Chapter 115: Honey-Glazed Braised Pork Belly

"Thank you, Master!"

Chu Ping expressed his gratitude, but his loyalty did not increase this time. It seemed that once loyalty reached ninety, it hit a bottleneck, making it impossible to raise it rapidly as before.

Ye Da had a hunch, however... if he didn't treat Chu Ping now and instead waited until he was down to his last drop of blood, he would surely gain loyalty points for saving his life. But Ye Da didn't do that; after all, that would be too wicked! He wasn't that kind of person. Sometimes, people just needed a little bit of sincerity between them.

"Here you go!" Ye Da handed three vials of red vitality potion to Chu Ping. "Freshly made."

"Do you need help, or can you manage on your own?"

When Ye Da returned to the bathroom with the medicine, Chu Ping was already showering. Large patches of dead skin were being washed off his body, including his scalp. At this moment, Chu Ping looked like a skinned man, which was quite gruesome. To avoid making Chu Ping feel awkward, Ye Da asked that extra question.

"Thank you, My Lord. I... I can do it myself." Chu Ping seemed to realize his current state was quite unsightly, so he quickly turned his face away, not daring to meet Ye Da's eyes.

"Alright, take your time washing. No rush." Ye Da placed the three vials on the bathroom floor and considerately closed the door behind him. "I'm going to make some lunch. Just take your time."

...

"Argh!!!"

Painful cries echoed from the bathroom from time to time. Ye Da guessed he must be pulling out the spearhead lodged in his chest. Being stabbed for the first time and pulling it out for the first time was bound to be painful; Ye Da could understand that. To avoid making Chu Ping feel embarrassed, Ye Da intentionally chopped vegetables very loudly in the kitchen!

"Thud!"
"Thud, thud, thud!"

The sound of chopping couldn't drown out the man's screams, but at least it prevented the environment from being too quiet, which would have made Chu Ping feel overly awkward. It was like passing gas in a quiet room versus doing so in a karaoke room; while the singing in a KTV might not necessarily mask the sound, it could alleviate the embarrassment, allowing you to at least deceive yourself into thinking no one heard.

"Sizzle!"
"Sizzle!!"

After chopping the vegetables, Ye Da began stir-frying on the stove built into the fireplace. The design was simple: the sides were made of stone, and the top was sealed with an iron plate. Once the firewood underneath was lit, the iron plate would naturally heat up. Placing a pot on it worked just like an induction cooker. Of course, if the heat wasn't enough, you could half-close the fireplace door to prevent heat loss, raising the temperature of the fireplace and, consequently, the iron plate.

There wasn't much time for a lunch break, so Ye Da quickly prepared two dishes. By the time Chu Ping emerged, Ye Da had just finished cooking!

"Thump!"

As soon as Chu Ping stepped out of the bathroom, he knelt on the ground with a thud and bowed to Ye Da. "Thank you, Master, for giving me a new lease on life. I... I have finally recovered!"

"Are you... sure?" Ye Da looked at Chu Ping's face, feeling a mix of amusement and helplessness.

Although the corroded skin had grown back under the nourishment of the vitality potion—and while there was a color difference between the new and old skin—at least it didn't look as gruesome as before. His hair had also regrown, leaving a dark layer of short fuzz on his head that looked like a poorly trimmed buzz cut. He looked more like a human, but for one thing: Chu Ping’s lips were pitch black, and his face was as pale as paper, making him look like someone who had been deeply poisoned and was on the verge of death.

It reminded Ye Da that Chu Ping's poison hadn't been cleared yet. The guy had just suffered a major injury and used the vitality potion to accelerate cell regeneration; this very act had likely caused the toxins in his body to circulate even faster throughout his system. He was now more poisoned than before!

Chu Ping touched his face and looked at the soft skin on his hands, puzzled. "My Lord, is there something wrong?"

"Er..." Ye Da hesitated for a moment, debating whether to tell Chu Ping the truth. But he thought to himself, since he didn't have the antidote, what would be the point of saying anything? It would only increase Chu Ping’s anxiety. So, he simply said, "No, nothing is wrong. You’ve recovered well. Come, let's eat!"

"Oh, it smells so good!"

"We're a bit pressed for time at noon, and we have plenty to do this afternoon, so I just threw together a couple of dishes. Help yourself." Ye Da pried open a bamboo tube of rice and topped the empty half with bacon-fried bamboo shoots and honey-braised pork.

"Gulp!"

Chu Ping’s nose twitched, and he swallowed hard. His eyes were fixed on the bamboo rice and the meat dishes Ye Da handed over, his mouth nearly watering. "My Lord, you call this 'throwing something together'?"

"You have no idea what I’ve been eating these past few days."

"Sob..."

"Although Long Yi distributes materials and money, he’s very stingy with food. If the hunting team is lucky enough to catch game, we get a bite of meat. If they aren't, we’re stuck eating vegetable salads that even dogs wouldn't touch—or whatever random plants they happen to pick. I haven't had a proper meal in days!"

"I never imagined you would give me such precious white rice and meat, sob..."

As Chu Ping took the bamboo rice and dishes, he was so moved he began to weep. To him, this was truly incredible! If he had known that following the Lord meant having such good food, he would have come to defect much sooner!

"Don't worry. As long as you follow me honestly, I will never let you go hungry." Ye Da patted Chu Ping on the shoulder and added a large piece of brownish-red braised pork to his rice. "Eat up! It'll get cold if you don't!"

"Yes!!!"

Chu Ping nodded vigorously. But when he looked down at the braised pork on the white rice, he saw the meat trembling slightly from his sobs. The glistening, oily pork looked just like a captivating woman from a pleasure house, leaning out of a balcony with a silk scarf, beckoning, "Come and eat me, sir, come and eat!"

Chu Ping gently picked up the tempting piece of braised pork with his bamboo chopsticks. Even before he brought it to his lips, he could smell the rich, savory aroma of the meat.