"What are you daydreaming about, kid! Don't you have anything to eat? I'm starving!" The Old Drunkard rubbed his stomach and laughed.
Upon hearing this, Li Changfeng immediately came to his senses and laughed, "All the good food is gone! There's only some centipede meat left. Would you like some?"
The Old Drunkard's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "I want some! This is good stuff! Centipedes are best when fried! Come on! Give me some and I'll make it for you!"
Upon hearing this, Li Changfeng immediately took out a large piece of centipede meat and gave it to him, saying, "How are you going to fry it without oil?"
The Old Drunkard glanced at Li Changfeng and said, "You just don't have it! I never said you didn't!"
Suddenly, the Old Drunkard conjured up a bottle of sesame oil and a large pot, immediately heating the oil on the spot. He eagerly tossed the centipede meat in to fry, his eyes gleaming. In no time, the entire centipede meat was fried to a golden brown, emitting a fragrant aroma.
Upon seeing this, Li Changfeng's eyes narrowed. "This Old Drunkard seems to be quite something; he actually has Storage Ring!"
The Old Drunkard eagerly tore off a piece of centipede meat and began to eat it with gusto. He then glanced at Li Changfeng and said, "Kid! Aren't you going to eat this? Don't tell me you're afraid to eat this! This stuff is a delicacy!"
Seeing the old Old Drunkard eating with such relish, Li Changfeng swallowed hard. He really didn't like this stuff, but seeing how much the Old Drunkard was enjoying it, and with his own stomach growling with hunger, he tore off a piece and started eating. Once he started, he couldn't stop.
This tastes even better than any wild game he's eaten before. Seeing this, the Old Drunkard shouted, "You little rascal! Leave some for me!!"
The two of them started eating eagerly, and in no time they finished everything, sprawling on the ground. Li Changfeng sighed, "If only we had some wine! This delicious food paired with fine wine! Absolutely perfect!"
The Old Drunkard smiled slightly upon hearing this, "That's not true! Centipede meat cannot be eaten with alcohol; it will cause poisoning, making your entire tongue numb and unable to speak!"
Li Changfeng was slightly surprised upon hearing this, and cupped his hands, saying, "No way! This stuff can cause poisoning when eaten with alcohol! Luckily, I had your guidance, senior!"
Upon hearing this, the Old Drunkard waved his hand dismissively. "This is a trivial matter, no need to mention it! For the sake of your centipede meat, I'll show you a way out! The demonic energy in your body has already spread throughout your entire being, and you will surely die a violent death within three days!"
Upon hearing this, Li Changfeng was immediately startled and quickly asked, "Senior! Is there a solution?"
The Old Drunkard narrowed his eyes upon hearing this. "Yes, I do, but it's difficult! Do you still have those exorcism pills you had before?"
Upon hearing this, Li Changfeng was startled, thinking to himself, "Damn it! I ate all those Demonbane Pills at once, but it's alright, there are plenty of training points now, I should be able to get a lot more. But how did he know I had them?"
"There's one more thing! Could this thing be useful to me?" Li Changfeng asked hurriedly.
The Old Drunkard shook his head upon hearing this, "This stuff only treats the symptoms, not the root cause! You have to take one a day, and you can only take it for three months. After that, taking too much won't help; you'll just be waiting to die!"
Upon hearing this, Li Changfeng's face turned bitter. "Ah! Senior! Is there any way to cure this completely? This thing can only save me temporarily!"
The Old Drunkard chuckled upon hearing this, "Yes, there is! It's the Yi Muscle Change Sutra, a divine skill that encompasses all energy!"
Upon hearing this, Li Changfeng was immediately startled and quickly asked, "Senior! Are you sure?"
The Old Drunkard gave Li Changfeng a deep look upon hearing this, "Of course I'm sure! But with your current level of Buddhist cultivation, you simply can't practice the Muscle Change Sutra, and your mental state hasn't reached the threshold for advancing to the Grandmaster level. Besides, you don't have the Muscle Change Sutra, so there's no point in telling you all this!"
Upon hearing this, Li Changfeng gritted his teeth and said, "Senior! I will find a way to improve the Muscle Change Sutra, but do you have any way to improve my state of mind and Buddhist teachings in a short period of time?"
The Old Drunkard narrowed his eyes upon hearing this and chuckled, "It's difficult in a short time! But if you follow me for three to five years and experience the world with me, perhaps your state of mind and Buddhist understanding can reach that level!"
Upon hearing this, Li Changfeng gave a bitter laugh, "Three to five years! I'll be gone in three months! How could it take that long!"
The Old Drunkard shook his head upon hearing this, "With me here! Providing you with three to five years' worth of protection is no problem!"
Upon hearing this, Li Changfeng looked puzzled and said solemnly, "Senior! We have no relation whatsoever, why are you helping me like this?"
The Old Drunkard smiled slightly upon hearing this, "Do you remember what I told you before? That we were destined to be together, and this time I'm helping you to repay that debt!"
Upon hearing this, Li Changfeng gave him a deep look and asked, "Senior! Are you also a Buddhist?"
The Old Drunkard sighed upon hearing this, "I suppose so! I know you still have something to finish! I'll be waiting for you at the Iron Blood Tavern!"
After saying that, the Old Drunkard transformed into a long shadow and left. Li Changfeng was startled and quickly said, "Senior! You still haven't told me where the Iron Blood Tavern is!!"
The Old Drunkard had long since disappeared into the horizon, and Li Changfeng's voice could no longer be heard. Seeing this, Li Changfeng smiled bitterly, "Oh well! This senior is mysterious and unpredictable! He can always foresee the future. He must have his reasons for saying that. I should go to the Ironclad Gate to retrieve my belongings!"
Ironclad Gate.
At this time, Li Changfeng finally arrived at Ironclad Gate after a month of travel. Li Changfeng was covered in dust and stubble, and was already a month late for the agreed meeting time.
Li Changfeng slowly walked up to the gatekeeper of the Ironclad Gate, cupped his hands and said, "Brother! Please inform Elder Tie that a man surnamed Li has come to retrieve his belongings!"
The gatekeeper's eyes gleamed, and he said in a deep voice, "Wait a moment! I'll go and inform them!"
Li Changfeng nodded upon hearing this, his mind filled with doubt about the gatekeeper's situation. He thought to himself, "Did he discover my identity? Although I wasn't disguised, I doubt many people would recognize me like this!"
The gatekeeper disciple returned to Li Changfeng shortly afterward, smiling and saying, "Brother! This way please! Elder Tie is already waiting for you there!"
Li Changfeng nodded upon hearing this and followed the gatekeeper disciple into the Ironclad Gate. He saw that most of the disciples in the Ironclad Gate were burly and strong, with thick calluses on their hands, which showed that they had been blacksmithing for many years. There were no women at all!
The surrounding buildings exuded a strong metallic smell, and there were several volcanoes specifically used for forging weapons, which raised the temperature considerably. The gatekeeper, seeing Li Changfeng observing his surroundings, smiled faintly.
"Hehe! This is your first time visiting our Ironclad Gate, brother! We mainly focus on weapon forging here, so the temperature is a bit high, and the surrounding area is full of steel buildings. There's not much scenery to see, so please forgive us!"
Li Changfeng smiled slightly upon hearing this, "It's alright! I actually think this place has a unique charm! The strong blacksmithing atmosphere gives me the feeling that you're all real men!"
"Hahaha! Brother, you really are... well said!!"