Chapter 394: Chapter 394
The fat chicken rushed out, drooling, and started pecking at the corpses on the ground. It began cleaning up the battlefield. The rich, savory taste of the Earwigs was truly unforgettable—much better than the sulfuric acid-laced ants.
Even the Little Python roamed around, handing over the insects it caught to Snake Spirit. Snake Spirit buried these Earwigs in the glowing red wood ash and stretched lazily. "When they’re ready, we can enjoy a delicious meal," she said.
Ah Huang followed suit. Having been hungry for two days, he was no longer picky and ate anything.
Little Black, holding a piece of glowing red wood, skewered the Earwigs and roasted them over the fire. The soup from a few hours ago hadn’t been enough to fill him.
The Earwigs could never have dreamed that such a solemn event—two armies locked in a life-or-death struggle—would suddenly take such a turn. How had they ended up as roasted skewers and char-grilled delicacies, a feast in the bellies of a chicken, a dog, and a snake?
It wasn’t just the Earwigs; even Jing Shu’s teammates hadn’t foreseen that these Earwigs would be the last edible food they would find in these mountains.
The apocalyptic morning arrived with a dim, shadowy light at dawn. This light revealed the contours of the rolling mountain range, solitary dead trees in the shadows, and the cold, misty air. Little Black, his bottom bare, huddled by the warm embers, shivering from the cold.
「A new day arrived!」 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡~𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚~𝙣𝙚𝙩
The fat chicken tried to mimic a rooster’s crow but was met with a slipper thrown from Jing Shu’s tent. Clucking, the fat chicken picked up the slipper and waddled over to seek a hug.
After a night of intense fighting, the area outside their defensive circle was littered with the corpses of Sulfuric Acid Ants. Meanwhile, all the Earwigs had already ended up in someone’s stomach. Snake Spirit, sucking her fingers, seemed to be savoring the taste of the char-grilled Earwigs. Everyone, including Tan Ke, had eaten their fill.
However, Jing Shu’s luxurious breakfast once again shattered her teammates’ perceptions. It wasn’t just about the sheer quantity of food anymore, but also about the sophisticated taste and culinary combinations.
She greased a frying pan, poured in batter, and cooked about twenty thin pancakes. The ten eggs laid by the fat chicken overnight were fried until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Sausages from her bag were scored and pan-fried until they bloomed like flowers. Sliced ham from a pig’s leg was heated through. Freshly harvested lettuce was torn into pieces. Finally, everything was topped with a layer of cheese. Jing Shu assembled a pancake wrap and devoured it, then made another.
Lastly, Jing Shu took the soybeans that had soaked overnight and, using only her hands, crushed them into soy milk. She sprinkled in some sugar and drank the entire pot in one go.
Furious! Snake Spirit slammed an Earwig onto the ground with a SNAP. The Little Python sucked it into its mouth with a SLURP.
The group swiftly set off again. This time, however, Jing Shu carried the Sulfuric Acid Ant nest. What surprised her teammates even more was that, in just one night, these Sulfuric Acid Ants had suddenly become obedient. They followed Jing Shu, keeping a respectful distance, neither too close nor too far. What method did she use? Everyone was curious but held back their questions.
But with these Sulfuric Acid Ants accompanying them, their chances of making it out of the mountains increased.
Their weapons were heavy and numerous. Carrying such a load slowed them down and wasted time, but they couldn’t discard them. So, Jing Shu and Tan Ke collected deadwood and fashioned a wheeled cart. This cart, capable of gripping and moving up slopes as steep as 60 degrees, significantly eased their burden.
However, when these pieces of deadwood broke, they oozed a red liquid, which startled a few of them. Only after repeatedly confirming it was harmless did they continue using the wood. Jing Shu had no memory of such a phenomenon related to deadwood.
Next, Jing Shu fully demonstrated her extensive migration experience and knowledge of creatures they had never encountered before. These new creatures, however, all shared common traits: their bodies were entirely rotten, they were impervious to firearms, and they were inedible.
"Damn it! If we don’t find something to eat soon, I really won’t be able to keep going! It’s been two days without finding anything!" Little Black yelled. It wasn’t like anyone could hear him in these desolate, deep mountains.
"Could we be lost? Why can’t we get out of this mountain? How big can this mountain possibly be?"
The temperature plummeted. They had journeyed deep into the mountains. Wearing only thin clothes, they had no choice but to borrow warmer garments from Jing Shu, who luckily had packed plenty. Little Black no longer cared about wearing women’s clothes; his rear was freezing stiff.
As a result, for the past few days, the team members were a motley crew, some in makeshift capri pants that were too short, others in mid-sleeved cotton-padded jackets. The sight was too comical to look at directly.
But the food problem remained unsolved. Even Monkey and Ah Huang couldn’t find any insects. The deep mountains were eerily silent. After walking for some more time, even those entirely rotten creatures were nowhere to be seen.
"Could we have encountered the legendary ’ghost wall’? Are we just walking in circles? Could this all be an Illusion?" Tan Ke asked.
"Do you think you’re in a fantasy novel?" Snake Spirit retorted, flicking her tongue. "I’ve been marking our path with a special method these past few days. We’ve definitely been walking in a straight line. It just means this mountain is incredibly vast."
Jing Shu, however, felt as if she were being watched. She constantly sensed something staring at her from the darkness, a feeling that made her skin crawl. Yet, when she looked at the mountain, it appeared as clear as day. Everything in the landscape was distinctly visible, revealing nothing but vast emptiness—absolutely no living creatures!
We need to move quickly, get out of this creepy place, Jing Shu thought, a sense of urgency rising in her for the first time.
Jing Shu’s mountain-like stash of various meats played a crucial role. Even Lingling’s chocolates, Tan Ke’s rations, and Snake Spirit’s emergency food supply had been exhausted. Everyone was truly at their wits’ end.
At this critical juncture, 100 Contribution Points for a meal was no longer considered expensive, especially given Jing Shu’s Michelin-star-level culinary skills. A single meal from her could provide a day’s worth of energy. They had the chance to taste everything from wolf and crocodile meat to delicious fresh vegetables. It had to be said that Jing Shu, the gourmand, had planned exceptionally well—her food pairings were superb.
In this critical moment, Jing Shu wasn’t stingy with her food; instead, she ensured all her teammates ate their fill. Tan Ke, in particular, felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards her. Charging 100 Contribution Value per meal also allowed everyone to maintain their dignity. As proud elites of Huaxia, they found it difficult to accept relying on someone else for sustenance. Jing Shu, however, skillfully used the Contribution Value system to dispel any awkwardness.
Instantly, Jing Shu’s image and authority in her teammates’ eyes magnified exponentially.
In just a few days, Jing Shu’s supply of pork legs and hand-torn beef ribs had visibly dwindled at an alarming rate, yet their journey through the seemingly endless mountains continued.
"Please, Boss, let’s rest for a few hours. I really regret not turning back the way we came and instead choosing this mountain path," someone pleaded.
"I regret it too." Tan Ke scratched his head.
"We must move quickly. It’s not just because we’re running out of food, but because I sense danger approaching," Jing Shu said, stuffing a piece of beef into Little Black’s hand. "That’s 10 Contribution Points. I’ll put it on your tab."