The next morning, Xu Yang, carrying a bamboo basket, arrived once more at the Lu Family's grand mansion.
By then, the slaughterhouse in the back yard was already a hubbub of noise.
"Qinshan!"
"Brother Qinshan!"
"You're here?"
"So early today?"
The butchers greeted him one after another, and Xu Yang nodded in response to each, then turned his attention to the pigs and dogs in the pen, "Why did we collect so many this time? Is there an order from the city, or is a family hosting an event?"
"Don't you know, Qinshan?"
"Not long ago, the second miss sent a message; she's returning from the Hundred Sword Sect today!"
"Heard she's bringing back a new brother-in-law too, a talented young man, truly exceptional. The master is so pleased that he wants to throw a big banquet, specially ordered these animals to be gathered. I heard they even brought back a big yellow ox!"
"Look, here comes the ox!"
"Wow, that's a huge ox, must have cost a lot of silver?"
"Didn't the authorities prohibit the slaughtering of oxen? Isn't the master going to get in trouble with the law this time?"
"Stop spouting nonsense. What slaughtering? This ox died from a fall, and it's already been reported and recorded!"
The crowd was abuzz with their conversations and arguments.
Xu Yang frowned, looking at the yellow ox, but remained silent.
An older butcher approached, "Such a big ox, it's still best if you handle the knife, Qinshan."
"Hmm."
Xu Yang nodded, turned to get his knife, and began sharpening it.
The butchers took out ropes, tied up the yellow ox's hooves, and pulled together, directly toppling it to the ground.
"Moo!!!!"
Perhaps sensing its predicament, the fallen ox bellowed out loud, but to no avail with its hooves tied and its body on the ground, it couldn't struggle. It could only provoke a desolate scene.
Compared to pigs and sheep, oxen and dogs have more spirit. Although the butchers rely on them for food, there's still a bit of taboo in their hearts. They now turned their gaze to Xu Yang, "Qinshan, make it quick for this one."
Xu Yang said little, carrying his bright, sharp knife to the side of the yellow ox and pressing down on its head.
"Moo..."
Confronted by Xu Yang, the yellow ox, which had been crying pitifully, suddenly twitched, its eyes widened in terror, and it became rigid on the spot.
At that moment, Xu Yang plunged the sharp knife into the yellow ox's neck, causing its body to shudder and then become motionless on the ground.
Three years as a butcher had allowed Xu Yang to master the "butchering" skill, and he developed three distinct traits: Evil Qi, Unsheathing the Knife, and Freshness Preservation.
The daze of the yellow ox just now was the result of "Evil Qi". Each time he slaughtered, more Evil Qi accumulated.
Evil Qi, the essence of malevolence, brings ill fortune, having a certain intimidating effect on the minds and spirits of living beings, and it can even harm the soul.
The yellow ox had been stunned by the Evil Qi emanating from Xu Yang, which caused it to lose its senses temporarily, allowing the sharp knife to pierce its vital parts and end its life.
It was a painless death, after all, Xu Yang's butchering skill not only included Evil Qi but also the traits Unsheathing the Knife and Freshness Preservation. The latter, obviously, extends the shelf life and freshness of meat.
As for Unsheathing the Knife, it enhances the skills of slaughter and dissection, allowing Xu Yang to discern the animal's bodily structure and vital points, then precisely handle the blade to slaughter and carve the meat.
Thus, the death of the yellow ox was relatively swift.
Withdrawing the sharp knife, blood gushed forth like a spring. Xu Yang turned and left, waiting for the blood to drain completely before returning to begin skinning and butchering.
Skinning an ox is different from skinning a pig; one can't simply start cutting and separating the bones and meat. One must first skin the ox, and it must be done completely because in ancient times, ox hides were very useful and valuable - for making bows, armor, and other fine materials.
The more intact the ox hide, the higher the butcher's skill, and the greater the value of the hide.
Xu Yang started the cut from the base, the bright blade slicing beneath the hide, separating skin from flesh without a drop of blood, with nothing but the smooth separation of white fat and red muscle visible in a blink, a complete ox hide was peeled off by him.
"Brother Qinshan, what skill!"
"That knife work is incredible!"
The butchers around him couldn't help but voice their admiration.
Xu Yang remained silent, putting down the hide and starting to dismantle the flesh and bones.
He crouched and leaned over, the sharp knife in his hand moving rhythmically through the meat, swiftly removing the internal organs, then the tendons and bones, all with grace.
The slender blade of the sharp knife effortlessly parted sinew and bone, without the rough, forceful hacking and hewing of ordinary butchers; it flowed like water through the crevices of limbs and the connections of muscles, to finally, with a "clatter", separate the flesh and bones.
The other butchers were spellbound, staring in silence, forgetting the wailing pigs and dogs around them, with eyes fixed only on Xu Yang and the swiftly dismantled yellow ox.
In such a manner, after a short while, the yellow ox was completely disassembled. Xu Yang stood up, sharp knife in hand, and surveyed his surroundings.
The butchers' eyes met his, goosebumps rose, and they were all struck with horror, involuntarily stepping back several paces, fearfully watching Xu Yang.
Xu Yang, with a sharp knife in hand, scanned over the crowd before finally shifting his gaze to a black pig waiting to be slaughtered.
"Next!"
"Oh, right!"
The crowd seemed to snap out of a trance, their faces turning pale as they hastily pulled the black pig forward for Xu Yang to slaughter.
Xu Yang paid no mind to their expressions, immersed in the second round of butchering.
The other butchers continued to watch from a distance, but now they kept much further away, struggling to hide their lingering fear.
"Brother Qinshan's gaze just now... it was terrifying, wasn't it?"
"He's not addicted to slaughtering, thinking of killing people now, is he?"
"When he looked at us, it was like he wasn't seeing people but rather pigs, dogs, cattle, and sheep waiting to be butchered, pondering how to cut, how to skin, how to dissect..."