Chapter 36: What? It's a Big Shot!

The secret seasoning blend, ground from various spices, fused with the abundant fat on the surface of the roasted roe deer. Under the intensity of the heat, it erupted into an astonishing, exotic aroma that caused Danbao’s tears to instantly flow from the corners of its mouth.

While soothing Danbao with one hand—who was eager to rush forward and take a bite—Qin Lang skillfully rotated the grill with the other. Through even heating, he allowed the flavors of the spices to seep into the crevices of the roe meat along with the rendered fat.

Seeing that the roasting was nearing completion, Qin Lang handed the grill’s handle to Danbao. "I’m going to find some wild scallions nearby."

"Why don't you try rotating it the way I just showed you?"

"Gulu?"

Danbao stared blankly at the handle. After a moment of contemplation, its head detached from its body, bit down on the handle, and began to spin its entire head in circles.

Seeing this, Qin Lang nodded with satisfaction.

Giving Danbao some work to do meant it wouldn't be constantly thinking about sneaking a bite.

Perfect!

Ensuring Danbao could handle the flipping, Qin Lang turned and walked into the nearby woods. He had spotted wild scallions on his way here, so it was just a matter of backtracking. Soon, a bunch of wild scallions was in his hand.

Compared to the common scallions bought at a market, these wild ones were slightly less robust and smaller in size, but their fragrance was exceptionally rich.

Taking a gentle sniff, Qin Lang wore a look of satisfaction.

It was a pity there was no cilantro; that would have really completed the soul of the dish.

Retracing his steps, Qin Lang soon caught sight of his campsite from afar.

Immediately, his expression turned intrigued.

He had only been gone for a little while, so why was there an extra person sitting next to the roasting roe deer?!

Moreover, Danbao seemed to be chatting quite happily with the stranger.

After a brief moment of silence, Qin Lang quickened his pace and stepped out.

"Haha, it looks like your Spirit Chef has arrived." Seeing Qin Lang appear, the man who had arrived at the roasting site at some point smiled at Danbao.

He was a sturdily built man with an afro, wearing a short jacket that left his arms exposed, revealing muscles so defined they seemed like they could be pulled apart like fiber.

Looking at Qin Lang, his chiseled face broke into a smile. "Hello, my name is Zhou Tianhao."

"I was just passing through the area and smelled the aroma of roasting meat. My feet walked this way without me even realizing it, and by the time I came to my senses, I was already here."

As he spoke, Zhou Tianhao scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed.

For someone of his status to do such a thing was truly shameful, but thankfully, this was deep in the mountains; there was no one around, let alone anyone who would recognize him.

Stealing a glance at the sizzling roe deer on the rack, Zhou Tianhao gulped hard.

Since he had already said as much, he should be able to get a share, right?

Not much, just one bite would be enough.

He had smelled this rich aroma from a long way off; it was truly mouth-watering!

Qin Lang was stunned for a moment, then chuckled. "The two of us probably can't finish this whole roasted deer, so let's eat together."

"Then I shall accept your hospitality!" Zhou Tianhao sat down right beside the roasting rack, staring fixedly at the deer, entering a state of waiting to be fed.

Qin Lang smiled, not minding much.

Just as he had said, he and Danbao couldn't finish the entire deer, and the rest would just go to waste. Meeting someone else in the deep mountains was a matter of fate, so sharing a meal was nothing.

Checking the heat, Qin Lang removed the grill from the rack, placed it on a small folding table nearby, and sprinkled the chopped wild scallions evenly over the meat.

"The whole roasted roe deer is ready!"

When prepping the deer, Qin Lang had made many incisions with his small knife. Now, as the meat had tightened during the roasting process, the cuts had split open, making it easy to debone and peel off the meat with simple carving.

Slicing the pieces of roe meat and placing them on a plate, Qin Lang put on gloves and grabbed a piece with his hand, popping it into his mouth.

The roe meat carried a faint gamey scent—not quite the same as mutton—but this subtle gaminess blended into the freshness of the meat, making it not repulsive at all; instead, it further enhanced the savory flavor.

The spice profile had fully permeated every crevice of the meat during the roasting, mixing with the primal aroma of the flesh like adding countless intricate details to a blank canvas, making the flavor of the entire roasted deer incredibly rich.

After one bite, Qin Lang’s eyes lit up instantly, and Danbao was so eager it nearly stuffed its entire head into the plate.

After finishing the first piece, Zhou Tianhao silently reached for a second, then a third, then a fourth...

Watching Danbao and Zhou Tianhao devouring the food, Qin Lang suddenly remembered something and stood up, walking over to the mushroom soup pot nearby.

After such a long time, the soup had finished simmering. Opening the lid released a rich and complex aroma of mushrooms.

After seasoning it lightly and sprinkling in some scallions, he stirred it with a ladle, and a pot of fresh, delicious mixed mushroom soup was ready.

"Come, come, try this soup."

Setting the pot next to the roasted deer, Qin Lang called out, then ladled a bowl for himself first.

The mushrooms, simmered for a long time, had a texture that was both bouncy and soft—somewhat similar to meat, yet smoother. The soup they had fully absorbed burst forth with every chew, filling his mouth.

The earthy freshness of the mushrooms was completely different from the savory richness of the roasted meat. After one sip, the slight greasiness from the meat vanished instantly.

By the time only the skeleton of the roe deer remained, Qin Lang drank the last drop of mushroom soup and sighed in satisfaction.

"That hits the spot!"

"Roasted roe deer and mixed mushroom soup are the perfect match," Zhou Tianhao said, shaking his head in admiration. "A bite of meat, a sip of soup—it's so good it leaves you speechless."

He downed the rest of the soup in one go, let out a satisfied breath, and rubbed his warm belly.

"Thank you for the hospitality."

Initially, Zhou Tianhao had just wanted to be thick-skinned and try a bite, wondering what kind of food could have such a seductive aroma. He hadn't expected Qin Lang to invite him to join, allowing him to enjoy the most delicious meal he’d had in days.

No, he couldn't just take advantage of Qin Lang like that!

Looking at Qin Lang, Zhou Tianhao pondered for a moment before turning his gaze toward Danbao.

He took out his phone, glanced at Danbao’s information, and a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

The combat skill is Breath of Blazing Fire, is it...

In that case...

Zhou Tianhao pressed one hand to the center of his collarbone. A faint glow shimmered, and the next instant, a Food Spirit flew out from his star meridian.

"Jili jili!"

Qin Lang looked up and, seeing the Food Spirit Zhou Tianhao had summoned, took out his phone in surprise.

"Beep—"

[Type: Food Spirit]
[Level: Lv34]
[Flavor Attribute: Spicy]
[Elemental Attribute: Fire]
[Food Skill: Deep Cooking]
[Combat Skills (Excluding self-learned skills): (Fire) Warm-up Exercise, (Fire) Breath of Blazing Fire, (Fire) Starfire Dive, (Fire) Firepower Barrage]
[Experience Value: 67/100]

"Hiss!!!"