"Stop talking nonsense. I knew at first glance that it had nothing to do with the Langya Institute. I just don't know who did this," Black Mountain Sheep said, sticking out its tongue, its mouth charred. After the superficial char had peeled off, blisters had formed.
"Well, I don't know either. From the Great Sun in the southeast of the Wilderness, to Cold Mountain in the northwest of Daqian, and Dazhen to the north, to Dali in the northeast, people from around these parts are countless. Plus, a few months ago the Wilderness underwent a drastic change when the Great Sun was high in the sky. Nowadays, anyone might come to this area."
The Black Robed Man expressed that this matter was unsolvable, and there was no way to pursue it further.
In the past there was an unspoken understanding that few people would come to the Wilderness. Now, well, one must be careful not to bump into anyone when walking.
"We should leave quickly. We are too close to the mine, and it's very easy for us to be discovered."
"The shepherds are dead, but what about the sheep they released? And what about this year's Jinlan Ore?" Black Mountain Sheep asked reluctantly while spitting out the bloody water from the burst blisters.
It turned around several times on the spot, and went to the hollow in the hill where the sheep flock had once sought shelter from the wind. It kept gnawing at the snow-covered ground and chewed on everything that was left, then it lifted its head and looked toward the mountain range where the Jinlan Mine lay, its eyes full of confusion.
"Who did this? Who killed the shepherds, saved the sheep, and then sent the flock to the mine? Isn't that insane?"
"Let's hurry up. We have lingered here too long, and you have already left traces. If we don't leave now, you will leave more. I definitely don't want to be hunted down by the minions of the Langya Institute. Since the flock has gone to the mine, we can later try to get information from those sheep."
The Black Robed Man looked at the vomit on the ground, waved his hand, rolled up his sleeve, stirred up the snow and wind, and obliterated the mess before even waiting for Black Mountain Sheep to respond, then he picked up Black Mountain Sheep, generated a breeze under his feet, and soared into the sky.
…
Less than two two-hour periods after the Black Robed Man and Black Mountain Sheep left, the clouds in the sky rolled aside, and a Flying Boat flew out from the midst.
This Flying Boat was pitch black, metallic in appearance yet without the slightest reflection; over a hundred zhang long, its interior unseen. Only a large flag with the word "Langya" hung from the bow.
As the Flying Boat descended below the clouds, a figure burst out, plummeting rapidly until stopping abruptly three feet above the ground.
The person was clad in a green long robe, with a pale, beardless face and a square face full of authority. He stood in mid-air, his eyes gleaming profoundly, surveying his surroundings.
Underneath the snow, a bone fragment no bigger than a fingernail's cover automatically sprung up, suspended in mid-air. After being stared at by his gaze, it immediately emitted a wisp of black smoke.
The burly man smirked at this sight.
"Black Mountain Sheep? How come these scum are everywhere, just like cockroaches, impossible to exterminate."
Once again, he gazed towards the faintly visible mountain ranges in front of him; the burly man's figure flickered, and his green robe gleamed, enveloping him and transforming into a tunneling light, heading straight for the mountain range where the Jinlan Mine was located.
Upon reaching the entrance of the mine, the burly man halted and frowned slightly.
In his view, the side of the left hill seemed to be cloaked under a thin grey mist. His divine light emerged in the eyes; the harder he tried to see clearly, the denser the mist became. Instead, when he dispersed his divine light, it became visible to him.
"When did such a strange domain appear here?"
Over to the right, within the locust forest, yin qi loomed ominously, with a strange blend of death qi and vitality, indistinguishable from each other.
The steaming yin qi spread loosely, yet it seemed to coalesce into a whole, as if it could condense in an instant.
This forest was also incredibly strange, the two locations tightly juxtaposed without leaving a single gap, which was even more bizarre.
Just as the burly man was about to take a step forward, a voice sounded beside his ear.
"Zhiqiu, the Langya Institute had an agreement not to enter Jinlan to avoid giving others a handle. Besides, the matter at hand is urgent."
The burly man retracted his foot, turned around, and saluted toward the Flying Boat above the sky.
"Mu Zhiqiu recognizes his mistake, and I beg the gentleman to forgive me."
Having said that, the burly man soared into the sky, returning to the Flying Boat.
The Flying Boat broke through the clouds and once again vanished from sight.
…
Yu Ziqing was unaware of the brewing storm outside; he was having a great time.
Those bizarre mushrooms, with caps that could grow as large as a yard across, initially thought to be overly huge with a woody stem that eating them would be like chewing wood, unexpectedly tasted quite delightful, with a texture similar to shiitake but not as soft and silky, resembling tofu yet more delicate.
And judging by Yu Ziqing's handling of the ingredients, this thing was extremely nutritious, containing fats, protein, starch—everything needed, only how it grew was still unknown.
Following the village's usual casual cooking experience, Yu Ziqing took a large pot, added enough water, and simmered for a two-hour period. The cut mushrooms didn't mush in the pot; eating them felt like tasting perfectly stewed braised pork, the broth thick like honey, naturally clinging to the spoon, carrying a savory rich flavor with a hint of natural saltiness, so no extra salt was even necessary.
Plus the combined satisfaction from fats, protein, and starch was incomparably natural and fulfilling.
Of course, whether it tasted good or not wasn't important; the essential thing was being able to eat one's fill.
For the first time in months, he was able to have a full meal. That basic sense of satisfaction was incomparable to any delicacy.
Ensuring a full belly, a chef's privilege; no need to sneak food.
Only then did Yu Ziqing understand why they had asked him several times what he could do.
