"Where's my gift?" Tang Fei held out his hand to Phoenix.
"You're cheating," Phoenix said angrily.
The two of them had both done quite well today. Each had caught a pheasant and a red-eyed rabbit, so they were evenly matched.
Just when Phoenix thought they would end in a draw, Tang Fei stabbed a field mouse that had just poked its head out of a cave to death with one slash.
Tang Fei won!
Phoenix panicked and searched everywhere for prey—pheasants, wild rabbits, field mice, forest frogs...
The animals of Hate Mountain seemed to have a grudge against her. Or perhaps the two of them had made too much noise earlier. Not a single one came out, and she did not catch anything.
"How did I cheat?" Tang Fei asked.
"Does a field mouse count as prey? You can't even eat that thing."
"Who says field mice can't be eaten?" Tang Fei looked at Phoenix with a grin. "There are plenty of ways to eat field mice. You can stew them, roast them, or even make field mouse sashimi. Skin it, slice the meat thinly onto a plate, then wrap it in perilla leaves and eat it..."
"..."
Phoenix glanced at the field mouse with a hole in its head. Thinking of herself being sliced up and put into someone's mouth, she felt a powerful wave of discomfort in her stomach.
Why did this guy always like stabbing things in the head?
"The best way is roasted field mouse. I'll roast one for you when we get back," Tang Fei said. "If you think it tastes good, then you lose this contest. How about it?"
Only then was Phoenix satisfied. "Deal."
Even if it tastes good, I'll say it doesn't.
You want to beat me? No chance.
Huh? Why was she acting so... girly?
She only spoke and interacted so casually with her closest friends.
Could Tang Fei already be her friend?
Impossible, right? It had only been a few days. She was not someone who made friends easily.
Phoenix stared at Tang Fei in surprise. Tang Fei was baffled by her gaze and asked, "Have you been captivated by my beauty again? Let me tell you, don't think that just because we're out here in the wilderness, you can do whatever you want to me. Even if my body can't resist, my heart will never submit to you."
"Tang Fei, why is your skin so thick?"
"It's not that my skin is thick. It's because I haven't washed my face in a long time." Tang Fei explained with a serious expression, "That outer layer isn't skin. It's face dirt."
"..."
Seeing Tang Fei's sly smile, she knew he had fooled her again.
That was not face dirt at all. It was just thick skin.
The two carried their prey home. When the Old Man saw their haul, he smiled so broadly that his mouth would not close. He jogged over to greet them and asked, "How did you catch so much today?"
"Phoenix and I had a contest to see who could catch more, so we both caught more," Tang Fei said.
Only then did the Old Man look at Phoenix with satisfaction. His expression seemed to say, So you're finally no longer a useless freeloader. He praised her, "This is good, very good. Haven't I always said that competition brings progress? Every time I sent you and Little Fatty out hunting together, I wanted you both to improve. But not only did you fail to improve, you came back empty-handed."
"How was that my fault?" Tang Fei said angrily. "You know what Little Fatty's build is like. When he runs, he's like a small mountain. Before we even get there, all the animals have already run away."
Little Fatty, who was smashing rocks, wore a simple, honest smile. He knew Tang Fei was telling the truth. Whenever he went hunting with his big brother, they would most likely return empty-handed that day.
That was why the Old Man later only let Tang Fei go hunting alone, while he himself was kept home to smash rocks.
Phoenix did not want Little Fatty to feel bad, so she comforted him. "Little Fatty, it's okay. From now on, I'll go hunting with Tang Fei, and you can stay home and smash rocks properly. Everyone has their specialty, and you're really good at smashing rocks."
As she spoke, she realized something about those words felt wrong.
What did it mean to praise someone for being good at smashing rocks? Wasn't that like praising Little Fatty by saying, "Little Fatty, you're really fat"?
"Thank you." Little Fatty did not mind at all. He gave Phoenix a bashful smile.
Phoenix felt healed again. What a kind child.
After Tang Fei cleaned the prey, he said to Phoenix, "I'll roast the field mouse for you. Once you eat it, you'll want a second time. Once you eat it a second time, you'll want a third."
"I don't believe you." Phoenix curled her lips.
