32: White Stripe in the Waves

At noon, Chen Linsheng carried the food box back to the mansion in the west of the city.

Su Wan and Aunt Zhang were busy in the kitchen, while Hunter Zhang and Da Niu were fixing miscellaneous items in the front yard. Seeing him return, they all greeted him with a smile.

"A Sheng is back? Was the martial arts hall busy today?"

Su Wan wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen, a gentle smile on her face.

"It was alright." Chen Linsheng placed the food box he was holding on the stone table in the courtyard. "I brought back something good for an extra meal."

"Oh? What is it?" Su Wan leaned closer curiously.

Chen Linsheng opened the lid of the food box, and a rich, tempting aroma of meat instantly diffused, causing Aunt Zhang in the kitchen and Hunter Zhang and his son in the yard to look over.

Inside the food box was a large piece of cooked, dark meat steak. The meat had fine texture and evenly distributed fat, and even though it was no longer piping hot, it still emitted a mouth-watering fragrance and faint fluctuations of Vital Energy.

"Whoa! This meat... it's extraordinary!"

Hunter Zhang was an old mountain man after all, and his keen sense of smell immediately detected that the meat was unusual.

"Dad, what kind of meat smells so good?"

Big Ox Zhang asked foolishly, unable to stop himself from swallowing.

Chen Linsheng smiled slightly and said, "It's the fierce, Monstrous Beast tiger that has been causing panic in the mountains recently, the one with the five-hundred-tael bounty. Someone eliminated it today. This is the tiger meat I was allocated."

"What? That great worm has been eliminated?" Hearing this, Hunter Zhang stood up abruptly, his face full of shock. "My heavens! That was a Monstrous Beast that had gained sentience! Who has such great Skill?"

Even Aunt Zhang and Su Wan were startled. Although they weren't hunters, the fierce tiger's notorious reputation and the huge bounty had long spread throughout the county town, and everyone knew it was an extremely terrifying thing.

"I heard several masters worked together to surround and kill it," Chen Linsheng said vaguely, then sternly instructed, "This Monstrous Beast meat contains extremely vigorous Vital Energy. It's a great tonic, but it's also very potent. For us Martial Artists, eating it can strengthen the body and Increase Cultivation, but ordinary people, especially those with weak foundations, must absolutely not eat too much at once. Otherwise, the nourishment will be Too weak to absorb the tonic, and it will damage their Origin Qi instead. Wan'er, Aunt Zhang, just cut a small piece to taste. Uncle Zhang and Da Niu can eat a few more slices, but you must also know when to stop."

Hunter Zhang looked at the tiger meat, a flash of hunter's excitement in his eyes. Rubbing his hands, he said, "Monstrous Beast meat... this is a rare treasure! If only we could frequently..."

Before he could finish, Aunt Zhang glared at him and interrupted, "Frequently what? Our lives are stable now, we don't worry about food or clothes, so why would you want to take risks in the mountains? Is that Monstrous Beast so easy to deal with? We were lucky someone eliminated it this time. What if you encounter some other big fellow instead of a Monstrous Beast? Isn't it better for us to follow A Sheng and Wan girl and live a peaceful life in the city?"

Hunter Zhang was scolded by his wife and immediately gave an embarrassed smile. The spark of ambition that had just ignited was extinguished. He nodded, "Yes, yes, my old woman, you are right. I was thinking incorrectly. A stable life is better than anything."

Seeing this, Chen Linsheng smiled and said, "Don't worry, Uncle Zhang. If there's a chance in the future, I'll bring back some ordinary game meat for a feast. This Monstrous Beast meat is just for an occasional taste."

The atmosphere became harmonious again, and the family enjoyed themselves.

Aunt Zhang took the tiger meat into the kitchen, carefully sliced off a few thin pieces, planning to stir-fry them with vegetables, and put the rest away.

While Aunt Zhang was cooking, Chen Linsheng pulled Su Wan back to their room and handed her the heavy cloth sack.

"Wan'er, look."

