Chapter 118: Barbecue and the War Beast

While sweeping through the monsters, Su Yao scanned the area below with her cat-like eyes and quickly spotted a black shadow trailing them.

She tapped Xiang Nan on the shoulder and pointed at the stalker, who was still flickering in a zigzag pattern through the dense forest.

"Xiao Nan, do you think this guy has a screw loose? We're flying a helicopter, and he’s actually wasting his spiritual energy to follow us the whole way. Is this idiot here in the Spirit Void just to make up the numbers?" Su Yao burst into laughter as she spoke.

Following the direction of her finger, Xiang Nan saw that someone was indeed tailing them. Judging by the speed of the figure’s flickering, their cultivation level was not low, with ample spiritual energy—at least Stage Three or above.

Without a word, Xiang Nan pulled a rocket launcher from his storage space, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and aimed it directly at the black shadow.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Three consecutive mushroom clouds erupted into the sky, sending soil and rocks flying across a large stretch of the forest.

"Flickering, huh? Teleporting with fancy footwork, are you? If you’re that tough, you should just explode right where you stand!"

He stowed the launcher and chuckled. "If I don't show these people a thing or two, they’ll really think I, Xiang Nan, am just some Hello Kitty."

The others smiled wryly, though Meng Qingwan looked with regret toward the spot where the mushroom clouds had risen. "That person... he wouldn't actually be dead from that, would he? We didn't even ask if he was a friend or foe."

"Enough, stop right there," Su Yao said, waving her hand to silence her. "Qingwan, this is the Spirit Void exploration where your life is at risk at any moment; being a saint won't get you anywhere here."

"Even I could tell that guy had bad intentions—sneaking around and acting shady. It’s a pity I was a step too slow; otherwise, I would’ve made sure he died under my machine gun," Li Xiang said, picking up his weapon and gesturing with it.

"Li Xiang, act normal! If you keep being this 'chunibyo,' I'm tossing you out!" Xiang Nan cast a silent glance at him and returned to searching for monsters in the forest.

"Heh, that’s just because I’m feeling extra confident after sticking with Brother Nan," Li Xiang replied with a cheeky grin. Sensing Xiang Nan’s cold, stern gaze, he immediately shrank back. "Got it, got it. I'll stay low-key, definitely low-key."

Soon, most of the monsters in the forest surrounding the clearing had been wiped out, while many others had fled at the first sign of trouble. Xiang Nan tossed the launcher back into his storage.

"That's it for today. It's getting late. Let's head back to the clearing, set up camp, and get some rest!"

"Understood!" Xu Jiya adjusted their course and headed toward the clearing.

Once they landed and stepped off the helicopter, everyone stared at Xiang Nan with wide, expectant eyes. After all, if Xiang Nan could bring a helicopter, what else was he hiding?

Sure enough, with a flick of his hand, a large-capacity camping tent appeared on the grass—a luxury version with three rooms and a living area, fully equipped with every amenity.

"Li Xiang and I will handle the tent. Girls, please take care of the meat from this War Camel Beast. We’ll be having cumin-roasted camel later." As he spoke, Xiang Nan flicked his wrist, and a War Camel Beast, twice the size of a yak, appeared on the grass, accompanied by a full charcoal grill setup.

"A camping tent and a barbecue—and it's roasted monster meat at that! I’m drooling already!" Su Yao swayed her slender waist, pulled a sharp little dagger from her belt, and began to lick her lips, ready to get to work.

"This is so corrupt! It would be even more perfect if we had some beer and a big watermelon," Li Xiang said, rubbing his hands in excitement.

"Who said we don't?" Xiang Nan flicked his hand again, revealing a crate of beer, two large watermelons, and a full set of folding tables and chairs.

"No way! It’s like a full night market stall! Xiao Nan, I love you so much!" Su Yao was great in this regard; she’d go in for a passionate bear hug at the drop of a hat. The feeling of being held in such a warm embrace was wonderful.

With that, the five of them busied themselves, each looking incredibly smug. And they had every right to be. Everyone else was still in the jungle at this time, fighting monsters amidst the dust or cowering in corners gnawing on compressed rations.

A few lucky ones had reached this clearing, where the surrounding monsters had been cleared out, making it quite safe. But they were hungry!

Especially once the team’s barbecue stall opened, the distinct aroma of the War Camel meat, combined with the fragrance of cumin, wafted through the air. The other team members preparing to spend the night nearby were suffering—they were practically on the verge of tears. Several of them slammed their compressed rations onto the ground in frustration—what kind of garbage was this? It tasted terrible!

Others tried to follow Xiang Nan’s lead, gathering firewood to roast whatever monster meat they could find. But among the many monsters here, none had the flavor of the War Camel. Most were either sour or bitter and impossible to swallow. Not everyone was lucky enough to encounter a War Camel.

Fortunately, Xiang Nan was generous. For those who came to beg for meat, he had a clear price list: one raw War Camel steak could be exchanged for one Stage Two spirit pearl, and it came with a free packet of seasoning. At first, everyone tried to act dignified.

"Is he dreaming? The War Camel is only a Stage Two monster, and one beast must weigh hundreds of pounds. He wants a Stage Two spirit pearl for just twenty pounds of meat? He’s such a profiteer!" Li Bin complained indignantly, taking a vicious bite of his compressed ration.

"Exactly. Do they think we’re stupid? It’s not like we can’t find War Camels in the jungle. Besides, if they’re stuck with hundreds of pounds of meat, it’ll be rotten in two days!" Liu Tao added with a look of disdain.

"We aren't buying. We’ll just push through tonight, and tomorrow will be a new day," Wang Zixin said, shaking his head like a rattle.

But as time wore on, especially in the middle of the night, the hunger set in. Why was the smell of that roasted camel meat still drifting everywhere?

Liu Tao couldn't sleep. He opened his eyes and looked over. "What the hell? Li Bin, Wang Zixin, do you really have to do this? What happened to not buying? What happened to pushing through until tomorrow? Can you two stop for a second? Is it really that good?"

"Slurp, slurp..." Li Bin and Wang Zixin were each holding a large skewer of roasted camel meat, wolfing it down. They had been eating compressed rations all day with no fat or flavor; their faces were practically green from hunger.

"Man is iron, rice is steel. If you don't eat meat for a meal, you’re bound to feel famished!" Wang Zixin said, swallowing a large mouthful of the tender, crispy meat while it was still hot enough to burn his mouth.

"Actually, Brother Nan isn't a profiteer at all. This roasted camel meat is just too delicious. He even gave us half a watermelon—it’s amazing! One Stage Two spirit pearl is a bargain," Li Bin said, already reaching for the next skewer, still steaming, and shoving it into his mouth.

Their teammates were also scrambling to get a bite, devouring the food greedily.

"Gulp!" Liu Tao swallowed hard, staring blankly at the teams of Li Bin and Wang Zixin. He felt a shift behind him and turned to see his own teammates staring at him pitifully.

"Captain, it’s just one Stage Two spirit pearl. We can just try a bit harder tomorrow and kill one more monster to make it back, right?"

"Yeah, yeah! I’m so hungry I can’t sleep. If it weren't for this smell, it’d be fine, but it’s just too tempting!"

"Look at them—they’ve got watermelon, beer, and a tent. Why are we so miserable that we can't even get a bite of meat?"

Seeing his teammates pleading, Liu Tao couldn't take it anymore.

"Fine! We’ll buy it! We’re buying! You need to be full to have the strength to kill more monsters!"

"Yay! Long live the Captain!"