On New Star, what delicacies and alien beasts had she not eaten? Would a young lady like her enjoy a roasted field mouse with a rat-like face?
Tang Fei found a large stove, threw several flammable charcoal chunks into it, and lit them. Once they began burning, he skinned the field mouse and removed its innards. He ran two red willow skewers, each as thick as chopsticks, through its middle, then set it over the fire and rotated it.
Very soon, the field mouse, as big as a basketball, began sizzling and smoking. A rich meaty aroma filled the air.
Phoenix watched from the side. Looking at the field mouse whose skin had begun turning a charred yellow, she thought, Maybe this really is delicious?
The field mouse's skin grew increasingly yellow. Because it was so fatty, it finally turned a golden color, making Phoenix even more convinced.
After all, she had already started secretly swallowing her saliva.
Tang Fei heard Phoenix's stomach growl and knew she had not eaten dinner yet. Then she smelled the field mouse's fragrance, and her body naturally reacted.
The field mouse had been rubbed with a layer of salt while marinating. Once it was fully cooked, Tang Fei sprinkled it with pepper and his own secret spices. Then he tore off a large field mouse leg and handed it to Phoenix. "Try it. Field mice run fast, so their leg muscles are the most developed. This meat is the most fragrant and tender. It's delicious."
Phoenix did not stand on ceremony. She accepted the leg and took a bite.
Spicy, savory, fresh, fragrant—crispy outside and tender inside.
"Delicious!" Phoenix blurted out involuntarily.
"You lost!" Tang Fei looked at Phoenix with a beaming smile.
Only then did Phoenix remember the bet. She had clearly made a plan—no matter how good it tasted, she would never say it was good. Yet she had accidentally shouted it out.
Of course, Phoenix would never reveal her little scheme. She gave Tang Fei a proud sidelong glance and said, "A loss is a loss. It's just a small gift, isn't it? I keep my word. I'll definitely fulfill my promise."
"Then I'm relieved," Tang Fei said.
Little Fatty smelled the field mouse and his appetite surged. He tossed aside his hammer and ran over, pleading, "Big Brother, give me a leg too."
"One leg won't be enough for you." Tang Fei put the field mouse on a tray, then used the Meat Cleaver to cut it in half.
He handed half the field mouse to Little Fatty. "Take it and eat."
"Thank you, Big Brother." Little Fatty's eyes shone as he held the half field mouse and squatted on the ground to gnaw on it.
"You two little brats, you don't even know to save some for me. No respect for your elders," the Old Man scolded.
Tang Fei cut the remaining half of the field mouse into three portions. He gave one to the Old Man, kept one for himself, and gave one to Phoenix. This little foodie had already finished the field mouse leg and was looking over eagerly.
"This little bit isn't even enough to fill the gaps in my teeth." The Old Man accepted his share with a disgusted expression.
Phoenix still maintained New Star's fine tradition of respecting the elderly and caring for the young. She handed over her field mouse meat and said, "Uncle, you can have my portion."
When she had first arrived, she had politely called him "sir." But now that she ate and lived under his roof, their relationship had grown closer, so she called the Old Man "uncle" as Tang Fei and Little Fatty's friend.
"Don't give it to him." Tang Fei intercepted her midway. "There's still a pot of porridge simmering in the kitchen. If he isn't full, he can go drink porridge. Old people shouldn't eat so much meat, or they'll get indigestion at night."
"Oh!" Phoenix nodded and took back the field mouse meat.
New Star had a similar saying. Many elderly people maintained their health that way. Her own father did the same, never daring to eat too much meat at night for fear of poor digestion and restless sleep.
"You brat, now that you've got a wife, you've forgotten your father. You heartless thing," the Old Man cursed angrily.
"Let's go eat over there. Ignore him," Tang Fei said to Phoenix, too lazy to refute the Old Man.
And unwilling to refute him.
Now that you've got a wife, you've forgotten your father...
What did that mean? It meant he had a wife.
For some reason, hearing the Old Man scold him like that made him feel rather pleased.
Like those students newly awakened to love: they hated it when people spread rumors about them, but when someone actually did, they felt a bittersweet kind of happiness.
Just then, there came a knock at the courtyard gate.
"Who is it?" Tang Fei called out.
