Chapter 101: The Spirit Beast Meat Is Truly Delicious (First day of publication, thank you all for your support.)

Finally, after kneading the dough, the water on Xiao Hongyu’s side was about to boil. Wang Keyue casually buried two large sweet potatoes in the stove fire.

“Those can be our dessert later,” Wang Keyue said with a smile.

Xiao Hongyu poked the sweet potatoes with a stick, pushing them deeper into the fire. “These sweet potatoes are really big!”

“Not bad, right? I still have quite a few here; we can keep some as seeds. I’ll send you some so your soldiers can start farming and reclaiming the land there. Later, we can start making the dough dumplings.”

“This northwest land is too dry; I doubt anything can survive. I don’t even understand what’s going on with this world—it hasn’t rained for nearly half a year,” Xiao Hongyu complained.

“I can help solve your water problem. You just need to prepare people to farm. But as for seeds, I don’t have many either. The drought-resistant ones are mostly sweet potatoes and corn,” Wang Keyue explained. She couldn’t keep supplying the army with basic energy liquid forever; their best option was to be self-sufficient.

Xiao Hongyu’s mouth hung slightly open in surprise. He thought he knew her well, but her bold declaration left him stunned. Was there anything she couldn’t do?

“Can you... call the wind and rain?” If Wang Keyue had said yes then, he would have believed her without hesitation.

Seeing his astonished expression, Wang Keyue scratched her head shyly. “Calling the wind and rain? Not quite. Just like you, I’ve had some lucky encounters, that’s all, haha!”

Xiao Hongyu nodded in understanding and gave a thumbs-up. “Boss! You’re even more amazing!”

Wang Keyue was amused by his praise but didn’t stop her movements.

Soon, the water boiled. She pinched off thumb-sized dough dumplings and dropped them into the pot. The dumplings bobbed up and down, looking like lively little chubby dancers in the water.

Before long, a tempting aroma wafted from the pot. She then added all the prepared greens into the pot, stirring gently with chopsticks.

After a few seconds, she scooped the dumplings into two large bowls. The white dumplings, each the size of a thumb, were speckled with vibrant green leaves. A few drops of fragrant oil, sprinkled salt, and a touch of chicken essence completed the flavor. The aroma was so enticing it made one want to devour their own tongue.

Taking down the iron pot, Wang Keyue then placed two skewers of spirit beast meat—already threaded on sticks—onto a simple stone grill.

While grilling, she added spices. Unlike the mild fragrance earlier, this time the aroma was more intense with chili, cumin, and Sichuan peppercorns all present.

The spirit beast meat was tender and juicy. Within two minutes, the meat had turned a golden brown, sizzling and bubbling with oil. Drops of hot oil slowly dripped from the charred meat, releasing a distinctive, mouthwatering scent that made one salivate uncontrollably.

Xiao Hongyu sat nearby, eyes fixed on the feast before him. The aroma made his stomach roar with hunger. “Is it ready? Can we eat now?”

“Yes, here you go,” Wang Keyue handed him a skewer. Each held a bowl in one hand and meat in the other, placing the bowls on a makeshift table as they began to feast heartily.

A bite of dumpling soup, a bite of grilled meat, while admiring the northern desert scenery and the distant sunset—it was an unprecedented feeling of comfort.

The spirit beast meat was delicate and flavorful. Grilled with the spices, it left a rich fragrance in the mouth. Xiao Hongyu’s eyes lit up as he devoured the meat in a few quick bites, licking his lips with a hint of lingering satisfaction.

Night quietly fell. After extinguishing the fire, they returned to the smart bus. Before sleeping, Wang Keyue spent three thousand gold coins to purchase an upgrade package for the bus. The upgraded smart bus now featured surveillance scanning and defensive functions.

Looking at the 360-degree no-blind-spot smart bus, Wang Keyue was utterly fond of it.

They slept soundly without incident.

Early the next morning, Wang Keyue was awakened by the enticing aroma of rice. Peeking out the window, she exclaimed, “What a century’s fine man! Breakfast’s already prepared so early!”

Stepping down from the bus, she had removed her transforming mask before sleeping and now appeared in her natural face.

Xiao Hongyu looked up and saw a small girl of thirteen or fourteen, bright-eyed and radiant, smiling warmly in the morning sun.

At that moment, Xiao Hongyu felt an inexplicable emotion and blushed, quickly averting his gaze and pretending to be busy.

“You freshen up first. I made some porridge with the leftover meat from last night,” he said, placing a bowl of porridge on the table.

Wang Keyue noticed no change in him and went off to the nearby woods to attend to personal hygiene.

After washing, she sat at the simple dining table. Only a bowl of lean meat porridge was set before her, emitting an indescribable fragrance even more enticing than the grilled meat from last night.

Unable to wait, Wang Keyue took a sip. The porridge was savory, smooth, and tender, with an inexplicable fresh fragrance that lingered, leaving her captivated and craving more.

Spirit beast meat was better suited to this original, unadulterated cooking. Too many spices would spoil its natural flavor. As she savored the porridge, she glanced at the boy next to her, who was also drinking heartily. He caught her gaze and gave her a radiant, sunny smile.

Wang Keyue was caught off guard and quickly lowered her head to sip her porridge. Her ears tingled pink like a cute little rabbit.

After finishing, she felt a warm glow in her stomach, like a heat patch pressed to her skin—so comforting and light. This change was likely from the spirit beast meat they had eaten.

Once done, Xiao Hongyu packed up while Wang Keyue tidied herself on the bus. Upon stepping down, they encountered once again the ethereal, immortal-looking old man.

Wang Keyue waved her sleeve and stored away the smart bus. Together, they set off in the flying car toward the depths of the barren mountains, heading for the Wang Clan’s camp.

At this moment, the Wang Clan’s camp was merely a small outpost secretly established by General Dingyuan. He led a group of young and able men, carrying a skinny wild boar, rushing back to the camp.

He had been away for several days not only hunting but also gathering intelligence. During his absence, he learned that his female relatives were to be exiled to the northwest border. Panicked, he hurriedly brought his loyal remaining soldiers here to scout and establish a temporary base.

Le Wen