Chapter 133: A Poison with Eastern Characteristics

Bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new.

This is the meaning of the New Year.

It is also the beautiful prayer of countless suffering people.

Bidding farewell to the old body, welcoming a new life.

At present, Xu Xi cannot yet ensure that every single person in the Qiuhuo Army can live a happy and wonderful life.

But at this time of New Year transition, Xu Xi felt that some things could be done.

For instance, letting everyone in the Qiuhuo Army have a "good" meal.

"A-Niu, catch those chickens."

"Goudan, hurry, hurry, surround them!"

"Chase! Chase! Chase!"

On the outskirts of Pingshui County, Xu Xi led a large group of disheveled, starving people, setting up many large iron pots and pouring water and rice into them.

Not far away, A-Niu and a few others were busy catching free-range chickens.

Relying on their seasoned experience.

They quickly captured the chickens.

After carefully cleaning them, they chopped the chicken meat into fine, small pieces, not even sparing the bones.

The number of people in the Qiuhuo Army was too large; wanting everyone to eat meat was a highly unrealistic task.

Xu Xi could only use this method to spread the chicken meat throughout the entire pot of rice soup, allowing everyone who drank the soup to taste a hint of meat.

In reality, there wasn't even enough rice.

Therefore, he could only pour water into the rice, lots and lots of water.

In the end.

Even wheat bran was added.

Wheat bran didn't taste good, but compared to the cold, bitter demon meat, in the eyes of the starving people, it was as precious as a delicacy on earth.

"Boom—!"

"Boom—!"

Under Xu Xi's gaze, a dozen large iron pots began to burn fiercely.

The firewood burned intensely, constantly crackling, with scorching flames licking the bottom of the iron pots, transferring that heat into the water.

Gradually.

The water began to boil.

Someone stepped forward, carefully sprinkling a tiny bit of salt into the pots.

The fierce fire rose high, and steam billowed out.

At some point, people began to gather around the large pots, staring intently at the boiling water, their throats bobbing from time to time.

The scent of the porridge was very faint, as too much water had been added.

Whether it was the finely chopped chicken meat or the salt sprinkled in earlier, it was hard to smell anything from it.

What could be smelled.

Was only pure steam.

Yet even so, the people's eyes remained filled with longing.

Like looking at a rare and precious treasure, they suppressed the stomach acid rising in their bellies, swallowing their saliva over and over again, patiently waiting for the rice soup to be ready.

Finally, the rice soup was ready.

The people of the Qiuhuo Army looked toward Xu Xi in unison. Only after Xu Xi nodded with a smile did they scramble to scoop up the rice soup.

The rice soup was very hot, and ninety percent of it was water.

It was so hot that people cried out.

The water drunk entered through the mouth but flowed out from the eyes; the more they drank, the more they cried.

"Brother Xu, it's so hot, so hot!" A-Niu used his rough, large hands to hold the bowl, drinking the rice soup in big gulps. He smacked his lips from the heat, yet he couldn't stop wanting to keep drinking.

"It's really delicious."

After finishing.

A-Niu gave such a simple evaluation, and licked his lips, still wanting more.

He then used his tongue to carefully lick the rim of the bowl, cleaning off the soup stains.

"Do you like it, A-Niu?"

"Mm, I like it!"

Looking at the honest man in front of him, Xu Xi advised, "It's good that you like it, but next time you drink it, don't be in such a hurry."

"Hehe, I know, Brother Xu!"

A-Niu scratched his head and gave a silly laugh.

He scooped up another bowl, not to drink himself this time, but to take to his mother not far away.

There were too many people in the Qiuhuo Army.

Even if they kept adding water, adding it endlessly.

The rice soup in the iron pots was still limited; each person could only get one small bowl, no more.

The people had no objections to this. After enjoying the goodness of the rice soup, they would wear a happy smile on their faces and go back to gnawing on the dry, hard-to-chew demon meat.

Eating quickly, eating with laughter.

The hearts that had once been cold, withered, and dead.

Seemed to have been completely warmed by that one small bowl of rice soup.

"It will get better in the future…" Xu Xi watched the crowded masses, his gaze sweeping over each smiling face, and his mood improved significantly.

"It's time to go back; there is still a lot of government business to handle."

"Regarding the Cultivation Technique, and the second Innate realm, I also need to continue my research. I have a premonition that I am not far from the Soul-Containing Realm."

Xu Xi turned around.

About to return to the official residence.

But he heard the shouts of A-Niu and others behind him.

They ran over quickly and handed him a large plate, in the middle of which were two large, plump chicken legs.

These were for "Grand Master Xu" and "Little Master Wu".

The people said, enthusiastically handing over the plate, wanting Xu Xi to take it.

Xu Xi was slightly taken aback. Meeting those expectant eyes, he suddenly realized that he probably couldn't refuse their kindness.

At the very least, not eating a bite was impossible.

Thus.

Xu Xi smiled, using his Protective Aura as a knife to cut a large piece of meat from the oily chicken leg, and under the gaze of the people, he tossed it into his mouth and chewed.

"It's really delicious," the fat burst in his mouth, bringing the fragrance of oil.

Clearly, no seasonings had been added.

Yet it was incredibly delicious.

"Extraordinary, they actually added ingredients to it…" Xu Xi murmured to himself. What was added to the chicken leg was the expectation of tens of thousands of commoners.

It was something formless and intangible, yet it carried a deadly attraction.

It was a "poison" with unique Eastern characteristics.

After one bite, it was difficult to break free from it.

"It's time to go back," Xu Xi used his Protective Aura to cut off the remaining meat on the chicken leg and re-boiled it into a pot of "meat soup."

The churning from his stomach made Xu Xi really want to eat it all.

But reason reminded Xu Xi.

If he didn't eat this meat, it wouldn't affect anything.

However, for these suffering people before him, this might very well be the last "meat" of their lives.

No one knew how many people in the Qiuhuo Army would still be alive next year.

As for the chicken leg for Wu Yingxue, Xu Xi did not touch it.

He was willing to give up his own things, but he would not force others to be the same as him.

"That child is also working very hard."

"During this time, she has been helping to slay demons, collecting enough demon flesh and blood to alleviate the food shortage in the city."

"Moreover, she has also helped me handle quite a lot of government business."

"In terms of reason and sentiment, a chicken leg as a reward is something Yingxue deserves; one could even say it's too little."

Xu Xi wrapped the chicken leg in his Protective Aura.

He stepped into the air and returned to the county town at an extremely fast speed.

But when he arrived at the girl's residence, he found the room empty, pitch black and dim, not even a candle lit.

"Strange, is she not home?"

Xu Xi was puzzled and could only return to the official residence first. Pushing open the creaking wooden door, after entering the room, he saw the young girl sleeping soundly on the table.