Chapter Eight: Barbecue Beyond Compare

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The musk deer that had just fallen into Jiang Tianyi's hands had barely struggled before he cut off its lifeforce. Chen Xiang gazed at the musk deer in Jiang Tianyi's hands with regret—those were two points of experience, after all! What a pity.

"Brother Chen, what do you think of this one?" Jiang Tianyi handed the musk deer over to him.

Chen Xiang weighed it in his palm. "Not bad, just a bit too lean. Still, my deer is better—just the right balance of fat and lean, perfect for roasting."

As he spoke, Chen Xiang sent a trace of ice energy into the deer, freezing it through before beginning his preparations.

Jiang Tianyi watched as Chen Xiang reached under the deer and pulled out a furry object, curiosity piqued. "Brother Chen, what's that?"

It seemed to have come from a rather private place on the animal.

"Heh, this is a treasure—the very essence of the musk deer!" Chen Xiang grinned.

He cleaned the deer thoroughly with water and ice energy, then built a campfire.

"Brother Jiang, pay close attention—you mustn’t share this secret roasting technique!" Chen Xiang said seriously.

"Don’t worry, Brother Chen. I wouldn’t breathe a word." Jiang Tianyi patted his chest in excitement, secretly relishing the thought of future feasts.

"Good!"

Chen Xiang said no more, lighting the fire and setting up a spit so the flames almost licked the meat.

Suddenly, with a pained expression, Chen Xiang said, "Brother Jiang, since you’re my friend, I won’t hold anything back. I’ll use my best skills to make this roast for you!"

"Brother Chen, I’ll never forget your kindness!" Jiang Tianyi replied earnestly, though he couldn’t quite make sense of Chen Xiang’s expression.

Chen Xiang took out an assortment of seasonings from his system space—oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and more—lining them up on the ground.

"Hmm? What are these? I recognize oil and salt, but I’ve never seen the rest," Jiang Tianyi said, sniffing at the jars and recognizing two by scent.

Heh, people like you, backward cultivators, how could you understand the pleasures of our world? Chen Xiang thought.

He introduced each ingredient, but aside from understanding that Sichuan peppercorn powder was simply ground peppercorns, Jiang Tianyi was utterly perplexed.

Vinegar, for instance—the talk of yeast fermentation into alcohol, then acetic fermentation into vinegar—was utter gibberish to him.

Chen Xiang gave up trying to explain, brushed oil onto the roasting meat, and stoked the fire.

As the meat neared readiness, a faint aroma began to waft about. Chen Xiang added more seasonings, and soon the savory scent was everywhere.

Jiang Tianyi inhaled deeply. "Brother Chen, I have to admit, your roasting skills are unparalleled! The aroma is incredible! But it seems a bit different from before, as if something is missing?"

Chen Xiang gave him a thumbs up. "Brother Jiang, your insight is sharp. Indeed, there’s one final seasoning."

"Oh? What is it?" Jiang Tianyi glanced around at the restless beasts nearby, then asked curiously.

Chen Xiang picked up the piece of musk from the ground. "This."

"This?" Jiang Tianyi’s face stiffened. He remembered where that had come from and hesitated. "Brother Chen, is that… edible? Didn’t you take it out from… that place?"

Chen Xiang nodded. "That’s right. Don’t underestimate it—this is musk, an extremely valuable medicinal herb that opens the meridians."

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"This stuff is really edible?" Jiang Tianyi asked in disbelief.

"Heh, you’ll see soon enough," Chen Xiang replied with a chuckle.

He slit open the musk gland, revealing a block of yellow solid inside.

Jiang Tianyi, seeing its appearance, was even less convinced it could be eaten.

Chen Xiang used a clean twig to apply some musk to half the roast.

As the musk mingled with the meat’s aroma, a unique fragrance filled the air.

Jiang Tianyi’s eyes lit up. The familiar scent made him inhale deeply, staring in disbelief at the yellow lump in Chen Xiang’s hand—this truly was a treasure!

"Well, Brother Jiang, if you brush a bit of this on your roast each time, the flavor will be transcendent!" Chen Xiang laughed.

"Who would have thought something that looks so unclean could be so miraculous," Jiang Tianyi agreed, nodding.

Chen Xiang tore off a piece of the roast and devoured it, wolfing it down as if he’d been starving.

Jiang Tianyi, unable to resist after watching Chen Xiang eat, reached for some, but Chen Xiang stopped him.

"Wait, Brother Jiang, yours isn’t ready yet!"

Jiang Tianyi looked at him in confusion—he was already eating, wasn’t he?

Chen Xiang took another bite and said, "Brother Jiang, I promised to show my finest skills. The last step isn’t done yet. This is just a taste test, to check if it’s cooked through."

"Not your best yet?" Jiang Tianyi gasped. "Brother, I feel like the ground’s shaking already! Even Foundation Establishment beasts have come—how is it not done?"

