Chapter 52

The young Taoist Qingxuan came down the mountain just to eat, with no reservations about it.

"I took my vows at the Qingyun Temple, belonging to the Orthodox Unity School, different from the Quanzhen School which practices asceticism; I don't abstain from alcohol or meat."

"Wow, that's great. We have some three-tenths cooked beef here, large and tender, melting in your mouth, with a full flavor..."

"Good, good... no need to worry, waiter. I've been to this place before and know the quality of the signature beef."

"Alright, alright, my eyes are not sharp enough to recognize you as a regular customer... I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

The waiter smiled flatteringly, but Qingxuan didn't bother to pay attention. After all, the last time he came here to eat was when he was six years old, and who could remember that clearly.

He ordered two pounds of stewed beef, a pot of Fenjiu chilled in a stream, and started to drink and eat alone at a young age.

This old shop by the stream is truly known as the "Qingyang's Best." The two pounds of beef were served in a large jar, with one pound of lean meat and one pound of tendon, already stewed with various spices until tender. The shop then used the best old broth to cook it, adding scallions, celery leaves, and other spices. When it was served, the meat aroma was overwhelming, making one's mouth water.

Qingxuan didn't wait for all the dishes to be served and pounced on the food, eating so voraciously that he almost swallowed his tongue. The waiter was stunned, exclaiming that this Taoist's powers were extraordinary, as he had already eaten nearly half a pound of meat before the wine even arrived.

Since Ye Qingxuan started practicing his internal martial arts, his appetite had become astonishingly large.

One must understand that throughout a person's life, they eat every day, and most of the nutrients from grains and cereals are used to maintain normal bodily functions. However, there is always some excess energy, which is either expelled from the body or stored as useless fat. A portion of this mysterious energy is scattered throughout the limbs and body, gradually dissipating over time. Internal martial arts techniques harness this energy, forming internal true qi, which can be used to defeat enemies or for health. Ye Qingxuan's increased appetite was a sign of his deepening internal martial arts. For those who have achieved great mastery in internal martial arts, eating a whole cow a day would not be surprising.

How could there be meat without wine?

When the pot of old wine was served, Ye Qingxuan filled a cup and drank it down with a slurp, burped, took a deep breath, and sighed, "Satisfying, really satisfying."

Although the mountain did not prohibit alcohol and meat, it was still a place for Taoist cultivation, and the daily meals were mostly light. This made the meat-eater Ye Qingxuan, who was reincarnated, crave it even more. It was rare to come down the mountain, and if he couldn't satisfy his appetite, it would be a waste.

Qingxuan, in his previous life, was a young man in his twenties and naturally wouldn't miss this rare opportunity.

The shop's old broth beef was indeed a specialty, and the two cold noodles were also rare delicacies, especially in the increasingly hot summer.

The ancient "cold noodles" were essentially "cold water noodles."

Although it sounds ordinary, the two types of noodles in the shop were quite unique. One was called "Jade Cold Noodles," made from fresh, tender locust leaves and a bit of chrysanthemum, ground into a juice, mixed with flour, and made into noodles. These noodles, when cooked, were a fresh green color, fragrant, and after being rinsed several times in cold stream water, served with old broth beef or fresh meat sauce, were incredibly satisfying.

The other type of cold noodles was called "Coral Cold Noodles." The preparation method was similar, but the ingredients were different. It used a special type of river shrimp from the local stream, mixed with rose petals and flour to make the noodles. When cooked in hot water, the shrimp meat turned the noodles a coral-like red. Eating a bite, it was fresh, juicy, and had a completely different flavor from the "Jade Cold Noodles."

Ye Qingxuan was already familiar with these two exquisite cold noodles, but this time, eating meat was his top priority, and the noodles came second.

After a while, with only a little of the two pounds of beef left, the young Taoist Qingxuan, without lifting his head, shouted loudly, "Waiter, bring another serving of 'Coral Cold Noodles' and another pound of beef—"

"Alright—" The waiter stuck out his tongue. This young Taoist, though small in age, had a huge appetite. Two pounds of beef was already a lot for an ordinary person, and he could still order another pound of beef and a large bowl of noodles.

In no time, the beef and cold noodles were served.

The young Taoist, without lifting his head, continued to devour the food.

Although it was already autumn, the weather in the south was still humid and hot. The carefully prepared cold noodles, rinsed several times in cold stream water, were particularly refreshing. In hot weather, it was hard to have an appetite, and there were only a few dishes that could cool one down. Cold noodles were one of them, which is why the famous poet Du Fu praised a bowl of cold noodles in his poem.

