Chapter 344: The Icebound Cabin
After finishing the assortment of delicacies, Qi Han patted his belly with lingering satisfaction, a look of contentment spreading across his face.
Opposite him, Pururu had shifted from a crouching posture to lying lazily on the table, his face showing a distinctly human-like expression of fulfillment.
Man and cat were both well-fed.
After a short rest, Qi Han glanced at the sky, then picked Pururu up in his arms.
"Come on, let's take a stroll."
It was already dusk—any more delay and night would fall.
First, he returned to the Flower Lane Hotel to fetch Zhui Yun. Then, one man and two beasts set off toward their destination.
Qi Han's destination was quite clear. He had little interest in the flashy tourist spots marked on the map.
Having traveled a lot in his past life, he knew these tricks well. Besides, the attractions in Divine Soul Village couldn't hold a candle to what he'd seen before.
After all, this world was quite lacking in entertainment.
'Come to think of it… If someone awakened a "Leisure and Entertainment System" on the Douluo Continent, wouldn't that be pretty fun?'
Of course, it was just a passing thought.
Even the food system he already had was ridiculous enough.
What really interested him was the so-called Sea God's Relic.
According to the guide, this "relic" was actually just the house Tang San and his father Tang Hao once lived in.
Qi Han had transmigrated too late to meet Tang San in person, but he was genuinely curious to see what kind of place that legendary figure used to live in.
'Though seriously… how did such a rundown house survive for over five thousand years?'
Following the directions on the map, Qi Han and his companions soon arrived at the location of the so-called Sea God's Relic. Even before entering, a wave of cold air hit them head-on.
Having just returned from the Extreme North Snowfield, Qi Han still involuntarily shivered at the sudden chill.
As he followed the crowd inside, he quickly understood how the rickety old cabin where Tang San and his father had once lived had been preserved all this time.
The entire structure was encased in a layer of clear ice, completely frozen within a block of crystal. Ice-element Spirit Masters were stationed around, periodically repairing any parts that showed signs of melting.
Good grief… whose 'genius' idea was this?
Qi Han clicked his tongue inwardly in amazement.
But to be fair, as crude and brute-force as it was, the method was undeniably effective.
After five thousand years, the wood inside the ice had not rotted or decayed—a miracle in itself.
Following the crowd into the frozen cabin, Qi Han walked over a thin sheet of ice that acted as a barrier floor. Listening to the tour guide's narration, he gradually began to feel as though he'd been transported back in time.
'So this is where Tang San once lived…'
The thought emerged in Qi Han's mind without warning.
Tang San's home wasn't large—just two small rooms, a tiny living area, and the forge where Tang Hao used to smith for the village.
The bellows no longer blew fire, the furnace had long since gone cold, and everything was sealed beneath a fine layer of frost—locking away memories of a distant past.
As he looked around the forging room, Qi Han's mind conjured up a vivid image:
A slightly disheveled middle-aged man, drunkenly swinging a forging hammer in a wild blur of movements, while at his side, a black-haired boy watched attentively, trying his best to memorize every move his father made.
The vision faded in an instant.
Qi Han snapped back to reality, staring at the frozen scene before him with a faint sense of daze.
The visit to the Sea God's Relic didn't take long.
After all, the cabin itself was small, and no matter how eloquent the guide was, there just wasn't that much to say.
As he followed the crowd back out of the frozen house, Qi Han spotted Zhui Yun waiting quietly outside. A warm smile crept onto his face.
"Come on, let's go check out some other places."
Holding Zhui Yun by the reins, one man and two beasts left the area, heading for the back mountain where Tang San was said to have trained often as a child. They planned to take a look around.
That area was more spacious, and Zhui Yun could come along as well—no need to stay outside pitifully watching from afar.
…
"Zhui Yun, you can land now."
Gazing at the seemingly endless stretch of primeval forest before him, Qi Han couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
After visiting the back mountain yesterday, the sky had already begun to darken, so Qi Han and his group had returned directly to the Flower Lane Hotel.
Although he hadn't slept on the futuristic bed Ru Yi had provided, the bed in the hotel room was still of excellent quality, allowing Qi Han a restful and sweet sleep.
Early this morning, after a simple breakfast, Qi Han left Divine Soul Village and rode Zhui Yun toward the Star Dou Forest.
It was now nearing noon, and Qi Han had finally arrived at the forest's edge.
He had to admit, the view of the Star Dou Forest from the sky was far more awe-inspiring than from the ground.
After all, on the ground, your line of sight was constantly blocked by trees, making it impossible to take in the forest's full grandeur.
But up here in the sky, there was nothing to obstruct Qi Han's view.
At this moment, as far as the eye could see, countless green treetops connected to form what looked like a vast ocean of foliage. When a breeze passed by, the soft rustling of leaves could be faintly heard, and the treetops swayed gently like waves.
In his past life, Qi Han had seen many primeval forests. To be honest, only the Amazon Rainforest in South America could compare in scale to this one.
This wasn't his first time at the Star Dou Forest. The last time he'd come was to hunt the Iron-Clad Bull. But that trip had barely scratched the surface—he had stayed in the outermost edge of the forest.
This time, he intended to go deeper than before.
The reason he asked Zhui Yun to land was because flying over the Star Dou Forest was extremely dangerous.
Among the spirit beasts that lived within the forest, many were capable of flight. Flying above the forest would only turn them into moving targets with no real advantage.
Returning Zhui Yun to its original (non-flight) form, Qi Han remained on its back and patted its shoulder.
"Zhui Yun, let's head that way—there's a water source over there. Once we get there, we can deal with lunch first."
Qi Han had Zhui Yun land near the same area he had entered the forest from last time.
Since he was more familiar with the terrain here, it was a better choice as the starting point for deeper exploration.
"Neighhh!"
As soon as Zhui Yun heard "lunch," its large black eyes lit up, and it took off like the wind, hooves pounding over the Blue Silver Grass as it galloped in the direction Qi Han had pointed.
Before long, Qi Han and company arrived at the same creek where he had previously roasted an Eagle Clawed Ferret. After retrieving the food Ru Yi had prepared for Zhui Yun, Qi Han took Pururu and scouted the area a bit.
Soon, he returned with a freshly caught ten-year-grade… Eagle Clawed Ferret. He also plucked a few Qinan fruits from nearby trees.
Not much choice—this area was full of Qinan fruit trees, so Eagle Clawed Ferrets were the most common prey around.
If Qi Han hadn't already made up his mind to use Earth Dragon meat to develop his 2 Star recipe, he might have seriously considered using a hundred-year Eagle Clawed Ferret instead.
Setting the Qinan fruits aside, Qi Han's blade flashed as he swiftly and cleanly ended the struggling Eagle Clawed Ferret's life. He then butchered it, washed the meat, and skewered it on a carved wooden stick.
"Meow~"
Just as Qi Han finished and was about to start the fire to roast the marten, Pururu—who had been missing in action—suddenly let out a call. Qi Han turned to look and was immediately stunned.
Pururu had activated his Mist Clone skill. Two Pururus now stood there, and each one was holding a large fish in its mouth. The fish were still flopping—clearly freshly caught.
Well damn, Pururu can catch fish now?
Qi Han was momentarily dumbfounded, then chuckled helplessly.
"All right, I'll grill the fish for you too."
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