Tang Xiulan wiped her brow as she and Chen Ren finished the day’s work.

The sun had already long set, calming things around the courtyard from the busy state that they’d been in the morning, but she still had some energy left.

She helped Chen Ren carry the stall and bowls back to the guest courtyard. Despite her initial reluctance, she had grown accustomed to their routine, though she still found his behaviour puzzling.

Once they had set everything down, Chen Ren turned to her with a small smile. “Thanks for the help, Xiulan. I appreciate it. I will see you tomorrow.”

Tang Xiulan nodded, caught off guard by his politeness yet again. No matter how many times he thanked her or spoke to her kindly, she couldn’t quite get used to it. It wasn’t just the words, but the way he looked at her— as if she were a person, not just a mortal to be looked down upon. It was an unfamiliar sensation coming from Chen Ren who only ever treated people as livestock rather than humans.

She recalled when he had first come to live with Chen Clan and had nearly crippled a maid because she had dared to take out his clothes to wash without asking. Although he had spared her later on, Tang Xiulan still recalled the look in his eyes. But now he was different.

Like always, she wondered upon the reason for this transformation.

There were only a few times in her life when she had seen people changing to this degree. Most of those moments revolved around the other maids or young girls from Tang Clan who would change drastically after getting their hearts broken by guys who never wanted to take responsibilities. They would then grow bitter, becoming shadows of their real selves.

Maybe Chen Ren was like that too. Maybe his own heartbreak was the fight he lost, the one that seemed to have changed him so completely. She didn’t know all the details, but she could see it in his eyes. Whatever pride or arrogance he once had seemed to have been stripped away, replaced by a quiet grit that was hard to ignore.

The only difference was that rather than growing bitter, he had gained humanity and humility, things she never expected him to ever possess.

As these thoughts ran through her mind, Tang Xiulan began her walk towards the main manor. Her feet moved almost automatically along the familiar path, the stone walkway worn smooth by weather and years of use.

The manor was right ahead, a grand structure of carefully done woodwork and stone walls that seemed imposing. Carvings of dragons and phoenixes covered the eaves, their fierce gazes seeming to watch over the clan and protect them from calamities. The roof tiles were a deep, dark blue, catching the last light of the sun and reflecting it in a soft glow.

She passed through a smaller gate that led to the inner courtyard. It wasn’t her quarters, but she had business here today.

As she approached the gate to the main building, she saw two guards standing at attention.

They nodded to her as she came closer, their expressions neutral. “Wait here for a minute,” one of them said, already familiar with her visits.

Tang Xiulan waited patiently, her thoughts still on Chen Ren and the peculiar path his life seemed to be taking. A minute later, the guard returned and motioned for her to enter.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped through the gate and into the main hall.

The room had just a few candles flickering in the corners. The air was thick with the scent of incense, a constant in the Tang manor. In the centre of the room sat an older man, his hair grey and thinning, his cheeks sunken and pale. A neatly trimmed moustache framed his thin lips, giving him an appearance that was hard to read.

This was the head of the Tang Clan, the young miss’ father, Tang Jihao. He looked up as Tang Xiulan entered, his eyes sharp despite his frail appearance.

Tang Xiulan bowed deeply and tried her best to keep her voice steady as she spoke. “I am here to report.”

Tang Xiulan kept her head bowed for a moment longer before speaking. “Young Master Chen Ren started his stall today,” she began, her voice clear but respectful. “He managed to sell all the noodles he had prepared.”

The old man’s eyes widened slightly, his gaze sharpening as he looked at her. “All of them?” he asked, his tone incredulous. “How?”

Tang Xiulan nodded and then gave a brief summary of Chen Ren’s marketing techniques. She started by saying how he didn't get a lot of customers at first, but used the slum dwelling kids to advertise free noodles in exchange for feeding them. He also attached the label of it being a delicacy from the eastern tribes. Once people heard about free food, quite a lot of them came to try and according to Chen Ren, they were going to spread “word of mouth” and the noodles will start to do better and better.

“It was a surprise to me,” she admitted. “But he seemed to think it would help with the sales starting tomorrow.”

Tang Jihao listened carefully, nodding as she spoke. When she finished, he leaned back in his chair and asked, “These noodles... Are they actually from the tribes?”