Considering that unlucky fellow who, out of extreme hunger, had stolen some raw meat and was executed, Yu Ziqing knew very well that being a chef was definitely the best job in such a place.
The village chief agreed to let him be the cook, which was a considerable privilege.
It was even fair to say that the privilege was somewhat excessive.
Since he went down into the tunnel with Er Han, even just to the area where they harvested mushrooms, and encountered a giant beast and a hungry ghost, Yu Ziqing realized that those who went underground to mine faced dangers much greater than he had imagined.
Besides having to be on guard against dangers like cave-ins, there was also the possibility of encountering other alien species.
Being a cook was definitely one of the safest roles in the village.
Just because he was a skinny weakling, the frail-looking village chief, who seemed to need support just to walk, could crush him with one hand. Was his non-threatening appearance the reason the village chief dared to offer him such treatment without asking too many questions?
It surely wasn't because of that.
Yu Ziqing wanted to figure it out, but being well-fed was too delightful, so he decided not to meddle for the time being.
After cleaning up the kitchen and helping others get their food, Yu Ziqing, whose mouth wouldn't stop watering, carried two large bowls of mushroom soup back to his own burrow.
Old Yang was still deep in sleep; the injury from the knife had been more severe than he had thought.
"Old Yang, time to eat."
After a long while, Old Yang weakly turned his head, glanced, and immediately scrambled up from the straw pile, shaking his head as he spoke.
"This Jinlan Mushroom is really something special. It only grows in places where Jinlan Ore is found, decays three days after being cut, and its value plummets by one grade each night within those three days. Mushrooms cut on the same day are something I've only heard of but never seen."
After routinely explaining to Yu Ziqing, Old Yang said nothing more and buried his head into the wooden bowl, devouring both meat and soup in one breath without lifting his head once during the process.
"Old Yang, after being this hungry for so long, aren't you afraid of bursting your stomach by eating so much at once?" Yu Ziqing was genuinely concerned.
"No worries, I now have four stomachs."
Yu Ziqing was at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond.
He looked at his own wooden bowl and pushed it towards Old Yang.
"If you're still not full and aren't afraid of bursting your stomach, then keep eating. When you're done, I'll go get some more. At least being a cook guarantees enough food, and today Er Han caught a giant insect, so there should still be some mushroom soup left."
"Forget it, my body can't handle too much at once. You eat."
Yu Ziqing didn't insist any further, cradling the wooden bowl in his hands, he slurped the thick soup from the edge of the bowl. Just one gulp of the warm soup revived him from his half-dead state, as warmth slowly rose from his stomach and spread to his limbs and bones, reactivating blood veins that had been frozen for months.
"Hisss... Ahh..."
Once the hunger was no longer felt, and the flavors of freshness, saltiness, and meatiness took over his tastebuds.
Yu Ziqing resisted the urge to devour it all at once, slowly chewing and sipping the soup, constantly assessing how much his stomach could still hold. He managed to stretch a single bowl of soup over the time it takes to burn one incense stick, eventually swallowing everything down to the last bit.
Putting down the wooden bowl, Yu Ziqing lay in the straw pile, feeling the relentless wave of warmth spreading in his stomach, a sense of satisfaction and joy that was indescribable swept over his heart, occupying it completely without leaving any dead corners.
For the first time in two lifetimes, Yu Ziqing felt such sensations.
"You seem to have never really experienced hunger before." Old Yang curled his hooves under his belly, lying in the straw pile and looked at Yu Ziqing curiously, his eyes reflecting a light as if he was seriously recalling Yu Ziqing's words for the first time.
"Yes, I've never really known what hunger feels like." Yu Ziqing lay there, eyes closed, softly responding.
Both fell into silence, together enjoying the pleasure of lying flat after a hearty meal.
A moment later, Old Yang yawned.
"Eat up while you're here; once you leave, you won't get this again.
Jinlan Mushroom is a rare and mild tonic, only useful when fresh. According to Daqian's classification, it is a Fourth Grade Spiritual Medicine. It's non-toxic when fresh, even the frail can eat it without worry, and paired with the Nourishing Body Technique, it's the best."
"So, when it's not fresh, is it toxic?" Yu Ziqing asked curiously.
Old Yang lifted his eyelids and looked at Yu Ziqing somewhat surprisingly.
"What isn't toxic? Under the heavens, from a human perspective, everything seen can be poisonous, only the poison content is so minute it can be disregarded. Even water, drunk in excess, can poison."
"Could I possibly make it into something, and if so, how effective would it be? If possible, I'll make some for self-defense." Yu Ziqing didn't care much, he was just thinking about self-defense.
The strength of his ability was strong, and he could decide life and death with one move, but his preparation time was just too long. He had imagined countless times being killed by an enemy's random slashes before he could draw his sword.
Seeing Yu Ziqing's resolute attitude, Old Yang didn't hesitate much and directly said,
"Fresh Jinlan Mushroom, scrape one part from the umbrella top, then half a part from the root's surface of the same stalk, steam and dry nine times in equal proportions, grind into powder, and you'll have a highly effective sedative. It can disrupt a person's five senses, best swallowed, second best inhaled, and third best entering through any of the seven orifices. Half a cent can confuse a person's senses for ten days."
Yu Ziqing was greatly shocked, and as soon as he finished listening, he scrambled up and walked outside.
Thinking of the vast expanses of Jinlan Mushroom in the underground space, not trying to bag some for self-defense would be foolish.
This was basically an ultimate enhanced version of lime powder.