With the deal made, Han Yu was now eager.
"What do I cook, though?" Han Yu asked.
"The wolf I killed," the man replied.
"But where is it?" The boy looked around, seeing nothing resembling a carcass.
In response, the ghostly man casually picked up a stone and hurled it.
"FUCK!" Han Yu ducked as the stone whizzed over his head.
A second later, a branch snapped, and something heavy landed with a loud thud. Han Yu lifted his head and gazed at the fallen carcass.
"How did it get up there?" He also noticed a broken branch still attached to it. 'Did this lunatic tie it to the tree?'
"Cook it now," the man ordered.
"Alright," Han Yu said as he approached the carcass. "Wait... I don't have a knife." He frowned.
"You don't even have a knife?" The man looked at him as if he were the most pitiful creature in existence.
"So what?" Han Yu shot back.
"Fine," the man sighed and stood up.
Han Yu instinctively stepped back in fear, watching as the man grabbed the wolf carcass as if it were a pillow.
Han Yu's eyes widened in horror as the man tore apart the carcass with his bare hands like it was wet paper. He ripped through flesh, sinew, and bone as if it were all made of tofu.
"Cook this now," the man commanded, tossing the now neatly separated chunks of meat onto the ground.
"O-okay!" Han Yu yelped, afraid the man might decide to do the same to him. What the fuck? Is that a man or a beast?!
The sheer brute strength this man had just demonstrated was beyond anything Han Yu had ever seen. Even the strongest warrior in his village, would struggle to break bones with his bare hands. But this guy? He did it like he was peeling an orange.
Han Yu gulped, reevaluating everything.
'No way... could he really be a warrior? Han Yu thought. Or even... a cultivator?! A beggar like him?!'
He had read stories about powerful warriors disguising themselves as beggars, waiting for the right disciple to come along. When he was younger, he used to give food and money to random beggars, hoping one would reveal themselves as a hidden master and take him as a disciple. All he got in return was laughter and, on one occasion, a kick from an ungrateful old man.
'Wait! If he really is an expert, then he might actually know real martial arts! Han Yu's eyes sparkled. I have to exploit this! I won't get an opportunity again!'
With newfound motivation, Han Yu quickly fashioned some large skewers capable of holding the hefty chunks of meat and began to cook with enthusiasm. He even had a cheerful hum as if he were an esteemed royal chef preparing a feast for the emperor.
A few minutes later, the enticing aroma of sizzling wolf meat filled the air. Han Yu had never cooked such a large portion of meat before—it was easily three times more than anything he'd ever prepared.
As he cooked, he cast a sneaky glance at the ghostly man. 'He won't mind if I eat some too, right? After all, he did say I could have it for free.'
While he was still planning his meal strategy, the ghostly man had already picked up a skewer and begun devouring it. Before Han Yu even finished cooking his portion, all the meat he had already prepared was gone.
'MY MEAT! MY PRECIOUS MEAT!' A tear almost rolled down his cheek.
He took a deep breath and reassured himself. 'It's fine. It's fine. I'll just eat ten times the meat he does!'
Finally, all the meat was cooked and ready to eat.
"And done!" Han Yu announced. "Freshly grilled wolf meat!" He presented the skewers dramatically atop a makeshift platter of large leaves.
The ghostly man picked up an entire wolf haunch and took a massive bite.
"Humph. Passable," the man grunted as he continued chewing.
Han Yu twitched again. 'Passable?' He almost exploded but held back. 'This isn't a restaurant!' Huffing, he grabbed another leg and bit into it.
A strange warmth surged through Han Yu's stomach.
"Damn! This is so strong!" Han Yu exclaimed, his body tingling. "So much vital energy!"
He immediately got into a battle stance and began executing a series of punches, following a technique he had learned. It was a cheap fist technique, but to Han Yu, it was precious.
The ghostly man watched with mild amusement. To him, it looked like Han Yu was having a seizure while shadowboxing a mosquito.
"What kind of trash technique are you even using?" The man asked, raising an eyebrow.
"This?" Han Yu stopped and puffed his chest. "This is the Fatal Tiger Fists! I bought it for a whole twenty silver coins!" he said proudly.
The ghostly man nearly choked on his meat.
"That? For twenty silver coins? That technique isn't even worth its weight in scrap copper," he scoffed.
"Hey! It's still well-known!" Han Yu defended his precious investment. "Do you have anything better?" he asked, a greedy glint in his eyes.
He had already begun his plan to extract every ounce of value from the mysterious man.
"Hah! I know techniques that you can't even fathom!" The man declared with full confidence.
"Then teach me," Han Yu demanded, his nose held high.
"Bah, like you can even learn them," the man snorted.
"Then what was all that talk about teaching me martial arts?" Han Yu questioned suspiciously.
"That's something even peasants like you can handle," the man said. "But it's still greater than anything this backwater dump has to offer."
"Backwater dump?! This is Oak Head Town, in the Yuran Kingdom!" Han Yu said proudly. "It's the third strongest kingdom in the region!"
The ghostly man looked at him with deadpan disbelief.
"Third strongest?" he echoed. "And you're bragging about third place?"
Han Yu frowned. "It's still better than fourth!"
The ghostly man sighed, shaking his head. This brat really needs a reality check.