Becoming a Butcher

After entering the city, Chu Feng, familiar with the layout, went straight to the entrance of the Fang Manor and openly squatted in a corner to observe.

The old beggar beside him saw Chu Feng in tattered clothes and assumed he was there to steal his territory.

He compared their physiques and found that this kid was scrawny, even thinner than himself. He immediately got angry.

"Hey, you brat, don't you know about first come, first served?" The old beggar stood up and reached out to grab Chu Feng's collar.

Chu Feng casually grabbed the old beggar's outstretched hand.

"Ouch... It hurts, it hurts, let go quickly..."

His shriveled, claw-like hand was making cracking sounds as Chu Feng squeezed it, and his dirty face contorted in pain.

"Be quiet... I'll only be here for a moment." Chu Feng applied a little punishment and then released his hand.

Freed, the old beggar immediately fled, hiding far away.

He couldn't understand why this guy, who was thinner than him, had so much strength.

Chu Feng ignored him, his gaze lost in thought.

Chu Feng wasn't just idly competing with a beggar for territory; it was because a top-grade Muscle Tempering Technique was in the hands of a servant in the Fang Manor.

He had entered the Fang family at the same time as Chu Feng and was also a sparring servant for Fang Jian Xing, named Lin Da Niu.

His ancestors were once warriors, but their family fortunes declined, and out of necessity, they had to sell themselves to the Fang family as sparring servants.

Chu Feng recalled his days as a servant; it was truly a difficult period.

Sparring servants were the lowest form of servants, mockingly called "punching bags."

Fang Jian Xing had a peculiar habit of not allowing his sparring partners to use protective gear, as he felt it would affect his feel for the fight.

Fang Jian Xing had been raised on nourishing medicinal herbs since childhood and practiced advanced martial arts. His personality was eccentric and cruel, and his attacks were incredibly brutal. Over ten sparring partners were beaten black and blue every day.

Some unlucky ones were even beaten to death on the spot, and the Fang family would merely settle the matter with a few taels of silver.

Despite the heavy casualties, no one cared. They were just low-life peasants with cheap lives; they could just recruit another batch.

Chu Feng and Lin Da Niu were part of the third batch of "punching bags" recruited.

Having signed the contract of sale, escape was impossible, so they could only grit their teeth and endure.

Some smart ones used bamboo strips, tree bark, and other materials, secretly hiding them under their clothes for protection. However, Fang Jian Xing discovered the altered feel, which made him strike even harder, and the person was beaten to death on the spot!

Later, Chu Feng secretly took a few pieces of pigskin from the kitchen and hid them on his body.

Pigskin was soft and thick, capable of resisting attacks, and not easily detected by Fang Jian Xing.

Seeing that Lin Da Niu was an honest and simple person, Chu Feng shared this secret with him.

Wearing three layers of pigskin, the two of them suffered less damage than others. However, the injuries accumulated daily, and in the long run, they still couldn't survive!

Fortunately, not long after, Fang Jian Xing broke through his bottleneck and lost interest in them, a group of weak sparring partners. This gave the remaining three or five people a chance to live.

Chu Feng was assigned to be a handyman, responsible for carrying water and chopping wood. Lin Da Niu was assigned to help out in the kitchen.

Lin Da Niu was grateful for Chu Feng saving his life and often stole leftover food from the kitchen to give Chu Feng a special meal.

He thought life could continue peacefully, but unexpectedly, Chu Feng saw something he shouldn't have, forcing him to flee the Fang family.

However, as the saying goes, a blessing in disguise. If he hadn't been chased by the Fang family, he wouldn't have activated his golden finger, thus gaining an opportunity to change his life.

Chu Feng waited at the Fang Manor's entrance for a long time. As it was getting dark, he still hadn't seen Lin Da Niu come out.

"This place is truly a treasure trove. Someone actually gave me two copper coins; it wasn't a complete waste of half a day."

Chu Feng found amusement in his hardship, picked up the two copper coins, turned around, and exchanged them for two steamed buns. He walked towards the city center while eating.

One couldn't rush finding someone. With nightfall approaching and the curfew about to begin, he had to find a place to stay quickly.

Yong'an City had a layout of East for wealth, West for nobility, South for the poor, and North for the lowly.

The east side was mostly occupied by powerful clans and wealthy merchants, the west by official residences, the south by commoners, and the north was the lowest stratum of society, inhabited by beggars and vagrants.

Chu Feng arrived at the central avenue connecting the east and west.

From afar, he saw a distinctive building. It was three stories high, with upturned eaves and ornate brackets, bearing the four large characters "Hongyun Restaurant."

The three-story building stood out exquisitely and grandly amidst the surrounding low-rise structures.

It was rumored that the owner of Hongyun Restaurant had specifically invited famous chefs from the capital of Jizhou to prepare incredibly delicious dishes, attracting many wealthy patrons from the city to dine there.

