Chapter 110: 126—Eat, Eat, Eat

"Let's go, I'll buy some for you to eat, little sister." Xianmo smiled as he took Qinglin's small hand and walked toward the barbecue stall.

The street vendor, who had been busy hawking his skewers, beamed with joy upon seeing them approach, thinking to himself that another sale was in the bag.

"How can I help you two distinguished guests today? What kind of skewers would you like?" the middle-aged vendor asked aloud.

Xianmo stopped in front of the stall, scanned the selection, and with a faint smile, asked, "Boss, what kind of meat do you have? Is it only Chichi beast meat?"

The vendor’s face lit up at the inquiry. A question meant a potential sale! "Oh, we have plenty! We don't just carry Chichi meat; we have a wide variety of others as well."

Xianmo was intrigued. "Oh? Tell me what you have, then. I’d like to have a taste."

The vendor was even more delighted at the prospect of a sale. Every merchant loved a customer who was willing to try their wares. "We have Chichi meat, Green-veined beef, and Great Scorpion meat. Well, those are the three we have for now. But don't let the limited variety fool you—the flavor is absolutely top-tier." He paused, fearing a misunderstanding, and quickly added, "And sir, the Green-veined beef and Great Scorpion meat are from Third-Rank magical beasts. Our team spent a great deal of effort to acquire them, so I usually keep them tucked away."

Being a shrewd individual, Xianmo understood the vendor's implication perfectly. The man was simply trying to sell his stock. Xianmo nodded slightly. "Boss, name your price. Grill up everything you have and pack it for me. The price is no object; I just want my little sister to eat well, be happy, and be satisfied." As he spoke, he glanced at Qinglin before turning his gaze back to the vendor.

The vendor understood the situation immediately: he was dealing with someone who doted on his sister. Upon hearing the request to buy everything, his eyes sparkled. "Yes, yes, of course, young master! You have my word, I will ensure your sister eats well, is happy, and is perfectly satisfied!"

Xianmo nodded. "Go ahead and prepare it."

"It will take some time to grill all of this, sir. If it’s convenient, you are welcome to sit inside and wait a while," the vendor said, rubbing his hands together.

Xianmo figured he had nothing better to do. He nodded, "Alright, that will be fine. Thank you, boss."

"Qinglin, let's go inside and sit down. Once this uncle finishes the barbecue, we'll have a feast," Xianmo said to her as they walked.

Qinglin swallowed hard and nodded.

Before heading in, Xianmo pointed to the grill and asked, "Boss, bring us what you’ve already finished first."

"Understood, sir," the vendor replied.

Xianmo took a seat at a table, and Qinglin sat down beside him. Before long, the vendor returned with a large platter piled high with finished skewers.

"Wow, it’s here, it’s here!" Qinglin exclaimed happily as the aroma of the meat reached her. Xianmo chuckled at her adorable reaction.

The vendor placed the platter on the table. "Enjoy your meal, distinguished guests. I’ll go back to grilling the rest now."

Xianmo, a true foodie, couldn't help but swallow as the scent filled the air. This was heaven on earth! He nodded dismissively and said, "Go ahead."

He and Qinglin immediately grabbed a skewer each and began to eat. "Mmm, so fragrant, so delicious!" they exclaimed in unison.

Seeing the joy on their faces, the vendor smiled to himself. Nothing supported his hard work more than seeing a customer enjoy his food. A sense of satisfaction washed over him, and he returned to the grill, determined to finish the rest of the batch quickly so he could close up for the night.

Because the meat was so delicious, the platter was soon wiped clean. When Xianmo reached out for another, only to find the plate empty, both he and Qinglin felt a pang of disappointment.

"How did we finish it so fast?" Xianmo wondered, still feeling hungry.

"Mmm, it's all gone!" Qinglin said, looking at the plate with a pitiful expression. She licked her fingers and looked toward the vendor, her eyes lighting up as she spotted the large pile of skewers on the grill. "Uncle Boss, is the rest ready? I'm hungry!"

The vendor, charmed by her sweet voice, looked up. "Almost done, little one."

"Okay!" Qinglin puffed out her cheeks and waited.

True to his word, a few moments later, the vendor arrived with a platter several times larger than the first. "Here we go!"

When he set it down, Qinglin cried out, "Wow! So much!" Xianmo couldn't help but lick his lips. "Is this everything, boss?"

"Yes, it is," the vendor confirmed, rubbing his hands. "All the Chichi meat, Green-veined beef, and Great Scorpion meat are here."

