allendalepharm Chapter 41 The Master Teaches You How to Eat Garlic
Chapter 41 The Master Teaches You How to Eat Garlic
Biyou Village, inside the Tingfeng Pavilion courtyard.
Occasionally, a spark or two would pop out of the charcoal fire, making a "crackling" sound.
The air was filled with the rich aroma of cumin and lamb.
It contrasts sharply with the silent, deep mountains and forests in the distance.
"Girl, look, eating meat without garlic diminishes the flavor by half."
Su Wuxian was peeling a clove of garlic, carefully removing the outer skin, then broke off a clove and handed it to Chen Duo beside him:
"Here, take a bite of meat, a bite of garlic, chew it up and swallow it, try it."
Chen Duo held a skewer of sizzling, oily lamb in her hand.
Looking at the white garlic, a hint of confusion flashed in his dark green eyes.
This combination has never been found in the nutritional meals at Dark Fortress.
But she trusted the advisor.
She obediently took a bite of garlic, then a big bite of meat.
"Hmm..."
The spicy smell instantly filled her nostrils, and Chen Duo's face scrunched up as she instinctively tried to spit it out.
"Don't spit it out, chew it!" Su Wuxian encouraged with a smile.
Chen Duo endured the stimulation and chewed a few times forcefully.
A magical thing happened: the spiciness of the garlic and the fat of the mutton mixed together and produced an unprecedentedly rich and sweet aftertaste.
Chen Duo's furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and her eyes brightened.
"It's delicious," she mumbled.
"Hahaha! That's right!"
Su Wuxian laughed and handed her another string of kidneys:
"This is the taste of life: sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty—you can't do without any of them."
Beside him, Zhang Zhiwei, holding a thermos filled with cola, watched the interaction between the elderly man and the child with a kind smile on his face.
"Junior brother, your skill in taking care of children is better than your skill in taking care of apprentices. It seems that our Longhu Mountain is going to be lively from now on."
Tian Jinzhong, however, was focused on the toasted bread slices in his hands, without even looking up:
"Senior brother, stop making sarcastic remarks. Pass me that chili powder... Oh, right, sprinkle more."
On the other side of the main table, however, the atmosphere was not so warm.
Several temporary workers sat around small stools, holding skewers in their hands, but their eyes kept drifting towards the dark corners of the village.
"I mean... are we really just going to eat like this?"
Hei Guan'er took a bite of meat, his voice very low:
"Based on my observation, although Ma Xianhong hasn't made any moves, his top-tier subordinates have already started to set up defenses."
"Especially that guy who plays with formations, he's already planted a lot of spies around the village."
"Good deployment."
Wang Zhenqiu was holding his phone, sending messages to Erzhuang (a temporary worker from Northeast China) to gather intelligence, looking completely indifferent.
"The more nervous they get, the more flaws they'll reveal. Besides, with those three powerful figures in charge, what do we have to fear?"
"It's not fear."
Old Meng pushed up his glasses, glanced at Su Wuxian who was feeding Chen Duo, and his expression was complicated:
"I'm worried... if we don't do something, we won't demonstrate our value, and if we just loaf around here every day, who knows what might happen later? Although Senior Su has taken over the mission, we can't just be useless."
Zhang Chulan came over at this moment, holding a plate of freshly grilled chives.
He placed the plate on the table, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his seemingly smooth eyes:
"Old Meng is right."
"Gentlemen, we need to stand up straight."
"Although the advisor is protective of his own, he hates useless people the most. We should take the initiative to share the burden of our elders."
"Sharing the burden?" Xiao Zizai finally spoke.
He slowly finished the last skewer of meat, took out a tissue to wipe his mouth, and a cold glint flashed on his glasses:
"How do we divide it?"
Zhang Chulan chuckled and lowered his voice:
"Ma Xianhong treats Master Su like a god now, so we can't directly slap him in the face."
"But... the people under him are a mixed bag."
"For example, Zhao Guizhen."
Zhang Chulan glanced at Xiao Zizai:
"Brother Xiao, you've been staring at him the whole time you came into the village. If I'm not mistaken, that guy... something's up, right?"
Xiao Zizai's fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound:
"It's not just something that's happening."
"That's... the taste of the ingredients."
"I reckon he has at least a few lives on his hands."
"It smells bad, it smells fishy, but to me... it's tempting."
"That's right!"
Zhang Chulan slapped his thigh:
"Tonight, let's not make any big moves, so as not to disturb the Grand Tutor and the others' rest."
"Let's carry out a targeted elimination."
"Brother Xiao, go and meet that Zhao Guizhen. Qiu'er, you keep watch on the perimeter and make sure no one disturbs Brother Xiao's meal."
"Old Meng and Brother Guan, you keep an eye on the other high-achieving students. As long as they don't move, we won't move either."
"This is called... the salami slicing tactic. It's about chipping away at Ma Xianhong's wings piece by piece."
The temporary workers exchanged glances and all saw the agreement in each other's eyes.
They're all seasoned foxes, they understand everything at a glance.
"I'll go ask for instructions."
Xiao Zizai stood up, straightened his collar, and strode towards the main table.
......
Su Wuxian was busy teaching Chen Duo how to take selfies with her phone when he saw Xiao Zizai walking over, and he didn't even lift his eyelids.
"What's wrong? Not full?"
Xiao Zizai clasped his hands together and bowed slightly:
"Senior, my stomach is full, but my heart... still feels a little empty."
"I want to go for a walk to digest my food."
Su Wuxian stopped what he was doing and looked up at him.
"To aid digestion? I think you're just hungry and want a snack?"
His gaze was calm, yet it saw through the restless beast within Xiao Zizai's heart.
Before Xiao Zizai could speak, Su Wuxian waved his hand:
"Taking a walk is fine."
Su Wuxian said calmly:
"But remember, don't make a mess of the floor. And..."
"Garbage must be sorted, and hazardous waste must be thoroughly disposed of to prevent future problems."
"You will avenge the lives of those seven children."
Xiao Zizai's body trembled, and a look of realization appeared in his eyes:
"This junior... understands."
"We will never let anything dirty offend our seniors' eyes."
After saying that, Xiao Zizai turned and left.
His steps were light, and he quickly disappeared into the night.
Like a phantom that blends into the darkness.
Watching Xiao Zizai's departing figure, Zhang Zhiwei took a sip of his cola and sighed:
"This young monk is burdened with deep inner demons, but it's a kind of... unconventional cultivation, junior brother. Are you planning to use him as a weapon?"
"If you don't use the knife, it will rust."
Su Wuxian picked up his phone and took a picture of Chen Duo:
"Besides, that Taoist priest named Zhao Guizhen really deserves to die. I feel like the air is polluted just having him around."
......
Biyou Village, the woodland behind the mountain.
Far from the hustle and bustle of Tingfeng Pavilion, this place is eerily quiet.
Zhao Guizhen sat cross-legged on a large blue stone, meditating and practicing his internal energy.
But he just couldn't calm down.
Whenever he closes his eyes, the look in the eyes of that bespectacled man appears in his mind.
That look in his eyes was like looking at meat on a chopping board.
He was like a naked lamb, ready to be slaughtered.
"Damn it! This is outrageous!"
Zhao Guizhen suddenly opened his eyes and cursed:
"If I weren't afraid of revealing my Seven Fiends Body Technique, I would have slashed him right then and there!"
"Oh? You didn't give it to me then, but it's not too late to give it to me now."
A sound suddenly came from the woods behind us.