Dao of Cooking

Chapter 60: Chaos

The Spiritual Sensitivity skill kept buzzing in his mind as Lei strode toward Master Li’s place to check on the old couple and the kids. The often crowded streets of Jiangzhen looked desolate today, with heads peeking out from behind shutters. Few people lounged in the streets, whispering worriedly among themselves.

What is happening here?

Longfever had been a problem for months. The sickness started with a mild headache, heat and discomfort around one’s joints, followed by diarrhea and fever dreams. It could be deadly if left unattended, but the healers in Jiangzhen had remedies to keep it under control.

This new sickness, though, left even Aunt Lifen helpless. She told Lei that it gave no prior notice before suddenly spreading across the body, corroding the flesh with yellowish spots that oozed pus. Other than the new paste—which only seemed good for delaying the inevitable—her other mixtures and remedies had no effect on the sick.

She had sent word via the Governor’s Office to a Master Healer in Lanzhou. In dire cases like this, when mortal methods failed, they had no choice but to rely on cultivator pharmacists and healers from the Immortal Cities. Thanks to the spiritual beast ferry service, the healer should arrive within a day or two.

Or so Aunt Lifen thought.

Lei, however, had his doubts. He didn’t believe for a second that the Governor would make a genuine effort to help the people of Jiangzhen. Quite the opposite—there was a good chance the Governor was behind it all.

It can’t be a coincidence. First, there was that rotten man coming in the middle of dinner to talk with two of the Governor’s men. Now, hundreds of people are suddenly falling sick without warning. What are you trying to do here?

He didn’t know, but he certainly wouldn’t let anything happen to the kids or the old couple.

The wind whistled past his ears as he rushed toward the bakery, taking in the sights around him. The stalls were empty, the hawkers busy gathering their goods. A couple of drunkards were being ushered away by a line of guards, oblivious to the epidemic.

Above all that, though, was the reek of rot permeating the clear air of Jiangzhen. Lei was no stranger to the stench, but for some reason, he seemed to be the only one who could smell it. Even when he asked Aunt Lifen and a few guards, they didn’t seem aware of it.

So, those rotten bastards must’ve done something to hide their tracks.

All sorts of possibilities ran through his mind until he arrived at the familiar street that housed the bakery. It was closed, of course, but he could see little heads peeking from the wooden shutters on the second floor. Their eyes lit up when he waved at them.

The door creaked open, revealing Little Mei smiling up at him, her big eyes wide, a black cat cradled gently in her arms.

"Big Brother Lei!" she cried, hugging his legs.

Lei patted her head before stepping inside.

He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding when he saw all the kids gathered in the big hall. Master Li and Granny Xu were sitting on the couch, small smiles tugging at the corners of their lips. Those smiles quickly gave way to solemn expressions once their eyes met his. Lei gave them a nod, signaling that they needed to talk.

"Be good, no and go to your rooms. We have to talk with your Big Brother," Master Li said, his wrinkled face softening with fondness as he gestured to the kids.

The children were about to grumble, but a stern look from Lei silenced them. Shoulders slumped, they cleared the hall, leaving the old couple alone with Lei.

“It’s not looking good, Master Li,” Lei said, dropping into a seat on the other couch. His head throbbed with a strange pulse, sending jolts of pain down his spine. “People are sick, and it’s getting worse.”

“Mm.” Master Li nodded. “I heard from some friends that this all started on the farms. Longfever, isn’t it? I thought we got rid of that cursed thing. But still, how could it spread so wide in a single day?”

Lei shook his head. “It’s not longfever. Aunt Lifen doesn’t know what it is, but I think... I have an idea.”

“Oh?” Granny Xu arched an eyebrow, leaning closer. “Tell us then.”

“It’s related to those people I told you about. I don’t know how or why, but there’s no doubt. They’re doing something in the city, and the Governor’s people know it.”

Master Li leaned back, troubled by the news. Granny Xu laid a hand on his arm. Lei had already told the old couple about the rotten bastards, and their likely ties to the Governor’s Office, so they weren’t surprised—just resigned. Knowing the truth didn’t change their situation.

They had to do something.

“We need to get out,” Lei said, fists clenched under his sleeves. “When Sister Luli and Brother Lou return, we should move. I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but it’s only going to get worse.”

“But where?” Granny Xu frowned. “It’ll take weeks to get to Lanzhou, and the roads between cities are dangerous. We’re not young anymore, Little Lei.”

“We’ll slow you down,” Master Li said matter-of-factly, keeping his composure.

Lei’s chest tightened. “I can’t leave you here. You know that. We can take shelter in one of the villages between the cities. It’ll take weeks, but once we’re out of the city, we don’t have to rush.”

“We aren’t weak,” came a voice from behind him—young, but strong. Snake stood there, eyes narrowed, with Stone just a step behind him, looking equally serious. “We can take care of you.”

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Lei turned toward them. “I don’t remember allowing you to eavesdrop on our conversation. So, care to tell me, Little Snake, what you two are doing here?”

