The Pig-Slaughterer, Pig-Slaughtering Blade Technique

In the dead of winter, the cold wind cut like a knife.

Bashu, the backyard of the butcher's shop in Shuang'an Town.

The reek of blood mingled with the biting cold wind and spread outward, making passersby wrinkle their brows and keep well away.

A rough, hoarse shout came from the yard:

"Boy, move your hands and feet faster and tie that pig up properly!"

"I've had you watch me slaughter pigs carefully for all these days. Today, you're doing it yourself. Once you've butchered this one, you can stay and work."

"Otherwise, get the hell out and go beg on the streets!"

Butcher Zhang, burly in build and with a face full of fierce, bulging flesh, sat broad and imposing on a long bench.

In his hand, he held a heavy, pitch-black slaughtering knife. His eyes were like copper bells as he glared viciously at a thin young man.

The young man was called Chen Jing, and he was a transmigrator.

Three months ago, Butcher Zhang had picked him up from the snow. Every day since, he had chopped firewood, boiled water, tended the butcher's shop, and helped Butcher Zhang with odd tasks.

In exchange, he had barely earned a mouthful of coarse grain to stay alive.

Today, Butcher Zhang had decided to pass his pig-slaughtering craft on to Chen Jing. If Chen Jing proved clever, he would raise him as an apprentice.

In the future, the boy could see him through old age and send him off at the end.

Chen Jing was also someone with a strong ability to adapt. He had quickly recognized reality, and from the bottom of his heart, he felt that being a butcher was a good trade.

If he mastered a craft, then no matter where he went in the future, he would not have to worry about food or drink.

In the yard, a mottled pig weighing around a hundred catties had all four limbs bound tightly with thick hemp ropes. It struggled violently without stop, letting out shrill squeals as a rank, fishy stench struck him in the face.

Chen Jing drew in a deep breath.

He took the slaughtering knife Butcher Zhang handed over and recalled in his mind the pig-slaughtering steps Butcher Zhang had taught him by word and example.

Bleeding, dehairing, opening the belly, deboning.

"Not one step can be out of order, and not one step can be skipped!"

"Only after completing the whole process once can you be considered to truly know how to slaughter a pig!"

Butcher Zhang folded his arms and stood to the side, narrowing his eyes as he supervised.

Chen Jing's gaze abruptly grew calm, discarding every stray thought.

He bent down and steadied his arm.

With one hand, he pressed down on the restless pig's head. Strength gathered in his wrist as he gripped the butcher's knife tightly and aimed at the vital point of the throat.

No hesitation, no delay.

Cold light flashed, clean and decisive!

The sharp butcher's knife instantly cut through skin, flesh, and blood vessels!

Scalding pig's blood gushed out, splashing into the basin below with a rushing sound. The pungent, bloody stench instantly surged.

The fat pig convulsed and struggled violently, its squeals gradually weakening until they fell into complete silence.

Next, Chen Jing's movements were steady and methodical.

Scalding the hair, scraping the skin, opening the belly, removing the offal, deboning, dividing the meat...

Every step, he performed meticulously, following Butcher Zhang's instructions and completing the entire pig-slaughtering process without the slightest perfunctoriness.

When the last piece of lean meat had been cut and set in place, the entire slaughtering procedure came fully to an end.

Right at this moment, a mechanical voice without the slightest emotion suddenly exploded in Chen Jing's mind!

[Heaven Rewards Diligence; effort is bound to bear fruit!]

[Pig-Slaughtering Blade Technique initiated!]

Chen Jing's pupils abruptly constricted, and wild joy surged in his heart!

This is my golden finger! You finally came!

The next second, a virtual panel appeared in his mind.

Name: Chen Jing

Realm: None

Martial Arts: Pig-Slaughtering Blade Technique (Beginner: 5/100)

The information was clear and direct, simple and brutal.

As long as he ground proficiency, he could improve his martial arts!

Although this Pig-Slaughtering Blade Technique was merely a skill used to slaughter pigs.

A pig-slaughtering knife, however, might not be unable to kill people.

Seeing him standing there in a daze, Butcher Zhang only thought he was too excited from slaughtering a pig for the first time, and he sneered:

"Don't stand there like an idiot! Today counts as your initiation. You do have some talent after all. From now on, two pigs a day, and they must be slaughtered before daybreak!"

"Today was your first time seeing blood. Take a bit to get used to it yourself. Come on, give me the knife."

Chen Jing tightened his grip on the Pig-Slaughtering Blade.

"Master, I can kill another one."

Butcher Zhang froze for a moment, then split his mouth in a grin.

"You're a hardworking one, aren't you? Saves me trouble, then. Go pick another one from the pigpen."

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Chen Jing pressed down the excitement in his heart.

He went back to the pigpen and drove out another spotted pig, bound it tightly with rope, then repeated the slaughtering process of bleeding and opening the belly.

