The faint, drifting aroma of cooked meat left everyone present bewildered. Under the Chieftain's repeated invitations, they finally picked up their chopsticks, and in no time, the meat in their bowls was completely gone. Following this, the Big Boss declared, "How is it, everyone? Can you feel the heat rising in your bodies?"

As he spoke, the Big Boss reached out and placed the back of his hand on Zhou Huan's head, feeling it. "Hmm, the temperature is definitely up. Let's keep drinking. I'll send someone to take your things to the summit first thing tomorrow morning, and then you can head to the capital as planned. But tonight, I call the shots here. We must eat well and drink well!"

Zhou Huan smiled faintly. "No problem at all. Come on, then!"

To cut a long story short, Zhou Huan and the others drank late into the night. Under the Big Boss's arrangements, these few men were given soft beds to sleep in. The next day, well past the sun rising high, a couple of lackeys knocked on Zhou Huan's door.

"Master Zhou, are you awake? We've brought your meal!" the low-ranking lackey shouted from outside.

Zhou Huan had indeed heard them. He scrambled to sit up, threw on his clothes, and opened the door. He saw two lackeys dressed as cooks carrying two plates of dishes, a bowl of rice, and a bowl of wine, which they set upon the table.

"Master Zhou, our Great Chieftain said he’s going hunting in the woods today and will treat you when he returns tonight."

"Treat me? But we're supposed to leave today! Has he forgotten?" Zhou Huan asked, surprised.

The lackey smiled, "How could the Great Chieftain forget? But he said you absolutely must stay past tonight. Because tomorrow morning, there will be frost and dew on the mountain, which might make travel inconvenient. The path behind the mountain is quite steep, and a single misstep in such weather could send you right down the slope."

"And if we follow your Great Chieftain's wishes?"

"Heh heh, then you stay and eat first!" The lackey finished speaking and turned to leave. Zhou Huan glanced at the two dishes on the table. One was a common home-style dish, and the other was that unforgettable bowl of meat from last night—the intensely savory Twice-Cooked Pork. Shaking his head, Zhou Huan wondered why he was being served this again. It was delicious, but eating it constantly would become tiresome. Nevertheless, he could manage this meal, so after some thought, eating one more time wouldn't matter. Though delicacy should not be overindulged, another helping was acceptable.

However, the moment Zhou Huan put the meat into his mouth, he immediately sensed something was wrong. This batch of meat tasted different from what he had the night before. Last night's meat seemed like pork, but today's tasted like beef. Perhaps there was no more pork on the mountain? Zhou Huan reasoned this way and simply bore with it.

Zhou Huan finished everything—both plates of food, the bowl of rice, and the bowl of wine. After eating, he stepped out to check on his companions, but as soon as he left his room, he saw the old man, Xue, waiting for him at the doorway. "Master Zhou, the Great Chieftain has just returned and is waiting for you in the main hall. Would you like to join him?"

"Ah, alright. Where are my apprentices?" Zhou Huan casually inquired.

Old Man Xue chuckled, "Don't worry, Master. You were all quite drunk last night. The two young ladies dragged you all back to your respective rooms before they went to bed themselves."

"Oh, that’s fine. Tell them to wait for me in my room in a bit."

"Certainly. Don't you worry, I'll collect their dishes and bowls and let them know right away!" Old Man Xue said before turning and walking away.

Zhou Huan was a guest, after all. He couldn't afford to be too presumptuous; he needed to understand the local customs. Moreover, if he needed Old Man Xue's help, being polite was mandatory.

Upon entering the main hall, the three bosses were each carrying a piece of game. The Big Boss held a roe deer, the Second Boss a wild pheasant, and the Third Boss carried nothing in his hands, but a wild boar lay at his feet.

"Master Zhou, take a look at these three—which one shall we have for dinner tonight?" the Big Boss asked Zhou Huan with great enthusiasm, then tossed his own catch onto the floor.

Zhou Huan laughed upon hearing this. "Big Boss, why are you asking me about what to eat in this mountain stronghold? Isn't there a saying: a guest follows the host's convenience? Shouldn't we abide by the wishes of your masters here!"

"Oh, Master Zhou, stop the fussing. Quickly pick one! If you don't choose, I'll stew all three for you?"

