appetite and died thin and sick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For years, her mother had often warned her: pay attention to diet, rise early but don’t overeat—yet you must eat something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can sugarcane juice be fermented into wine?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Wenjing sat by the stove, suddenly thinking, “I think Dao Bashi once mentioned a Jin dynasty poet named Zhang Zai who wrote of sugarcane wine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too bad Dao Bashi probably didn’t know the details.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Wenjing lifted the bowl and drank a large gulp with boldness, “Then I’ll figure it out myself—when I brew it, I’ll shock that blind man.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Wenjing heard the cane strike the ground and turned her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu and Cheng the Blind had somehow arrived outside the kitchen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both walked without a sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did they approach on purpose and tap the cane to alert me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thought flashed through Madam Wenjing’s mind; she rose with a smile, “Why are you two up so early?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just killed a few people.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu pointed at Cheng the Blind, “He spotted a group with ill intent during the day, went to deal with them at night, and interrogated them—they were sent specifically to kill Madam Wenjing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So we came to ask: did your family ever have any major enemies?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Wenjing paused, startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng the Blind also turned his face slightly toward Chu Tianshu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why so blunt? You just blurt out murder?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I should’ve said it myself!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Here’s the thing,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng the Blind added, “Those men were from the famous Yuwen clan of the Tang realm’s underworld. I had old grudges with them, so I paid extra attention.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re ruthless. They traveled far—won’t give up after one failure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Think carefully: if you’ve accidentally gotten entangled in something, identify the root early, so you can prepare and counter it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Wenjing crossed her arms and fell into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The incense in the corner burned lower and lower until its last ember fell into the ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Wenjing snapped back to attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The incense is done?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She returned to the basins, took a wooden mold, pinched off pieces of dough, packed them in, filled one mold, then swiftly dumped it into the steamer, shaking it loose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng the Blind said, “Don’t rush—you can think slowly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not rushing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Wenjing turned with a smile, “This step in pastry-making requires speed—maybe it sounds chaotic, but that’s just how it is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked down at the dough balls, hands moving steadily, speaking as she worked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re always hesitant, never close—do you think I, a commoner, can’t truly understand your world of martial artists?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But before this was Wang Cheng, it wasn’t so peaceful—swordsmen duels were common inside and outside the city.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since childhood, I’ve seen more than a few fresh corpses, washed blood off the floor more than two or three times.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she kept her head down, her expression clearly held a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The first time you acted in this inn, you stopped two swordsmen from dueling here—saved this place from being ruined.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you should know this place isn’t peaceful—yet you treat me differently. Is this concern clouding your judgment?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng the Blind’s hands tensed slightly, then relaxed; he sighed, “Let’s talk about the matter at hand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Wenjing suddenly looked up at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her almond eyes were bright, carrying a piercing intensity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The usual gentle charm seemed to have fermented to a turning point, revealing her true nature—a spirited, determined beauty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu watched silently, finding it fascinating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng the Blind could easily spin and cut down three or four Madam Wenjings with one slash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet at this moment, their perceived strength and weakness were completely reversed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s precisely because I can’t think of the real issue that I’m talking about this first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Wenjing had turned away, stacking the steamer baskets one by one, placing them over the large pot, then sitting on a small stool behind the earthen stove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She struck flint, lit straw, then kindled wood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After arranging several logs, she clapped her hands and stepped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I truly can’t think of anything recent that would draw a Tang family all the way here to kill me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it’s an old grudge, that doesn’t make sense either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Wenjing spoke calmly, “My grandfather was captured by the former King of Nanzhao and brought here like other captured Tang people, forcibly relocated across Nanzhao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By my parents’ time, we’d gradually made the tavern prosperous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re common folk—we’d have no deep-rooted grudges in the Tang realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu pondered: “That’s truly strange.