Longevity Chronicles-Chapter 103 - 96: The Bizarre Fragrant Meat Collection, Tao Qian Suddenly Encounters the First Disaster

In the wilderness forests, along a narrow trail.

Suddenly, there appeared a delicate fragrance, unique to that of an infant's body, followed by a faint glimmer of light.

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Tao Qian appeared, a Soul Summoning Banner and Soul Summoning Bell floating in front of him, leading on either side Little Age and Lian Jing'er, who were dressed as "Little Zombies."

After briefly determining his bearings and comparing them to the map of Southern Yue etched in his mind, Tao Qian couldn't help but frown slightly.

Despite traveling all day, he was still within the boundaries of Southern Yue.

It wasn't that the Small Innate Nascent Soul Escape Technique was lacking in strength, but rather the current situation in Southern Yue was complex, filled with Demon Arrays and traps laid by demons everywhere; some were set up to capture mortals, others were aimed directly at cultivators, the former were considered blood food, the latter akin to resources.

Tao Qian himself possessed formidable combat potential, but it would not be wise to become entrenched in a demon ambush, so he had to resort to using the Escape Skill amongst the narrow margins, hence the slow progress was to be expected.

Even so, his speed of travel was far beyond that of an ordinary person.

"With another day or two, I should be able to leave this Purgatory of the human world behind," Tao Qian thought to himself, deciding to take Little Age and Lian Jing'er to find a secluded area to rest and recuperate.

The Source Qi used for travel had been stored in an Exotic Treasure given by Master Xiao during his time in Peach Blossom Spring, and it didn't consume a single breath of Tao Qian's own Spirit Treasure Immortal Spirit Qi.

But frequent use of the Escape Skill, whether for Tao Qian himself or for the two youngsters, had left them all feeling fatigued.

Just as Tao Qian was about to use his Divine Thought to search for a place to rest,

suddenly, he sensed two faint pulsations not far away, followed by the occasional striking of a copper gong and a bangzi, as well as a duet of voices taking turns singing.

Their lyrics, however, instantly made Tao Qian feel a sense of discomfort.

Deep within the forest's secret path, two Pig Demons, wearing only a strip of human skin around their waists and with fat cheeks and bodies covered in bristles, each carried a copper gong and wielded a hardwood bangzi.

They walked while banging and striking in rhythm,

and the Pig Demon holding the bangzi sang a Strange Mantra with an absurd tune.

The words were outlandish tales of cruelty that actually contained Buddhist teachings,

meant to be recited by a high monk of the Buddhist Sect, yet now they oddly came from the mouth of a Pig Demon.

The other, ignorant in scholarly arts, praised,

"Great poetry, great poetry!"

"Pig Demon Third, I heard you were a down-and-out scholar before you turned into a demon. You really have talent!"

"Ha ha ha, too kind, too kind."

"Who's there?"

The two self-praising Pig Demons abruptly turned towards the dense woods, their tusks gleaming with a ghostly light under the moon, their foul saliva sprayed by their snouts, both pairs of pig eyes glowing a faint green as they stared intently at the three figures emerging from that area.

Those three were indeed a Corpse Chasing Daoist and two seemingly adorable Little Zombies.

Seeing that they weren't "fresh humans," both Pig Demons simultaneously showed a look of disappointment, clearly annoyed that their night-time snack had escaped.

However, it seemed they thought of something else, as they both eagerly turned their gaze towards Tao Qian.

The Pig Demon that was just on good terms with, seeming as if they would share a waist strap, were now jostling each other, their greasy pig faces beaming with smiles as they approached together.

Even at a distance, the foul stench of their breath wafted over while they spoke.

"Yo yo, what a dark and windy night. I didn't expect to run into a Daoist friend," one said.

"We are all cultivators of life, surely, Daoist friend, you won't discriminate against our non-human forms, right? If you don't discriminate, that would be wonderful. You seem travel-worn, so you must have come a long way. If you don't mind, why not follow us to Fragrant Meat Collection and rest a while?" the other offered.

"Indeed, indeed, our Fragrant Meat Collection is very hospitable, located at the crux of the road downhill. We welcome visitors from all around with the world's most fragrant meat and the most joyful feasts."

"Daoist friend must be tired from a day's travel. Just right, enter the market to drink some beverages, eat some fragrant meat, then head on over to Soul-destroying Shop to lie down, embracing devils and ghosts for a night of joyful pleasure. Ah, truly an immortal's delight, and not expensive at all, much cheaper than those Joyful Pavilion Market shops. And our Fragrant Meat Collection, well, we take all sorts, but the best is meat for meat."

"These days, our Fragrant Meat Collection has hosted countless Human Clan Daoists. Our reputation has long surpassed that of Joyful Pavilion Market."

While the two Pig Demons were giving a practiced sales pitch, Tao Qian clearly saw them making small gestures with their hands behind their backs.

Clearly, if Tao Qian refused to go to the market or showed any sign of aggression,

it would indicate a Righteous cultivator with malicious intent towards demons, and the two Pig Demons would have to call for reinforcements.

A few thoughts whirled in Tao Qian's mind, and he suddenly made a decision. A lewd smile appeared on his deliberately fattened face, and then he nodded and said,

"That sounds good. Indeed, I am weary from a day's journey and it is time to rest. Please, lead the way, fellow Daoists."

