Chapter 12: The Vanished panion

  An Jing did not say much. He lowered his head and bit into the meat.

  At first, his teeth met resistance, like chewing into tough rubber. But with a bit more force, they sliced through the slightly charred muscle fibers, releasing a flood of rich, aromatic juices and fat from the tender flesh inside.

  The sensation was incredibly strange—springy yet smooth. Each swallow made him feel the meat rapidly digesting inside him, breaking down, being nourishment for his body. And that satisfa quickly transformed into an insatiable craving, driving him to take another bite…

  Before he k, he had finished everything on his pte, leaving only the stark white bones, stripped by his teeth.

  “What kind of fierce beast is this meat from?”

  Sitting in his chair, An Jing’s face was already flushed. He could feel a seari surging from his chest and abdomen, rushing through his limbs, pushing outward to his fiips and even the roots of his hair.

  A sudden impulse overtook him—a o stand, to throw back his head and roar, to unleash this inexplicable heat surging inside him.

  And, in fact, others were already doing just that.

  In an instant, the dining hall became a den of wild beasts. Roars and sharp cries echoed, resembling the sounds of the untamed wilderness.

  “Is this aest?”

  An Jing took a deep breath, suppressing the powerful impulse c through him. He noticed that not everyone was overwhelmed by this strange rea.

  Zhang Ying was howling, his voice eerily simir to a wolf’s—long, pierg, and carrying a bone-chilling iy.

  Gu Yeqi, oher hand, was curled up to the side, clutg her stomach tightly, refusing to make a single sound.

  Those who chose to remain silent and those who were actively venting this heat seemed to be split almost evenly. Perhaps more were venting, but the difference was not drastic.

  —So they’re just going to let them release it like this?

  An Jing took a few more deep breaths. By now, he could easily suppress his instincts. He watched everything with curiosity, half of his focus on the chaotic se and the other half on the instructors, lecturers, and even the "servants" of Hanging Fate Manor.

  They stood by, waiting—just like An Jing—closely everything.

  About half a ke ter, as exhaustio in, the howling children and those who had endured in silence all began to settle down. At that moment, the servants brought in trays of thick medial broth.

  Just as Gu Yeqi had mentioned earlier, the primary ingredients were Tie Nanxin and Bing Mang Flower seeds, both of which calmed the mind and soothed the body.

  Zhang Ying and Gu Yeqi had both been right.

  An Jing took his cup and dow in one go. The taste urely bitter, yet oddly refreshing. The Bing Mang Flower seeds, once boiled and cooled, expanded into a soft, jelly-like texture. Biting into them released a chilliion that spread across his mouth.

  The burni from the beast meat began to subside. An Jing closed his eyes. Within a few breaths, he had pletely calmed down.

  But that heat—that raw power—had not been an illusion.

  That meat was absolutely not ordinary. It was not from a on wild beast!

  The other children also started settling down after drinking the medie, though many still looked dazed, as if p what had just happened.

  "Alright. Everyone was a bit too excited today. Get some good rest."

  At that moment, the Medie Manor Lord stepped forward, his expression kindly. "You may sleep in tomorrow m. No need for m traini well."

  "As long as you perform well, you will all have meat to eat. The better you perform, the more meat you will receive."

  There was no night training before bed. Everyouro their dorms and y down early.

  In the past, most fell asleep the moment their heads hit the pillow. But tonight, that was impossible—everyoossed and turned restlessly.

  And so, naturally, the dormitory broke into versation.

  "I don’t know why, but I just couldn’t suppress it earlier..."

  Zhang Ying grumbled. Lying to An Jing’s left, his voice was slightly muffled through the bamboo walls. "I felt like I became a giant wolf… I couldn’t stop myself from howling… That meat was delicious, but it was way toe. I’ve never eaten anything that made me feel so full of power!"

  "Indeed. Quite extraordinary."

  Ye Xiuyuan, who was on An Jing’s right, responded in his usual schorly tohis kind of meat—I’ve only seen it used during my family’s aral ceremonies. It must be the flesh of some kind of savage beast."

  "A savage beast?!" Zhang Ying’s voice shot up. "You mean one of those creatures that rival peak internal energy cultivators, or even internal fortification warriors? That’s impossible!"

  His shock was uandable. Even in the Northern Frontier, hunting a single savage beast required a massive effort and ofteed in casualties.

  If multiple savage beasts were entered, aire hunting party could be wiped out.

  Yet their flesh, hide, bones, and tendoreasures—ingredients for rare elixirs, powerful artifacts, and spiritual ons. Whether in civilian markets over aus, their value was astronomical. Even a single successful hunt could provide enough wealth for a hunting group to live fortably for aire year.