In the poem "Hua Ye Leng Tao," Du Fu wrote:

The fresh green locust leaves are picked and sent to the kitchen. New flour comes from the market, the juice and residue mixed together.

Cooked in the pot until thoroughly done, the meal is almost finished. The green freshness shines on the chopsticks, the fragrant rice mixed with reed.

It is colder than snow in the mouth, I urge you to taste this pearl. I wish to follow the golden horse, to place it in the brocade.

The road is long, but the interest is deep, never to be abandoned. A small offering of celery, a humble recommendation of algae.

In the distant palace, the ice is clear in the jade pot. The king enjoys the coolness late, and this flavor is needed from time to time.

The Poet Saint Du Fu rarely described the preparation of cold noodles in a poem, but this poem not only detailed the process but also ensured that the method would not be lost to future generations as long as the poem survived.

While slurping the noodles, Ye Qingxuan recited Du Fu's five-character regulated verse, making his day seem particularly sweet.

"Waiter, cut two pounds of beef to go with the wine, and bring two flatbreads..."

The young Taoist was enjoying his meal so much that he didn't notice the changes around him. He was startled by a sudden loud voice and turned his head to see that a pair of martial artists, one with a fine steel knife and the other with a long sword, had arrived at the table next to him. The one with the knife had a yellowish, thin face, while the one with the sword was shorter but more muscular. Both were dressed in deep blue martial attire, suggesting they were from the same school.

This was strange. Apart from the Qingyun Temple and the Yuan Mountain Escort Agency, there were no other martial organizations in Qingyang Town. These two were clearly not from the Yuan Mountain Escort Agency.

Qingyang Town was remote, so why would other martial groups come here?

Out of curiosity, Ye Qingxuan slowed down his eating and perked up his ears to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Sure enough, after the dishes were served and they had a few drinks, the two started talking more.

"Senior Brother, will we really find that thing in Qingyang Town this time?"

"Junior Brother, don't worry. I've told you many times that this is absolutely true. When I was entrusted by the school to handle matters here, I accidentally encountered that thing. I followed and investigated it for a long time and confirmed it was that thing. As long as we have the skills, we can kill it. Not only will we get its treasures, but selling it for a good price will be enough for us to live comfortably for the rest of our lives. Even if we just take its head and exchange it for a reward in town, it's worth two thousand taels of silver..." The thin-faced knife wielder smiled sinisterly, "If there were any powerful martial schools in Qingyang Town, no one would have discovered it, and this good opportunity wouldn't have fallen to us."

The short, muscular swordsman smiled and said, "Thank you, Senior Brother. There are many disciples in our 'Pingyang Martial Academy,' and for you to bring me on this good opportunity is a great favor. I promise to always follow your lead and never break my word."

"Ha, thank you, Junior Brother! Let's finish this cup of wine, eat our fill, and take action immediately..."

The two then focused on their meal without further conversation.

Pingyang Martial Academy? Isn't that a famous school in another large town over four hundred miles away?

It seemed something important had appeared. Could it be that his fate as the protagonist was about to explode, and he could get news of a martial treasure just by having a meal?

That thing must be mobile, otherwise, it wouldn't need to be tracked. It's also dangerous, requiring more than one person to handle it, and it has treasures... Considering all these factors, could the thing they are after be a mythical beast?

Oh dear, this is not good news. Places where mythical beasts appear are extremely dangerous. These monsters are bloodthirsty and, with their natural abilities, even ordinary martial experts can't handle them. If not dealt with promptly, they will cause great harm.

Hmm? But from their conversation, it seemed they were confident they could handle the beast with just the two of them. Judging by their appearance, they were probably just ordinary martial artists. So, this beast shouldn't be too powerful, and there haven't been any recent reports of bloodshed or livestock losses... Wait, Old Lu's water buffalo Ahua is missing. Could this be related?

Oh, Lu Yundong and his son might be in danger!

Thinking of this, Ye Qingxuan stood up abruptly, almost rushing out... Hold on, hold on... He didn't know the specific situation, especially the beast's whereabouts. Even if he returned, he might not be able to help the father and son... It would be better to follow these two Pingyang Martial Academy warriors and find the beast first before making a decision. If he couldn't handle the beast, he should immediately warn the villagers and then return to the temple to seek help from his senior brothers.

With this in mind, Ye Qingxuan slowly sat down, though his heart was burning with anxiety, he forced himself to remain calm and patiently waited for the two warriors to finish their meal.

"Waiter, the bill."

Soon, the two men finished their meal and left.

Qingxuan calculated the cost and followed them from a distance.

The two initially headed west along the road, but after passing a hill, they turned south and entered the mountains.

Hmm,