In the next instant, a thick tiger paw slammed down, pinning the snake head—larger than Chen Ji’s own palm—beneath its paw pad. Snow-white fur was stained with blood, radiating an awe-inspiring majesty.
Chen Ji sat on the ground, breathing heavily. The White Tiger was only an arm’s length away; he could even smell the foul stench of snake blood. The tiger paw pressing down on the snake head was right in front of him, and a pair of black eyes peeked out from the edge between the paw and the ground, staring straight at him.
The White Tiger’s sapphire-blue eyes gazed coldly at Chen Ji before he lay down right there on the spot. With the motion, the snake head flew into nearby grass. One paw held down the snake’s body as he slowly chewed the snake meat.
To the White Tiger, the arm-thick Spectacle King Cobra was like a spicy strip. A few chomps, and half of it was gone.
Only then did the System Cat snap out of it. 【Holy shit! He’s so strong!】
Chen Ji nodded subconsciously.
For some inexplicable reason, Chen Ji sensed that the White Tiger had no intention of harming him. He slowly got to his feet from the ground and backed away at the same pace. The White Tiger showed no sign of pursuing, instead lowering his head to focus intently on gnawing his snack. Seeing this, Chen Ji finally turned and ran toward home.
He didn’t dare search for any more plant dyes. Getting back home quickly was the priority.
The System Cat even activated a full panoramic scan again, terrified another Crossing Peak Serpent might appear. All the while, it muttered softly to Chen Ji. 【Chen Ji, your hometown is way too dangerous! Holy crap… did you see that snake? Thicker than your arm! And so damn long! It hid in the grass without a sound and just lunged! Terrifying!】
Chen Ji murmured in agreement, pondering the situation himself. Crossing Peak Serpents weren’t afraid of humans and had extremely strong territorial instincts, but in most cases, as long as you didn’t provoke them first, they wouldn’t attack what they saw as terrifying upright apes. After all, even if one bit and killed its target, it couldn’t eat the whole thing—and most upright apes, upon realizing they’d been bitten, would obliterate it in a flash.
Between life and death, who had time to waste even a split second?
By the time Chen Ji got home, Uncle Liu and the others were just starting their afternoon work. Seeing him return covered in dirt and looking disheveled, they hurried over, took his things, and helped him along. “Xiao Chen, what happened to you?!”
They sat Chen Ji down on a bench. He gasped for air, his legs heavy as if filled with lead. Uncle Liu quickly fetched him some water. After drinking and catching his breath, Chen Ji finally said, “I ran into a huge Crossing Peak Serpent on the mountain. It chased me the whole way.”
“What?!” Uncle Liu’s jaw dropped. Everyone knew how dangerous those things were—a single bite could cost you half your life if you were lucky. He hurriedly examined Chen Ji’s arms and legs, then fumbled for his phone in a panic. “It didn’t bite you, did it?”
“Nah, I ran fast.” Chen Ji rested a bit longer before continuing, “That snake was at least three meters long, thicker than my arm. Uncle Liu, you should let everyone in the village know. Tell them to be careful when heading up the mountain.”
Even though this one was dead, there could always be another. One mountain couldn’t hold two tigers unless they were a mated pair.
Uncle Liu nodded repeatedly. “Yeah, yeah. That’s too dangerous. Next time we go up, we’ll have to bring some snake antivenom.”
Chen Ji agreed. He’d lived in this temple for seven years and had never seen a snake slither inside before. The renovations had completely overlooked it. Now that he thought about it, they should plant some herbs around the Mountain Lord Temple to repel snakes, insects, rats, and ants. And stock up on a few crates of snake antivenom, just to keep venomous snakes from getting inside.
Seeing that Chen Ji was mostly fine, Uncle Liu turned to the bamboo basket stuffed full of colorful mushrooms, with two large bags hanging beside it. He chuckled. “Xiao Chen, you brought back quite a haul this time!”
Chen Ji kneaded his legs. “Uncles, take some home. I can’t eat it all myself, and it won’t keep in this weather—we’re not at pickling season yet.”
Uncle Liu didn’t stand on ceremony. These were real treasures; even in town, they’d fetch two or three hundred yuan per jin for that quality!
In his heart, he marveled at how Chen Ji had a real knack for this. They lived down in the village and knew full well that wild mushrooms were scarcer every year. No one had brought back a basket like this in ages—not even Old Master Zhang, the most experienced forager at the village head, who considered a morning’s haul one-third of Chen Ji’s a good day. And certainly not mushrooms of this pristine quality.
Chen Ji took a bath. He had a vague feeling he might come down with a fever, so he took some medicine ahead of time. After saying goodbye to Uncle Liu and the others, he went to bed. When he woke, it was already eight at night, and he felt perfectly fine. Opening his eyes, he saw the System Cat curled at the foot of the bed, eyes glazed over—probably surfing the web.
