Chapter 40: Mid-Autumn Roasted Lamb
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“Hurry up, kid! Are you looking for a beating with that slow pace!”
“Put more chili on it for me! Roasted lamb tastes best, but without spice it has no flavor!”
“Save the lamb’s head for me – I can gnaw through a whole one by myself!”
Yuan Mountain Stronghold was lively, but the kitchen was even livelier. A group of bandits, drawn by the aroma, all gathered around the kitchen. While watching the little Taoist busily sweating over two fire pits, they didn’t forget to scold or give orders, as if they were all masters and Xu Yan was just a slave.
“Everyone gets a share, everyone gets a share!” The fat head chef shouted with his hands on his hips. “Today is Mid-Autumn, and the head chief has ordered good food for the brothers. Don’t rush – everyone gets a portion!”
“Chef Wu, your kitchen has it easy this time. You don’t even need to work. I can cook too – how about transferring me to your kitchen?” A bandit joked with a grin.
“Who wouldn’t say so? With this little Taoist around, I think your kitchen can sleep all day.”
“Do all Taoists love to work? Next time, let this kid come out with us. I’ve been killing so many people lately that my hands are sore – let him kill a few for me.”
“Little Taoist, I live in the big wooden house to the west. Starting today, the chamber pot is your responsibility. Did you hear me!”
The last speaker was a minor leader in the stronghold, fat like a pig, glaring sideways at Xu Yan with a harsh tone and fierce appearance. After shouting for a while and seeing that the other was still busy roasting lamb, his anger flared. He went up and kicked Xu Yan, sending him tumbling.
“I’m talking to you! Are you deaf? Still playing dumb with me – believe it or not, I’ll roast you over the fire!”
“Calling me?” Xu Yan scratched his head and got up, grinning foolishly. “I thought you were calling some other Taoist.”
“There’s only one Taoist in all of Yuan Mountain Stronghold. Does he think this is a temple? Stupid as hell.”
“If this kid couldn’t work, he’d have been chopped up eight times already. Our Yuan Mountain Stronghold doesn’t keep idiots.”
“Just like a pig. What did he eat growing up to get this big?”
A group of bandits laughed and watched the excitement. The fat leader pressed one hand on his blade handle and grabbed Xu Yan’s collar with the other, shouting: “You must have grown up eating pig shit! I’m telling you for the last time – the chamber pot in the western big house is yours now. If I find the morning chamber pot isn’t clean, I’ll slaughter you!”
Pushing the little Taoist away, the fat leader went up and broke off a half-cooked lamb leg, took a big bite, then immediately spat it out.
“Damn thing’s not cooked yet! Hurry up – it’s almost dark and still not roasted. Are you kitchen people all good-for-nothings?”
The minor leader was like a grandson in front of the three stronghold chiefs, but in front of other minions, he was truly a master. The fat leader threw the lamb leg to Xu Yan and said viciously: “Put more chili on it. I want this lamb leg. Roast it a bit burnt – I love eating the crispy parts. Put as much chili as you have!”
“Right away, right away!”
Xu Yan took the lamb leg and continued roasting it, casually sprinkling a large handful of chili. The fire pit immediately erupted with dancing flames. The group of bandits watching the excitement grew impatient and went off arm-in-arm to gamble first. They didn’t see that mixed in with the piled chili were some very fine herb fragments.
The poisonous herbs Mei Sanniang had thrown into the well were only the majority – Xu Yan had mixed the remaining portion into the salt and chili. In today’s roasted lamb feast, whoever had the heaviest taste would die the fastest!
At sunset, three complete roasted lambs were sent from the kitchen to the three stronghold chiefs’ courtyards. Naturally, it was the little Taoist who delivered the food. The golden lambs were covered with a layer of bright red chili, looking mouth-wateringly appetizing.
This was the feast Xu Yan had specially prepared for the three bandit chiefs, with the highest concentration of poisonous herbs.
