CHAPTER 202: CHAPTER 121: SAVING THE BABY AND THE AGED MOTHER, THE METHOD OF SILENT COMBUSTION

Chen Mancang was brimming with pride, feeling as if he had finally seen through the mist to reveal the moon.

No wonder the shepherd always controlled the amount of water the sheep drank; so that’s what it was about!

Who could have figured this out? If it weren’t for today’s lucky fluke of falling into the vat, he might have been kept in the dark his whole life.

Meanwhile, Chen Mancang was laughing foolishly to himself, not noticing that the cooks and servants in the kitchen had already surrounded him with knives and staffs.

The Prince’s secret of eating people was unknown to these mansion servants; they only saw that the sheep in the kitchen were gone, but a person had appeared in the water vat.

Everyone instinctively thought Chen Mancang was a sheep thief.

Seeing the sheep pelts on the ground, they upgraded the seriousness of the theft.

Even a butcher couldn’t dismember a bull this quickly!

Chen Mancang, who had not reverted to human form for a long time, was not quite accustomed to his human appearance. Walking was like stepping on soles filled with thorns, much like an old lady with bound feet; he had a clumsy, ungainly gait.

The kitchen servants didn’t care about any of this. Taking advantage of Chen Mancang’s slow response, they rushed forward and pressed him to the ground.

Nearby, the hot water on the stove was boiling, steam rising straight up. A chef stood to one side with a knife, eyeing him viciously.

Chen Mancang, not realizing they had mistaken him for a thief, thought they were going to use him as an ingredient for cooking.

"Don’t eat me! I’m human, humans can’t eat humans! That would be a huge sin!"

You couldn’t find a more shameless person. He was the one who used to feast on sheep every day, and now he talks about the sin of eating sheep.

The mansion servants ignored this madman. Someone fished around in the water vat, exclaiming, "This is really strange! Where did the mutton go? Could this person have eaten it?"

The kitchen was in an uproar because the expensive sheep the Prince bought had disappeared. Naturally, there had to be an explanation.

After a brief consultation, they decided to tie Chen Mancang up and take him to see the Commandery Prince.

The Commandery Prince, after hearing the whole story, immediately understood what was going on.

Looking down at the fat Chen Mancang, the Commandery Prince couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.

He ordered someone to bring up the sheep pelts and then dismissed everyone else.

With only Chen Mancang left in the room, the Commandery Prince smiled and spread out the sheep pelts, walking towards him.

Chen Mancang, thinking quickly, said loudly, "Prince, spare my life, and you will always have sheep to eat!"

The Commandery Prince paused, somewhat impatient, "If I eat you, shepherds will bring me new sheep. Why spare your life just to have sheep?"

Chen Mancang crawled closer with flattery all over his face, "The old shepherd is over fifty, his days are numbered. How many more years can he herd sheep? If he dies, who will provide you with sheep?"

"Continue," the Commandery Prince frowned, pondering the truth in his words.

"The old shepherd uses a secret technique to turn people into animals. Young lambs transformed from untouched virgins are the most tender and juicy, far superior to my coarse flesh."

As he spoke, Chen Mancang wriggled his fat body and smiled obsequiously, "I have followed the old shepherd for many years and am familiar with the Beast Creation Secret Technique. If I take over the flock, I can guarantee fresh lamb every month for you."

The Commandery Prince showed interest, "How can I believe you?"

Chen Mancang plastered a smile on his face, "If I fail, you only lose one sheep. But if the old shepherd’s flock scatters, your kitchen will run out of supply..."

"You are a clever man," the Commandery Prince discarded the sheep pelts and said coldly, "I will spare your life. But if the lambs don’t come—"

"I shall skin and disembowel myself for your consumption!"

...

Chen Mancang left the Prince’s Mansion alive, but he did not flee far; instead, he followed the path the old shepherd used to lead the sheep and found the flock.

Holding his own sheep skin, he knelt down without saying a word upon seeing the old shepherd.

The old shepherd was shocked and angry, thinking that Chen Mancang had escaped from the Commandery Prince’s Mansion, bringing trouble.

The old man picked up his shepherd’s whip and lashed it at Chen Mancang.

Cursing as he whipped, it wasn’t until the old shepherd was exhausted from shouting that Chen Mancang began to plead his case.

"It was my fault. You beat me, I’ll take it, not a word of complaint. But I have something important to tell you..."

Chen Mancang spun a different tale now, insisting that the Commandery Prince knew the secret of transforming animals and recognized him when he turned back into a human while almost getting skinned alive by the Prince, and couldn’t help but cry.

The Prince, touched by his filial piety, let him go back.

The old shepherd was puzzled and asked Chen Mancang what he had said in his crying.

Chen Mancang kowtowed and said, "My life was saved by you. Without you, I would have starved to death. I cried because you’re old, and I haven’t repaid you. If I die, who would take care of you..."

The old shepherd was half-convinced. Childless, it was the first time someone spoke to him this way.

"Do you really mean it?"

"Words can lie, but silver notes cannot. If you don’t mind, I will call you godfather from now on..."

Chen Mancang took out several silver notes from his pocket, smiling foolishly, "The Prince gave me a procurement job in the mansion. Here is two hundred taels as a gift to my godfather."

Chen Mancang’s eagerness to serve the shepherd wasn’t out of genuine filial piety.

He coveted the old man’s Beast Creation technique. His claim to the Prince about knowing the secret was complete nonsense.