Chapter 20: Sauce Pork Bones Part 2

Cats avoided damp spots; they hated dirty fur.

Sure enough, no tiger in sight, but his bed left a clear depression. Chen Ji touched it; residual warmth lingered. He tested the branches—perfect for firewood. Mindful not to wreck the “nest,” he stuck to the edges and soon had a good bundle.

That would do.

Before long, the savory aroma of sauce pork bones filled the entire terrace.

Chen Ji stirred the pot with a large ladle, and hot steam billowed out in an instant. Rich broth bubbled vigorously, sending chunks of green onion and ginger bobbing to the surface. Thick slabs of meat flickered in and out of view amid the savory liquid, filling the air with a deep, intoxicating sauce aroma.

Chen Ji ripped open packages of crab sticks and fish balls, tossing them in at just the right moment before clapping the lid back on.

The System Cat perched on the pot’s edge, watching intently. A suspicious trail of drool trickled from the corner of its mouth—don’t ask; it sure as hell wasn’t saliva.

Before the System Cat could even inquire, Chen Ji spoke up. “Five more minutes.”

These sauce pork bones had small bones and generous meat, pulled from the freezer that morning. To avoid crunching into any icy bits, they needed a good long simmer.

The System Cat nodded vigorously, its gaze glued to the pot. Seizing the moment, Chen Ji circled the area once more, sprinkling a ring of powder to repel snakes, bugs, rats, and ants—the stuff he’d ordered online before moving in.

The meat smelled too damn good. Sure, any large animals it lured would be easy to spot, but poisonous snakes or land leeches showing up would just be free side dishes.

Ever seen a land leech? Those mountain-jumping bloodsuckers usually lurk on leaves, waiting to latch onto passing critters and drain them dry. Cunning little bastards—they even pull off a “drop from above” ambush, tumbling from overhead branches right into your collar.

You don’t feel the bite at first. By the time you notice, the thing’s ballooned bigger than a walnut, bloated with your blood. What’s left is a gaping bloody hole. Yank it off, and the bleeding won’t stop. Infection sets in next—itching, burning, rotting flesh. In bad cases, it spirals into full-body sepsis or septicemia that can straight-up kill you.

Worst part? They sometimes swarm. Get mobbed by land leeches, and you’ll peel off a layer of skin—if you live.

Chen Ji had been tagged once, but the System Cat caught it quick, right as it latched onto his skin. He flicked it off fast, but still ended up with a nasty blood hole. The scab on his leg hadn’t even flaked off yet.

【Last time’s powder was spot-on.】 The System Cat remarked. 【Dunno about this batch today.】

【New stuff’s still shipping.】 Chen Ji had learned his lesson. Out here in the wild, he avoided chatting aloud with the System Cat—better safe than letting some eavesdropper exploit it. 【Dump extra on. It’ll do something.】

【Doesn’t your grandpa’s stash have a recipe book?】 The System Cat pressed. 【I price-compared online—cheap, effective herbs, killer reviews from real buyers. Pull the trigger?】

That book the System Cat mentioned held everyday remedies—or close enough. Beyond bug and beast repellents, it covered headaches and fevers, plus quirky luck-boosters and soul-soothers with names straight out of fantasy herbalism.

The antivenom beast-repellent recipe was dead simple: grind set amounts of herbs into powder, sprinkle or burn as needed.

Chen Ji nodded. 【Go for it. You got the weights memorized? Don’t screw up. Tell the seller to powder it before shipping.】

The System Cat: 【Can’t you handle it yourself?】

Chen Ji shot it a sidelong glance. 【My handmade version got more soul? Chant sutras over the grinder? Piece of cake—have the shopkeeper grind it next to an open sutra… Or hold off till the Purple Micro Taboos arrive. Ship powder to whichever works, get ’em to bless it, then send back. We can haggle fees.】

The System Cat fell silent, stumped.

Chen Ji’s half-assed attitude just pissed it off!

Chen Ji rinsed his hands at the stream and returned to lift the lid. Steam blasted his face, chased by waves of meaty perfume. The crab sticks and fish balls had amped it up—fresher, richer. The sticks had frayed into the broth, unfurling like flowers amid the rolling boil.

The System Cat’s anger evaporated in a flash, its eyes gleaming. 【Crab sticks! Gimme crab sticks!】

Chen Ji speared a chunk of sauced pork bone with his chopsticks and tapped it onto the System Cat’s outstretched tongue. It yelped on contact, and Chen Ji nodded sagely. 【Yup, cooked through.】

【Chen Ji, you absolute asshole!】

Grinning, Chen Ji ladled out portions for himself and the System Cat. 【You’re no real cat anyway. Here ya go, nice kitty~ Dig in.】

He slid a bowl in front of the System Cat, which attacked it like a whirlwind. Chen Ji sampled a piece himself. Fall-off-the-bone perfection—give the bone a shake, and the meat tumbled free, leaving just tough tendons clinging. He slurped one up; it melted on his tongue in a burst of deep, velvety richness. Another bite of meat—flawless.

