Gang Nan exclaimed, "This matter must not be spoken of lightly!"
"My uncle's divine might shakes the world, who in all the northern lands doesn't know him? How could anyone have such audacity?"
The guards stammered, as if there were some hidden reason.
"Speak quickly if you have something to say!"
The guard gritted his teeth and said, "Lord Lang Tu of the Third Generation died because his physical condition rapidly declined after eating Zhang Wei's dish!"
The onlookers immediately erupted in exclamations.
"Zhang Wei!"
"It's the great hero Zhang Wei!"
"Who is this Zhang Wei?"
Someone nearby immediately scoffed, "You don't even know Zhang Wei? He's the most renowned King of Northern Chefs! The champion of the Northern Chef Competition this time!"
"Oh, I see, but why is he called a great hero?"
"This goes back to the Yun Country campaign (omitting five hundred characters here). . . . . . In short, Zhang Wei is Lang Tu's close friend, a life-and-death bond!"
"But why would he harm Lang Tu?"
The murmurs grew louder.
Lang Tu roared, "Enough, I know Mr. Zhang Wei's character; he would never do such a thing!"
Then, Lang Tu bowed deeply to the crowd.
He then said, "Something strange has happened. I wish to return to the Skinning Courtyard to investigate the situation. I ask the elders and villagers to remain calm."
At this moment, several shouts erupted from the crowd: "What is done cannot be undone, let us all go too!"
"Lang Tu is the soul of Wolf Valley; he must not be wronged!"
With their mutual encouragement,
The onlookers felt it made sense, and more and more people joined the shouts.
Gang Nan reluctantly agreed.
The procession moved grandly towards the Skinning Courtyard, and countless uninformed onlookers joined the procession.
By the time they arrived, the number had reached tens of thousands!
Whispers spread through the crowd, and various versions of the story circulated.
The most concerning among them was the matter of Zhang Wei losing his sense of taste and smell.
The image of a former king making a reckless attempt for friendship continuously appeared in everyone's minds.
"Damn it, I've never heard of a chef without taste or smell!"
"I think that Zhang Wei did it on purpose..."
"Even if it was unintentional, he must pay the price!"
"Hmph, what King of Northern Chefs, he's useless! If he killed Lang Tu, he shouldn't expect to leave the Barbecue Castle alive!"
Various opinions spread through the crowd.
And the prevailing sentiment was astonishingly consistent.
Upon entering the Skinning Courtyard, the mourning hall had already been set up.
All the guards, wearing white cloths, stood in a straight line on both sides.
The mourning hall was constructed from animal bones, surrounded by eight severed heads of dripping livestock, a distinctive feature of Wolf Valley.
Above the skeletal frame,
Lang Tu lay there, his face pale, draped in a white tiger fur. His weapons and armor, used during his lifetime, were placed around him.
Gang Nan walked quickly forward.
He carefully examined the body.
No heartbeat...
His throat was cut open, and the dark flesh within was clearly visible, churning...
The body was cold to the touch and slightly stiff.
The Gourmet Cells had completely fallen silent, not a trace of sound could be detected.
He was dead.
Truly dead!
Gang Nan couldn't control himself for a moment, tears streaming down his face.
So many years of anticipation, so many years of planning, had finally reached their goal at this moment!
Gang Nan sighed deeply, regaining control of his emotions.
He said to someone nearby, "Where is Zhang Wei?"
"Chef Zhang Wei is in the reception hall. He knows the cause of Lang Tu's death, but we haven't asked him to come over."
Several other soldiers brought the remaining medicinal soup and a pile of kitchen waste.
An experienced old chef stepped forward and said, "After our examination, there were no fatal toxins in the medicinal soup; it all met the specifications for nourishing food..."
"Then what about my uncle?"
Gang Nan approached the kitchen waste and examined it carefully.
He picked out an object and asked, "Look, what is this?"
"Reporting to Lord Gang Nan, this is licorice root, a common ingredient in medicinal soup."
Gang Nan sneered, "Take a closer look, and smell it."
The old chef took the dregs of the soup and gently sniffed them.
Then, he was startled, "Fiery Downy Grass!!"
"What is that?"
The old chef immediately explained to everyone.
Fiery Downy Grass is a slightly toxic ingredient that looks almost identical to common licorice root.
However, Fiery Downy Grass has a pungent odor and a very spicy taste when stewed, completely different from licorice root. It is rarely mistaken.
But some careless chefs might confuse the two, resulting in some erroneous dishes.
The old chef said sternly, "The toxicity of Fiery Downy Grass lies in its suppression of platelet coagulation and its significant pressure on the heart."
"If a normal person accidentally consumes it, at most they will experience palpitations, shortness of breath, diarrhea, and ulcers. But if a person is already injured, the toxicity will double."
"Lord Lang Tu was severely injured and near death. If he consumed this... the consequences are unimaginable!"
Gang Nan's face showed confusion, "As a top chef, how could Zhang Wei confuse these two items? Could it be intentional? After all, although Fiery Downy Grass and licorice root look alike, the smell of Fiery Downy Grass..."
Suddenly,
Gang Nan's face showed a look of sudden realization!
"That's right!"
"Zhang Wei has lost his sense of smell and taste; he can only identify ingredients by sight."
"And Fiery Downy Grass and licorice root are almost indistinguishable in appearance..."
Gang Nan said mournfully, "My uncle, who commanded the battlefield for his entire life, unexpectedly died in an accident..."
His cries were heart-wrenching and highly contagious.
The surrounding citizens also shed tears.
Lang Tu had governed Wolf Valley for many years, commanding deep respect and being deeply loved by the people.
Even though the people here were unrestrained and fierce, they couldn't help but feel sad.
One person said, "Now that the Third Generation Lang Tu has passed away... Wolf Valley is once again in a time of crisis. After the Yun Country campaign, there are many matters to attend to..."
Another person said, "There is no time to delay; the most urgent thing now is to choose a new Lang Tu."
"Who else is there to choose?"
"In Wolf Valley, who else is more suitable than Lord Gang Nan?"
"A country cannot be without a ruler for a day, nor can Wolf Valley be without a Lang Tu. There is no time to delay, I propose that Lord Gang Nan immediately inherit the title!"
Gang Nan immediately refuted, "My uncle has just passed away; everything should be focused on my uncle. What does it matter if the title of Lang Tu is received a day earlier or later?"
The surrounding guards said with stern faces, "Lord Gang Nan, please consider Wolf Valley!"
"Lord Gang Nan, please consider Wolf Valley!"
Shouts erupted from the crowd!
More and more people were stirred.
An old man rushed out from the crowd: "Lord Gang Nan, every day that Wolf Valley's affairs are delayed, the valley dwellers suffer!"
"That's right, please consider Wolf Valley."
Gang Nan showed hesitation, "This..."
Just then, another group of guards rushed over, holding up a large banner. The banner displayed the wolf-tooth cloak exclusive to the Lang Tu!
Below were several items: a wolf's tooth necklace, a butcher's saber, tiger-skin boots...
"Please, Lang Tu, change your clothes!"
"Please, Fourth Generation Lang Tu, change your clothes!"
"Please, Fourth Generation Lang Tu, change your clothes!"
.........
.........