Chapter 3. The Cheat Item(s)?
Lin Xiang's target was naturally the Grand CLarity Pavilion - the most luxurious dining establishment in Sky Fortune City.
The Grand Clarity Pavilion's consumer base are all of the highest class. In addition, they themselves possess a strong background. With such a strong base of power, a mere second son of an Army Lord could do nothing against it.
The reason Lin Xiang wanted to go to Grand Clarity Pavilion was obviously not to spend money to rent a place. He was headed there to get hired for deboning work. After all, he needed to gut some vicious beasts if he wanted at least a chance to find the Magic Cube.
…
When Lin Xiang and Lin Ming arrived at the Grand Clarity Pavilion, it was already evening.
At that time the Grand Clarity Pavilion was brightly lit and packed with people having dinner. It was naturally one of the times with the largest traffic of people. It is the establishment with the best business in Sky Fortune City.
Lin Xiang and Lin Ming's clothes were too ordinary, causing all who saw them entering the establishment to look at them with strange expressions. People with such a kind of clothes would usually be unable to eat within this Grand Clarity Pavilion. Furthermore, there was also the fact that Lin Xiang and Lin Ming are only fifteen-year-old teenagers.
However, the waiter maintained a favorable manner as he walked over and asked. "Two little brothers, are you here with your parents?"
Lin Xiang shook his head and replied, "We are here for a job."
Hearing that, the waiter frowned. What kind of job could mere fifteen-year-old kids do? Here, waiting required beauties who are at least eighteen years old or handsome males who are at least twenty years old. As for cooking, what kind of cooking could fifteen-year-old kids produce?
"Go away, don't cause a disturbance here." The waiter waved his hand impatiently.
"We can really work, just let us into the kitchen to try."
The waiter asked in an unhappy voice. "What can you do?"
Lin Xiang smiled and replied, "Deboning."
"What?" The waiter became stunned.
…
Deboning is a biased line of work and not every restaurant would set up such a job. This job requires the meat dresser to cut up the quarry or hunt animals into pieces while removing its bones.
A master level meat dresser could cut up a cow with ease and skill, but the efficiency involved was low and they would need half a day to cut up a cow. They would also require the change of a knife every month or every few months.
As for Grand Clarity Pavilion, their ingredients are not cow meat but Ferocious Beasts meat.
The meat of Ferocious Beasts is delicious, but their scales, skin, bones and tendons are exceptionally tough. Ordinary people would have to struggle to great lengths just to cut out a small part of it.
Martial Arts masters, on the other hand, would not be willing to lower themselves to do such a kind of job. Even if they were willing, someone who does not understand how the muscles, bones and tendons come together would not be able to do it. Using pure strength alone in the cutting up process would cause it to lose its delicious taste.
Deboning was something that Lin Xiang mastered when helping his parents' and Lin Ming in the restaurant. He trained himself in the deboning process every day for the past several years.
He also managed to form a solid foundation when handling a blade, by slashing down with the knife, slash after slash within the kitchen. Although he wasn't as skilled as Lin Ming in deboning, he still believed that he would be able to cut up any second-level vicious beast given enough time.
The waiter was unable to chase Lin Xiang and Lin Ming away and could only bring them over to the kitchen…
"Sister Lan, these two little brothers want to apply to work as deboning workers."
"Deboning workers?" Within the Grand Clarity Pavilion kitchen, a beautiful woman in her twenties wearing a gorgeous dress appraised Lin Xaing and Lin Ming.
Observing the plain clothes on their body and the backpacks that made them look like refugees, she frowned. Lin Xiang's ordinary spear that he held like a walking stick even further made him look like a hermit. She then spoke in a dissatisfied manner towards the waiter who brought the two Lin brothers in. "What are you doing, bringing just anybody into the kitchen? Dong Zi, give them some silver and send them away."
Obviously, this beautiful woman considered Lin Xiang and Lin Ming as distressed children.
As for the rebuked waiter, his face was bitter. Truthfully, he had tried to push Lin Xiang out, but had discovered that Lin Xiang's legs seemed to have grown roots and were immovable.
Dong Zi moved over to drive Lin Xiang and Lin Ming away. However, at this moment, he suddenly felt his hands becoming lighter. He stared in confusion as Lin Xiang had somehow taken away the boning knife that he was holding.
Before the man named Dong Zi could understand what had happened, Lin Xiang said, "We are not here to beg for money. Big Sister, you can choose to drive us away or not after seeing our abilities."
The beautiful woman was slightly surprised; it appeared that these little kids had some experience in the craft. She shot a look at Dong Zi and said, "How useless, you cannot even handle some little kids. Go to the storehouse and bring over a pig."
