Chapter 58: The Origin of Fine Incense

"You! You lunatic!"

The short man's face turned beet red, making him so angry that he couldn't even speak coherently. If the burly man hadn't still been grabbing him by the collar, he would have lunged forward to retaliate long ago.

"How dare you still curse at me!"

The young man was long past thinking clearly. Upon hearing the short man's words, his anger flared instantly. He raised his hand and delivered a fierce slap.

With a crisp "啪" sound, the left side of the short man's face instantly swelled up high. But before he could even utter a word, the young man turned to address the crowd behind him.

"Everyone, charge with me! This way we can finish it faster. Just remember not to beat him to death!"

Hearing the young man's words, the crowd rushed forward with reddened eyes, raining punches and kicks down upon the short man.

"Ah! Stop hitting! You bunch of lunatics, stop this instant!"

"Damn your ancestors! Not the face! Ouch! My bones are breaking!"

"Manager Shen, save me! This humble one knows his wrong! Please save me! Wu ma wu!"

Amidst the crowd's taking turns to beat him, the short man transitioned from cursing to begging for mercy. Tears finally streamed down his face as he wailed toward Shen Xuan.

Shen Xuan wore a faint smile, figuring the timing was about right. He didn't want these customers to actually beat the man to death.

With this thought, Shen Xuan stepped forward and called out to the crowd.

"Everyone! Shen Xuan has something to say!"

Hearing Shen Xuan's voice, the crowd paused their actions and subconsciously turned their heads.

Taking advantage of the moment, Shen Xuan exerted a sudden force with his hand, splashing the medicinal water from his porcelain bowl in all directions!

Before anyone could react, they were splashed full in the face with the water.

"Manager Shen, what is the meaning of this?"

A scholar raised a hand to wipe the water stains from his face, glaring angrily at Shen Xuan as he spoke.

"Exactly, Manager Shen! Why did you splash a face full of water on us?"

The plump middle-aged man furrowed his brows and spoke with a somewhat displeased tone.

"Are you all sober now?"

As the crowd's eyes gradually returned to normal, Shen Xuan asked with a smile.

"What is Manager Shen talking about? Though, this head of mine does indeed feel a lot clearer."

Hearing Shen Xuan's words, everyone wore puzzled expressions. One of the men rubbed his head and spoke with utter bewilderment.

"Come to think of it, with your reminder, it really does seem that way. Just a moment ago, I felt my head was all hazy, and my heart was filled with an inexplicable agitation."

"Yes, yes, yes! This humble one had the exact same feeling! Manager Shen, what on earth is going on here?"

Hearing the inquiries, Shen Xuan directly offered an explanation.

"That is because your minds were disturbed by enchanted incense, which is why feelings of irritability and clouded consciousness arose!"

"What! Enchanted incense? How is that possible?"

Upon hearing this, everyone wore looks of perplexity, their eyes filled with disbelief.

"Since you don't believe it, let us just ask this brother here."

As he spoke, Shen Xuan raised a hand and pointed at the short man, who had been beaten black and blue by the crowd.

Seeing everyone's gazes turn toward him, the short man trembled. Fear was written all over his face. He swallowed hard and put up a bold front as he said.

"What does this matter have to do with me? I haven't even settled accounts with you yet!"

"Is that so! Since that is the case, would you mind taking out the two sticks of incense hidden in your bosom so we can verify it for ourselves?"

Shen Xuan's expression was calm, but his tone carried a hint of amusement.

"I—!"

The short man was struck speechless, momentarily not knowing how to retort.

However, the burly man standing beside him stood on no ceremony. Grabbing the short man up by the collar, he casually began searching him all over.

"Let go of me! Let me go immediately!"

Terror flashed across the short man's face as he struggled frantically.

"Stop thrashing about for me!"

Annoyed by his antics, the burly man didn't hesitate for a moment and landed a heavy punch.

"Ah!"

Accompanied by a cry of pain, the short man had no choice but to behave himself.

"Found it!"

After searching for a moment, the burly man's eyes lit up. He casually pulled out two thin sticks of incense and displayed them before the crowd.

"Just this little thing could knock all of us out?"

A young master dressed in luxurious attire stepped forward, disbelief written all on his face as he picked up the incense to sniff it.

Yet upon taking that sniff, the young master felt the world spin before his eyes, and a wave of irritability quietly took root in his heart.

"It's true! It really is this thing! This fellow tried to use us as tools to frame Manager Shen!"

Regaining his wits, the young master hurriedly put the incense back down. Fear flickered across his face as he viciously pointed at the short man and shouted.

The young master's abnormal behavior was naturally witnessed by everyone. Once they realized the truth of the matter, they wore expressions of intense indignation, itching to go up and punch the fellow a few more times.

Seeing this, Shen Xuan hastily signaled for the crowd to stop.

"Everyone, calm yourselves. This humble one still has some questions to ask this person. Once the questioning is concluded, you may all dispose of this fellow however you please."

"Fine! Since Manager Shen has spoken thus, we will certainly grant you this face!"

Seeing that Shen Xuan had intervened, the crowd willingly gave him this courtesy, stepping aside one after another to see what he intended to ask.

Shen Xuan cupped his fists in salute to the crowd, then took a large stride forward and sternly questioned the short man.

"Speak! Why did you try to ruin our restaurant with undeserved praise?"

The short man lowered his head in thought. Seeing the angry glares from the crowd, he knew he could no longer evade the matter.

He had no choice but to recount everything: how he had sought to frame Jun You Lai in exchange for the Ten-Ingredient Vitality Porridge.

"So that was it! This fellow is truly vicious. For his own selfish desires, he played all of us around in the palm of his hand!"

Hearing this, the luxuriously dressed young master's expression darkened as he spoke with a hateful tone.

"What do you mean, vicious? In my eyes, he is nothing more than scum—just a rat who only knows how to play dirty tricks in the shadows."

Another youth dressed as a scholar stepped forward, his gaze filled with utter contempt as he looked at the short man.

Listening to the scathing denunciations from the crowd, the short man's expression turned extremely ugly, yet he dared not utter a single word in defense, merely lowering his head even further.

Shen Xuan held the man's actions in deep contempt as well, but his greatest curiosity at the moment lay elsewhere.

Narrowing his eyes, Shen Xuan gazed intently at the short man and demanded in a deep voice.

"I ask you again, where did you acquire this fine incense?"

"This—I bought it from an old man in the black market!"

The short man hesitated briefly, but under Shen Xuan's harsh gaze, he gritted his teeth and replied.

"Do you know what the old man looked like?"

Shen Xuan pressed on with another question.

"The man was wearing a cloak; I couldn't see his face at all. I only knew he was an elderly person because of his voice and his somewhat withered palms."

The short man shook his head and said.