Chapter 044: [A Fight Breaks Out]
"Waiter, bring another fifty... no, three hundred skewers of Fire Deer meat!"
Before his little cousin could speak, Tang Mubai decisively called out to the waiter who was wiping the table.
"Alright... wait, three hundred skewers?"
The waiter responded automatically, but then realized what he'd heard. He looked up at Tang Mubai in astonishment, reminding him, "Sir, are you sure you want three hundred skewers of Fire Deer meat, not thirty?"
"Yes, three hundred... actually, just bring all the Fire Deer meat you have. Grill whatever you can, and send it over as soon as it's ready!" Tang Mubai changed his mind.
"...Alright." The waiter glanced at Tang Mubai, then at the eager little girl beside him, and wisely refrained from asking further. He turned and hurried to the barbecue area.
"Here, Zhenzhen, have some juice first."
Tang Mubai pushed the juice toward the little girl. She took it, biting the straw and sipping in small gulps.
Fire Deer was a fierce beast. Though its wild temperament wasn't overly strong, it still exuded a dangerous aura. When angered, its whole body would blaze with fire!
But more than its flames, its meat was coveted—tender and smooth, a supreme delicacy whether grilled, pan-fried, braised, or steamed.
Due to their abundance, Fire Deer meat was not as expensive as other beast meats.
Yet beast meat was still beast meat; the energy it contained far surpassed ordinary beef or lamb. Professional martial artists typically maxed out at a hundred skewers—any more would be too much to absorb and difficult to digest.
Tang Mubai ordered three hundred skewers at once; no wonder the waiter was startled. When he asked for all the Fire Deer, the waiter simply gave up.
He'd done his duty by reminding them. Whether Tang Mubai finished the food or not, he'd still have to pay!
...
Not finish?
Tang Mubai feared it wouldn't be enough!
Eating too much Fire Deer meat could indeed be excessive.
But he had a sense that his little cousin's transformation required energy replenishment.
Even if she consumed all the Fire Deer meat in the barbecue shop, it might still be insufficient!
...
Ten skewers, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty...
As Tang Mubai sensed, once the Fire Deer meat arrived, his little cousin's stomach became a bottomless pit—skewer after skewer disappeared without a trace.
The restaurant's grilling speed couldn't keep up with her appetite.
Not only was the waiter delivering the meat stunned, but the owner also came to see for himself, utterly bewildered.
"Y-young man, your sister... is she alright?"
The owner, finally snapping out of it, nervously eyed the little girl, stammering, "If she keeps eating like this... won't she get sick?"
"She'll be fine." Tang Mubai focused intently, constantly monitoring his cousin's aura, and replied, "Don't worry, if anything happens, I won't blame you."
"That's good, that's good." The owner smiled sheepishly, but was deeply shocked inside.
She'd eaten over three hundred skewers and was still perfectly fine—how could she be just a child? He'd believe she was a master-level martial artist!
But could such a young master exist?
Clearly not!
...
The owner himself was a professional martial artist, sensitive to fluctuations in life energy.
He detected no changes at all in the little girl—not even a ripple of energy.
She really was just an ordinary child!
...
Very soon, all the Fire Deer meat in the shop was gone—about a hundred pounds of beast meat, swallowed by Lin Tianzhen's stomach.
"Zhenzhen, do you want more?"
Tang Mubai ignored the mountain of bamboo skewers piling up on the table, gazing at the little girl's flat stomach and gently asked.
"No, I'm done."
His little cousin shook her head, finished her juice in one gulp, and stood up, saying, "Brother, let's go..."
But before the word "home" left her lips, she fell forward, stiff as a board.
"Hey, careful!" the owner cried out in alarm.
Tang Mubai reacted swiftly, catching the little girl and carefully monitoring her aura.
"What happened? What's wrong with her?" The owner anxiously stomped beside them, his face full of worry.
Though Tang Mubai had promised not to blame him, the girl had walked in and now might be carried out—who knew what rumors might spread!
"She's fine, just asleep." Tang Mubai exhaled, his expression slightly odd.
Her steady, even breathing told him she hadn't fainted—she was simply asleep!
Eating and then immediately sleeping—like a little pig?
"Asleep?" The owner paused, then observed her closely. Listening to her breathing, he realized she truly was sleeping.
"Ah, looks like this little girl is blessed, haha..."
The owner, speechless, smiled with respect.
Tang Mubai merely smiled in return, said nothing, and carried his cousin to settle the bill and leave.
Her sudden voracious appetite was undoubtedly caused by emotional upheaval.
Now, after eating and falling asleep, she finally stabilized.
Whatever transformation had occurred within her would only be revealed once she awoke.
...
Carrying his little cousin out of the night market, Tang Mubai placed her in the back seat of the car.
He gently shut the door, started the engine, and drove home at a slow, steady pace.
He made sure not to jostle her at all.
Halfway home, two tall, staggering men suddenly burst from a roadside alley, shouting loudly.
One of them even lunged straight toward the car.
Tang Mubai immediately braked, stopping in the street.
"Ha, there's a car here—I want to ride in it!"
The tall man who rushed over tilted his head, stopped, and pointed at Tang Mubai's SUV, grinning foolishly, "Come on, everybody, let's ride... ride in the car!"
With that, he lunged toward the vehicle again.
Click.
Tang Mubai quietly opened the door, closed it soundlessly, and strode toward the approaching man.
A strong smell of alcohol wafted from him.
A drunk?
Tang Mubai frowned slightly and kicked the man aside.
"You... what are you doing? Hitting... hitting people?"
Another man staggered out from the alley, catching sight of the scene and muttered, "Everyone, come on... someone's... someone's fighting!"
He shouted, but his hands moved quickly, reeking of alcohol as he lunged at Tang Mubai.
Bang!
Tang Mubai kicked him back, sending him sprawling.
It was a restrained blow—just enough for a few drunks, nothing fatal.
"Where... where's the fight?"
From the alley came another slurred shout.
Amidst disordered footsteps, two sober men emerged, dragging four drunks out of the alley.
One man wearing glasses saw Tang Mubai and quickly apologized, "Sorry, sorry, our friends are drunk. If they've offended you, please forgive us. We're truly sorry."
"It's fine."
Tang Mubai nodded slightly and turned to head back to the car.
"What's there to be sorry about!"
One of the young men being dragged suddenly shouted, his face protruding oddly. "I just had a few drinks, what's the big deal? We've been here so long, and still haven't acted. All we do is hide..."
Bang!
Another man, who hadn't spoken, suddenly chopped him on the neck, knocking him out.
The protrusion on his face vanished, and he collapsed limply to the ground.
The man's gaze, however, didn't linger on his companion; instead, he stared intently at Tang Mubai.
Tang Mubai, already back in the car, started the engine and drove off slowly, as if nothing had happened.
But inside, he was deeply startled.
A half-beast!