Seeing the fatty looking somewhat desperate, Ye Tiancheng quickly reminded him, "Didn't I tell you? I can channel my true qi to help you, and I guarantee you won't be left with a single scar."
"But your body isn't well right now, and you'll have to waste a lot of your true qi. I really can't bear to see that."
Although he said this, Ye Tiancheng couldn't just stand by and watch him suffer. When it came to saving his brother, it was never considered a waste.
"It's fine. Otherwise, your wound will hurt, and if your body isn't well, our entire team will suffer huge losses."
This was absolutely true. Fatty was incredibly versatile in the team, like an all-around support and healer in a game. He absolutely couldn't be harmed, or he would drag the entire team down.
"Alright, Brother Ye, then I won't be stubborn with you anymore. I'll do as you say. Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do it."
Just as Ye Tiancheng was about to channel his true qi to heal fatty's facial wound, the entire shovel suddenly trembled twice. The corpses of the monsters suddenly turned into black smoke and were absorbed by the shovel. Then, some bright light spots appeared on the shovel.
Those tiny light spots gathered at fatty's wound, and before long, fatty's wound began to heal.
"Brother Ye, what's going on? This is too magical!"
Lin Xue had just gone to deal with a venomous snake that appeared nearby. She had just arrived and saw the scene before her. After instantly understanding what was happening, she explained it to fatty.
"Your shovel has evolved. If you can do more good deeds in the future, and as you defeat more demons and monsters with the shovel, it will have other functions. Currently, it can absorb the energy of monsters and transform it into miraculous healing power."
So that was it. Fatty's facial wound had completely recovered, and he had no negative status effects. He could finally pick up the shovel and examine it carefully.
"I used to complain that you were too ugly, but I never expected you to be so powerful. I'll take you to defeat more demons and monsters from now on, and there will be more opportunities for both of us to become stronger."
Fatty suddenly felt that his future was bright. He never expected the shovel he used to have such a magical function, capable of instantly upgrading.
This was incredible. After upgrading, it meant he would become more and more powerful. Fatty was full of anticipation for his future. If one day he could stop being the nanny role in the team, and like Lin Xue, be a skilled vanguard with high martial arts, or even a solid rear guard, that would be acceptable.
"Fatty, from now on, leave any minor monsters to you. Your shovel can now absorb and heal after defeating demons and monsters. Relatively speaking, this function is quite valuable. We should utilize it well."
Even Ye Tiancheng felt that fatty had great potential in the future and needed to be carefully nurtured. Perhaps fatty would become a formidable general in the team.
Fatty's face was injured, and he had been ambushed. Fortunately, it was a close call. After this perilous experience, fatty suddenly felt hungry. After suffering such a grievance, he had to eat something good, otherwise, he would feel stifled.
The group entered a restaurant. Fatty immediately picked up a pen and drew a line of dishes. He wanted to eat everything he saw and didn't want to hold back. As long as it tasted good, he wanted to try it.
"These ribs are so fresh, and they're stewed so tenderly. They're so fragrant. I've never eaten such delicious braised ribs. They're truly flavorful."
Fatty might have experienced a scare, which had drained a lot of his energy. Regardless, he was now extremely interested in everything.
He put a tender pig's trotters into his mouth and, within a few bites, spat out the bones. It was clear he was an expert at eating.
"These chicken feet are also good. I didn't expect cured chicken feet to be stewed so deliciously, and they have a sweet taste. I like this dish the most."
They had just randomly seen a restaurant on the road, but they didn't expect that once they entered, they found all the dishes to be exceptionally flavorful.
Moreover, eating them gave a feeling of addiction, a very strange sensation that made one linger.
The meal wasn't even over, and he was already thinking about what to eat next. This was truly a magical experience. Even Lin Xue, who usually had a good appetite, had eaten a bowl of rice. Ye Tiancheng found this extremely strange.
"Xue'er, your appetite is quite good today. This is truly beyond my expectations."
After the group had eaten their fill and were satisfied, which should have been a happy occasion, they suddenly felt weak all over. Their minds were filled with a strong sense of dizziness, as if they were being devoured, and they could pass out at any moment.
"That's not right. If it were poison, both you and I should have been able to sense it. We shouldn't have been affected."
Ye Tiancheng quickly channeled a stream of true qi in his dantian. He didn't mean to make a scene. Now was not the time for that; instead, he needed to find a way to temporarily protect himself from harm, which was self-preservation.
Xue'er also used her spiritual energy to protect her body and, in turn, protected fatty. The three of them remained still, and within a few minutes, an old woman with white hair, short and plump, appeared.
The old woman had only one healthy eye; the other was covered with an eyepatch. As she appeared, a black aura emanated from her.