【Chen Ji, you’re awake!】 The System Cat’s eyes lit up in an instant. It stretched lazily, its plump belly brushing the quilt, then padded slowly to Chen Ji’s head and nuzzled his cheek. 【Heart rate 81, blood oxygen 99%, temperature 36.4 degrees. Bodily functions normal.】
Chen Ji scooped the System Cat into his arms and rubbed its belly. “Hungry?”
【Starving~】 The System Cat rolled in his embrace, exposing its snowy-white tummy. 【Waiting to eat with you—oh yeah, Uncle Liu had Aunt Liu send over two free-range chickens just now. Said you need to build your strength.】
Folks in the village valued reciprocity and had plenty of human warmth. Uncle Liu had taken Chen Ji’s mushrooms and immediately sent Aunt Liu up with two freshly killed free-range chickens, which she stored in the fridge before leaving. If not for the induction cooker being unfamiliar to them, she would’ve stewed them warm for him.
Chen Ji shot the System Cat an exasperated look. It grinned cheekily, rubbing its head against him as it extended a thick paw into his hand, letting him play with the paw pads.
Chen Ji squeezed a couple times, then got up once he was fully awake. He stuffed the System Cat under the covers. “Wait there. I’ll cook. Good thing we have gastrodia—would be a waste not to use it.”
People from Hua Nation had a hidden talent for this. When push came to shove, even kitchen novices could whip up something edible without much fuss. Chen Ji was no exception.
As a former 996 elite workhorse, his cooking wasn’t world-class, but his learning ability was top-tier.
The chickens were fresh-slaughtered that day—proper free-range ones, with yellow fat that wasn’t greasy, tight skin, and springy meat. Following a recipe, Chen Ji blanched the chicken to skim off the faint blood foam. He tossed in a chunk of fresh gastrodia, sprinkled some ginger and scallion powder, clapped on the lid, and called it done.
He selected the pressure quick-cook function on the rice cooker. In under five minutes, a rich, savory aroma wafted from the lid’s seam. Chen Ji inhaled deeply and mentally gave himself a thumbs-up. Then he grabbed a few red mushrooms and washed them.
These were half- or just-opened umbrellas; any tiny bugs hadn’t had a chance to climb on before Chen Ji picked them. A rinse, and even the gills gleamed white. He sliced them and set aside. From his supplies, he dug out a piece of cured pork belly, sliced it thin, and stir-fried it in hot oil. Once the fat rendered to translucent perfection, in went the mushroom slices for a quick sizzle that left even Chen Ji, spatula in hand, dizzy with the scent.
He tasted the mushrooms’ seasoning. First came the savory richness of the pork fat, followed by the mushrooms’ deep umami. The unique flavor danced tantalizingly on his tongue. Chen Ji sneaked another bite, convinced he was a little genius. It was perfect—no extra seasonings needed.
Half an hour flew by. Chen Ji opened the rice cooker, hot steam billowing into his face.
He wasn’t much for chicken soup usually, but this bowl was different. The gastrodia’s medicinal tang perfectly neutralized the chicken’s gaminess. The broth shifted from golden to deep amber, crystal clear without a speck of impurity. Chen Ji ladled a spoonful and sipped. First sensation: scalding. Second: pure freshness!
So fresh it felt like tiny dancers cavorted on his tongue.
That sip unlocked the senses dulled by the day’s fright, awakening his body to all its cravings. Suddenly, Chen Ji felt ravenous.
He double-checked: when washing the mushrooms earlier, he’d confirmed no hallucinogenic ones were mixed in.
He turned to grab bowls—one set, then paused and fetched two more. He divided the dish into three portions: the largest for himself and the System Cat, the other two equal and modest but enough for a plate and a bowl.
He took the first portion to the main hall, lit incense as usual and kowtowed, then placed the food on the altar table. Grandpa Mountain Lord eats first!
The weather was still cool enough that he could reheat the bowls tomorrow for lunch.
The second portion he carried outside the temple to the trailhead path toward the mountaintop, setting it on the ground with three sticks of incense.
Only then did his heart settle. He returned to the temple to eat.
Deep down, that roadside offering was meant for the White Tiger, though he knew it probably wouldn’t show. It would end up with some small animal or whatever else came along—no matter. He’d come down the mountain safe today; whoever or whatever protected him, a thank-you sufficed.
The System Cat was all in, perched politely by the table waiting for Chen Ji, its eyes sparkling under the light. 【You offered some to the Mountain Lord again?】
“Yeah.” Chen Ji ladled a bowl for the System Cat. “Dig in.”
【Thanks—!!!】
In a flash, the System Cat was inhaling it like a storm. Chen Ji sipped his slowly; the mildly hot chicken soup rolled down his throat, warming even his stomach.
【This cured pork is so good, sob sob sob!】 The System Cat mewled between bites. 【The mushrooms too! Chen Ji, you’re my god!!!】
The young man’s features softened as he leaned against the table, watching his little cat devour the food with a glossy muzzle. He chuckled, ruffled its head, and gave its butt a pat. “Slow down.”
【Ow!】
