Exotic Beast Meat

"Good medicine!"

Li Beichen couldn't help praising it.

After applying the ointment, he felt even hungrier than usual.

At noon that day, Li Beichen served himself an extra bowl of rice.

He finished not only the venison he'd brought himself, but also made himself a little something in the kitchen.

He cut half a jin of beef, and only then had he replenished what his body needed.

After eating, Li Beichen hurried out of the martial arts school.

Ram City, Market Ward.

Wang Er Meat Shop, Li's Stewed Offal.

The place was packed with people.

Li Beichen hadn't even known that Wang Er had given his stewed offal this name.

He stood across the street and watched the business in front of the butcher shop for a while.

Nine out of ten customers came to buy stewed offal; only one in ten came to buy raw meat.

Li Beichen walked over to the butcher shop. Wang Er was scooping intestines out of a bubbling pot of braising liquid for a customer.

When he saw Li Beichen arrive, he quickly wiped his hands, brought out a wooden stool, and invited him to sit.

Li Beichen sat down beside the butcher shop, taking up plenty of space. Since the Giant Elephant Fist had reached First Glimpse of the Way, his frame had grown noticeably more muscular, and he now had the rugged air of a seasoned martial artist.

Just as they'd agreed, Wang Er told everyone who came by that Li Beichen was his boss, the real owner behind the stewed-offal business.

After about half an hour, Li Beichen brushed off his trouser legs and left Market Ward.

Word that a martial artist stood behind the stewed-offal business at Wang Er Meat Shop quietly spread through the surrounding neighborhood.

Having dealt with Wang Er's affairs for the time being, Li Beichen threw himself back into training the Giant Elephant Fist.

With the Giant Elephant Meat-Refining Paste and enough meat to replenish his energy, Li Beichen could now gain ten or so progress points in a single afternoon of training.

Including the morning, he could gain at least twenty points in a day.

If he happened to run into Senior Brother Zhang Meng or Fifth Senior Sister Fang Meiqin, and they were willing to offer him a few pointers, his progress came even faster.

In just four or five days, the progress bar on his panel was already more than halfway full.

Li Beichen himself seemed to change by the day. During this period of martial training, he'd gained a full ten or so pounds.

Yet he showed no sign of getting bulky. Almost all of the weight he'd gained was muscle.

However, Li Beichen was facing another thorny problem.

As his cultivation improved, he needed to eat more and more meat.

And his venison was almost gone!

Venison was deeply nourishing, far better than pork or even beef, but even it could barely keep up with how quickly Li Beichen was growing.

Now that it was nearly used up, Li Beichen had no choice but to find a solution.

His panel was powerful. As long as he broke through a realm, it could create muscle out of thin air, improve his physique, and even fill his mind with insights.

But all of that depended on him being able to break through.

Only at the moment of a breakthrough could he gain a trait.

Li Beichen guessed that he could grit his teeth and train without eating, forcing his way into the next realm. Even if his body ran empty, it wouldn't matter.

Once he advanced, the panel could pour its blessings into him, restoring his qi and blood to fullness.

But Li Beichen considered this a demonic path.

The risk was too great.

It was an all-or-nothing gamble.

If he was already battered and on the verge of his body's limits before breaking through—

then, should anything unexpected happen, if some powerful enemy came knocking while he was in that state,

he'd die with regrets.

Unless he was pushed into dire straits, Li Beichen still planned to take the proper path.

He would keep himself in good condition, then continue training.

Besides, Li Beichen had realized that although the panel could keep him improving, he made faster progress when his energy was abundant and his vigor strong.

Now that he had the Giant Elephant Meat-Refining Ointment, he had medicine for his injuries. But when it came to food, he still needed to put some thought into things.

After lunch came half an hour of rest.

Li Beichen found He Keji.

He got straight to the point.

"Brother He, I remember you mentioned exotic beast meat once before."

"May I ask what it is?"

He Keji glanced around before lowering his voice.

"Brother Li, you've made remarkable progress lately. Your muscles grow stronger by the day, so you must have noticed that pork and beef alone aren't enough if you want to build muscle quickly."

"Just as a small number of martial artists among humans are exceptionally powerful, a small number of animals are extraordinary too."

"Exotic beast meat is the flesh of those animals."

"It's rich in qi and blood, deeply nourishing to a martial artist. A small piece is enough to fuel a whole day of rapid muscle growth."

Li Beichen fixed his gaze on He Keji.

"Brother He, do you have a way to buy some? I'm willing to pay a high price."

"Me? How could I? Exotic beast meat is so precious. I'm just a down-on-his-luck scholar from a poor family. How could I have something like that?"

He Keji shook his head again and again.

Seeing that He Keji denied it, Li Beichen didn't press him further.

But Li Beichen was sure He Keji had secrets. Brother He had only joined the school half a month before him, and was frugal in his daily life.

He couldn't afford to buy the Giant Elephant Meat-Refining Ointment, and he'd never once treated himself to a special meal in the dining hall. Yet his progress in the Giant Elephant Fist was still rapid. By Li Beichen's reckoning, he'd already reached First Glimpse of the Way.

His strikes were powerful and heavy, each one stirring up a fierce wind.

He usually said he had a bit of talent, but Li Beichen had the Hunting skill, which made him more observant than most.

He'd noticed that He Keji had an average bone structure, yet remarkably well-developed muscles.

People born with great talent generally had strong frames from the start. If someone's muscles were exceptionally strong on their own, they were most likely built up later.

Since Brother He wasn't willing to talk, Li Beichen had to try another approach.

The next day, Fifth Senior Sister Fang Meiqin happened to be leading the training.

During the break, Li Beichen approached Fang Meiqin for the first time.

"Fifth Senior Sister, there's something I'd like to ask you about."

Fang Meiqin looked intrigued.

"Go ahead!"

"I've heard that exotic beast meat is the finest kind of meat, and that it can help with cultivation. I wanted to ask whether you know where I could buy some."

"Take off your clothes!"

"What?!"

Li Beichen jumped in fright.

But Fang Meiqin's large hand had already reached out and clamped around his arm.

"Not bad. Your muscles are growing quickly, so you really do need better meat to nourish yourself."

"But, Li Beichen, do you know how rare and difficult to kill wild exotic beasts are? Even we Inner Courtyard disciples only receive a set amount each month, and it's not enough for our own use, let alone to sell to outsiders."

"However, if you agree to one condition, I can give you part of my monthly allotment until you reach Grade Entry."

After finishing, Fang Meiqin withdrew her hand and gazed at Li Beichen with shining eyes.

A chill crept through Li Beichen.

"What condition...?"

"Marry into the Fang Family."

Li Beichen's pupils contracted. He looked at Fang Meiqin, whose build was a full one and a half times his own, and swallowed.

To be fair, Fang Meiqin had an oval face and lovely features. By looks alone, she was certainly a beauty.

But her physique was enough to make Li Beichen shrink back in fear.

Seeing his expression, Fang Meiqin tapped her head. She held a broad hand out like a fan and gestured at Li Beichen's frame.

"Li Beichen, I think you've misunderstood. I wouldn't be interested in a little bean sprout like you."

"My family has a younger aunt. She went into business when she was young and put off getting married. She's still unmarried."

"She asked me to help her choose a husband."