"The delicious food contains death spirits. I was a bit worried about where to find the next ingredients. I didn't expect you three fat sheep to deliver yourselves. You've cooperated with me quite well."
The old woman's voice was extremely hoarse and unpleasant. The main reason was that the black aura mixed with her voice, making it impure and naturally not very good. Even if it was hoarse, it was very normal.
"It seems this is another masterpiece of Ouyang Xinuo. She's just a puppet. Xue'er, let's quietly channel our energy and adjust our internal breathing. When the impurities in our bodies are reduced, we'll launch a counterattack."
At this critical moment, Ye Tiancheng was still the most reliable. No matter how panicked others were, Ye Tiancheng had to grasp the overall situation and not reveal any flaws.
"Understood, Master."
The old woman scrutinized the three of them with the eyes of someone looking at pork. When her gaze settled on fatty, she suddenly stroked her chin and nodded happily.
"Excellent. I like people like you who are plump. If I use you as an ingredient, it can last for a week. The customers will be very happy."
"You old hag, don't disgust me. Don't tell me this is a black shop. Were the things I ate earlier so delicious because they were made of human flesh? They didn't feel like human flesh when I ate them."
Fatty suddenly felt a surge of acid in his stomach. If the things he had just eaten were all made of human flesh, fatty would immediately vomit. The thought of having eaten his own kind, and that the meat was in his stomach, constantly being digested, made fatty feel extremely disgusted. He felt like he could throw up right now.
"You're overthinking it. If I used raw human flesh directly, the ingredients would be very low-grade, and my business would be poor. I only use spices made from human flesh. You're an outsider and seem to know nothing. However, I'm too lazy to explain further, because you'll soon become spice yourself."
After saying that, the old woman let out an evil smile. It was just that she seemed a little more familiar now. When she smiled earlier, it was somewhat restrained, but now she didn't care at all, revealing quite a few teeth, but they were all broken and incomplete, making her look even more terrifying.
"You old hag, don't pretend to be cheerful in front of me, Fatty. The way you laugh is truly disgusting. Just looking at it makes me want to vomit. I think you should try to be a bit more low-key and not disgust me. How many years have you been smoking to have such rotten teeth that make people want to spit?"
Fatty, with Lin Xue's spiritual energy blocking the effects, didn't feel any weakness. Everything was normal, and he could still curse energetically. This made the old woman somewhat puzzled.
"You're about to die, yet you have some backbone, unlike others. Others are desperately begging for mercy, but you, you dead fat pig, are not afraid even when death is upon you. You're still arguing with me. I'll deal with you specifically later and punish you properly, this pig's mouth."
After speaking, the old woman quickly signaled her subordinate. The middle-aged man who had just served the dishes immediately came over, holding a thick hemp rope.
"Tie up these three fat pigs and put them in the alchemy furnace. Refine them for a day and a night, and they'll become irresistible spices. Wonderful, hahaha..."
The old woman's laughter became increasingly terrifying. Although the old woman emanated black energy, it was clear that her innate talent wasn't very strong. She was likely a mortal who had been infected by the black energy, which temporarily made her powerful. After Ye Tiancheng's assessment, he felt that he could act against the old woman.
Lin Xue also looked at her master. If it weren't for waiting for Ye Tiancheng's signal, with Lin Xue's temperament, she wouldn't have tolerated the old woman any longer. She would have knocked out her teeth long ago. Would she let such an incompetent thing be arrogant for so long?
Ye Tiancheng felt there was no need to rush. He was very curious about what mysteries the alchemy room the old woman mentioned contained, and whether there were any unspeakable secrets inside.
"It seems we have fallen into your hands today. Regardless, we cannot escape death, and there is no need to struggle and waste time. I only hope you will be a little merciful and let me die quickly, without too much pain. I am timid and afraid of pain."
Since Ye Tiancheng said this, it meant he was going to observe. He wouldn't be killed by this old woman all at once anyway, so Lin Xue also chose to remain silent. She simply closed her eyes and said nothing.
Upon hearing Ye Tiancheng's words, the old woman could tell that this group of people were not cultivators. They lacked the detached demeanor or the natural arrogance of cultivators.
"What a useless piece of trash. With the three of you being such trash, you still dare to come to this desolate place. You're truly seeking death. But it's good too. It's been a while since I had any prey, and my restaurant wouldn't be able to stay open without you three coming to die."
As soon as the old woman finished speaking, she started to laugh eerily again, which was unbearable. It felt as if if she continued laughing like this for a while longer, everyone's eardrums would explode.
"Sister, please stop laughing. Make arrangements quickly, or your fat sheep will run away."