Feng Shui Chapter 106: On the Journey

At Hanshan City, Tong Nuonuo had prepared carefully for the trip. Besides buying enough provisions, she packed oil, soy sauce, and vinegar. Added to that was the seasoning pack Du Rong had given Chen Xiao before they left, any skilled cook with these ingredients could whip up a delicious meal. Unfortunately, that didn’t include Chen Xiao himself. Yet he was convinced he was great at grilling, thinking if he could do one thing well, he could do it all.

He poured oil into the pan. When it started to shimmer with tiny bubbles, Chen Xiao figured it was ready and tossed in the prepped rabbit meat.

Crackle!

The water on the rabbit meat hissed fiercely upon contact with the hot oil, turning the kitchen noisy in an instant. Chen Xiao was a bit confused. This wasn’t quite what he expected. The oil was too hot, the fire too strong, soon the outside of the meat hardened, moisture fried away, and the rabbit turned a burnt yellow. Seeing the surface looked cooked, he hurriedly sprinkled some fine salt and poured in the soy sauce.

Just as he was pouring, Tong Nuonuo let out a distressed cry, “Hey! That’s vinegar!”

Chen Xiao froze. Too late, the vinegar was already in. He forced a grin and said, “No worries, we’ll make it sweet and sour.” He set down the vinegar, refocused on the plan, grabbed some soy sauce, and poured it in. Then he searched Du Rong’s seasoning pack for some pure white rock sugar and sprinkled a handful into the pan.

Tong Nuonuo broke out in a cold sweat. She could already tell this was going downhill fast. With Chen Xiao’s technique and these moves, the chances of the sweet and sour rabbit coming out edible were slim. Quietly, she reached over and hid the fish beside the stove. When Chen Xiao added a handful of dry, twig-like herbs, even Xi Yunqing, who’d been watching silently from the side, could no longer stay calm. Yet having shown initial hope, he dared not discourage Chen Xiao’s enthusiasm. So he stayed silent, watching the scene with a growing sense of dread.

The rabbit meat slowly shifted from burnt yellow to a dull copper-red. Chen Xiao wasn’t sure if it was cooked through. But if he kept stirring, it might burn. So, swallowing his doubts, he played the rabbit and struck a triumphant pose, one hand on his hip, the other gripping the spatula. He turned to start on a braised fish, but the fish was gone.

“Where’s the fish?” Chen Xiao asked, confused.

Tong Nuonuo quickly stepped forward, gently took the spatula from his hand, and said, “The sweet and sour rabbit is enough. I’ll make the fish soup. I’m good at that. Chen Xiao, you should rest for now.”

Though reluctant, Chen Xiao yielded. Standing aside, he brightly told Xi Yunqing, “It’ll be ready soon.”

Xi Yunqing felt a chill inside. He couldn’t even force a smile, just responded with a faint “Mm.”

Fortunately, Tong Nuonuo performed as expected. The fish soup was simple and decent, no odd surprises or extra ingredients. The three sat together with a plain pot of watery fish soup and a dish of rabbit meat of questionable color and ingredients.

“I’ll try it,” Chen Xiao said first, reaching out for his rabbit meat with chopsticks. He bit into a piece and was met with one overwhelming sensation, it was tough. He bit hard, but the inside was dry as a bone, with zero moisture. The flavor was intense, both salty and sweet, yet sour too. Chen Xiao’s spirits sank as he said, “Maybe we shouldn’t eat this rabbit.”

Seeing how Chen Xiao fared, Tong Nuonuo grew curious about the taste. Brave as ever, he shoved a piece into his mouth. His expression was a rollercoaster, he clenched his jaw muscles hard and chewed with effort. After swallowing, Tong Nuonuo quickly grabbed a small bowl and drank some soup to ease the flavor. Then, covering his mouth, he shared his thoughts: “The rabbit was probably overcooked. If you’d used just a bit less salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, it would have been almost right.”

Next, Xi Yunqing graciously took a piece and ate it himself. His face showed no change; he ate the piece calmly and simply said, “It’s okay. Everyone has something they’re not good at.”

Chen Xiao’s confidence was once again crushed to bits. After that, he obediently gave up trying to cook on the journey. When it was time to eat, he stuck to his rations, and if he really wanted, he would buy a meal from a nearby inn. Compared to his cooking, Xi Yunqing never complained about eating ready-made food and always seemed to have a good appetite.

As they ventured deeper into the beast-infested regions, the mountains grew steeper, the trees taller and denser, blotting out the sky. Chen Xiao couldn’t get a clear view of the terrain. Occasionally, massive ferocious beasts flew overhead, which made Chen Xiao too wary to suggest climbing to higher, open vantage points.

He could only walk while taking notes, marking down spots that seemed promising, hoping to return for a closer look once his strength improved.

The three traveled together, with Xi Yunqing teaching which paths were safe to pass and which were likely frequented by beasts. Along the way, he introduced them to various valuable spirit plants and minerals. Not only Chen Xiao but even Tong Nuonuo felt they gained a lot.

It’s true that danger often accompanies rare opportunities. Chen Xiao discovered many places with faint but distinct energy auras. These weren’t Feng Shui treasure spots but felt more like immortal antiques, sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious. Following these auras, Chen Xiao often found beast dens or hidden spots where top-quality spirit treasures lay concealed.

Once or twice could be luck, but after several times, even Xi Yunqing had to admit Tong Nuonuo’s words might be right. In the future, Feng Shui masters might become indispensable among adventurers due to their remarkable treasure-finding abilities.

That said, Chen Xiao sometimes wished he hadn’t discovered these spots at all. The area was so full of beasts that, despite seeing precious resources within reach, safety concerns forced them to give up. None of the three were reckless thrill-seekers chasing wealth and death, especially Xi Yunqing, who was mainly guiding Chen Xiao to broaden his experience. If it were just Xi Yunqing alone, he might risk it, but with Chen Xiao still at the Body Refining stage and Tong Nuonuo at Foundation Establishment, they wouldn’t dare.

Seeing Chen Xiao’s slump and Tong Nuonuo’s glum face, Xi Yunqing comforted them, saying, “It’s not a total loss. If we upload these notes to the Zhishi Hall, adventurers won’t hesitate to pay good money for this information.”

The weather gradually cooled, with bigger temperature swings between day and night. Chen Xiao swapped his spring-and-autumn lightweight outfit for a thicker winter version. He had specially tailored it at a clothing shop; though still a single layer, the fabric was much denser.

They followed the shortcut Xi Yunqing had taken earlier, an unknown path no one else knew, so they didn’t encounter any other adventurers along the way.

Only after leaving the shortcut and rejoining the usual adventurer trails did they see signs of others. Though still pathless, the ground showed clear signs of being trodden. At night, when they camped, they happened to find another group of a dozen or so adventurers nearby. Seeing that they were only three, the group readily agreed to share the campsite.

The leader was a man in his early thirties. Although his cultivation was not as high as Xi Yunqing’s, he was at the eighth layer of Foundation Establishment and not far from breakthrough. His team were all experienced and often active in the area, confidently respectful but not subservient toward Xi Yunqing.

When Chen Xiao finished clearing the ground and was about to eat, the man greeted Xi Yunqing and, following custom, exchanged some information. Xi Yunqing had little to report, but the man’s expression grew serious as he said, “You should be cautious ahead. There may be a barbarian cultivator. If you run into him, be careful.”

Tong Nuonuo was surprised and quickly asked, “By barbarian, do you mean a tall man with curly hair and blue eyes?”

The man shook his head, “No, quite the opposite, he’s a small-statured, elusive cultivator.”