0144 The Mysterious Courier

“Look at how quick and clean his movements are. If he had wanted to attack us, we would have died somewhere without ever knowing what happened. Since he clearly has no intention of making a move, we can just treat the food we give him as protection money. Besides, we could never finish this whole pot ourselves, so giving him some costs us nothing.” So-and-so once summed it up half jokingly and half seriously: “One more friend means one more way out.”

Huanluo completely agreed with So-and-so’s view. An invisible friend was far better than an invisible enemy. What was more, at this critical juncture, she and So-and-so could only observe and wait when faced with that mysterious creature who appeared and vanished without a trace. They did not ask him to lend a hand in times of danger; they only hoped he would not take advantage of them when they were in trouble.

And so, this mysterious creature who showed up punctually for three meals a day somehow became a member of So-and-so’s “Rescue Liangyin” team. Well, at least as far as meals were concerned. Sometimes, when So-and-so was unlucky and failed to find enough ingredients, she would explain the reason to the surrounding forest before mealtime. The solemn way she would address empty air and chatter on had made Huanluo burst out laughing several times.

Fortunately, the mysterious creature did not seem particularly fussy about food. Or perhaps So-and-so’s cooking simply suited his tastes. No matter what she made, how she made it, or how much she left for him, he always ate it obediently. He never complained or offered an opinion. If he had paid for his meals, he would have been the perfect diner.

But today, that mysterious guest was probably in for a disappointment. The person who had gone out to search for ingredients and the chef preparing the meal had both been replaced by Huanluo.

Of course, for a general with extensive experience surviving in the wilderness, finding food and staying alive were the most basic of tasks. Yet precisely because Huanluo lived by the principle that “food is sought in order to survive,” her approach to gathering ingredients was entirely different from So-and-so’s. Anything edible, nonpoisonous, harmless, and rich in energy that came into view became a potential find. Whether it was large or small, tasty or not, was another matter altogether and fell outside her considerations.

Following this philosophy, Huanluo quickly gathered enough ingredients for breakfast and lunch. She bundled them all into a large leaf and hurried back to camp. By the time she returned to the temporary shelter she shared with So-and-so, only a short while had passed since the usual breakfast hour.

So-and-so had already rubbed her eyes and woken up. She was busily packing and organizing their belongings. The hammock taken down the night before and the magical-beast pelts used to keep out the cold had already been put away properly. The medicine and bandages Huanluo would need to change today had been neatly arranged as well. The small cooking pot and hot water were ready and waiting for Huanluo’s return.

Glug, glug.

The boiling wild-vegetable broth bubbled merrily in the little pot. So-and-so wore an awkward smile as she stirred the green soup, in which there was nothing but leaves. Beside the pot sat a small pile of orange-yellow fruits Huanluo had brought back, all washed and dried.

Aside from that, there was nothing else.

Bitter but highly nutritious Cold Night Grass, which could improve resistance to the cold, and Yellow Tree Fruit, which had no flavor beyond its sourness yet supplied a tremendous amount of energy. The choice of food truly suited Huanluo’s simple and efficient style.

So-and-so was speechless, dark lines practically appearing across her face, but she had no strength to argue. She could only console herself: Being too picky in this forest would get a person killed. The proper path was to adapt calmly. Calmly adapt.

Once the soup was ready, So-and-so poured two bowls as usual. She rose and walked over to Huanluo, beginning to enjoy her breakfast.

But before she could take her first sip, a muffled thud rang out through the still air.

Puzzled, So-and-so followed the sound with her eyes, only to see a dark figure hurriedly dart away from the side of a tree. In that instant, all she managed to glimpse was what appeared to be the hem of a green skirt sweeping past.

Huanluo immediately took two steps forward, trying to get a clearer look at the figure. Yet the empty forest showed no sign that anyone had ever been there. They searched the surroundings with their eyes, but all they could see were tree shadows swaying beneath the wind-stirred leaves.

The only proof that So-and-so had not imagined what she saw was the level of the soup in the pot. It had been reduced by a little more, despite there originally being enough left to fill a quarter of the pot.

Looking at the pot of soup that should have been finished, So-and-so suddenly understood what had happened. She slowly surveyed the forest and tentatively called out, “Today’s soup seems to be a little bitter. But if I had some Three-Heart Grass to balance the bitterness and a Stone-pattern Monster rich in meat and gravy, Big Sister here could absolutely turn rot into wonder and bitterness into sweetness. It would be ready in just fifteen minutes~”

After saying this, So-and-so sat down where she was and set aside the Cold Night Grass she had originally intended to drink. Her clear eyes kept scanning every direction of the forest, as though waiting for something.

Seeing her, Huanluo followed suit. She put down her bowl and sat motionless beneath the tree alongside So-and-so.

No one knew how much time passed. As far as So-and-so was concerned, it had certainly been less than ten minutes when a gust of wind suddenly swept past her ear.

Then came two sharp slaps.

A fresh bundle of Three-Heart Grass, still beaded with dew, and a Stone-pattern Monster whose fur and bloody remnants had already been completely cleaned away appeared before So-and-so.

Having achieved her goal, So-and-so immediately beamed with delight and rubbed her hands together as she began preparing the new meal.

Huanluo cooperated with her in perfect understanding. While So-and-so put the Three-Heart Grass and Cold Night Grass into the pot together, Huanluo stood on the other side and skillfully used Dragon Fang to cut the Stone-pattern Monster into dozens of small pieces, setting them aside for later use.

So-and-so squeezed out the juice of the Yellow Tree Fruit and spread it evenly over the monster meat, while Huanluo helped by adding seasonings to the soup.

In less than two minutes, the Stone-pattern Monster meat, marinated in Yellow Tree Fruit juice and forcibly heated through by So-and-so’s fire element, was thoroughly cooked. Adding it to the pot to make soup went just as smoothly.

The Three-Heart Grass successfully neutralized the bitterness of the Cold Night Grass, while the Yellow Tree Fruit juice effectively suppressed the gamey odor of the Stone-pattern Monster. Once all four ingredients were combined, a fresh and sweet soup was soon ready.

So-and-so gazed into the depths of the forest and called out once more, “The soup is ready. If you don’t mind, come and eat with us.”

“...”

A stretch of silence was the only answer.

So-and-so waited for a while. Seeing that the person truly had no intention of coming out, she could only fill bowls of soup and plates of meat for herself and Huanluo once again. She moved away from the cooking pot, sat down beside Huanluo, and took her first sip of soup.

Then, almost absentmindedly, she glanced at the pot.

Just as she had expected, it was completely empty.