Seeing the Big Boss's eager look, as if he were about to cook himself, Zhou Huan quickly smiled, "If the Big Boss is going to cook, then I, Zhou Huan, will help with the prep!"

"Excellent! It's a deal. Let's get moving right away and head to the kitchen." Before they had walked two steps, the Big Boss turned and shouted at a passing lackey, "Hurry to my room and bring back that bottle of seasoning! Bring it to the kitchen immediately, quickly!"

The lackey ran incredibly fast; in the blink of an eye, he vanished.

Zhou Huan and the Big Boss strode toward the kitchen. Old Man Xue was naturally in charge there. Upon seeing Zhou Huan arrive, he reported that the matter he had requested earlier had been handled. Zhou Huan immediately bowed. "Thank you, Uncle. You truly are the diligent gardener here!"

Old Man Xue waved him off. Zhou Huan and the Big Boss entered the kitchen and began their work, tossing all three types of meat into the pots, filling them with water, and setting them to simmer.

Then, the two of them stir-fried a few side dishes. These two seemed quite keen on cooking. When the Twice-Cooked Pork was nearly done, the Big Boss pulled a small porcelain bottle from his pocket. After opening the lid, he was about to pour its contents into the meat.

Zhou Huan immediately moved to stop him, but then he recalled the seasoning the Big Boss had ordered retrieved earlier. Furthermore, the aroma that wafted out after the seasoning was poured into the meat smelled exactly like the meal from the previous night. Thus, Zhou Huan dismissed his doubts.

Just then, the men Zhou Huan had brought arrived in the kitchen, ready to help. As soon as they saw the Big Boss using the seasoning from the small porcelain bottle, Tian Xiong exclaimed, "It seems this seasoning is truly hard to acquire. Otherwise, why use so little in the cooking and keep it stored so carefully?"

"Heh heh, this is my secret recipe. Don't worry, I guarantee the taste will be unforgettable!"

As expected, that night ended in heavy drinking again. Such days continued for three consecutive days. On the fourth day, Zhou Huan finally grew impatient and proactively decided to seek out the Big Boss to ask about their departure. As he stepped out, he once again ran into Old Man Xue.

Anxious, Zhou Huan blurted out, "Grandpa Xue, is it Twice-Cooked Pork again today?"

"Oh, no, Master Zhou. I was waiting for you here. The Great Chieftain asked me to summon you to his private bedroom; he said he has something important to discuss with you."

Zhou Huan grew increasingly confused. The Great Chieftain had been hunting every day for the past few days; why was he suddenly stationary today? Fine, he would go see what this fellow was up to. If there was an issue, he needed to resolve it immediately to avoid being caught unprepared later.

It was at least fifty meters from Zhou Huan's guesthouse to the main house in the rear courtyard where the Big Boss slept. Zhou Huan started running because he was genuinely anxious; if he didn't get out of here soon, there would be too many complications regarding their trip to the capital.

Zhou Huan arrived at the door, which was ajar. He saw the Big Boss tinkering with his needles, first soaking them in wine and then vigorously heating them over a flame.

"Master Zhou has arrived! Quickly, come sit here!" There was a chair near the Big Boss. Zhou Huan hurried forward, leaned close to examine the Big Boss's technique, and then, with a slight push from the Big Boss, he sat down.

"What are you doing? Are you going to perform acupuncture on me?" Zhou Huan suddenly realized the Big Boss might intend to give him acupuncture, perhaps as a self-imposed challenge.

The Big Boss smiled. "Heh heh, Brother Zhou Huan, don't be afraid. If I mess up, I'll personally lead a party to carry you to the capital to find a famous physician. How about that?"

Zhou Huan looked at the situation and recalled the events of the past few days. Perhaps the man was merely trying to help him. So, Zhou Huan calmed down and settled his nerves. "Alright then, Big Boss. When your resting time comes, you can begin. You don't need to announce it to me!"

"Hahahaha, that's best. Wait another quarter of an hour before we start. Otherwise, it won't be right; starting too early might cause trouble!" As soon as he mentioned waiting a quarter of an hour, before he could even finish the sentence, he plunged a long needle directly into the Dazhui acupoint on the back of Zhou Huan's neck.

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