I became a saint in the world of Liao Zhai, and flirted with monster girls

Although the boy's eyes were clear, they could not hide the grayness deep inside - that was a sign of a damaged soul and exhausted energy and blood.

This time, he was probably using up his last bit of strength to get a chance to say goodbye to his mother.

Zhou Kao shook his head, putting aside those heavy thoughts for the time being.

Don't think about the bad things.

His eyes fell back on the freshly slaughtered black fish on the ground.

The fish body has a fresh luster, and the texture still shows the heat that has not dissipated. The unique firm texture of black fish meat is clearly visible.

His throat moved slightly and he swallowed a mouthful of saliva - such plump black fish meat is of the highest quality, with few bones and tender meat. Just imagining the satisfaction of eating it makes one's mouth water.

"This beast's scales are as hard as iron. It would be too difficult for the shopkeeper's wife and the young man to cut them apart. I'd better do it myself..."

He rolled up his sleeves, and the tiger-patterned sword spun in his palm, the blade reflecting the greed in his eyes.

"Wait a minute, brave man! Wait a minute, brave man..."

Several local militiamen rushed forward to stop them, and the man in the lead looked anxious.

"You might not know, brave man, but the county lord has already posted a reward throughout the county! Anyone who exorcises the demon, and whose deeds are verified by the officials, will be rewarded accordingly—from ten taels of silver to a thousand taels of gold!"

"How could I, a student from Beiguo County, kill demons and monsters just for a reward?"

Zhou Kao raised his eyebrows and sneered, with a look of disdain on his face, and tapped the back of the knife with his fingertips.

"My original intention is to eliminate harm for the people. How can it be linked to gold and silver?"

Before he finished speaking, he had already swung his knife at the wound of the black fish. The blade cut into the flesh as smoothly as a hot knife through butter. Large pieces of scales and fish skin fell off, revealing the snow-white fish meat underneath.

Just peel off the skin and be done with it.

The boy, who had just regained consciousness, comforted his mother and turned to join in the cooking.

Although he was thin, he was extremely skilled. The short knife in his hand moved between the fish tendons, and each stroke accurately cut the fish meat.

In the morning light, two men leaned over, one on the left and one on the right, to cut the fish. The coldness of the tiger-patterned sword and the sharpness of the dagger complemented each other, and the splashing blood formed dark red flowers on the bluestone slabs.

The faces of the onlookers turned pale, and some of them couldn't help but cover their mouths and take a few steps back - Zhou Kao pulled out the black fish spine with his bare hands. With the sound of muscles tearing, the fish bone as thick as an arm was pulled out with a loud bang;

The young man cleaned out the accumulated internal organs one by one along the belly of the fish that Zhou Kao had cut open. His fingertips were stained with dark red blood, but he did not hesitate at all.

Seeing this, the onlookers suddenly felt stomach cramps and waves of discomfort...

"This man... is he really going to eat this monster?"

Someone murmured in a low voice, his Adam's apple rolling in horror.

But Zhou Kao grabbed a large piece of fish and threw it into the air. The precious sword was unsheathed half an inch, and a cold light flashed. The piece of meat was as thin as a cicada's wing and gently fell into the prepared wooden basin.

He looked up and saw everyone's horrified expressions. He suddenly grinned, revealing his white teeth: "What are you afraid of? It's nothing unusual for me to eat a mullet!"

The young man lowered his head and said nothing, his fingertips gently stroking the inside of the fish's belly.

The cook stood at the doorstep, watching her son concentrate on cooking the fish carcass.

But now everything has changed.

She wiped her tears, turned and walked towards the stove. As the bellows were pulled, the fire leaped up - no matter what, she would cook a bowl of steaming wontons for this benefactor first.

The place where the wonton shop was located was called "Mullet Fort". Now that the mullet monster was killed here, it seemed like it was destined.

Zhou Kao patted the fish corpse and laughed: "Back then, even Pang Shiyuan, nicknamed Fengchu, could not avoid Luofengpo. How can you, a black fish spirit, insist on going to Mullet Fort? Aren't you courting death? Today, I will make you into a pot of delicious soup!"

In his and the young man's hands, the huge black fish was skinned and deboned like dough, the meat was shaved and placed on a plate - the fish head was cut off and placed in a bowl, and the fish body was sliced ​​into sashimi as thin as a cicada's wing.

The fish offal was cleaned and placed in a bamboo sieve. Even the fish skin covered with black scales was peeled off and spread on the ground. It was as big as a double bed and emitted a cold and hard light.

"Little brother, boss lady! Boil some water! There are so many people here today, I'll treat you to fish!"

