Nuonuo

With no leads to follow, and things having reached this point, it was best to just eat first.

Chen Jin clicked his tongue, rolled up his sleeves with practiced ease, and held his sturdy forearm directly to the mouth of the little zombie, Nuonuo.

Already restless and agitated by the scent of a living person and the aroma of flesh, Nuonuo let out an impatient "gurgle" from her throat and lunged forward to bite down.

Her dull, gray eyes instantly squinted in satisfaction as her little fangs pierced the skin, and she began to gnaw with a rhythmic "slurp, slurp" sound.

However, after only a few bites, Nuonuo suddenly stopped. She pulled back, a look of grievance on her small face. Tilting her head, she looked at Chen Jin with her hollow eyes, her voice soft and sweet but laced with complaint:

"Daddy... this meat... it doesn't smell bad anymore, but... but it has no flavor..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jin was stunned for a moment, then recalled a passage regarding his own inheritance:

"The Flesh of Vision has eyes but no stomach or intestines; it is inexhaustible, regenerating as it was before, though it is bland in taste."

--Jin Dynasty, Guo Pu, Illustrated Commentary on the Classic of Mountains and Seas

So that was it; his flesh was "naturally bland," which explained why the little one looked so aggrieved while eating.

The scene was momentarily awkward.

Chen Jin looked at the pitiful-looking Nuonuo, then at the tooth marks on his arm that were already healing rapidly, and his mouth twitched.

"Wait a second."

With a thought, he pulled several small glass bottles from his personal mark.

Refined, snow-white salt, aromatic pepper, distinct grains of cumin, and even a bottle of dark, savory soy sauce!

"Here, try sprinkling some of this on?" He offered the seasonings like an attentive barbecue stall owner.

Wang Wu watched from the side, dumbfounded. He couldn't fathom what these bottles and jars were, especially the salt—so white and fine, like fresh snow—which was entirely beyond his comprehension.

In the Qin Dynasty, salt and iron were state monopolies, known as the "Official Mountains and Seas."

The salt on the market was mostly coarse, bitter, and full of impurities, and it was prohibitively expensive.

Salt this white, fine, and pure was something he had only heard of in legends; it was a tribute that only the highest-ranking nobles in Xianyang Palace could ever hope to enjoy!

Nuonuo curiously picked up the salt bottle. Mimicking Chen Jin, she carefully sprinkled a bit of salt onto the wound on his arm, added a dash of soy sauce, and finally shook a generous amount of pepper and cumin over it.

She lowered her head and bit down again—

"!!!"

The little girl's entire body shivered with joy! A brilliance never seen before erupted in her dull, gray eyes.

"Awoo!"

She cheered, no longer caring about her image. She hugged Chen Jin's arm and began to feast in earnest, eating with audible smacks, her small face filled with unprecedented happiness and satisfaction.

Wang Wu watched this scene, seeing Chen Jin pull out "tribute salt" more precious than gold just to season a meal for his daughter, and the iron-willed man's eyes instantly turned red.

His lips trembled as he tried to find words of gratitude, only to realize that any language felt pale and powerless at this moment.

He could only wipe his face heavily, engraving that heavy debt of kindness deep into his heart.

Benefactor! This is a grace akin to a second life! My life, Wang Wu's, belongs to you from this day forward! he swore to himself.

Once Nuonuo was fed, Chen Jin began to show interest in having her demonstrate her abilities.

A "zombie" in such a peculiar state surely had to have some special traits, right?

"Nuonuo, how about you show your uncle... um, how you walk?" Chen Jin tried to guide her.

Nuonuo lowered her arms and nodded obediently.

Her knees indeed could not bend, but the next moment, her small body suddenly blurred. With a "whoosh," she vanished like a teleportation and reappeared in another corner of the room!

She landed without a sound, as if she had no weight at all.

[Impermanence Step]: Due to bodily rigidity, she is not adept at walking, but has gained supernatural leaping abilities. Can instantly teleport to any location within line of sight, silent and traceless, like a ghost.

"Wow," Chen Jin exclaimed in genuine admiration.

Wang Wu smiled bitterly and took over, demonstrating for his daughter.

He picked up a small knife used for cutting meat and lightly sliced Nuonuo's finger—the wound was deep, yet no blood flowed, only a faint, gray aura of death seeped out. But almost the moment the blade left her skin, the wound began to squirm and knit together, recovering as if nothing had happened in the blink of an eye.

[Resurrection of the Remains]: No longer a living being, she will not experience death again. Any damage sustained will heal rapidly. Even if most of her body is destroyed, as long as she is not completely annihilated, she can gather yin energy and flesh after a period of dormancy and act once more.

"Anything else?" Chen Jin's eyes grew brighter.

Nuonuo seemed to understand. She thought hard for a moment, then wobbled over to a withered plant in a pot in the corner. She reached out her pale little hand and gently touched the dry leaves.

An incredible scene unfolded: the withered, yellow plant began to regain a faint touch of green at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Although she couldn't fully revive it, she had clearly extended the time before it would completely wither away.

[Wonderful Method of Life Extension]: As an anomalous existence hovering between life and death, her touch can temporarily balance vitality and death energy. Not only can she eliminate pain, but she can also hold onto the last breath of the dying, significantly extending their life for a period of time.

Chen Jin looked at the little one before him and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Good heavens, she was practically a "Miniature Youth Version of the Flesh of Vision."

Wang Wu hadn't just raised a daughter; he had stumbled upon a treasure!

However, aside from someone like Chen Jin, anyone else wanting to raise this little zombie would likely have to resort to mass murder.

Chen Jin, on the other hand, could raise the little zombie without harming the natural order thanks to his own inheritance, but Nuonuo's abilities overlapped significantly with his own, making her not particularly useful to him.

Chen Jin withdrew his arm, the tooth marks on it having long since vanished without a trace.

He gently patted Nuonuo's head; having fed on "delicious" flesh and blood, the little girl appeared exceptionally well-behaved and quiet, even nuzzling against his palm with dependence.

He turned to Wang Wu, his tone calm: "The root of Nuonuo's problem with eating human flesh lies in the secret arts of Fangxian Dao. I will find a solution, but not right now."

Hearing this, Wang Wu's heart leaped into his throat, and he looked at Chen Jin nervously.

"Until I find a way to cure her completely," Chen Jin continued, "she will stay with me. I will be responsible for her 'rations'."

These words were like a sedative for Wang Wu, yet they also felt like a shackle.

But he was already on this sinking ship, wasn't he?

"As for the price," Chen Jin's voice dropped a few degrees, "it is simple. From this moment on, I require absolute freedom of action. Any Qin Law in Langya City—the Night Curfew Law, the Slander Law, the Gold and Cloth Law—will be nothing but empty paper to me."

He stared into Wang Wu's eyes: "I will do whatever I need to do, go wherever I need to go, and contact whoever I need to contact."

"And you, Captain Wang, what you must do is use all your authority, your familiarity with the rules of the Law Eye, and the network of relationships you have woven in this Xianyang City to become my 'umbrella'."

"Wipe away my tracks, deflect the gaze of the Law Eye, and handle any potential investigations. When I need it, provide intelligence, manpower, or simply turn a blind eye."