“I did ask him,” Tang Xiulan replied. “But the young master said it doesn’t matter if they are or not. People just need to believe they’re an exotic delicacy. It’s not like the tribes are going to come to Cloud Mist City to do anything about it.”

At that, a small smile appeared on the old man’s lips. “Chen Ren is more brazen than I expected,” he mused. “But also smart.” His expression grew thoughtful. “Is he still acting strange?”

Tang Xiulan nodded again. “Yes, Master. His personality has changed. I don’t think it’s a facade— if it were, he would have let it slip by now. But he hasn’t.”

Tang Jihao’s eyes narrowed. His sunken eyes seemed to look scarier, but Tang Xiulan didn't let it show it on her face.

“That’s interesting. If his personality truly has changed, then perhaps it’s worth not kicking him out just yet.”

Tang Xiulan hesitated for a moment before speaking up. “Master, may I ask something?”

He glanced at her, curious. “Go ahead.”

“Why don’t you just kick him out?” she asked.“Is it because of the young miss?”

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Tang Jihao's smile returned, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

He didn’t answer immediately, letting the silence stretch just long enough to make Tang Xiulan wonder if she had overstepped. Then, finally, he spoke. “Partly, yes. At least, that was the case when Chen Ren first walked in. It seemed like a golden opportunity to tie my daughter to a cultivator. As you know, she didn't have the gift of immortality in her body and with her marrying a cultivator, at least the future generations will have a better chance. But with Chen Ren’s personality back then, I threw that idea away. He was arrogant, reckless— definitely not the kind of person I wanted to associate with my daughter.”

He paused, rubbing his beard, “Even now, with his new personality, I’m not rushing into anything. It’s not been long enough to see if the change is permanent. But I have to admit, it’s the first time I’ve seen a cultivator take an interest in business— especially one like a street stall. Most cultivators don’t see beyond selling pills or beast parts, and they usually keep to their sects or clan. So, I really want to see what Chen Ren aims to achieve with this. Even if the man is—or was— a wastrel, he’s still a cultivator. It’s quite unusual for someone like that to end up selling something as simple as these noodles. It suggests something major has happened to him. I know of his clan and they are an aggressive bunch, so him being a merchant is just going against everything his clan stands for.”

Tang Xiulan slowly took in those words. Her master wasn't wrong. Since Cloud Mist City was the closest place to Soaring Sword Sect, a guardian sect, there were a good number of cultivators in the city and out of all of them, Chen Ren had slowly turned the strangest.

“I’ll keep being with him and keep an eye out, Master.”

The old man gave a small smile and nodded. “Good. But tell me, are the noodles actually good? I’ve heard from the servants that they are, but it wouldn’t be proper for the head of the Tang Clan to line up at a stall to eat.” He chuckled softly.

Tang Xiulan suppressed a smile, a bit of amusement flickering in her eyes. Of course, she thought to herself, the master was a gourmet. She bowed again, hiding her amusement. “I’ll make sure to bring some for you, Master.”

Tang Jihao nodded, satisfied. “Good. I look forward to trying them. Now, go on, and let me know if you notice anything else strange with Chen Ren.”

Tang Xiulan bowed once more before leaving the room, a small smile tugging at her lips. For all his sternness, Master Tang could never resist good food.

***

The next day, Chen Ren was up early, ready to start the stall once again. Thanks to the foresight of soaking the additional rice he had brought from Tang Yuqiu yesterday, he was able to open earlier than yesterday.

A part of him was eager to catch the morning crowd— those on their way to work or leaving their homes for various errands. He wanted to see if he could attract some early customers with his noodles.

As always, Old Man Tian was already there, a constant presence in the early hours. He gave a short bow to Chen Ren when he saw him strolling up with Tang Xiulan by his side.

Chen Ren returned the gesture with a nod but didn’t say much. Instead, he busied himself setting up the stall, arranging the bowls and preparing the ingredients for the day.

Once everything was ready, Chen Ren sat down, waiting with calm patience. Occasionally, he would call out to people rushing by who cast curious glances at his stall. His voice was friendly but firm, a gentle nudge to consider stopping for a bowl of noodles. Despite his efforts, the morning was slow.

Throughout the early hours, he managed to sell only two bowls, far fewer than the other stalls nearby.

Still, a smile lingered on Chen Ren’s face as he waited, his eyes occasionally drifting to the street, watching the flow of people. Tang Xiulan noticed this and tilted her head, puzzled. “Why do you look so happy, young master?” she asked, getting more casual with him by the day.

