Chapter 11

Chapter 11

In the next instant, a massive tiger paw descended, pinning the snake's head—larger than Chen Ji's palm—beneath its padded grip. Snow-white fur, now stained with blood, exuded a formidable aura.

Chen Ji sat on the ground, breathing heavily. The white tiger was barely an arm's length away; he could even smell the rank stench of snake blood. The tiger's paw, still pressing the snake's head, was right before him, its dark eyes peering out from the edge between paw and ground, staring intently.

The white tiger's piercing blue eyes coolly assessed Chen Ji before it settled down. With a flick of its movement, the snake's head flew into a nearby patch of grass. One paw still resting on the snake's body, it slowly began to chew the flesh.

The arm-thick King Cobra was like a spicy snack to the white tiger—chewed up and half gone in no time.

Only then did System Cat snap to attention, exclaiming, "Holy crap! It's so strong!"

Chen Ji nodded subconsciously.

Somehow, Chen Ji sensed the white tiger had no intention of harming him. He slowly rose from the ground and cautiously backed away. The white tiger showed no sign of pursuit, instead lowering its head to focus on devouring its "spicy snack." Seeing this, Chen Ji turned and ran toward home.

He no longer dared to search for plant dyes; getting home safe was all that mattered.

System Cat even reactivated its pan scan, terrified that another King Cobra might appear. It muttered to Chen Ji, "Chen Ji, your hometown is way too dangerous! Damn… Did you see that snake?! Thicker than your arm! And so~ long! It was hiding in the grass, not making a sound, and then just pounced! So scary!"

Chen Ji grunted in agreement, also wondering what was going on—King Cobras were known to be fearless and highly territorial, but under most circumstances, they wouldn't attack humans unless provoked. After all, even if it bit someone, it couldn't eat them, and most humans, upon realizing they'd been bitten, would try to take it down with them.

When it comes to life and death, who'd hesitate for that split second?

By the time Chen Ji reached home, Uncle Liu and the others had just started their afternoon work. Seeing Chen Ji return disheveled and covered in dirt, they hurried over to take his things and help him, asking anxiously, "Xiao Chen, what happened to you?!"

Chen Ji was helped onto a stool, gasping for breath, his legs feeling as heavy as lead. Uncle Liu quickly poured him a glass of water. After drinking it and finally catching his breath, Chen Ji said, "I ran into a massive King Cobra on the mountain. It chased me all the way down."

"What?!" Uncle Liu was stunned. King Cobras were extremely dangerous—everyone knew that a single bite could cost you half your life even if you were lucky. He urgently checked Chen Ji's hands and feet, then frantically reached for his phone. "You weren't bitten, were you?"

"No, I ran fast." After resting a bit longer, Chen Ji added, "That snake was at least three meters long, thicker than my arm. Uncle Liu, you should spread the word in the village—everyone needs to be careful when going up the mountain."

Even though this one was killed, there might be another—after all, two tigers cannot share one mountain, unless they're a pair.

Uncle Liu nodded repeatedly. "Absolutely, this is too dangerous. We'll need to prepare some snake medicine before heading up again."

Chen Ji agreed. He had lived in this temple for seven years and had never seen a snake enter. During the repairs, they had completely overlooked this issue. Now, he felt they should plant some snake-repelling plants around the Mountain Lord Temple and buy several large boxes of snake repellent to keep venomous snakes from entering.

Seeing that Chen Ji was mostly fine, Uncle Liu turned his attention to the bamboo basket filled with various mushrooms and the two large bags hanging beside it. He cheered up. "Xiao Chen, you brought back quite a haul this time!"

Chen Ji rubbed his legs. "Uncle, take some home. I can't finish all this alone, and it won't keep well. The weather isn't dry enough for sun-drying yet."

Uncle Liu didn't hesitate—these were truly valuable. Mushrooms of this quality would sell for two to three hundred yuan per pound in town!

He marveled inwardly at Chen Ji’s knack for finding things. Living at the foot of the mountain, they all knew mushrooms were becoming scarcer each year. In recent years, no one had managed to gather a basket this full—even Old Man Zhang, the most experienced forager in the village, would be lucky to collect a third of what Chen Ji had in a morning, let alone mushrooms of this quality.

After washing up, Chen Ji had a vague premonition that he might spike a fever, so he took medicine preemptively. He bid Uncle Liu and the others goodbye and went to sleep. When he woke up, it was already 8 p.m., and he felt perfectly fine. As he opened his eyes, he saw System Cat curled up at the foot of the bed, eyes glazed over—probably surfing the internet.

"Chen Ji, you're awake!" System Cat's eyes instantly regained their sparkle. It slowly stretched, its plump belly brushing against the blanket, then walked over to Chen Ji's head and nuzzled his cheek. "Heart rate 81, blood oxygen 99%, temperature 36.4°C. Physical condition is good."

