Chapter 22

When Jiang Xingchen saw the Snow Pheasant, he finally felt reassured, but he found it hard to imagine that this thing, which looked like a mountain chicken, was actually a demon beast, rarer than the massive Swordback Boar.

"To prevent the essence from escaping, making Beggar's Chicken is the best choice!" Although Jiang Xingchen was unsure about controlling the heat, he believed that sealing the Snow Pheasant with clay and lotus leaves would prevent the essence from escaping. Of course, there were no lotus leaves here, and he had never made Beggar's Chicken before, but these were not problems. The lotus leaves could be replaced, and he had heard the method of making Beggar's Chicken so many times in his previous life that he could recite it in his sleep.

Next, the people from the Purple Thistle Mercenary Group were confused. The second brother stared dumbfounded at Jiang Xingchen and asked, "Do you need clay to cook? Isn't that for making pottery? And why are you asking us to find large leaves...?"

Jiang Xingchen smiled faintly, adopting a profound demeanor, "No need to ask, there's a reason for everything I ask you to do!"

The second brother bared his teeth but, seeing Mo Hongxian glare at him, quickly缩缩了脖子, leading more than ten people away like the wind...

As Jiang Xingchen prepared, a group of people watched, their faces filled with confusion.

"Why use wine to mix the clay... Why build another stove in the yard... Why cut pork to make Snow Pheasant..."

Although there were no shiitake mushrooms or cloves, he had to make do. Since it was a demon beast, the meat quality would definitely be better than that of a Swordback Boar, so a lack of seasonings wouldn't matter much.

Jiang Xingchen muttered to himself as he worked, and it took nearly a month just to prepare the seasonings.

After marinating the processed Snow Pheasant with wine, soy sauce, salt, and other seasonings, everyone finally understood what Jiang Xingchen was doing.

The leaves chosen were called Luwu, similar in size to lotus leaves, with a fresh taste. Using them to wrap the Snow Pheasant with the seasonings, he tied them securely with string before starting to coat them with clay.

The thickness of the clay was crucial, and although Jiang Xingchen was not entirely confident, his wrist flexibility had greatly improved, making this task manageable.

The clay-coated Snow Pheasants looked like four large clay balls. Mo Hongxian and the others exchanged glances, all thinking the same thing: "Can this really be eaten?"

Mo Hongxian was about to ask, but Wan Rou gently pulled her, stopping her from speaking.

Under the skeptical gazes of the crowd, Jiang Xingchen lit the fire and started cooking the Snow Pheasants in a small stove in the yard, reapplying the clay whenever it cracked.

When the time was right, he switched to a low flame, roasting them for nearly a month and a half before the task was complete.

"Phew~" When Jiang Xingchen announced that the Snow Pheasants were ready, everyone let out a long sigh. It had taken an entire afternoon to prepare the dish. Mo Hongxian, already exhausted, had gone back to her room with Wan Rou to rest and take her medicine.

In the room, everyone gathered around the table. The moment the clay seals were opened, a fragrant aroma filled the air.

This aroma was different from the smell of meat; it seemed to carry a hint of vitality, invigorating those who smelled it.

Jiang Xingchen was the happiest. The cup of Yunwu tea he had drunk at Furenzhai yesterday had a similar vital aura, which was undoubtedly essence energy.

"Essence energy! It really didn't escape!" Mo Hongxian was exceptionally delighted. Everyone knew that the essence energy in demon beast meat would dissipate with prolonged heating. Initially, she had been skeptical when she saw Jiang Xingchen cooking for so long, but she didn't voice her doubts because he had just saved her and she had personally invited him.

But now, the moment the clay seals were opened, all her doubts vanished. She could clearly feel the vitality of the essence energy.

"Thank goodness Wan Rou stopped me, otherwise..." At that moment, she felt a bit guilty and embarrassed for doubting Jiang Xingchen.

The second brother and the other men kept sniffing, staring at the clay balls with blue eyes, wishing they could reach out and grab them.

"There are only five. I'll have one, Wan Rou will have one, and Jiang Ling will have one. You guys can share the other two! That's it!" Mo Hongxian waved her hand, driving the second brother and the others out of the room.

"Give me one!" Jiang Xingchen was surprised, thinking he had heard wrong. But when he looked at Mo Hongxian, she nodded, then went into the inner room with Wan Rou.

"This Snow Pheasant might help the Sensory Array develop further!" Jiang Xingchen was overjoyed, tearing off a piece of white meat and putting it in his mouth.

"Mmm~" Jiang Xingchen couldn't help but let out a satisfied sigh. The fragrance seemed to explode in his mouth, spreading throughout his body, making him want to swallow his tongue.

One bite after another, he soon ate half a Snow Pheasant.

"Click!" The door opened slightly, and the second brother's head poked in, whispering, "Brother Jiang Ling~"

"Shiver!" Jiang Xingchen shivered, the second brother's cloying tone giving him goosebumps.

