123: Chapter 123 The Mountain Frenzy Pig Died in Vain
If nothing else, Mo Yu's butchering skills were indeed excellent.
The three of them carried the Mountain Storm Pig's meat to the riverside. By the faint glow of the Floating Toxic Jellyfish drifting in the river, they lit a campfire and began roasting the carved Mountain Storm Pig meat.
Sizzle, sizzle—!
Under the heat of the flames, grease oozed from the Mountain Storm Pig meat. A rich, fatty aroma immediately wafted out, catching the attention of small Pet Beasts nearby, which began to linger around.
These small Pet Beasts didn't dare to approach.
The Mountain Storm Pig's massive head sat on the bank, emitting a thick scent of blood that proclaimed the strength of the hunters.
Yue Yun had just finished washing in the river and was sitting shirtless by the campfire, letting the firelight illuminate the clear muscle lines of his upper body.
Like an ancient general, he focused intently on polishing the cold iron long spear in his hands, maintaining the blade until it shone brightly, reflecting a hint of warmth in the orange firelight.
Equally focused was Master Mo on the opposite side.
Mo Yu held the two tusks of the Mountain Storm Pig, seemingly studying their value beyond mere ornamentation.
After a while, voices drifted from the forest.
A familiar female voice asked, "Calling us here so mysteriously, what on earth are you guys up to?"
"There's something important to tell you, of course."
Xu Qingfang answered her question, "It's not convenient to talk about this in the camp. You'll understand once you follow me."
The approaching footsteps grew clearer.
Before Xu Qingfang arrived with the others, Yue Yun quickly put on his clothes, and Mo Yu set down the tusks.
Xu Qingfang led Su Lixia and Xue Qin out of the forest. Seeing the massive pig head displayed like a trophy, the two women couldn't hide their surprise.
"A Mountain Storm Pig this big must be at least at the Three-star level!"
Xue Qin quickly reached a conclusion and looked at Mo Yu excitedly. "Did the Mountain Storm Pig have any good items on it?"
Hunting Pet Beasts was like gambling on raw jade; every unexpected harvest brought wild joy and a huge sense of satisfaction.
Xue Qin trusted Mo Yu's eye and skill; if there truly was a special harvest, he definitely wouldn't have missed it.
Mo Yu shook his head with some regret. "This Mountain Storm Pig didn't have any special parts besides its normal heart."
As a cultivation material, the heart of a Mountain Storm Pig could enhance a Pet Beast's life and strength attributes, making it a fairly common Pet Beast material.
Xue Qin's expectations instantly vanished into thin air.
The value of a Mountain Storm Pig's heart was mediocre, and since it was large and fragile, it was difficult to preserve properly without professional tools.
In their hands, it could only be abandoned.
The other three couldn't cut into the conversation between Xue Qin and Mo Yu.
Xu Qingfang quickly invited the two women to sit on the ground, then triumphantly introduced the sizzling, greasy Mountain Storm Pig meat.
"This is the tastiest part of the Mountain Storm Pig. I prepared it according to my dad's instructions and added his recommended secret BBQ seasoning. It's going to be explosively delicious!"
He carefully took out the BBQ seasoning and sprinkled it evenly over the Mountain Storm Pig meat, which released an enticing aroma under the high heat.
The afternoon's trek had already left them famished, and now the scent of the fatty meat made their mouths water.
Xue Qin subtly swallowed her saliva and asked impatiently, "When will the meat be ready?"
"It's already cooked."
Xu Qingfang distributed the roasted Mountain Storm Pig meat to everyone.
With excitement, everyone took a bite of the slightly cooled Mountain Storm Pig meat, chewing and savoring it carefully.
Su Lixia's expression froze instantly, as if something unimaginable had happened. She looked at Xu Qingfang in disbelief.
Not just her, but Xue Qin, Yue Yun, and Mo Yu were the same, their gazes toward Xu Qingfang shifting repeatedly.
Xu Qingfang laughed proudly. "Well? My skills paired with my dad's seasoning—absolutely delicious!"
"Ptu!"
Almost everyone spat out the roasted meat at the same time.
Su Lixia spoke slowly, "I'm going to sue you!"
Yue Yun: "I'm going to take out a loan just to sue you!"
Xue Qin: "Can you handle being sued?"
Xu Qingfang was bewildered by their reaction.
Before he could ask, Mo Yu, sitting beside him, stuffed a piece of roast meat into his mouth with lightning speed, covering his mouth to prevent him from spitting it out.
"If it's so good, eat more!"
Mo Yu said with a fierce look.
Xu Qingfang subconsciously chewed the meat. The moment the grease burst forth, his eyes widened in disbelief.
The grease carried a powerful, lingering gamey stench that instantly overwhelmed the seasoning. It tasted like biting into a stinking, rank rug—slimy and fuzzy in the mouth, and hard to even spit out completely.
Once Mo Yu let go, Xu Qingfang hurriedly spat out the meat, wishing he could tear his own tongue out.
"It's terrible, absolutely terrible!"
Mo Yu shook his head in disappointment and threw the meat away.
He had tasted Mountain Storm Pig meat in restaurants before, and when properly cooked, it was indeed delicious—saying it was ten thousand times better than this roast meat wouldn't be an exaggeration.
He hadn't expected the Mountain Storm Pig meat they made themselves to be so foul; it hardly seemed like the same kind of meat.
Xu Qingfang was unwilling to give up. "Could there be something wrong with the cooking method?"
If it wasn't the quality of the meat, then perhaps Mountain Storm Pig meat wasn't suited for grilling and required a different preparation.
Having meat right in front of them that they couldn't eat was torturous for these youngsters in their prime with hearty appetites.
Yue Yun recalled some pig-farming knowledge he'd seen online and said comfortingly, "Uncastrated pigs don't taste good. The Mountain Storm Pig is probably the same. Let's just forget it!"
He fed the meat in his hand to Miao Sang, but Miao Sang just gave it a sniff and turned its head away, clearly uninterested in the fragrant-smelling roasted Mountain Storm Pig meat.
Everyone seeing this scene felt even more dejected.
The five of them huddled around the campfire for warmth. The orange firelight shining on them made even their expressions look softer than usual.
"Let's get down to business."
Xu Qingfang moved past the topic and cleared his throat. "Cough, the three of us plan to enter the Danger Zone. We need you two to help cover for us. Once we succeed, the spoils will be split equally!"
Su Lixia and Xue Qin's expressions shifted back and forth.
Finally, Xue Qin couldn't take it anymore. "Are you three crazy? That's a Danger Zone where professional Beast Taming Groups operate. Do you want to end up as Pet Beast poop?"
Su Lixia nodded slightly, her expression very displeased.
She refused the Three Heavenly Kings without hesitation. "The risks in a Secret Realm are uncontrollable. Venturing into one like this is no different from seeking death. We will absolutely not help you."
If you continue with this reckless plan, I'll report you to Pan Zi. That's better than you going to the Danger Zone and being eaten by a Four-Star Pet Beast until not even crumbs are left."
Her crisp, pleasant voice carried a hint of determination.
The Three Heavenly Kings, despite the stern rejection, remained calm.
Xu Qingfang was confident. "What if we're heading to the Danger Zone under a teacher's supervision?"