Chapter Forty-Eight: The Ten-Thousand Mountain Range (7)

Zhang Ning spoke excitedly to the streaming audience, chattering about the rarity of the black-backed horse. As he talked, he crouched down and sliced twice into the horse’s carcass with a dagger, cutting out a large chunk of meat. Normally, the flesh of this horse was so tough that only those at the Martial Infant Realm could match its strength, but Zhang Ning’s dagger was no ordinary tool, so the process was swift and effortless.

He explained, “This horse looks like it died not long ago. It’s easy to tell—of course, if you have no experience, you can just check for any rotten smell, see if there are flies or maggots, or whether sharp-beaked birds are hovering above… Everyone knows sharp-beaked birds only eat fresh meat.” As he spoke, Zhang Ning pointed overhead, and the smart live-stream screen immediately shifted the camera upward. A dense flock of sharp-beaked birds circled overhead, their shrill cries grating on the ears.

But when the camera returned, many viewers were startled, just like Meng Meng. Zhang Ning had swallowed the chunk of raw meat in just a few bites. “I didn’t taste much—did I eat too fast?” He bent down again, this time forgoing the dagger and tearing into the meat with his teeth.

The sound of teeth ripping flesh was chillingly clear against the not-so-quiet grasslands.

After a moment, the barrage of comments caught up and began showering Zhang Ning with praise.

“Your Highness, are you eating raw meat? Is it tasty?”

“I love you, Your Highness!”

“Demonic behavior!”

“That sound is really loud.”

“Your Highness doesn’t even need a dagger?”

“Such sharp teeth.”

“Well, of course, a warrior’s teeth are sharp.”

“Your Highness is so cool!”

“This is black-backed horse? I’ve never tasted it before.”

“The meat from its belly is actually quite delicious.”

“You in front, you’re so extravagant!”

“The corpse’s organs have all been eaten, only some skin remains—looks like the work of a picky predator.”

“Predator? Just say it’s a beast. Looks like you’re really paying attention to Zhang Ning’s stream.”

“So am I! I’ve been taking notes the whole time.”

“More and more people are taking notes…”

“Why do I feel a bit scared?”

“It looks so tasty.”

Some viewers behind the screen felt merely uneasy, but Meng Meng, facing it all directly, was cold to the bone. It was her first time witnessing such a raw scene, and for a young lady like her, the psychological shock was immense. She couldn’t help but recall that the previous day they’d only eaten some pears. It had been enough for her, but Zhang Ning might have been starving until now. And she had actually spent the night beside this man who ate raw meat! What if he’d woken up hungry in the middle of the night…? Her fingers began to tremble.

Just then, Zhang Ning looked up and said, “Miss Meng, you can try some—the taste isn’t bad.” He continued bantering with the comment barrage, “What? Ordinary people certainly can’t eat like this, they’d get sick. But a warrior’s stomach—ha! Right? Right, warriors are at the top of the food chain now. What’s this about the Classic of Mountains and Seas? The Azure Realm’s Classic of Mountains and Seas? Is there such a book? I’ve never read it. What? The author is my senior brother?”

Zhang Ning was surprised. According to the comments, his transmigrator senior brother had apparently written a book on how to savor the flora and fauna of the Azure Realm, something Zhang Ning found amusing. Indeed, they were both from Bluewater Star. Zhang Ning had already suspected his senior brother’s nationality because of the farming and construction streams he’d done. Now he was completely certain. He resolved to read his senior brother’s book when he had the chance, and to meet him in person—every time someone in the sect mentioned him, it was with utmost admiration, but no one talked about his current situation. Zhang Ning wondered what the real person was like.

After chatting for a while, Zhang Ning noticed through the comments that something was wrong with Miss Meng. He turned to look at her, seeing her pale face and faintly trembling body. He truly had no idea what was wrong. “Miss Meng, are you alright?” Meng Meng forced a smile. “I’m fine, Master Zhang.”

Zhang Ning sized her up. “Feeling so uncomfortable? Miss Meng must be new to the wilderness, not used to it yet. Sleep a few more nights outdoors and it’ll get easier.”

Zhang Ning assumed Meng Meng’s poor state was due to a bad night’s sleep, unaware that his words only deepened her fear: did she have to spend another day with this raw meat eater?

Meng Meng immediately resolved to finish her task and leave—she would not travel with him any longer!

She didn’t expect that plans would never keep pace with the changes.

That day, Zhang Ning led Meng Meng through the Five-Deep Gorge grasslands, but they encountered neither wonders nor beasts. The smooth journey only strengthened Meng Meng’s determination. As they reached a dense patch of vegetation, she prepared to act, but her expression suddenly changed and she excused herself, walking away. She didn’t realize that both the barrage and Zhang Ning were watching her with curiosity, and several comments joked, “Oh, so even fairies have to pee.”

In a secluded spot, Meng Meng’s face was serious as she asked, “Brother, what’s happened?” It was actually her elder brother Meng Xinglei’s spiritual transmission.

Spiritual transmissions were rare in the Meng family, which did not specialize in soul arts. Most of the clan couldn’t use them, and even their father, Immortal Lord Meng Qingchen, was not adept. Meng Xinglei had only surpassed the others thanks to training in soul arts with a certain Immortal Lord Zhao, which made his soul strong enough to communicate instantly over a thousand miles, and its special nature allowed it to bypass almost any barrier or detection. But due to his cultivation limits, he could only use it once a month.

Meng Xinglei knew the gravity of such communication and never used it lightly. Over the years, Meng Meng had seen him do so only a handful of times, so she was prepared for something important.

Indeed, his message was urgent. He said, “Sister, do not do anything to Zhang Ning! He may become family in the future!”

Meng Meng’s mind went blank. “Brother, what do you mean?”

Meng Xinglei was normally calm and upright, a model for young heroes everywhere, but now his words were muddled. “The Myriad Phenomena Demon Lord and Father… back then… maybe… you, I…”

The more he spoke, the more he stammered, and Meng Meng was even more shocked. She had never seen her brother so unsettled. Spiritual transmission was greatly affected by the sender’s mental state, and with such anxiety and their thousand-mile separation, the connection broke off at this critical moment.