Chapter 35: Since You’re Here, Make Yourself at Home

"Take care, sir!"

Watching the middle-aged man’s retreating figure, Liu Chuang could not stop the smile from spreading across his face. "Xiao Pi, did you hear that?"

"After I finish this mission, I can activate my second star meridian and obtain my second Spirit Eater!"

"Ska~"

Xiao Pi nodded vigorously, its face filled with similar anticipation. Once the new Spirit Eater was born, it would surely recognize Xiao Pi as its big brother, right? That meant it would finally have a little subordinate!

"Ah, almost forgot!" Liu Chuang clapped his hands suddenly. "We need to go buy groceries with the bonus that just came in."

"Let's go, let's go! It’s been so long since we’ve had any meat!"

"As for the mission, we can worry about that after we’re full!"

-----------------

"That up ahead is Xiaxi Mountain."

The next day, looking at the mountain before him, Qin Lang took a deep breath, adjusted the slightly slipping strap of his backpack, and stepped onto the mountain path.

As the only mountain within Dongxia City, Xiaxi Mountain stood about five hundred meters tall. It covered a vast area and had gentle, non-steep slopes.

He had prepared to stay in Xiaxi Mountain for several days, so he had made sure to purchase various portable travel essentials in advance. Having a million in his pocket made him feel much more generous with his spending.

"Gulu~"

Danbao followed excitedly behind Qin Lang. Climbing Xiaxi Mountain, with its diverse vegetation, was an equally novel experience for it.

"It’ll be noon soon; we’ll have our lunch on the mountain." Seeing Danbao’s lively demeanor, Qin Lang smiled and spoke.

To reduce his load, he hadn't prepared any ready-made food. That was hardly a problem, however. Xiaxi Mountain was rich in wild game and mountain delicacies, practically inexhaustible, and among the portable gear he had bought were cooking utensils and various seasonings.

As for the hunting, he would, of course, leave that to Danbao.

Only a few steps in, the sharp-eyed Qin Lang let out a surprised sound. He stepped about a dozen meters into the forest beside the path, his gaze fixed on the trunk of a tree, his eyes filled with pleasant surprise.

"Such fresh wood ear mushrooms."

Taking a folded plastic bag from his backpack, Qin Lang carefully plucked the mushrooms one by one and tucked them away.

Danbao leaned in to sniff them, catching only a peculiar woody scent, and couldn't help but cast an inquisitive look at Qin Lang.

"Gulu?"

"Wood ear mushrooms taste great when cooked—crunchy and springy, with a faint, fresh aroma," Qin Lang smiled. "Freshly picked mushrooms are delicious whether stewed in soup or stir-fried."

Hearing this, Danbao immediately became expectant. It couldn't let Qin Lang do all the foraging; it had to work hard too!

Danbao looked around, and soon, a splash of inconspicuous, bright purple caught its eye. It brightened up. Was that food, too?

It approached curiously and soon saw an umbrella-shaped plant growing at the base of a tree trunk, its surface covered in bright purple patterns. It looked quite beautiful.

Something this pretty must be delicious, right?

"Gulu!"

Danbao called out to Qin Lang in excitement.

Hearing the call, Qin Lang walked over. Upon seeing what Danbao had found, his hand shook, and he nearly dropped the wood ear mushrooms he was holding.

"That’s a poisonous mushroom; you can't eat it." Qin Lang touched Danbao, caught between laughter and tears. "Mushrooms with such bright, showy colors are almost always toxic. Eating them can lead to hallucinations at best, and death at worst."

Hearing this, Danbao jumped back, its gaze toward the poisonous mushroom quickly turning cautious, though it also felt a bit dejected. Foraging, it seemed, was not such an easy task after all.

Noticing Danbao’s thoughts, Qin Lang smiled. "We’re still on the very outskirts of Xiaxi Mountain. Most of the delicacies here have already been taken by others. Finding even a few wood ear mushrooms is a pleasant surprise."

"The situation will be much better as we go deeper."

He pointed toward the heart of the mountain. "Let’s keep going."

As Qin Lang had predicted, once they were deeper into the mountains, the wild delicacies became much more abundant. Within an hour of climbing, he and Danbao had successively found five types of edible mushrooms and even discovered a nest of unknown bird eggs.

"A little more meat, and lunch will be sorted." After taking inventory of their haul, Qin Lang looked pleased.

Just then, a slight rustle sounded from nearby.

Qin Lang and Danbao turned back quickly, only to see a brown beast peering out from behind a tree, poking its head out to look at them.

It stood about a meter tall at the shoulder, with a body like a deer and short horns.

This was… a silly roe deer!

Qin Lang’s eyes lit up instantly.

The reason roe deer were jokingly called "silly roe deer" was because of their naive, docile nature. They lacked any sense of danger, possessed strong curiosity, and were bold enough that when they encountered humans, they wouldn't run away—instead, they would often approach to get a closer look.

A roe deer this large was practically an adult, and it would be more than enough for lunch.

Looking at the roe deer, which had no idea that danger was imminent, Qin Lang couldn't help but chuckle.

"Since you’re here, you might as well be laid to rest right here!"

"Danbao, use Breath of Fire!"

After a flurry of chaos, the man and his spirit were the proud owners of one roe deer.

"There’s a mountain stream nearby that eventually flows into the Xiayun River." Qin Lang glanced at his map and smiled contentedly. "Ingredients found. Let’s head there to prepare lunch."

"Gulu!"

Danbao shouted excitedly, its eyes fixed on the roe deer in Qin Lang’s hand.

By now, the fur on the roe deer’s surface had been scorched black by the flames, and it was faintly emitting a savory, meaty aroma. Qin Lang had said they could make a whole roasted roe deer.

It was already starting to look forward to how delicious that would be.

Upon arriving at the stream, Qin Lang took out his portable cooking gear and began to prepare with methodical efficiency.

The gathered mushrooms could be made into a soup; even without any other ingredients, the combined fragrance of the various mushrooms was delicious enough on its own. He set up a pot, added the sliced mushrooms and the clear mountain stream water, and left it to simmer over the fire.

Next, Qin Lang expertly processed the roe deer: draining the blood, skinning it, removing the innards, and rubbing it inside and out with marinade.

By the time the marinating was done, Qin Lang had already set up the grill and wire rack needed for the roast.

He splayed the roe deer open along its ribs, fastened its limbs, torso, and head onto the rack, and placed it over the fire. He rotated the rack continuously as it cooked, ensuring every corner was heated evenly.

Time ticked by. The surface of the roe deer gradually shimmered with a bright sheen of oil, and the bright red meat turned a tempting, golden brown.

"Gulu gulu?"

The increasingly rich, meaty aroma made Danbao swallow hard, desperate to pounce on it and take a bite.

"It’s still missing a bit of soul." Qin Lang smiled, holding Danbao back, and then evenly sprinkled a layer of his secret seasoning over both sides of the roasting deer.