I Can Devour Spirits

Pan Yong walked along, chatting with Duan Rong about the growth habits of Profound Withered Vine and Frosty Wormwood.

He casually mentioned a couple of points, which Duan Rong could respond to fluently.

Regarding how to nurture Profound Withered Vine and Frosty Wormwood to make them grow robustly, and some seasonal taboos, Duan Rong knew them in meticulous detail.

In Pan Yong’s mind, thoughts were racing, but he still kept a normal face and smiled: ”Junior brother, you understand the habits of Profound Withered Vine and Frosty Wormwood so well, then I can be at ease. You will definitely manage this garden well.”

As they spoke, they arrived at the edge of a cliff, and Duan Rong immediately caught a rich fragrance.

Pan Yong’s eyes lit up, and he said, ”Let’s go, junior brother. The meal is already prepared, and Sister Tang’s cooking is truly outstanding!”

They walked to the entrance of a cave, where they saw a large iron pot set on a pile of wood.

Inside the large iron pot, a thick soup was simmering, and Tang Zhu stood by the pot, stirring with a wooden ladle...

Chen Hu and Yin Cong were leaning beside the fire with dried pancakes in hand...

Soon, each of them had a bowl of thick soup and a pancake, sitting at the mouth of the cave.

The flames from the pile of wood lit up their faces.

Duan Rong had been walking in the mountains for over three days, eating only dried meat and dried pancakes, not having hot soup for a long time.

Duan Rong broke open the pancake, soaked it in the soup, took a sip, and found the soup thick, salty, and delicious.

Yin Cong said with a smile, ”Junior brother Duan Rong, isn’t this soup great?”

Duan Rong replied, ”It’s very great.”

Yin Cong added, ”Junior brother, do you know what this soup is made from?”

Duan Rong shook his head and stuffed a piece of soup-drenched pancake into his mouth.

Yin Cong said, ”It’s made from the insect you peeled.”

Duan Rong frowned, and immediately felt a wave of nausea, as if the heavy, fishy stench of slime returned to his nostrils.

Seeing Duan Rong’s expression, Yin Cong laughed mischievously.

Duan Rong glanced at him and instantly realized he was being teased.

Tang Zhu said, ”Don’t listen to Yin Cong’s nonsense, this guy just loves to prank people. I’m most afraid of that insect, how could I possibly use it to make soup?”

Pan Yong chimed in from beside, ”Yes, it’s not made from that insect. It’s made from the leftovers after squeezing the insect. Insect residue soup!”

After Pan Yong spoke, everyone laughed.

Duan Rong said, ”It would be a pity if that insect was used to make soup. I think frying it would probably be good. It’s juicy, biting into it, a burst of slime!”

After Duan Rong finished speaking, he took a sip of soup and swallowed it.

The group was stunned by Duan Rong’s words, and Yin Cong said, ”Junior brother, you’re really extreme.”

Pan Yong also glanced at Duan Rong and said, ”What a heavy taste!”

”A bunch of weirdos!” Tang Zhu scolded with wide eyes.

Chen Hu replied, ”Well... Sister Tang, I didn’t join in.”

”You’re the most peculiar!” Tang Zhu glared at Chen Hu, saying, ”Not joining in, just secretly laughing over there. Think I didn’t see?”

”Is it a crime to laugh?”

”Get up!” Tang Zhu stood next to Chen Hu and patted his shoulder.

Chen Hu immediately pulled his leg back slightly.

Tang Zhu stepped across in front of Chen Hu, put down her own bowl, grabbed an empty bowl, filled it with soup again, and soaked half a pancake into the soup.

She held the bowl, walking along the cliff edge, heading toward Shang Xiangyu’s stone cave.

Duan Rong glanced at Tang Zhu’s back, although he had many questions in his mind, he felt it was wise to remain silent as a newcomer, as asking around randomly might easily raise suspicion.

Tang Zhu held the bowl, crossed the stone railing outside the cave, as darkness had already fallen, she walked to a stone platform carved into the cliff face, placed the soup bowl on top of the platform, took out flint, and lit the candle on the stone platform.

The candle on the dark platform cast a circle of light.

Tang Zhu held the bowl, looking at the cripple sitting dazedly in front of the railing.

Tang Zhu said, ”Xin’Er, come here.”

The cripple heard someone calling, turned his head, and as soon as he saw Tang Zhu holding the bowl, saliva instantly rushed out, pulling on the chain as he crawled over, muttering, ”Eat... eat...”

Tang Zhu scooped half a spoonful of soup and fed it to the cripple’s mouth, who swallowed eagerly...

