18. Indulging in Meat and Wine While Practicing the Dao
Build the stove.
Start the fire.
Sun Shen, a veteran of life in the wild, quickly fashioned a makeshift stove out of mud and stones. Drawing the treasured blade at his waist, he bled the wild boar, slit open its belly, and peeled off the hide. When he cracked open the skull, just as he had suspected, an imprint from a fist ran through the entire side of the boar’s head, the bone nearly punched through, the mark extending all the way to the other side; within, the brain had been churned to a paste.
What a powerful punch!
Lu Xun, though somewhat experienced, would only get in the way as a helper, so he went off to gather dry firewood. If there were two things Five Elders Peak was never short of, it was red pine and fire maple. Maple wood was best for roasting meat.
Soon enough, they had cleaned the pork in a tributary of the Triple Falls. Sun Shen, careful as ever, took a small packet of fine salt from his pouch, rubbed the meat thoroughly, and then hung it on a maple rack. Huibao, drooling, kneaded his paws eagerly nearby. General Toothless also descended from above, standing quietly by the stream.
With his treasured blade, Sun Shen carved off a piece of meat, grilled it inside and out, and handed it to Lu Xun. Huibao hopped anxiously at the side.
“There’s enough for everyone.”
A large chunk of meat was shoved into Huibao’s paw. General Toothless also received a share.
Lu Xun opened his jaws wide. Wild boar entered his mouth.
A heavy, earthy, gamey taste assailed his palate.
He wasn’t used to it.
“Wash it down,” Sun Shen offered him a wine gourd.
Lu Xun tipped his head back in a heroic swig, mulling over the flavor as he drank. There was no fiery heat, only a lingering fruitiness, tinged with a trace of bitterness that turned to endless sweetness as he swallowed. Strangely, it stirred his very core, as if he had drunk a mouthful of moonlight.
Seeing the Fivefold Spirit’s perplexity, Sun Shen explained, “Drinking and feasting are all part of cultivation.”
He untied another gourd from his waist and drank as well. Clearly, the first gourd had been prepared for Lu Xun.
Lu Xun nodded, half comprehending, and looked at the large hunk of meat in his hand. Without hesitation or discomfort, he tore off a sizable chunk.
It wasn’t delicious.
But that didn’t stop him from continuing.
You need to be fed to have strength.
One man and three beasts devoured more than half the boar. The bulk of it ended up in Lu Xun and Sun Shen’s bellies.
Once full, Lu Xun peeled off pine bark, twisted it into rope, and cut three or four dozen pounds of roasted meat. This stuff was good—he’d bring some for Xiao Cheng as well.
A deep, rumbling growl.
---
Having packed their things, Lu Xun placed them to one side and, without holding back, began to perform the Ape Dance.
The moonlight poured down like water.
The Fivefold Spirit danced within the interplay of light and shadow.
Every posture and movement seemed to merge with the natural world.
His long, deep breaths synchronized with the rise and fall of his chest and abdomen.
Rustling sounds drifted in; birds and beasts gathered silently in a circle around him.
From treetops, stone crevices, and amidst the mountain grasses, subtle movements revealed the forest spirits—sprites formed from wood and stone—sharing in the rippling moonlight essence.
One could faintly see milky-white light emerging, then flashing with the golden and jade hues of precious stones; countless points of light pooled in the darkness, forming a murmuring stream.
The stream seemed to be a tributary branching from a main vein; even so, it nourished every bird, beast, and forest sprite in the mountain, bestowing endless benefit.
Upon completing the final form, Lu Xun exhaled a long, cool breath and relaxed.
Sun Shen nodded, “The situation in the southeast is tense. The Chief and I won’t be staying long.”
He produced a secret manual from his bosom. “Take this Ape Fist manual. It also contains the recipe for medicinal wine.”
Lu Xun accepted the manual without pretense.
“Cultivation is all about persistence.”
“Keep at it, and you’ll see results.”
...
At the fifth watch.
Lu Xun led Huibao back to the side rooms.
The livestock yard was no place for men; the fermenting heat was one thing, but the smell—so pungent it brought tears to the eyes—was quite another.
Huibao gagged repeatedly and refused to return to the yard. Lu Xun, not particularly fastidious, was in no mood to stay in a barn, either.
Upon entering, he was surprised to find Xiao Cheng sitting in the courtyard.