With those words out, the two Pig Demons, knowing they had successfully snagged a customer and that a commission was on its way, responded with joy.

In order to secure a higher commission, the two Pig Demons were eloquent as lotuses, eagerly pitching their wares.

"Here you go, come with us, folks."

"Daoist, do you have any preferences for the parts? Are you interested in a hearty heart, a fresh liver, or warm bone marrow? Whatever it is, I recommend you to my friend Zhu Wanquan's meat shop for the fairest prices."

"Wanquan Meat Shop is indeed good. Daoist should try it out. After all, Zhu Wanquan came down from the Iron Buddha Mountain and is rumored to have roasted meat for Bodhisattvas. His culinary skills are unparalleled."

"After tasting the fragrant meat, I recommend that Daoist to visit the Soul-destroying Shop run by the Snake Demon Bai Jingjing for an enjoyably unique experience. The shops offering foxy charm may be more popular, but for sheer pleasure, Sister Bai Jingjing's techniques are supreme. Once she's entwined around you, the tight, slippery sensation is unforgettable."

...

Tao Qian half-heartedly responded as these words reached his ears.

Along the way, they encountered other patrolling Pig Demons; most had not found customers, while a few who had clung to their high-end catches, afraid that other Pig Demons might snatch them away.

These so-called "customers" were mostly passing Demon and a lesser number were like Tao Qian, showing signs of heresy and heterodoxy or even being an outright Evil Cultivator.

A group of Demon Evil Cultivators quickly descended the mountain.

As they passed through a dense forest, Tao Qian suddenly felt the darkness recede and a flood of light rush towards him.

Before him was an utterly flat wasteland, but astonishingly, there was a bustling and exceedingly long market.

Cramped small booths or makeshift shops huddled together, thousands of lanterns hanging at all heights. From above, it would appear as though a bloated fire dragon had appeared on the Earth's surface.

As they approached, Tao Qian and everyone in the group smelled an incredibly potent alien fragrance.

It smelled like the feasts in the Mortal World, but with entirely different types and intensities of aroma.

Tao Qian was led into the market by the two Pig Demons and looked around.

On the right, a black-maned Pig Demon was holding a shining Bone-cutting Knife, skillfully butchering a fresh corpse on a chopping board like a chef carving an ox, with various parts being placed neatly in front as the blade fell rapidly.

On the left was a smoked and barbecued meat shop with a scavenged iron stove full of hanging meat pieces or entire corpses. Underneath it, pine firewood burned fiercely, and the smoke mingled with the meat's fragrance wafted out together.

Tao Qian struggled to suppress his thoughts and looked down slightly, only to inadvertently notice the ground.

Unidentifiable flesh mingled with skin and bones, mixed with blood, had become a layer of vile-smelling sludge. Vicious maggots writhed within, while red-eyed flies swarmed over it like clouds. Bones piled up in the ditches along the sides, occasionally blocking the blood streams trying to wash over them, and intestines occasionally floated past on the water's surface…

At that moment, Tao Qian seemed to lose all sensation.

He simply followed the two Pig Demons and was led to the so-called "Wanquan Meat Shop," the true Wanquan's establishment.

Inside the large tent, there was both raw and cooked meat, their combined aromas nearly piercing the heavens.

With about a dozen helpers inside the tent, including Pig Demons and Dog Demons, a bristle-haired Pig Demon came up to greet the new customer, handing Tao Qian a "menu" made from two-legged sheepskin.

Before Tao Qian could discern the items listed, the helper began to proudly introduce the bestsellers:

"Daoist has chosen wisely by coming to Wanquan Meat Shop—our Fragrant Meat Collection is second to none when it comes to selling meat, no one dares to claim the first place."

"Our boss has recently grilled meat for the Beautiful Corpse Bodhisattva on Iron Buddha Mountain and poured wine for the Naked Saintess. The great giant troll baby demon has even gifted our boss a Bone-removing Magical Artifact Knife, so powerful and heaven-piercing it is."

"Look at these customers, they're all regulars who keep coming back."

"Well then, Daoist, would you like me, Zhu Tiedan, to recommend you some of our signature dishes?"

Following the Pig Demon's guidance,

Tao Qian looked inside the shop, where rows of tables were neatly arranged, almost all filled. Half were occupied by Demons, the other half by Cultivators coming from unknown places. Aside from the obviously mutated and Fallen Demons, there were also various Side Door practitioners like "fortune-telling masters," "Fengshui Mages," and "Ghost Refining Daoists."

Those seated at the tables were feasting ravenously, eating with abandon and dripping with grease.

Their eyes emitted a green glow, devoid of any trace of humanity—just raw, primal, fervent desires remained.

Seeing Tao Qian taken aback by this scene, the Pig Demon guessed that the Corpse Chasing Daoist might be experiencing this for the first time.

He gave a sinister smile, moved closer, and then said:

"Daoist need not be too troubled. This is how the world is nowadays. Smell this soul-capturing fragrance; don't tell me you haven't felt an appetite."

"Inside the word 'meat,' there are 'two people,' with one wrapped around another. All living beings are eating the flesh of others."

"You should give this some careful thought—isn't this the way it is?"

Hearing these words, Tao Qian's Divine Soul trembled violently.

An inescapably firm thought emerged in his mind.

"Catastrophe has arrived!"

"My first calamity is surely here in this place."