Chapter 19: The Smoke and Fire of the Human World

In a scavenger's camp, aside from the necessities for survival, the most abundant thing is meat.

Because the forbidden zone is nearby and scavengers head there every day, edible meat is sold at many stalls within the camp.

Thus, upon hearing that Xu Qing wanted to eat snake, a joyful smile appeared on Lei Ting's wrinkled face.

He understood that the reason the other party mentioned eating snake was because of the words he had once spoken; clearly, they had been firmly etched into the heart of the child before him.

So, he stopped Xu Qing from going out to buy meat.

"That group of people in the camp are all cunning. You don't understand the beasts of the forbidden zone very well, so it's easy to be cheated or encounter forced buying and selling. It's better if I go," Lei Ting said as he stood up.

Hearing the words "forced buying and selling," Xu Qing subconsciously touched his iron skewer, pondered for a moment, and then said earnestly.

"They won't."

Lei Ting glanced at the iron skewer, chuckled, said nothing more, and walked straight out of the courtyard.

Watching Lei Ting's figure, Xu Qing thought for a while, went to the side room, carefully washed the pots and bowls inside, arranged the table, and finally prepared three sets of bowls and chopsticks, placing them on top. Looking at the extra set, Xu Qing suddenly understood something.

"That is a person who will never arrive." Lei Ting's past words surfaced in his mind, and in silence, he placed the third set of bowls and chopsticks next to Lei Ting's.

The chairs were the same.

After finishing this, Xu Qing turned back to look at the courtyard outside the room door. At this moment, the sky was already at dusk, and the wind blowing in felt somewhat cold; within it, there seemed to be faint traces of snowflakes.

In the season of late March, for the eastern part of the Nanhuang Continent, although the earth was warming and all things were reviving, winter seemed very unwilling, occasionally still scattering snowflakes, trying to tell all things that it had not yet left.

At this moment, snowflakes drifted under the gray sky, blown down by the wind.

It was as if they were falling from the sky into the human world, spreading across the earth while being rapidly melted by the warmth of the ground.

In the end, all that could be seen was mud covering the ground.

No matter how noble the place one comes from, no matter how clean one is, in this human world, one must still mix with the silt, blending into it, indistinguishable from one another.

It was hard to tell if the wind contained the snow, making it colder, or if the snow had invaded the wind, making it more frigid.

As it blew across the earth, across the camp, and across the bamboo courtyard house at this moment, Xu Qing felt a bit cold.

Although he was a cultivator, the fear of cold accumulated deep in his memories over the years still made him feel somewhat uncomfortable in this icy chill.

Until, in this cold wind, he saw a staggering figure walking over from afar, braving the wind and snow. The moment the figure pushed open the courtyard gate and was revealed, a voice filled with laughter broke through the wind and snow and reached him.

"Kid, you're in for a treat today. Look at what I bought—this is a Red Flower Snake. The texture of this snake's meat is superb. I'll show you my skills in a moment."

Lei Ting carried the snake carcass, took large strides, and walked into the side room.

Noticing the cleanliness of the side room, noticing the arrangement of the table and chairs and the bowls and chopsticks, especially seeing the two sets placed side by side, a smile appeared on Lei Ting's wrinkled face, and he looked deeply at Xu Qing.

"Want to learn how to cook snake?" Lei Ting asked.

"Yes." Xu Qing's eyes lit up. He was eager for all knowledge he did not possess, especially since the snake cooked by Lei Ting was delicious.

Lei Ting laughed, beckoned Xu Qing to his side, and began to explain while preparing it.

"This snake, logically speaking, should have its head cut off and tail removed. But those people don't know that because the snake's tail has an excretory opening, it must be removed. However, as long as the snake's head is handled properly to remove the poison, it can actually enhance the flavor of the overall snake meat."

Lei Ting was very happy when talking about cooking.

Xu Qing listened very carefully from the side, watching Lei Ting clean the snake, skin it, remove the internal organs and other debris, and then chop it into segments and set them aside.

"Kid, you must remember, whether the meat has a lingering aftertaste when it enters the mouth depends on the broth."

As he spoke, Lei Ting began to simmer the broth in a clay pot, adding many medicinal herbs into it, and finally, he threw the processed snake head into it as well.

