Midnight Munchies!

"Ah, so it's Brother Xiao. My apologies, my apologies."

Gao Chang hurriedly cupped his fists. "I am Gao Chang, a minor leader among the guards of Tang Village.

"Earlier, I mistakenly believed the slander of those petty men and made things difficult for Brother Xiao. I truly feel bad about it.

"How about I treat Brother Xiao to a simple meal as an apology?

"After we've eaten and drunk our fill, I can find Brother Xiao an inn to rest in."

After hearing this, Qin Yao thought to himself, *If someone is offering a meal, naturally I couldn't ask for more.

*But I'm disguised, after all. The longer I spend in close contact with others, the more likely I am to reveal some trace.

Especially since this man is a genuine martial artist with sharp eyes. Better not take the risk!

Thus, he shook his head. "No need.

"Rather than sitting around an inn eating and sleeping in boredom, I'm more accustomed to bedding down in mountain forests and caves.

"Who knows? While I'm asleep, venomous snakes or savage beasts might come looking for me.

"When that happens, either they become wild game delivered right to my door; or I feed the beasts with my own body and become a fine meal in their mouths. Just thinking about it is thrilling, hehehe..."

By the end, Gao Chang clearly saw the corner of Qin Yao's mouth curl upward, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

The guard officer's heart gave a jolt. Uh, he's talking about "feeding the beasts with his own body," and he can still laugh?!

Damn it, the farther a freak like this stays from Tang Village, the better!

When he thought of how he had previously planned to sleep foot-to-foot with this expert after dinner and chat through the night to deepen their friendship, Gao Chang could not help shuddering.

Naturally, the changes in the guard officer's expression did not escape Qin Yao's notice.

Seeing that he had achieved the effect he wanted, he pressed the advantage. "If you truly want to apologize, why not give me a few taels of loose silver so I can buy myself a couple meals of meat?"

Now that Qin Yao had formally stepped onto the path of martial arts, his body needed to draw more nourishment from food, or it would break down.

In the future, food alone would cost him quite a bit of silver.

So for now, whether there were dates on the tree or not, he would first give it a good whack with the pole—any money he could get was money earned...

Gao Chang froze, then forced out a smile. "Hehe, no problem.

"Since Brother is unwilling to dine with this little brother at an inn, it is only proper for this little brother to pay the silver for an apologetic feast!"

With that, the broad-backed, bear-waisted man pulled a small handful of loose silver from his sleeve pouch and offered it over.

Qin Yao accepted it without the slightest politeness, then cupped his fists in thanks. "Many thanks. Farewell!"

Then he turned and left.

Watching the other man decisively depart with those seven or eight taels of loose silver, Gao Chang's heart bled.

"Damn it, it's all the fault of those four blockheads from the Zhang Family!"

Gao Chang gritted his teeth. "No, I can't just suffer such a loss for nothing. I have to make the Zhang Family compensate me for my losses..."

Afterward, he hurried away and vanished beneath the curtain of night.

A short while later.

Following Old Master Qin's description, Qin Yao found the small wild-game workshop run by the old hunter.

The workshop was not large, merely a small courtyard with two sections.

In the open space of the front yard stood several chopping blocks made from rough tree stumps, with strips and chunks of meat of varying sizes hanging beside them.

Three bare-chested men were working at full tilt. One was draining blood, one was skinning hides.

The last held a small and a large pig-slaughtering knife, deboning and chopping meat atop a chopping block.

Dark night, great blades!

Brawny men, hacking wildly!

Together with all that blood scattered across the courtyard...

If someone had weak nerves, merely taking two looks would probably turn their legs to jelly—they would walk in standing and crawl out.

Yet Qin Yao, who had just entered the courtyard, was not frightened in the least.

Because the other man's movements as he deboned and chopped meat, whether in speed or strength, looked to Qin Yao like children playing house—soft and feeble!

"I heard you sell cooked braised meat here?"

Qin Yao got straight to the point.

Upon hearing this, the three men in the front yard all stopped what they were doing and looked toward Qin Yao.

Just then, a white-haired figure suddenly emerged from the inner courtyard.

Though the man's hair was completely white, he walked with a brisk wind in every step, giving off the impression that age had only made him stronger.

Speaking of which, for this old man to rely on his hunting skills to run such a small workshop in the eastern part of the village, he naturally possessed some ability himself.

