Chapter 40: The Proper Way to Attend a Banquet

"Big Brother, pour... pour me a cup too..."
The Crow Demon watched Lu Fei drinking, gnawing on a thick, roasted leg that dripped with oil, and hurriedly handed over his wooden bowl.
"Big Brother, give me some too..."
The Red-Skinned Pig Demon was no different, tearing into a chunk of bone-in meat and quickly passing his bowl.
Lu Fei turned at the sound, took their bowls, and filled each from the wine jar.
Only then did he look at the large slabs of meat arranged on the stone table, cushioned with broad leaves beneath.
The glistening, steaming meat before him stirred his appetite.
Though it was impossible to tell which part or which monster the meat came from.
Ever since he crossed over, Lu Fei had found the food at Langlang Mountain unbearable—barely fit for humans, and he had never touched it. He survived by fishing in the river below the mountain.
But this roasted meat looked inviting enough for him to eat.
He glanced around—almost every demon at the feast was devouring meat with gusto.
Lu Fei picked up a golden, bone-in slice and bit into it.
"Hmm..."
"The meat is firm..."
"It's monster flesh. That Black General didn't cheap out with ordinary wild beast meat..."
Lu Fei gnawed at the bone, thinking to himself.
There was even a hint of salt.
He hadn't tasted salt in some time.
Langlang Mountain’s food did have salt, but Lu Fei had always scorned the kitchen demons’ slop, never touching it and missing out on the salt.
He wondered, what would happen if monsters went without salt for long periods? Would they suffer as humans do?
But he had little time for such thoughts. He knew that feasts like this, with monster meat, happened only once a year at Langlang Mountain, and who knew when the next chance would come.
With such a rare opportunity, he had to eat his fill.
No—he had his storage divine ability. Eating until full wasn’t enough; he had to pack some away. That was the proper way to attend a feast.
With this in mind, Lu Fei let loose, grabbing meat in both hands and devouring with abandon.
As for paying respects to the King or forging ties with Chief Wolf, those could wait until he was full.
Besides, now wasn’t the right time.
"Gulp, gulp..."

At that moment, the Crow Demon beside him drained his bowl in one gulp, sighing contentedly, "So refreshing! It’s been ages since I had wine..."
"Wow..."
The Red-Skinned Pig Demon, ever cautious, tasted a sip and his eyes instantly lit up, "Delicious..."
He followed the Crow Demon’s lead, gulping down the whole bowl.
Lu Fei was not surprised.
This wine was clearly fruit-fermented—sweet and fruity, scarcely any alcohol, weaker even than the light fruit wines he’d tasted before.
Perfect for novices, and no wonder the young demons craved it so desperately.
The two demons kept pouring themselves more.
Lu Fei, sitting between them, tore and swallowed meat with both hands.
As for sharp teeth and jaws, the Crow Demon and Red-Skinned Pig Demon were no match for him.
But as he ate, the pile of meat in front of him kept vanishing piece by piece.
The Red-Skinned Pig Demon caught on quickly, silently pushing more meat toward Big Brother’s spot.
"Hey, Third Brother, what are you doing?"
The Crow Demon saw his meat being pushed away and protested, "Big Brother still has plenty!"
Red Skin said nothing, only continued eating.
Noticing his expression, the Crow Demon glanced at their silent, feasting Big Brother.
Soon he realized something was amiss: he saw a chunk of golden, fragrant roast vanish before his eyes.
"Big Brother..."
The Crow Demon, now aware, whispered urgently.
"Quiet, focus on eating..."
Lu Fei, fully aware, spoke first, reminding them, "This is all monster meat. The General is being generous for once; such chances are rare."
"Right, right, Big Brother makes sense..."
The Crow Demon, enlightened, said no more and concentrated on eating and drinking.
But as he drank, he noticed Big Brother only sipped occasionally, and Third Brother Red Skin had stopped drinking altogether, focusing solely on meat.
Realizing his folly, the Crow Demon stopped drinking and devoted himself to eating.
Glancing at the other demons, who ate, drank, and laughed merrily at their tables, he couldn’t help but sneer inwardly, "Fools..."
Lu Fei and his two brothers were devouring meat, with Lu Fei quietly stashing more in his storage space.

Their table consumed meat at a rapid pace.
Fortunately, theirs had only three demons, while other tables had four or five, sometimes seven or eight, all eating at a ferocious speed.
By comparison, the pace at Lu Fei’s table didn’t stand out.
Time passed slowly.
When Lu Fei’s storage space was nearly full, he slowed down.
The Crow Demon and Red Skin had long since eaten their fill, but to cover for Big Brother’s pilfering, they pretended to eat slowly.
When Big Brother finally put down his meat, they stopped as well.
"Eh, I never thought I’d one day eat monster meat to the point of bursting, of wanting to vomit..."
The Crow Demon wiped his oily hands on his own wing feathers, then his mouth, sighing, "If it were the old days, I wouldn’t dare dream of such boldness."
"Indeed..."
The Red-Skinned Pig Demon patted his swollen belly, recalling, "I still remember the first time I ate monster meat, when Big Brother brought us that fish demon..."
"My first time..."
The Crow Demon was about to speak when he saw Big Brother’s greasy hand reach over and wipe on his wing feathers.
"Big Brother, what are you doing?"
Lu Fei replied, "You’ve already wiped on them, they’re dirty anyway. A bit more won’t matter..."
The Crow Demon: "......"
When Lu Fei finished wiping his hands and mouth clean on the Crow Demon’s feathers, he saw the kitchen demons bring two small jars of fruit wine, announcing it was the last refill.
He promptly snatched one, hiding it under the table and slipping it into his storage space.
"Hey, Big Brother..."
The Crow Demon, about to pour, whispered, "This jar won’t be enough for the three of us..."
Lu Fei sternly replied, "You two have drunk plenty already. I think you’re getting tipsy—forgot what I told you earlier?"
Scolded, the Crow Demon immediately recalled what Big Brother had said before the feast about their feud with Chief Bear, and his excitement faded, his mind clearing.
Seeing his look, Lu Fei softened, "Don’t blame me for not letting you drink. We can’t rely entirely on other demons for our safety..."
With that, Lu Fei poured a bowl for each of them.
Then, carrying the last wine jar and his bowl, he strode toward the head table where the Black General sat.