It was currently dinnertime, and the restaurant was bustling with noise and activity.

As soon as Chu Feng appeared at Hongyun Restaurant, he was disdainfully driven away by a waiter.

"Go, go, go beg somewhere else..."

Chu Feng remained unfazed and said calmly, "I heard your restaurant is looking to hire a butcher, and I've come to apply."

"You?"

The waiter looked dismissive, not taking him seriously at all.

The restaurant owner, seeing that Chu Feng, despite being scrawny and in tattered clothes, appeared composed and carried a certain presence, couldn't help but look at him a few more times.

"But you're fleeing from Qingyan City in the north?" the shopkeeper stopped the waiter who was about to chase him away and asked.

"I was originally a butcher from Taolin Town near Qingyan City. During the great disaster, people fled one after another, and I lost my livelihood, so I had to escape here."

With the shopkeeper providing a reason, Chu Feng followed along.

Many of the refugees outside the city were also fleeing from the north. Earthquakes had struck, rivers had flooded fertile fields, and not a single grain of rice had been harvested. Many people had fled their homes, seeking a way to survive.

The common people in this world were like weeds, exploited and oppressed by various classes, barely managing to survive.

Once natural disasters or man-made calamities occurred, they could only resign themselves to fate, with no ability to resist.

As for rebellion?

That was completely impossible!

Those high and mighty aristocratic families, they possessed extraordinary martial arts power. Ordinary people who rebelled would be suppressed in an instant.

"In times of chaos, human lives are like grass. We are all unfortunate souls."

Unsure what he was thinking about, the shopkeeper sighed with empathy.

He had worked hard for over ten years to make the restaurant so prosperous.

The Fang family, seeing his thriving business, demanded he give up seventy percent of his profits with just a word, turning him into a long-term laborer for the Fang family.

He didn't dare to refuse and could only kneel and shout that the Fang family was benevolent and kind.

"Your original profession was a butcher, and the restaurant needs one, so you can stay," the shopkeeper said.

In a world of martial arts, martial artists consumed a huge amount of meat.

Hongyun Restaurant was the most popular in Yong'an City because of its delicious food. To ensure the freshness of ingredients, most of them were slaughtered on the spot.

"Thank you, shopkeeper," Chu Feng said, cupping his fists in a salute.

"What's your name?"

"Chu Liu Xiang," Chu Feng replied casually.

The shopkeeper nodded and led Chu Feng to the restaurant's kitchen, bringing out a large fat pig.

Chu Feng did not disappoint him. With a small display of his skills, he easily butchered the entire fat pig, making the shopkeeper sincerely impressed.

In his previous life, Chu Feng had watched many videos of butchers at work. Combined with his perfected Breaking Edge Saber Technique, killing livestock was no problem, even if his hands were a little rusty.

[Killed fat pig, plundered 1 year of lifespan.]

[Killed black goat, plundered 8 months of lifespan.]

[Killed rooster, plundered 1 month of lifespan.]

A hint of joy flashed in Chu Feng's eyes. It was a small amount, but it was still an income.

If it could be continuous and steady, it could accumulate into a considerable lifespan.

The smell of blood from butchering could also mask his scent, preventing bloodhounds from tracking him. It was a win-win situation!

"Your monthly salary will be one tael of silver. You start work tomorrow," the shopkeeper said.

Logically speaking, butchering and dismembering were the chef's jobs. However, the renowned chef was too valuable and only cooked, refusing to do such menial tasks.

There was no other way; the shopkeeper had to find a butcher. But local skilled butchers looked down on the meager wages he offered, so he hadn't found a suitable person until now.

"Okay," Chu Feng agreed without hesitation.

"Stones, quickly arrange living quarters for this Master Chu."

Seeing Chu Feng's ragged clothes and emaciated frame, the shopkeeper wanted him to rest for a day before working.

A highly efficient butcher was hard to come by. He didn't want the newly hired person to collapse from exhaustion.

"Shopkeeper, I'd like to start working now. Otherwise, I'd feel bad eating for free," Chu Feng said honestly.

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper was even more satisfied with Chu Feng.

After instructing the kitchen staff to take good care of Chu Feng, he turned and left.

Meanwhile, Gao Han followed the trail and arrived at the place where Chu Feng had fought earlier.

He carefully observed the traces of the fight around him, not missing any details.

"This kid seems to have reached the Late Skin Grinding Stage?"

"He's also wearing precious soft armor, and his exquisite saber technique allowed him to kill so many household servants?"

"He must have a secret!" Gao Han's eyes gleamed with excitement.

He continued to track, and only when he reached the large tree where Chu Feng had stopped did he realize the tracks had abruptly ended.

Gao Han tracked another five miles forward but still found no trace.

"This kid actually returned to Yong'an City?" After searching and observing for a long time, Gao Han reached a shocking conclusion.

"How dare he?"

Gao Han was stunned for a long time before returning to Yong'an City to report the situation to Fang Jian Xing.