"Do you want me to share the Snow Pheasant with you?" Jiang Xingchen rubbed his arms, turning to ask with a smile.

"Uh-huh!" The second brother nodded repeatedly, "We have so many people, and only two, it's not enough. Look... Ouch!"

As the second brother spoke, a water cup flew out from the inner room, exploding on his head. He let out a cry and quickly retreated.

"Hehe! Second brother, it's not that I don't want to give you, but you didn't have the chance!" Jiang Xingchen laughed and continued eating...

As the sky grew darker, Jiang Xingchen bid farewell to the second brother and the others, who looked at him with resentment, and left the Purple Thistle Mercenary Group, smiling. Not far from the gate, the carriage arranged by Sun Sanqiang was waiting.

"Always receiving favors, I feel a bit guilty... I'll give him a recipe for a dish later!" Jiang Xingchen thought to himself, greeted the two thugs, and got into the carriage.

The sky finally turned completely dark, and snowflakes began to fall, soon turning into a heavy snowfall.

The carriage rumbled forward, and Jiang Xingchen's body swayed in the carriage. His right hand gently covered his upper abdomen, where he had placed the two Snow Pheasant thighs he had saved for Meier, which were still warm.

The snow grew heavier, and the visibility became blurry. The two thugs had to slow down the carriage.

At this moment, Jiang Xingchen began a unique breathing method, and warm currents continuously flowed to his brain.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz~" The buzzing in his ears spread to his neck as the Sensory Array continued to develop downward.

"Shoulders, arms, chest..." The essence energy in one Snow Pheasant was much more than in a Yunwu leaf, driving the array forward. Soon, it had passed his chest and reached his abdomen.

It didn't stop there. Feeling that there was still some warmth, Jiang Xingchen continued the breathing method. However, the expansion of the array had slowed down and was getting even slower.

Finally, when the array reached his thighs, he felt the warmth had run out. He took a deep breath and stopped. Continuing would not only be ineffective but would also leave him hungry.

"Master Jiang, we're home!" As he stopped, the voices of the two thugs reached his ears.

"We're home! It's been so long already?" Feeling the carriage stop, Jiang Xingchen slowly exhaled, his breathing returning to normal. He thanked the two thugs and got out of the carriage.

Opening the gate, Jiang Xingchen looked up at the room and noticed it was pitch black, with no oil lamp lit.

"This girl, I told her to stay in bed. Did she really sleep all day?" Jiang Xingchen chuckled, touching the Snow Pheasant thighs in his bag. "Not eating dinner is good; she can taste the demon beast's deliciousness!"

He walked to the door, shook off the snow from his body, and pushed the door open.

"Hmm!" The moment he entered, Jiang Xingchen frowned. The room was abnormally cold, not much different from outside. Looking at the charcoal brazier, he saw that there were no embers left.

"Does this girl not know how to add charcoal?" Jiang Xingchen frowned, quickly lighting the oil lamp. He then noticed that the charcoal he had prepared for the little girl had not been used. Even the flatbread and meat had not been touched, and only a little water was missing.

"What's going on?" Jiang Xingchen's heart tightened, and he quickly turned to the bed. He saw two blankets folded together, forming a bulge.

"Meier!" Jiang Xingchen rushed to the bed, lifted the corner of the blanket, and saw the little girl curled up, shivering slightly.

"Wasn't she fine this morning?" Jiang Xingchen reached out and gently placed his hand on Meier's forehead, feeling it was quite hot. He could even feel that her breath was abnormally hot.

Wrapping the little girl tightly in the blanket, Jiang Xingchen picked her up and, under the lamplight, saw her cheeks flushed red, her mouth tightly closed, and her eyes barely open, with no response to the outside world.

At this moment, Jiang Xingchen was truly afraid. The little girl was delirious from the fever.

Without hesitation, Jiang Xingchen carried the little girl out of the room, determined to get her medical help.

On the narrow dirt path, the two thugs had not gone far when they heard a loud call from behind.

"It's Master Jiang! Stop quickly!" One of the thugs, with sharp ears, immediately recognized Jiang Xingchen's voice.

Pulling the reins, the two thugs became tense. It was late, and he was braving the wind and snow, so something must be wrong. They exchanged glances, and one of the thugs jumped off the carriage to meet Jiang Xingchen.

Soon, Jiang Xingchen caught up to the carriage. Before the thug could speak, he anxiously shouted, "Quick! Take me to the nearest pharmacy!"

"Okay!" The thug, seeing Jiang Xingchen holding Meier, immediately understood. He quickly opened the door, helped Jiang Xingchen into the carriage, and then jumped to the front, shouting, "Quick, to the market pharmacy! Master Jiang's sister is sick!"

As he spoke, both thugs flicked the reins, and the carriage sped off.