From a country cook to a master chef

After gulping down the bone broth, Lin Jue let out a long sigh of relief.

Comfortable!

As his stomach and intestines began to move, the bone broth started to digest. While feeling full, Lin Jue felt a surge of energy being generated within his body, and a look of joy appeared on his face.

"Yuan Rou, I need to go out for a bit."

"Where are you going, Brother Lin? You've been practicing all night. What if you get injured instead of resting?"

Yuan Rou was a little anxious and stretched out her arms to block Lin Jue.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Lin Jue shrugged, brandishing his tiger-head saber and laughing, "With my current martial arts skills, I can kill a wolf with my bare hands, let alone this time I'm hunting with Brother Liu and the others, so nothing will happen."

After dispelling Yuan Rou's worries with a few words, Lin Jue found some burlap to wrap the tiger-head knife, slung a bamboo basket over his shoulder, and left the tavern, jogging to meet up with Liu Laohei.

There are still five days until the next production of the Spirit Gourd Water, so he must make the most of every minute to improve his martial arts level as much as possible.

Lin Jue had a clear goal for this trip into the mountains.

First, hunt as much prey as possible. For martial artists, consuming large amounts of animal meat is beneficial for replenishing blood and qi, and for condensing internal energy.

Secondly, they collected some poisonous insects and poisonous substances to prepare for dealing with the Black Bamboo Gang seven days later.

Third, see if we can find some medicinal materials for preparing Qi and Blood Powder.

Lin Jue ran while deep in thought, carrying his tiger-head saber as he jogged across Jing'an Ward and Fengyi Ward, exiting the city through Nanping Gate. His breathing was steady, without the slightest hint of panting.

"With my current physical condition, if I could travel back in time, it would be the dream of nine hundred million girls."

Lin Jue secretly praised him, realizing that there was indeed a world of difference between a martial arts master and a martial artist.

Ordinary people can call themselves martial artists by learning a few martial arts routines, but to become a martial arts master, the very task of condensing internal energy can drive many people to madness, causing them to unknowingly injure their bodies, suffer qi deviation, and never be able to reach the level of a martial arts master in their lifetime.

Three miles from Nanping Gate, under a large tree, hunter Liu Laohei and woodcutter Zhang Laoer sat on the ground, eagerly waiting. The moment they saw Lin Jue's figure, the two grabbed their hunting tools, stood up, and waved to him.

"Brother Lin, you've finally arrived. We've been waiting for you for ages, thinking you'd forgotten about this."

During their trip to Dinghu Mountain, Lin Jue saved Liu Laohei's life, and their relationship deepened ever since.

Seeing that Lin Jue wasn't wearing a wrist guard, Zhang Lao Er, Liu Lao Hei's brother-in-law, immediately took off his own and threw it to him, saying happily, "There are many thorny forests in the place we're going to this time, Brother Lin, take this with you."

Upon hearing this, Lin Jue didn't stand on ceremony; he wasn't one for scheming and immediately accepted with a smile.

The place they were going to was called Hutouling, which was only about ten miles southwest of Yucheng.

If you're in the city and not in a hurry, you can easily walk ten miles in half an hour.

However, there was no protective array outside the city. The wind and snow were raging and the cold was biting. Every few hundred meters, the three of them had to stop and rest to brush off the thick snow from their bodies.

The group walked and stopped frequently, taking a full two and a half hours to reach the foot of Tiger Head Ridge.

Looking up, the entire Tiger Head Ridge resembles a giant white tiger lying on the earth, majestic and magnificent, with its mountain range stretching endlessly.

"Brother, are you sure you can hunt game on this mountain?"

Looking at the snow-covered Tiger Head Ridge, Lin Jue couldn't help but doubt the hunter's words beside him.

"Don't worry, Brother Lin, there are plenty of wild rabbits and roe deer on Tiger Head Ridge. Just be careful where you step, or you'll fall into the caves in the mountains," Liu Laohei said with a smile, as if it were all within easy reach.

