Black Stone Town, nestled at the foot of Panyun Mountain in Bian State of the Jin Kingdom.
Butcher Zeng, a burly man with graying hair and a thick waist, chewed on a foxtail grass stem, his brow furrowed in worry. He listlessly chopped at a piece of meat.
Liu the Louse ambled past his stall, glanced at him, and snickered. "Boss Zeng, did you sneak into a widow's bed last night and finish in three seconds? Why the long face?"
"Get lost!" Butcher Zeng swung his arm forcefully, sinking the meat cleaver deep into the cutting board, which was coated in a thick layer of grease.
Liu the Louse flinched, shrinking his shoulders. When he saw the glaring, leopard-like eyes of the bearded butcher fixed on him, a wave of panic washed over him, and his pace quickened involuntarily.
Only when he was a safe distance away did he dare to mutter, "What a lout!"
