Samuel Bennett was suddenly startled, a wave of sorrow rising in his heart.

The old woman who had depended on her husband for survival had just lost him—how heartbroken must she be?

“The old man isn’t coming back, you mustn’t leave grandma all alone…”

The old woman sobbed softly, muttering to herself.

Only then did Samuel Bennett realize that he had actually been ‘unconscious’ for three days and two nights…

“Yu’er, Yu’er, this is talisman water that grandma begged from the Immortal of the Liansheng Sect. Drink it, and you’ll surely wake up…”

Samuel Bennett could feel his head being lifted, and a bowl of foul-smelling talisman water was brought to his lips.

Talisman water?

Can this stuff really cure illness?!

Samuel Bennett’s whole body resisted: “No… gulp, gulp…”

He didn’t even get a word out before the entire bowl of strange-tasting talisman water was poured down his throat.

It’s over!

His stomach grew hot, but Samuel Bennett’s heart turned cold.

The Liansheng Sect was a sect among the poor families outside Heishan’s outer city, claiming that their talisman water could save the dying and heal the wounded.

But how could he believe that?

“Ugh—”

Samuel Bennett struggled to sit up, leaned over the bedside, and vomited all the talisman water out.

“My little Yu, my little Yu.”

The old woman, not caring about the talisman water she had spent so much to obtain, hugged Samuel Bennett, tears streaming down her face.

“Grandma, I’m fine…”

Looking at the old woman, who seemed even more aged than before, Samuel Bennett felt a pang of sadness. Fearing she might cry herself sick, he quickly said:

“Grandma, I’m hungry.”

“Grandma will get it right away.”

The old woman hurriedly wiped away her tears and brought over the prepared food. “You’ve been unconscious for three days. Have some chicken soup first, eat slowly. There’s more if it’s not enough…”

“You… you stewed the old hen?”

Only then did Samuel Bennett smell the chicken soup, and his stomach immediately began to rumble.

Heishan City was remote and not rich in resources—in other words, the lives of the poor were extremely harsh.

Although Mr. Bennett was a prison guard, he was honest and upright, with no extra income. The few old hens at home were as precious as life to the old woman.

“There are still three left. Stewing one doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter.”

A dim look appeared in the old woman’s eyes. “The old man is gone. Three hens are enough…”

Samuel Bennett fell silent, not knowing how to comfort her, and could only quietly drink the chicken soup.

When the old woman went to clear the dishes, Samuel Bennett lay down again. As soon as he closed his eyes, he ‘saw’ that strange yet familiar large cauldron once more.

The cauldron was dark in color, but a hint of green appeared along its edge.

“It’s turning green again…”

Samuel Bennett’s heart skipped a beat, a sense of foreboding rising.

The cauldron was originally green; he had eaten ‘stones’ for a whole year to turn it black, and after using it just once, it was turning back?

Would he have to eat dirt again?!

Chapter 3: A World That Eats People

Dawn broke.

A red sun rose in the east, its light sweeping in all directions, illuminating the world and dispelling the gloom brought by days of heavy rain.

“Refining consumes my stamina. Even if my stamina runs out, it won’t stop, but will reach a certain goal. My initial guess is, each time it’s 10 progress points.

But that’s not certain—one piece of evidence isn’t enough, it needs further testing.”

“Blindly hacking away doesn’t increase progress; it’s pointless. Maybe 10 progress points is equivalent to the old man practicing with the blade for three years?”

“Practicing with the blade in real life also increases progress, but the effect is far less than the ‘refining’ of the Gluttonous Cauldron… and the broken blade itself hasn’t disappeared.”

“The Gluttonous Cauldron fades in color—maybe when the progress is full, it returns to its original color. So, how do I solve the problem of eating dirt?”

“What does the Gluttonous Cauldron need? Is it dirt and stones, or the metal elements within them? If it’s the latter…”

“How do I find other ingredients?”

……

In the slightly dazzling sunlight, Samuel Bennett sat at his desk, writing, sorting through his findings and guesses, summarizing his gains and losses.

This was a habit from his previous life.

“Whew!”

Casually swallowing a pebble, feeling the familiar warmth spread through him, Samuel Bennett finally let out a long breath.

After a night of sorting things out, he had a preliminary understanding of the Gluttonous Cauldron’s functions and taboos.

There were many problems, but also great uses.

Crumpling up the scribbled paper and tossing it in the corner, Samuel Bennett stood up and took the broken blade hanging on the wall in his hand.

Immediately, a familiar sensation surged in his heart, along with the knife techniques deeply imprinted in his mind.

Yes, just techniques—not even proper swordsmanship.

“Missing means dead. The old man is probably doomed…”

Sunlight fell on the blade, reflecting Samuel Bennett’s slightly worried face.

Outside the city, it was very dangerous.

Not only were there wild beasts and beggars fleeing famine, but also bandits and robbers.

Qingzhou was on the border of the Ming Dynasty, and compared to other provinces, it was much more chaotic.

An old prison guard of such age—even if he wasn’t dead, could he be any better off?

Bang!

Bang bang bang!

At that moment, a series of urgent knocks and a sharp voice shattered the peace of the courtyard:

“Auntie, open the door, open the door! It’s me, Grace Bennett!”

“Coming, coming.”

As Samuel Bennett frowned, Mrs. Bennett had already thrown on her clothes and gone to open the door.