Chapter 8 Three Sets of Chopsticks and Bowls

In the scavenger camp, Lei Team was at the front, with Xu Qing following behind. The sun was shining brightly, casting warm light upon them. From a distance, they appeared high and low, old and young, and there seemed to be a hint of harmony between them. Such harmony was rare in this cruel world. Perhaps it was the python corpse in Lei Team's hands that instilled deterrence, causing passersby who hadn't gone to the fighting arena to mostly refrain from disturbing them upon seeing it. Xu Qing enjoyed this feeling. Whether it was the upcoming snake feast or the warmth of the sunlight brushing against his face, he felt pleasantly warm and comfortable, filled with anticipation. Every time his gaze fell upon the python corpse that Lei Team was holding, he couldn't help but salivate even more. He also liked eating snakes. Lei Team's home was located in the central ring of the camp. Compared to the brick houses in the inner ring and the simple tents in the outer ring, the residences in the central ring were mostly made of stone and wood, arranged in three small houses together. Each house, though not large, looked much better than Xu Qing's previous life in the slums. Especially noteworthy was that Lei Team's residence even had a small courtyard, which was even rarer. At this moment, as he pushed open the bamboo door of the courtyard, Xu Qing observed as Lei Team carried the python corpse towards the back room, casually pointing to the second small house. "Kid, you can stay there from now on. Familiarize yourself with it first, and I'll call you when the food is ready." Saying this, Lei Team entered the side room, and soon the sound of chopping meat could be heard. Xu Qing swallowed hard, first carefully observing the small courtyard, then walked into the second small house. Inside, there was a bed, a set of bedding, a table and chairs, and nothing else. The floor was very clean, and the table and chairs had no dust, indicating they were often wiped down. The bedding was also clearly washed very clean, still carrying a scent of sunlight. All of this made Xu Qing very satisfied. He didn’t like large houses; he preferred a small room where he could see everything at a glance, as if everything could be reflected in his mind. This made him feel safer. After thoroughly inspecting the room, Xu Qing looked at the clean bed, thought for a moment, and decided not to lay down but instead sat directly on the floor. He crossed his legs and closed his eyes, beginning his cultivation for the day. As he cultivated, he felt the influx of spiritual energy, and the sounds of sizzling oil from the adjacent back room reached his ears. Soon, a wave of delicious aroma wafted in through the stone and wood gaps in the wall, filling the small house and stirring up a rumble in Xu Qing's stomach. It smelled so good. Xu Qing's throat involuntarily moved as he opened his eyes and looked towards the back room. After years of living in the slums, he couldn't remember the last time he had smelled something like this. He endured the cravings coming from his stomach, closed his eyes, and tried to calm himself to continue his cultivation. Time passed slowly, and soon dusk arrived. When he heard Lei Team calling for dinner from outside the house, Xu Qing, who had just finished a day of cultivation, opened his eyes wide. He stood up and quickly walked out, seeing Lei Team standing at the door of the side room, waving at him. Following the open space beside Lei Team, Xu Qing could already see the dining table inside, which was set with seven or eight different types of snake dishes: fried, braised, steamed, and snake soup. Clearly, Lei Team was an excellent cook, with every dish looking and smelling delicious. Xu Qing stared at the spread, momentarily taken aback. Lei Team smiled and turned to get bowls and chopsticks. Xu Qing immediately approached, and as he entered the back room, the aroma became even more intense. However, he didn't sit down immediately; instead, he waited for Lei Team to set the bowls and chopsticks before suddenly focusing. There were three sets of bowls and chopsticks. "Are there other people?" Even with the enticing aroma, Xu Qing felt a sudden detachment from his body with the appearance of the three sets of bowls and chopsticks. He looked cautiously at Lei Team and asked softly, "No need to be nervous, it’s my habit; that’s for someone… who will never come again," Lei Team replied lightly, a glint of reminiscence appearing in his eyes before quickly vanishing as he sat down in a chair. Xu Qing nodded, and as he sat down, he couldn't hold back any longer. He grabbed a piece of fried snake meat and stuffed it into his mouth, tearing into it. It was hot, but he enjoyed it, his mouth dripping with oil. After finishing a piece, he licked the grease off his lips and reached for the braised snake meat when Lei Team coughed lightly. "Use chopsticks." "Oh," Xu Qing awkwardly picked up the chopsticks, adjusted, and stabbed a piece of braised snake meat, swallowing it in large bites. Throughout the meal, the two of them didn't speak, but their eating styles were quite different. Lei Team chewed slowly, unlike a scavenger, taking only two or three bites of each dish, while Xu Qing wolfed it down, his appetite far exceeding Lei Team's. Seeing Xu Qing eat like this, Lei Team couldn't help but speak up, "Why are you eating so differently from when I gave you the steamed bun, taking such small bites then?" Xu Qing swallowed the snake meat with effort, looked up at Lei Team, and replied seriously, "The buns were yours, the snake meat is mine." One was someone else's food, the other was his own. In the young boy's simple thinking, it was natural to eat his own possessions with more justification. Lei Team was amused yet helpless as he watched Xu Qing continually poke at the snake meat with his chopsticks, drinking the snake soup, but he also noticed that the boy had not touched any of the dishes that were closer to him, and he drank the snake soup with restraint. He only ate what belonged to him with confidence. "That python you caught is quite hefty; it should last for half a month, and the snake skin and bones have considerable value, so…" Lei Team casually mentioned. "I'll pay the rent; no need to offset it with that," Xu Qing suddenly spoke. The snake meat was to