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Chapter 13: You May Eat
The bright light faded away with a soft crackle… and all of them appeared on different seats around a long dining table. The chairs looked and felt clean and smooth. All the chairs were placed in a neat circle around a table. Plates and bowls filled the table. There were warm soups, steamed meat, fruits that released sweet smells, and shining dishes that looked expensive.
For a moment, no one moved.
Yin Zhe sat straight in his own seat. His hands were resting on the sides of the chair as he looked around. His heartbeat felt slow but heavy. thump… thump… He felt like the entire situation was a bit awkward .
The others, Ren Tie and the rest, also froze. Their eyes bounced from plate to plate, then to each other. Every expression carried the same confusion.
A soft hmm… escaped one of their mouths. Then another made a low ahem…, like they were trying to steady their breathing. None of them understood what was going on. They had been asleep. Then they woke up in strange new clothes. Now they were here, in front of food.
Ren Tie looked around first. His lips parted. And he spoke. "What's this place?" he whispered. His voice had a small shake. "Why food?... Why like this?"
Wen Chong who was beside him hissed, "Is this another trick? Are they trying to fatten us before killing us?... That's the oldest trick in the book... and it's supposed to be used for goose not humans"
Bao Zi let out a soft hpmh, rubbing his face with both hands. "I don't get it. Why teleport us just to make us sit down?.. not just sit but to sit around delicious looking dishes"
Yin Zhe kept quiet. His eyes had been lowered all this while, but his mind was sharp and active.
His thoughts moved like threads weaving together. Trying to make sense of the situation.
"They used a teleportion array… hmmm… this house must be full of arrays… maybe every door, or every floor tile is one… that sounds rather unrealistic. even to me"
He didn't want to say anything too early. Words always brought attention. Right now, he felt like he shouldn't get in the spotlight.
The room remained silent for a few more breaths. Then, the door at the far end opened with a soft creak…
An old man walked in.
He wore simple clothing and a wide straw hat that hid half of his face. His steps were slow but steady like an old turtle. tap… tap… tap… His presence filled the room in a strange way. Calm, but also suffocating.
No one dared to talk when he entered.
He sat in the main chair. Which was at the head of the table. The chair made a tiny thud as he settled in. He placed his hands on the table, and folded gently, and looked at all of them one by one.
His voice was low and rough.
"You may eat."
That was all he said. Three words.
No long speech. Or a welcome. He did even introduce himself. Or gave them an explanation. All he gave them was permission.
But his words had made the room even more tense.
All of them stared at the food. Their stomachs growled quietly.. grrr… grrr… but their hands stayed still. None of them dared to grab anything. There was a war between Hunger and fear inside their chests.
Wen Chong whispered, "What if it's poisoned?"
Tian Zuo muttered, almost shaking, "Maybe they want to test something on us. Like a new experiment"
Ren Tie clenched his jaw. "Food doesn't show up for free. Hmph…"
Yin Zhe who was silent right from the start, lowered his gaze to the table. His mind turned again. As he began to mumble to himself.
"It must be him who would have bought us… that mist guy must have sold us to him… so poisoning us doesn't really make sense… I don't see the benefits"
He took a slow breath through his nose.
shhh…
A faint smell brushed past him. The smell wasn't from the food. But From the room. The smell of spirit Essence.
Turns out that his nine breath cycles technique remained on all this time. And he can switch it off. It almost felt like it was something passive.
He felt the spirit essence moving in the air like thin layers of wind. He couldn't see it, but he smelled it with the Nine Breaths Circle Reactive Technique.
"The whole house is full of essence… it wasn't natural… it smelled like it was placed there. Thinking about the spirit array we had seen earlier. So I'm guessing that it must be another array… nope not array. It's arrays with a S"
He looked towards the plates and dishes again.
"If he wanted to kill us, he wouldn't waste money or time using poison and so much food. He would trap the room, or seal it with arrays. And neither is he trying an experimental Poison or something like that. Because Poison can be tested on animals. Even a mad alchemist would have better ways to test it than wasting food and so much money. But this man doesn't feel like an alchemist… his presence feels different… an array master maybe…"
A small hmph… came from Yin Zhe's throat as he came to a decision. "If he wanted us dead, we would be dead already."