  Even Zhang Ying had never eaten savage beast meat before.

  Ye Xiuyuan, too, erplexed. "That is exactly what fuses me. Even in my family’s grand ceremonies, all four branches of the Ye bined only offered a single rge cut of savage beast meat, mixed with other livestock for sacrifice."

  "Hanging Fate Manave each of us a full portion. The sheer quantity… It’s inceivable."

  "Who cares?"

  Zhan Feng’s voice rang out, unusually loud. Before he could tinue, everyone—including An Jing—shushed him, not wanting to draw the attention of the instructors.

  Even so, he lowered his voily slightly, still speaking carelessly. "It’s way better than being a starving refugee. I’ve had enough of being hungry."

  He had been a beggar in Mingshan City. His t height made it hard for him to receive charity, yet he was too young to be taken in for bor. The old beggar who had once cared for him froze to death during the Frost Camity. He had only survived by eating whatever he could find, relyiirely on luck to avoid poisoning himself.

  To him, Hanging Fate Manor aradise. He could eat his fill. No matter how hard the training was, it was worth it. If he could eat to his heart’s tent and die from exhaustion, that would be the best possible ending.

  Many reed with his se.

  Every child here had e from the refugee camps. All of them had starved. They had gone far too long without meat or even a proper bowl of rice. But here, they could eat their fill—eat to satisfa. And today, they had eveen to the point of bursting.

  To them, Hanging Fate Manor had no faults—except that its kindness was almost terrifying, making them fear whether their meal would e at all.

  "I just worry these days won’t st long."

  g Linzu smacked his lips, still reminisg about the meat’s taste. "Isn’t this how hiddes operate? Layer after yer of sele, stas. If you don’t meet their standards, you get tossed aside."

  "Eventually, we won’t be Hanging Fate Manor disciples anymore. We’ll just be servants, like those aides and attendants… These good days won’t st forever."

  Everyone knew by now that g Linzu had once beeo a martial academy at great expense, only to be expelled after two years for being "g in natural talent."

  But Hanging Fate Manor had judged his aptitude as sed only to An Jing’s.

  That injustice left him bitter. He often cursed the martial academy’s money-hungry instructors for driving him out just because his family could no longer afford their bribes.

  His biggest dream was to master martial arts at Hanging Fate Manor, return home—if his home still existed—a his former instructor senseless for tarnishing his reputation.

  "You’re n."

  Ye Xiuyuan agreed. "I wonder how many of us will make it to the end… But Big Brother An will definitely be one of them."

  "Right, Brother Jing?" The others joined in, ughing. "We might get eliminated, but you’ll stay for sure!"

  "…Perhaps the test has already begun."

  An Jing did not enjoy these discussions, but sihey had pulled him into it, he spoke.

  Lying on his bed, he turned over and said pinly, "Your enthusiasm for training, your self-discipline, your physical ditio, weight, even how much you eat—everything could be part of the assessment."

  "Get some sleep. If the Manor Lord is letting us rest tomorrow, there must be a reason."

  "Sleep early, rest well. Don’t miss the afternoon training."

  "Got it!"

  With An Jing’s authority, the dorm quieted down. Soon, the sounds of deep breathing, teeth grinding, and murmured dreams filled the room.

  An Jing, too, felt his body sinking into fatigue and… something else.

  The Deputy Medie Envoy had not lied. The moment he saw that meat, his body had instinctively told him—it wasn’t enough. He wouldn’t be full.

  His stomach was full. That heavy meal sat inside him, leaving no room for more.

  But his body remained unsatisfied. That meat had only temporarily eased his hunger. It had not truly filled him.

  With that uling thought lingeriween fullness and hunger, An Jing drifted into sleep.

  The m.

  Sunlight paihe mountains in gold and red.

  An Jing rubbed his eyes, tossing off his b, realizing he had overslept—by about an hour.

  That was unusual for him. He had goo bed even earlier than usual st night. No wohe Deputy Medie Envoy had told them to rest—most of the children likely would not wake up on time.

  If it really was savage beast meat, then this effect made sense.

  He straightened his clothes, put on his training uniform, and mused, "Eating too much, abs too many nutrients—it just makes you drowsy. Maybe that’s all this is."

  The dorm housed thirty people. As he gnced around, he realized something.

  Aside from himself, everyone else was still sound asleep.

  Perhaps it was because his digestion was faster. Or perhaps… because he hadn’t truly eaten his fill.

  But none of that mattered right now. There was still time before noon. He would train a little to shake off the grogginess.

  However—just as he finished preparing to leave the dorm—he suddenly noticed something.

  Zhang Ying was missing.

  (End of Chapter)