"Flame Shrine. Open the door," someone shouted from outside.
Tang Fei's eyes narrowed slightly. Murderous intent appeared in the Old Man's eyes, while Little Fatty swiftly lunged for the hammer on the ground.
Of course, he was reluctant to throw away the field mouse in his hand.
He was so nervous that he took a huge bite and chewed it fiercely.
Phoenix looked at Tang Fei in alarm. She had not expected the Flame Shrine's people to find them so quickly.
She could fight her way out on a trail of blood, but she worried Tang Fei and Little Fatty would be implicated because of her.
But even if she escaped, where could she go?
Did she still want the Escape Pod? Without its flight path, how would her family ever find her?
In an instant, her thoughts became a tangled mess.
Tang Fei patted her shoulder, signaling Phoenix not to panic.
Then he pointed toward the inner room, telling her to go hide for a while.
After Phoenix left, Tang Fei made a gesture for the Old Man and Little Fatty to lower their guard. The two of them looked so murderous that it was as good as admitting guilt.
Stay calm.
Stay calm.
At all times, one had to remain elegant and composed.
Then Tang Fei bit off a large chunk of field mouse meat and chewed as he strolled casually over to open the gate. "What is it?"
A group of Gray Robe figures stood outside. Seeing that a young man had opened the door, one of them asked, "How many people are in your household? Has any stranger come to your home?"
"There are three people in our family. My father, my little brother..." Tang Fei pointed at the Old Man and Little Fatty. "There are no strangers in our home, only family. Who would dare let strangers inside these days?"
"Answer only what you're asked. Why so much nonsense?" one Gray Robe figure snapped unhappily.
"Yes, yes, yes. The divine envoy is right." Tang Fei immediately put on a fawning smile.
"Have you seen any strangers?"
"Strangers?" Tang Fei thought for a moment. "This is the district. We see strangers every day..."
"Any that left a particularly deep impression?"
"Yes, yes, yes. One person had one blind eye, while the other was covered by an eyepatch. He looked terrifying. Another person came with a monkey standing on his shoulder."
"Go in and search." The Gray Robe leader gave the order.
He smelled the scent of meat. His brothers were working hungry, while these bastards were eating roasted meat. Was there any justice in that?
The Flame God would never approve of such a thing. He would never allow his followers to go hungry.
"Yes!" Several Gray Robe figures wanted to force their way inside. They wanted roasted meat too.
Tang Fei swept his eyes over them and immediately understood what they were thinking.
He ran over and snatched the field mouse meat from both Little Fatty and the Old Man. Then he offered it together with his own portion to the Gray Robe leader before him. "Divine envoy, you've worked so hard. You must be starving, right? Have something to replenish your strength first."
Little Fatty looked deeply wronged, staring longingly at the roasted meat.
The Gray Robe leader was very satisfied with Tang Fei's behavior. He accepted the field mouse meat and took a huge bite, chewing until oil filled his mouth. Pointing at Tang Fei, he said, "This brat knows what he's doing. But I can't just fill myself up—I've got all these brothers."
"Understood, understood." Tang Fei stepped away from the gate and said with a smile, "Please come in, my lords. I'll make roasted meat for you. I wouldn't dare boast about anything else, but my roasted meat is unmatched in Hate Mountain District. Add my special chili seasoning, and I guarantee you'll eat to your hearts' content."
"Good. Then let my brothers taste your cooking." The Gray Robe leader smiled and led several of his subordinates into the small courtyard.
Tang Fei gave Little Fatty a meaningful look. "Little Fatty, go bring out all the meat in the house. The divine envoy has honored us with a visit. This is a blessing our family has cultivated over several lifetimes. We have to treat him well."
Little Fatty understood and immediately ran to bring out the large vat where the household stored meat. "Big Brother, I brought it all out."
Tang Fei looked into the vat and saw half a rabbit and one pheasant inside.
Only then did Tang Fei relax. Little Fatty was fat, but he was not stupid.
"My lords, all the meat in our house is here." Tang Fei pointed at the vat. "I'll roast it for you. I guarantee you'll eat comfortably and to your hearts' content."
"Enough nonsense. Start roasting. If it tastes good, you'll be richly rewarded."