After that, she turned to Lin Xiang and said, "If you two can complete it in one hour, then I will allow you to stay in the Grand Clarity Pavilion."
Dong Zi knew that he had lost face and turned shamefully to go bring the pig over. However, Lin Xiang interrupted him, "No need, we will do that one."
Lin Xiang said as he pointed towards a Scaled Draconic Beast with the knife.
The beautiful woman was surprised. A Scaled Draconic Beast is a second-level vicious beast whose body is brimming with muscles. These muscles are extremely tough and could resist even normal sword attacks. However, using certain herbs and simmering it for three days and nights would produce a thick soup with delicious taste.
For such a kind of Ferocious Beast, even a deboning master would have a difficult time cutting it up. This kid is crazy.
"Are you joking? This Scaled Draconic Beast is worth over a hundred gold taels. How do you plan to pay us if you end up ruining it?" Dong Zi spoke out in discontent. He was still unhappy at Lin Xiang for taking away his knife.
The beautiful woman gave Dong Zi a glance and snapped. "If they can ruin it. Do you think they have what it takes to ruin it?"
Dong Zi suddenly found himself becoming speechless. The Scaled Draconic Beast is not the same as pigs, cows or sheep. Ordinary people would not be able to break its scales even with a knife. Ruining it was not something that normal people could manage to accomplish.
The woman turned to face Lin Xiang and said, "I will let you cut!"
Lin Xiang looked at Lin Ming and said, "You do this one."
Lin Ming nodded and picked the best boning knife in the kitchen. He had only cut Scaled Draconic Beasts twice; both times were during the birthday of some important figures in the Lin family. After all, second-level vicious beast meat was not something that an average person could afford to eat.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Ming carefully stroked the scales of the Scaled Draconic Beast, feeling the whereabouts of its veins. This process took up the time of an incense's stick. In his mind, he formed a diagram of the veins. Comparing it with the diagram of his previous Scaled Draconic Beast, he confirmed it to be correct.
While waiting, some people became impatient and finally asked. "What are you doing? Why aren't you cutting?"
"Stop trying to be mysterious and just cut it."
It was only natural that these people would become impatient. A fifteen-year-old teenager claiming to be able to debone a second-level vicious beast, could only appear to be a prank to them.
Lin Ming turned a deaf ear to these questions. He picked up the knife, his eyes becoming extremely focused. For him, the deboning process was the equivalent of a practice session.
After having confirmed the diagram of the veins, Lin Ming finally began. He did not use an ax or a slaughtering blade; he only used the hard to wield boning knife.
In the hands of Lin Ming, this ordinary knife turned into an exceptionally sharp weapon. The knife descended and the Scaled Draconic Beast's scales were cut apart!
Observing this occurrence, the person who had been asking questions immediately shut his mouth. This feat alone would have required wrist strength of at least three hundred jin (181.4 kg). For them, the feat of dismembering a Scaled Draconic Beast would normally require either axes or saws.
The edge of the knife moved through the gap in the veins, cutting through it smoothly as though he was cutting through paper. Everyone could only hear the sounds of "shua shua" before the Scaled Draconic Beast's white muscles were revealed.
Looking at how easily Lin Ming was cutting away, the man called Dong Zi rubbed his eyes. He suspected that there was something wrong with his eyes. Is this little kid really cutting apart a Scaled Draconic Beast?
Lin Ming moved gracefully. Occasionally, a few unavoidable tendons would interrupt his work. When that happened, he would use brute strength to pull it out.
Lin Ming cut up the vicious beast itself and did the majority of the work while Lin Xiang was helping him at the side to cut up the huge pieces of meat into more practical portions, making the entire process quicker.
Thus, they ended up using about half an hour to cut the Scaled Draconic Beast into pieces. Beside the pieces of meat, rows of ribs were laid down in order. These were the most valuable part of the Scaled Draconic Beast. The lengths of these ribs were all consistent, showing almost no loss during work.
This scene caused everyone to become astounded. What Lin Ming and Lin Xiang had done may seem easy, but everyone here knew that the dismembering of a Scaled Draconic Beast is a huge project, requiring around five strong men to work in tandem for around half a day. However, Lin Ming and Lin Xiang only had slightly reddish faces after completing the task. Judging by this look, cutting up a few more would not be a problem for them!
Then, Lin Xiang placed down the knife and asked, "Can we work here now? Our working hours must not exceed two hours and we will debone at least four vicious beasts every day. We don't need a salary, but you need to provide us with food and accommodation."
The beautiful woman pondered this for just a moment before nodding. "Deal!"
Lin Xiang and Lin Ming's request was only a place to stay.
