Hunting

Three days passed quickly. During that time, Lu Xuanqing devoted all her efforts to healing her injuries, and at last showed some improvement. But spiritual energy was thin on Connors Star, so a full recovery would still take time.

With her injuries held in check, Lu Xuanqing could move normally again. She no longer had to sit idly in the cave all day and could wander around with Liu Xing.

For cultivators accomplished in qi refining, going without food was a trivial matter. Having already reached the foundation establishment late stage, Lu Xuanqing had naturally long since passed the point of needing to eat. Aside from an occasional craving, she had no need for food or drink. But now she was injured and stranded on Connors Star, where spiritual energy was extremely thin. Her abilities were greatly diminished, and she inevitably began craving food again.

Liu Xing had long grown accustomed to life on Connors Star. He knew perfectly well what tasted good and what could not be eaten, and his cooking skills, honed over a long time, were exceptional enough to give Lu Xuanqing a sumptuous feast.

During the three days Lu Xuanqing spent recovering, Liu Xing took care of all her meals. To her surprise, she began to think that being able to enjoy such delicious food every day would not be bad at all. Since becoming an accomplished cultivator, she had never entertained such a thought-a testament to Liu Xing's culinary skill.

Once she could walk again, Lu Xuanqing took it into her head to insist on accompanying Liu Xing out of the cave to hunt. Naturally, Liu Xing would not turn down an extra pair of hands.

There was little tasty food on the Frozen Earth Plains. Moreover, with a "glutton" like Liu Xing entrenched there, the area around his home had long since become forbidden ground for every native creature on Connors Star. To hunt, he had to travel farther south.

Lu Xuanqing's injuries had not yet healed, but riding the wind posed no difficulty at all. Her speed was scarcely slower than Liu Xing's bounding leaps, and she followed him with effortless ease.

When Liu Xing happened to glance back, he saw Lu Xuanqing floating in midair, looking as ethereal as an immortal. There was an indescribable beauty about her that made his heart beat faster despite himself.

Liu Xing could not help thinking, No wonder the old man said a beautiful woman could be the most terrifying source of disaster. A beauty like Lu Xuanqing really could topple kingdoms and bring ruin to their people. Just fighting to claim her as a wife would be enough to make countless men spill rivers of blood. I remember a story the old man told me: in ancient times, an emperor lit the beacon fires to fool his lords, all to win a smile from the beauty he loved. In the end, he lost his kingdom. Back then, I wondered how anyone in the world could be so stupid. Now it seems that, faced with such peerless beauty, even a man who isn't a fool would become one to win her heart.

Following behind Liu Xing, Lu Xuanqing saw him glance back from time to time and assumed he was worried she could not keep up. She smiled softly, her lovely face blooming with charm, and told him as he looked back, "You don't need to worry about me. At your current speed, I can still keep up. But if you have to run this far every time you hunt, you've really worked hard these past few days. Thank you."

Praised by a beauty, Liu Xing was brimming with energy. "Living here alone, I've long since gotten used to it just to fill my stomach. If the old man weren't sleeping forever in that cave, I probably would have moved south ages ago. There's more food there, after all."

Lu Xuanqing nodded. "No humans live on this planet, and its native vegetation shows no signs of damage. Its native species really are abundant. I've tasted quite a few delicious things these past few days. It would be hard to find such fine wild delicacies in the outside world."

Liu Xing smiled. "When it comes to what tastes good, nobody here knows better than I do. Since we so rarely come out together, why don't we catch some swamp frogs today? They're superb roasted."

Lu Xuanqing's eyes shifted, and she asked curiously, "What are swamp frogs?"

Liu Xing said, "Thirty li farther south, there's a marsh. Swamp frogs live in the mud there, and they aren't too hard to catch. Once, I held my breath and jumped into a mud pit, landing right on a swamp frog nest. I caught more than a dozen without lifting a finger and had myself a wonderful feast. Even if you're unlucky and can't find a nest right away, you can always catch a few of those little fellows if you rummage around in the mud long enough."

"You have to burrow into the mud to catch swamp frogs?" Lu Xuanqing looked utterly astonished, and even her windborne pace involuntarily slowed.

Liu Xing chuckled. "That's what makes swamp frogs special. If they didn't live in the mud, how could their meat be so tender and delicious? Whenever I catch them, I treat it as taking a mud bath. If I can bask in the sun afterward, it feels even better."

Seeing Liu Xing's blissful expression, Lu Xuanqing could not help picturing a scene: Liu Xing, almost ****, his entire body coated in black mud, ignoring the nose-assaulting stench as he stood baking in the sun and shouted, "This feels amazing!"...

Fortunately, Lu Xuanqing had extraordinary self-control. Only by forcibly restraining herself did she avoid vomiting on the spot. Barely keeping a smile on her face, she changed the subject. "Let's find another chance to catch these swamp frogs some other time. Is there anything else good to eat?"

"Are swamp frogs no good?" Liu Xing thought for a moment before saying, "Then how about we gather some monkey-face fungus in the little grove to the southwest? That fungus is wonderfully delicious too. It only grows on animal carcasses that have rotted for over a year in places sunlight can't reach. If you take a bite just after picking it, juice as red as fresh blood immediately fills your mouth. It's sweet and refreshing, better than any fruit..."

Liu Xing wanted to keep talking endlessly, but Lu Xuanqing's expression had already changed dramatically. She even felt that being able to hold back her vomit until now was an astonishing feat!

After several days together, Liu Xing's speech had begun to sound more and more like that of a normal person. But the moment he talked about food, Lu Xuanqing was immediately reminded that this fellow really was a "savage" who ate raw flesh and drank blood!

For a moment, Lu Xuanqing felt some regret. Had following this fellow out hunting when she had nothing better to do been asking for trouble?

PS: Nothing much to say after the update. With tears in my eyes, I beg for recommendation votes!