Those who had been feigning death in a daze instantly came to their senses upon hearing Song Qingchao's words, wanting to kneel and beg for mercy.
But they found they couldn't move their legs at all.
"Don't bother, your legs have already been crippled by me."
Ying Zhong, standing nearby, promptly offered the explanation.
Some people's faces turned pale for a moment, but they quickly recovered.
Song Qingchao clicked her tongue, "Your legs are crippled, but the pain is still there."
As she spoke, she flicked a dagger, stabbing it into the leg of the person directly opposite her.
The man let out a pained "Ah—"
This single cry brought everyone present back to full awareness.
Those who had eaten the immortal meat, led by Ergouzi, all turned deathly pale. The sliver of hope they had initially held was gradually consumed by fear.
They struggled, begging Song Qingchao for forgiveness.
The other group, led by Su Nanyi, was also terrified and at a loss.
For a moment, they didn't know if being saved meant they had truly been rescued or if they had fallen into an even more dire predicament.
Song Qingchao rubbed her wrist without turning around, simply saying in a voice audible to all,
"I spotted some chestnut trees in the woods to the east. Little ones, go look for them."
She turned her head and winked at a child who was busily gnawing on a flatbread, "One chestnut for a piece of meat."
The little girl's eyes lit up at this, and she dropped her flatbread, ready to go out.
Some adults also wanted to follow, but Song Qingchao's stern voice stopped them.
She sniffed, "Adults, please don't go. My people will accompany the children, and they will be safe."
Everyone muttered to themselves, but they hadn't eaten for days.
Those flatbreads, and the meat...
If they didn't eat something soon, they might starve to death, but eating only carried the possibility of death.
So, even if they were to die, it would be as well-fed ghosts. This was the thought of most people.
Therefore, they ultimately decided to trade their labor for food. If something happened, they would deal with it then.
Song Qingchao didn't care what these people thought.
Her primary concern now was venting her anger.
She bowed slightly and pulled out the dagger she had just thrown. Blood splattered everywhere.
Song Qingchao let out a soft "Ah," then, with a hint of disdain, tugged at her cloak, "You've stained my clothes. What if I become unhappy?"
The person who had been stabbed was stunned, their lips trembling and purplish, "I-I didn't do it on purpose."
Song Qingchao clicked her tongue, then pressed the tip of the dagger against his knee, slowly drawing it upwards.
The man grew even more terrified, wishing he could just pass out.
Song Qingchao, however, smiled playfully, "If you tell me who ate the immortal meat, I might consider letting you go."
Hearing this, the man instantly felt as if he had been granted a reprieve, and he frantically pointed at several people, "They all ate it!"
Those pointed at also became anxious, hurriedly defending themselves and denying it.
Song Qingchao found it all too noisy, "If you confess honestly, I might consider sparing you."
Upon hearing this, several people immediately admitted it and began extolling the virtues of the immortal meat to tempt her.
Song Qingchao found it utterly ridiculous.
"Enough, shut your mouths." She threw the knife in her hand, then stood up, "Zhou Si, take action. Apart from those who have been identified, everyone else will do as I say. Remember, absolutely do not let anyone die."
Zhou Si replied with a "Yes" and, without any further words, drew his knife and began to work.
Song Qingchao glanced at Zhou Ri, whose face was ashen, and said softly, "Don't just stand there. If you can't help, then find me a chair."
Zhou Ri looked at Song Qingchao with a bit of bewilderment but finally moved his stiff limbs.
Song Qingchao was indifferent to how others viewed her.
Her eyes were solely fixed on this group of villains.
"Master, where should this meat and blood be put?"
"The large pot that Zhou Wu brought." Song Qingchao touched the slightly reddened bracelet on her wrist and gestured with her chin towards a patch of ground in front, "Set it up here."
Some astute individuals were already starting to guess her intentions.
Those who later came to exchange for food looked at the flatbreads in their hands and fell into thought.
Song Qingchao, of course, knew what they were thinking. "Eat quickly. If you starve any longer, even an immortal couldn't save you."
Upon hearing her words, everyone immediately cast all caution aside.
Amidst a chorus of pained screams, they desperately devoured the still-steaming flatbreads.
They hadn't eaten such refined food in a long time.
Though it was the simplest of flatbreads, the taste was exceptionally fragrant.
After a while, Zhou Ri entered, holding a wooden stake in one hand and carrying a rabbit in the other.
Song Qingchao glanced at Zhou Ri, noticing his complexion had improved.
"Miss, will this do?"
Song Qingchao cast a casual glance at the wooden stake in Zhou Ri's hand. "Sit."
Zhou Ri, uncharacteristically obedient, arranged the wooden stake properly.
The two sat in the middle. Song Qingchao faced the brutal scene of "meat being carved," yet her eyes were fixed on the roasted rabbit in Zhou Ri's hand.
Once it was roasted, she heated a clean dagger over the fire and began to slice and eat.
Zhou Ri pondered for a moment, then roasted the wild boar meat as well.
"Master, it's all handled." Zhou Si walked over, covered in blood.
He, too, seemed somewhat disgusted by his clothes.
Song Qingchao, chewing on the meat, pointed at Ergouzi, who had just regained consciousness.
"Drag him over."
"Yes."
Ergouzi was still bewildered as he was dragged over. He knew he had been captured, but he had no idea what Song Qingchao had been doing.
Song Qingchao didn't tell him, simply eating and asking, "Do you usually prepare the immortal meat?"
Ergouzi couldn't quite gauge what Song Qingchao intended, but he nodded cautiously.
After all, a knife was poised above his head...
Song Qingchao applauded perfunctorily, then waved her hand, "Then I'll entrust the cooking skills to you."
She glanced at Zhou Si, "Take him and boil that pot of meat."
The crowd: "..."
Had they heard correctly?
This delicate young girl now intended to replicate the immortal meat?
Their pace of eating flatbreads instantly slowed, but they still clutched their food tightly.
The current situation was that eating might make them vomit, but not eating would surely kill them.
The aroma of roasted meat wafted to their noses again. While their minds screamed "don't eat," their stomachs rumbled insistently.
Song Qingchao gnawed on a rabbit leg, her gaze fixed on Ergouzi.
Ergouzi now felt like he was being roasted over a fire.
It was wrong to act, but even more wrong not to.
With a knife at his throat, he had no choice but to reluctantly begin boiling.
As the water in the pot began to boil, white steam rose, increasing the temperature of the entire space.
Simultaneously, a rich scent of blood began to spread.
Those with weaker mental fortitude directly covered their mouths and exited the cave.
Only Song Qingchao remained unfazed.
She had witnessed far more brutal scenes: ruins, corpses strewn about, bodies so dismembered that not a single complete person could be pieced together.
She elegantly wiped her mouth, then stood and walked to Ergouzi's side, "Chefs taste their dishes. What, does this immortal meat not require tasting?"