This time, his movements were a little more practiced, and his actions became much brisker. When the pig was finished, the system sent a prompt:

[Pig-Slaughtering Blade Technique (Beginner: 10/100)]

It seemed that completely slaughtering one pig increased his proficiency by 5 points.

Unfortunately, Butcher Zhang only let him kill two pigs a day. If they killed too many, the meat stall would not be able to sell them, and the meat would turn sour.

Chen Jing hung up all the slaughtered pork. The meat stall would open as soon as day broke, and Butcher Zhang was rather satisfied with Chen Jing.

"Clean up the yard, then go take a nap."

Chen Jing answered, wiped down the long bench, rinsed the pig blood clean, and, passing by the pig shed, looked at the white-skinned spotted pigs one by one.

Chen Jing felt his hands itch a little.

There were seven or eight in the pigpen. If he killed them all, his Pig-Slaughtering Blade Technique would not be far from advancing.

But Chen Jing only thought about it.

The world today was chaotic, with wandering bandits and gang brigands everywhere, as well as tales of demons and monsters. He still had to rely on Butcher Zhang to make a living.

He did not want to be thrown out onto the street to live or die on his own.

Returning to the yard, Chen Jing saw the Pig-Slaughtering Blade resting on the worktable. He reached out and picked it up, a thought stirring in him.

Could the Pig-Slaughtering Blade Technique not be practiced without pigs?

Chen Jing recalled all the techniques from when he had drawn his blade and slaughtered the pigs just now.

One thrust of the blade—bleeding!

The blade edge turned, then sliced down along the chest and belly—opening the abdomen!

He stumbled his way through a full set of the Pig-Slaughtering Blade Technique by relying on imagination, and Chen Jing felt that without a pig, this blade technique still could not land on anything real.

He glanced at the panel. The proficiency had not budged.

Chen Jing tried once more. This time, drawing and withdrawing the blade, thrusting, chopping, slicing, scraping, and the other blade techniques were much smoother.

He looked at the panel again:

[Pig-Slaughtering Blade Technique (Beginner: 11/100)]

His proficiency had risen by 1 point.

Chen Jing was wild with joy. It really worked!

Although the proficiency gain was not as good as actually slaughtering pigs, even 1 point was fine. As long as there was progress, there was grinding to be done!

Chen Jing's spirits rose, and he had no sleepiness at all.

Holding the Pig-Slaughtering Blade, he began practicing over and over again in the yard, until the rooster crowed and the first light broke.

Chen Jing was already drenched in sweat, his arms sore and weak.

Butcher Zhang's Pig-Slaughtering Blade was rough and heavy to begin with, and Chen Jing's arms were trembling a little now. This wave had been somewhat greedy.

But the results were also remarkable. Chen Jing opened the panel:

[Pig-Slaughtering Blade Technique (Beginner: 27/100)]

He immediately beamed with joy. At this rate, in three or four days, he would be able to fill the Beginner proficiency.

Seeing that it was getting late, Chen Jing hurriedly slipped back to his little room to rest.

He slept for a little over an hour.

Chen Jing was woken by the bang, bang, bang of knocking on the door.

Butcher Zhang's booming voice shouted from outside:

"Kid Chen, get up! Time to open for business!"

Chen Jing opened the door with weary eyes. Butcher Zhang was not surprised either. "First time seeing blood, no one can sleep. You'll be fine once you get used to it."

"Get up and work!"

Chen Jing let out a long breath. Butcher Zhang had filled in the blanks himself, which saved him the effort of explaining.

Chen Jing gnawed on a cornbread bun and drank a bowl of plain congee to pad his stomach, then wiped his hands and trotted to the meat shop in the front yard.

After counting and laying out the pork hanging from the hooks, he arranged the chopping board, meat cleaver, boning knife, and sharp skinning knife neatly one by one.

Finally, he went to the entrance and took down the door panels piece by piece. Immediately, neighbors who had risen early to buy vegetables came over to buy meat.

"Old Zhang, give me two liang of pork belly, chopped into mince."

When greeting customers, Butcher Zhang finally stopped putting on that sour face of his. Instead, he bared his big teeth in a brilliant smile.

"The New Year's coming up soon. Why not buy a bit more meat to nourish the little ones?"

"Children are greedy-mouthed as anything. I'll buy more next time."

Amid the rounds of homely small talk, Butcher Zhang grabbed the meat cleaver. Thud, thud, thud, thud—his hands and feet worked briskly as he chopped the pork.

Chen Jing was responsible for helping out.

Weighing it, wrapping it, taking the money—everything flowed in one breath.

After three months of adjustment, Chen Jing was now incomparably practiced.

Only, as he listened to the thud, thud, thud of meat being chopped, a thought suddenly rose in his heart. Skinning, boning, chopping meat...

Could that increase the proficiency of the Pig-Slaughtering Blade Technique?

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