Food began to be gradually scarce. After a few occasional fishing trips by Lin Zhao where he came up empty, and with the pork and rabbit meat dwindling, he knew they had to go out again. Both he and Xiao Shitong were at stages of growth, and the energy consumption of two martial artists training was immense. Lin Zhao had no choice but to pack his snare, cleaver, and bow and arrow, and head back into the mountains. If they didn't, they'd soon be starving.
...
The red maples ahead were like fire, and birds and beasts roamed the mountains.
Lin Zhao wandered with his bow and arrow for the entire day. As dusk approached, he finally had a catch. With a perfectly aimed shot from his full draw, an adult stag was pierced through its body and collapsed on the spot.
"Success!"
Lin Zhao rejoiced and rushed to the stag's side, delivering a final blow to kill it. He then weighed the stag, feeling its considerable heft. Even for a martial artist in the Blood Circulation realm, it was heavy. A stag this size had to be at least three hundred jin.
The harvest was significant. Venison was a delicacy in the small town, highly prized by the soldiers and cultivators who frequented the taverns. Half of this stag's meat would be enough to sustain Lin Zhao and Xiao Shitong for a while. After cautiously ensuring the area was safe, Lin Zhao shouldered the carcass, its size disproportionate to his own, and sprinted back.
He returned to the town, breathless, as night had fallen.
He called for Xiao Shitong, and they headed straight for the Hundred Flavors Pavilion.
The Hundred Flavors Pavilion was filled with the rich aroma of wine that night. Jia Zhong, the owner, served as both proprietor and waiter, bustling back and forth with dishes, a smile plastered on his face for every guest. The small tavern was bustling with patrons after nightfall. Several soldiers from the Sky Lake region, locals, bore insignia on their shoulders, indicating at least a squad leader. Otherwise, they likely wouldn't have had the spare coin to be drinking here.
In addition, there was a rogue cultivator, a disheveled middle-aged man, who had ordered braised rabbit and fried pork liver, savoring a bottle of Apricot Blossom Spring wine.
Seated by the railing was an old man in a gray robe. He had ordered a few small dishes and was drinking alone. On his table lay a long sword with a heavily worn scabbard, its hilt still bearing traces of blood. The old man's eyes were bright, though a little clouded from the wine. He picked up a peanut with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth, chuckling, "Boss Jia, today's stir-fried sheep kidneys are just average. A bit too gamey. Tsk, tsk, I spent all day smelling the blood and stench of demons in the Northern Territory, and now I have to smell yours?"
Jia Zhong hastily bowed and replied, "Haha, Elder Sword Immortal Han speaks the truth. I'll pay more attention next time I cook. For today's sheep kidneys, consider them half-price for you, old man!"
The old man ate as he gave a thumbs-up, "You know how to do business!"
Nearby, several soldiers from the Sky Lake Army, passing by the tavern, stopped and paid their respects upon seeing the old man. He merely waved them away, telling them to mind their own business.
Lin Zhao, with Xiao Shitong and the entire stag on his shoulder, stood outside the railing watching. He had heard of this old man before. He was a regular at the town's various taverns, named Han Buyu, a ninth-realm Nascent Soul Sword cultivator. His strength was considerable, and he often ventured alone into the northern mountains to hunt roaming demons, earning countless merits at Sky Lake Ridge. However, Elder Sword Immortal Han had a penchant for wine and meat, and after every demon hunt, he would return to town for a hearty meal, sampling the delicacies of every establishment, proclaiming himself a gourmet.
"Yo~~~"
Han Buyu glanced at Lin Zhao, "Isn't that Lin Zhao? Carrying such a big deer, just hunted it?"
"Yes, I shot it on the mountain this evening."
"Not bad!"
The old sword immortal squinted and chuckled, "Boss Jia, business is here!"
"Yes, yes!"
Jia Zhong quickly signaled to Lin Zhao, "This deer, are you selling it to me?"
"Yes!"
Lin Zhao nodded. "I'll sell you half of it. You choose the cuts you want, and the rest will be for me and Xiao Shitong's meals. You name the price; if it's reasonable, it's yours."
"Well..."
Jia Zhong narrowed his eyes, about to haggle.
Elder Sword Immortal Han pursed his lips and said, "The wine doesn't have much flavor today. Boss Jia, quickly have the kitchen prepare me a stir-fried deer dish to go with my wine."
"Yes, yes, Elder Sword Immortal, please wait a moment!"
Jia Zhong led Lin Zhao to the kitchen and said, "How about you name your price? This half deer, at least a hundred and fifty jin, right? After butchering, it should be around a hundred jin."
"Mm."
Lin Zhao smiled faintly. "One must be honest in business. Since you say so, let's go with twenty copper coins per jin. A hundred jin of venison, a total of two thousand copper coins. The deer is right here. Boss Jia, you can take a hundred jin from it. Whichever cuts you take are up to you. You're the owner; I won't argue with you over the tenderloin."
"Impressive..."
Jia Zhong directly gave him a thumbs-up. "To do business like you, Lin Zhao, is truly beyond words. Two thousand it is. Come, let me get the money."
"Alright!"
Jia Zhong turned and took out a handkerchief, unfolding it layer by layer to reveal a few green coins. He took out two and handed them to Lin Zhao, earnestly admonishing, "These are Qing Fu coins. You might not have seen them before. One Qing Fu coin is worth a thousand copper coins. Keep them safe, don't lose them. This is not a small sum."
