Cannot Cook

These items were things the Land God had no use for, so Ling Qing could trade them for other things.

As for the resentment, it was only after the Tiger Demon had absorbed the Chang Ghost that it fed the corpse to the tiger pack.

Most of the resentment had attached itself to the Tiger Demon.

The tiger bones were the most robust and the tiger whip the most yang, so the rootless resentment could not erode them.

However, if one wished to make use of them, it would be best to process them first.

Ling Qing softened the rock-hard dry rations with water and ate them with some sour and sweet wild fruits he had picked along the way, which made him miss modern delicacies dearly.

As a Druid, finding game in the jungle was second nature to him, and finding various seasonings was not difficult either.

But the problem was that he didn't know how to cook! He didn't know how to cook!! He didn't know how to cook!!!

It was the same before; when he lived alone, he mostly ate out, and occasionally, when he didn't want to go out, he would just make instant noodles.

The last dungeon was fine; the Liu Family had provided food, and although the taste was a bit bland, it had the merit of being authentic.

Eating it felt quite novel as well.

Who would have thought that this time, traveling long distances alone, he would see so few people.

Occasionally, when he borrowed lodging from a family, it was just coarse tea and simple rice; by now, his mouth was almost tasteless to the point of boredom.

And this was while he wasn't even particularly obsessed with food and pleasure; he truly didn't know how those young masters accustomed to fine silks and delicacies could stand it.

But thinking of the performance of Zhang Zhe and the others last time, they were probably already used to it.

After all, if one wants to obtain power that surpasses ordinary people, one must endure the hardships that ordinary people do not.

Just consider it tempering the heart.

Ling Qing thought to himself, swallowing the dry rations before they had even softened in his hand.

"Ugh~"

Suddenly, he patted his chest while grabbing his water gourd and pouring water into his mouth.

With a gulp, he finally swallowed the rations stuck in his chest, and he rose indignantly to walk down the mountain.

Tempering the heart?

Tempering my foot!

I'm going down the mountain to find a town and eat something good!

Ling Qing indignantly picked up his wooden staff and hurried for dozens of miles, yet by nightfall, he still hadn't found a town.

He did encounter a village on the way, but it was already deserted.

On the dilapidated streets, there were patches of bloodstains and several rotting skeletons.

This was a village that had been ravaged by the Tiger Demon; the remaining people had long since fled for their lives, taking only money and grain for survival at most.

No one dared to risk their lives to clean up the remains for them.

Ling Qing lingered for a while, broke some wood in the forest, collected the skeletons, and placed them in front of the Land God Temple at the village entrance.

He had a conversation with the somewhat withered Land God, entrusted the remains to him, and informed him that the tiger plague had been eradicated.

In a few days, when the villagers returned, the Land God could send them a dream so they could each take back the remains of their loved ones.

Afterward, he set off again, and by night, he found a cave by the road to make do for the night.

He rose early the next morning and set off again.

This time, he was in no rush to find a village or town for a big meal.

He tried his best to follow the road, and every time he passed a village, he would collect the exposed skeletons and entrust them to the local Land God.

Sometimes, when he encountered the old and young who hadn't managed to run away, he would go into the forest to prepare some food for them and tell them they didn't need to hide anymore.

What he saw and heard along the way touched him deeply, as he had always lived in an era of peace.

The people of this era had almost zero resistance to risk; encountering a natural or man-made disaster could lead to the destruction of their families.

This made him cherish his life, which was so ordinary it was almost plain, even more, and at the same time, he was willing to use his meager strength to do what he could for these suffering people.

However, he had no grand ambition to take the world upon his shoulders; doing this was more about maintaining the kindness in his own heart.

Fortune Inn.

It was the only restaurant and inn in Daling Town.

Early in the morning, Xiao Yi, the waiter, was yawning while holding a dusty rag, wiping the tables and chairs with half-hearted effort.

These tables and chairs had been wiped clean yesterday and neatly placed on the tables.

Taking them down and giving them a quick wipe upon opening this morning was a habit he had developed over the years.

Just as he was busy in a daze, a low voice suddenly came from outside.

"Waiter, is it convenient to light a fire in the kitchen now?"

Xiao Yi looked up and saw a dusty scholar walking in from the door, asking him.

He saw that the man was wearing a gray cloth robe, his hair was casually tied up with a ribbon, and he was over eight feet tall, looking somewhat tall and thin.

He carried a wooden staff in his hand and a Book Box on his back, with his waist pouch bulging.

A flash of black and yellow flickered as he walked.

Xiao Yi wiped his face, immediately perking up to reveal a sincere smile, and spoke repeatedly.

"Convenient, convenient, naturally convenient. Our shop provides breakfast and the fire has been lit since early morning.

Please, come inside, honored guest."

As he approached, Xiao Yi realized that the seemingly tall and thin scholar was not frail at all; his muscles were solid, and his arms were thick and powerful.

He held the heavy-looking wooden staff with ease, moving with a vigorous and steady gait.

Xiao Yi dared not be negligent; although most scholars were weak, they were generally willing to spend money.

Of course, there were those who were stingy, but based on his experience, the young master before him did not seem like that type.

He led the guest to a bright table, nimbly pulled out a stool, and gestured for him to sit.

While subconsciously pulling out a rag to wipe the already clean tabletop, he asked.

"What would you like to eat, honored guest? Our shop has rice porridge, tofu pudding, sesame flatbreads, fried dough sticks, and steamed buns for breakfast, and we provide a free dish of pickled vegetables."

"Bring some of everything." The guest set down his Book Box and leaned his wooden staff within easy reach of the table.

"Coming right up!" Xiao Yi was about to shout to the kitchen when he was suddenly stopped.

"No rush!"

"What is it, honored guest?"

"Does the kitchen have any meat dishes ready?"

Xiao Yi smiled and replied, "We have roast chicken made yesterday, and some smoked fish and cured meat that were cleaned this morning, though they haven't been steamed yet."

"Then please bring some breakfast first, and tell the chef in the back to steam the roast chicken, smoked fish, and cured meat.

Also, prepare a few more dishes, both meat and vegetable."

After speaking, the guest took several pieces of silver from his robe and placed them on the table. "Keep this at the counter for now, and we can settle the bill when I'm finished."

This guest was none other than Ling Qing, who had been traveling through the wilderness and mountains for several days.

He hadn't encountered any prosperous villages along the way, and since they didn't even have meat for themselves, they naturally couldn't sell any to him.

Now that he had finally reached a town with a restaurant, he naturally intended to have a hearty meal.

"That's not necessary, not necessary at all. Please put it away; we can settle after you've eaten."

Seeing this, Xiao Yi waved his hands hurriedly.

"It's fine, take it. Just bring me some food quickly." Ling Qing shoved the silver into Xiao Yi's hand and urged him.

"This... very well." Xiao Yi felt helpless. He turned to look at the shopkeeper, and only after seeing him nod did he take the silver to the counter and head to the kitchen to fetch the food.

Generally speaking, customers paid after eating; asking for money upfront or collecting it in advance was unheard of, as it would be akin to driving customers away.

However, if a guest insisted, there was no point in going against their wishes.

"Rice porridge, steamed buns, fried dough sticks, sesame flatbreads, pickled vegetables, and savory tofu pudding. Please enjoy your meal, honored guest."