Chapter 20: We're About to Strike It Rich (Please Bookmark and Recommend)

As Niu Xuanguang and his companions discussed how to respond to the situation, the caravan finally came to a halt. By now, the sun hung low in the sky, signaling that it was three or four o’clock in the afternoon. Pressing onward would gain them little ground and only eat into the time needed to set up camp. After all, they were in the Gobi Desert, where temperatures plummeted at night. Delaying camp until then would be a troublesome ordeal. Moreover, the mounts were exhausted; even the warhorses of the paladins, burdened by their armored riders, were at their limits after hours of travel.

Having found a stretch of flat ground, the group stopped. The paladins first shed their armor and then unloaded the Loom of Fate, placing it carefully upon the earth. The camels that had borne this weight were given priority to rest and feed; it was clear their strength was nearly spent. At least a full day’s rest would be needed for them to recover. Some of the white-robed figures began to deliberate whether to discard some supplies to lighten the load.

While the others were busy, Niu Xuanguang’s party attended to their own tasks. In their group, Zhao Gongming was something of a jack-of-all-trades. As soon as they stopped, he sought out a few stones and began to build a campfire. Wang Liang, curious, wandered over to see Zhao Gongming drawing a frying pan and various cooking utensils from his pack, ready to prepare a meal. Though no hunting had been done along the way, Zhao Gongming had managed to procure some fine ingredients: during a previous skirmish, a camel had fallen under Wang Liang’s blade, and Zhao Gongming had quietly cut away its humps and a haunch.

As he laid out his cooking tools, Zhao Gongming grinned at the onlookers. “You’re in for a treat. Let me show you what I’m truly capable of.” He pulled out the camel meat and humps he had taken, continuing, “Camel meat is best roasted. I’ve cut a haunch for tonight’s main course, and I’ve already prepared it en route. If you want to master cooking, you must make use of every spare moment.”

With that, Zhao Gongming displayed the already-prepped camel meat. Wang Liang glanced at it: the skin had been removed, the flesh scored with deep crosses, and coarse salt rubbed generously over the surface. “You always need to marinate meat before roasting. I didn’t have many seasonings, so I used coarse salt and a bit of yellow wine. Now, we’ll roast for a while,” Zhao Gongming explained, skewering the meat and placing it over the fire. To Wang Liang’s astonishment, the camel haunch began to rotate on its own above the flames.

“Don’t be surprised. Just a little trick—once you reach the Golden Core stage, you can move objects with your mind. Flying swords use the same principle; this is merely a small application,” Zhao Gongming said with a wink.

“Old Zhao, are you bragging again about your so-called daily practice methods?” At that moment, Crybaby Girl and Miss Ghosthead strolled over. They were well accustomed to Zhao Gongming’s quirks and had come running as soon as they saw him start to cook. Miss Ghosthead even peered into Zhao Gongming’s pack, perhaps hoping for some unexpected delicacy.

“All right, little ancestors, I also cut two pieces of camel hump. It’s rich in fat, not suited for stewing but perfect for quick-frying, braising, or stir-frying. We don’t have much oil, so I’m planning to make a yin-yang camel hump stir-fry,” Zhao Gongming said as he produced a pat of butter, spreading it around his frying pan.

Unconcerned by the heat, he earnestly explained, “Don’t underestimate cooking. It truly hones many different skills. At the very least, mastering the culinary arts makes alchemy much simpler later on.” As he monitored the temperature of the butter, he continued, “Cooking teaches you to gauge heat and temperature. If we can keep the temperature within a single degree while cooking, we’ll have the same precision when refining pills. Besides, if you fail at cooking, you only lose some food. But failure in alchemy costs you all the painstakingly gathered ingredients.”

Just then, Zhao Gongming deemed the pan hot enough and tossed in the camel hump, swiftly stir-frying it. Camel hump was considered a delicacy—tender, rich, and succulent. Normally, it would be best as a crispy stir-fry, but with their limited resources, Zhao Gongming had to settle for a simple sauté. Still, not wanting to waste such fine meat, he added a few spices to enhance the flavor.

Soon, the stir-fried camel hump was ready.

[Stir-fried Camel Hump (restores 75% health, 50% internal force, temporary effect: +3 strength and constitution, lasts 1 hour)]

Proudly, Zhao Gongming presented the dish to the two young ladies. “See? I didn’t waste any of this fine ingredient. Be patient—the roast camel will be ready soon, and then we can call everyone for dinner.”

Wang Liang glanced back at the haunch roasting over the fire. The fat was beginning to render, and the coarse salt had started to dissolve, seeping into the meat as a mouthwatering aroma of roast camel drifted through the camp. Tempted by the scent, Wang Liang had no desire to go elsewhere; he only wanted to wait here for the food.

It was for this reason that he failed to notice Niu Xuanguang and Wei Ban, who, under the pretense of a stroll, slipped away from the others to a spot out of the paladins’ line of sight. Only then did they turn their attention to the Loom of Fate, set in the very center of the camp. Though everyone was busy, the paladins remained vigilant: two still armored knights stood guard at the loom, allowing no one to approach.

“How confident are you?” Niu Xuanguang whispered, glancing from afar. The plan had been Wei Ban’s idea, and he stood to gain the most. Niu Xuanguang had to weigh whether it was worth the risk for the sake of the team.

But Wei Ban’s gaze never left the Loom of Fate. In a low voice, he replied, “That’s a machine from legend. If I can dismantle it and supplement it with the materials I’ve collected over the years, I could build a crossbow of level sixty or higher. Captain, we’re about to strike it rich!”