"Exactly. We've been searching for a whole day and night. Our stomachs are about to shrink flat."
"Damn it, where are we supposed to find someone in the Qi Control Realm? How would we know what a Qi Control Realm Master looks like? At least give us a picture. If there's no picture, even a sketch would do. There's nothing at all—how are we supposed to find them?"
"Monkey, do you want to die? Do you know what you're saying?"
"I'm joking, joking. I was just saying it casually. Brothers, you have to keep it secret for me. I've got a bottle of good old liquor stashed away—Bamboo Leaf Green. I'll treat you all to drinks later."
"You dead monkey, you have good liquor and never said a word? You'd better not fool us this time, or else, heh heh."
"I won't, I won't. Absolutely not."
Tang Fei busied himself cutting the meat, chopping the rabbit and pheasant into small pieces for easier roasting.
If he put the whole animals on the fire, it would take forever to cook them through.
He wanted to send this group of pests away as quickly as possible. He truly did not want them to remain in his home for even one more second.
After all, there was still a visitor from beyond the heavens hiding in the inner room. If they discovered her, it would be another disaster.
Tang Fei simmered with resentment. Ever since this woman arrived, he had spent every day on edge. It was far too exciting.
No, he could not stay angry for nothing.
He had to charge more.
As Tang Fei worked, he eavesdropped on the Gray Robe figures' conversation.
The instant he heard the name Flame Shrine, he had already confirmed that these people had come because of the Black Robe's death.
He knew the Flame Shrine would make a huge fuss over it, but he had not expected them to choose the stupidest possible method.
Hate Mountain District was so large, and there were so many people in it. What difference was this kind of district-wide search from looking for a needle in the sea?
What frustrated Tang Fei was that they had actually stumbled right onto his doorstep.
Why were they roasting field mouse right now? Why were they roasting field mouse right now? Would it have been better if they had roasted sweet potatoes?
If they had made a pot of papaya porridge like usual, surely these Gray Robe figures would not have wanted to stay for dinner?
"Boss, should we take a look around?" A Gray Robe figure suddenly asked the Gray Robe leader.
Tang Fei's heart instantly rose to his throat. Little Fatty wanted to reach for the hammer again, but the Old Man quietly tugged him, stopping that dangerous action.
"Looking around is fine." Tang Fei smiled. "There are only these two shabby rooms. Search wherever you like. If you don't find anyone, that will prove our innocence too. Don't you think?"
"Then go take a look." The Gray Robe leader was gnawing on a field mouse leg and had little interest in such matters. But since one of his subordinates had suggested it, they might as well go through the motions. That way, if anything happened later, no one could blame him.
After all, he was not about to take the blame.
The Gray Robe figure had no choice but to take the task. He glanced into several rooms, then hurried back to report, "Boss, I didn't see anyone."
"Isn't that obvious? This is just one family: an old man, a kid, and a stupid fat little fellow. Do any of them look like a Qi Control Realm Master?" The Gray Robe leader burst into laughter, wisdom gleaming in his eyes. "Besides, if a Qi Control Realm Master were really hiding here, would any of us still be alive? He'd have chopped off our heads long ago."
"Boss is brilliant."
"Brother Long's eyes are as sharp as torches. No wonder you became captain."
"What's a captain worth? The boss will soon become an adjutant. I heard adjutant Chen Hu is being promoted to Black Robe. Wouldn't the vacant adjutant position belong to the boss?"
"Then let us congratulate Boss in advance!"
"It's still early, still early!" The Gray Robe leader waved his hand with great humility. "Several captains are competing for that position, but you all know that adjutant Chen Hu and I are sworn brothers. Once he becomes a Black Robe, would he not promote his own brother?"
"Of course."
"Of course, we still need to achieve some results. If we can find the guy who killed our divine envoy, this matter will be settled," the gray-robed boss said earnestly.
"Don't worry, Boss. The brothers will definitely help you find the killer."
"Right, let's head out as soon as we finish the barbecue."
"Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we'll dig him out."
"Dig my ass. Do you think a Qi Control Realm master is a field mouse? Likes drilling into caves?"
While this group of gray robes was chatting and joking, Tang Fei had already finished grilling the rabbit and wild chicken.