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the killing intent isn’t from old grudges or recent entanglements, it might stem from… your identity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu offered a theory: “After your family came to Nanzhao, besides running the tavern, did you gain any other status?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Wenjing’s expression shifted: “Even when the Six Zhao merged, this city was already among Nanzhao’s greatest, and Tang people had already settled here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since they weren’t accustomed to local customs, they banded together for mutual aid and formed the Gentleman’s Alliance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heaven moves strongly—the gentleman strives ceaselessly. Earth is yielding—the gentleman carries all with virtue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Later, as the former King of Nanzhao repeatedly captured Tang people, nearly every Tang settler here received aid from the Gentleman’s Alliance and joined.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Wenjing counted on her fingers, “Our family has been part of it for over thirty years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Each year, the Gentleman’s Alliance collects donations, carefully accounts for the funds, and uses them to aid members in dire need.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Our tavern was once harassed—thanks to the Gentleman’s Alliance mediating, we survived. When our business thrived, we donated generously, and now I hold the title of Elder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Chu Tianshu and Cheng the Blind immediately realized: this was why the Yuwen clan had targeted Madam Wenjing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Gentleman’s Alliance exists to help Tang settlers—why would a Tang family want to strike us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Wenjing asked, “Do they want to seize control of the Alliance and remove obstacles?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But that doesn’t make sense—I’m just an Elder in name, a donor with a good reputation, holding no real power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng the Blind said, “Better safe than sorry—send word to all the Alliance Elders.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Wenjing smiled, “The real powerholders of the Gentleman’s Alliance have all secured official posts in Nanzhao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since the king moved his capital here, they now live within Wang Cheng, their status elevated—they’ve hired swordsmen as guards, their defenses far tighter than mine, hard to assassinate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, as the kitchen helpers and apprentices arrived, Madam Wenjing dispatched several to carry boxes of pastries, delivering them to the Alliance Elders as a warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu, seeing the pastries steamed, stepped over and took two plates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kitchen had already grown busy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He and Cheng the Blind walked to the main hall, ate the pastries with plain water, tasting them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nanzhao had plenty of sugarcane, but the juice here wasn’t very sweet; boiled, it tasted odd—not as refreshing as raw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Madam Wenjing’s stirring, kneading, and heat control were all perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The timing of steaming, the intensity of the stove’s fire—all mattered. Too little, and it turned slightly bitter; too much, and it turned soggy, tasting of rust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only with perfect heat control could the natural sweetness of the glutinous rice be fully revealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blended with sugarcane juice, they compensate for each other’s shortcomings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past few days, Chu Tianshu had sampled several pastries, all cooled, their texture sweet and fragrant with a slight chewiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When eaten warm, the aroma is stronger, the texture softer and more glutinous, yet the mouth does not feel cloying afterward—only a clean, sugarcane-like plant fragrance remains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time Chu Tianshu ate a piece of pastry, he drank a large gulp of water; the warm pastry and slightly hot water gave his body a sense of clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a sensation similar to, yet distinct from, the exhilaration of eating spicy food or meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Breakfast must be light—fine grains with warm water.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu felt the food transforming within his belly, sensing his digestive organs as nimble as his fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he wished, he could consume everything he had just eaten in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he could also control his digestive capacity, slowly breaking down and absorbing the food, gently and peacefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he chose the former, whether eating meat or vegetables, he felt no difference—everything was swallowed whole, violently absorbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he chose the latter, because the slow absorption process was so finely perceived, only the experience from grains felt truly comfortable—no heat from meat, no chill from vegetables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So this is it: those who eat grains gain wisdom and finesse. Truly reaching the realm of ‘Food as Immortality,’ controlling digestion, abstaining from meat and vegetables becomes easy—but one still retains a certain dependence on grains.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thus, ancient cultivators described the highest standard of fasting with the term ‘Bìgǔ.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu ate another piece of peach-colored pastry and closed his eyes in contemplation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Food as Immortality—fully accomplished!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1813,"2026-06-19T20:45:51.976Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a1d0665efc572057e52396bb71bea6e89017b3471f15fdfe983c69cfd1f491f3","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-91","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-89",155,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdevouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-cover.jpg"]