The Great Fog

After a pause, Fang Meiqin looked Li Beichen up and down once more.

"You look exactly like the type she likes."

"Rest assured, my aunt is quite beautiful and has a wealthy estate, more than enough to support your martial arts training."

"You two can meet first. If my aunt doesn't take a fancy to you, I will compensate you with one tael of exotic beast meat."

Fang Meiqin's words were very direct; if she didn't like him, she would compensate him, but if she did, once Li Beichen agreed, he would have no room to refuse.

A man born between heaven and earth, how could he be content living under another's thumb for long?

Not to mention, marrying into a family and having to live at the mercy of a woman.

Li Beichen shook his head and politely declined.

"Many thanks for your appreciation, Fifth Senior Sister, but my martial path is not yet complete, and I do not wish to marry."

"Very well. Until my aunt finds a Ruyi husband, my promise remains valid. You can come find me whenever you change your mind."

Seeing Li Beichen refuse, Fang Meiqin was not angry, but she no longer had the interest to continue the conversation.

Li Beichen knew that it would likely be very difficult to get Fang Meichen to give him individual guidance in the future.

However, his reliance had never been on such things anyway.

"In that case, Fifth Senior Sister, Li Beichen will take his leave."

There was no hope for exotic beast meat for the time being, but fortunately, Li Beichen had plenty of silver now.

A porcelain bottle of Giant Elephant Meat-Refining Paste cost ten taels and was enough for ten days; besides this expense, he still had six or seven taels left from the profits of his braised meat business.

With the silver tucked away, Li Beichen headed straight for the Free Trade Market outside Ram City after finishing his afternoon training.

In front of the game shop.

"Shopkeeper Zhang!"

"You are... Little Brother Li?"

Shopkeeper Zhang heard the familiar voice and looked closely at his face before recognizing him.

He looked at Li Beichen, who had grown a size more robust.

He clicked his tongue in wonder.

"Little Brother Li, your transformation is truly immense. These muscles—extraordinary! It was this old man who was shallow back then; you truly have talent."

"Hahaha, Shopkeeper Zhang, you flatter me."

"I came this time because I wanted to buy some venison from your shop. If you have bear or tiger meat, that would be even better."

Thinking back to half a month ago, Li Beichen was still a hunter bringing game for Shopkeeper Zhang to buy; now, he had actually become a customer looking to purchase such prey.

Shopkeeper Zhang felt as if he were in a dream.

But he quickly snapped back to reality and said with a bitter smile.

"Little Brother Li, you jest. Where would one find tigers or bears in the mountains near Ram City? Only in the deeper, vast mountains."

"Bear and tiger meat are rare finds indeed."

"I did collect some venison, but some regular customers have already reserved it. There is only about ten jin left..."

Hearing there was only ten jin, Li Beichen frowned.

This was only enough for two or three days of eating.

However, it was better than nothing.

"Fine, Shopkeeper Zhang, I'll take it all. How much?"

"Two taels and three mace. Just give me two taels, and I'll throw in a pig trotter. I wish Little Brother Li great martial fortune and an early entry into the ranks!"

Shopkeeper Zhang smiled as he wrapped the items up for Li Beichen.

"Many thanks, Shopkeeper! Please keep any future venison for me."

"You got it!"

Li Beichen handed over the silver, picked up the venison, and returned to Clear Creek Village.

In the days that followed, Li Beichen relied on the venison he had collected, supplemented by beef and mutton, to barely meet the energy requirements for his rapidly growing muscles.

In the blink of an eye, five or six days passed.

Li Beichen finished his day's training, his mind stirred, and he opened his panel.

[Technique: Giant Elephant Fist - Incomplete (Entry Level)]

[Progress: (192/200)]

[Traits: Physique slightly increased, Strength slightly increased, Stamina slightly increased]

"As expected, without sufficient meat, this progress has inevitably slowed down."

"At my usual pace, I should have broken through to the next realm by today."

"Now, it will take at least another half a day."

Li Beichen sighed inwardly. He packed up his things, intending to head toward Clear Creek Village.

As he neared the village, Li Beichen noticed that the surrounding mist had suddenly thickened.

He scanned his surroundings and saw that the fog was heaviest toward the west end of the village, in the direction of Wang Er's house.

Ram City was located in Jiangnan, and with the season currently transitioning from spring to summer in May or June, evening fog was considered normal.

However, the mist he saw now was truly abnormal, stirring suspicion in Li Beichen's heart.

He touched the pouch of throwing stones he carried with him.

Inside were nothing but specially polished Locust Stones he had crafted himself.

During this period of martial arts practice, although he had reduced his training with the Locust Stones, Li Beichen would still instinctively flick a Yang Hand whenever he spotted pheasants, rabbits, or birds along the road.

With talent possessed, once mastered, it is mastered forever.

The progress of his [Hunting] and [Locust Stone] skills was still steadily rising.

Li Beichen decided to go and check on Wang Er's house.

Regardless of whether there was anything amiss, he simply wished to have a clear conscience.

Li Beichen gripped a stone in his palm and plunged into the thick fog.

The mist was astonishingly dense; for a moment, he couldn't even see things clearly beyond a meter away.

Li Beichen could only rely on his memory, feeling his way and walking forward step by step.

In the past, at Li Beichen's pace, this distance would have been covered in an instant.

But today, he had walked for who knows how long, yet he still hadn't seen Wang Er's house.

Suddenly, two lanterns appeared within the thick fog.

The dim, yellow light pierced through the mist and shone upon Li Beichen.

He followed the lanterns and walked toward them.

The closer he got to the lanterns, the thinner the fog became.

By the time Li Beichen reached the lanterns, he discovered that the previously impenetrable fog had completely dissipated.

What met his eyes was a large residence.

And those two lanterns were the ones hanging at the gate of this estate.

Li Beichen looked through the slightly ajar gate and saw a dark-skinned man in the courtyard sharpening a knife.

Beside him was a wide bench, to which a plump, white sow was tied.

It was struggling with all its might.

However, its body was bound so tightly that its struggles were in vain.

At this moment, the butcher's knife was already honed to a snowy gleam.

He looked at his Pig-Slaughtering Knife with satisfaction, then raised it and walked toward the sow.

"Brother Wang Er!"

Li Beichen pushed open the gate and walked in.

"Brother Beichen, why are you here?"

Wang Er stopped his knife and turned to look back.

As soon as Li Beichen entered the courtyard, he caught a faint, lingering stench of manure. He covered his nose and asked.

"Brother Wang Er, why are you here?"

"The master of the house hired me to slaughter a pig. He said it's a pregnant sow and is willing to give me the piglets as payment, so I can take them home for your sister-in-law to nourish her body."

"A pregnant sow? Brother Wang Er, didn't you say you wouldn't slaughter those anymore?"

"When did I ever say that?"

Li Beichen watched Wang Er, who seemed to have completely forgotten about the unease he felt after previously slaughtering a pregnant sow.

He furrowed his brows.

He felt that something was increasingly wrong.

Just then, more than a dozen men and women dressed in thin, moon-white robes suddenly appeared and surrounded them.

Leading them was an extremely obese old man, his face mottled with patches of white and black.

He glanced at Li Beichen, then looked toward Wang Er.

"Master Wang, why haven't you started yet?"