Chapter 5: Demon Beast Meat
Ye Xing turned to look and saw a girl in a red dress pushing through the bustling market crowd, rushing up to him in a flurry.
This girl was, of course, the maid from Immortal Spring Manor, Xia Yan, who had drawn her sword and scared Ye Xing off that morning.
Seeing the Sharp Sword in her hand and her hostile expression, Ye Xing couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated. "Miss, what... what are you going to do?"
"What am I going to do? Hmph, I’m going to kill you!" Xia Yan, the girl in red, snarled through gritted teeth. "Let me ask you, you brought that instrument over this morning, so why didn’t you tell me how to use it? I got a lecture from my mistress because of you!"
"How to use it? It’s very simple, even a three-year-old child could—" Ye Xing was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized something. "Oh, right. I forgot you all are from the Martial Arts Continent—"
"But Miss, you can’t blame me for that!" Ye Xing said with a wry smile. "The moment we met this morning, you drew your sword on me. If I had said one more word, I’m afraid my life would have been over!"
Hearing this, the girl in red flushed, knowing she was in the wrong. She glared fiercely at Ye Xing with her almond-shaped eyes. "You coward! Do I look like some female Demon who kills without batting an eye?!"
"You do... uh, no... you don’t..." Driven by a powerful survival instinct, Ye Xing quickly added, "I can see you have refined features and an air of righteousness about you! You must be a great heroine who aids the needy, upholds justice, and is every bit the equal of any man!"
"Hmph! At least you have some sense!" The girl in red tilted her chin up proudly. "You’re to come with me back to Immortal Spring Manor. My mistress has sent me to fetch you!"
"Mm, alright! Please lead the way, Miss!" Ye Xing nodded, immediately picked up the bag of Silver Coins, and walked with the red-dressed girl down the street, heading toward White Cloud Mountain Immortal Spring Manor.
The main street of Phoenix Town was incredibly bustling, with pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages coming and going.
As he walked down the street, Ye Xing scanned the shops on either side. Suddenly, he spotted one up ahead called ’Xu’s Demon Meat Shop’.
"Miss Xia, can I ask what that Demon Meat Shop sells? Why is their business so good?" Ye Xing asked, pointing at ’Xu’s Demon Meat Shop’.
He saw that the people entering and leaving Xu’s Demon Meat Shop were either wealthy Landlords dressed in lavish clothes or Martial Artists carrying great sabers and long swords, exuding a fierce aura.
"A Demon Meat Shop sells Demon Beast Meat, of course. You’re so stupid!" Xia Yan rolled her eyes at Ye Xing.
"Then what exactly is Demon Beast Meat? How is it different from the meat of regular wild animals?" Ye Xing couldn’t resist asking. He was partly curious, but he also wondered if there was a business opportunity to be found, especially seeing how well the Demon Meat Shop was doing.
"The difference is huge," Xia Yan explained. "Regular beast meat just fills your stomach, but Demon Beast Meat contains Energy Essence. If a normal person eats it, it can strengthen their body and cure all sorts of diseases. If a Martial Artist eats it, they can advance their Cultivation. Plus, if you’re trying to raise a Pet Beast, you can feed Demon Beast Meat to a regular animal. There’s a chance it will open its Spiritual Acupoints and evolve into a Demon Beast."
"Strengthens the body and cures illnesses? That’s incredible!" Ye Xing’s eyes lit up, and he quickly walked into Xu’s Demon Meat Shop. "Shopkeeper, how much does your Demon Beast Meat sell for?"
"Welcome, sir. What level of Demon Beast Meat would you like to buy?" the shopkeeper of Xu’s Meat Shop asked. "Our Xu’s Meat Shop only sells Level 1 to Level 3 Demon Beast Meat. Level 1 Demon Beast Meat costs one Gold Coin per pound, Level 2 Demon Beast Meat is Three Gold Coins per pound, and Level 3 Demon Beast Meat is Six Gold Coins per pound!"
Ye Xing was stunned. "So expensive! It’s practically Tang Monk’s Flesh. No wonder ordinary people can’t afford it!"
’The money I just earned hasn’t even had a chance to warm my pockets, and most of it is about to be gone!’ Ye Xing grumbled to himself. Then, after a moment’s thought, he said, "Shopkeeper, I’ll take three pounds of Level 1 Demon Beast Meat."
"Alright, please wait a moment, sir!"
The shopkeeper of Xu’s Meat Shop replied enthusiastically and went to cut the Demon Beast Meat.
Ye Xing took the opportunity to look around Xu’s Demon Meat Shop. Besides him and the red-dressed Xia Yan, the shop was filled with wealthy patrons dressed in silks and satins, as well as Martial Artists carrying great sabers and long spears, all there to buy Demon Beast Meat. Demon Beast Meat contained immense Energy Essence. Eating it could help a Martial Artist advance their Cultivation, while an ordinary person could use it to strengthen their body and improve their constitution. Therefore, Ye Xing decided that if the effects were as good as they sounded, he would start eating Demon Beast Meat with every meal.
’Although my purse isn’t very full at the moment, I’m not worried. Everything is just getting started. Once I figure out how this world works, I’m confident I can build a grand enterprise for myself.’
’After all, I now control a gateway between two worlds. It’s like having all of twenty-first-century Earth as my personal treasure chest. As long as I can find even the smallest business opportunity, I can become wealthy in no time.’
"Sir, your Demon Beast Meat is ready!" The Shopkeeper handed the three pounds of Level 1 Demon Beast Meat to Ye Xing.
"Alright!" Ye Xing nodded. He lifted the plastic garment bag in his hand and poured out the three hundred-odd Silver Coins he had earned that morning.
"Pervert! You shameless hooligan!"
A girl’s indignant huff sounded from beside him. Ye Xing turned and saw the girl in red staring at the bag in his hand, her pretty face flushed crimson.
Ye Xing had originally used the garment bag that morning to carry his merchandise, like the lighters. After selling them all, he’d used it to hold his Silver Coins and copper coins. The front of the bag was printed with a beach scene. The beach itself wasn’t the issue; the problem was the picture of several bikini-clad models on it.
"Uh, Miss Xia, this bag... it’s not actually... well, no, it’s mine... but it was a freebie from a clothing store... Don’t misunderstand, it’s not what you’re thinking... I mean... uh... actually, there’s nothing wrong with this picture, it’s totally normal..."
"Are you done yet? If you are, let’s go!"
The girl in red shot Ye Xing a cool glance and walked straight out the door.
’The customs on the Martial Arts Continent are so conservative,’ Ye Xing thought with a bitter expression, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. ’Of all the bags I could have grabbed in my rush this morning, why did I have to pick this one! Now she must think I’m some kind of lecherous degenerate! My reputation is ruined!’
"Hey, young man! Which master artist painted this portrait of these beauties? What kind of paints did they use? It’s so exquisite!" The shopkeeper, his fat face alight with excitement, stared at the bag in Ye Xing’s hand as if he’d just discovered a priceless treasure. "Young man, would you be willing to sell me this bag?"
"You want it? Take it!" Ye Xing said, completely exasperated, and tossed the plastic garment bag to the shopkeeper.
"Haha, you’re a generous one, young man! I can’t be stingy in return. I’ll give you a twenty-percent discount on your bill. Oh, and by the way, I have a book I’ve treasured for many years—"
After paying his bill, Ye Xing bolted out of Xu’s Demon Meat Shop and hurried after the elegant figure ahead.