Unable to figure anything out, Chen Jin decided that, for now, they might as well eat.
Chen Jin clicked his tongue and briskly rolled up his sleeve, bringing his sturdy forearm right up to little zombie Nuonuo's mouth.
Already restless from the scent of a living person and the smell of flesh and blood, Nuonuo let out an impatient gurgle before opening her mouth and biting down.
Her murky gray eyes immediately narrowed with satisfaction. Her little canines pierced the skin, and she began gnawing with eager little munches.
But after only a few bites, Nuonuo suddenly stopped and let go. A wounded expression appeared on her little face. Tilting her head, she looked at Chen Jin with those vacant eyes and complained in a soft, sweet voice:
"Daddy... this meat... it doesn't stink anymore, but... but it doesn't have any flavor..."
Chen Jin was taken aback, then remembered a passage about his inheritance:
"Flesh of Vision has eyes but no stomach or intestines. Eat it, and it will never run out; soon, it will grow back as before. Its flavor is mild."
—Guo Pu, Commentary on Illustrations of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, Jin Dynasty
So his flesh was just naturally bland. No wonder the little one looked so aggrieved while eating.
The situation got a little awkward.
Chen Jin looked at Nuonuo's pitiful expression, then at the bite marks rapidly healing on his arm, and twitched his mouth.
"Wait a moment."
With a thought, he pulled several small glass bottles out of his Personal Mark.
Finely ground white salt, fragrant pepper, clearly distinct grains of cumin, and dark soy sauce!
"Here, try sprinkling some of this on." Like an eager barbecue vendor, he handed over the seasonings.
Wang Wu stared, dumbfounded. He couldn't make sense of what these bottles contained. The salt, white and fine as fresh snow, especially, was beyond anything he could imagine.
In the Qin Dynasty, salt and iron were state monopolies, known as the Official Mountains and Seas.
Most salt on the market was coarse, bitter, and full of impurities. It was also expensive.
He had only ever heard of salt this white, fine, and pure in legends. It was a tribute delicacy enjoyed only by the most privileged nobles in Xianyang Palace!
Curious, Nuonuo picked up the salt bottle. Imitating Chen Jin, she carefully sprinkled a little salt onto the wound on his arm, which he had offered again. Then she poured on some soy sauce and generously shook on a large amount of pepper and cumin.
She lowered her head and took another bite—
"!!!"
The little girl's whole body shivered with delight! An unprecedented light shone in her murky gray eyes.
"Yum!"
With a cheer, she stopped caring about appearances, wrapped both arms around Chen Jin's forearm, and began to feast in earnest. She munched away happily, her little face filled with a happiness and satisfaction she had never shown before.
Wang Wu watched as Chen Jin used "tribute salt," more precious than gold, just to season his daughter's food. The tough man's eyes instantly reddened.
His lips trembled. He wanted to express his gratitude, but every word seemed inadequate.
All he could do was wipe his face hard and etch this immense kindness into his heart.
"My benefactor! You've given us a new lease on life! From now on, my life belongs to you!" he swore to himself.
After Nuonuo had eaten her fill, Chen Jin began guiding her with keen interest, asking her to demonstrate her abilities.
A "zombie" in such an unusual state had to have something special about her, right?
"Nuonuo, show Uncle how you... um, walk?" Chen Jin tried to prompt her.
Nuonuo lowered her arms and obediently nodded.
Her knees indeed couldn't bend, but the next moment, her small body blurred. With a whoosh, she seemed to teleport, appearing out of nowhere in another corner of the room!
She landed without a sound, as though she had no weight.
[Impermanence Step]: Because her body is stiff and she is poor at walking, she has gained an extraordinary ability to leap. She can instantly move to any point within sight, silently and like a ghost.
"Wow!" Chen Jin exclaimed, genuinely impressed.
Wang Wu took over with a rueful smile and demonstrated for his daughter.
He picked up the short knife used for cutting meat and lightly sliced Nuonuo's finger. The wound was deep, but no blood came out; only a faint, ashen deathly aura seeped from it. Yet almost as soon as the knife pulled away, the wound began to writhe and close, healing in the blink of an eye.
[Resurrection of the Remains]: No longer among the living, she can no longer die. Any injury heals rapidly. Even if most of her body is destroyed, as long as she is not completely obliterated, she can gather yin energy and flesh again after a period of stillness and resume moving.
"Anything else?" Chen Jin's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Nuonuo seemed to understand. She thought hard for a moment, then swayed over to a pot in the corner containing a long-withered plant. She reached out a pale little hand and gently touched its dried leaves and branches.
An incredible sight unfolded. The plant, which had been yellow and withered, regained a faint hint of green before their eyes!
She couldn't bring it fully back to life, but she had clearly delayed its complete withering.
[Wonderful Method of Life Extension]: As an anomalous being who lingers between life and death, her touch can temporarily balance vitality and deathly energy. She can not only alleviate pain and illness, but also keep someone on the verge of death alive with their last breath, greatly extending their lifespan for a time.
Looking at the little one in front of him, Chen Jin couldn't help laughing.
Well, would you look at that. She was practically a mini version of the youthful Flesh of Vision.
Wang Wu hadn't just raised a daughter. He'd found himself a treasure!
Still, aside from someone like Chen Jin, anyone else who wanted to raise this little zombie would probably have to rely on killing people in large numbers.
Chen Jin could raise her without harming the natural order, thanks to his inheritance. But Nuonuo's abilities overlapped with his own, and he didn't have much use for them.
Chen Jin drew back his arm. The bite marks had long since vanished.
He gently patted Nuonuo's head. Having eaten her fill of "delicious" flesh and blood, the little girl was unusually quiet and well-behaved. She even nuzzled his palm, clinging to him.
He turned to Wang Wu and spoke calmly. "Nuonuo's need to eat human flesh stems from the secret arts of the Fangxian Dao. I'll find a way to solve it, but not right now."
At this, Wang Wu's heart tightened again, and he looked at Chen Jin nervously.
"Until I find a way to cure her completely," Chen Jin continued, "she'll stay with me. I'll take care of her 'food.'"
The words were like a reassuring pill for Wang Wu, and like a shackle, too.
But he was already in too deep, wasn't he?
"As for the price," Chen Jin said, lowering his voice, "it's simple. From this moment on, I need complete freedom of movement. Any Qin law in Langya City—the Night Curfew Law, the Slander Law, the Gold and Cloth Law—will be nothing more than an empty phrase to me."
He met Wang Wu's eyes. "I'll do whatever I need to do, go wherever I need to go, and meet whoever I need to meet.
"And you, Captain Wang, will use all your authority, your familiarity with the Law Eye's rules, and the network of connections you've built in Xianyang to become my 'umbrella.'"
"Cover my tracks, divert the Law Eye's attention, and handle any inquiries.
"When I need it, provide information or manpower—or turn a blind eye."