"Damn, this guy really is a madman, better to stay away from him in the future!"
"A whole cow, butchered in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea?"
"If butchering a cow is this easy, wouldn't killing a person be a breeze?"
The crowd was shocked, murmuring quietly among themselves.
But Xu Yang was indifferent, focused on the dissection, and in a short while had neatly butchered an entire pig.
"Another!"
"Oh!"
"Another!"
"Another!"
"Another!!!"
"This..."
"Brother, there's, there's none left!"
Seeing Xu Yang immersed, resembling a mad demon as he slaughtered the livestock one by one, the crowd was even more terrified, yet they had to steel themselves and speak up as a reminder.
Hearing this, Xu Yang came back to his senses, standing amid the bloodbath holding a sharp knife, looking bewildered yet thrilled.
In the Attribute Panel, under the Skills column, the butchery skill was glowing red, and the words "Unsheathing the Knife" gradually blurred and transformed into four characters that emerged: Butcher's Technique!
"To meet the divine not with sight but with spirit, to stop at what is known and let the spirit move!"
In that moment, an epiphany dawned on him, allowing Xu Yang to instantly comprehend the function of the Butcher's Technique.
Butcher's Technique, a four-character trait, red symbolizing bloodshed!
Following Zhuanzhou Mengdie, another skill with its own special effects. The core of it lies in the words "Dissection", an upgraded version of "Unsheathing the Knife".
"Unsheathing the Knife" hinged on the word "Unsheath", accumulating experience to become familiar with the target's body structure and mechanical properties, thus locking onto vital points during dissection for a precise and quick butchery.
As an upgrade of "Unsheathing the Knife", Butcher's Technique was much more powerful. It didn't even require accumulated experience. Simply by observing the target, one could penetrate its essence, automatically visualizing its anatomical structure and mechanical traits in the mind, even predicting its movement in advance—the enemy won't move before I already know.
Just as the Butcher's Technique states—To meet the divine not with sight but with spirit, to stop at what is known and let the spirit move!
Now, whether it was a cow, a pig, or a human, as long as they stood before Xu Yang, he could discern their body structure, predict their movement, and lock onto their direction and vital points.
As long as the opponent's physical speed didn't surpass the limits of his mental reaction, then all their moves and actions couldn't escape his perception, his prediction.
This means… he could see through all moves, regardless of swordsmanship or fist skills, as long as it was a move, he could perceive it.
While seeing through doesn't equate to cracking, if there was too great a disparity in physical prowess, seeing through moves wouldn't help to avoid them. But if the strengths were comparable, this skill virtually guaranteed an unbeatable position from the start.
That is the power of Butcher's Technique: knowing before the enemy moves, seizing the advantage and predicting the enemy's vulnerabilities and move's flaws for a preemptive strike, a fatal blow.
Indeed, a four-character trait with its own special effects—just one word to describe it—strong!
With this ability, even without a bow and arrow, Xu Yang was confident he could kill the Martial Instructors from the Li and Lu families.
In other words, he now possessed the strongest martial force in Little Yellow Village!
…
Having snapped out of his trance, Xu Yang looked at the bloody scene and the astonished crowd around him, his mood lifted, "Clean up here, send the meat to the kitchen, and the heads of these animals need to go to the ancestral hall for offerings. The rest, you can divide among yourselves."
With that, he threw a large chunk of beef tenderloin and a well-partitioned rib bone with meat into his bamboo basket.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The crowd was silent.
Because pork was fishy, and dog meat was looked down upon, beef and mutton had become the main meat source for the rich and powerful. Moreover, with the government's strict ban on private slaughtering of cattle, the price of beef was much higher.
Thus, on the days when the Lu family slaughtered cattle, these butchers didn't dare to take any for themselves—not even at an employee discount. All the meat was supplied to the meat shops or restaurants.
But now, Xu Yang had nonchalantly taken a large chunk of beef tenderloin and a meaty rib bone, the combined weight of the beef amounting to no less than ten pounds. Such audacity was breathtaking.
The crowd was filled with envy but recalling the way Xu Yang had looked at them as if they were no better than pigs or dogs, and the smooth and decisive butchery, they dared not express any objections, remaining silent.
Xu Yang didn't care about their reactions, picked up his basket, and prepared to leave.
But unexpectedly...
"What are you doing, standing around like that? Don't you have work to do?"
A party walked into the courtyard and began to scold the crowd as soon as they arrived.
