Chapter 191 The Gathering Team's Staple Food, The Gathering Team, The Elf Stone Tablet...
Since that spring rain, the forest has changed every day.
The leaves on the trees unfurled in clusters, and the wild grass on the ground almost covered the entire ground, making it seem as if Lai and his group had accidentally stumbled into a green world.
As nature comes back to life, the small animals in the forest become active, and squirrels can often be seen leaping and bounding in the trees.
They've only recently survived the winter, so they're a bit slender, and their fur is slightly matted. Now that food is plentiful and the plants they can eat have sprouted, they'll soon be back to their pre-winter state.
Tata stared at the small rodents leaping lightly among the trees and the colorful birds, sometimes for half a day at a time, not knowing whether she mistook them for prey or for some other reason.
Along the way, perhaps because the little gadgets given by Temuqi concealed their presence, or perhaps because of the magical pressure emanating from Tata, no wild beasts dared to attack them for the time being.
However, they did not dare to let their guard down and remained vigilant about their surroundings.
Lai had run out of bread and steamed buns, so he needed some time to steam some more.
He didn't bring much oil, so he couldn't make pancakes. Given the limited resources, baking bread was also difficult; steamed buns, twisted rolls, and dumplings were the better options. Once made, they could be stored in the pendant's compartment for a long time.
These pasta dishes can be a lifesaver when it rains or you can't stop to cook.
The weather was nice today, so they parked early at noon and found a relatively open space to start a fire and cook.
According to the map, they were very close to the elven tribe and would arrive in less than two days. If it weren't for the bandits' scheme, they might have already reached it.
Seyah went out to find wood, while Lai stayed in the carriage to chop meat and mix the filling.
The dough was prepared before we set off this morning, and after fermenting all morning, it had doubled in size and developed a nice honeycomb structure. Once the fire is lit, we can simply place these prepared dough items directly on the pot to steam.
They had only a piece of fresh beef, a few pounds of Gulu meat, and five Red Wild Birds left.
Lai took all the beef out and minced it, planning to add more radish to make beef and radish buns. He also chopped some cabbage, added wood ear mushrooms and quail eggs to make a pot of vegetarian filling.
If you make the buns bigger, you can steam them in two pots at the same time, making eight batches of steamed buns in an hour. Apart from the fact that preparing the filling is a bit troublesome, it doesn't actually take up more than a few hours.
Once the water boils, put the buns in the steamer, and soon the aroma of meat will fill the air.
After the first batch was cooked, Lai and Seya each ate four buns, and Tata ate two beef ones. They ate as they steamed, and that's how lunch was solved.
Three large pots of steamed buns, three large pots of twisted rolls, and several pots of plain steamed buns and steamed buns with red bean paste and jam were enough to feed them for another ten days. After they had cooled down sufficiently, Lai put the pots and steamers directly into the pendant space.
To save space, he tidied up his things again. He took out half a bag of dried fruit, including sunflower seeds, pine nuts, walnuts, and red dates, mixed them together, and threw them into the carriage to eat as snacks when he was bored on the journey.
They taste very fragrant and have a slightly sweet flavor, but eating too much of them can easily cause internal heat.
Saya had only three arrows left, but luckily Lai had bought arrowheads and fletchings, which he also brought out. Saya finally had something to do when he couldn't sleep on the road. He selected suitable wood and put it on the cart, and every day he sat in the cart and hand-crafted arrows.
From then on, all arrows that he shot would be retrieved if they could be retrieved.
Whoever made them felt the pain; Sayya couldn't bear to waste a single arrow. He had painstakingly carved each one himself, and every single one was incredibly precious.
They initially thought Dale's words were false, but to their surprise, they actually encountered a large gathering team of thirty people on the road. Among them were mercenaries who were responsible for protecting their safety.
This gathering team was not targeted by bandits, perhaps because of these few mercenaries.
Unsure whether the other was friend or foe, the two sides probed each other for a long time before confirming the other's safety.
Ray had a brief conversation with their leader, and quite coincidentally, he also ran into Dr. Blake, who was out collecting herbs.
According to Blake, they set off from town more than twenty days ago. Spring and autumn are the best times to gather medicinal herbs, and in addition to harvesting herbs, they also visit some small tribes living in the Eton Forest to exchange for furs and other goods.
They seemed unaware of what was happening in town and were eager to get some information from Ray.
The sudden appearance of the pillar of light in the Eton Great Forest that night startled many in the group, but they couldn't turn back immediately. Many had staked most of their fortunes on this trip and needed to break even before returning.
However, everyone couldn't help but feel worried about this unexpected situation, constantly concerned about the safety of their homes.
Instead of revealing the situation in town to everyone, Ray changed positions and told the team leader and Blake what he knew.
The team leader tried to appear calm, but his expression betrayed his worry. Blake, on the other hand, seemed to have expected this and remained relatively composed.
"What brings you to Eton?" Blake asked.
Lai only said that he had business to attend to at the Royal City via the Eton Forest, without directly answering his question. He added that they would return to the small mountain village later, and it was best if as few people as possible knew about Neil's situation.
They exchanged information briefly and then went their separate ways.
Ray left some nuts for Blake, and Dr. Blake reciprocated by giving him a bottle of medicine to treat diarrhea and a bottle of antidote, as a reward for the nuts and important information.