After doing this, as the fragrance overflowed, Xu Qing swallowed his saliva. Lei Ting looked at his appearance, laughed heartily, took out a washed pot, and began to stir-fry the snake meat.

Instantly, as the crackling sound echoed, waves of rich fragrance mixed with heat rushed toward his face, filling the entire side room while also drifting outside.

It seemed to dispel all the icy chill, causing Xu Qing's stomach to uncontrollably emit a rumbling sound. Looking at the rolling snake meat, his eyes went a bit straight.

Soon, following Lei Ting's cooking, the stir-fried snake meat was placed into the clay pot. Once the lid was dropped, he looked at Xu Qing.

"Did you learn it?"

Xu Qing stared at the clay pot and nodded vigorously. He had seen the whole process and felt it wasn't very difficult.

Lei Ting smiled slightly. When he returned after leaving the side room, he was holding two wine gourds. He threw one to Xu Qing, kept one for himself, and after taking a sip, he praised it.

"There's no shortage of meat in the camp, but this wine is a rare commodity."

Xu Qing picked up the wine gourd and looked at the turbid liquid inside; he had never drunk wine before.

Just as Lei Ting said, this was a rare commodity; it didn't exist in the slums, and only the big shots in the city could taste it.

But seeing Lei Ting's enjoyable expression after drinking, Xu Qing hesitantly placed it to his lips. After taking a sip, his brows furrowed slightly, feeling the spiciness filling his mouth, but he still swallowed it.

A stream of heat emerged directly from his throat, flowed down his esophagus into his stomach, and then exploded violently, spreading throughout his body and turning into a breath that surged into his mouth, making him open his mouth and exhale a puff of wine vapor.

"It doesn't taste good." Xu Qing looked at Lei Ting.

Lei Ting laughed heartily upon hearing this, pointed at Xu Qing, and said with a smile.

"You're still too young to taste the flavor of wine. When you grow up, you will definitely like it."

As Lei Ting spoke, he reached to take the wine gourd from Xu Qing's hand, but Xu Qing dodged.

"I'll try again." Xu Qing said earnestly, took another sip, and although his brows were still furrowed, he had adapted to the strange taste.

And before long, under Lei Ting's good-natured mockery of Xu Qing drinking, the snake meat was ready.

When he brought the clay pot over and opened the lid, the fragrance spread directly. Xu Qing's Adam's apple moved involuntarily. He put down the wine gourd, and after Lei Ting picked up a piece first, Xu Qing immediately used his chopsticks to poke out a piece and swallowed it in large mouthfuls.

He still couldn't break the habit of wolfing down his food.

Just like that, amidst the wind and snow outside, the old man and the young boy inside the house drank wine and ate meat, and a sense of warmth permeated the air.

Watching Xu Qing holding the chopsticks with effort in an awkward posture, a softness appeared deep in Lei Ting's eyes, and he murmured in his heart.

"After all, he is just a child. It's a pity... to live in this cruel world."

At this moment, the wind and snow outside blew past. Because the structure of the house had gaps, it still drilled in and landed on Xu Qing's body. Although he was sweating from eating, he was still somewhat resistant to this cold wind and shrank his body slightly.

This subtle action fell into Lei Ting's eyes. He was thoughtful but said nothing.

Until half an hour later, after Xu Qing learned from Lei Ting and took another large gulp of wine, exhaling the wine vapor, he looked at the old man who had brought him out of the ruined city and settled him here, and suddenly spoke.

"Your injury..."

"It's fine. I've survived for so many years; it's not that easy to die. It's nothing."

Xu Qing was silent. He had wanted to ask Lei Ting about his foundation being destroyed, but remembering the scene in the forbidden zone, he ultimately did not speak.

This meal lasted for a long time. Until Lei Ting drank the wine gourd in his hand empty, he stood up, his eyes a bit hazy, and returned to his room.

Watching his figure, Xu Qing clearly felt that there was a momentum Lei Ting once had that seemed to have dissipated with this return from the forbidden zone.

Xu Qing was silent. Half an hour later, he stood up, cleared the table, washed the pots and bowls, and placed them neatly before returning to his own room.

Sitting on the bed board, he looked up at the wind and snow outside the window, shrank his body, and took out the leather bag of the Blood Shadow captain he had picked up in the forbidden zone.

