C8 Precious Salt

The group piled the Wolf Spider Meat, Wolf Spider Eggs, and other items in a corner of the cave. Wudian hurried over and placed a large stone to temporarily block the passageway leading into the unknown. Then he began scouring the cave for more resources.

Despite the cave's long abandonment, it still housed plenty of dry branches and leaves. In one corner lay a shattered nest, which everyone dismantled and moved to the center of the cave.

All eyes then turned to Mr. Mo.

Chen Yuan grew curious. The group's intent was clear—they were preparing to light a bonfire for cooking. But why were they all looking to Mr. Mo?

"Out here, we must be cautious with fire. It's not only precious but also dangerous. Careless use could attract Strange Beasts. We'd never light a fire unless we were certain of our safety," Mr. Mo explained. He then carefully extracted a wrapped object from his chest.

The package, no larger than a fist, revealed a stone box when unwrapped. Inside the box lay a palm-sized, pitch-black object.

Mr. Mo took out the object and gently blew on it. To everyone's amazement, sparks flickered to life within the black mass, soon igniting into a small flame.

With swift action, Mr. Mo used it to light some dry leaves on the ground. The others quickly followed suit, stoking the fire, while Mr. Mo extinguished the original flame and secured it back in the stone box, wrapping it and tucking it away safely.

Chen Yuan watched, realizing it was akin to a fire starter. He wondered what cataclysm had befallen this world to make such a tool a rarity. Didn't these people know how to start a fire by friction or with flint?

Despite his musings, Chen Yuan kept his thoughts to himself. He had already drawn enough attention for one day and didn't want to stir further suspicion.

The bonfire blazed to life, and once the entrances were deemed secure, the group, led by Wudian, excitedly huddled around with segments of Wolf Spider legs.

The legs were enormous—each segment as thick as a human arm. Wudian handed one to both Chen Yuan and Mr. Mo, tossing them into the fire to roast.

Before long, the savory scent of roasting meat filled the air, a welcome change from the blackened jerky they had eaten in the tribe. The aroma was so enticing that even Chen Yuan's stomach rumbled in anticipation.

After a short wait, Mr. Mo announced, "It should be ready now!"

At his signal, Wudian and the others eagerly retrieved their Wolf Spider legs from the flames, undeterred by the heat as they juggled the hot meat.

One of them, unable to wait, took a searing bite directly from the leg's end.

"Mmm, that's delicious!" he exclaimed, his words muffled by a mouthful of meat.

Laughter echoed around the fire as each person took their turn, savoring the succulent Wolf Spider Meat.

Seeing Chen Yuan hadn't made a move, Wudian pitched in and pulled out a Wolf Spider leg from the pile, placing it in front of him. "Hey Yuan, aren't you hungry?"

He recalled that back in the tribe, Chen Yuan hadn't eaten anything. Was he still not eating now?

"I'm definitely hungry, but isn't there supposed to be some spices or salt in this?" Chen Yuan couldn't hold back his question any longer.

"Ah, salt, you say? That's become quite the luxury item. We only get a bit of it in the tribe, and we certainly can't afford to bring it along when we're out here. Besides, this Wolf Spider Meat is top-notch on its own. It's delicious even without salt. Don't believe me? Give it a try!" Wudian encouraged, munching on a Wolf Spider leg himself.

Chen Yuan's brow furrowed slightly, a bit at a loss for words, but he went ahead and picked up the leg, peeling away the charred outer shell to reveal the succulent white and red flesh beneath.

The aroma of the meat was instantly tantalizing.

Maybe it wasn't too bad?

With that hopeful thought, Chen Yuan took a bite.

The meat was sweet with a faint earthy undertone, but any gaminess was negligible. It was reminiscent of king crab but noticeably sweeter.

However, without salt or other seasonings, the flavor fell flat. As someone accustomed to salted dishes in his previous life, Chen Yuan found that despite the appealing scent, he struggled to eat more than a few bites.

Mr. Mo, who had been quietly gnawing on his own Wolf Spider leg, caught on to Chen Yuan's hesitation. Setting his leg aside, he rummaged through his belongings and produced a small packet wrapped in yellowed leaves, handing it to Chen Yuan.

"What's this?" Chen Yuan asked, puzzled.

"Salt," Mr. Mo murmured before returning to his meal.

Chen Yuan unwrapped the leaves with a mix of skepticism and curiosity, revealing a palm-sized packet of salt.

But this was nothing like the pristine, snow-white salt Chen Yuan remembered from his past life. This packet contained a dark yellow salt, gritty with sand and resembling a lump of rock salt.

He tasted a pinch and confirmed it was indeed salt, albeit mixed with a bitter flavor, clearly not refined.

Noticing Chen Yuan's furrowed brow, Wudian chimed in, "Yuan, this is a real treasure, incredibly valuable. Mr. Mo was rewarded with it by the chief last month after he took down a Strange Beast. Getting even this small amount of salt is no easy feat! Mr. Mo is really generous to share it with you. I'm envious!"

Chen Yuan's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't realized such a tiny amount of salt could be so valuable.

Seeing Chen Yuan's confusion, Wudian added, "You know our tribe doesn't produce salt. To get it, we have to wait for the annual exchange festival to trade with other tribes for just a little bit, and the cost is steep. As a kid, no one would have bothered to explain this to you. But now you know, and that's what matters!"

Chen Yuan nodded, eyeing the bag of salt before him. With care, he pinched a tiny granule from the bag, repackaged the remainder, and handed it back to Mr. Mo.

"I hardly use salt. You hang onto it!" Mr. Mo chuckled.

"This..." Chen Yuan hesitated, caught off guard.

"Come on, just keep it. If I need some later on, I'll come to you for it. Plus, that axe you gave me is worth far more than this salt!" Mr. Mo said with a smile.