Upon seeing this, Lin Jue began to have some doubts about the two men's hunting skills.

Zhang Lao Er shook the rope in his hand with a big smile, "Brother Lin, don't worry, we have the flying rope. Even if you accidentally fall into the hole, we can pull you up."

"..."

Lin Jue was taken aback for a moment, but didn't say anything. He kept his head down and followed closely behind Liu Laohei, who was scouting ahead.

The snow in the mountains is very deep; in some places, the snow can reach waist-deep when you step into it.

Liu Laohei carried a machete and a spear, following the route he usually took into the mountains, occasionally swinging his machete to clear the thorns on both sides of the road.

The mountain was very deserted, with sparse trees and traces of woodcutters everywhere. Every few steps, you could see a tree stump.

"Garlic spider lily, garlic spider lily!"

Lin Jue walked behind the two, muttering the names of the medicinal herbs he was looking for, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.

Suddenly, his gaze fell upon a dark spot beneath a huge rock not far away, where a beautiful-looking spider lily, resembling a leek, came into view.

"Brother Liu, there are some medicinal herbs I need over there. Wait for me a moment, I'll gather them and come right away."

After greeting the two men, Lin Jue took the tiger-head saber and cautiously approached the direction of the medicinal herbs.

Soon, he successfully harvested the spider lily.

This medicine is the rarest among the ingredients needed to prepare Qi and Blood Powder. As for the other common ingredients on the market, he plans to go back to the medicine shop to buy them.

Before leaving, Lin Jue picked a section of the root of the Lycoris radiata and buried it back in the original place. This herb has a strong vitality, and as long as a little root is left, it can continue to grow new plants.

Afterwards, Lin Jue followed Liu Laohei and Zhang Laoer, and the three of them continued to walk deeper into Tiger Head Ridge.

For the past six months, the wild animals around the mountains have been almost entirely hunted by hunters, and the three of them can only pray that they will encounter some easy prey deeper in the forest.

After crossing two hills, apart from Lin Jue who still had the strength, Liu Laohei and Zhang Laoer were so exhausted that they had to rest for a while.

By this time, the three of them had run out of hot water. Fortunately, a lake appeared not far away. After adjusting themselves, they quickly headed towards the lake.

"Hey, Lao Liu, look over there, it looks like a fish."

Upon arriving at the lakeside, Zhang Lao Er spotted a strange, motionless red fish floating beneath the ice.

Liu Laohei looked in the direction the finger was pointing, and his tired face immediately lit up with surprise. "Red perch, it's a red perch! This is a treasure fish. Just this one can sell for six taels of silver."

"That's great! If we can't catch any game, a whole fish will do."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lao Er was overjoyed. He immediately took off his shirt, tiptoed onto the ice, and made his way towards the red bass.

Lin Jue stood on the shore, watching Zhang Lao Er slowly approach the treasure fish under the ice. A sense of unease arose in his heart, and he said with some worry, "Brother Liu, I'm afraid the ice can't support Brother Zhang's body."

"Don't worry, Brother Lin, the second brother can swim. Even if he falls, it'll be fine."

With the treasure fish right in front of him, Zhang Lao Er's smile grew even wider, and he raised his spear and thrust it out.

boom!

The ice shattered instantly, and Zhang Lao Er lost his footing, falling into the water with a splash.

Waves splashed on the lake surface. Seeing that Zhang Lao Er had not surfaced for a long time, Liu Lao Hei couldn't help but worry. Just as he was about to go into the water to rescue him, Zhang Lao Er's head suddenly popped out of the water, panting heavily, holding the red perch in his hand.

He wiped the lake water from his face and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Don't worry, I'm fine!"

Seeing this, Lin Jue and Liu Laohei finally felt relieved and breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as the two relaxed, before Zhang Lao Er could swim to the shore, his expression suddenly changed, and in the blink of an eye, he was dragged into the water by something.

A cold wind blew by, leaving only a string of bubbles gradually disappearing on the lake's surface.