Su Wan took it doubtfully. It felt heavy in her hand. When she opened it, she saw it was filled with gleaming silver ingots!

Shocked, she covered her small mouth, her eyes wide and round. "This... so much silver? A Sheng, this is..."

"Five hundred taels," Chen Linsheng whispered, a smile on his face. "The bounty for killing that Monstrous Beast."

Su Wan gasped, her hands trembling slightly as she held the silver.

Five hundred taels!

This was an astronomical figure to her. Back in Xiaohe Village, a few taels of silver were enough for them to live frugally for a year.

"A Sheng... this... we..." She was so excited she was incoherent.

Chen Linsheng held her hand and said gently, "Keep it safe. From now on, we won't have to worry about money anymore. We can buy what we want and live the life we desire."

Su Wan leaned into his embrace, feeling his solid chest and strong heartbeat. Her heart was filled with a huge sense of security and anticipation for a stable future.

She nodded softly, her eyes shining with happiness. "Mhm, I'll listen to you."

During lunch, the plate of stir-fried tiger meat became the most popular dish.

Su Wan and Aunt Zhang only dared to eat one or two slices, but they already felt warmth spreading through their bodies, and their complexions became rosy.

Hunter Zhang and Da Niu ate a bit more; sweat beaded on their foreheads, and they repeatedly said it was potent.

Chen Linsheng, meanwhile, ate the large tiger steak reserved for him completely.

At first, it was nothing remarkable; he just felt the meat was delicious and his Vital Energy was abundant.

But soon after, it felt as if a small furnace had been lit in his abdomen, and streams of scorching hot airflow burst forth, rushing toward all his limbs and bones!

His blood seemed to boil, his skin turned red all over, and heat steamed off him.

"A Sheng, your face is so red!" Su Wan was the first to notice his abnormality and put down her chopsticks worriedly.

"I'm fine, it's the potency of the tiger meat taking effect." Chen Linsheng suppressed the internal heat and stood up. "I need to go practice my cultivation to digest it. You all eat slowly."

He quickly returned to his Cultivation Room, assumed the posture of the Hunyuan Pile Posture Technique, and tried to guide the immense, scorching Vital Energy.

However, the Vital Energy, which was usually as docile as a stream, now ran rampant like a wild horse that had broken its reins. The guidance of the Hunyuan Pile Posture Technique was somewhat unable to suppress this fierce heat.

Far from feeling comfortable, he felt hotter and hotter, as if he was about to be ignited from the inside out. Sweat instantly soaked his clothes.

"No, if this continues, my Meridians might be damaged!"

Chen Linsheng's mind raced, and suddenly he thought of something.

He immediately stopped his practice, pushed open the door, told the worried Su Wan, "I'm going out for a bit, I'll be back soon," and then executed a Movement Technique, rushing out of the mansion like a gust of wind toward the Qing River outside the city.

The Qing River in the county town was as wide as a great marsh, its current gentle yet unfathomably deep. Sunlight sprinkled on the river surface, creating shimmering waves.

Chen Linsheng rushed to the riverbank, stripped off his outer clothes without hesitation, and plunged into the icy cold river water with a "plop."

"Hiss—so refreshing!"

A penetrating coolness instantly enveloped his entire body, greatly relieving the internal heat. The boiling Vital Energy seemed to gradually become docile under the soothing effect of the coolness.

Just as he was immersed in this comfortable sensation, the spirit book in his mind vibrated again, and new characters appeared:

[Skill: Aptitude for Water (Initiate)]

[Progress: (0/100)]

[Divine Effect: White Stripe in the Waves, Sustained Breath Holding. Swimming technique is proficient, and breath-holding time far exceeds that of ordinary people.]

In that instant, countless instincts on how to tread water, how to breathe, and how to exert force while swimming flooded his mind. His limbs coordinated their movements as if taught without a master, allowing him to float steadily on the surface and even swim upstream with ease.

Chen Linsheng felt a surge of secret joy.

In his previous life, he was a complete Landlubber, but he never expected that after Transmigration, he would instantly master swimming Skill in this manner!