Chapter 342: First Volume, Chapter 342: Ghosts Are Haunting in Broad Daylight

First Volume, Chapter 342: Ghosts Are Haunting in Broad Daylight

Though the journey ahead was long, Qin Feng did not find it dull.

Besides having Jing Qianying and Xiao Xiangxiang accompanying him, it was also due to Qin Feng's meticulously crafted Mobile Gongfang.

The three carts in the convoy each had their own purpose.

The lead cart was Qin Feng's personal vehicle; the middle cart carried Wu Wei, Zhao Yuxiong, two accompanying attendants, and some luggage.

The rear cart, however, was something else entirely.

It was fully a full circle larger than the lead cart, and inside it housed a vast array of workshop equipment.

Almost all facilities that required no fire—or minimal fire—had been crammed inside; in a large wooden chest tucked in the corner sat an assortment of raw materials, small in quantity but comprehensive in variety.

While en route to Changping County, Qin Feng began tinkering inside the Gongfang Cart.

Qin Feng had originally planned to make glass the cornerstone industry of Tianji Camp, but plans often fail before fate intervenes—he was intercepted halfway by the Liang Emperor.

What infuriated him most was that the Wine House had been seized by Xie Yun'er.

As a result, Qin Feng now held only the sugar industry and the Book Bureau.

Qin Feng urgently needed to expand his commercial routes.

Cultivating a new industry from scratch could not be accomplished overnight, and distant solutions could not quench immediate thirst; thus, Qin Feng upgraded his existing businesses.

The potential of the sugar industry had been tapped by Qin Feng for less than one-tenth—it still held immense room for development.

In this era, let alone Qin Feng's White Sugar, even the most ordinary cane sugar fell into the category of luxury goods, far beyond the reach of Common People.

Qin Feng had advanced sugar's perception from Sugar Frost to White Sugar, but it was far from enough—he needed further breakthroughs!

Next came Candy.

In this era, the only natural candy was Honey.

But Honey was cloyingly sweet, and could only be dissolved in water or mixed into pastries, utterly incomparable to sweet, crisp, refreshing Candy.

Using available raw materials, Qin Feng poured White Sugar into a pot, added a measured amount of clear water, stirred it evenly, then placed it on a small iron stove to boil.

Once the White Sugar fully melted into syrup, he continued boiling until it thickened into Sugar Paste.

The next step was the most critical: concentrating the Sugar Paste.

The temperature needed to be controlled at one hundred fifteen degrees.

Since Qin Feng had no thermometer, temperature control relied entirely on experience and Temperament Control, causing him to ruin several batches before finally discerning the approximate heat level.

Once the Sugar Paste was sufficiently concentrated, he added auxiliary ingredients.

Due to scarcity of materials, Qin Feng could only forage locally, selecting natural pigments and essences.

Adding tea water yielded Brown Tea Sugar.

Adding Red Flower yielded red "Health Sugar."

He poured the prepared Sugar Paste into a basin to cool, stirred it with a wooden stick, observed its transformation as it cooled, and when it reached a semi-liquid state, donned thick cotton gloves, removed the paste, and with nimble hands, stretched, rolled, and kneaded it; finally, he cut the long strips into individual Sugar Pellets, then shaped them into smooth spheres with his hands, dusted them with Barley Powder, and completed the process.

Throughout the entire process, especially the crucial Temperament Control, success depended entirely on experience.

He failed five or six times; the waste rate was extremely high, and the final yield was exceedingly scarce.

Five hundred Tea Candy, two hundred Health Sugar.

Qin Feng picked up a piece of Tea Candy and put it in his mouth; the perfectly balanced sweetness, mingled with tea aroma, spread through his mouth, and he closed his eyes in delight.

Though vastly inferior to the colorful, dazzling candies of his memory, compared to cloyingly sweet White Sugar, it was a qualitative leap—a completely new experience for his long-deprived palate.

As Qin Feng carefully cleaned up the aftermath, packed away the finished Candy, and began writing the Sugar Refining Technique, a faint "gulping" sound reached his ear.

The sound was extremely faint; without close attention, it could easily be overlooked.

But because Qin Feng had made too many enemies and constantly faced assassination risks, his senses had become extraordinarily sharp.

The sound seemed to be caused by some kind of swallowing motion.

Qin Feng frowned slightly, turned to inspect the Gongfang Cart, but saw no one at all.

"It's broad daylight—could this really be ghosts?"

Qin Feng muttered, about to turn away, when the sound came again.

This time Qin Feng clearly heard it—it was coming from beneath his feet.

"Beneath… my feet?!"

"Oh my god, am I really seeing a ghost?!"

Qin Feng involuntarily swallowed, crouched down, and mustered courage to examine the cart's floor; soon, he indeed spotted a small hole.

Qin Feng leaned over the hole and glanced inside—what he saw sent a chill down his spine, nearly scaring him to death.

Inside the hole was "embedded" a single eyeball, staring fixedly at Qin Feng.

Then came two chilling "hehe" laughs.

Qin Feng's mind went blank with a sudden "whirring" sound—he bolted for the door, screaming: "Someone! Ghost! There's… there's a ghost!"

At that moment, the cart had just stopped by the roadside for rest.

Qin Feng's shout instantly drew a crowd around the Gongfang Cart, blocking all exits.

Qin Feng hid behind Jing Qianying, gripping her waist tightly, his other hand trembling as he pointed at the cart: "Th-there's a ghost… under the cart!"

Jing Qianying held Jing Qianying's Sword, her brows slightly furrowed: "It's broad daylight, clear sky—where could a ghost come from?"

Qin Feng stared fixedly beneath the cart, drenched in sweat: "How should I know? Even if it's not a ghost, it's definitely an Assassin!"

Upon hearing the word "Assassin," everyone immediately went on Readiness.

Wu Wei gripped his long spear, Zhao Yuxiong drew his Waist Saber, and they moved to flank the underside of the cart from left and right.

Zhao Yuxiong faintly glimpsed a dark shape hanging beneath the cart; his heart sank, and he barked: "Who's there! Come out! If you dare play tricks again, you'll be killed on the spot!"

The atmosphere turned deadly serious.

Every heart was in their throats—just as combat seemed inevitable, a disgruntled chuckle emerged from beneath the cart.

"Hahaha, it's me, why get so worked up!"

That voice was all too familiar to Qin Feng—so familiar that Qin Feng longed to set fire to the bastard and his cart together!

Under everyone's gaze, a short, squat man crawled out from beneath the cart, clad in a black fitted combat suit, with a bone club stuck in his back—it was Li Liao, the Baron of Fuyun County.

Zhao Yuxiong instantly recognized Li Liao; relieved, yet utterly bewildered, he asked, "Son of the Ming Prince? How are you here?"

Li Liao pulled the bone club—shaped like a "walking stick"—from his back, shoved aside Zhao Yuxiong's sword, and grinned broadly. "Little master can go wherever he pleases—do I need to report to you lot?"

No sooner had he spoken than a roar rang out.

Qin Feng leapt into the air and kicked toward Li Liao's chest, but Li Liao dodged aside; only Qin Feng's quick reflexes saved him from crashing headfirst into the carriage.

Missing his kick, Qin Feng grew even angrier: "Scaring someone like that can kill them, you know!"