My Cultivation Techniques Upgrade Automatically

Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Let’s Secure a Bowl of Porridge First

[Deep Red Host]Wu Chen

[Martial Arts Realm]Third Level of the Flesh Refining Realm (Breath Concealment Skill · Third Level of the Body Tempering Realm)

[Martial Arts & Cultivation Techniques]Red Sand Palm (Great Success), Tiger Ferocity Fist (Great Success), Stone-Shattering Saber Technique (Great Success)...

Wu Chen summoned his panel. On it, his realm had once again advanced, jumping from the second level of the Flesh Refining Realm to the third.

This was the result of mastering Zhou Yuntao’s ancestral Martial Art, the Tiger Ferocity Fist, to the state of Great Success.

”Ancestral treasures really are something else.” Wu Chen was in a good mood. He tapped the book tucked into his chest. ’You’re one, too!’

In his chest was Zhang Qing’s ancestral manual. It was crudely drawn, with some parts blurry and indistinct.

That was why he had been studying it repeatedly on his journey, trying to understand it.

Wu Chen’s gaze shifted to the line after his Martial Arts Realm, where some new text had appeared.

[Breath Concealment Skill · Third Level of the Body Tempering Realm]

This was the effect of using Yue Changfeng’s ancestral Breath Concealment Skill to hide his true realm.

Ever since he achieved Great Success with it that night, he had kept his true strength hidden.

His actual strength in the Flesh Refining Realm was unaffected, and he could still use it normally. However, if anyone tried to probe him, they would only sense the realm projected by the Breath Concealment Skill.

This was the Breath Concealment Skill’s greatest use.

’It’s always better to be careful.’ Wu Chen didn’t know what these people were capable of and planned to keep a low profile.

He could, of course, choose to just slaughter his way to his destination.

But what about Liu Linshan and his daughter, or Zhou Yuntao and the others?

Wu Chen preferred to carry out his promises as perfectly as possible.

Wu Chen swaggered over to the porridge stall with the others in tow.

After all, Zhou Yuntao and the other two youths were only fifteen or sixteen, still wet behind the ears.

Even with Wu Chen leading them, their hearts were pounding nervously. They followed behind and asked in a low voice:

”If there’s something wrong with them, then... can we still drink this porridge? It’s not poisoned, is it?”

”It’s not!”

Wu Chen and Liu Linshan spoke in unison, their voices abnormally certain.

Liu Linshan realized he had overstepped and quickly said, ”Young Master Wu, you speak, you speak.”

”If you ask me, the answer is simple.”

Wu Chen didn’t mind. He didn’t beat around the bush and stated his opinion directly:

”These days, water and rice are far more expensive than poison. If they really wanted to harm you, why would they go to all the trouble of cooking a huge pot of porridge? Do they have nothing better to do?”

”Wouldn’t it be easier to just shove a poison pill in your mouth and threaten you with the antidote?”

Liu Linshan nodded. He felt the same way.

Zhou Yuntao thought for a moment and realized it made sense.

They were all so poor they didn’t have a pot to piss in. What could anyone possibly want from them?

Even if it was a massive trap, they had to get a bowl of porridge out of it first!

”Anyway, after we finish the porridge, the people who served it will definitely have something to say to us. We’ll just do as they say,” Wu Chen instructed them specifically while they were waiting in line.

Hearing Wu Chen use the word ’we,’ the people behind him instantly felt much more at ease. ’It seems this god of death is still willing to look after us for a while!’

But Zhou Yuntao was still a little curious. He lowered his voice and asked:

”Young Master Wu, if we don’t eat their porridge and just leave, we shouldn’t get on their bad side, right?”

”I could choose not to eat the beef.”

Wu Chen grinned. ”But you can’t.”

’Beef?’

Although he didn’t know why Wu Chen had brought up beef, Zhou Yuntao quickly understood what he meant.

’You’re a refugee who’s been starving on the road. If you don’t eat the food I’m giving away, doesn’t that mean you can tell there’s something wrong with me?!’

’And if you already know there’s something wrong, how could I possibly let you go?’

So, there must be a checkpoint set up by them on the road ahead. Anyone who took the main road would inevitably end up facing a blade.

And among the thirty-odd refugees present, only Wu Chen could likely get through that checkpoint unscathed!

Which meant it was just as Wu Chen had said. He was the only one who could eat the porridge if he wanted to, and refuse it if he didn’t, and no one could do a thing about it.

Even if he flipped the table and told everyone not to eat, no one could stop him.

”Alright, everyone line up properly.”