Xu Yang looked up to see a richly-dressed young man and a sharp-faced manservant, followed by two burly guards.
"Third Young Master!"
"Steward Zhang!"
Seeing this, everyone quickly bowed their heads, and an old butcher even stepped forward with a flattering smile, "What brings you here?"
"What, does the Third Young Master need to report to you before he comes over?"
The sharp-faced Steward Zhang was not swayed by this and berated them, "What are you standing around dumbfounded for? Don't you know that the lord is hosting a banquet today? If you mess up his big event, who can afford it, you?"
"Dare not, dare not!"
The old butcher didn't dare argue and could only say with agreement, "Steward Zhang, we've already slaughtered and divided the meat, and were just about to send it to the kitchen."
"So soon?"
Hearing this, Steward Zhang was also somewhat surprised.
With a fawning laugh, the old butcher said, "Yes, all thanks to Qinshan. His skills have significantly improved."
"Hmm!"
It was then that Steward Zhang turned his head and focused his attention on Xu Yang standing to the side, smiling, "It's Qinshan, eh? No wonder he has such skills."
"Steward Zhang, I have things to take care of at home. I'll be leaving now."
Xu Yang nodded, then, carrying his bamboo basket, prepared to leave.
This man was the son of the chief steward, Zhang Fu, and the second steward of the Lu Family, Zhang Wang. Xu Yang had encountered him a few times, their relationship neither good nor bad.
The young man in the brocade clothes was the Third Young Master of the Lu Family, Lu Ming.
Why had these two suddenly come to the stinking bloody butchery?
Xu Yang didn't know, nor was he interested in finding out. All he wanted now was to go home and thoroughly experience the effects of the Butcher's technique.
However...
"Stop right there!"
A cold voice blocked his way.
"..."
Xu Yang halted in his steps, turned around, and looked at the brocade-clad young man who had called out to him, "Third Young Master, is there something else?"
That teenager, Lu Ming, was in his adolescence, with a face full of freckles and pimple marks, making him look somewhat embarrassing, yet his demeanor remained exceptionally haughty, as he coldly stared at Xu Yang, "What's in that basket of yours?"
"!!!"
The butchers, upon hearing this, all felt a jolt of surprise and suspicion in their hearts.
"..."
Xu Yang's eyes were a bit vague, and without saying anything, he looked at Lu Ming and Zhang Wang for a while before finally speaking, "Some pieces of meat and bones."
"Some pieces of meat?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Ming scoffed, "Who allowed you to take them? Who allowed you to divide them? You, a mere servant, dare to take from the master's share, where do you get the gall?"
"This..."
Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked, their faces a picture of bewilderment.
Xu Yang's brow also furrowed, but he showed no fear as he spoke calmly, "These are the rules of the butchery."
"Rules, whose rules?"
Lu Ming persisted, unyielding, "Are they your rules, or the Lu Family's rules? You dog of a servant, you dare to take the master's property and talk to the master about rules? Do you even know your place? Come on, empty that basket, I want to see how much this dog of a servant has taken!"
As he spoke, he motioned for two guards to step forward, each trying to flank Xu Yang.
In response to this, Xu Yang made no move but gave the two guards a glance, his eyes cold and full of menace, enough to make them freeze in place.
"What are you standing around for?"
Seeing the two guards motionless, Lu Ming became furiously impatient and shouted, "Take action, now!"
"There's no need for the trouble."
Before the words finished, Xu Yang threw down his basket, scattering a heap of cow bones and meat, his eyes fixed coldly on Lu Ming, "I, a lowly person, do not understand the rules. I ask for the Third Young Master's forgiveness and hope you will not take offense!"
"You...!"
This demeanor was anything but a submissive acknowledgment of a mistake. Lu Ming was about to scold him, but as he met Xu Yang's gaze, he felt a sudden leap in his heart and a nameless terror, standing frozen, unable to utter half a word.
Seeing this, Xu Yang did not press further and bowed before turning to leave.
It was only after he had left that everyone seemed to awaken from a trance, and Lu Ming regained his senses as well, his face alternating between white and green with rage, he bellowed, "Insolent dog of a servant, the world is turned upside down! And you two worthless fools, what were you doing just standing there, letting him walk away? What do I keep you for, you useless things..."
Watching a furious Lu Ming vent his anger, all the butchers in the courtyard looked at each other, somewhat puzzled by the situation.