Medicinal Meat and the Jar

Inside the side room, Dongyue opened his bundle, revealing everything within. Aside from a long string of gleaming yellow copper coins and two simple garments, there was actually a strip of black dried meat.

"Autumn Leaf, here." Without another word, Dongyue picked up the dried meat, broke it in half, and thrust one piece into Wang Yu's hands.

"This is the good stuff you were talking about?" Wang Yu held it, looking somewhat stunned.

"Junior brother, this isn't ordinary meat. It's a demon beast's pizzle-a medicinal beast whip steeped in a special medicinal brew." The little fatty pointed at the dried meat in his hand, waggling his eyebrows as he answered.

"A medicinal beast whip!"

Wang Yu's expression turned peculiar, and he examined the thing in his hands more closely.

It felt hard and gave off a faint medicinal fragrance, but its shape did indeed resemble a "whip."

"That's right. A demon beast's pizzle is already much more nourishing than ordinary meat. Add other medicinal tonics, and the effects are even better. My family prepares all this medicinal meat ourselves. I've eaten it since I was little; how else would I be this strong? You'll understand once you try it. It's very potent, so whenever you have porridge, just tear off a strip and put it in. Otherwise, you could get a nosebleed," Dongyue cautioned.

"Senior brother, this must be expensive, right?" Wang Yu looked at the black dried meat in his hands, unsure whether to laugh or cry, and asked hesitantly.

"My family runs a butcher's shop in Yellowstone City. This medicinal meat is expensive for other people, sure, but it's nothing to my family. Just eat it without worrying. This piece should last you a month or so." Dongyue grinned and answered casually.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Dongyue. I won't stand on ceremony, then." After a little thought, Wang Yu tucked the dried meat into his robe and cupped his hands in thanks.

"Haha, that's more like it. Junior Brother Autumn Leaf, try it when you get back, and you'll know I wasn't boasting. Eat this for just two or three days, and you'll immediately feel the difference in your body," Dongyue said with a hearty laugh.

Dongyue's confidence left Wang Yu genuinely looking forward to trying the medicinal meat.

That evening.

Looking at the rice porridge before him, fragrant with meat, Wang Yu gulped it all down in one go. Then he moved his arms and legs about in his room, doing a few simple exercises to help his digestion.

Before long, he felt a faint itch across his skin. It began at the top of his head, rapidly spread over his chest and back, and finally reached his arms and legs. The itching grew steadily worse, while his whole body began to heat up.

He rolled up a sleeve and raised his arm to inspect it. The skin was bright red, looking rather alarming. Even without a mirror, he knew his face and ears were probably flushed as well.

The medicinal meat had provoked such a strong reaction-it was far beyond anything Wang Yu had expected!

His skin grew itchier and his body hotter until he could no longer bear it. He simply left his room, went behind the Daoist temple, and began running briskly around the Martial Arts Practice Field.

Facing the icy mountain wind, Wang Yu swung his arms hard and stretched out his stride. Lap after lap, he felt as though his body held an inexhaustible supply of strength. Normally, a few laps would leave him gasping, but now he ran more than ten without the slightest fatigue. He kept picking up speed, as though wind sprang beneath his feet.

An incense stick's worth of time later.

"Haa!"

Wang Yu let out a long breath. Feeling that the heat within him had diminished considerably, he stopped in the middle of the Martial Arts Practice Field. His gaze swept instinctively toward the temple, only for him to start and hurriedly call out, "Senior Brother Qingfeng."

A figure stood quietly at the edge of the Martial Arts Practice Field. Pale moonlight illuminated a fair, clean face. It was Qingfeng, whom he had met earlier that day.

"You ate medicinal meat? Was this your first time?" Qingfeng asked Wang Yu coldly. He held a small yellow jar, its mouth covered with thick gray cloth secured tightly around the rim by several yellow cords.

"Yes, senior brother. This was my first time eating medicinal meat. Senior Brother Dongyue gave me a piece of his." Wang Yu walked briskly over and answered honestly, though he wondered why Qingfeng was here.

"Dongyue is certainly generous. That medicinal meat is worth quite a bit outside-almost its weight in silver. Since this is your first time, I'll give you a few pointers. Medicinal meat works best during the first few uses. After that, you need to take it over a long period to gradually improve your constitution. If you truly want to get the most out of it, exercise as much as you can over the next few days. It will only benefit you," Qingfeng said evenly.

"Thank you for your guidance, eldest senior brother." Wang Yu nodded repeatedly, looking perfectly obedient, though inwardly he was startled by how expensive the medicinal meat was. In Wang Tiezhu's memories, one tael of silver could buy a long string of copper coins, enough for his family to live comfortably for a month.

After another glance at Wang Yu, Qingfeng asked, "I heard from Master that you possess spiritual perception as well?"

"Yes, that's what the temple master said, but I still don't understand what spiritual perception actually is," Wang Yu answered after a moment's surprise.

"Since you possess spiritual perception, come lend me a hand. Hold this for me first." A strange expression crossed Qingfeng's face. Raising his arm, he offered the yellow jar to Wang Yu with seeming casualness.

