"Talk about stating the obvious. I knew at a glance that it had nothing to do with Langya Academy. I just didn't know who had done this." The Black Goat stuck out its tongue. Its mouth was charred black, and after the scorched outer layer peeled away, blisters had now appeared as well.
"Then I don't know either. In the Great Qian's Northwest Liang Mountain southeast of the Wasteland, Great Zhen to the north, and Great Li to the northeast—in the entire ring around the Wasteland, there are people like this, and there aren't few of them. Add in the Wasteland's upheaval a few months ago, with the Great Sun Descends, and these days, anyone could come here."
The man in black robes indicated that there was no way to resolve this matter and no way to investigate it.
In the past, everyone had maintained some tacit understanding, and hardly anyone came to the Wasteland. Now, though, people had to be careful even while walking, lest they bump into someone.
"Let's go quickly. This place is too close to the mine, so we could easily be discovered."
"Those Shepherds are dead, but what about the sheep they were tending? And what are we going to do about this year's Jinlan Ore?" the Black Goat asked unwillingly as it spat out the bloody water flowing from its burst blisters.
It circled around several times before arriving at the mountain hollow where the flock had once sheltered from the wind. It pushed its head into the snow on the ground and continuously chewed whatever remained there. After a while, it raised its head and looked toward the mountain range where the Jinlan Mine was located, its eyes filled with bewilderment.
"Who did this? They killed the Shepherds, saved those sheep, and then sent the flock to the mine? What kind of lunatic does that?"
"Let's go. We've lingered here too long. You've already left traces behind, and if we don't leave now, you'll leave even more. I don't want to be hunted down by Langya Academy's hounds. Since the flock went to the mine, we can find a way to obtain information from them later."
The man in black robes looked at the vomit on the ground and waved his hand. His wide sleeve billowed, whipping up wind and snow that shredded and scattered the filth. Before the Black Goat could reply, he hoisted it onto his shoulder, wind rising beneath his feet as he shot into the sky.
Less than two hours after the man in black robes and the Black Goat had left, the dark clouds in the sky rolled and parted toward both sides. A flying ship emerged from within them.
The flying ship was entirely black, seemingly made of metal, yet not reflecting the slightest glimmer. It was over a hundred zhang long, and its interior was difficult to make out. Only a large flag hung from the bow, with the two characters "Langya" written on it.
After the flying ship descended from the clouds, a figure sprang out from it and plummeted rapidly. When he reached three feet above the ground, he suddenly halted.
The newcomer wore a blue long robe. His face was pale and beardless, and his square face was filled with majesty. He stood in midair, divine light blazing in his eyes as he surveyed his surroundings.
Beneath the snow, a bone fragment no larger than a fingernail suddenly leaped out and hung in midair. After his gaze fixed upon it, a wisp of black smoke immediately rose from it.
The burly man sneered upon seeing this.
"The Black Goat? Why are these dregs everywhere? They're like cockroaches—impossible to wipe out."
He raised his head again and gazed into the distance at the faintly visible mountains. With a flicker of his body, a layer of radiance emerged from his blue robe, enveloping him and transforming into a streak of escaping light that shot toward the mountain range where the Jinlan Mine was located.
After arriving at the entrance to the mine, the burly man stopped, his brows drawing together slightly.
In his eyes, the hillside on the left seemed to be shrouded in a thin layer of gray mist. Divine light surged in his eyes, but the harder he tried to see through it, the denser the mist became. When he dispersed the divine light in his eyes, however, he could see clearly.
"When did such a strange domain appear here?"
Looking to the right, he saw the Locust tree forest filled with gloomy energy. Deathly aura and vitality had strangely fused together, indistinguishable from each other.
The billowing gloomy energy dispersed loosely, yet faintly formed a whole, as though it could condense into a single mass in the blink of an eye.
This forest was equally bizarre. The two places were tightly adjacent, without the slightest gap between them, making it even stranger.
Just as the burly man was about to take a step, a voice sounded beside his ear.