When delivering the roasted lamb, Head Chief Liao Jiuming nodded with satisfaction upon seeing the fat lamb. Second Chief Han Lei simply grabbed it and started gnawing. Only at the Third Chief’s courtyard was the roasted lamb received by two subordinates – Lu Hai wasn’t even in the stronghold.
All three stronghold chiefs were masters. Xu Yan didn’t know exactly how strong innate martial artists were, so he had increased the poison dosage. If this deadly poison that could fell ten oxen still couldn’t kill those three chiefs, Xu Yan would be out of options.
Regarding the poison concocted from gelsemium and Xingwu grass, Xu Yan was very clear about its effects. Not only had the old Taoist once used this poison to kill wolf packs, but during his time at Riding Cloud Temple, the old Taoist had often taught Xu Yan to identify various poisonous herbs and their interactions.
In medical arts, Xu Yan could only say he had slight knowledge, but in the path of poisons, calling Xu Yan a master of the poison way wouldn’t be excessive. Though he didn’t yet clearly understand what use these skills he’d learned would have, he could vaguely sense his master’s good intentions.
Being able to identify poisonous herbs and poisons meant that at least when walking in the human world, Xu Yan wouldn’t stumble over poisons.
In the kitchen’s vegetable garden, listening to the shouting and calling from the stronghold, Xu Yan became increasingly happy. He was hungry after working all day, but today’s food couldn’t be eaten. So taking advantage of the remaining heat from the fire pit, Xu Yan found a mountain chicken he had cleaned yesterday in his room, wrapped it in leaves and mud, and buried it in the fire pit. Before long, this beggar’s chicken would be ready to eat.
Gelsemium poison took effect slowly, requiring at least half a day. When the poison struck, the victim would feel unbearable abdominal cramping. Due to the severe pain, the entire person would curl up, and when dying, they would clutch their legs tightly, like a ball.
The tragic scene wasn’t far off. The feast that began at evening would turn Yuan Mountain Stronghold into a true hell by midnight.
A stronghold of over a thousand people being completely slaughtered would be a human tragedy, but this was a bandit stronghold filled entirely with evil bandits. Killing them left Xu Yan without the slightest guilt.
The little Taoist roasting the mountain chicken sat by the fire pit, head lowered in contemplation.
Xu Yan was thinking about Third Chief Lu Hai.
This morning, Lu Hai had left Yuan Mountain Stronghold alone, not knowing what for, and still hadn’t returned. If he didn’t return before midnight, that would be troublesome.
Last time at the pig pen, Lu Hai had developed killing intent toward Xu Yan over the little black pig, but Mei Sanniang had intervened. Though Lu Hai hadn’t troubled Xu Yan these past days, Xu Yan still remembered the cold look in his eyes when he left.
That Third Chief definitely wouldn’t let things go.
Xu Yan’s hands unconsciously clenched. Human plans couldn’t match heaven’s plans – who could have thought that during Mid-Autumn, Lu Hai would still leave the stronghold? If this evil tiger slipped through, both Xu Yan and Mei Sanniang would be in danger.
“A first-meridian innate martial artist…” the little Taoist by the fire pit murmured softly. “How strong would he be? His true qi shouldn’t match Flying Locust, right? Could the stones I throw possibly contend with innate sword qi?”
Xu Yan’s confusion came from the dim true qi on the blades and swords held by innate martial artists.
From childhood to now, aside from seeing the flowing light that appeared when he threw stones with full force, Xu Yan had never seen that kind of strange aura. He had always thought the light on the stones was due to their speed being too fast, causing friction with the wind. Only after seeing the true qi on Lu Hai’s long blade at Yuan Mountain Stronghold did Xu Yan realize with shock that the Flying Locust he threw with full force also seemed to carry innate true qi.
Am I an innate martial artist?
Xu Yan smiled self-mockingly. That was impossible – he didn’t even know a single move with blade or sword. How could he possibly have entered the ranks of innate martial artists?
The small Taoist didn’t understand martial way theory. Blades and swords were actually just one type of martial way. There were many other skills that could be categorized under the martial path. The formation and strengthening of true qi, besides being cultivated through blade and sword techniques, also had great connection to the circulation of meridians.