Pig-Boar-Snake Meat, Demon Meat Field

"Ride the Wind!"

"Sweep the Dust!"

"Soar to the Heavens!"

"Cloud Split!"

Shi Tie's words were resonant, each move steady and powerful yet incredibly swift. As he executed his techniques, Li Cunxiao felt as if he could clearly see the very veins of the fallen leaves being sliced by the tip of the blade.

Had he made a dozen cuts? Dozens of cuts? A hundred cuts?

Had ten breaths passed? Five breaths? Three breaths? Or was it merely the blink of an eye?

The rustling of fallen leaves was exceptionally clear in the quiet courtyard. Li Cunxiao looked at Shi Tie, who stood holding his saber as if he hadn't moved at all. Everything that had just happened felt like an illusion.

But when he lowered his head, he saw that the gale force created by the saber's dance had, at some unknown time, swept over his robes, leaving over a dozen marks on the ground.

He plucked a fallen leaf from his shoulder. The moment his fingers touched it, the fan-shaped golden ginkgo leaf seemed to bloom, splitting from the base of its stem into over a dozen fine threads, resembling the golden-rod flowers in Zhang Lishi's garden.

Li Cunxiao involuntarily swallowed, his eyes filled with fervent admiration.

A seven-foot-tall strongman, a four-foot-long saber, a ginkgo leaf two fingers wide...

Incredible! Masterful skill!

Seeing how his display had stunned his exceptionally talented junior brother, Shi Tie, despite his usual honest nature, couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

Without possessing some ability, how could he, as the senior disciple brother, maintain his position?

"The primary difference between what are called Mid-grade and Low-grade martial arts lies in the realm they can reach."

"Generally speaking, Low-grade martial arts only reach the Muscle Realm. Although there are so-called breathing techniques and qi-circulation exercises, they are difficult to penetrate into the Viscera Realm."

"Mid-grade martial arts, however, can nourish and train the viscera, forming a minor leak-proof body, preserving vital essence, and extending lifespan."

"Normally, martial artists in the third stage, the Viscera Realm, can maintain their Blood Qi and combat strength even past seventy years of age."

"And those with advanced Mid-grade martial arts can go a step further, refining the essence of the five viscera, opening the Dantian Yellow Court, and transforming Blood Qi into True Qi, allowing them to injure others from a distance."

After building suspense, Shi Tie slowly revealed the secrets involved. Li Cunxiao listened, deep in thought.

For individuals like Xiao Mei and Ye Chengxiao, who came from collateral branches of major clans, their clan inheritances would undoubtedly have many restrictions.

And for those with backgrounds like Shen He and Jiang Qi, did their clans not possess Mid-grade martial arts?

"They do have them, but rather than calling them Mid-grade martial arts, they are more like Low-grade martial arts with methods for breaking through to the Viscera Realm, and even then, they are extremely risky methods."

"The Jiang, Shen, Han, and Yang families, compared to the Three Great Families, are not without experts in the third stage. It's just that those experts, more or less, have some issues."

Shi Tie spoke cryptically, merely raising his hand and pointing to his head. Li Cunxiao immediately understood.

He suspected that the martial arts of those four families were incomplete. Even if one could break through, the martial artist would descend into madness or be riddled with ailments, making them difficult to be around.

Furthermore, there were no cultivation methods beyond the Viscera Realm, meaning their potential was capped.

"...In short, this Minor Yaksha Saber Art is profound and subtle. Even if I taught you everything, it would be difficult for you to fully comprehend it."

"Senior brother will first teach you the foundation of the saber art today, which is the footwork 'Divine Movement Steps.' Once you have mastered the footwork, you will learn the four saber techniques."

"After a few more years, when you break through to the Viscera Realm and can control the essence of your five viscera, only then will you be able to unleash the full power of this martial art."

With that, Shi Tie handed the saber to Li Cunxiao, teaching him the Divine Movement Steps while also imparting the basic saber techniques:

Flick, Thrust, Cut, Block, Spring, Slash, Wipe, Carry, Coil, Wrap.