"All right, eldest senior brother." Caught somewhat off guard, Wang Yu instinctively took the jar with both hands, only to shudder at once. An icy force traveled straight through the jar into him, making him grimace. He could not help asking, "Eldest senior brother, what's inside?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Hold it carefully and follow me." With that indifferent remark, Qingfeng headed toward the stone building beside the Martial Arts Practice Field.

Wang Yu could only endure the cold in his hands and follow closely, holding the jar.

The stone building stood there, radiating waves of chill. On the bronze lock of its pitch-black door, the two yellow slips of paper that looked like talismans remained in place.

Looking at the talismans, Wang Yu instinctively glanced down at the jar in his hands. He discovered that a similar talisman was firmly attached to its bottom, though it looked much newer than those on the bronze lock.

By then, Qingfeng had reached the door. He seemed to murmur something under his breath, then brushed one hand over the bronze lock. A faint white light flashed, and the two slips of paper floated down soundlessly. Qingfeng caught them and tucked them into his robe.

It really was a supernatural power!

Wang Yu's mouth fell slightly open, and his heartbeat quickened.

"Come in."

Qingfeng took out a rust-spotted key and opened the bronze lock. After calling to him, he pushed the door open and walked inside without another word.

Wang Yu steadied himself and hurried after him, but the moment he stepped inside, he shivered. He felt as though he had entered a world of ice and snow.

The stone room was not large, but neither was it as dark as he had imagined.

A long altar table stood directly ahead. Upon it sat a statue of the Nine Heavens Horned Sun Celestial Master, about a foot tall. An antique oil lamp burned on either side of the miniature statue, their surfaces carved with dark patterns. There was no telling how long they had been in use.

What drew Wang Yu's attention more was the floor beneath the altar table, where several tightly packed rows of jars stood. All were identical to the one in his hands, and there were twenty or thirty of them.

While Wang Yu stood staring, Qingfeng closed the door. Only after pasting the two yellow talismans he had removed from the bronze lock onto the door did he take something from his robe and instruct him:

"Put the jar on the table, then hold this and follow my commands."

Wang Yu set the jar on the altar table and took the object, examining it closely. It was a little black wooden sword that looked like a child's toy, about as long as a dagger. Its pitted surface barely retained the shape of a sword, and it gave off a faint scorched smell.

"Yes, eldest senior brother."

Suppressing his questions, Wang Yu obediently stood to one side.

The young Daoist retrieved a white ceramic basin from somewhere beneath the altar table and placed it beside the jar. Then he took an oilpaper package from his robe and carefully unfolded it, revealing a bloody piece of fresh meat.

Without hesitation, Qingfeng tossed the fresh meat into the white basin and told Wang Yu gravely:

"When I tell you to act, stab this Thunderwood Sword into the meat. You must be quick, and you must use all your strength."

"Yes, yes."

Wang Yu agreed repeatedly, unable to resist taking a few more looks at the meat. He did not know whether he was imagining it, but it seemed to squirm twice on its own in the basin. A chill of unease crept through him.

After taking a deep breath, Qingfeng tore the yellow talisman off the bottom of the jar and swiftly retreated several steps.

Bang! Bang!

The previously still jar suddenly began to shake. The thick cloth covering its mouth bulged and sank, as though something inside was trying to escape.

Wang Yu's heart pounded, and his fingers unconsciously tightened around the wooden sword.

With several tearing snaps, the yellow cords around the rim broke simultaneously. Whatever was inside finally threw off the thick cloth and rushed out.

Wang Yu's eyes went wide!

What flew out was a mass of black vapor the size of a head. The instant it emerged from the jar, it rushed at Qingfeng, who stood closest, with a mournful howling.

"Just in time!"

Qingfeng seemed to have been prepared. Holding something in his hand, he punched straight at the approaching black vapor.

A sharp crack rang out!

A slender arc of lightning appeared over Qingfeng's fist. One punch sent the black vapor flying and shrank it noticeably, but its howling grew louder. Wheeling in midair, it changed course and charged at Wang Yu, who stood a little farther away.

Wang Yu felt a terrible cold rush at his face. Alarm surged through him. Just as he was wondering whether to block it with the wooden sword, Qingfeng darted in front of him and punched the black vapor away again.

This time, not only did the black vapor shrink, but its surface visibly dimmed. After several plaintive cries, it rushed toward the bloody meat on the altar table below, as though left with no other choice. In a blur, it sank into the meat and vanished.

"Now! Do it!" Qingfeng shouted.

Wang Yu hurried to the altar table, gripped the miniature wooden sword with both hands, and stabbed it savagely into the meat.

Thud!

The little wooden sword seemed to have struck not meat, but rotten wood. Wang Yu had to exert almost all his strength to drive it several inches into the flesh. At the same moment, streams of bluish smoke rose from the meat with a hiss, and it began writhing madly beneath the sword tip.

The bluish smoke smelled foul and bloody, making Wang Yu want to vomit. An enormous force surged against the wooden sword, and the meat seemed about to wrench itself free from beneath its tip. Fear rose in his heart, and he wanted to let go of the sword and retreat out of the way.