“Zhi zhi.”
Huibao leapt onto the stone table and clambered up onto Xiao Cheng’s shoulder.
Xiao Cheng sprang from his seat, eyes wide with astonishment.
For it was not the black cat that entered the courtyard, but a great demon more than seven feet tall, with a crimson face, blue fangs, white mane, and a body as pale as bone—its golden eyes burned like twin flames.
An ordinary person would have collapsed at the sight, unable even to scream, their voice choked in their throat. But Cheng Yan, after his shock, simply composed himself, folded his hands respectfully, and greeted, “Uncle Cat.”
Lu Xun approached the stone table and set down the meat and half-finished gourd of wine.
“Water games.”
He conjured water from morning dew, dipped his finger, and wrote on the table.
Why aren’t you sleeping?
“The fifth watch bell and gong startled me awake,” Cheng Yan replied, the surprise lingering in his eyes.
Even knowing the great demon before him was Uncle Cat, his heart pounded, blood surging so that he tensed up. His body’s reaction was instinctive, beyond his control.
“I saw that Brother Zhou and Brother Wu hadn’t returned, and you and Huibao were nowhere to be seen, so I got up and came to—”
“Brother Cheng, who are you talking to?”
Lu He, who had risen to relieve himself, pushed open the door. “Is that Brother Zhou and the others back?”
Cheng Yan panicked. He couldn’t let Lu He see Uncle Cat.
---
He sprang up to block his view, but the towering demon was already gone, replaced by a harmless-looking black cat on the stone stool.
The black cat mewed benignly.
Cheng Yan grinned knowingly and turned, “Mm, I was just asking if you wanted to eat something with us?”
“Eat?”
“I’m afraid I must decline.”
Lu He waved his hands in protest.
The academy’s fare was more than adequate—three hearty meals a day.
He was no glutton, and his interest in martial arts was lackluster; he only wished to develop his spiritual power as quickly as possible. Yet as the aroma reached him, his belly betrayed him with a loud rumble. Flushed, he sat down at Cheng Yan’s invitation.
They lit an oil lamp and shared out the utensils and wine cups.
Two men, a cat, and a mouse feasted on cold roast meat.
Lu He sliced off a large chunk with his knife. “This is wild boar, isn’t it?”
“It is,” Cheng Yan nodded, surprised at the old cat’s prompting. “Brother Lu, you could tell with just one bite?”
Lu He reminisced, “Back in the day, I went hunting in the mountains with Old Hairpin. We brought down a young boar. I can still taste it now.”
“Fine wine!” Cheng Yan took a sip and immediately felt his mind clear, his blood surging as if catching some hidden current.
Even Huibao, standing upright with the wine cup in its paws, downed half a cup. Sensing the quality, it quickly finished the rest and blinked its beady black eyes at the wine gourd.
“Let me refill you,” Cheng Yan laughed, pouring another cup for Huibao.
...
Soon enough, the two men, tipsy and with arms around each other, stumbled over the courtyard threshold.
Zhou Changcai belched, muttering, “Keep it coming, I still have silver!” He fished out a thick wad of banknotes.
Cheng Yan hurried to help, stuffing the notes back into Zhou Changcai’s pocket. “Where did you two come from, reeking of wine…” – not just wine, but also the scent of rouge and powder.
Wu Agui, eyes glazed, laughed, “Brother Cheng, it’s a pity you didn’t come to the back hills. You have no idea how lively it was.”
As he was about to topple, Cheng Yan caught him just in time.
He managed to drag both men onto their beds.
Lu He shook his head. “I doubt they’ll be able to join the mountain run in the morning.”
“Let alone the run, getting up for class will be a challenge,” Cheng Yan replied.
The old cat, curling his paw around his wine cup, squinted his golden eyes.
Something about the way those two smelled was off—a blend of wine, sweat, powder, with a faint trace of something fishy.
Lu Xun did not pursue it. Any spirit or sprite able to survive at the academy surely knew how to mind the rules.
The black cat yawned a long, leisurely yawn.
He needed a nap.
Even a body forged of iron must rest, or else the taut spirit risks snapping.
The black cat, settling into the dark skirt of his armor, curled up in a cozy nook in the room, Huibao nestling against his belly, the cat’s thick tail wrapping back to cover Huibao.