Chapter 156: Explaining Meat Through Poetry

When Song Mu arrived at the kitchen with a hint of lingering anger, several scholars from the Jizhou Academy, having witnessed the recent scene, walked over with looks of bewilderment to inquire about his well-being.

Song Mu waved his hand without saying much, simply entering the kitchen to boil a pot of water before heading to the bathhouse to wash up.

Before long, Song Mu emerged refreshed in a clean set of clothes, having already cast the previous incident to the back of his mind.

Allowing himself to be vexed by the provocations of a few ignorant fellows simply did not suit his style.

Therefore, upon coming out, Song Mu first went to boil another pot of water and carried it up to the attic. Tao Fengming had already woken up, sitting by the window draped in a robe. He watched Song Mu's actions without making a comment.

"Master, you haven't bathed in a few days either. I've brought water for you."

Song Mu spoke up, prompting Tao Fengming to nod and stand up. When Song Mu stepped forward to offer support, Tao Fengming raised a hand to stop him.

"I am not yet unable to walk."

As Tao Fengming said this, his entire body let out a series of popping sounds like bursting beans—though not resembling the phenomenon of Song Mu's recent advancement. He then sniffed at his own clothes, frowned, and nodded.

"Indeed, there is quite a scent. Jingzhao, thank you for your trouble."

Song Mu merely smiled and bowed in farewell, but Tao Fengming called out to him once more.

"It is good for a young man to be full of vigor, but certain petty individuals will not necessarily back down just because of a word or two from you."

Hearing this, Song Mu nodded in acknowledgment, indicating that he understood. Only then did a satisfied Tao Fengming let him go downstairs.

Descending to the open ground, Song Mu washed his discarded garments and hung them out to dry before taking a stroll around to observe the village's condition. Naturally, most of this area was under the jurisdiction of the Jizhou Academy. Just then, he heard a commotion coming from the east and looked up.

A procession was making its way toward the village entrance—it was the hunting party returning from the day's expedition.

Although the Jizhou Academy had arranged a rest period for the day, other academies still had their quotas and tasks. As Song Mu looked closer, he recognized an acquaintance walking at the front.

It was Xing Zhengyang from the Fuzhou Academy.

Behind him, a horse-drawn cart carried a massive wild boar. The beast already bore the distinct aura of a fiend, measuring three or four meters in length and possessing an astonishing weight that left deep ruts in the hardened ground of the village path.

Many people witnessed this remarkable sight and hurriedly gathered around. Xing Zhengyang, conversing with a few companions, stepped up onto higher ground and cupped his hands toward the surrounding crowd.

"Fellow scholars, today we were fortunate enough to encounter this wild boar fiend in a ravine while accompanied by the brothers of the Night Watch. After expending quite a bit of effort, we finally managed to slay it."

"The food we've had these past few days has been rather bland. Today, everyone is welcome to come and take a share of the meat. The Night Watch brothers mentioned that although this boar meat is a bit coarse, it has been nourished by fiendish Qi and will greatly benefit us all!"

At these words, the others broke into applause and cheers.

Standing in the distance, Song Mu watched with a sense of wonder. During previous hunting excursions, the teams frequently harvested meat from the fiend beasts they felled to use as provisions.

After all, fiend beasts were not yet true fiend soldiers, and their flesh had not reached the tough, difficult-to-cook state typical of higher-level creatures, making them excellent ingredients.

Moreover, it was said that certain regions specifically raised captive fiend beasts, treating them as delicacies to supply wealthy households and nobility with exotic meats.

Even the Dengfeng venison that Song Mu had learned about over the past few days came from a peculiar nine-pronged white deer, possessing only two main properties: replenishing blood and Qi, and strengthening the physique.

Naturally, the price of such ingredients skyrocketed. Even an ordinary imperial scholar could never afford to chew on them as casual snacks the way Tao Fengming did.

This once again highlighted Tao Fengming's formidable status from a different angle.

"Junior Brother Song, come along with us! Today we shall break our fast with some fine meat!"

While Song Mu was observing from afar, Fu Zefeng walked over and called out to invite him.

Fu Zefeng and several other cultivated scholars were holding various tools in their hands as they headed toward the village entrance.