Xianmo smiled and pulled a bag of gold coins from his spatial ring, tossing it to the vendor. "Here, take this."

The vendor caught the bag and weighed it in his hand. His eyes widened. "Sir, this is too much! It’s far too much!" he stammered. "This all comes to twenty gold coins, but there are hundreds in this bag!"

Xianmo looked at the man with a strange expression. *Since when do people complain about getting extra money?* "It's fine. I have plenty. Just keep it as a token of my appreciation for your hard work."

"Thank you, thank you!" the vendor nodded.

Xianmo went back to eating, skewers disappearing from the plate one by one.

"Burp, I'm so full!" Qinglin finally said, patting her rounded belly with a blissful expression. She had never tasted such delicious food in her life.

"If you're full, take a rest. Once I finish the rest, we'll go for a walk," Xianmo said, his mouth full of meat.

"Okay!" Qinglin agreed.

***

In another place, deep within the tomb of an ancient powerhouse, in a hidden valley, a plume of black smoke rose from a cave entrance. Inside, in the darkness, a fire flickered, casting light on the animal carcasses being roasted above it.

Two people, a man and a woman, sat by the fire. These were Male and Mali, the siblings sent by Xianmo on a mission. Their clothes were tattered, and their auras had changed drastically. Only they knew what they had endured. Their eyes held a mixture of fear and intense fighting spirit.

"Finally, it's done! I was starving," Male said, sniffing the aroma.

"Let’s eat, I can't wait anymore," Mali said, her eyes bright. They tore into the meat.

"We should put out the fire, or it might attract those tomb-guarding spirits," Mali suggested, looking toward the cave entrance.

"Let them come. I’m a Dou Zong now; I'm not afraid," Male replied, his expression hardening.

Indeed, through the trials and the cultivation boost from the Hunqi Pill, Male had reached the level of a one-star Dou Zong. Mali had advanced from a six-star Dou Huang to a nine-star Dou Huang.

"Don't be careless. Those spirits are all five-star Dou Zongs, and we have no idea how many more there are," Mali said, her voice tinged with fear.

They had narrowly escaped a group of four five-star Dou Zong spirits earlier. Now, they were preparing for the next encounter.

"I need to recover my strength," Male said, his eyes resolute. "The ones coming now are even more formidable—likely the leaders."

"We can't waste this opportunity," Mali said, nodding. "Even if we can't beat them, we can use them to hone our bodies."

"Exactly," Male agreed. "If we can't win, we'll take the beating, train our bodies, and run if we have to."

***

Back at the commercial street, Xianmo felt a strange lingering hunger. *That portion wasn't quite enough,* he thought. *Well, no matter, there's plenty of other food on this street.*

After finishing everything, Xianmo wiped his mouth and stood up. "Let's go, Qinglin. Let's find something else."

They wandered from stall to stall, eating their way through the street. By the end, even Qinglin was amazed. "Brother, how can your stomach be a bottomless pit?"

Xianmo laughed. "Almost there, just a few more to go."

Finally, stuffed and satisfied, Xianmo leaned back in his chair and picked his teeth. "That was satisfying!"

Just then, a couple walked into the restaurant. The woman, clinging to the man's arm, looked at Xianmo with disgust. "Look at him, Chen-ge. Has he never eaten before? How could someone eat so much?"

"Probably some hillbilly who's never seen real food," the man sneered.

They approached Xianmo’s table. "Hey, kid," the man said, looking at the pile of bones. "You look like you're about to eat for free. Want me to pay for you? Just kneel and beg."

Qinglin stood up, furious. "Don't you dare bully my brother!"

"Bully you? This is a world where the strong reign supreme," the man laughed. He looked at Qinglin with a lecherous grin. "I like you, little girl. Why don't you be my maid? I’ll teach you a thing or two."

Xianmo’s expression remained calm, though his eyes turned cold. "You know, woman, your mouth is incredibly foul. People like you usually end up dead in the worst ways."

"How dare you!" the woman shrieked.

"And you," Xianmo looked at the man, "suffering from erectile dysfunction and impotence from too much debauchery, yet you still have the nerve to act arrogant?"

The man turned bright red, stunned. "You... you bastard! Die!" He drew a blade and lunged.

Xianmo muttered, "Ants," and with a single flick of his hand, the man’s blade flew into the ceiling. Xianmo grabbed the man by the throat and yanked him forward.