Chen Ren turned to her, his smile widening slightly. “I’m just anticipating lunchtime,” he replied. “Things should start to change then if I’m right. From what I know, a lot of people go out to eat at local restaurants and stalls during lunch, at least those who don’t own their own shops in their homes. And if the marketing from yesterday worked as expected, then they’ll be looking to try my noodles today.”

As he spoke, he could feel a sense of anticipation bubbling in his heart and nerves. This was the moment he had been waiting for— the real test of his efforts.

The free food wasn't just to spread word of mouth in the common public. He had deliberately sent the kids to areas where a lot of people worked together such as the places with big forges, the city lord offices and other similar areas. If he was right, then if even a few of his customers from yesterday had done what they promised, he would be quite busy as the day went by.

He glanced at the sun climbing higher in the sky, marking the approach of midday.

Please, don’t let me down.

***

Liu Wen stretched his arms above his head, feeling the tension release from his shoulders as lunchtime finally arrived. He bent further and heard his spine crack— ah, the relief! Soon, it turned into embarrassment when his stomach rumbled, a clear sign that it was time to find something to eat.

He made his way out of the office where he worked, joining the steady stream of people leaving their own workspaces in search of a meal.

Everyone who worked in the city lord's office had specific things they liked during lunch. Some would bring their own lunch, but most would go out to eat in nearby restaurants and stalls. There were also those who were loyal to specific places and would eat similar things everyday.

He wasn't one of them, liking to savour different kinds of food.

As Liu Wen moved down the street, he found himself walking beside a group of fellow workers, deep in discussion about lunch plans. Zhang Wei, Lin Feng and Yuang Bo — a close friend trio that would always hang out for lunch were talking very loudly.

“Should we try something different today?” Zhang Wei suggested, his eyes twinkling with the thought of lunch itself. “I heard there’s a new place by the river that serves amazing dumplings.”

Lin Feng, who walked in the middle, shook his head. “I’m in the mood for something simple,” he said, his tone decisive. “How about the chicken skewers from the stall on the corner? Can’t go wrong with those.”

“Or maybe some hot buns? I heard they have a new filling today!” Yuang Bo’s excitement was palpable, and he rubbed his hands together, imagining the taste.

The three continued their animated debate, tossing around different ideas until Liu Wen felt that they noticed him walking quietly beside them. “Hey, Liu Wen!” Yuan Bo called out, grinning. “Where do you want to go for lunch?”

Liu Wen paused, suddenly remembering what the noodle stall owner had told him the day before about promoting his new stall. And truth be told, after tasting two bowls, he has been craving noodles ever since he started thinking about lunch. “Actually,” he began, trying to keep his voice casual, “there’s a new stall I heard about that’s selling some kind of eastern tribe delicacy. They call it noodles. Supposedly, it’s really good.”

At this, Zhang Wei’s eyes widened with interest. “Noodles, you say? An eastern tribe delicacy?” he repeated, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “I’ve never had anything like that before. Could be worth a try.”

“Yeah, why not? I’m up for something different today. Lead the way, Liu Wen.”

Yuan Bo was practically bouncing on his feet. “An adventure for the taste buds! Let’s do it!”

Liu Wen smiled, pleased with their enthusiasm. As everyone was agreeable about trying out a new delicacy today, he found himself moving to the centre of the group.

He led them toward Market Street, where the noodle stall was set up. As they approached, he noticed something surprising: the area around the stall was already bustling with people, all eagerly slurping down noodles. The sight took him aback since he hadn't expected the stall to start doing such business in just a day.

Just yesterday, they were giving out free noodles in a bid to attract people.

“Looks like we’re not the only ones who heard about this place,” Zhang Wei said, grinning as he took in the crowd. “This must be the real deal.”

Liu Wen nodded, a smile spreading across his face. “Looks like these noodles are going to be a big hit,” he said aloud.

His eyes moved towards the owner of the stall who was handing out the bowls one by one with a smile on his face. “Everyone please get in a queue! It's first come, first serve. All of you are going to get noodles today, so just stand for a while and prepare your stomachs for the best dish you will ever eat.”

As Liu Wen and his group joined the line, the rich smell of freshly made noodles filled the air, and he could practically taste the delicacy all over again.