Chapter 58: Encountering the Treasure-Hunting Squad Again!

"Take care on your way back~"

Standing at his doorway and waving to Zheng Kang as he headed downstairs, Qin Lang wore a bright smile.

This smile was partly due to finding a new clue regarding the recipe spirit within the painting, and partly because just moments before, Zheng Kang had generously transferred two million to him, directly doubling the agreed-upon tuition fee.

Such lavish spending instantly marked him as a child from a wealthy family.

Not until the sound of Zheng Kang's footsteps vanished down the stairwell did Qin Lang withdraw his gaze. The moment he turned around, he caught sight of two piercing gazes peering out from a crack in the neighboring door, which had opened at some unknown point...

Oh, good grief!

Qin Lang gave a violent shudder and instantly straightened up. "Good afternoon, Grandpa Zhao, Zhao Qian."

"We are not having a good afternoon..." Zhao Qian said in a ghostly tone, her unblinking stare looking as though she wanted to devour him alive. "Who knows who started cooking in the kitchen early this morning and kept at it for hours, letting the aroma drift all the way over here?"

"And it smelled so delicious, too," Zhao Chuan added, swallowing hard as he spoke. "Little Qin, well, you know..."

"Sorry, sorry." Qin Lang pressed his palms together and shook them apologetically. "I was instructing a student earlier, and I happened to have some leftover ingredients to make a few more portions."

"If you don't mind, would you like to come over and try some?"

"Yes, please! Then I won't have to cook lunch!" A delighted voice rang out, and immediately afterward, a third head poked through the door gap.

Qin Lang: "..."

Grandma Liu, so you were there too!

Shaking his head with a wry smile, Qin Lang invited the family next door inside. "Grandpa Zhao, the range hood at my place really needs to be fixed."

He hadn't had the chance to mention it before, but the thought crossed his mind just then.

"Alright, alright, I'll fix it for you this afternoon," Zhao Chuan agreed with a hearty smile, though a trace of regret lingered in his heart.

Once that was fixed, smelling the fragrant dishes coming from Qin Lang's kitchen wouldn't be quite so easy anymore.

There happened to be duck breasts in the refrigerator that Zheng Kang had marinated and left unused. Without making Grandpa Zhao's family wait too long, portions of crispy-crusted, tender-centered duck were soon served before them.

The three of them, who had been suffering through the entire morning, finally got to taste the flavor they had been longing for, and even Bubu crawled out of Zhao Qian's astral pulse to stuff its face.

"Speaking of which..." Zhao Qian looked curiously at Danbao by Qin Lang's side. "I don't think I've ever seen your recipe spirit enter your astral pulse?"

"Probably because it doesn't like to," Qin Lang brushed it off with a smile. "Different recipe spirits have different personalities."

"That makes sense." Zhao Qian nodded. "Are you still going to teach your student this afternoon?"

"One a day is enough." Qin Lang shook his head. "I just got some new clues about the recipe spirit in the painting and plan to go take a look."

"Then how about... I help you look?" Zhao Qian's eyes rolled as she gestured to the delicacies on the table. "Consider it payback for treating us to a meal."

"Then I'll thank you in advance." Qin Lang didn't stand on ceremony with her and nodded with a smile.

Many hands make light work. Himself, Danbao, along with Zhao Qian and her spirit—that made four forces, which would speed up the search considerably.

Although he had already asked Zheng Kang for the location where the suspected recipe spirit in the painting was seen yesterday, it was a vast expanse of woodland.

Recipe spirits could move; it was impossible for it to remain in the exact same spot.

After enjoying the delicious food, Grandpa Zhao and his wife smilingly returned to their own home, while Qin Lang and Zhao Qian set off together, heading straight for their destination.

Before long, the two arrived at the spot Zheng Kang had mentioned from the previous day.

"Let's split up," Zhao Qian said, pointing in one direction. "You search over there, and I'll search over here."

"Alright." Qin Lang nodded, and each of them, accompanied by their respective spirits, began carefully searching the surrounding area.

Soon, Qin Lang made a discovery.

He noticed the branches of a small cluster of trees were snapped, as if something had suddenly darted out from among them and broken the branches in its rush.

"This must be the place where that recipe spirit was startled into flight by Zheng Kang." Qin Lang rubbed his chin and searched the surroundings carefully, soon spotting an unusual glint of color among the branches under the sunlight.

That was...

"Danbao, help me get it down."

"Gulu~"

Danbao flew up among the branches, gave a gentle rub, and the object wedged between the branches came free, drifting lightly down into Qin Lang's palm.

"Is this... a bird's feather?" Qin Lang stroked it casually.

It was an intact golden plume that looked as though it had been cast from pure gold under the sunlight, exceptionally striking.

However, aside from that, there were no other discoveries here.

"Let's go, let's take a look somewhere else." Qin Lang shook his head, intending to search elsewhere, when he saw Zhao Qian—who was supposed to be searching in the opposite direction—jogging toward him.

"Hah~" Taking a deep breath, Zhao Qian lowered her voice. "Guess who I saw?"

"Who?"

"That flower-stealing guy from last time!" Zhao Qian's tone carried a hint of excitement. "I saw him skulking around nearby, though I don't know what he's up to."

"It's him!" Qin Lang's spirits lifted.

That fellow wasn't just a petty thief who stole flowers; he was also a member of the criminal organization, the Treasure Hunter Team. Even though he didn't know why the guy was here, but...

"We can't let him get away this time!"

Qin Lang immediately called Tang Yu, whose contact information he had kept, quickly explaining his location and the current situation.

"I'm coming right now!" Tang Yu dropped those words and hung up the phone.

"Done." Qin Lang nodded at Zhao Qian.

"The Gourmet Chef Association is quite far from here. Sister Tang Yu will probably take a while to arrive. Shall we go ahead and..." Zhao Qian looked eager for a fight.

Seeing her look like a battle maniac, the corners of Qin Lang's mouth twitched slightly.

However, last time, the two of them had already fought that fellow named Liu Chuang, and back then, the gap in their strengths wasn't large. Now, in just a few short days, Danbao's strength was completely different from the past.

Thinking of this, Qin Lang looked at Danbao beside him.

At this moment, the scroll symbol on Danbao's head had vanished.

The greeting gift presented by Zheng Kang had already been mastered by Danbao.

And Liu Chuang's recipe spirit happened to be of the dark attribute.

Coupled with the control effect of [Shallow Sleep Fragrance]...

Qin Lang's gaze hardened. "Let's go stop that guy first!"

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

"Strange."

Liu Chuang wandered aimlessly through the woods with his spirit, Xiaopi.

"According to the first-hand intelligence obtained by the organization, that rare spirit should be right here." Liu Chuang clicked his tongue and turned to look at Xiaopi.

"Did you find anything?"

"Sika~" Xiaopi shook its head, indicating that it likewise hadn't found any suspicious presence.

"In that case, we'll just wait for Lord's news."

"Perhaps that rare spirit is in the area Lord is searching?" Liu Chuang patted Xiaopi's head. "This mission is quite simple. Once it's completed, we'll be able to have a new partner."

Man and spirit simultaneously revealed looks of anticipation.

"Danbao, use Breath of Blazing Fire!"

A voice suddenly rang out from the side, and Liu Chuang's expression changed as he abruptly turned to look at the man and woman rushing out from the flames.

"It's you guys again?!"