Song Mu smiled and nodded, accompanying them toward the front.

Outside the village gates, several scholars were using all their strength to unload the wild boar from the cart, preparing to make a fire right there in the fields.

Most of the scholars wore martial attire, unbothered by the dirt and grime. They rolled up their sleeves, picked up their tools, and called upon their peers to help.

Song Mu stepped closer as well. The wild boar emitted a wave of foul odor, but its colossal size was undeniable; judging by appearance alone, the creature likely weighed at least a metric ton.

"Everyone, stand back a bit! Let me rinse the stench off this boar first!"

A booming voice rang out. As Song Mu and the others looked over, they saw a robust man rolling up his sleeves and pulling two sheets of literary paper from his pocket.

"Bathed in the Huaqing Pool during the biting chill of spring, the waters of the hot spring washed over her smooth, translucent skin."

A recitation of an excerpt from Bai Juyi's *Song of Everlasting Regret* vanished into effect as the man used his literary power, instantly transforming into a massive sphere of water that hovered before him. The surrounding onlookers burst into cheers at the sight.

"The furnace fires illuminate the heavens, red sparks mingle with purple smoke."

At that moment, another person nearby recited a verse—none other than Li Bai's *Qiupu Song*, a poem originally used to describe the flames of smelting bronze.

A ball of fierce fire immediately materialized beneath the sphere of water, roasting it intensely. Within mere moments, the mass of water turned into a rolling, steaming hot liquid.

The robust man shouted and hurled the water sphere at the suspended wild boar. The water instantly enveloped the carcass, sending up billowing clouds of steam.

A wave of even more pungent and fishy vapor rushed toward the crowd, causing everyone to cover their noses and back away. At that instant, someone stepped forward and cast another poem.

"A mighty gale arises, and the clouds fly high!"

As the verses of the *Song of the Great Wind* took effect, a brisk breeze swept through, instantly dispersing the foul odor without a trace.

The suspended wild boar also appeared much cleaner than before.

Witnessing this scene, Song Mu clicked his tongue in quiet amazement.

Although it seemed somewhat lacking in scholarly refinement for a group of literati to use such elegant poetry to clean a wild boar in the wilderness, these clever applications were techniques they had learned in the army, and they performed them with practiced ease.

Furthermore, utilizing literary power in this manner truly demonstrated the depth of their foundational skills.

"I heard that the mess cooks in the military camp nearby have to prepare meals for three thousand people every day, and the cauldrons they use can hold three hundred pounds of rice in a single batch."

"Whether it's cooking meals or other chores, they handle everything using these exact methods."

Fu Zefeng remarked with keen interest, keeping his eyes fixed on the spectacle before them.

Song Mu nodded in agreement. This was simply making the most of available resources. In an era where literary power was wielded, such abilities might still seem lofty and profound among ordinary commoners.

However, within the military and the estates of high officials, the practical application of literary power had long since permeated daily life.

No one considered it unrefined; instead, it was simply found to be immensely convenient.

Seeing that the exterior of the wild boar had been sufficiently scrubbed, someone stepped forward holding a Tang saber, chanted a poem to sharpen the blade, and immediately set about disembowelling the beast.

The atmosphere grew even livelier, and Fu Zefeng led the others forward to lend a hand.

Song Mu did not hesitate either. Having grown up stoking fires at home, helping to pin down pig legs, and serving dishes—right up until graduate school when he finally earned the right to sit and record gift donations—these chores were second nature to him.

The group of scholars chatted and laughed, giving the occasion almost the festive air of a holiday.

"Brother Song, I finally get to see you again! I haven't been able to catch sight of you around the village these past few days."

As Song Mu was helping to detach a hind leg of the boar and toss it onto a temporarily conjured earthen table, Xing Zhengyang, who was busy carving up the meat with his blade, looked over and greeted him with a smile.

Song Mu laughed heartily and replied.

"Forgive me, forgive me! But Brother Xing, dressed like a butcher today, you certainly caught me by surprise."

Xing Zhengyang let out a loud laugh, his hands moving with incredible speed as he continued to slice the meat.

"Who would have thought? We aren't standing on ceremony these days. Besides, if you trace my ancestry back a few generations, my family really did start out as butchers."