Chapter 3653 — In High Spirits
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
Had it been an adult ring-ring bear, even a consummate Heaven-rank master like Meng Zhou would have had no choice but to give it a wide berth. But this cub before him—judging by its strength, it was a Yellow-rank mid-stage beast at best. An ordinary man might have had no way to deal with it, but for Meng Zhou to catch it would naturally be as easy as reaching out his hand.
Yet what happened next left Meng Zhou's jaw hanging.
The ring-ring bear cub seemed to be poking its head about, trying to slip into the mining area. Unfortunately, the great iron gate before it was far too heavy; no matter how it scratched or shoved, the gate remained utterly immovable, showing not the slightest sign of opening. Instead, it seemed that Dai Wuchang, dozing on the table not far away, was about to be woken by the racket of its clawing.
"What's all the noise about!" Dai Wuchang cursed groggily in his sleep.
The ring-ring bear cub was scared out of its wits on the spot. It whipped around and bolted wildly to the side, only to spot Meng Zhou waiting there after just two steps. Startled into a shudder, it frantically changed direction—then, in its panic, ran headlong into a stone pillar beside it and knocked itself unconscious.
"My heavens, there's even a dumb-ass bear like this—truly, all labors spared!" Meng Zhou was instantly delighted. Was this not exactly what the old saying meant by waiting by the stump for a hare? Fortune's star was shining on him today; he was destined for a feast!
Seizing the moment when no one was watching, Meng Zhou wasted no words—he hoisted the unconscious ring-ring bear onto his shoulders and ducked straight into Meng Jueming's private workroom nearby.
Like the other cave dwellings, these private workrooms of the Spirit Jade Hall were warded with restrictive spells. But to make it easier for Meng Zhou to run errands for him, Meng Jueming had deliberately taught him the entry and exit incantation for this one.
And Meng Zhou had his reasons for carrying the ring-ring bear here. The Spirit Jade Hall was heavily guarded inside and out, after all. If he carried the bear out, the matter would be impossible to explain—not only would he fail to get the spirit beast meat that had been delivered right to his mouth today, but he might well end up punished besides.
But in Meng Jueming's private workroom, there was no problem. Though it belonged to the Spirit Jade Hall, when all was said and done it was still Meng Jueming's private space, and under normal circumstances only Meng Jueming came and went here.
Before others, Meng Zhou might not have had the nerve to eat spirit beast meat, but Meng Jueming was different. Not only was he Meng Zhou's patron, but back in the day the two of them had shared a feast together and had a prior offense on their record, so he could set his mind entirely at ease.
When Meng Zhou carried the ring-ring bear in, Meng Jueming was not there, and Meng Zhou was quite content to keep the treat to himself. He slung the bear to the ground and set straight to work.
Though cultivators above the Heaven rank generally no longer ate grain, the private workrooms of the Spirit Jade Hall were thoughtfully appointed—not only fully equipped with washing facilities, but even with a dedicated place for lighting a fire. Plainly this was meant to satisfy certain people's cravings. Of course, the original purpose of such fittings was certainly not for roasting spirit beasts.
This suited Meng Zhou perfectly. He could not wait to boil water—the thing was already desperate to have this ring-ring bear cub that had delivered itself to his door stripped of its fur. But gazing at that round, rolling body on the ground, especially that pair of furry bear paws, he could not keep himself from gulping again and again.
This was a spirit beast that could not be met with even if sought! Meng Zhou had enjoyed many a feast before, but this was his first ring-ring bear—and a cub at that.