Stone flinched, but Snake remained resolute, his eyes meeting Lei’s. “We’re not children anymore, Big Brother Lei. We can tell something’s wrong in the city. It’s not fair that you always keep us away from your talks.”

“It’s not about hiding things,” Lei said. “This is important. Now, go back to your rooms and wait until we’re done. I promise I’ll explain everything when the time comes.”

He turned back to the old couple. They didn’t have time to waste if they wanted to get out. The problem was, Sister Luli was still in Darkloom Forest, and Lei didn’t know when she’d return.

It shouldn’t take another day. She knows she has to be back before the opening.

They had planned to open the restaurant tomorrow, so Lei expected her to return to Jiangzhen tonight. He needed to find carriages willing to take them by the end of the day.

We can do this. We have money.

“I’ll leave the kids with you,” Lei said. “I’ll gather their things from the house while you prepare here. It’s going to be a long trip. Master Li, do you know anyone who’d be willing to lend us carriages?”

Master Li seemed about to argue, but Granny Xu shook her head at him. She sighed and nodded at Lei. “There’s a man called Yang Jian near the restaurant. He used to carry goods for me. Little Lou knows where to find him, so if you can ask him—”

A loud bang interrupted her as the door swung open. Fatty Lou barged in, his cheeks flushed with heat, sweat rolling down his chin.

“That’s not going to work,” he rasped.

Lei froze, his stomach wrenching. “Brother Lou, what’s wrong?”

“A curfew,” Fatty Lou said, panting. “The Governor has ordered a lockdown for the whole city.”

“What?” Lei's stomach twisted further, his heart pounding in his chest. “Since when?”

Fatty Lou wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, his breathing still heavy. “Just now. I overheard the guards while I was out. They’re putting checkpoints at all the city gates. No one in or out until further notice.”

Lei clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. This was bad. Worse than he had expected. His mind raced through their options, but every path seemed blocked—by the Governor’s men, the sickness, the ever-tightening grip around the city.

“They’re trying to trap us here,” Lei muttered under his breath. The words tasted like poison. “They’re using this sickness as an excuse to lock everyone in.”

Granny Xu’s face paled, and Master Li leaned forward, his brow furrowed in thought. “We can’t just sit here and wait for whatever is coming,” the old man said, his voice steady but grave.

“I know,” Lei replied, gritting his teeth. “But getting out of the city will be nearly impossible now.”

“What do we do?” Fatty Lou asked as he slumped down beside Lei.

“We can only wait for Sister Luli. She wants to be a pharmacist, right? Maybe she can find a way to cure this thing,” Lei said, frowning when Fatty Lou just stared at him. “I don’t know, Brother Lou. I can’t wrap my head around all this. It’s my fault. We should’ve gone to Lanzhou rather than staying here. We knew this could happen.”

“It’s too late for that,” Fatty Lou said. “Let’s not get lost in the past.”

Lei swallowed hard, pushing down the guilt that threatened to overwhelm him. Fatty Lou was right—it was too late to dwell on what they should have done. Now, they had to focus on surviving the lockdown and protecting those they cared about.

The air in the room seemed to grow thicker with tension as the gravity of their situation settled in. They were trapped in a city teetering on the brink of disaster, surrounded by sickness and the Governor’s iron grip.

Lei looked up at Fatty Lou, determination flashing in his eyes. “Alright, we don’t have time to waste. We need to gather supplies, reinforce the bakery, and keep everyone safe.”

Master Li nodded in agreement. “We have enough food to last us a few days, but it won’t be long before things get tight. If the sickness spreads, the markets will shut down entirely.”

“I’ll head out and see what I can scrounge up,” Fatty Lou offered. “There are still a few guys who owe me some favors. I might be able to get us some essentials before things get worse.”

Lei stood up from the couch, his mind racing through the possibilities. “Good. Do what you can, but don’t take any unnecessary risks. We can’t afford to lose you.”

Fatty Lou gave a half-hearted grin. “Don’t worry, Brother Lei. I’m not planning on dying today.”

“Granny Xu, can you take care of the kids?” Lei asked. “I’ll go get whatever I can from the restaurant and the house.”

Granny Xu nodded at him. “Be careful, Little Lei. Don’t overdo it.”

Lei forced a smile. “I won’t. We’ll need everyone at full strength if we’re going to make it through this.”

As he stepped toward the door, Fatty Lou’s hand fell on his shoulder. “Brother Lei,” he said quietly, glancing at the old couple and the kids peeking from upstairs, “are you sure we can hold out? I mean, with the lockdown, the sickness, and those people... it feels like everything’s closing in.”

Lei met Fatty Lou’s gaze, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. “I don’t know. But what I do know is that we can’t give up. Not yet. As long as we’re still breathing, there’s hope. We just need to stay sharp, stick together, and wait for the right moment.”

Fatty Lou gave a small nod. “Alright. Let’s get to work.”

With that, Lei pushed the door open and stepped back into the streets.