In Eaton Forest, food is usually plentiful, provided you can find or hunt it. However, there's also a high risk of getting food poisoning, which is where these two potions come in handy.
Ray was very grateful for Dr. Blake's kindness.
This was the second group of people that Lai and his group had encountered during this period. There was no deception or scheming, and of course, no "fellow countrymen meeting and tears welling up in their eyes" situation, but being able to communicate so peacefully was already very good.
The team leader was frustrated and anxious, but he didn't intend to turn back for the time being. What they ultimately decided, whether to return to town or not, was unknown to Lai.
He still has a long way to go and cannot stay indefinitely.
The further we went, the denser the woods became.
After passing through a section without a road, they began to lose their way. Lai and Seya discussed it for a while and decided to continue on the route on the map given to them by Guge.
Where there was no road, they carved one out themselves with sickles and axes, and their speed began to slow down more than ever before.
The waist-high weeds and bushes scratched so badly that it hurt people's hands, and even the horses were suffering.
Lai and Seymour covered all their exposed skin, and to make the numbness more comfortable, they wrapped their chests and legs with canvas, strips of cloth and hemp rope.
It looked messy, but it did have some effect.
After walking for half a day and suffering quite a bit, the view finally opened up before them—a narrow, winding path had indeed appeared! Seya even discovered Elven script on a stone tablet by the roadside.
What's written on it?
"Ray asked."
The stone tablet had become somewhat blurred due to the erosion of wind and rain, making it difficult for Sayya to identify.
The gist of the above is that this is an elven tribe called "Yuan," protected by the Elven Kingdom and the Elven Mother Tree, warning others not to approach this place lightly.
Seya immediately saw hope, and the mood of the entire elf became very cheerful.
Ray was also very happy. He had thought they had really gone astray, but it turned out they had found the right path.
"How far are we from the elven tribe on the map?"
"Saya asked. Based on his speed and experience over the past few days, Lai gave Saya a very clear answer."
"It will arrive in one day."
Hearing this answer made Sayya even happier.
If—and he meant if—this elven tribe had a teleportation array, even if it couldn't directly teleport people, it would still be very helpful to send letters to the elven kingdom. His father and mother would surely send someone to bring him back after seeing the letter!
It was already afternoon, and it would soon be dark. They hurried on their way, hoping to reach their destination as soon as possible.
The trees in this forest are not as varied as those outside; they are mostly oak trees and various other economically valuable species that produce edible nuts.
The trees are tall and straight, arranged neatly, clearly indicating that the area has been carefully planned.
This filled Ray with confidence; they must have found the right place!
Once on the road, the carriage's speed gradually increased.
This forest full of oak trees is very friendly to wood-type mages, as it can attract more wood elements compared to other trees.
Closing his eyes and feeling the abundant elemental power, Lai felt his body and mind become relaxed. With each breath, he unconsciously absorbed the wood element.
It was unusual for Ryan not to be sleeping; he sat on Ray's left shoulder, looking very relaxed.
Even Seiya, whose magic had been sealed away, showed a contented expression on his face.
As darkness fell and stars began to twinkle on the grey-blue curtain of the sky, the carriage finally came to the end of its journey for the day. As usual, Lai and his companions found a quiet, open spot to stop and rest.
Everyone was in a good mood that night.
Rarely, Lei added chestnuts, red dates, and dried green beans to stew a whole Red Wild Bird. The aroma of the meat traveled far and wide, and even the elves patrolling the outskirts of the tribe could smell it.
Are we having stewed meat for dinner tonight?
The elf asked its partner, puzzled.
"Who's in charge of stewing the meat today? It smells so good!"
The elf swallowed hard, and his companions were also drawn in by the aroma.
"I don't know, let's finish our patrol as soon as possible and go back quickly."
"good."
The elf nudged his mount with his foot, signaling them to hurry. Two giant stags with long antlers carried them nimbly through the forest, and soon they disappeared from sight.
To make the red rockbird even more tender, Laido stewed it for half an hour. When it was done, the meat could be torn apart entirely with just two chopsticks.
He gave Tata and Seya each a thigh, while he only kept a wing root for himself.
During the meal, black markings reappeared on Lei's body, which Saiya found fascinating, and she would steal glances at him every now and then.
The patterns on his face were exceptionally exquisite and beautiful, and they also exuded a mysterious aura. They were not like ordinary tattoos, but more like some kind of formation.
Seya was startled by Lei's sudden glare and remained speechless for a long time.
He noticed that Ray's emerald green eyes had turned into a deep gold he had never seen before. Combined with his black hair and the strange markings on his forehead, he exuded a completely different aura, as if he were a different person altogether.
Legend has it that those who sell their souls to demons undergo drastic changes in appearance. They gain power, but also become puppets forever bound by demonic control.
But what was different was that Ray gave him a very different feeling; there was no discomfort at all. On the contrary, in this state, people couldn't help but submit to him.
Why can a person's temperament change so much?
"Saya, eat quickly, the bird legs are getting cold!"
Tata reminded him, and Seya silently withdrew his gaze.
"good."
Tata breathed a sigh of relief. He had just felt that if Sayya kept looking at "Lai" like that, He would definitely teach him a lesson.
This temporary home is a place where no beast can escape.
"well......"
The little monster sighed heavily, lowered its head, and continued eating the meat and the chestnuts and red dates that had soaked up all the broth.
I have to say, this meat is really delicious!
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