"Got it!"
Lin Zhao quickly pocketed the money, his face beaming with joy. Qing Fu coins were rarely seen by ordinary people in the town due to their high value. They were uniformly minted by the Mountain Sea Division of the Great Merchant Dynasty, cast from refined spirit stones. Cultivators could directly refine Qing Fu coins into spiritual energy. Therefore, these coins were more commonly seen by those on the mountains, while the common currency in the mortal world remained copper coins, gold, and silver.
...
Lin Zhao and Xiao Shitong sat on small stools in the kitchen, watching Jia Zhong butcher the stag.
"Why are you watching?" Jia Zhong asked.
"In case you cut too much deer meat and we get shortchanged," Xiao Shitong said truthfully, blinking his eyes.
"You two little rascals!"
Jia Zhong was so angry his beard almost flew up. "I, Jia Zhong, have been in business for many years. My word is my bond. When have I ever taken advantage of anyone?"
Lin Zhao nodded. "Boss Jia is right. I think so too. Xiao Shitong, don't talk nonsense. Just keep an eye on Boss Jia."
"Okay, Brother Lin Zhao!"
Xiao Shitong cupped his hands under his chin, staring intently at the meat Jia Zhong was cutting, afraid he might slip some into his pants.
Jia Zhong cut off a piece of tenderloin and immediately had the kitchen prepare it for Elder Sword Immortal Han. Naturally, this piece was given away for free, not weighed. Lin Zhao, seeing this, said nothing. What kind of businessman would honestly refuse to take any advantage? What kind of business would that be?
...
Late into the night, Jia Zhong had taken more than half of the stag's meat. Afterward, Lin Zhao tidied up the hide, bones, and the remaining meat, and returned home with Xiao Shitong. They busied themselves for a while longer, cutting all the meat into strips to air dry, then chopping some bones and a large piece of meat to boil in a pot.
Later, in the dead of night, the two youths sparred in the courtyard, practicing the Farmer's Three Punches vigorously. Sweating profusely, they then ate their fill, fetched water from a barrel, took a bath, and slept contentedly.
...
The next day.
Lin Zhao, with Xiao Shitong, was out early as usual. In the morning, they practiced punches, fished, and set traps under the stone bridge. From a distance, someone familiar approached. It was Huang Lin, the one responsible for Lin Zhao nearly dying when he encountered the Snow Maiden at Ten Mile Slope.
"Tsk tsk~~~"
Huang Lin sat on the bridge, looking down at the two of them. "Lin Zhao, you have a real knack for survival... Zhao family even called back Zhao Yan, a sixth-realm cultivator, and still couldn't kill you. Why don't you, a little bastard like you, just go die?"
Lin Zhao frowned and remained silent.
"What did you say?"
Xiao Shitong, enraged, raised his fist at Huang Lin on the bridge. "Why are you cursing Brother Lin Zhao?"
"Oh?"
Huang Lin squinted and chuckled. "When did you suddenly get a little bastard? Lin Zhao, you're quite something. Don't tell me you secretly had a child with some widow?"
Lin Zhao slowly raised his head. "Huang Lin, what exactly do you want? There's no need for such foul language here. If you're unhappy with me, at most, come down and spar a round."
Huang Lin raised an eyebrow. "Alright, a sparring match it is. I just recently stabilized my foundation as a second-realm martial artist. You asked for this sparring match yourself."
"Come on!"
Lin Zhao gently raised a hand, signaling, "Xiao Shitong, step back a bit so you don't get hurt."
"Okay!"
Xiao Shitong retreated more than ten paces. "Brother Lin Zhao, beat him until he begs for mercy!"
"Don't worry, he won't even have a chance to beg for mercy."
...
"Arrogant!"
Huang Lin leaped off the stone bridge in anger, his body radiating fist aura. His feet struck the ground heavily, causing fallen leaves to dance on the grass. He lightly tapped his fists together in front of his chest, oblivious that Lin Zhao had already entered the Blood Circulation realm. "You dare accept a sparring match from a Blood Circulation realm martial artist? I think you're looking for death..."
Lin Zhao assumed a boxing stance, raising an eyebrow. "Come?"
"Seeking death!"
Huang Lin roared and threw a punch that tore through the air. The air beneath the stone bridge exploded with a "boom" under the pressure. The momentum was indeed quite imposing.
However, Lin Zhao took half a step back, his center of gravity slightly lowered. His entire body emanated an extraordinary fist intent. While both were in the Blood Circulation realm, Lin Zhao's fist intent was far more refined. His physical conditioning and tempering were far beyond Huang Lin's comparison. One was the scion of a wealthy family, cultivating in comfort, while the other was a poor boy who ran tens of miles up and down the mountain, enduring any hardship for survival. In contrast, Huang Lin's fist intent and theory were thoroughly suppressed!
Qi Rushing to the Bull's Head Stance!
"Boom!"
With a deafening roar, Lin Zhao unleashed a swift punch. The next second, Huang Lin was sent flying, skimming across the surface of the White Fish Stream like a skipping stone. Not only that, but Lin Zhao's punch was at full force. The instant it connected, Huang Lin's arm bone was shattered. The pain was far more excruciating than having an arm directly severed!
...
This punch, for Lin Zhao, was more than just a sparring match; it was an act of revenge!
If someone strikes me, I shall return the blow tenfold. This is how the world should be.