Chapter 007: The Marksman

The trap at the cave entrance was merely a sharp wooden stake, smeared with snake venom, serving as a double insurance. Yun Zheng instructed Ren Chu to prepare dinner, and he took Jia Lan to the trap site to begin work

Seeing Ren Chu has already started to light the fire and cook, Yun Zheng asked ominously: "You just wanted to kill Aunt Zhang, answer me."

Jialan seemed completely oblivious to the signature that was right in front of her. She spoke slowly as she applied the ink, saying: "If you don't want to kill, then don't reveal your weapon. A dog that bites doesn't show its teeth; it appears honest while concealing its true strength deep within."

Many ingredients have become unattainable; transportation has been interrupted, and thus food from afar has turned into a luxury, even the most inexpensive food is no exception

Jialan wearily said: "It's more exhausting than fighting, but this ability is truly impressive"

Just now, Ren Chu was still pondering over two brand new recipes in the recipe library. The stewed yam with mountain raccoon is understandable, but why is there a mutated python and capercaillie soup? I haven't seen any capercaillie these past few days

The most terrifying thing is the neurotoxin; after being bitten by this snake, the entire body trembles with muscle spasms. Aunt Zhang has clearly been affected by a circulatory toxin.

It seems that, just by Garan's reminder, being a chef is not so simple after all. Which type of mutated creature can be consumed? This is not something that an ordinary person can achieve, nor is it a skill that a mere chef can master

Having rice makes things much easier, as eating meat all the time can be uncomfortable and the stomach cannot bear it. Ren Chu dug up some straw mushrooms and cooked them in a pot of soup with python meat. Aunt Zhang, still recovering from her injuries, also ate quite a bit of the rice and meat soup

Ren Chu stared at the dead snake and said, "I can't see any signs of mutation"

Several types of ingredients have been added to the ingredient library, including mutated mountain cat meat, mutated python meat, mutated tree sap, and mutated burdock root. The straw mushrooms for the soup in the evening were already in the ingredient library; this was content that Ren Chu had inputted long ago

Yun Zheng wrinkled his nose. Didn't Ren Chu say that he wasn't hit by the meteor? He shouldn't have any special abilities.

With the bedding, Ren Chu felt much more comfortable lying there. He put down his phone and closed his eyes, envisioning the Devouring Heaven and Earth system in his mind

Jialan said: "Perception is unclear; it is either extremely weak or extremely strong"

Yun Zheng perked up and asked, "Highly toxic?"

Jialan said: "Shh!"

This means that either Ren Chu's strength is subpar, or it is so powerful that it exceeds Jia Lan's perception. Of course, Jia Lan also leans towards Yun Zheng's judgment. On the way to the scenic area, Ren Chu appeared unsteady, and when transporting supplies, he was panting heavily and drenched in sweat, a state that was certainly not a disguise

Ren Chu was startled and looked up, Yun Zheng commanded: "Continue to drain the blood"

Jialan struck down again, and several purple-black blood arrows shot out from Aunt Zhang's leg wound. Yunzheng was also taken aback and looked up. Jialan said, "I don't know if it works, but so far this ability seems very special"

In the night, Yun Zheng's eyes sparkled with tiny silver stars, as if the stars from the sky had fallen into his gaze. With a half-smile, Yun Zheng said, "Are you suggesting that I am putting on a show like a big bad wolf? Is that what you mean?"

Ren Chu suddenly sat up, and Yun Zheng squinted his eyes and said: "Planning to sleepwalk and cut watermelon?"

Yun Zheng swallowed hard, and Ren Chu casually took off Yun Zheng's sunglasses, saying: "What are you pretending to be wearing sunglasses for in the middle of the night... uh?"

Jialan teased, "This is like the deep night of the library, hitting the capercaillie's head with such precision"

Yun Zheng stated with certainty: "It must be of the very weak kind"

Jialan held the dim light telescope, searching around, while Ren Chu and Yun Zheng listened intently. Ren Chu pointed to the mutated tree in the front right, indicating that the sound was coming from there

Aside from Aunt Zhang, who was weak and asleep, Jialan and Yunzhen both perked up their ears. Ren Chu's culinary skills were beyond doubt; he rarely boasted, except for claiming to be the master of the Eight Cuts that could defeat all experts. Now that Ren Chu mentioned a recipe that was highly nourishing, it was certainly not to be taken lightly

Yun Zheng kicked the snake over with his foot, and a bulge appeared at the position of the snake's tail, as if another tail were about to grow. Ren Chu gasped and said, "A two-tailed snake, rare."

A mouthful of dark purple blood was sucked out, and then Ren Chu spat out a small amount of bright red blood. Ren Chu shouted, "Move Aunt Zhang's arm, hard, and another person, pound her chest."

There are two common types of snake venom: one is a hemotoxin, and the other is a neurotoxin. When hemotoxin enters the body, it can cause the human body to turn a purplish-black color

Yun Zheng once again drew the bow, and Ren Chu had already nocked the arrow, causing the call of the mutated capercaillie to abruptly cease. Jialan and Yun Zheng looked at Ren Chu in shock; it was truly terrifying.

Ren Chu leaned over, noting that the snake had been dead for quite some time and the meat was no longer edible. Yun Zheng inquired, "Shall we make a snake soup?"

Ren Chugang once mentioned the mutated python and the sound of the pine chicken can now be heard. The three individuals immediately lit up with excitement, each stealthily making their way out of the wooden cabin.

Yun Zheng rubbed his eyes and said: "What nonsense are you talking about? We can endure the indigenous rebellion; it's just a minor issue now. The traps are not secure enough, and the defense functions are inadequate. Tomorrow, I will go with the chef to fetch supplies. Jialan, you and Aunt Zhang stay behind to continue setting up the traps."