As the saber had a blade on both sides and was a two-handed saber over a meter long, its moves incorporated many techniques similar to swordsmanship and spearplay.

Li Cunxiao's own learning ability was not poor, and coupled with his Muscle Realm cultivation, his entire body's tendons and bones moved as if extensions of his will. He learned quickly and steadily.

Shi Tie taught diligently, and Li Cunxiao studied assiduously. Half a day slipped away like this.

When the two disciples took a break, they discovered that Zhang Lishi had been standing by watching for an unknown amount of time. He smiled, clapped his hands, and servants brought out food boxes, arranging them neatly.

"Come, come, sit down, and have a drink with me."

Before they even touched their chopsticks, the three of them had each drunk three bowls of wine. Fortunately, they were now in the Muscle Realm. If they had drunk like this in their previous lives, Li Cunxiao feared he would have suffered a stomach hemorrhage within days.

"Perfect timing. When I returned from the County Yamen, Murong Bai sent over some Pig-Boar-Snake Meat. You're in for a treat."

Upon hearing this, Li Cunxiao's gaze swept across the bowls and plates. Amidst the usual chicken, duck, and fish, he quickly spotted what was called Pig-Boar-Snake.

There was no other reason than this: compared to ordinary meat, although this snake meat had scorch marks from roasting around the edges, the meat in the center was still crystal clear and emitted a faint herbal fragrance.

The two disciples naturally dared not pick up their chopsticks first. Only after Zhang Lishi made his move did Li Cunxiao pick up a piece and put it in his mouth.

It was surprisingly delicious.

Soft, tender, and springy, with a texture similar to pig skin jelly, yet it also had the chewiness of muscle fibers. Moreover, there was no fishy smell, but rather a flavor reminiscent of the medicinal chicken he had eaten in his past life.

Frankly, of all the Demon Meat Li Cunxiao had eaten so far, it had almost all been in dried form, let alone raw meat. Even when prepared with spices, it could still be described as extremely unpalatable.

Not only was the texture of the Pig-Boar-Snake delicious, but after swallowing it, the contained Blood Qi was also relatively pure. Although there was Malevolent Qi, it was only a negligible amount.

To be honest, if it weren't for this trace of Malevolent Qi, Li Cunxiao would have had some difficulty recognizing whether the Pig-Boar-Snake was a demon or simply some peculiar beast.

Of course, compared to the Demon Meat Li Cunxiao personally slaughtered, which contained no Malevolent Qi at all, the Malevolent Qi in the Pig-Boar-Snake seemed as conspicuous as sesame seeds in white rice.

"Master, this Pig-Boar-Snake?"

Shi Tie clearly wasn't eating this for the first time. He picked up two more pieces of meat with his chopsticks, a look of enjoyment on his face. Seeing Li Cunxiao's confusion, he explained before Zhang Lishi could speak:

"This Pig-Boar-Snake isn't from the Murong Family. It comes from the County Yamen's Demon Meat Field—though nowadays, there's hardly any difference between the County Yamen and the Murong Family."

"Demon Meat Field?"

The literal meaning of the term wasn't hard to grasp, but the implications behind it made Li Cunxiao's chopsticks tremble.

The Demon Meat for the Chai Gang was hunted, captured, and prepared by skilled individuals. The dangers involved were self-evident, and the output was inevitably affected by external factors.

But if demons could be harvested like crops, generation after generation, the output and stability would be incomparable.

However, what would be used to irrigate and feed such a field for producing Demon Meat? It couldn't possibly be...

Seeing his young disciple's hand slow down even as he was picking up meat, Zhang Lishi couldn't help but chuckle.

"The Demon Meat Field is fed with grain, so you can eat with peace of mind."

"Even for me, it's not easy to get my hands on this stuff usually."

Only then did Li Cunxiao relax, quickly shoving two pieces into his mouth to calm his nerves.

Afterward, the master and his two disciples continued to drink and chat. During their conversation, Li Cunxiao managed to understand quite a few things.

Back then, Emperor Taizong the Cultured received the throne from Emperor Gaozu, diligently governed, and conquered myriad nations, earning the title Heavenly Khan.