Zhou Kao rolled up his sleeves, revealing the strong muscles on his forearms.

"..."

"..."

The onlookers were so greedy that they didn't even dare to look at it for too long.

Some militiamen retreated repeatedly, while others muttered with pale faces:

"This is a man-eating monster... How can we eat it?"

"Yeah, this is a monster..."

"Can goblins be eaten?"

"This……"

The proprietress rubbed her hands and trembled. She suddenly felt that the mullet monster was not so bad, and the muscular Mr. Zhou in front of her was the scariest one.

"Mr. Zhou...Mr. Zhou...Mrs. Madam is afraid..."

The young man suddenly grasped his mother's trembling hand, and said fiercely, "Mom! This monster ate my father, my uncle, and my younger sister. Why can't we eat it? Why?"

The boy's words hit everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Zhou Kao threw his head back and laughed, "Well said! Monsters can eat people, so of course people can eat monsters too."

Zhou Kao took the opportunity to grab a piece of fish and shook it in the morning light: "Look, everyone! This is clearly a mullet!"

After saying that, Zhou Kao straightened his headscarf and said with a smile.

"The ancient doctor Hua Tuo once said: Mullet nourishes the heart and yin, clarifies kidney water, promotes water circulation and eliminates dampness, and detoxifies and removes heat.

This is the great tonic method recorded in the Qing Nang Jing. If you don't believe me, how can you not believe the ancient medical saints?"

No matter whether it is true or not, let’s give these people some confidence first. There is still someone who can find that scripture and verify it, right?

"What do you mean?"

Some people became excited when they heard the words "tonic the heart and nourish yin" and "clarify the kidney water". There was a man with a pale face and a body as thin as paper, who looked at Zhou Kao eagerly.

That is to say, if you eat it, men will become more powerful and virile; women will beautify their skin and feel happy.

"Men can eat it to strengthen their bodies, women can eat it to improve their complexion and promote lactation, and even children can grow three inches taller after drinking fish soup!"

Zhou Kao said in a resounding voice, "Look at this fish meat—red with a hint of pink, with delicate texture, it's clearly a rare delicacy! If a pregnant woman eats it, she'll be able to get out of bed in three days and still have plenty of milk; if an elderly person eats it, they'll be able to walk mountain trails at night!"

Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted, "He's a scholar! He's read the books of the sages. He knows a lot, and everything he says is right! He would never lie to us!"

"Mr. Zhou, this strange... this fish really has miraculous effects?"

"Shut up! Mr. Zhou is a man of both civil and military talents, and has a noble character. If it were anyone else, they would have kept all the fish for themselves. But he refused even the reward offered by the county elder and insisted on eating the fish. Doesn't that make sense?"

Everyone thought so too. Such a brave scholar wanted to eat without asking for money, which meant that eating was more beneficial than paying for it.

Another man who owned a restaurant slapped his thigh and said, "I have a three-foot-long pot at home! Let me get it!"

"Boil water, boil water!"

“Eat fish!!”

Everyone then woke up from their dream and ran around to tell each other. Soon, people came carrying copper pots and holding firewood. The children held their parents' clothes, their eyes full of curiosity.

The originally deserted "Qianlixiang" wonton shop suddenly became as lively as a market.

The people who were making a fuss should hurry home to wake up their wives and children. If they missed this opportunity, wouldn’t they have missed the chance?

Who can eat such a monster every day... What a good fish.

If it's too late, you may only be able to drink fish soup.

Zhou Kao enjoyed the braised fish head alone. In order to thank Zhou Kao for exorcising the evil spirit, a local elder took out some precious wine that had been brewed for many years and let Zhou Kao taste it.

The village elder brought out a jar of osmanthus wine that had been buried for ten years. When the lid of the jar was opened, the aroma of wine mixed with the smell of fish wafted three miles away.

When the fish head is taken out of the pot, the fish eyes have been stewed until they are tender and the sauce hangs on the meat like amber.

Zhou Kao tore off the fish lips while they were still hot and put them into his mouth. The mellow taste exploded on the tip of his tongue. He tilted his head back and took a sip of osmanthus wine. The spicy taste burned through his throat and into his stomach. He couldn't help but applaud.

"Mr. Zhou, your provincial examination is coming up soon. Why are you still going to Qiantang County?"

At this time, ordinary scholars would have already closed their doors and studied hard. Unlike this gentleman, not only did he kill the monster, but he also ran to the East China Sea.

Zhou Kao picked up a piece of braised fish gill meat. The whole piece of fish gill meat was as big as a small basin, which could satisfy Zhou Kao's appetite. The sauce wrapped around the delicate gill fibers, shining with an attractive oily luster under the moonlight.