Judging by the speed they had shown earlier, they could accomplish a lot within an hour. Most importantly, their work was highly efficient, causing very little loss in key ingredients, and the pieces of meat they cut out were also very aesthetic.
Thus, Lin Xiang and Lin Ming were hired by the Grand Clarity Pavilion. Two hours spent there was not a loss because it was also a form of practice. Punching tree trunks was a form of training in brute strength, while deboning was a form of precision training with a blade.
Most importantly, first and foremost Lin Xiang wanted to emulate the events from the novel to an extent and have access to the Grand Clarity Pavilion's vicious beasts together with Lin Ming.
On that very night, Lin Xiang and Lin Ming remained in the storehouse.
Lin Ming first chose a first-level vicious beast to cut up, while Lin Xiang looked around and also chose one for himself.
What Lin Xiang chose was a second-level vicious beast called Gold Back Pangolin. This Ferocious Beast has teeth that could crush stones and could drill through a mountain as though it was tofu.
Originally Lin Xiang didn't perfectly remember the name of the vicious beast that swallowed the Magic Cube in the novel, but he knew that it was a second-level vicious beast, was a pangolin and had teeth that could crush stones, and also a stomach acid that could melt steel.
With these clues, Lin Xiang guessed that it should be the Gold Back Pangolin. These vicious beasts tend to live in a particular part near the capital, like to drill through the earth and swallow rocks to fill their stomachs.
If the Magic Cube still landed in the same area of the Sky Fortune Kingdom in this world, then the beast that would have found and swallowed it would most likely be a Gold Back Pangolin!
Feeling both anxious and excited, Lin Xiang approached the Gold Back Pangolin and rolled it around, exposing its white abdomen. Just like with the first vicious beast, he placed a hand on the Gold Back Pangolin's abdomen and studied it.
Lin Ming was slightly surprised that Lin Xiang chose to debone such a highly armored second-level vicious beast first, but he didn't care for the most part and returned to his own work.
After getting a general idea of the Gold Back Pangolin's anatomy, Lin Xiang placed the tip of his knife in at a spot and then pushed in.
Although there was a level of resistance, the knife still went in three inches deep. Following that, Lin Xiang used his strength to pull downwards across the Gold Back Pangolin's abdomen, following a path in between the solidified plates.
It was not easy to cut among the scales of this vicious beast's abdomen and Lin Xiang had to use all of his physical strength to do so, taking two brief breaks to grip the knife better or use both of his hands to press or cut.
The abdomen of a Gold Back Pangolin was its weak point and there were no true scales there like on its back, but the solidified thick skin-plates that it formed to protect its organs were almost as durable as scales and even almost looked like scales. Without thorough experience and without overwhelming strength, it was quite difficult for Lin Xiang to cut open this Level 2 vicious beast which was equivalent in strength to a 4th Stage Martial Artist.
However, after cutting open the thick outer layer scales, Lin Xiang's work became much easier. He started from the beginning and cut in deeper with his knife. The knife-edge slid through the gap between the muscles of the Goldback Pangolin abdomen.
At that time Lin Xiang halted his breath as his full concentration was on the knife in his hand, and he carefully observed if he would encounter any resistance.
This moment of truth was extremely important to Lin Xiang. It was something that he had waited for fifteen years of his life!
However, even if Lin Xiang didn't find the Magic Cube in the stomach of this particular Gold Back Pangolin, he would then search the storehouse for any other Gold Back Pangolins and gut them as well.
If this failed, then he would keep close watch on Lin Ming and debone together with him.
Thus, even if he didn't find the Magic Cube here, he would still not lose all hope.
Suddenly, while cutting the stomach open, Lin Xiang felt the knife being blocked by something. It felt as though the knife had run into something hard.
Lin Xiang's heart jumped and became excited. He looked over and saw that Lin Ming was absorbed in his work. He quickly slipped on a pair of gloves and carefully retrieved the hard item while avoiding the stomach acid.
Looking at it, Lin Xiang was shocked. There were actually two items that he retrieved. One was a cube, and another a sphere.
The cube was only one cubic inch in size. It was gray-colored and neatly cut, with precise corners. In addition, the six surface areas of the cube were engraved with black coloured inscriptions, giving it a mysterious aura.
As for the sphere, it had a similar size to the cube and a similar design.
Lin Xiang cleansed the cube and the sphere in clear water inside a bucket at the side. Hiding them from Lin Ming, he looked at these two objects as he held them in his hand.
He was shocked, but also elated.
As it turned out, the Magic Cube was still swallowed by a Gold Back Pangolin and was waiting for Lin Ming to discover it this very night. Unfortunately for Lin Ming, it was already in Lin Xiang's hands!
As for the sphere, it was a very unexpected gain. Lin Xiang doubted that it was an ordinary object…