Chen Xiang nodded gravely. "Brother Jiang, I have a secret family seasoning, incredibly rare and precious, never lightly used! But since we’ve hit it off so well today, I’ll grit my teeth and share it with you!"

Jiang Tianyi was moved to his core by Chen Xiang’s words. Such loyalty! He decided not to hold back either.

He gripped Chen Xiang’s greasy hands and said sincerely, "Brother Chen, I’ve loved fine food and drink all my life. Since you’ve treated me to such a worldly delicacy, I can’t let you go unrewarded."

He flipped his palm, producing a talisman. "This is a Vajra Talisman. It can withstand three full-power strikes from a Nascent Soul cultivator. Take it—it’ll serve you well on your journeys."

"How could I accept?" Chen Xiang accepted the talisman naturally, storing it away in his system space, though he wasn’t thrilled. For someone above the Nascent Soul stage, a Nascent Soul-level talisman was hardly generous.

Then Chen Xiang took out a tiny bottle of Spirit Essence Honey. "Brother Jiang, this is a secret family recipe, Spirit Essence Honey. Not only is it delicious, it’s infused with spiritual energy. I’m giving it to you today!"

Jiang Tianyi sensed its dense spiritual aura and was startled. What family could produce such a thing? This honey could even benefit Nascent Soul cultivators’ cultivation! Suddenly, his own gift seemed stingy by comparison, despite being fit for a Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Brother Chen, your generosity is noted," Jiang Tianyi said, cupping his fists, unable to ask for his talisman back.

Chen Xiang smiled faintly. It didn’t matter—soon, trouble would find Jiang Tianyi.

"Brother Jiang, let me warn you—this honey is no ordinary thing. Any dish made with it could attract bee demon beasts from a thousand miles around. I won’t be able to fend them off," Chen Xiang cautioned.

Jiang Tianyi waved dismissively. "Let them come! If any draw near, I’ll destroy them with a single strike."

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"Magnificent!" Chen Xiang cheered.

"Brother Jiang, allow me to show you my greatest skill!" Chen Xiang announced.

He opened the bottle and poured the honey evenly over the roast, smoothing it with a twig.

Flames burst from Chen Xiang’s hands, instantly roasting the meat to crisp perfection outside and tender succulence within—a flawless roast deer, its aroma now magnified tenfold!

Chen Xiang gently broke off a piece of meat, the flesh coming away effortlessly.

Jiang Tianyi was left speechless. He murmured, "Never did I imagine, after a lifetime pursuing rare delicacies, that such a seemingly ordinary roast could conquer me."

Chen Xiang put the crispy, fragrant meat in his mouth, savoring the taste. He hadn’t expected to have such a talent for cooking! Still, he wasn’t as amazed as Jiang Tianyi; after all, he’d eaten at fine restaurants before, and this roast wasn’t quite on that level.

Chen Xiang felt the tremors growing stronger. Looking up, he saw the sky darken—the show was about to begin.

He cupped his fists at Jiang Tianyi. "Brother Jiang, it looks like the beast tide is going to be quite fierce this time. As a mere Qi Refining cultivator, I won’t stick around. All these spices are yours. Pity I didn’t bring much Spirit Essence Honey—otherwise, I’d have offered more."

Jiang Tianyi, coming back to himself, said with heartfelt gratitude, "Brother Chen, this is a meal I’ll never forget, and you’ve given me such precious spices—I hardly know how to thank you."

"Brother Jiang, how could a few seasonings compare to our friendship?" Chen Xiang replied modestly, though he was growing anxious—the beast tide would arrive any moment.

"Take this token," Jiang Tianyi said, handing him a black jade token inscribed only with the character 'Jiang.' "If you run into trouble, show it—maybe it’ll help you."

"Thank you, brother. Take your time and enjoy the meal. I’ll take my leave! Until fate brings us together again!" Chen Xiang said, clasping the token and bowing.

"Need me to see you off?" Jiang Tianyi offered.

"No need," Chen Xiang replied, shaking his head. He then mentally commanded the system to use the Void Escape Talisman, vanishing in an instant.

Jiang Tianyi’s jaw dropped. Spatial power? Brother Chen was growing more and more mysterious.

Now, Chen Xiang appeared somewhere else in the forest. The Void Escape Talisman had only sent him ten miles at random, not even out of the woods—a testament to the forest’s vastness.

He looked back at the sky and clicked his tongue—swarms of bee demon beasts and insects blotted out the sky.

"Hope that old man makes it out alive," Chen Xiang muttered, licking the Spirit Essence Honey from his fingers so as not to attract a share of the black swarm.

Jiang Tianyi swept up all the seasonings and, of course, the musk—this was valuable stuff.

Suddenly, his expression changed, and he looked up at the sky.

"Damn!"

He wrapped the roast in spiritual energy and took off at a run.

To his shock, he discovered he couldn’t conceal the aroma of the roast!

"To be continued..."