repay the steamed buns and sleeping bag he had received, while the value of the snake skin and bones was to repay Lei Team for covering him with the dilapidated tent. As for being taken away from the ruins to the camp, that was a kindness, an act of goodwill. Xu Qing felt it inappropriate to offset everything with material, so he kept it in mind. Lei Team looked deeply at Xu Qing, seeing the seriousness in his eyes and that clear sense of gratitude and resentment, nodded, and after some thought, spoke again. "Kid, you must have many speculations about me along the way." Xu Qing didn't speak, but the action of swallowing his food slowed slightly. "Others call me Lei Team; as for my name, it doesn't matter. In the scavenger camp, no one uses their real name." Lei Team picked up a piece of steamed snake meat and slowly chewed it. "The reason for this title is because I have a few friends in this scavenger camp whom I can trust with my life. We formed our own small team, and the team's name is quite ordinary, called Thunder. Usually, everyone takes on jobs individually, but if we encounter a difficult task, the whole team gathers to complete it. Including me, there are four of us, and now the other three are out and haven't returned yet. When they come back, I'll introduce you to them. From now on, you will follow us as the new member of the team to take on jobs and earn resources for survival and cultivation." Lei Team seemed somewhat full, putting down his chopsticks and looking at Xu Qing. Xu Qing did not find the last five words surprising. He felt he could sense that Lei Team was a loose cultivator; after spending this time together, even though he himself was only refining his body, Lei Team would naturally be able to discern his background. "Okay," Xu Qing didn’t hesitate, nodding in agreement. This eased his heart. Growing up in the slums, he understood deeply that in this world, there are no unprovoked acts of kindness and help; everything must have its reason. "You can continue eating; I'm old, and I can't digest too much." Lei Team coughed a few times, his face slightly flushed but quickly recovering as he stood up and walked outside, speaking, "The spiritual energy in this world is like poison. Your hard cultivation along the way may have led to your body being altered before you even got far. Cultivation must be steady and cannot be radical." Xu Qing remained silent and said nothing. As the old man reached the door, he turned to look at Xu Qing and shook his head. "But your way of cultivating is also correct. The scavenger camp and the nearby forbidden zone are different from where you were before. Due to the resources in the forbidden zone, this place gathers more low-level loose cultivators and outlaws. Living here, you must also take a trip to the forbidden zone; more cultivation would be good." Lei Team left. Xu Qing sat there alone, and after finishing all the snake meat, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he tidied up the bowls and chopsticks, cleaned them, and put them away before returning to his small house. He sat down cross-legged and continued cultivating. Xu Qing knew very well that if he didn't want to live in desperation, to bend down to survive and place the power of life and death in others' hands, then his own strength was the foundation of everything. Especially in this scavenger camp, there were many loose cultivators, far exceeding what he had seen in the last six years; each one was not an easy opponent. If the slums were a dog kennel, then this place was a wolf's den. If he didn't work hard, he would die without a burial place, not even waiting for alteration due to a conflict or dispute. As for the alteration, Xu Qing learned from the Haishan Technique bamboo slips that there were pills that could resolve it. Although it was only a temporary solution, it could still be addressed, and he had learned the name of this pill from conversations with scavengers along the way; it was called White Pill. The nearby forbidden zone produced the important herbs needed to make White Pills, so there must be sales of White Pills in this camp. Thinking of this, Xu Qing touched the spot on his chest where he buried the purple crystal. During this time, he had clearly felt that aside from his recovery ability, both his speed and strength had significantly improved. Related to reaching the first layer of the Haishan Technique, Xu Qing felt that this first layer seemed somewhat different from the described strength of a tiger in the Haishan Technique. "I can kill a lot of tigers," Xu Qing murmured, feeling the spiritual energy within him. After his hard cultivation along the way, he felt he was about to reach the second layer. "Tonight, I will break through to the second layer." Determination shone in Xu Qing's eyes as he closed them and began to breathe in and out. Soon, spiritual energy surged in from all directions. The spiritual energy outside the forbidden zone was much less altered compared to that inside, which also significantly accelerated his cultivation speed. Xu Qing had already noticed this yesterday while waiting in line at the fighting arena. At this moment, he relaxed his body, forcefully absorbing and breathing in, and the faint purple light that covered his chest also flickered slightly. Time passed, and gradually, a faint thudding sound emerged from within Xu Qing’s body, as black impurities were expelled once more through his sweat pores. His entire flesh and blood, under nourishment, seemed increasingly tough, with a hint of stronger power gradually bursting forth within him. Meanwhile, outside in the night, the little girl who had exchanged bamboo skewers with Xu Qing during the day approached the courtyard where he lived. She stood there hesitating, seemingly wanting to knock on the door but feeling a bit anxious. After a long while, she seemed to muster her courage and lightly knocked on the bamboo door of the courtyard, but the sound was too weak to carry inside. At the moment the little girl knocked on the bamboo door, the thudding sound within Xu Qing reached its peak. With a thunderous roar in his mind, Xu Qing's eyes opened wide, and purple light shone once more in his eyes. His expression revealed joy as he looked down at his arm, where a second alteration point had appeared. Refining Energy, Second Layer. (End of Chapter)