"Zhiqiu, Langya Academy once made an agreement with someone not to enter Jinlan. Don't give others an excuse to criticize us. Besides, the important matter comes first."
The burly man withdrew his foot and turned to bow toward the flying ship in the sky.
"Mu Zhiqiu knows his mistake. Please forgive me, sir."
After Mu Zhiqiu finished speaking, he immediately shot into the sky and returned to the flying ship.
The flying ship pierced through the clouds and disappeared once more.
Yu Ziqing had no idea that trouble was already brewing outside. He was having a wonderful time.
The strange mushrooms with caps that could grow as large as a zhang had seemed far too huge at first. He had thought their stalks would have become woody and that eating them would be like chewing on wood. Who could have guessed that they would taste unexpectedly good? Their texture resembled shiitake mushrooms, but they were not as dense and silky-soft as shiitake. They also resembled dried tofu, yet were slightly more delicate than dried tofu.
Moreover, judging from his contact with the ingredients while processing them, this thing was extremely nutritious. It had fat, protein, starch—everything one could ask for. He just didn't know how exactly it grew.
Following the village's usual rough-and-ready cooking methods, Yu Ziqing took out a large pot, added enough clear water, and simmered the mushrooms over low heat for an hour. The mushroom pieces did not stew to mush. Eating them was like eating braised meat cooked to perfection, while the broth was honey-sweet and naturally clung to the spoon. It was fresh and fragrant with a hint of natural saltiness, so there was no need to add salt at all.
Combined with the natural satisfaction brought by the fat, protein, and starch mixed together, the feeling was simply unparalleled.
Of course, whether it tasted good was unimportant. What mattered was being able to eat his fill with his belly wide open.
For several months, this was the first time he had eaten until he was full. This most basic and urgent satisfaction could not be matched by any delicacy.
The cook's privilege was having a guaranteed full stomach—without needing to sneak bites.
Only then did Yu Ziqing understand why they had asked him several times what he could do.
Considering the unlucky fellow who had been so hungry that he stole some White Meat and was executed, how could Yu Ziqing not understand? In a place like this, being a chef was absolutely the best job.
The Village Chief had agreed to let him work as a cook, granting him an enormous privilege.
It could even be said to be an excessive privilege.
Ever since he had gone into the earth cave with Er Han, even though they had only been harvesting fungi, they had encountered a giant beast and a Hungry Ghost. Yu Ziqing had understood that those who went underground to mine would face far greater dangers than he had imagined.
Aside from dangers such as cave-ins, they might also encounter other strange creatures.
The cook was definitely among the safest people in the village.
Given that he was a scrawny weakling, while the Village Chief—who looked as though he needed someone to support him even when walking—could crush him to death with one hand, would the Village Chief really have dared grant him such preferential treatment without asking more questions simply because he posed no threat?
That certainly wasn't the reason.
Yu Ziqing did want to figure it out, but being able to eat his fill was simply too wonderful. It was better not to meddle for now.
After cleaning up in the kitchen and helping everyone else eat as well, Yu Ziqing's mouth was already watering nonstop. He carried two large bowls of mushroom soup back to his Earth Den.
Old Yang was still asleep. The injury from that slash had been more serious than he had expected.
"Old Yang, get up and eat."
After quite some time, Old Yang weakly turned his head and glanced over. He immediately rolled up from the pile of straw and said, shaking his head,
"This Jinlan Mushroom is a fine thing. It only grows in places where Jinlan Ore has given birth to it. Once harvested, it rots in three days. Within those three days, its value drops by an entire grade with every passing night. As for mushrooms harvested that very day, I've only heard of them and have never seen them."
After giving Yu Ziqing his usual explanation, Old Yang said nothing more. He lowered his head into the wooden bowl and wolfed down everything—the meat and the soup—in one breath, never once raising his head during the entire process.
"Old Yang, your body has been hungry for so long. Aren't you afraid that eating this much all at once will burst your stomach?" Yu Ziqing was genuinely a little worried.
