landbeastnovel Chapter 5 Treasure Meat
Chapter 5 Treasure Meat
Crescent Moon County, north of the city.
The low, densely packed, dilapidated adobe houses have been eroded by wind and sand, leaving only skeletons.
Narrow alleyways run through it, most of which are only wide enough for two people to walk side by side.
The people here are mostly poor.
Laborers, porters, and other lowly occupations in other urban areas are considered to be among the higher-paid professions here.
The highest earners were, of course, the members of the Beggars' Sect's branch here.
The Beggars' Sect's branch in Crescent Moon County was located deep in the northern part of the city, in a courtyard converted from a dilapidated temple.
From the outside, the wall plaster is peeling and the wooden door is crooked.
A few listless beggars stood guard at the entrance of the branch headquarters; overall, they were barely better off than those around them.
The magistrate of Crescent Moon County, with two horns on his head and braids hanging down his ears, was currently staring at the interior of the branch headquarters with his sheep-like pupils.
The floor was covered with a carpet featuring intricate patterns from the Western Regions, which was soft and silent underfoot.
The shelves were full of porcelain vases and jade artifacts, and there were even writing implements on the table.
The walls were covered with calligraphy and paintings.
The only drawback is that many of the calligraphy and paintings are hung upside down.
This only added to the magistrate's disgust.
If it weren't for his desire to strive and accumulate merits so as to stand out within the clan...
Within the clan, who would be willing to come to a desolate place like Crescent Moon County, where humans gather, to serve as a minor official?
"snort!"
With a soft snort, Gou Xiong, the leader of the Beggars' Sect who was kneeling in front of him, was startled.
At this moment, his forehead was already pressed against the carpet.
Yesterday afternoon, the magistrate went hunting with Lord Kang outside Shazhou City. He even watched Lord Kang ride his horse at full speed and shoot a sand fox through the eye socket from a hundred paces away.
She was even a ninth-rank fox demon.
As a member of the demon race, once you reach the ninth rank, you will develop intelligence after cultivating for a while longer.
Quite coincidentally.
This leader, Gou Xiong, also happens to be a ninth-rank martial artist, a human at the Skin-Refining Realm.
Originally, the demon race had its own rules for classifying realms, such as demon soldiers and demon generals, demon kings and demon saints.
Unfortunately, considering the average level of literacy among demons, it is indeed not very high.
To argue about hierarchy based on these titles is truly a bit of a stretch.
Therefore, a prophet from the demon race saw that the human race used a nine-rank system, which was simple and easy to understand, so he changed the demon race's system to a nine-rank system as well.
The ninth rank is the lowest, and the first rank is the highest.
At this moment, the magistrate's gaze towards Gou Xiong was almost the same as that of the arrow that pierced the fox demon yesterday.
He learned from his subordinates that this month's beggar donations were lower than last month's.
So the magistrate arrived here early this morning.
Gou Xiong's eyes darted around, and he quickly made up his mind. His voice trembled as he said:
"This humble servant...this humble servant is incompetent. It's all because of those unruly people who don't understand the difficulties the court is facing."
The magistrate leisurely reminded him, "The Beggars' Sect is the Beggars' Sect, and the Imperial Court is the Imperial Court."
"Yes! Yes! It was my fault for speaking out of turn... In addition, a new gang called the Mingsha Gang has recently emerged in the city, causing trouble for days and distracting the men, which is why..."
The magistrate did not rush to answer, but instead took out a white silk handkerchief.
He rubbed his hands vigorously, as if trying to wipe away some dirt that had accumulated there.
After a long pause, he said, "The Mingsha Gang? I think they're much more pleasing to the eye than your gang, who only know how to crawl on the ground begging for food and complaining!"
Beads of sweat the size of soybeans appeared on Gou Xiong's temples, dripping onto the carpet with a soft patter.
The magistrate's disgust softened slightly upon seeing this.
"At least they handled things beautifully, and the tribute money was paid in full, without me having to worry about the aftermath!"
The magistrate tossed the handkerchief aside; the weightless handkerchief struck Gou Xiong squarely on the head.
"What use are those items that I want you to steal? Are they meant to be sold at the prefectural government office, or displayed in the courtroom for your amusement?"
He finally shouted:
"What I want is silver! Clean silver that can be delivered to Shazhou City!"
Gou Xiong repeatedly assured him, "Yes! Yes! I understand, I will definitely intensify the pressure and absolutely not let..."
The county magistrate was too lazy to hear what happened next.
The sedan chair was parked inside the gate, and he got into it directly.
It seemed that it didn't want to touch even a trace of the filth here.
Gou Xiong knew that the magistrate had already gone far away, but he still knelt for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, without moving.
Then, respectfully, he raised the handkerchief from his head, his face fierce, and said:
"Bring Diao Da, Xiong Er, and Lai San in!"
Three figures knelt respectfully on the carpet.
The spot where he was kneeling was the same spot where Gou Xiong had just knelt, and the sweat stains were still clearly visible.