Ren Chu nodded, and Yun Zheng said: "That's great"

Jialan struck Aunt Zhang's heart area, while Yunzheng vigorously swung Aunt Zhang's arms, and Ren Chu sucked out the poisoned blood. Suddenly, Jialan's fingers emitted a faint glow, and with a punch, she struck Aunt Zhang's heart. Aunt Zhang's body convulsed violently.

Ren Chu said: "The toxin has permeated the entire body; whoever consumes it will be poisoned, and the only option is to bury it."

The mutated grouse emitted a panicked cry, its wings trembling violently. The arrow did not miss its mark, nor did it strike a vital point; instead, it pierced through the mutated grouse's wing, pinning it to the tree trunk. At any moment, the mutated grouse could break free and escape, making it impossible to track its whereabouts in the night.

Yun Zhengguan looked at Aunt Zhang and said: "How are you feeling?"

The night was quiet, and the sound of "cooing" echoed, which was the call of a hazel grouse. Ren Chu was taken aback; the mutated mountain hare was stewed with yam, and there was a supply of mountain hares available. Not far away, a small plot of land had been secretly cultivated by the mountain villagers, and what they were growing was precisely yam.

Yun Zheng squinted his eyes and vaguely saw a grouse perched on the tree trunk, larger than a peacock. It was undoubtedly a mutated grouse, as a normal grouse could not possibly reach such a size.

Aunt Zhang said slowly, "I thought I would never see you again"

Ren Chuhui, with both hands holding the sunglasses, placed them on Yun Zheng's face and said with a sheepish smile, "There are quite a few pine chickens in the mountains; when I came last year, I shot several of them."

I want to say, even in front of Aunt Zhang, that such a choice is not wrong; this is truly good for everyone. You warned Ren Chu not to act like a saintly hypocrite, and you should not do the same as the library.

Ren Chuxing excitedly said: "Stop thinking about watermelons, I have thought of two great recipes that are very nourishing"

Jialan said: "This mutated snake must have realized that we injured it, so it has come to take revenge. I suspect that the intelligence of mutated creatures has also increased."

Yun Zheng raised the crossbow, and Jialan's telescope also turned in that direction. Suddenly, Jialan made a series of hand gestures with his right hand to indicate the direction. Yun Zheng lifted the crossbow and slowly aimed at the position halfway up the mountain.

Ren Chugan smiled and said, "Practice makes perfect; I have been playing archery for over ten years"

Ren Chu futilely raised his phone, hoping to see a signal, but was met with disappointment. Without power and without communication satellites, the entire world had descended into paralysis

Jialan smeared a piece of snake meat onto the skewer and said: "Aunt Zhang was definitely beyond saving at that time, I could see it, and you could see it too. If Ren Chufei insisted on saving her, he might end up losing his own life as well. I was holding onto a glimmer of hope, reversing the power I had gained, and unexpectedly succeeded.

Yun Zheng removed his sunglasses and stared at the trap pit, as a stick automatically floated up from the pit, aiming at Jialan's forehead. If Ren Chu were to see Yun Zheng's eyes right now, he would surely find it hard to believe

Ren Chu reluctantly exited the ingredient library, her attention fixed on the recipe library. As Ren Chu's thoughts entered the recipe library, two recipes shining with a silver glow immediately captured her attention

Yun Zheng quickly responded, saying: "Sleeping, why bother with these useless things? For now, just be content with being able to fill your stomach; don't hope for any great nourishment, it sounds quite tempting."

Braised Mountain Lynx with Yam: It can be named "Double Mountain Treasure," which enhances physical agility and is a nourishing delicacy

Yun Zheng knows that most of his special abilities lie in his eyes, but how does Yun Zheng know that the pine chicken is in this position? Is it entirely based on the sound he just heard?

Yun Zheng nudged Jia Lan with his shoulder and asked, "You have a strong perception ability regarding ability users; did you sense something unusual about him?"

Jialan looked up at the dim sky. Ren Chu rushed back again, kneeling on the ground and began to suck the blood from Aunt Zhang's wound. Yun Zheng raised his hand to stop Jialan, squatting beside Ren Chu and said: "The blood is coagulating... Hmm?"

Ren Chu swallowed hard and said: "The mutated pine chicken python soup can strengthen muscles and bones. Doesn't it sound very tempting?"

Jialan remained noncommittal. On the way out of the city, relying on Jialan's perceptual abilities, they avoided multiple ambushes, which sufficiently demonstrated the strength of Jialan's perception. However, she was truly unable to discern Ren Chu's condition

The flesh of the python, like that of the civet cat, warms the stomach when consumed, seemingly allowing strength to grow rapidly

Yun Zheng Song sat on the ground, large beads of cold sweat rolling down his smooth forehead. Jia Lan once again gathered white light in her hand and struck down, as Aunt Zhang violently coughed and opened her eyes.

Variant Chicken and Python Soup: It can be named Dragon and Phoenix Soup. If snake tendons are added to the soup pot for simmering, it can have the effect of strengthening muscles and bones

This is not a matter of precision, but rather a matter of the uncanny. In the darkness of night, it is impossible to see far ahead; Jia Lan can barely make out the details using a low-light telescope. Ren Chu, on the other hand, directly shot a mutated pine chicken in the head with an arrow. Just how formidable is his eyesight?

The sound of the capercaillie has now echoed; could it be that the Devourer of Heaven and Earth system possesses the ability to sense nearby creatures, or rather, ingredients?

Yun Zheng calculated the distance before pulling the trigger, in the night, the trajectory of the crossbow bolt was invisible, only the sound of "thud" could be heard as the arrowhead embedded itself into the tree trunk