"Not afraid. I have four stomachs now."
Yu Ziqing was speechless for a moment, unsure how to refute that.
He looked at his own wooden bowl and pushed it slightly toward Old Yang.
"If you're not full, and you're not afraid of bursting your stomach, then keep eating. Once you're done, I'll go get some more. Being a cook means at least having enough to eat. Er Han caught a giant worm today, so there should still be some mushroom soup left."
"Forget it. My body can't eat too much right now. You eat."
Yu Ziqing no longer insisted. Holding the wooden bowl in both hands, he sipped along the rim and slurped the thick soup within. With just one mouthful of warm broth going down, his whole body seemed to come alive from a state of half-death. Warmth slowly rose from his abdomen and spread through all four limbs and hundreds of bones. Even the blood that had been frozen for months seemed to stir back to life.
"Hiss... haa..."
Only after he no longer felt hunger did the freshness, saltiness, and meat-like texture gradually take the upper hand in his perception of the flavor.
Yu Ziqing resisted the urge to wolf it all down. He chewed slowly and took tiny sips of soup, constantly sensing how much room remained in his stomach. He spent a whole incense stick's worth of time drinking one bowl of soup before swallowing every last bit, both dregs and broth.
After setting down the wooden bowl, Yu Ziqing lay in the pile of dry grass, feeling the heat continuously spread through his abdomen. An indescribable sense of satisfaction and pleasure surged into his heart with unstoppable force, occupying it completely without leaving a single blind spot.
In two lifetimes, this was the first time Yu Ziqing had ever felt this way.
"You really seem never to have gone hungry before." Old Yang tucked his four hooves beneath his belly and lay in the pile of dry grass, looking at Yu Ziqing curiously. The light in his eyes seemed to show that this was the first time he had seriously recalled the things Yu Ziqing had said.
"That's right. I've never truly experienced what hunger is." Yu Ziqing lay there with his eyes closed and replied softly.
The two fell silent, together enjoying the bliss of lying flat after eating and drinking their fill.
After a moment, Old Yang yawned.
"Eat more while you're here. Once you leave, you won't be able to eat it anymore.
Jinlan Mushroom is a rare, gentle restorative. Only fresh ones are useful. According to Great Qian's classification, it's a Grade Four spirit medicine. When fresh, it isn't poisonous. Even the physically weak can eat it without worry. Combined with a body-nourishing method, it's the best of all."
"So when it isn't fresh, it becomes poisonous?" Yu Ziqing asked, his eyes full of curiosity.
Old Yang raised his eyelids and looked at Yu Ziqing with some surprise.
"What thing isn't poisonous? Under the heavens, as far as humans are concerned, everything they can see contains poison. It's just that the amount is so minuscule that it can be ignored. Even water can poison you if you drink too much."
"Can I make something out of it? How effective would it be? If it works, I'll make some to protect myself." Yu Ziqing didn't care about any of that. All he was thinking about now was protecting himself.
His ability was powerful. The moment he struck, life and death were decided. But its wind-up was far too long. He had already imagined countless times how he might be hacked to death by an enemy before he could even draw his sword.
Seeing Yu Ziqing's resolute attitude, Old Yang didn't hesitate for long before answering directly.
"With fresh Jinlan Mushroom, scrape off one part from the cap and half a part of the skin at the root of the same mushroom. Steam and sun-dry them nine times each in the same proportion, then grind them into powder. That makes an extremely effective Spirit-Confusing Medicine. It can disrupt a person's five senses. Ingestion is most effective, inhalation is next, and introducing it through the seven orifices is third. Swallowing half a qian is enough to throw one person's five senses into disarray for ten days."
Yu Ziqing was utterly shocked. The moment he finished listening, he hurriedly scrambled to his feet and turned to leave.
Recalling the vast patches of Jinlan Mushrooms in the underground space, how could he still call himself human if he didn't find a way to get a whole sackful to protect himself first?
This was the ultimate enhanced version of lime powder!
Before you continue