As they were speaking, several sturdy men dressed in short, coarse brown clothes with long sabers at their waists, who had been standing on either side of the porridge stall, walked among the refugees to maintain order and distribute the porridge.

”One bowl per person! Come back for more when you’re finished!”

Soon, everyone present received a generous bowl of porridge so thick you could stand a chopstick up in it.

Zhou Yuntao held his bowl, his expression somber as he slurped at the edge.

It was as if this soft, sweet porridge was something incredibly difficult to swallow.

He sighed softly, understanding that he and the others were once again dragging Wu Chen down.

’If he weren’t honor-bound to escort us south, would he need to face down a hundred demons alone?’

’If he wasn’t worried that blades have no eyes in the chaos of battle and that he might not be able to protect the few of us, Wu Chen would have probably just slaughtered his way through by now.’

’Why would he need to dawdle like this and wade into these muddy waters?’

In no time at all, several refugees who had been starving for a long time had already downed their second bowl of piping hot porridge.

Many were still not satisfied. They licked their bowls clean but still felt a craving, their eyes turning to the large pot in the stall.

Seeing that the pot was already scraped clean, the refugees, having eaten their fill and regained some of their Qi Power, started eyeing the bowls of those who were still eating.

However, when they felt the guards’ cold gazes fall upon them, they immediately calmed down and behaved, waiting for the host to serve a second round.

But they didn’t get a second round of porridge. Instead, a hearty laugh rang out from the side:

”HAHAHA! Everyone, it seems this bit of soup wasn’t enough to satisfy you all!”

’Hm, the man in charge is here?’

Hearing the voice, Wu Chen, who had been savoring his first hot meal in this world, finished the rest of his porridge in one big SLURP and sized up the newcomer.

The man was round as a ball, with a large potbelly, yet he walked surprisingly fast. In just a few steps, he came from a small path at the foot of the mountain and appeared before the porridge stall.

His round face had chubby, rosy cheeks, and his smiling eyes were squeezed into a thin line, glinting with a shrewd light.

He wore fine silk robes and a jade archer’s ring on his thumb, looking every bit the part of a wealthy patriarch.

He announced to the crowd in a loud voice:

”First, a simple introduction. My name is Qian Fugui, and I’m the head of the Zhuangzi behind the mountain to your left.”

”I’ve been a kindhearted person since I was young. I can’t bear to see people go hungry, so I set up this stall to give out porridge to everyone fleeing the famine.”

”But... after all, the village is quite far from here, and a fair amount of grain is lost during transport...”

Qian Fugui spoke concisely, but then his tone shifted abruptly. Wu Chen raised an eyebrow. He knew the main point was coming.

’Generally, whenever someone is speaking, you can pretty much ignore everything that comes before the word ’but.’ It’s what comes after that you have to watch out for.’

Qian Fugui continued:

”The journey is long and difficult, and it’s hard to transport grain, not to mention... if I just keep giving out food day after day like this, even if I had a mountain of gold and silver at home, I’d eventually go broke...”

He sighed as he spoke, looking somewhat sad, as if he pitied the state of the world.

”But luckily, my family has some businesses. The problem is, all the young people in the village have gone to the cities to make their fortunes, so we’re desperately short on hands.”

”I hope you will all come with me to do some work in the Zhuangzi. I have also prepared a welcome feast for everyone...”

”Work is work no matter where you do it. I’ll go with you!”

His words sounded reasonable. It was work-for-relief, something the government also practiced.

A clear voice immediately agreed. It was Wu Chen, standing in the crowd.

As he spoke, he even raised his arm in a grand gesture, making himself conspicuous as if he were afraid they wouldn’t let him go.

”Then I’ll stay.”

”I’ll stay too.”

With Wu Chen taking the lead, and considering that two bowls of porridge really weren’t much—certainly not enough to last them for the next ten-plus days of travel—everyone soon agreed.

Soon, everyone had agreed to stay, deciding to go work in the village to earn their keep.

They would think about leaving after they had regained their strength.

Qian Fugui was stunned for a moment. He had prepared a whole speech to convince the group to stay, and the words were right on the tip of his tongue.

Things like, ’Our village has already taken in many people, you might find your family and friends there,’ or ’The government has no spare grain, it’s pointless to keep going forward!’ and ’You’re already here, might as well have a proper meal before you leave.’

He had repeated these lines countless times recently.

And now, with a single youth raising his arm and shouting, all of it was useless?

This feeling of being cut off, of having the words stuck in his throat, unable to come out or go down, made Qian Fugui extremely uncomfortable.