He first took a large skewer over to the gray-robed boss and said, "The ones just off the grill are the best. Would you like to taste and see how it is, sir? If you feel the flavor isn't strong enough, I'll add some chili powder for you."
The gray-robed boss grew even more satisfied with Tang Fei as someone who knew how to handle things. He actually raised his honorable right hand, stained with grease, and patted Tang Fei on the shoulder, asking, "How old are you?"
"Fourteen," Tang Fei said.
He brazenly knocked a year and a half off his age. After all, the younger you were, the less likely you were to be in the Qi Control Realm, right?
"I see you've got a sharp streak. Any interest in joining our Flame Shrine?" The gray-robed boss actually took the initiative to extend an olive branch to Tang Fei.
Tang Fei put on a look of utter disbelief and asked excitedly, "Sir, is what you're saying true? You're not tricking me?"
"Brat, how are you talking? What kind of place is our Flame Shrine? And what kind of person is our Boss? Can he talk nonsense to fool you?"
"That's right. Let me tell you, don't fail to recognize a good thing when you see it. When we wanted to join the Flame Shrine back then, we had to beg our grandfathers and grandmothers everywhere just to find an intermediary to introduce us."
"Our Dragon Brother is a team captain, and he'll be an adjutant soon. With him covering you, you'll be eating good and drinking spicy in the Flame Shrine. Kid, just wait to live the good life!"
Through the introductions of the people around him, Tang Fei recognized even more how "rare" this opportunity was. Moved to the point of hot tears, he said, "Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir! Our whole family, old and young, thanks you! Eat meat, sir, eat more meat."
The old man also came over to exchange polite words, thanking the gray-robed boss for his high regard for Tang Fei.
The gray-robed boss was praised to the heavens, and the roast meat in his hand became more and more flavorful.
Tang Fei looked at the gray-robed boss and said with a deferential expression, "Sir, I just heard you guys looking for someone. What kind of person are you looking for? I'm very familiar with this area, so maybe I can help out a little."
"What can a little brat like you help with?" The gray-robed boss obviously didn't believe Tang Fei could actually help, but he was very satisfied with his enthusiastic and proactive attitude. "A master like that could poke you to death with a single finger. You'd better just focus on staying alive. Once you come to our shrine, you can just be responsible for grilling meat for this lord."
"Yes, yes, listening to you, sir. I'll listen to you in everything." Tang Fei smiled with a face full of sincerity.
The gray-robed boss finished eating the chicken skewers in his hand and called out, "Alright, alright, brothers, hurry up and eat. Once you're full, we'll get back to work. There are still plenty of households we haven't screened yet."
"Yes, sir!" The gray robes began to devour their food wolf-style.
The gray-robed boss turned back to look at Tang Fei and asked, "What's your name?"
"Tang Fei," Tang Fei said out loud.
"Tang Fei, good name." The gray-robed boss nodded, looked at the old man, and said, "Your old man looks like a dull fellow who couldn't squeeze a sound out of three sticks, but I wouldn't expect him to give you such a nice name."
"The teacher in the village gave it to me. He knows how to read," Tang Fei said.
"No wonder." Only then did the gray-robed boss feel it made sense, and he said to the lackey beside him, "Paste a Flame Talisman on his door. From now on, he's one of our own, and the brothers from the other teams don't need to come check."
"Yes, Big Brother."
So a lackey fished a spirit talisman with a flame pattern out of his pocket and slapped it with a smack right onto the front gate.
This way, other Flame Shrine squads or Predator organizations seeing the Flame Talisman on the door wouldn't come over to inspect anymore.
Why check one of your own?
Tang Fei was even more moved with gratitude, seeing the gray-robed brothers off a long way away with the loyal zeal of someone who couldn't wait to go through fire and water on the battlefield with the gray-robed boss right then and there.
"Big Brother, come hang out when you have time!" Tang Fei's voice choked up as he shouted at the top of his lungs.
(ps: Too lazy to split it, I'll update two chapters at once.
In addition, everyone, feel free to toss over some votes; Old Liu and Tang Fei are just as easy to appease.
Big brothers, come play when you have time! (Choking up))
Before you continue