Chapter 282: Barbecue in the Wild

Translator: 549690339 |

“Alihhh— ”

A scream shattered the silence of the jungle, startling a flock of birds nestling in the tree canopy.

Within the forest, Shen Qian hid behind Qin Lang, her face filled with horror as she looked at a long snake coiled around a tree trunk, its cold gaze fixed on them as it flicked its tongue.

“Don’t panic, don’t panic.” Qin Lang patted Shen Qian’s shoulder.

“Aren’t you scared? This is a snake!”

“I used to be quite fearful.” Qin Lang openly spoke with a happy tone, “But have you forgotten? You are a Spirit Chef.”

“Dan Bao, Thought Waves!”

“Gululu!”

Dan Bao gave a sound of agreement, and a milky-white halo diffused from its body, spreading into the surroundings, and morphed into an unseen force that rapidly extended toward the long snake on the tree trunk.

The snake froze slightly, its instincts warned it that something dangerous was brewing.

But before it could react, the invisible force had already enveloped it completely, pulling it into the air and leaving it suspended, unable to even wriggle its body.

Its snake scales, usually slick and smooth, were useless in this circumstance.

Its eyes, sharp like needles, couldn’t help but reveal a hint of human-like desperation.

“The snake is not venomous.” After careful scrutiny, Qin Lang quickly made his judgement, “It should be edible.”

“Yo-you…” Shen Qian gasped, “You actually eat snakes?!”

“Snake meat is delicious. It’s somewhat like fish, but with a different flavor.” Qin Lang sincerely said, “I’ve never eaten a snake this fat before!”

In his past life, many snakes were protected species and could not be eaten.

However, in this world there seems to be no restriction on what ingredients can be eaten, since no species can be eaten to the point of extinction.

“Can it… really be eaten?” Shen Qian was skeptical.

“I’m cooking, don’t worry.” Qin Lang gave Shen Qian a definitive look, and quickly found the snake’s vital point, “Spicy, bite here!”

“Crack!”

Spicy bared its tiny fangs and bit directly at the snake’s vital point.

The power of a two-star Food Spirit was enough to ensure a one-hit kill for such a common creature. The snake’s struggling body suddenly stiffened, and soon, the light specter in its eyes gradually faded.

“This vast primeval forest is truly a great place.” Qin Lang stuffed the snake into a cloth bag and put it in his backpack, his face showing a delighted expression, “These ingredients are all wild, definitely not bad.”

“Actually, that nest of sparrows from earlier could also have been roasted.” As Qin Lang remarked this, he seemed slightly regretful, “What a pity, they were scared away by your scream.”

“What? Sparrows are so cute, why would you want to eat them?” Shen Qian puffed out her cheeks, pleading for the sparrows.

“Should Dan Bao catch a few later, would you like cumin or salt and pepper?”

“Um…” Shen Qian licked her lips, “How about spicy?”

“That works.”

While chatting and laughing, the two backpackers continued their journey deeper into the forest.

No matter how powerful the beasts are, they would not stand a chance against a Food Spirit with extraordinary power. Moreover, as a tourist spot, there is no dangerous wildlife in Lan Qiu Forest. A nonvenomous snake was already the worst they could encounter.

Time passed bit by bit, and soon it was noontime.

The previously light backpack was now bulging with various ingredients captured from the forest.

Qin Lang and Shen Qian picked a slightly elevated spot shaded by trees and paused their journey.

“Alright, this place will do.”

After taking a walk around the vicinity, Qin Lang returned with a smile on his face, “There’s a stream nearby. It’s very convenient to wash the ingredients.” “We just got so many ingredients, it’s time for some outdoor cooking!”

As he spoke, he took out the ingredients from his bag.

A snake over a meter long, two sizable mountain sparrows, a few eggs found in the sparrow’s nest, and a couple of fish caught passing a brook.

Additionally, there were some fruits and mushrooms he’d foraged from the mountains, and a few different spices that could be used immediately upon being picked.

These perishables were enough for a hearty meal for two humans and four Food Spirits.

“If only I had a portable space, I could carry a complete set of cookware.”

Qin Lang fantasized while building a temporary roasting rack with Dan Bao.

Spicy’s figure appeared and disappeared from time to time, reappearing only to throw down the dry wood she found.

“There is one.” Shen Qian, who was in charge of preparing the ingredients, spoke without turning her head. “Culinary Skill: Kitchenware Storage could do it.”

“But the awakening of Food Skills is random, at least Combat Skill could be directed by Skill Stones.” Qin Lang shook his head helplessly.

In the realm of Food Skills, there are two that can create a kind of portable space.

One is Culinary Skill: Kitchenware Storage; the other is Culinary Skill: Food Storage.

Food Spirits who master these two skills can open up portable spaces to store things identified as cookware and ingredients.

Although they still couldn’t store everything, it was much more convenient for Spirit Chefs.

Particularly Food Storage, it not only helps store ingredients but also has a strong preservation effect. It’s a godsend technique that every Spirit Chef wants.

However, the Food Skills are determined when the Food Spirits are born, so they cannot be adjusted afterwards. They are completely random.

Wishful thinking was useless.

As they chatted, they quickly managed to light a fire.

“Let me handle the snake.” Qin Lang, smile resplendent, accepted the snake lying untouched on the ground from Shen Qian, who was now done with the other ingredients.

“Sure.” Though the snake was dead, touching its scales still made Shen Qian’s skin crawl.

Such tasks were better left to the brave and expert Qin Lang.

However, she could at least observe and learn.

Watching Qin Lang carry the snake towards the brook, Shen Qian quickly followed.

He bled it, removed the insides, stripped off the snake skin to leave only the snake meat, washed the snake meat cut into pieces in the clear brook water to rinse off its blood, and threw it into the pot. And thus, the snake was simply prepared.

“Can’t we eat the snake skin?” Shen Qian asked curiously as she watched the skin discarded by Qin Lang.

“If it’s a farmed snake with good quality, the skin can be eaten.” Qin Lang shrugged, “Wild snakes, however, might have parasites under their skin.”

“I see.” Shen Qian understood after Qin Lang’s explanation. She watched him add green onions and ginger into the pot, “How are we going to eat this?” “Given our limited resources, we’ll make snake soup.” Qin Lang replied with a cryptic smile, “Snake soup is very delicious. The brook water here is quite sweet, perfect for snake soup.”

After saying this, he went upstream, scooped a few ladles of forest brook water into the pot, and placed it on the roasting rack made from tree branches.

Soon, small bubbles started to surface in the pot.

Qin Lang took the prepared fish and sparrows from Shen Qian, evenly applied an egg wash using the eggs from the sparrow’s nest, and marinated them with the spices.

“I’ve prepared some snacks in advance. Would you like to try some?” Shen Qian took a lunch box from her bag, and handed some food to Qin Lang.

“Sure!”

Shortcut: Monthly Ticket Recommendation Ticket