Chapter Four: Exotic Beast Meat, Yang Zhi

After leaving the room, he sat down at the dining table.

Yang Zhi was two years younger than Yang Feng, only sixteen this year. Unlike Yang Feng, Yang Zhi was healthy, handsome, and excelled academically, with an astonishing vitality level of 1.2.

After years of development, martial arts universities now required a minimum vitality level of 1 for undergraduate admission. Only about one-third of students reached this level before the college entrance examination each year.

Yet, Yang Zhi, at just sixteen, had already reached a vitality of 1.2 and mastered eight basic moves of the physical training method. Such achievements would make him a top student even in his senior year of high school, let alone now, when he was only a freshman.

Watching his younger brother, Yang Feng often subconsciously thought that the protagonist’s initial conditions probably weren’t much better than this.

Sitting at the table, Yang Zhi’s eyes lit up when he saw the large pot of meat on the table. “Mom, what’s cooking in the pot? It smells amazing!”

Lu Qing immediately responded sternly, “That’s exotic beast meat. It’s bought to help your brother recover his health. You’re not allowed to eat it, at most you can have some soup.”

Yang Zhi’s eyes had been sparkling at the mention of exotic beast meat, but when he heard it was for his brother’s recovery, his excitement faded, and with a hint of disappointment, he replied, “Oh, I see.”

He knew his elder brother was always in poor health, suffering from malnutrition. Especially lately, it felt like his brother was on the verge of starving.

So, even though he really wanted to eat it, he held back. After all, in his eyes, his brother’s health was more important.

Yang Feng didn’t know what was going through Yang Zhi’s mind but found his little brother’s expression somewhat amusing.

“Mom, I’ve told you, exotic beast meat does nothing for me. It’d be better to feed Yang Zhi so he can boost his vitality and ace the college entrance exam,” Yang Feng said.

Lu Qing replied, “I’m not worried about him. He’s as strong as an ox. No matter what, he’ll get into a key martial arts university!”

“I’m just worried about you. At the rate you’re going, I’m afraid one day you’ll starve right in front of me!” Yang Feng said, speechless.

He couldn’t argue with that. Without the secret from his dream adventure, he really might have starved to death.

Yang Fu, who had been sitting silently in the main seat, finally spoke, “We don’t have high expectations for you. If you can’t get into a martial arts university, that’s okay. As long as you recover your health and live a normal life like us, that’s fine. If all else fails, you can inherit our breakfast shop. There’s no shortage of ways to make a living.”

At this, Yang Zhi suddenly spoke up, “If the bun shop goes to my brother, then what about me?”

As soon as he said that, Yang Fu and Lu Qing shot him a sharp look. Yang Zhi immediately felt he was in trouble and quickly bowed his head, eating silently.

He didn’t really want to fight his brother over the bun shop; it was just a habit to speak without thinking.

Yang Feng was deeply moved by his parents’ words. Though his younger brother was more outstanding, their parents still worried more about him.

“Let’s eat first,” Lu Qing invited.

Finally, the family began to eat. Yang Feng faced a large pot, which he usually finished in one sitting, but having just eaten turtle meat, he wasn’t very interested in the pot in front of him.

Still, afraid of worrying his parents, he forced himself to start eating.

“Don’t just focus on the rice; we can eat rice every day. Eat more meat,” his mother encouraged, beginning to serve meat to Yang Feng.

Hesitating for a moment, Yang Feng finally picked up some meat and put it in his mouth. The flavor was rich and delicious. He could feel the exotic beast meat quickly transforming into energy inside his stomach.

But his face showed no joy because he had already tasted better and higher-grade exotic beast turtle meat in his dream.

The turtle in his dream was some unknown exotic beast. Even eating it raw was ten times more delicious than the boiled exotic beast meat his mother bought. More amazingly, the dream meat melted instantly in his mouth, with energy absorption likely above eighty percent.

The exotic beast meat at home converted only about twenty percent into bodily energy — not even in the same league.

Lost in thought, he suddenly noticed that all three family members were watching his reaction intently.

Caught, the three quickly pretended nothing was amiss and silently continued eating.

Yang Feng almost laughed to himself.

Suddenly, raising his eyebrows with a mock surprise, he said, “Dad, where did you buy this exotic beast meat? It smells strange, like it’s gone bad!”

“Really? That shouldn’t be. Exotic beast meat is transported in a cold chain; it can’t go bad,” Yang Fu said anxiously.

After all, this meat cost ten thousand Federation credits per pound.

“Really? You don’t believe me? Try it yourselves!” Yang Feng insisted.

Lu Qing and Yang Fu, forgetting everything else, quickly each took a piece of the exotic beast meat and ate it.

At that moment, Yang Feng swiftly transferred several pieces from the pot into his younger brother’s bowl.

Yang Zhi, who had been frowning, suddenly widened his eyes in surprise, looking at his brother.

It wasn’t because he was touched by his brother’s sharing — they had always been close, sharing and even yielding to each other since childhood.

What shocked him was the speed at which his brother acted.

His vitality was already 1.2, and his nervous system response was incredibly fast — he was the top student in his prestigious high school. Yet, his brother’s speed just now nearly matched his own.

At that moment, he was truly astonished.

Was this still the fragile elder brother he knew?

Yang Fu and Lu Qing, as ordinary people, didn’t notice Yang Feng’s speed at all. The couple was carefully savoring the exotic beast meat in their mouths.

“Strange, I don’t seem to notice anything wrong,” Lu Qing said first.

“Me neither,” Yang Fu said, frowning.

Yang Feng then skeptically said, “Really? Maybe it was just that piece I ate earlier. Let me try another one…”

He picked up another piece and took a few bites.

“Hey, it really seems fine. Maybe what I ate earlier just mixed flavors with the exotic meat, haha…”

Lu Qing “… ”

Yang Fu “… ”

Yang Zhi “… ”