Chen Ji reached out and pulled System Cat into his arms, rubbing its belly. "Are you hungry?"

"Hungry~" System Cat rolled over in his arms, exposing its white belly. "Waiting to eat with you—oh, by the way, Uncle Liu just had Auntie bring over two free-range chickens for you to replenish your energy."

The villagers valued reciprocity and were full of warmth. As soon as Uncle Liu took Chen Ji's mushrooms, he sent Auntie Liu over with two chickens—already slaughtered and stored in the fridge. If not for the fact that Uncle Liu and Auntie Liu didn't know how to use the induction stove here, they would have stewed the chicken and kept it warm for Chen Ji.

Chen Ji gave System Cat a mock-stern look, but the cat just giggled and nuzzled him, extending its thick paw into Chen Ji's hand for him to play with the paw pad.

After pinching it a couple of times and fully waking up, Chen Ji got out of bed and tucked System Cat under the covers. "Wait here. I'll cook. We have some gastrodia elata—might as well use it."

Chinese people seem to have a hidden talent for cooking. Even if they've never set foot in a kitchen, when push comes to shove, they can usually whip up something decent. Chen Ji was no exception.

As a former high-end, premium workhorse of the 996 grind, he wouldn't claim to be a culinary genius, but his learning ability was top-notch.

The chicken, slaughtered that day, was a standard free-range bird—yellow fat without being greasy, with firm skin and springy meat. Following a recipe, Chen Ji first blanched the chicken to remove the barely visible scum, tossed in a small piece of fresh gastrodia elata, added some ginger and scallion powder, covered the pot, and let it cook.

He selected the pressure-cook function on the rice cooker. In less than five minutes, a rich, savory aroma seeped through the lid. Chen Ji took a deep breath, giving himself a mental pat on the back, then washed a few red mushrooms.

The red mushrooms were half-open or just beginning to open, so small insects hadn't had time to crawl onto them. A rinse under water left even the crevices spotlessly white. He sliced them and set them aside. From his supplies, he dug out a piece of cured meat, sliced it, and stir-fried it in hot oil. Once the fat turned translucent, he added the red mushroom slices. The sizzle and aroma were so intoxicating that even Chen Ji, spatula in hand, was mesmerized.

He tasted the mushrooms—first the oily saltiness of the cured meat, followed by the rich, distinct flavor of the fungi. The unique sensation provided an unparalleled experience on his tongue. Chen Ji silently took another bite, feeling like a minor genius. It already tasted perfect; no additional seasoning was needed.

Half an hour passed in this flurry of activity. Chen Ji opened the rice cooker, feeling the steam wash over his face.

He wasn't particularly fond of chicken soup, but today's batch was different. The medicinal aroma of the gastrodia elata perfectly neutralized the chicken's gaminess, and the broth had turned from golden to brown. It was exceptionally clear, without a trace of impurities. Chen Ji ladled a spoonful and tasted it—first, the heat, then the overwhelming freshness!

It was so fresh it felt like tiny dancers were performing on his tongue.

With that first sip, his taste buds, numbed by the day's fright, seemed to reawaken. His body began to register sensations again, and Chen Ji realized he was hungry.

He tried hard to recall—while washing the mushrooms, he had repeatedly checked to ensure no "dancer-inducing" varieties had mixed in with the red mushrooms.

He turned to get bowls, hesitating for a moment before taking out two additional sets. He divided the dishes into three portions: the largest for himself and System Cat, and the other two roughly equal—not much, but enough for a plate and a bowl.

The first portion was brought by Chen Ji to the main hall. As usual, he lit incense, kowtowed, and placed the dishes on the offering table—Grandfather Mountain eats first!

The weather was still cool; he could reclaim the bowl tomorrow, reheat the food, and have it for lunch.

The second portion he carried outside the temple, placing it on the ground at a small path leading toward the mountain peak. He also lit three sticks of incense.

Only after doing all this did he feel at ease, returning to the temple to eat.

In his heart, the portion left at the path was intended for the white tiger, though he knew it was unlikely to come. It would probably be eaten by other small animals—or something else. But it didn't matter. Whatever had protected him today, he had offered his thanks.

System Cat was an enthusiastic audience, already waiting by the table. Its eyes sparkled under the light, looking very polite. "Did you make another offering to Mountain Lord?"

System Cat: "Thank you—!!!"

The next moment, System Cat was devouring the food like a storm. Chen Ji held his bowl, sipping slowly. The slightly hot chicken soup rolled down his throat, warming his stomach.

"The cured meat is so delicious, wuwuwu!" System Cat meowed between bites. "The mushrooms are amazing too! Chen Ji, you're my god!!!"

The young man's expression relaxed as he leaned against the table, watching his little cat eat until its mouth gleamed with oil. He smiled, ruffled the cat's head, and patted its bottom. "Eat slower."

"Awoo!"