Would a Madman Roast Meat?

He Lingchuan frowned. "What do you mean?" "When you eat roast chicken, do you prefer to start with the wings and legs, or the breast?" "The legs, of course! If I don't grab them, someone else will." Back in the boys' dorms, mealtime had always been a saga of ravenous wolves. But He Lingchuan caught on at once. "Are you saying they were eaten by people?" Maotao picked up another bone from the ground. "There are scorch marks on this one." Not only had they eaten human flesh, they had roasted it. He Lingchuan felt his stomach churn. Every time he thought he had finally grown accustomed to this world, it pushed past his limits once more. "Were they insane? Why would they eat their own companions?" "They weren't insane." Nian Songyu uncovered several more broken bones, all charred down one side. "Have you ever seen a madman build a fire to roast meat?" Maotao let out a sigh as well. "Eldest Young Master, when people eat people, it's usually because they're starving to death." Peace was rare in this world. In times of famine, commoners sold a son one day, a wife the next, or even traded children to eat. Amid the fires of war, armies frequently seized civilians as emergency food stores, calling them "two-legged sheep"; some generals had even published books detailing which parts of the human body tasted best and how to cook them. Cannibalism had existed since antiquity, and the present era was no exception. "There's no water and no food here. They were trapped until they died!" Nian Songyu turned to Sun Fuping. "National Preceptor, what do we do?" Panlong City appeared prosperous, but living people could not ingest a single thing here. If they stayed too long, they would either die of thirst or starve. If they failed to find the Dafang Pot, they would follow right in the footsteps of the expedition from the Baling Kingdom! Sun Fuping, however, remained calm. "No matter. Keep looking. Do not forget that we still have something to rely on." He truly was composed, maintaining the demeanor of an aloof master even now. *The old bastard really does have a hidden trump card. Is that why Nian Songyu dared to venture this deep with him?* He Lingchuan watched the two of them closely and noticed that after Sun Fuping spoke, Nian Songyu glanced his way. The glance was subconscious; Nian Songyu looked away after a single flicker, acting as though nothing had happened. But alarm bells rang violently in He Lingchuan's mind. *Why did he look at me? Does their life-saving method have something to do with me?* The moment the thought surfaced, his heart skipped two beats. Yet on second thought, it was not the final hour just yet. Sun Fuping probably would not lay his cards on the table immediately. With just himself and Maotao, it was impossible to contend against Sun and Nian. He Lingchuan made up his mind: the instant those two made a move, he would turn tail and run without a second word. The Panlong Wasteland was vast; they might not necessarily find him. For now, however, the hope of completing the mission still rested on Sun Fuping. He Lingchuan could almost smell the impending danger, and his mind grew sharper than usual. "Since they held out until they were driven to cannibalism, they must have stayed here for a long time. Didn't they figure anything out? If we could find what they discovered, it might save us a lot of trouble." He walked over to two large vats where a good deal of clutter lay scattered—things that did not belong in an ice cellar. This made complete sense. Sun Fuping and Nian Songyu exchanged a glance and nodded. The clothes and rags on the ground were nearly picked through, leaving a few empty bottles and a mess of odds and ends. The four of them could be certain these were relics left behind by the Baling expedition, but after rummaging through everything, they found nothing useful. Sun Fuping was not discouraged. He stood up and said, "This cellar was only used to discard leftover bones; the ones who ate them aren't here. We'll split up to search. You pair up with Commandant Nian." He pointed at Maotao. "Young Master He will come with me." He Lingchuan's eyes flickered. "Why not split into four groups? More hands would cover more ground." "There may still be unknown dangers in the city; we shouldn't separate completely." As soon as Sun Fuping finished speaking, Nian Songyu turned and strode off with Maotao. *Are they afraid I'll find a place to hide on my own?* He Lingchuan grew increasingly certain that the pair intended to plot against him later. Still, he maintained a deferential posture toward Sun Fuping. "After you, National Preceptor." ... Walking along the empty street, He Lingchuan could not resist asking Sun Fuping, "Even if we find the Dafang Pot, can it truly turn the tide of the war and quell the rebels at Woling Pass?" "In theory, yes. Otherwise, why would we go to such great lengths?" Sun Fuping walked briskly, evidently seeing no target of interest along this road. "If it's truly that useful, why didn't Zhong Shengguang use it to fight his way back into the Xiluo Kingdom?" He Lingchuan had harbored this doubt for a long time. "In the end, he and his people remained trapped in this enclave until they were surrounded and wiped out." "Divine relics of that caliber always come with many restrictions on their use. Or perhaps the heavenly deity who bestowed the treasure had other designs back then." "Then what if we can't break through those restrictions either?" "There is no need for you to worry about that." Sun Fuping was entirely confident. "As long as we find the Dafang Pot, I have my own ways of breaking the restrictions." He Lingchuan was dubious. The old man had never even seen the Dafang Pot, nor did he know what seals were placed on it, yet he dared to guarantee he could unravel them? It was like a physician prescribing medicine without ever seeing the patient, merely asking about a few symptoms without taking a pulse, conducting an examination, or inquiring into the history. Moreover, he had said "break," which sounded like forcing them open. Yet the old man did not look the least bit insecure. Sun Fuping glanced at him, so He Lingchuan said, "Once the Dafang Pot is retrieved, my father and the rest of us will finally be able to return to the capital. When that time comes, I hope the National Preceptor will look after us." Sun Fuping smiled. "Of course. You and your father have aided me in retrieving a divine relic; your merit is immense." "Commandant Nian seems to have some..." He Lingchuan cleared his throat lightly. "...misunderstanding with me. Did I offend him somewhere?" "The Governor of Xunzhou is leading troops to quell the rebellion, so Commandant Nian is likely worried," Sun Fuping consoled him offhandedly. "Young men can rarely keep their composure. Lose a few nights of sleep, and the fire in their blood flares up, spoiling their temper." He Lingchuan appeared somewhat sheepish. "Could I trouble the National Preceptor to mediate between us?" *Has this boy finally learned some awe and respect?* It was only natural for him to be afraid. First, He Chunhua and the Blackwater City army were not here, stripping away his previous backing. Second, the He family, father and son, had always dreamed of returning to the capital in glory. In a place like that, how would a petty official dare offend the General Pacifying the North? It was only right for him to bow, scrape, and take care to stay on good terms. At the thought, Sun Fuping's smile grew even gentler. "A trifling matter." He Lingchuan looked appropriately grateful. "Many thanks, National Preceptor!" By now, the two had traveled several tens of zhang from the Chen estate, still without finding anything. He Lingchuan leapt onto a roadside roof, muttering as he scanned the surroundings: "If I were one of the Baling people, about to starve or die of thirst, where would I go to try my luck?" He was in desperate need of luck himself. If they were trapped here long enough and Sun and Nian ran out of rations and water, there was no telling whether the two would turn to him and Maotao for a meal. If it truly came to that, the one who struck to kill might very well be National Preceptor Sun, despite his kind and benevolent appearance. No, they would strike early. Dry rations could keep for a long time, after all, while flesh and blood could not. Consuming the meat first and saving the dry rations for later made far more sense. Besides, fresh meat was more fragrant, more tender, and far more nutritious...