The dynasty was exceptionally prosperous, and the few martial arts resources in the world were tightly controlled by the imperial court. Both the Buddhist and Daoist sects had to rely on the court for sustenance.

Even though the dynasty had begun to show signs of decline in recent years, those who controlled resources like Demon Meat Fields were still a minority.

Besides the imperial government, the remaining entities were truly ancient aristocratic families like the Five Clans and Seven Esteemed Families, or major sects of the Daoist and Buddhist traditions.

As for the Flying Tiger Escort Agency, although they possessed the method to raise Tiger Demon Worms, they were ultimately no match for the County Yamen, which controlled Demon Meat Fields.

Li Cunxiao thought of Shi Tie's constant stationing at the manor outside the city, and a realization dawned on him. With so many eyes and ears within the escort agency, the Tiger Demon Worms were likely being guarded and cultivated by this Senior Disciple Brother.

During the feast, Zhang Lishi also recounted many strange anecdotes from his early days on escort missions, some of which were amusing, while others sent chills down one's spine.

After the meal, the Chief Escort still had official duties to attend to, while Li Cunxiao continued to learn the Divine Movement Steps from Shi Tie.

The subtlety of this footwork lay in its special method of mobilizing Blood Qi to strengthen the leg muscles, combined with a unique rhythm. The two elements together could create a deceptive visual effect.

Of course, this was because Li Cunxiao's current realm was insufficient.

Once his realm was high enough to incorporate the Primal Yang and Primal Yin of a Yaksha Demon into his body, he would truly be able to move like a ghost, appearing and disappearing like the wind.

What Shi Tie was teaching him now was merely the superficial aspect of this Minor Yaksha Saber Art.

"Junior Brother has grasped the key points of the Divine Movement Steps. All that's left is practice."

Li Cunxiao nodded in agreement. Glancing at the sky and recalling the invitation from Shen He and the others last night, he prepared to take his leave.

"Oh, right, Junior Brother Li, there's one thing I need to remind you about."

"Hmm?"

Shi Tie thought for a moment, seemingly struggling to find the right words. Finally, he spoke directly:

"Junior Brother is young and vigorous, and full of energy, so it's normal for women to be attracted to you. However, Junior Sister Xiao's family's Qingcheng Jade Chamber Art is an extremely potent Dual Cultivation method that drains bone and marrow. You mustn't underestimate it."

"The Primal Yang and Primal Yin of the Muscle Realm are great tonics for the Xiao Family."

Li Cunxiao immediately understood that Shi Tie was giving him a heads-up. But these words also revealed the subtle relationships among Zhang Lishi's disciples, which were not as harmonious as they appeared on the surface.

As for female companionship, he wasn't a monk, so of course, he liked beautiful women.

However, practicing his cultivation was the priority right now. Everything else had to be set aside. Moreover, Xiao Mei was someone who said one thing and meant another, her actions deceitful. He wouldn't gamble his future on her.

After leaving the escort agency and returning home to wash up, it was already close to dusk.

Li Cunxiao looked at the empty courtyard and contemplated whether he should find some more reliable servants.

He didn't need beautiful maids, but rather someone to handle chores like chopping wood, fetching water, and other trivial matters that were currently wasting his time.

If it was for the sake of secrecy, he could simply have them work during the day and send them home at night, essentially treating them like hourly workers or cleaning ladies from his past life.

As he pondered this, he took out new clothes from the wardrobe, all thoughtfully prepared for him by Madam Zhang.

In her own words, "You can't wear the escort agency's clothes everywhere you go."

He still wore a black futou (headband), a white inner garment, and a tortoise shell patterned brocade half-sleeve over it. He then put on a dark blue lion motif stand-collar round-collar robe, cinched a leather belt around his waist, and put on black leather hexagram boots.

Finally, he slung his hengdao diagonally from the leather belt and put on his jade pendant. He looked clean and sharp, with a hint of nobility amidst his stern demeanor, giving him the air of a scion of a military family.

When he walked into Zui Chun Lou dressed like this, Shen He and the others couldn't help but their eyes lit up. They secretly thought that no matter how much Li Sanlang's strength had increased after breaking through to the Muscle Realm, his appearance had certainly improved.

