I Want An Item

Yi Yun couldn't wait any longer. He poured the sauce he had prepared earlier over the chicken, tore off a drumstick, took a deep sniff, and took a bite.

The skin was crisp, the meat tender and smooth, the bones succulent, and his mouth was filled with fragrance.

He had to admit, this unknown wild chicken given to him by the Fat Old Man was incredibly delicious. No wonder the old man ate it with such gusto, even after roasting it so poorly.

Moreover, the chicken contained a pure energy. As Yi Yun swallowed the meat, this energy flowed through his entire body, giving him a warm, incredibly comfortable feeling.

The wine the old man gave him was also special. After being salt-baked, the wine's aroma hadn't dissipated but had instead infused the chicken, giving it an intoxicating fragrance.

The energy contained within this fine wine was even more refined, causing Yi Yun's pores to open up in sheer comfort.

Lin Xin Tong looked at Yi Yun curiously. Just by smelling the aroma and looking at the presentation, she could tell the chicken must taste amazing.

This child looked no older than twelve, yet he could cook like this?

"Fairy Sister, do you want some?"

Yi Yun was quite the charmer. He could tell that this young lady's status and position were extraordinary, and the old man clearly doted on her. Yi Yun didn't know her name, but calling her "Fairy Sister" was definitely appropriate.

"Uh..." Lin Xin Tong was taken aback. Seeing Yi Yun tear off another, untouched drumstick and offer it to her, she felt a little flustered.

After a moment's hesitation, she accepted it and took a small bite.

It was indeed fresh and fragrant!

Compared to this, her master's "charcoal chicken" was simply inedible.

The young lady took out a handkerchief, wiped the corner of her mouth, and smiled in thanks.

She had never tried this cooking method before; the taste was incredibly unique.

Although Lin Xin Tong was naturally reserved and not particularly fond of food, after adventuring out for so long and eating "charcoal chicken" with its bitter, burnt taste every day, she had had enough.

The young lady admired it, but her reaction wasn't overly exaggerated. The Fat Old Man, however, was different. He was an insatiable glutton who had reached the Bigu state many years ago but had never truly abstained from eating. He needed his four meals a day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a late-night snack.

Normally, he had servants to provide him with food and drink at home, which was quite good and satisfying. But now that he was out adventuring with his disciple, things were a bit tough. After eating coal-ash-grilled food for so long, he was thoroughly sick of it.

He was drooling with desire, but he couldn't bring himself to ask Yi Yun for any. Seeing that Yi Yun had no intention of sharing the chicken with him, the Fat Old Man became displeased. This brat was truly ungrateful, forgetting who had given him the chicken and wine?

"I didn't expect you, a child, to be able to cook. I've tasted all sorts of delicacies from around the world over the years, so my palate is undoubtedly authoritative! Come, young man, let me appraise it for you. I'll give you some pointers on how to improve your cooking skills if needed."

As the Fat Old Man spoke, a greasy, black-ash-covered hand reached out. He hadn't even wiped his hands after eating the roasted chicken!

Yi Yun instinctively tried to dodge, but somehow, despite the hand not looking fast, he couldn't avoid it. A good portion of the chicken was ripped away, and both prime chicken wings were gone!

Damn it!

Yi Yun cursed inwardly. But by then, the Fat Old Man had already taken a bite. As he chewed, his small eyes glanced mischievously at Yi Yun, as if to say, You think you can escape my grasp, little one?

With that bite, grease spurted everywhere, filling the Fat Old Man's mouth with fragrance. His eyes lit up!

The chicken itself was delicious, but the wine was the real star.

In fact, the old man had eaten plenty of fine delicacies before, but this method of Yi Yun's was something he had never encountered.

The fine wine infused into the chicken made it even more aromatic!

He was not only a foodie but also a drunkard. He never imagined that wine could be used in such a way. The combination of wine and chicken, two separate delicacies, was simply marvelous!

In comparison, the roasted chicken he had made himself earlier was fit only for dogs!

The old man had already eaten one chicken, and this unknown wild chicken was quite plump. Yi Yun, having learned the Elephant Swallowing Art, could feel that this chicken meat was very digestible. An ordinary person would probably be full for days after eating just one drumstick.

Yet, this old man had eaten one and a half, and showed no signs of being full.

Although the Fat Old Man ate the chicken with apparent elegance, he did so with incredible speed. In just over a minute, the half-eaten chicken was reduced to a pile of bones.

He had gnawed them clean, leaving no scrap behind, not even the delicate rib bones. Even a dog would be ashamed.

