With this group of strong reinforcements guarding the place, I felt much more at ease. Unless the legendary Mohe Big Boss himself came for revenge, in which case no matter how many masters we gathered, it would be useless. I didn't quite understand, but from what Sha Wuji implied, masters at the level of the Mohe Big Boss and the Miao King, dealing with those at the initial stage of Violet Qi seemed like a fight against a weaker opponent.
Could they be at the advanced stage of Violet Qi?
After dinner, I returned to the cave to check on Yao Yao. Her condition had improved significantly since the afternoon.
Zheng Bingbing, her father, along with Chen Lu and Li Bing, went further into the mountains to hunt. With Li Bing, the demon king, around, I didn't need my Qi sensing technique at all. He said that if he just called out to a small animal, it would freeze in place, waiting to be caught. This way, they could even catch them alive, reducing the loss of vital energy from the prey, which was even more beneficial for the eight demons.
Around eight in the evening, Zheng Bingbing and the others returned, bringing more fresh game. Meng Meng carried two rabbits and went back to her cave "upstairs" to eat. I sat in the coffin, keeping Yao Yao company. The coffin was a bit short, so I had to hunch my neck. After sitting for a while, I felt uncomfortable and lay down beside Yao Yao. The width was sufficient.
Perhaps due to the continuous exertion of the past two days, the arrival of strong reinforcements, being in a relatively safe environment, and the sheer quantity of the packed lunch, I felt so full that I was drowsy.
Gradually relaxing, I closed my eyes, my breathing rhythm merging with Yao Yao's. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.
As soon as I entered the dream, Yao Yao crawled onto me, demanding the things I possessed for her healing. Of course, I gave them to her, again and again. I gave them to her five or six times in a row. There was no other plot during this time, just pure, frantic, and maximum-power energy output.
After it was over, I woke up. I turned to look. Yao Yao was still wrapped in toilet paper, indicating it was indeed a dream. Because in the dream, the toilet paper on Yao Yao's body had peeled away like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. The new skin underneath was even better than before, and there were no bullet holes.
However, Meng Meng was also kneeling beside me, wiping her lips with some spare toilet paper.
"You've finished eating?" I asked groggily, thinking she was wiping away rabbit blood.
I tried to get up, but my lower back felt incredibly sore and stiff, possibly due to the hardness of the coffin board.
"I didn't steal any! It was all for the boss!" Meng Meng retorted.
"...What are you talking about?" I grabbed Meng Meng's arm and finally sat up, only to find that my Soul Binding Token at my waist had slipped down quite a bit along with my belt. Perhaps Meng Meng had loosened it for me, worried I was too hot. It was indeed a bit warm in here, as the open space beneath the cave where the coffin was placed had flickering bonfire lights, and I could smell roasting meat.
Climbing down the ladder, I saw that it was indeed barbecue. Zheng Bingbing and Chen Lu were happily roasting a charred object resembling a wild rabbit on the bonfire, skewered on a branch. Zheng Bingbing occasionally sprinkled seasoning on it.
"Wow, brother, you're finally out. Exhausted, aren't you?" Zheng Bingbing asked with a giggle.
"...I was sleeping, what's there to be tired about? What time is it?" I asked, as it was pitch black outside the cave entrance.
"It's past eleven," Chen Lu said. "Come on, have a good補 (bǔ)!"
"補 what?" I asked, confused, as I had eaten a lot for dinner.
"Replenish protein!" Chen Lu pulled the branch back, cut open the rabbit meat with a dagger, looked inside, and shook her head, saying to Zheng Bingbing, "It's not quite done yet, let's roast it a bit longer!"
"Sister, that's where you're wrong. For barbecue, it has to be half-raw to be tender and fresh!" Zheng Bingbing snatched the rabbit meat, cut off a piece with a small knife, and popped it into her mouth. It made a crunching sound, and oil oozed out. It seemed this rabbit was a bit fatty.
"Mmm..." Zheng Bingbing closed her eyes in enjoyment. "So fragrant! Brother, open your mouth, ah—"
I opened my mouth and took a bite, smacking my lips. "A little bland."
Chen Lu immediately grabbed the salt shaker with the character "佛" (Fó) written on it, sprinkled salt on the meat, and put it back on the fire to roast. Then, she slid the rabbit meat off the branch and onto a small coffee table, also bearing the character "佛," and cut the meat into thick, thin slices.
I couldn't help but frown. "This is a bit much, you two. How can you taint things from Han Yan Temple with meat? We'll have to wash them thoroughly when we return them!"
"Forget it!" Chen Lu said, cutting the meat. "The last thing we roasted was a wild pheasant. Back then, when the three of you hadn't finished, Xingyao and his brother ate it even more heartily than we did!"
"...Alright. Oh, wait, the three of us? What do you mean?" I caught the key point and asked, confused.