Free Web NovelChapter 252: Chapter 214: Blood-Red and Snow-White, Dog Meat Hot Pot
Blood, searingly red.
Snow, blindingly white!
When these two colors clashed, the contrast was so stark it made the young girl afraid to even open her eyes.
The blind old man could not see, but the whistling wind, the desperate screams of the dying, and the thud of bodies hitting the ground were so clear that he naturally understood what was happening.
He didn’t dare do anything. He could only clutch his granddaughter’s small hand, his whole body trembling with fear.
Just then, the sharp-eyed little girl spotted a figure on a distant rooftop through the wind and snow.
’It’s that big brother!’
Overjoyed, she was about to call out, but in the next second, the figure vanished. The speed was so incredible that it made her wonder if she had imagined it all.
"What is it?" the old man asked immediately, sensing a change in his granddaughter’s mood.
"It was the big brother who gave us money!" the little girl said in a low voice.
The blind old man understood at once. "Where is he?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"He’s gone now. Huh, what’s this?"
The little girl suddenly saw a black streak fly toward her and land at her feet. She bent down and picked it up.
It was a small cloth pouch, bulging with something inside.
When she opened the mouth of the pouch, the little girl was stunned.
Inside was a bag of silver coins, at least twenty or thirty of them.
"Grandpa, it’s money! Lots and lots of money!" the little girl said, her voice shaking.
The blind old man reached out, took one of the coins, and rubbed it. Suddenly, tears streamed down his weathered face.
"Granddaughter, where was our benefactor standing just now?"
"Over there!"
"Quick, kneel."
The old man pulled his granddaughter down to her knees in the snow and kowtowed deeply several times, murmuring under his breath.
"Thank you, benefactor, for your immense kindness. I have no way to repay you. I can only hope to be reborn as a beast of burden in my next life to repay your grace."
After paying his respects, he didn’t dare linger. He led the little girl quickly out of the alley, and they vanished into the vast curtain of snow.
The snow was falling harder now, covering the bodies on the ground in the blink of an eye.
Wu Liangchen stood at the highest point in the small town, silently watching the old man and his granddaughter disappear into the distance.
He had heard the commotion from those ruffians from the second floor of the inn and had followed them, only to witness the scene that had just unfolded.
If he hadn’t intervened in time, one could only imagine what would have happened to the little girl tonight.
And the cause of it all was nothing more than a handful of copper coins.
Wu Liangchen had anticipated that giving too much money could lead to trouble, which was why he had given copper coins in the first place.
But in the end, it seemed his precaution wasn’t enough.
These thugs had no real skills, but when it came to bullying the common folk, each one was more vicious than the last.
That was why Wu Liangchen had shown them no mercy.
But he also knew that this was merely a drop in the ocean. He had only been able to prevent this tragedy because he happened to be there.
’What if I hadn’t seen it?’
’Besides, there’s no telling how many pitiful people like the old man and his granddaughter exist in the world. As for ruffians, they’re like weeds in a field—impossible to completely eradicate.’
This was also the reason behind Xu Kai’s earlier question to Wu Liangchen: could he really help them all?
But Wu Liangchen didn’t feel discouraged.
’You can’t refuse to help simply because you can’t save everyone. Nor can you stop punishing evil just because you can’t eliminate it all. When you encounter it, you must do something.’
’To have the heart of a Bodhisattva, yet wield the hand of thunder.’
’That is how it must be.’
When Wu Liangchen returned to the inn, Xu Kai was still sound asleep, completely oblivious to everything that had happened outside.
Wu Liangchen smiled, then looked out at the snow-filled sky and suddenly felt a pang of homesickness.
...
「The night passed.」 The wind and snow showed no signs of stopping. The snow on the streets was already nearly two feet deep.
It was impossible to travel in such weather, of course.
Fortunately, neither Wu Liangchen nor Xu Kai was in a hurry anymore.
After this heavy snow, the Tang River would certainly freeze over, allowing them to cross without needing a boat.
The two went downstairs to eat, only to find the main hall bustling with activity.
After all, the snow had stranded everyone. No matter how urgent your business, you weren’t going anywhere, so everyone had stayed.
Furthermore, the inn, with its rooms upstairs and tavern below, also ran a side business as a pub, making it even livelier.
The innkeeper’s assistant was running back and forth, spinning like a top, but he stopped in his tracks upon seeing Wu Liangchen and greeted them eagerly.
"This way, gentlemen, please have a seat."
A stove was burning in the middle of the hall. Its roaring fire made the large room very warm.
A table was placed right next to it—the best spot in the house on a cold winter day like this.
The assistant wiped down the already spotless table and chairs once more, then asked, "What can I get for you gentlemen?"
"Do you have any dishes that go well with wine?" Wu Liangchen asked.
With the snow falling heavily outside, it was the perfect time for a drink.
The assistant’s face lit up. "Of course! Our master chef in the back just prepared a pot of dog meat last night. It’s perfect for a hotpot. Would you like to try one?"
Wu Liangchen’s eyes lit up as well. "Oh? In that case, we’ll have one."
"Excellent! One moment, please."
The assistant called out and scurried off to get it.
A moment later, a copper pot was brought to the table. The broth was boiling, and an unusual, fragrant aroma filled the air. Even Xu Kai, who was normally quite the gourmand, couldn’t help but swallow hard.
"Waiter, what kind of dog meat is this? Why is it so fragrant?" Xu Kai asked.
"Ah, you may not know, good sir, but this is our inn’s secret recipe. We use local dogs, raised from pups on grain and brewer’s mash. Once they’re nice and plump, we slaughter them, remove the hair, and put them in a pot. Then, we add our exclusive spice blend and let it braise for a whole night."
"When it’s time to eat the next day, we use the hot broth from cooking the meat as the soup base, add in the chopped meat, and you don’t need to add anything else. Once it’s boiling, the taste is enough to make an immortal’s head spin."
The assistant had a silver tongue. His vivid description of the dog meat hotpot, combined with the fragrant aroma filling the hall, made all the other customers’ mouths water.
"Waiter, bring me a pot of that dog meat too!"
"Me too!"
Orders for the dish rose from all corners. Beaming, the assistant turned to Wu Liangchen and said, "You two take your time. Just give me a shout if you need anything."
"Go on, get busy!"
The assistant left. Wu Liangchen picked up a piece of the meat. The skin was golden-yellow and the flesh was tender, trembling slightly at the tip of his chopsticks.
He popped it into his mouth. The flavor was rich and mellow, the texture delicate. It was truly a rare delicacy.
After a few bites, Wu Liangchen took a drink from a bowl of the inn’s home-brewed "Blade-Scourer" liquor.
The liquor was extremely potent, earning its name because swallowing it felt like swallowing a knife.
But with the heavy snow falling outside, it was the perfect time to be drinking it.
With one bite of dog meat and one sip of Blade-Scourer, Wu Liangchen soon felt a light sweat break out on his forehead, as if his whole body had been cleansed from the inside out.
As for Xu Kai across from him, he was eating with even greater delight.
But just as the two of them were feasting with great relish, the thick cotton door curtain was suddenly thrown open. A blast of cold wind rushed in, making the customers at the tables nearest the entrance shiver instinctively.