"We failed to notice such an outstanding talent as Junior Brother Li before. We must punish ourselves with three cups."

Although Jiang Qi was a woman, her attire and demeanor exuded a masculine heroism.

After speaking, she downed her wine cup in one go, and Shen He followed suit.

Even Xiao Mei, after downing three cups, showed no blush on her face, but the allure in her eyes was more intoxicating than the wine.

'As expected of someone practicing Dual Cultivation. I wonder what strange methods the Xiao Family uses when luring demons.'

Li Cunxiao also raised his cup to reciprocate. His gaze swept across the table, and he noticed that Ye Chengxiao was not present. He wasn't surprised.

After all, if he were in Ye Chengxiao's shoes, he would be so embarrassed he'd want to dig a hole and hide. Moreover, Ye Chengxiao was a hot-blooded youth. It wasn't strange for him to feel resentment and jealousy, even if it stemmed from this. However, if Ye Chengxiao intended to make a move against him, Li Cunxiao wouldn't hesitate to show no mercy.

"To be honest with all of you, when I first arrived at the Escort Agency, I saw this Zui Chun Lou towering into the clouds from afar, and I yearned for it. Today, my senior brothers and sisters have fulfilled a wish of mine."

Li Cunxiao's words were half teasing and half sincere. Who would have thought that in just half a month, the young lad who used to be a kitchen helper at the restaurant would transform into a honored guest of the young masters in the Inner City?

As soon as he said this, the other three naturally felt even more emotional, as they were the ones who witnessed the miracle happen up close.

In just two months, he had leaped from the Blood Qi realm to the Muscle Realm. Such an achievement was enough to cause a sensation even in the Prefecture.

"It's just a pity that there is so much war everywhere now, and the road to Song City, the prefecture seat of Song Prefecture, is quite perilous. Otherwise, Junior Brother Li might have had even greater encounters."

Shen He's sigh did not stir much of a ripple in Li Cunxiao's heart.

He knew his own limits. He wasn't even invincible in Chuqiu County, so he wouldn't be greedy and think about dominating the Prefecture.

He would practice diligently, and opportunities would naturally arise in the future.

"Senior Brother Shen's words are looking too far ahead. Isn't the current Autumn Hunt a great opportunity for Junior Brother Li to show his skills?"

Xiao Mei covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes alluring. Jiang Qi couldn't stand it and interrupted, "Does Junior Brother Li know about this Autumn Hunt?"

Li Cunxiao perked up, "I'd be happy to hear the details."

"The so-called Autumn Hunt…"

The so-called Autumn Hunt was ostensibly a joint effort by the forces in the city to clear out the wild beasts and demons in the mountains near Chuqiu City before winter, preventing them from coming out to prey on people and hoard food.

But in reality, over the years, it had become a traditional event for the younger generation of martial artists to spar and for the major forces to display their strength.

In recent years, as the world became more chaotic, the Three Great Families and the Flying Tiger Escort Agency had attached increasing importance to this tradition. After all, clearing out demons could directly influence their reputation among the populace and win hearts.

"…I heard that this time, even County Governor Murong intends to offer rewards to inspire the heroes. I just don't know if that Murong Family's Eldest Young Master will participate this time."

"The Murong Family's Eldest Young Master? Is he that Murong Bo who is as famous as our Senior Disciple Brother? The only two people among the younger generation who have broken through to the Viscera Realm?"

Li Cunxiao's interest was piqued. However, the three opposite him seemed to have been reminded of something and avoided the topic, changing the subject to other matters.

Li Cunxiao did not press further and instead asked about the Ye Family and the Xiao Family, but he kept a close eye on them.

As the governor of a county and the master of the Demon Meat Field, what difficulties could Murong Bo, his son, have that he couldn't speak of?

This Murong Bo had a story…

Pig-Boar-Snake: There was a snake that emerged from a bamboo thicket, three feet long, with a head as large as a pestle. It had four legs, its body was covered in hair, and it made a sound like a pig. It moved extremely quickly, with the appearance of chasing and devouring people. – Yijian Zhi