The crab sticks, slick with broth, hit meaty notes first, blooming into sweet faux-crab bliss. No actual crab in there, but they hooked taste buds anyway. The fish balls? Childhood staple—Q-bouncy, silky-smooth, packed with meaty punch from first chomp to last.

Chen Ji set his chopsticks aside. He rummaged in the bamboo basket for milk tea and sugar. He’d already offered to White Tiger on the approach, but spotting him again at the terrace meant doubling down—plenty to share. He brewed the tea and hauled the remaining half-pot of meat plus the drink into the woods, setting it at White Tiger’s hangout spot.

“Grandpa White Tiger,” he called, “food’s right here for you. Enjoy!”

With that, he lit some incense fire and bowed three sticks from afar to White Tiger before heading back to finish eating.

Only after Chen Ji had vanished from sight did White Tiger emerge from the thick underbrush. He eyed Chen Ji’s retreating figure, then padded to the pot and sniffed. About to dig in, he paused and nosed the milk tea instead. His pale pink nostrils twitched, whiskers quivering along with them.

Sugar? Few creatures could say no.

Chen Ji had popped the full lid off the one-liter bucket—ideal for a massive beast like White Tiger to dunk his tongue into.

White Tiger lowered his head.

Suddenly, Chen Ji’s voice rang out: “Grandpa White Tiger, watch out—it’s hot!”

White Tiger jolted, stumbling back two instinctive steps with his paw pads lifted. He scanned Chen Ji’s direction warily. No sign he’d been spotted; it seemed like a casual afterthought, no approach in sight. Only then did he unwind, flopping beside the offerings. His thick tail thwacked the ground in clear irritation.

Ten minutes ticked by before he flicked out his tongue to test the milk tea. Perfect temp—he dove in.

…But what the hell were these squishy little balls at the bottom?

White Tiger raised his head. A glossy black tapioca pearl clung to one of his gleaming fangs like a grape on a tooth.

…

Meanwhile, Chen Ji polished off lunch with deep satisfaction. He’d nailed the portions: stuffed for the System Cat, sated for him. The System Cat sprawled blissfully in the basket, basking and dozing with lazy blinks, its fluffy tail swishing over the rim in pure contentment.

No such leisure for Chen Ji. He fetched water to douse the fire, then splashed the powdered spots to dissolve them. Essentials went on top of the basket before he shouldered the back-breaking load—with the System Cat aboard—and trudged toward the back-mountain mulberry tree.

Ignorance had been bliss before; now informed, he skirted the deep south woods, sticking to the fringe. He laid out the offerings, lit incense, knelt, and kowtowed.

“Grandpa Sang, forgive this boy’s earlier rudeness,” Chen Ji said, offering incense toward the Old Mulberry Tree. “I’m here specially to make amends. This boy makes his home in the Mountain Lord Temple—we’ll be neighbors from here on. Please overlook any disturbances!”

He murmured the prayer thrice more, banged his head three times, and planted the incense in the dirt.

The System Cat propped its chin on the basket’s edge, eyeing the setup and muttering softly. 【This actually gonna work?】

【No such thing as too much politeness.】 Chen Ji rose to pack nearby gear, replying to the System Cat. 【If it’s too nasty, I’ll steer clear from now on.】

【What about heading down the mountain?】 The System Cat drawled idly. 【Told you, your old place was creepy as hell. This spot’s a deathtrap. Swap locations—same difference, right?】

The System Cat brought it up again, and Chen Ji halted mid-motion. He turned with a sideways smile, eyes crinkling warmly. 【Isn’t it all the same anyway?】

Down the mountain, nightmares had plagued him too—demons and spooks that kept him awake night after night. Every pill under the sun, still no dice.

Treating the System Cat later had led him to temples and shrines. The priests and monks read his fortune: fate too light, easy prey for influences. They gifted blessed hand string bracelets and such, but zilch effect.

Up here? Night-and-day difference. Nightmares persisted, chases by Second Master Huang and snakes alike—but answers emerged. If not today, tomorrow.

The Soul-Calming Bell truly worked. Grandpa Mountain Lord offered real shelter. No more down-mountain helplessness, watching dream horrors close in powerless.

Maybe the mountain was where he belonged.

If these spirits wouldn’t play nice… Abruptly, the soil before the altar heaved. A gnarled root burst forth right under Chen Ji’s nose, snatching every offering underground.

Chen Ji’s eyes went wide as saucers, then crescented in delight, his face alight with joy.

He bowed deeply once more, earnest as ever. “Many thanks, Grandpa Sang.”

The System Cat snapped out of its daze. 【Hold up—what the hell are you scheming?!】

【Torch the mountain, rot in jail?!】

【Morning blaze, afternoon cage?!】

【Little lick of flame, pick your prison at leisure; scatter wild sparks, any cell block will please?!】

Chen Ji glanced back with a sheepish chuckle.