[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h":3,"chapter-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-9":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Devouring Evil, Exterminating Demons Across All Heavens",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2266954,4426,"Chapter 9: Twenty-Four Days: The Fist Master Encounters a Blood Case","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-9",9,"\u003Cp>The riverbank soil was damp and uneven, especially at dusk, when dew began to form on the grass blades, making it easy to slip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Meng Shuangjiang walked over, he moved with caution, steady and deliberate, each step firm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu, coming from the forest, strode forward with long, swift steps, his sleeves brushing the wind, as if the riverbank grass there were a vast, flat, dry field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Chu, not only is your medical skill excellent, your physical prowess is equally nimble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shuangjiang said, with a hint of envy, “When I was young, I learned some basic fistwork from the household guards, and later I even wanted to take Master Zhong as my teacher in the militia.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I couldn’t endure the hardship, didn’t achieve anything, and eventually, seeing myself grow heavy, I kept thinking I should shed some fat—but never managed to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu chuckled: “If your goal is just to lose weight, you need more than exercise—you also need to diet. Your older brother, I suspect, can’t even manage the second part.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already reached the bridge and noticed a child beside Meng Shuangjiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy wore a skullcap and a thick padded jacket, looking warm, his small, pale face accentuated by chubby hands clutching Meng Shuangjiang’s pant leg.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is my son, six years old. His formal name is Meng Huaiyu—too literary, so I usually call him Meng Xiao Bao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shuangjiang patted the boy’s head. “My wife worries he’ll grow as fat as I did, so she rarely lets him eat much. Today, I brought him out for a proper meal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s fingers twitched—he always wanted to give candy when he saw children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But here, it wasn’t as easy as back home to buy sweets, and he’d forgotten to stock any on his person lately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three walked toward town; Xiao Bao was shy at first, but soon grew lively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Meng Shuangjiang knew the way, Xiao Bao kept running ahead, then darting back when he felt too far away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not far along the town’s main road, Meng Shuangjiang turned onto a side path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These side paths between homes were mere dirt trails, bumpy and far narrower than the main road.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the main road, shops cleared their thresholds every morning, and vendors spread coarse cloth on the ground to lay out goods, leaving little trash behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these side paths were different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside many homes, broken pottery, stools with missing legs, damp grass, half-empty cat bowls with traces of broth, and half-burned firewood—doused with water because the cook thought the rice was done—lay piled up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These items weren’t necessarily discarded by their owners; perhaps they were just temporarily stored outside due to lack of space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Occasionally, someone would emerge from a doorway and rummage through the clutter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since they were left outside, they were likely things no one cared much about—ugly, worthless, adding to the path’s overall air of decay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s senses were now sharp, and he caught many odd smells, but none were overpowering—he ignored them calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, every evening when he returned to the tavern, he often took detours, wandering around—he was already familiar with these scenes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, suddenly, the scent of braised meat reached his nose, instantly overwhelming all other odors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ahead appeared a small eatery; the open space before its door was cleaner and neater than elsewhere, and inside, voices buzzed loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shuangjiang, familiar with the place, hadn’t even fully stepped inside before calling out: “Aunt Zhou, three pots of Dragon and Phoenix Stew today!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This eatery’s atmosphere was utterly unlike Old Ma’s Tavern; though people there also chatted while eating, their voices were generally low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, noise was deafening—everyone shouted at the top of their lungs. Six or seven tables were filled with men in short tunics, all flushed and eating heartily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shuangjiang’s shout, when he entered, vanished into the din, indistinguishable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One table, occupied by only two men, had just finished eating. Seeing Chu Tianshu and the others arrive, they rose voluntarily and moved to another table, continuing their loud conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Chu Tianshu and the others sat down, a curtain at the back door parted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out came a short, stout woman with gray hair, carrying a clay pot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old saying: When autumn wind rises, the three snakes grow fat. I knew you’d be back these days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Zhou, clearly familiar with Meng Shuangjiang, set down the pot and said, “You brought Xiao Bao today? Huh, this young man looks unfamiliar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shuangjiang lowered his voice, feigning mystery: “This is Brother Chu—the divine physician who makes the deworming medicine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aunt Zhou’s face lit up: “Oh, the divine physician! Please, sit, sit! That medicine is truly wonderful—I’ll use my best skills today, perfect the heat, to repay you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned and returned to the kitchen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shuangjiang explained: “Aunt Zhou raised two sons alone. Thanks to her skill in stewing snake meat, she’s quite famous in our town.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Over the years, her business boomed, the ingredients in her pot grew richer, yet the eatery still serves only one dish—it used to be called Stewed Snake, then Braised Snake Meat, now Dragon and Phoenix Stew.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Bao stood on his chair, poking the clay pot’s lid with chopsticks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t rush—it’s still hot. Let me serve you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shuangjiang quickly lifted the lid himself. “Enough talk, Brother Chu—you’ll know once you taste it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though removed from the fire, the pot still bubbled for a while; when opened, the aroma intensified further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thick sauce churned, soaking rich snake meat, chicken, pig lung, scallions, and ginger slices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yizhou had many snakes; since ancient times, snake catchers were common. Snake meat was relatively cheap, making it an excellent choice for laborers craving meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu had eaten snake before, finding it too thin—but here, the snake resembled thick-cut pork belly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chewy, springy texture of the skin was like pork skin after frying to a crisp, then slow-braised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After growing accustomed to Old Ma’s Tavern fare, this dish tasted far better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, this is truly delicious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu narrowed his eyes and took another bite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shuangjiang watched him swallow a whole piece of snake meat in a few chews and hurried to say: “This snake has bones…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu replied: “No problem—I can chew through them, and digest them fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shuangjiang said: “No, even if you can chew them, eating with bones tastes one way, without bones, another.