The three foreheads were also pressed tightly against the carpet.
This scene looks so familiar.
Gou Xiong was also wiping his hands with a handkerchief.
After a long pause, he said, "Go ahead, I only want the money."
"Yes! Yes! I understand. I will definitely intensify the pressure and will not let the leader down!"
……
A market in the county town.
Today, Liu Sheng came to Old Man Kang's barbecue stall alone.
He also invited Ye Qi.
But Ye Qi insisted that he could no longer take advantage of the situation.
Liu Sheng respected his choice and didn't force him further.
It’s too late.
Let's take it slow; I don't have much money left anyway.
At this moment, Liu Sheng was still staring blankly at the panel:
Bajiquan (685/1000 Beginner Level)
Is there any other way to speed up the learning process?
Although the speed of progress in the past two days is already quite exaggerated for an ordinary martial artist.
If anyone knew that he still had this idea, they would probably think that he was insatiable.
But after witnessing Song Bojia's ordeal firsthand, Liu Sheng felt an even greater sense of urgency.
At this moment, Old Man Kang noticed his worried expression.
"Shengwa, what's wrong?"
Liu Sheng briefly explained his desire to make further progress in martial arts in a short period of time.
Of course, he wouldn't say that he was proficient in it.
Upon hearing this, Old Man Kang chuckled and pulled out a piece of meat from a paper package, layer upon layer.
It was clearly a piece of fresh raw meat, yet it emitted an unpleasant odor.
Liu Sheng found it hard to describe; it was either fragrant or foul, but in any case, it was strangely intoxicating.
"What kind of meat is this?"
"Demon beast meat, also known as precious meat, is used to enhance the cultivation of entry-level martial artists. How about getting a piece?"
Liu Sheng had no reason to refuse.
Then he saw that Old Man Kang carefully cut off a small piece.
He immediately became dissatisfied: "What's going on, old man Kang? I paid for it, and you look down on me like this?"
"This meat was a gift from my son. I don't sell it, but I'm making an exception and giving you a slice because of you."
Old Man Kang smiled and said, "You're not even a ninth-rank martial artist yet. Eating this much at once is enough. Any more and I'm afraid your body won't be able to handle it."
Liu Shengxin said, "Then you can eat it?"
But he didn't say it out loud.
After all, Old Man Kang didn't want his money anymore, so what could he say?
Liu Sheng had heard about it before.
Kang Laotou's son is a high-ranking official in Shazhou City.
However, this is in the Shazhou area, so it's not surprising that five people were hit by dates falling from the tree, four of whom had the surname Kang.
What's more, there's a Kang family in Yueya County!
So nobody took it too seriously.
But if this really is monster meat, there might be some explanation?
After all, it's very difficult for ordinary people to obtain them.
The meat is on the grill, so there's no point in waiting anyway.
Liu Sheng looked around and noticed that there were some people patrolling the market.
They were all dressed in brown short jackets and carrying sticks that reached their eyebrows.
Recalling what his fellow disciples had been chatting about, Liu Sheng asked curiously, "The Mingsha Gang... has they completely taken over the market?"
"Who can argue with that? The territorial fee is much less than what the Beggars' Sect charged before."
Old Man Kang pointed to the entrance of the largest residential building nearby, where a large, fat man was half-reclining in a rocking chair.
"There are people patrolling the nearby alleys even in the middle of the night. If there's anything, you can go directly to that boss."
Whether it was a misperception or not, Liu Sheng felt that when Old Man Kang pointed, the fat man glanced in their direction.
As it grills over charcoal, seasonings are sprinkled on.
The unpleasant smell of the meat slices gradually transformed into a rich aroma, making nearby vendors and pedestrians drool, and more and more people came to buy the barbecue.
"Come on, give it a try."
Liu Sheng took a bite while it was still hot.
The rich aroma of the monster meat exploded in his mouth instantly; the meat was firm and chewy.
With each chew, juice flowed into his stomach, turning into a surge of heat that supported his limbs, which were tired from continuous martial arts practice.
The heatwave grew stronger with each wave, to the point that Liu Sheng felt his body swell outwards.
Old Man Kang urged, "Go back and practice quickly!"
Without saying a word, Liu Sheng rushed back to the martial arts school and unleashed a barrage of blows on the wooden stakes.
[Bajiquan Proficiency +5]
[Bajiquan Proficiency +5]
[Bajiquan Proficiency +5]
……
【Bajiquan (830/1000 Beginner Level)】
Because this piece of precious meat is not large, it doesn't last long.
But for a martial artist who hasn't even reached the rank yet, it's not enough; it's a luxury.
"What a find!" Liu Sheng exclaimed in surprise.
I thought that was all the martial arts experience I'd gained for the day.
Unexpectedly, with the help of the monster meat, they climbed another step.
This means that if things continue at the previous pace, we should be able to complete a small part of it by noon tomorrow!