To avoid widespread panic, the epidemic mentioned on the banners was not overly severe. Consequently, although there were fewer pedestrians on the streets, the lives of the citizens of Gaozhou were not significantly impacted, and the restaurants by the roadside continued to operate normally.
Upon arriving in this renowned culinary city, Wen Wen's first thought, naturally, was to eat.
Thus, Wen Wen found a seafood restaurant with good online reviews, ordered many of their signature dishes, as well as some that looked like culinary abominations.
How could one visit Gaozhou City and not try some ‘specialty’ dishes?
“Miss, your dishes are here…” The server, carrying the food, placed it on Wen Wen’s table with enthusiasm.
“Who are you calling miss? You’re the miss, your whole family are misses.” Wen Wen flicked his hair, widening his eyes in an attempt to glare furiously at the server.
Seeing the deep nasolabial folds on Wen Wen’s face, as well as that alluring little mustache, the server was somewhat bewildered.
Yes, Wen Wen was not using his original appearance at this moment.
Since he was not utilizing his monstrous physique, Wen Wen was not operating under the guise of a Hunter, and he had also made some efforts to disguise himself to prevent recognition.
The ability of the Corrupted Blood user allowed him to control the hair on his body, so Wen Wen had grown a head of thick, black, long hair and a neat little mustache. With careful disguise, even acquaintances would find it difficult to recognize him as Wen Wen.
He had maintained this appearance during his awakening trials these past few days, but being called "miss" was a first.
However, while Wen Wen appeared angry, he actually found it a bit amusing.
Looking at the dishes on the table, Wen Wen began to savor the delicacies. As he ate, he observed the surrounding diners, hoping to glean some insight into the plague from them.
The location of the plague was a fishing town under the jurisdiction of Gaozhou City. That plague was by no means an ordinary illness; there must be a terrifying dark force at play.
Judging by the expressions on people’s faces, Wen Wen knew that the information must have been tightly controlled by the Hunter Association, to the extent that the citizens of Gaozhou, who were so close, were unaware of what had truly happened.
Seeing that he could not discern anything from their faces, Wen Wen enjoyed the meal with San Zai Er.
Although Gaozhou City was a city renowned for its cuisine, the taste was not particularly astonishing, at least not when compared to the top-tier dining of the Hunter Association, which was far superior.
However, the dishes at this restaurant were indeed novel. Wen Wen chose this place precisely because it offered many famous dark cuisine dishes.
Fried earthworms, stewed dried field mice, stir-fried beef uterus with pickled vegetables, blanched water beetles, red date and pig brain soup…
Wen Wen tasted each one, finding them quite palatable and satisfying his curiosity.
Before he had become a superpowered individual, he had eaten all the creatures he could catch in the mountains to train his wilderness survival skills, so he had no aversion to these dark cuisines.
It was probably only at the level of a dish like a boy's urine-braised egg that Wen Wen would be deterred.
However, Wen Wen had ordered many dishes, more than he could finish himself. Therefore, he only took a few bites of each, with the rest going into San Zai Er’s belly.
Then, Wen Wen picked up a sea urchin steamed egg. This sea urchin was as large as two of Wen Wen’s clenched fists combined, looking exceptionally fresh and delicious. Among all the dishes, it was also the cheapest.
“Speaking of which, why are the sea urchins here so large and plump, yet so cheap? Perhaps I should buy some more to let the monsters have a taste.”
Just as he was about to take a bite, Wen Wen suddenly froze.
“Wait, if I want to find anomalies related to the plague here, does the unusually low price of this sea urchin count as an anomaly?”
Wen Wen then scanned the tables of every diner again and found that sea urchin dishes were present on every single table.
In a coastal city, sea urchins were not considered a rare delicacy, but they were not so common that every diner would be eating them. Judging by their eating habits, these sea urchins were incredibly fresh and delicious.
So, Wen Wen stood up and quietly approached the kitchen door. He saw several large buckets filled with densely packed, energetic sea urchins.
“So many… abnormal occurrences often have hidden causes. Could the plague in Biyi Town be related to sea urchins?”
This was merely Wen Wen’s speculation. Perhaps it was just because the people here enjoyed eating sea urchins, or perhaps it was a good harvest of sea urchins this year.
However, since Wen Wen had become suspicious of sea urchins, he naturally wouldn't eat another bite. When paying the bill, Wen Wen casually asked the owner, “Boss, why are sea urchins so cheap here? Is there something wrong with them?”
Because Wen Wen had ordered many expensive dishes by himself, the owner replied enthusiastically, “You must be from out of town. Locals all know that there are sea urchins everywhere by the sea recently, and you can collect a bucket with little effort, which is why the price of sea urchins is so low.”
“Moreover, all the sea urchins this year are very plump. In previous years, sea urchins this big would have been astronomically expensive. These are considered small this year. It’s a fleeting opportunity, so eat more in Gaozhou!”
“Even if they are cheap, it’s not like every diner would love to eat sea urchins this much,” Wen Wen said, handing the owner a cigarette and continuing his inquiry.
The owner took the cigarette, expertly lit it, and said, “Most customers eat whatever is cheap. Besides, people in Gaozhou have always had a tradition of eating sea urchins. They believe that eating more sea urchins can strengthen the body and prolong life.”
Wen Wen’s expression turned peculiar. He had never heard of eating sea urchins to prolong life; it made a sea urchin sound like a miracle elixir.
Seeing that Wen Wen seemed unconvinced, the owner smiled and said, “It is said that in ancient times, plagues were rampant near Gaozhou City. People who fell ill were driven to a town by the sea to await death.”
“Then one night, a sea urchin the size of a house, golden yellow in color, floated ashore. The people in the town shared this sea urchin, and the deadly plague miraculously disappeared!”
“From then on, Gaozhou City developed the tradition of eating sea urchins…”
“Golden sea urchin, ancient plague… Boss, what was the name of that town?” Wen Wen’s eyes lit up upon hearing the mention of a plague, and he quickly pressed for details.
The owner shook his head and said, “How would I know? The name of Gaozhou City itself has changed countless times.”
After settling the bill, Wen Wen, carrying his black briefcase, walked out of the restaurant, contemplating the owner’s words.
The folklore mentioned by the owner held some value for reference, especially in a world where supernatural powers existed. However, these words could not be fully believed, as legends often deviated significantly from reality.
To understand what was truly going on, he would have to personally visit the site of the plague.
The town where the plague occurred was called Biyi Town. The road leading to Biyi Town was now sealed off, so Wen Wen chose to travel on foot.
Given Wen Wen’s physical condition, walking to Biyi Town would not be strenuous.