He slowly put it into his mouth. The cheek meat was soft and tender with a chewy texture, mixed with the sweetness of osmanthus wine, it was the most delicious thing in the world. "I'm not going to Qiantang, I'm sending a friend to the East China Sea."

"Ah?!" The private school teacher sitting next to him put down his chopsticks in shock. "You're going on a long journey when the provincial examination is almost here? What if you miss the exam..."

"He's an old friend of mine."

Zhou Kao poured himself a glass of wine, the amber liquid swirling gently in the coarse porcelain bowl.

"She's traveling alone by sea, and there are many demons and monsters along the way. I'll take her to the coast of the East China Sea, and then rush back to Nanjing to take the exam. There's still time."

After saying that, he raised his glass and drank it all.

Everyone suddenly realized that this scholar was not only an outstanding writer, but also a man of great righteousness.

There was a burst of praise at the banquet. Some people hurriedly poured wine for Zhou Kao, while others stared at the fish gills on his plate and swallowed their saliva.

The fish that could not be stewed in the big pot was placed on thirty tables. The aroma of fried fish wafted two miles away. Several chefs were sweating profusely. The side dishes on the chopping board were piled like a mountain. Dozens of kilograms of green onions and ginger alone were used.

The inn was decorated with lanterns, and the red banners with the words "Good luck in getting rid of demons" on the lanterns rustled in the wind.

Upon hearing the monster's demise, the stranded caravan rushed over overnight, carrying gift boxes. The leading salt merchant, holding a gold ingot, smiled broadly, "Mr. Zhou's strike has saved our fortune! With the waterway now clear, we can earn an extra thousand taels of silver on this round trip!"

As he said this, he secretly stuffed a purse into Zhou Kao's sleeve.

Zhou Kao didn't care anyway. He would definitely take the money. After that, he would give it to the cook of the "Qianlixiang" wonton shop to be used to demolish the attic and rebuild it.

"It doesn't matter."

Seeing this, the merchants took out gold ingots and silver ingots and stuffed them into Zhou Kao's arms, giving various reasons: "As a token of gratitude", "As travel expenses", "Wishing you success in the exam in advance".

Zhou Kao accepted all the offers. When his pockets were stuffed to the brim, he turned to the landlady standing there blankly and stuffed a handful of banknotes into her hands. "When you rebuild the attic, remember to give the little brother a south-facing window in his room. He loves looking at the lake, and from now on... he'll be able to enjoy it properly."

In the back kitchen of the wonton shop, under the dim sunlight.

She stared at the fish soup in the large bowl in front of her - the milky white soup was filled with scallions and wolfberries, and steam was rising.

"Mom, eat quickly, or the fish soup will get cold."

The young man brought in fish, and the rim of the celadon bowl was stained with fresh chopped green onions.

Seeing my mother lost in her own world, I couldn't help but break the silence.

His voice was deliberately light, but it couldn't hide the fatigue in his eyes.

"Ah? Okay, I'll drink it right away."

The proprietress looked up as if awakened, and tremblingly poured half a bowl of soup for her son.

Pick up the big bowl and put it into your mouth.

When she raised the big bowl, it covered the proprietress's face and also covered the two lines of tears that were flowing from her face.

The teardrop fell into the soup, and the ripples reflected her husband's smiling face, her daughter's back holding the bamboo pole, and countless nights when she was woken up by monsters.

Boss, good girl

This milky white fish soup tastes so bitter and salty today.

"Mom, fish should be dipped in vinegar."

The boy poured some vinegar into her dish, and the amber liquid overflowed the bottom of the dish.

"Brother Zhou said that vinegar can remove the fishy smell and stimulate the appetite."

He himself only picked up a piece of fish belly and chewed it carefully.

Chapter 24 I promise you a day of freedom (please collect)

The celebration party for the mullet burger was still going on in full swing from early morning until the sun was high in the sky.

At this time, clouds of dust were raised from the direction of the county town, and several patrolmen hurried over on horseback.

The leading constable saw Zhou Kao from afar, immediately dismounted, took a few quick steps forward, and bowed respectfully.

You know, the status of a scholar is special, and he doesn't have to perform formalities even when meeting the county magistrate. What's more, Zhou Kao's strong appearance and the story of killing the monster with his own hands have long been widely circulated in the local area, making people unforgettable.

The captain's polite attitude made the people of Wuyu Fort more convinced that the man before them was indeed a serious scholar.

The captain of the police apologized with a smile and said, "Mr. Zhou, I am only following orders. When the county magistrate heard that you had eliminated the monster, he was extremely happy and sent an order early this morning to ask about the situation.