At that moment, a black shadow emerged at the entrance of the cave, standing behind Tang Zhu.

Tang Zhu, holding a spoon, fed the soup to the lame one’s mouth, but the lame dodged it, gazing behind Tang Zhu with a longing expression, stretching out his hands and said: ”Papa... hug...”

Shang Xiangyu’s face revealed a mix of pain and tenderness.

He glanced at Tang Zhu and said, ”Feed Xin’Er properly, I’m going out.”

”Yes,” Tang Zhu replied.

Shang Xiangyu had already turned around and walked out of the fence. Tang Zhu gave a quick glance, seeing Shang Xiangyu holding an empty coiled sack.

As Shang Xiangyu’s figure disappeared into the darkness, Tang Zhu turned to look at the lame one, her face suddenly turning cold.

Tang Zhu picked up a stone, looked at the lame one and said, ”Xin’Er, if you throw stones at me again, I’ll beat you. Got it?”

Tang Zhu threatened, acting as if to hit the lame one, but at that moment, a bang sounded as the lame one unexpectedly pulled out a stone from his pocket and smashed it against Tang Zhu’s forehead.

Tang Zhu was instantly furious, putting down the soup bowl, she reversed grip and seized one of the lame one’s arms, pressing him to the ground.

The lame one’s face was pressed to the ground, legs kicking and struggling, mouth grunting incomprehensibly...

Tang Zhu’s face was angry, saying, ”You dare to use the stone again...”

Just as she finished half of her words, a shadow flickered in front of her, and with a loud slap, Tang Zhu was sent flying backward.

When she stood up, blood was already oozing from the corner of her mouth, and four bloody, blurred fingerprints were imprinted on her face...

Tang Zhu’s forehead instantly broke out in cold sweat, her voice trembled. ”Mas... Master Shang...”

Shang Xiangyu lifted the lame one affectionately, wiping the dirt and spit from his face, then pinched off the small stones stuck to his mouth corners.

Shang Xiangyu coldly looked at Tang Zhu and said, ”Is this how you treat Xin’Er usually?”

Tang Zhu immediately knelt down, tears streaming as she said, ”Xin’Er threw stones at me, I just wanted to warn him...”

Shang Xiangyu’s gaze suddenly became extremely terrifying.

Tang Zhu’s throat felt knotted and she couldn’t utter another word, her whole body couldn’t stop trembling.

”If it happens again, I’ll skin you and feed you to the Black Blood Vine under the ground!”

Tang Zhu’s face instantly paled at the mention of Black Blood Vine, her expression twisted by sheer terror.

Tang Zhu prostrated herself on the ground, continuously kowtowing.

”Master Shang! Spare me... spare... me please... I dare not again...”

Tang Zhu kowtowed repeatedly until her forehead bled before finally realizing that Shang Xiangyu’s figure was long gone.

Shang Xiangyu had somehow already left.

Only the lame one stood there dumbly, staring into a certain point in the darkness in a trance...

Seeing Shang Xiangyu gone, Tang Zhu suddenly collapsed entirely, taking quite some time before recovering herself, struggling up to continue feeding the lame one.

Tang Zhu wiped her tears while saying, ”Come, Xin’Er, sister will feed you dinner...”

After finishing dinner, Duan Rong and the others scattered away.

Duan Rong returned to his mountain cave.

He took out a flint from within his coat and illuminated the deep and extensive cave.

Inside the cave, various items were well-arranged, clearly indicating long-term habitation.

Duan Rong lit the candle lamp on the stone table, looking at the stone bed not far away, seeing blankets and quilts neatly spread on it.

Duan Rong brushed off the dust-covered blanket on the stone bed, took out a new beast skin blanket from his backpack, laid it, and sat down cross-legged...

Duan Rong sat cross-legged, five hearts facing the sky, feeling the extremely fine thread of True Qi in his Dantian.

Having traveled for over a month, Duan Rong would practice his cultivation whenever possible, but progress was painstakingly slow, akin to a snail crawling.

Duan Rong knew well that he needed to solve the issue of True Qi Realm’s pill...

That night, suddenly a strong wind rose, blowing the fog into rolling water vapor, dropping onto rocks and trees, while the moon’s cold glow showered down through the clouds.

In the back mountain, a considerable distance from the cliff, a slender figure holding a big stone pot with one hand and gripping a bulging sack with the other hand, flickered ghost-like between the rocks.

Suddenly, that figure stopped in front of a vine-entangled rock wall.

But the next moment, the figure bizarrely vanished...