His first-layer Body Tempering cultivation, combined with his exceptionally accurate archery, not only allowed the old man to hunt with ease, but was also the greatest asset that let him protect this workshop.

Otherwise, with so much meat hanging in his courtyard, it would have long since been stolen and snatched clean...

"You three little brats, don't you know how to greet an honored guest when one comes calling?"

As the old man scolded his sons, he turned to Qin Yao with a smile plastered across his face. "If you wish to buy cooked food, please follow this old man to the backyard and take your pick."

Although Qin Yao was dressed simply at the moment, the utter calm on his face after seeing the bloody scene in the courtyard had instantly told the old hunter that he was no ordinary person.

After leading him into the backyard, the old hunter patiently introduced the goods. "This old man has roe deer meat, black wolf meat, rabbit meat, and some wild boar meat.

"They've all been prepared with a great many spices to remove the gamey smell, with a rich braised flavor.

"Which ones would you like, sir?"

"I'd like to taste some of each first."

As Qin Yao spoke, he casually tossed the man a money pouch.

There were five or six hundred copper coins inside—the compensation paid to him by those four road bullies.

"Of course, I won't be tasting your food for free.

"Take these copper coins. At the end, I'll pay for everything I've tasted and bought in one go."

"You're truly generous, sir. Fine, help yourself!"

The old hunter was delighted inside.

These braised meats sold for only fifty or sixty copper coins per jin.

After all, raw meat shrank in weight after being braised, and there were also the costs of labor, spices, and so on.

All things considered, fifty or sixty copper coins for a jin of cooked meat was already quite fair.

The other party had handed over enough for ten jin right off the bat. Even if he lingered here for an all-you-can-eat meal, the old hunter would still make a profit.

Qin Yao first tore off a piece of rabbit meat and stuffed it into his mouth.

A moment later—

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Ding! Skill "Eating" Proficiency +2

Qin Yao was immediately overjoyed. "The proficiency for 'Eating,' which hasn't increased in ages, has finally budged!

"We martial artists really do need to eat meat!"

Afterward, the youth tore off another piece of black wolf meat about the same size as the rabbit meat from before and tossed it into his mouth.

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Ding! Skill "Eating" Proficiency +3

"Mm, wolf meat is more nutritious than rabbit meat, so it gives more proficiency."

Qin Yao thought to himself.

So that was why he had asked to taste each kind: to pick out the most nutritious one, then buy it in bulk.

"Let's try this wild boar meat too."

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Ding! Skill "Eating" Proficiency +3

"Wild boar meat gives the same as wolf meat?"

Qin Yao murmured inwardly. "I'll test this roe deer meat last."

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Ding! Skill "Eating" Proficiency +4

"Whoa, the meat of this foolish roe deer is actually the most nutritious! And it's absorbed the flavor best too. Not bad, not bad..."

With that thought, Qin Yao had already made up his mind. He waved a hand grandly. "Give me ten jin of roe deer meat!

"Go get bowls and chopsticks. I'll eat here, and pack up whatever I can't finish to take away."

The old hunter's eyes immediately lit up. "Right away, please wait a moment."

Ten jin of roe deer meat meant six hundred copper coins in revenue!

Even after deducting the time spent hunting and all the costs of having his three sons skin the game, drain the blood, braise the meat, buy spices, and so on, there would still be a handsome profit.

More importantly, if he could turn this martial artist with an astonishing appetite into a regular customer, the family would have money to make for a long time to come...

For that reason, the old hunter even brought out half a jar of his homemade yellow wine and a whole raw bulb of garlic, setting them on the table together. "Roe deer meat tastes even better with garlic, sir. Give it a try?"

"Sure!"

Qin Yao did not stand on ceremony. He dug in the moment it was placed before him.

A bite of pungent garlic, a bite of meat, and now and then a sip of the warm yellow wine the old hunter handed him—it was a feast with flavor in every mouthful!

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Ding! Skill "Eating": Minor Mastery (479/1000)

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Ding! Skill "Eating": Minor Mastery (483/1000)

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Ding! Skill "Eating"...

Who could have imagined that yesterday's "Midnight Black Maniac" would transform overnight into today's "Midnight Rice Gobbler," hugging a huge basin of roe deer meat and wolfing it down with wild abandon!