Chapter 119: The Legend of Dragon Four

"I seem to have amused you, Divine Doctor," Lu Guofu said hurriedly upon hearing Zhang Shen's cough.

"It is nothing. As the saying goes, a marriage is predestined by fate. Seeing the two of you so devoted to each other, I, as a student, am naturally happy for you."

"That is well said, Divine Doctor. If it weren't for your help with Ming'er and Teacher Hao’s relationship, we might have been waiting until the end of time."

Listening to Lu Guofu, Zhang Shen realized that he had understood the subtext. He decided to get straight to the point: "Mr. Lu, let us return to the matter at hand. May I ask if I was invited here because your wife is feeling unwell?"

Before Zhang Shen could finish, Lu Ming, who was standing nearby, asked anxiously, "Dad, what is wrong with Mom?"

Seeing this, Lu Guofu waved his hand to signal silence and quickly explained, "The Divine Doctor has misunderstood. It is actually another matter entirely. Let us discuss it in the study."

Having addressed Zhang Shen, Lu Guofu turned to Lu Ming. "Ming'er, take Teacher Hao for a stroll, or perhaps go upstairs to see your mother. The Divine Doctor and I have things to discuss."

Hearing his father's request for a private conversation, Lu Ming did not press the issue. He simply handed the black plastic bag he was holding to Lu Guofu.

"What is this?"

Looking at the tattered plastic bag, Lu Guofu did not for a moment think it belonged to his son.

"This is what the Divine Doctor asked me to pass to you."

"For me?"

Completely bewildered, Lu Guofu could never have imagined that his priceless Nine-Dragon Cauldron would be kept in such a bag. If word of this got out, he would surely be the laughingstock of the jewelry trade!

Lu Guofu quickly took the bag and gestured for Lu Ming to go off and "amuse himself." Meanwhile, he led Zhang Shen to the study.

Once inside, Lu Guofu did not rush to speak. He placed the unassuming plastic bag on the desk, carefully untied the knot, and took out the Nine-Dragon Cauldron. He then placed it back onto the bookshelf.

"Divine Doctor, the reason I invited you here is that I would like to understand the situation of the patient you mentioned earlier today."

Zhang Shen felt a bit confused. Why would a jewelry merchant like Lu Guofu be so concerned with medical matters? However, since the question had been asked, he could not avoid answering it—especially since the patient’s treatment had involved the use of Lu Guofu’s own Fire Spirit Pill.

"Mr. Lu, you have actually met the patient. It is the owner of the dumpling shop you saw last time. At first, his family thought it was a flare-up of chronic rheumatism, but after testing with my silver needles, I discovered that the blood in the swollen area had turned black. I concluded it was a case of poisoning."

For a man like Lu Guofu, who had spent years navigating the cutthroat world of business, "poisoning" was a word he had only heard in rumors. After all, his own wealth was coveted by many. But for a simple dumpling seller to be targeted, he found it quite shocking.

"Have you found the person responsible?"

"Not yet," Zhang Shen replied, shaking his head.

"Are there any clues?" Lu Guofu asked, hoping to glean some information.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Shen spoke slowly: "There is actually one lead, though I cannot yet determine if it is true."

"Oh? I would like to hear it, Divine Doctor."

In truth, the poisoning of Wang Ying's father was not of great importance to Lu Guofu. However, Zhang Shen had sacrificed a precious Fire Spirit Pill to save him. Even though he had gifted the pill to Zhang Shen, he felt he ought to know what kind of situation had required such a divine medicine.

"It is said that a man named Long Si came to the shop to see Wang Ying's father and left behind a threat. But the issue is that it has been several months, and there is no evidence of poisoning, so..."

Before Zhang Shen could finish, Lu Guofu interrupted, "Divine Doctor, did you say Long Si?"

From the tone of his voice, Zhang Shen sensed that Lu Guofu seemed to know who Long Si was.

"Mr. Lu, do you know him?"

"Not personally. I have heard of him, but I have never met him. I only know him as the owner of a restaurant. I have heard that his cuisine is considered the best in Yuehu, though I have never had the time to taste it myself."

Zhang Shen felt that although this Long Si, who was whispered about among the wealthy, seemed to have quite a reputation—with people praising his food despite never having met him—could it be that he found the flavor of Wang Ying’s dumplings so delicious that he came specifically to steal the recipe?

That seemed absurd.

To Zhang Shen, the matter was far from simple. Now, all he wanted to know was the location of the restaurant run by this Long Si.

"Mr. Lu, do you know the location of this restaurant?"

"It is said that the shop is inconspicuous. To dine there, you must either be a regular or be brought in by someone who is. Furthermore, the shop has a very peculiar rule."

"Oh? What is that?"

"While most shops hope for a constant stream of customers, this one does the exact opposite: it only accepts one guest per day. If you want to get in, I am afraid you will have to put in some effort."

Lu Guofu’s words made Zhang Shen feel that the restaurant was even more suspicious. It was no longer just about investigating the poisoning; the string of questions left Zhang Shen eager for answers.

Realizing that Lu Guofu did not know the exact address, Zhang Shen suddenly remembered the business card for Long Si that he had found at Wang Ying’s house earlier that day.

Thinking of this, he decided there was no time to waste.

"Mr. Lu, I have some urgent business, so I will not linger. I shall pay you another visit another day."

Lu Guofu was momentarily stunned by Zhang Shen's sudden departure, but as a businessman, he understood that Zhang Shen must have found a clue. He did not try to stop him, instead ordering his butler to arrange a car to take Zhang Shen away.

Once in the car, Zhang Shen’s first destination was the dumpling shop.

After arriving, he dismissed the driver and headed straight inside.

"Wow, it smells amazing!" Zhang Shen exclaimed in genuine appreciation.

"Why are you here?"

Wang Ying had expected Zhang Shen to be sitting with Lu Ming and Hao Lei, so his sudden appearance here felt truly inexplicable to her.

"Do you even need to ask? I must have been kicked out by the Lu family!"