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu paused, then realized he was right. He adjusted his bite, tearing only the meat from the bone—and indeed, the richness was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past twenty-plus days, he’d unconsciously developed the habit of chewing bones, as they kept him fuller longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since he was here to savor fine food, he should follow the connoisseur’s advice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His teeth no longer cared about the hardness of the bones; eating just the meat felt little different from before—but his tongue, at last, seemed to recall a long-forgotten sweetness and comfort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This isn’t even the best part. Once you finish and step outside, under the moonlight, with the cool wind brushing you—that’s when eating clay-pot stew at night becomes truly sublime.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shuangjiang chewed a piece of chicken skin. “Don’t think this is just a small town. The real food lovers here can savor dozens—maybe even hundreds—of flavors.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Later, when the time’s right, I’ll take you to try them all. Eventually, we’ll eat our way through this whole place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu nodded, praising: “I thought you’d be too busy with the pills to care about food. But clearly, your foundation is still strong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shuangjiang smiled: “The pill business? My old man’s handling it. He’s full of energy—I just give advice. He does all the real work.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu laughed: “So you’re making your father work for you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shuangjiang grinned mischievously: “I’m just keeping him from feeling lonely in his old age. That’s filial piety.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Bao, chopsticks spearing a boneless piece of snake meat, stared at his father with wide, dark eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu noticed: “Xiao Bao, learn well—your father’s lifestyle is what it means to live with ease.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Bao nodded obediently: “I’ll learn well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shuangjiang’s face stiffened: “Hey, this…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He puffed his cheeks and shoved a piece of scallion into Xiao Bao’s chopsticks: “Just eat your food. Don’t learn everything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu burst into laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eatery’s noise was actually a blessing—here, loud laughter was normal, no need to hold back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu appreciated the eatery’s charm and ate even more freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d ordered three pots, but ended up eating five—Meng’s father and son finished only one and a half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they finished, few patrons remained; Xiao Bao had fallen asleep on the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu seized the chance to hold the child, rose, and bid farewell to Aunt Zhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, the moonlight was perfect, the cool breeze gentle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shuangjiang shook his head: “This kid’s usually a little monkey—never tired. Yet he drops asleep instantly. Probably because kids have no worries. How comfortable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it wasn’t just because he had no worries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu was a witch-doctor and often read modern medical books.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Children’s metabolic rate is nearly thirty percent higher than adults’, their dopamine secretion thirty percent higher, and their fast-twitch muscle fibers and glycogen synthesis rates all superior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, children convert food into energy more efficiently, shed fatigue faster, restore strength quicker, harden bones, and strengthen muscles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a sense, martial artists after opening their meridians adjust their bodies toward childhood states, adopting their advantages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With an adult’s base quality, once those advantages are gained and amplified, their performance far surpasses that of children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ancient fist manuals say: “Heart like a child, fist like lead.” This is precisely the principle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had walked only a short way along the side path when a carriage approached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lantern hung beneath the horse’s neck; as the wheels jolted over the uneven road, the light swayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shuangjiang looked up and recognized the driver: “It’s Old Wang—he’s our household guard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The driver, a sturdy man, called out: “Young Master Meng, your wife was worried about the child, so she sent me to pick you up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu handed the child to Meng Shuangjiang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shuangjiang said: “Brother Chu, ride with us—I’ll drop you off at the tavern.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No thanks. I truly enjoy this moonlight and wind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu smiled lightly. “Go ahead—I’ll walk back to the tavern myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Shuangjiang could only bid him farewell and climbed into the carriage with the child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The side path was too narrow for the carriage to turn; the driver, however, was skilled and familiar with the terrain—he turned right forward, clearly planning a wide detour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu watched the carriage disappear, then turned back, walking slowly under the moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bumps on the dirt path, lit by moonlight, appeared as patches of light and shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu walked with hands behind his back, his steps casual—yet each footfall landed precisely on the raised spots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked like this for over fifteen minutes, still not reaching the tavern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His playful mood faded, and he lifted his head, quickening his steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The front door of Lao Ma Tavern faced the main street; the back door opened onto a narrow alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned a corner and reached the alley, when suddenly he heard a jarring bronze gong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his keen hearing, he faintly caught someone shouting, “Someone’s dead!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu thought of the carriage that had just passed, his heart leapt, and he sprinted toward it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Less than a hundred meters away, around the corner, he saw the night watchman ringing the gong in the alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several men from nearby houses had stepped out, holding pitchforks and shovels, glancing around nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly seeing a figure sprint toward them, they all jumped back, scattering and pressing their backs against their door panels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corpse, previously hidden by their bodies, was now exposed under the moonlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu stopped and stared—it was not Meng and his son.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he recognized the man—he was the fellow who sold straw capes, hats, bamboo baskets, and winnowing fans near the tavern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few straw hats still lay scattered in the pool of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hat seller would never pick them up again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corpse’s face was twisted in terror, eyes wide open, its neck, chest, and limbs carved with gruesome wounds too horrific to behold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2065,"2026-06-19T20:45:51.976Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","6323bd42dfddc5fefdf1cb3793d0d65035fddbcc5d6fe25aae796071b0e0ee5c","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-10","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-8",155,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdevouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-cover.jpg"]