He made up his mind and reached out his hand.
The moment his fingers touched the spoon, the others gasped slightly.
ahh!..
Ren Tie's mouth opened wide. "You're eating?!"
Yin Zhe didn't answer. He had never responded to Ren Tie since they met. Then he scooped a bit of food. It was just hot broth. and brought it to his mouth. The warm smell rose even more as his mouth watered. He closed his lips around the spoon.
sip…
He chewed slowly and calmly. This time he wasn't shaking. Neither was there fear shown on his face. Although his heart rate did rise for a moment. thump. thump. he didn't let it show.
Inwardly he whispered to himself:
"If I die now, that will be too stupid. And Too early. I haven't even started becoming stronger… I've got to survive no matter what"
He felt his throat become tight for a brief moment.
"I can't die before even making a move… I can't…"
But he finished swallowing. And notice that he didn't fall. He didn't choke. Neither did he pass out. There was absolutely no reaction. Or No signs of poison.
The room remained silent. As he ate.
The elder in the straw hat stayed calm. His calm eyes never moved.
Yin Zhe took another slow bite.
sip… crunch…
Then another. And another.
His movements were steady and natural.
The others kept staring at him like he was walking into a pit of fire. Their eyes were wide, filled with fear and shock.
Wen Chong whispered with a shaking voice, "He's… he's eating like nothing is wrong."
Bao Zi leaned forward, whispering sharply, "Is he crazy?. Or just brave?.. perhaps he's both crazy and brave"
Ren Tie couldn't look away. "If he drops dead, I swear..."
Yin Zhe heard their whispers, but he didn't say anything. He had always ignored them and planned to keep it that way.. He kept on eating.
His face stayed calm on the outside. but inside, he felt small waves of pressure hitting his chest.
"They think I'm not scared… but I am. I just can't show it. If I panic too much now, they will see it. I can't look weak."
For a brief moment, he raised his eyes.
All their faces were staring directly at him.
He could tell what they were thinking. He was sure their thoughts went along the lines of. Is he dying soon?. Is he already poisoned?.
The doubt in their eyes was heavy.
Ding!!!
"Doubted reactive points +4."
The system's cold voice passed through his mind like a light tap. He didn't react to it out loud. He kept a blank face.
But inside: "They doubt me… good. Better doubt than pity." He continued eating nonchalantly.
The elder didn't say anything. He only leaned back in his chair a little. The straw hat hid his expression, but Yin Zhe felt the old man watching him or Studying him.
That made Yin Zhe's back stiffen for a moment as his thoughts went wild. "Does he know?. Did the maid notice something earlier? Does he know who I am?" His heartbeat gave one strong hit.
thump!!!..
But Yin Zhe forced himself to stay calm. He didn't want to show fear, because it will only confirm their suspicion if they aren't sure of me.
The others waited for a few minutes. As they Watched him eating.
When Yin Zhe didn't collapse, Ren Tie's shoulders loosened a bit.
"Hmmm…" he murmured, rubbing his chin. "Maybe it's safe."
Tian Zuo swallowed his own saliva.
gulp… "Maybe we should… eat too."
They all looked at each other again. Their faces carried fear, hunger, and uncertainty mixed together.
Bao Zi leaned toward Ren Tie. "What if the poison works slow?"
Ren Tie exhaled with frustration. "If it was poison, that old man wouldn't be sitting here waiting. He would be outside or hiding."
The others fell silent.
A few more seconds passed.
The smell of the food filled the air more and more.
Warm and delicious Smell. It pushed into their noses until they couldn't bear it anymore.
Yin Zhe took another bite. crunch… crunch… and he was Still alive.
Ren Tie stared at him and hissed, "Fine… fine…" He picked up his own spoon with shaky fingers. "If he's still breathing, then. forget it. I'm hungry."
He took a bite. The spoon made a small clink on the bowl.
Bao Zi followed.
Then Wen Chong.
Tian Zuo the last one.
Soon, all four of them were eating.
They ate in Slow and careful bites at first.
slup… crunch… chew…
Their eyes were moving between Yin Zhe, the elder, and their own bowls.