Ignoring Yi Yun's astonished gaze, the old man calmly wiped the oil from his mouth and said, "The taste is acceptable. With a bit more improvement, it might even rival my roasted chicken."

The old man said this shamelessly. Yi Yun was speechless. Who exactly was this guy? He seemed to have an extraordinary background, yet he behaved like this?

The old man seemed oblivious to Yi Yun's disdainful look. He glanced at the salt-baked chicken in Yi Yun's hand and asked, "Why aren't you eating? Are you full?"

"No!" Yi Yun jumped, quickly shaking his head and hastily starting to eat the salt-baked chicken in his hand.

He was joking. If he had been a second slower, his chicken would have likely become a pile of bones in the blink of an eye.

This chicken was not only delicious but also highly beneficial for the body. Yi Yun felt that in just this short time, his depleted body had replenished a significant amount of energy, causing his bones and blood to stir, as if preparing for another reinforcement.

Could this chicken be some kind of ancient bird similar to Savage Beasts?

Yi Yun felt a pang of emotion. If wealthy families ate such things daily, their strength would naturally advance by leaps and bounds.

He had been in high spirits just moments ago after perfecting his Body Refinement, but this incident quickly sobered him up.

His own foundation was still too low. While he might stand out in a small tribe, in a large clan, he might not be particularly remarkable. His path was still long.

"Hey, I see you have some skill in cooking, kid. Since we've met, I suppose it's fate..."

The Fat Old Man said this as he reached for his Thumb Ring.

This was the second time Yi Yun had heard such words, and he was largely immune. He calmly wiped his mouth, waiting for the Fat Old Man to produce something.

"Heh heh, young man, take these to buy some candy." The Fat Old Man pulled out two substantial Gold Ingots from his Thumb Ring, each weighing about forty to fifty taels.

This was Yi Yun's first time seeing Gold Ingots. Back on Earth, he had only seen gold bars displayed in bank windows, and they weren't this large.

Yi Yun couldn't help but take a second look.

"Come, I have twenty or thirty more chickens here. If you process them, these two gold ingots will be yours. You can buy a lot of candy," the old man said with a chuckle. Although he wouldn't admit it, he knew his cooking skills were no match for Yi Yun's. The Salt Baked Chicken Yi Yun made, especially the way he combined the wine and meat flavors, made the Fat Old Man's mouth water.

Yi Yun pouted upon hearing this. In Yunhuang, gold was more for show than for use.

On Earth, these two large gold ingots would be enough to buy a lifetime's worth of food. But in this other world, food was very expensive, especially in Yunhuang, where you might not be able to buy it even with gold. If he were to use gold to buy food from Lian Chengyu, wouldn't that be like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth?

"I don't want gold," Yi Yun said, completely unmoved. The old man had given him copper coins at first, and now gold. In the end, he still saw Yi Yun as just a lucky mortal child, not someone who practiced martial arts. "Senior, don't you know that it's very dangerous for a child to carry gold through a busy market?"

"Uh?" The Fat Old Man was suddenly choked. He thought to himself, even if you don't take it, you can give it to your parents.

Beside the Fat Old Man, Lin Xin Tong looked at Yi Yun with surprise. The principle of "possessing a treasure brings disaster" was simple, but for a child of eleven or twelve years old to see such large gold ingots without being tempted and to calmly say those words was indeed impressive.

"Then what do you want?" The Fat Old Man put the gold ingots away.

"I only want one thing from Senior," Yi Yun said slowly, meeting the Fat Old Man's gaze calmly.

The Fat Old Man became interested. "Tell me about it."

"When I look at you, I know you're no ordinary person. You must hold a high position, have an extraordinary identity, and possess..."

"Alright, stop with the flattery," the Fat Old Man glanced at Yi Yun disdainfully. This kid was truly cunning and clever.

"Um... I'm not flattering you. I'm just expressing my admiration for you. You have all of this, which makes countless people, including myself, admire you, and that's because... Senior, you have strength!!"

"In the Great Wilderness, only strength earns respect!"

"So, I dare to ask you for one thing – strength!!"

Yi Yun spoke with great confidence. Although his tone was slow, it pierced the ears, making the Fat Old Man pause abruptly.

Lin Xin Tong also blinked her beautiful eyes, looking at Yi Yun in surprise. The reasoning Yi Yun presented was simple, but when her master asked him what he wanted, he used this reasoning to more solemnly express his desire to become stronger, rather than just saying it casually like an ordinary child.

These words really didn't sound like they came from a child.