Fang Yue paid no mind to the haughty and willful Zhang Shu.
In his eyes, she was just a pampered young lady. She clearly looked down on them, treating them like poor relatives from the countryside.
When it came to this type of woman, since he couldn't just hit her, the best solution was to ignore her.
Besides, Fang Yue had no time to bother with her right now.
He had always found it strange that so many of the village's able-bodied men were afraid to hunt in the mountain forests, and that so few made a living from it.
Now he understood: the beasts in these mountains were simply too large and too ferocious.
These kinds of beasts were not something ordinary people could handle with just bows, arrows, and swords.
Their immense size and strength allowed them to ignore most traps. And if an attack lacked sufficient power or speed, it likely wouldn't even be able to breach their defenses.
Even drawing a Three-Stone Bow was a struggle for an ordinary person; many couldn't draw it at all.
Based on what he'd seen from butchering the tiger carcass, a Three-Stone Bow could only harm such a huge beast at close range or with a direct hit to a vital spot.
As for the stronger Five-Stone and Six-Stone Bows, only a Martial Artist could draw them.
That was why hunting required Martial Artists who cultivated the Martial Dao.
"Clean this area. We don't want to attract other predators."
Soon, the giant tiger's carcass was butchered. The bones, hide, and other parts that could be used in medicine were all separated and set aside.
The remaining parts were buried in a freshly dug pit, and lime was sprinkled over the spot to cover the bloodstains and odor.
Once everything was done, Fang Yue and the others returned to their camp.
A bonfire was lit. There was no need to eat the fish they had caught; tonight, they would feast on tiger meat.
The tiger meat was incredibly tough; it had to be roasted for almost an hour before it was finally cooked through.
Of course, there were no seasonings like cumin, chili, or pepper—just a sprinkle of salt.
In his past life and his present one combined, this was the first time Fang Yue had ever eaten tiger meat.
The meat was tough and hard to chew.
But it tasted quite good. After swallowing, Fang Yue felt a faint warmth spread from his stomach.
The warmth circulated through his body once before dissipating.
Fang Yue felt as if his body had changed somehow, yet at the same time, it felt like nothing had happened at all.
He immediately took a few more bites.
Then he focused on the sensation. Being prepared this time, he could feel it much more clearly.
Under the influence of that subtle warmth, he could feel his body growing slightly stronger.
'The effect of this tiger meat seems a bit like that medicinal tea I drink after my daily training.'
Fang Yue thought to himself, sensing the changes in his body.
He glanced over at Fang Ergou, who was simply stuffing his face with meat, showing no unusual reaction.
Then he looked at Zhang Shu. The girl was much more refined, taking small, delicate bites, but she also showed no particular reaction.
'Since neither of them seemed to notice anything, was he just being unworldly?'
"Master, this tiger meat seems special. I feel like it has a... a... a similar effect to the medicinal tea I drink every day."
Before he had even finished speaking, Zhang Shu, who was sitting nearby, chimed in:
"What 'effect'? It's just meat. Why are you making such a big deal out of it? Is it poisoned or something?"
Normally, in a society so steeped in ancient etiquette, it wouldn't have been her place to speak before an elder had.
But Fang Hu, of course, wasn't going to stoop to her level.
"That's right. Your perception is very keen," Fang Hu explained. "The medicinal tea you drink every day contains tiger bone. That, along with a few other herbs, makes up the Little White Tiger Soup, which is essential for practicing the White Tiger Fist."
As he spoke, his gaze toward Fang Yue softened even more.
'This boy's Sensing is truly sharp. He felt its medicinal properties after eating tiger meat for the very first time.'
'As for my own son... he's been at this for years and has eaten tiger meat a dozen times, yet he's never noticed a thing.'
'Indeed, taking Fang Yue as my disciple was the right choice.'
Medicine and martial arts were inseparable. Every realm of Martial Dao cultivation had corresponding medicinal aids.
A practitioner often needed to adjust the dosage based on their own specific cultivation progress to ensure maximum efficiency.
Not to mention, the path of Martial Dao cultivation was fraught with injuries and setbacks.
One could find a physician in the city, but out in the countryside or in the wilderness, where would you find one?
You had to rely on yourself, which naturally meant you needed some medical knowledge.
And a keen sensitivity to the properties of medicinal herbs was a prerequisite for becoming a physician.
Ergou was too simple-minded and reckless; he would never be able to learn something that required such meticulous attention.
Sure enough, no sooner had the words been spoken than Fang Ergou blurted out:
"Dad, Little White Tiger Soup? What's that? What's it for? How come I couldn't tell there was a connection between the tiger meat and the tea? How can meat and tea even be related?"
Fang Ergou looked extremely curious, as if he wouldn't rest until he got a clear answer.
"Just eat your meat and be quiet." Fang Hu shot him a glare, and his sharp tone immediately choked the words back down Fang Ergou's throat.
The latter began muttering something along the lines of, "Fine, don't tell me then, what's the big deal..."
He then began to take out his frustration on the roasted tiger meat, eating it ferociously.
As for Zhang Shu, she was also eating the tiger meat.
And she had a look of intense concentration on her face, trying to feel it for herself. Of course, she knew about the Little White Tiger Soup.
But right now, no matter how hard she tried to sense it, she couldn't feel any connection between the tiger meat and the Little White Tiger Soup.
"Alright, that's enough. Stop thinking about it and finish eating. Get some rest. We have to be on the road tomorrow."
Fang Hu interrupted their thoughts.
But Fang Yue and the others didn't realize that while Fang Hu appeared relaxed, his heart was heavy.
He was wondering: 'Why would a young tiger be all the way out here?'
~~~~~~~
「Da Liushu Village.」
Outside Fang Yue's home.
Ms. Chen was leaning against the main gate, braiding decorative knots with her daughter, Fang Lan.
Things hadn't been as busy at Master Liu's house for the past few days, so she had been able to come home in the afternoon.
"Why hasn't my Zhi'Er returned? He's been gone for so many days... It's almost been ten."
"Xiahe County Town is so far away. I wonder if Zhi'Er has lost weight from hunger."
Ms. Chen continued braiding her knots, but her thoughts were entirely with Fang Yue, who was away from home.
"Mother, Zhi will be fine," Fang Lan comforted her. "He's with Mr. Fang Hu. There's no way he'll be going hungry."
"What about my brother, though? What did the matchmaker say the other day? Is the engagement going to happen? My brother's been walking around in a daze. He's definitely fallen for her."
At the mention of this, Ms. Chen let out a long sigh.
"The girl is a good girl, and your brother has taken a fancy to her. But the bride price... it's too high. They're asking for five taels of silver, five jin of pork, and a bolt of coarse cloth. It's just too much."
In times like these, it was hard enough just to have a full stomach. Such a high bride price was indeed beyond what an average family could afford.
It was too much.