Braised Tiger Meat

Ignoring the stares of others, if anyone truly dared to come after him and his sister and seek death, Luo Yi wouldn't mind sending them on their way.

He dragged the tiger all the way back to his own yard.

Luo Xi, seeing the tiger in the yard from inside the house, rushed to her brother's side.

She circled Luo Yi once, eyeing the wounds on his hand from the tiger's claws.

Running into the room, she grabbed the herbal medicine their father used to use for hunting injuries and applied it to Luo Yi's hand.

Watching his sister fuss over him with a worried face, he ruffled the little girl's head.

"Don't worry, Xiao Xi. Your brother's a Skin Refining Martial Artist now. This little scratch is nothing."

After calming his sister, Luo Yi looked at the tiger carcass in the yard.

His own skinning skills were too poor. Tiger Hide was worth far more than Wolf Hide—if he damaged it, he'd be kicking himself.

Some things were best left to the pros.

Luo Yi thought it over and decided to ask Wang Meng who in town had the best skinning skills.

Just as he was about to head out, Wang Meng walked in with a stout, middle-aged man.

"Xiao Yi, you're getting more impressive by the day. You're practically a celebrity in Dongsheng Town now."

"I was resting at home when your sister-in-law rushed in saying you'd taken down a six- or seven-hundred-jin tiger. I didn't believe it at first. But I stepped out to ask around, and the whole town's buzzing about it."

"Figured you did a so-so job on that wolf hide last time, so I brought you a real expert."

Meng Gang—the best butcher in all of Dongsheng Town, bar none.

His family had been in the butcher trade since Great Qi's founding by Emperor Taizu. With over nine hundred years of family tradition, his Ox-Severing Knife Art was smooth as silk and second to none.

Wang Meng finished and gave Luo Yi a thumbs-up.

Speak of the devil. Hearing Wang Meng's story, Luo Yi's face lit up, relieved he wouldn't have to fret over the tiger hide.

He clasped his hands to the stout man. "Uncle Meng, I'll trouble you today."

Seeing the young master couldn't be over eighteen and had already bagged such a big tiger, Meng Gang didn't dare put on the airs he used with ordinary villagers.

He smiled and said, "Wang Meng and I are old brothers. He asked me to come, so no need to be so formal, young friend."

Luo Yi ushered Meng Gang and Wang Meng into the yard and told his sister to boil some hot water.

He pointed at the tiger on the ground.

"Uncle Meng, it's been hot lately. This tiger's been dead an hour or two—if we don't process it soon, it'll spoil."

Meng Gang gave the carcass a careful look, noting the fatal wound on the belly.

He glanced at the Dao hanging at Luo Yi's waist and confirmed the young man in front of him had done the deed.

Crouching down, he patted the tiger's body.

"Young friend, per our trade rules, I usually charge for a job. But considering your connection with Wang Meng, I'll waive the fee this time—just give me a few jin of tiger meat to try."

This six- or seven-hundred-jin tiger would yield at least five hundred jin of meat after processing.

With just him and his sister, they couldn't finish that much anytime soon. Might as well do a favor.

"Deal, Uncle Meng. When you're done, take some back for yourself and Uncle Wang to try."

Wang Meng grinned at Luo Yi's answer.

"See? I told you when we came—you wouldn't leave empty-handed. Didn't believe me, did you?" He shook his head with a laugh.

At Wang Meng's teasing, Meng Gang smiled and waved toward the gate.

A lad of sixteen or seventeen, who looked a lot like Meng Gang, walked in carrying a basket on his back.

Pulling the boy to his side, Meng Gang introduced them.

"This is my son, Meng Yu."

"This is your Uncle Wang, and this is your Yi Ge."

With the introductions done, Meng Gang took the basket off Meng Yu.

He laid out all the tools he'd need for the job.

"Xiao Yi, the wound on this tiger's belly is too big—most of the blood's already drained."

"And it's been dead long enough that the blood's clotted. Can't bleed it anymore."

Luo Yi nodded at Meng Gang's explanation.

"Uncle Meng, you're the pro. Handle it however you see fit. I'm an outsider—I won't interfere."

Meng Gang felt a warm satisfaction at Luo Yi's words.

He had his son hand him tools as he started skinning from the tiger's belly wound.

Watching Meng Gang's fluid movements, Luo Yi felt like he was back in his past life, watching a video of someone trimming a horse's hoof.

A feast for the eyes, a relaxation for the mind.

Wang Meng, Luo Yi, and Luo Xi stood in the yard, watching with keen interest.

There was no denying that Meng Gang truly had skill.

His Ox-Severing Knife Art was wielded with such vigor and precision that, aside from the wound Luo Yi's Dao had carved into the belly, the complete Tiger Hide bore no other flaw.

Once the hide was removed, Meng Gang dislocated the Tiger Knee (patella), Tiger Tibia, and the bones of all four limbs, handing them to Luo Yi.

"Xiao Yi, Tiger Bone is a fine thing. You couldn't buy this in Dongsheng Town even if you tried."

Taking the Tiger Bone handed to him, Luo Yi recalled the "Four Treasures Animal Medicine" that had circulated in the Hua Kingdom in his past life.

"Bear Gall," "Cow Bezoar," "Musk," and "Tiger Bone." Since Bear Gall could enhance training time, the Tiger Bone, being its equal in renown, couldn't be too shabby either.

Acting on the thought, he told his younger sister to keep an eye on the Tiger Bone, then ran to the town's liquor shop and bought two large jars of white spirits.

After stripping the residual Sinew and flesh from the Tiger Bone, he washed it clean, boiled it in a pot for two hours, then set it aside in a cool place to air-dry before it could be steeped in liquor.

Before he knew it, the sky had darkened. Watching Meng Gang break down the tiger meat, Luo Yi remembered how, in his past life back in the countryside, every New Year when they slaughtered the Year Pig, his mother would invite the butcher and the helpers to stay for a meal.

Having been in this world for so long, his younger sister had always done the cooking.

Today, he decided to try his hand at it. He took two large chunks of the prepared tiger meat, cut them into pieces, washed them clean, and blanched them in boiling water.

In the pot, he poured oil and White Sugar, stir-fried until the sugar caramelized, tossed in the blanched tiger meat, mixed it evenly, then added water, salt, and spices. He let it simmer on low heat.

Meng Gang's knife skills were formidable. In about two hours, the entire tiger was fully disassembled by its different parts.

After finishing the cooking, Luo Yi walked into the yard and saw Meng Gang done with his work.

"Uncle Meng, Uncle Wang, thanks for the hard work this afternoon. Let's all eat together tonight."

Wang Meng let out a hearty laugh: "I'm definitely staying. Let's see what Xiao Yi can cook." Meng Gang didn't refuse either, staying behind with his son.

Back in the kitchen, Luo Yi scooped the "Braised Tiger Meat" into a basin, carried it to the stone table in the yard, set out bowls and chopsticks, and brought out a jar of white spirits he'd bought that afternoon, inviting everyone to sit.

They all gathered around the stone table, eyeing the glistening, translucent tiger meat in the basin.

Luo Xi picked up a chunk of tiger meat and put it in her mouth.

Her eyes lit up: "Brother, this tiger meat you made is so delicious. I've never eaten meat this good."

Hearing this, the others couldn't resist trying it themselves.

The group polished off the entire large basin of tiger meat, leaving not a scrap.