Chapter 662 - 662: Flying High on Meat and Wine

Cheng Haoyu answered, "I sent them out shopping. They won't be back until I call them."

Zhao Yuan asked, puzzled, "You're not letting them eat the Raccoon Dog Meat and drink the Thousand-Day Wine with us?"

Cheng Haoyu explained with a wry smile, "They're not Cultivators, just ordinary people. To them, the Raccoon Dog Meat and Thousand-Day Wine aren't a tonic, but poison. If they ate even a small bite, their bodies would break down from being unable to handle the Spiritual Qi in the meat and wine."

Zhao Yuan said in surprise, "And here I thought all your Dual Cultivation Companions were Cultivators."

"A Dual Cultivation Companion who's also a Cultivator isn't that easy to find," Cheng Haoyu sighed.

From the look on his face, it was obvious he'd tried to find a Cultivator as a Dual Cultivation Companion before, only to be rejected.

"Then why don't you train your current girlfriends to become Cultivators?" Lin Xue asked curiously.

Cheng Haoyu shook his head. "Training someone to be a Cultivator is no easy feat. First, you have to look at their aptitude, and then their character. What if the person is an ungrateful wolf? You raise them up, and instead of repaying your kindness, they stab you in the back. That would be a true tragedy. Besides, Cultivation is incredibly expensive. Without ample financial resources to support it, there's no future even if you manage to get your foot in the door."

"I see," Lin Xue said, finally understanding.

But Zhao Yuan knew there was another reason Cheng Haoyu hadn't mentioned.

'For Loose Cultivators like them, who belong to neither a Noble Family nor a Sect, Cultivation Techniques are hard-won treasures. They would never show them to others lightly! Some Loose Cultivators are even wary of those closest to them, terrified they'll steal their Cultivation Technique.'

'Cheng Haoyu might not be that extreme, but he still wouldn't casually teach his Cultivation Technique to just anyone.'

'Just like before, when Cheng Haoyu asked me for guidance, he started by showing me his most basic, worthless items, testing me one step at a time. Only after he was certain I could give him genuinely good advice did he pull out his real Cultivation Technique and ask for my help in correcting and explaining it.'

Though Zhao Yuan knew the real reason, he didn't voice it. Instead, he changed the subject. "Alright, now that we've all met, let's not waste any more time. Time to eat and drink! Hao Li, go on and bring out the Raccoon Dog Meat."

The Thousand-Day Wine was in a Storage Ring, but the Raccoon Dog Meat was with Hao Li. He was using a Secret Technique from the Tripod Cuisine School to preserve the meat's freshness, preventing both spoilage and any loss of Spiritual Qi. Otherwise, after a delay of several days, even if the Raccoon Dog Meat hadn't spoiled, it likely would have lost more than half of its Spiritual Qi.

"You got it! I'll get the meat, you guys set up the table and chairs," Hao Li responded, turning and walking toward a corner on the far side of the kitchen.

A small Array from the Tripod Cuisine School had been constructed there. The Raccoon Dog Meat was stored within, nourished and kept fresh by the Yin Spiritual Qi that the Array drew from the surroundings.

Zhao Yuan and Cheng Haoyu grabbed the tabletop and legs that were leaning in the corner and set up the table. Meanwhile, Lin Xue, Zhao Ling, and Ying Ji brought over chairs and arranged them around it.

Soon, four pots of Raccoon Dog Meat were brought to the table.

Although it was a lot of meat, the four pots seemed surprisingly small compared to the size of the original Raccoon Dog.

This wasn't because Hao Li had been stingy; it was the result of the Tripod Cuisine School's Secret Technique, which discarded the dross and preserved the essence during cooking. The four pots of meat might not look like much now, but they were pure essence, brimming with Spiritual Qi!

The four pots of meat were divided according to their prior agreement. Zhao Yuan's pot was the largest. With the meat on the table, Zhao Yuan and the others took out their Thousand-Day Wine from their Storage Rings.

As soon as they sat down, Hao Li and Cheng Haoyu eagerly began to eat and drink.

They had been craving this meal for days. The flavor was secondary; what mattered most was the incredibly potent and pure Spiritual Qi contained within the meat and wine. Consuming it would provide a huge boost to their Cultivation!

This was especially true since they had just broken through to the Qi Listening Realm and their Cultivation was still unstable. The Raccoon Dog Meat and Thousand-Day Wine would help them solidify their new level.

Zhao Yuan didn't start eating right away. Instead, he found two sets of clean bowls and cups, and also grabbed four basins.

He portioned out four servings from his own pot of Raccoon Dog Meat. Two smaller, fist-sized pieces went into bowls for Lin Xue and Zhao Ling. As they had only just begun their Cultivation, their bodies wouldn't be able to handle too much; likewise, they each only received a small cup of the Thousand-Day Wine.

The four basins—two for meat and two for wine—were for the White Cat and Zhao Mei. Zhao Yuan had wanted to give a share to Zeng Rui, but the old senior of the Medical Family had politely refused, saying she couldn't accept a reward she hadn't earned. Zhao Yuan had no choice but to let it go.

The portions of Raccoon Dog Meat and Thousand-Day Wine for the White Cat and Zhao Mei were much larger than what Zhao Ling and Lin Xue received.

The White Cat was a given; it could swallow and digest even precious treasures, so a basin of Raccoon Dog Meat and Thousand-Day Wine would be no problem. As for Zhao Mei, though its strength was only at the Early Stage of Yin Spirit, it possessed a special Spirit Grade. 'A full basin of meat and wine should be manageable,' Zhao Yuan figured.

Once everything was portioned out, Zhao Yuan announced, "Dig in!"

The White Cat had grown impatient long ago. Upon hearing the word, it leaped onto the table, buried its head in its basin, and began to gulp down the food and wine. A Fire Spirit Insect, drawn by the aroma, wriggled out from the cat's ruff and dove headfirst into the basin to compete for the meal.

Zhao Mei flew over to its own portions of Raccoon Dog Meat and Thousand-Day Wine, opened its mouth, and began to draw in great drafts of the Spiritual Qi contained within.

Lin Xue and Zhao Ling exchanged a glance and also began to eat and drink. The moment the food and wine hit their stomachs, their eyes lit up.

The meat was succulent and chewy, accompanied by a soul-refreshing fragrance and not a hint of greasiness—so good you could swallow your own tongue! The Thousand-Day Wine, on the other hand, was cool and crisp on the tongue, as if it had been chilled. But it packed a fiery punch, burning a trail down to the stomach and delivering a twofold stimulus of ice and fire that was absolutely exhilarating!

"Delicious!"

"This is amazing!"

Lin Xue and Zhao Ling had been a bit reserved at first, but after one taste, they threw all semblance of etiquette to the wind. They began to wolf down the food, all thoughts of maintaining a graceful image completely forgotten.

In the blink of an eye, they had swept through their portions of Raccoon Dog Meat and Thousand-Day Wine like a whirlwind, leaving nothing behind. Then, licking their lips, they gazed at Zhao Yuan, their appetites clearly not yet sated. With their pitiful expressions, they looked just like adorable kittens begging for scraps.

"You can't have any more," Zhao Yuan said, hardening his heart and shaking his head firmly. "Your Cultivation is still shallow. This is all you can handle. Any more would be dangerous."

Lin Xue and Zhao Ling were just about to plead for more when they suddenly felt two energies—one hot, one cold—surging from within their abdomens.

Both energies were powerful, and Lin Xue and Zhao Ling instantly felt a wave of discomfort.

Noticing what was happening, Zhao Yuan quickly instructed, "Quick! Use the Four Saints Technique to cultivate and digest that energy!"