Although there were no elixirs inside, there were many spirit coins and quite a few sundries. Xu Qing checked them one by one.

Finally, he took out a black glove. This glove didn't look like leather; it had a bit of a metallic texture.

Upon trying it, Xu Qing found that this object was very resilient and had decent protective power, so after putting it on and throwing a few punches, he felt it was quite good. Only then did he take it off, close his eyes, sit cross-legged, and begin to breathe.

The night passed without incident.

When dawn broke, the wind and snow were still falling, but they had slowed down significantly. However, the icy chill of the night meant that after the snowflakes hit the ground, they could finally exist for some time.

So when Xu Qing walked out of the house, he saw the snow tracks on the ground.

Xu Qing tightened his clothes, glanced at Lei Ting's residence, and walked out of the courtyard. He felt he should do something, such as buying some White Pills for Lei Ting.

So after walking out, Xu Qing stepped on the snow, and with the crunching sound, he walked toward the grocery store.

Passing by Master Bai's caravan tent, Xu Qing heard the faint sound of young boys and girls reading inside. This sound made his footsteps pause, and he looked at it with envy.

After a while, he withdrew his gaze, Xu Qing turned his head silently, and walked toward the grocery store.

As he approached, from afar, Xu Qing saw the little girl who was sweeping the snow tracks hard outside the grocery store. Her clothes were somewhat thin, her small hands were frozen red, and puffs of mist were coming from her mouth.

After not seeing her for several days, the little girl seemed to have adapted somewhat to the life in the camp. Although she was very tired, she swept very seriously.

Even though the snow was still falling, she continued to sweep. Only the scar on her face that had ruined her appearance was somewhat prominent in the morning sunlight.

When Xu Qing approached, the little girl noticed him. After looking up and seeing Xu Qing, her eyes lit up, and a happy smile appeared on her face.

"Morning."

"Morning..." Xu Qing was somewhat unaccustomed to this kind of greeting. After nodding, he looked into the grocery store.

Perhaps because it was just dawn, or perhaps because of the weather, there was no one inside, and the shopkeeper was not there either.

"What do you want to buy? I'll get it for you," the little girl said with a smile.

"White Pills." Xu Qing looked at the little girl.

Upon hearing this, the little girl leaned the broom in her hand against the wall to the side. After leading Xu Qing into the shop, she ran behind the counter to search. Soon, she took out several leather bags, opened them to look, and put them back.

Until half an hour later, she took out another one and handed it to Xu Qing.

"The proprietor has a rule that only five can be sold a day, so I can't sell more." The little girl looked at Xu Qing with some apology.

Xu Qing could understand. After taking the leather bag and scanning it, his eyes narrowed slightly.

He noticed that the quality of the White Pills in this leather bag was much better than what he had bought before; in fact, there were three pills among them that had no green color at all, and faint medicinal fragrance was drifting out.

Thinking of the little girl's previous actions, Xu Qing looked up at her.

"It's nothing, it's within my authority," the little girl blinked and said with a smile.

Xu Qing looked deeply at the little girl.

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me for such a small thing. I should be the one thanking you; if it weren't for you, I'm afraid I wouldn't have lived until now."

The little girl's smile was brilliant, and there seemed to be light in her eyes. After finishing, she seemed to have thought of something. While sending Xu Qing out, she whispered.

"I heard from the proprietor yesterday that during this period, many young people in the camp have gone missing in the forbidden zone. And looking at his expression, he seems to feel that it's not caused by the dangers of the forbidden zone itself, but more like it's man-made... You should be careful yourself."

There was concern in the little girl's eyes. This kind of look made Xu Qing somewhat uncomfortable. He took a few steps back, nodded, thanked her, and left.

Until he had walked not far away, Xu Qing turned his head to look, watching the little girl's figure continuing to sweep the snow there, watching the scar on her face in the sunlight.

He suddenly thought of what Lei Ting had said: in the forbidden zone's temple group, there was a kind of stone that could eliminate scars.

"If there's a chance, I'll go find one for her," Xu Qing murmured in his heart and turned to leave.

The young boy went far away, leaving a trail of snow on the road, and the wind and snow behind him... grew heavier. ===== CHAPTER 20 =====