Chapter 5

The pheasant, after its neck was severed, struggled a few times before finally dying. However, Li Mang did not feel the slightest bit of joy. His upper body was now drenched in blood, with several bloodstains particularly glaring, especially on his left arm, where a small piece of flesh was missing. Though the wound was not large, it was deep, about two to three centimeters, and the pain was unbearable.

"Is this even a pheasant! Even an eagle isn't this fierce!" Li Mang cursed, his expression twisted in pain. The pain was so intense that if he hadn't endured a lot of suffering over the past year, he would have almost cried.

"Classic of Mountains and Seas, send me back!" Li Mang shouted, though he wasn't sure if it would work.

"Chirp!"

Li Mang disappeared with a chirp and reappeared in his room, lying on the bed inside the Classic of Mountains and Seas. If it weren't for the pain in his wound, he would have thought everything that happened was a dream.

However, now was not the time to marvel at the wonders of the Classic of Mountains and Seas. He quickly got out of bed, rummaged through his drawers, and found a packet of pungent medicine powder. He poured it all over his wound, and it immediately took effect, stopping the bleeding that had been flowing nonstop.

"Doctor Ghost's medicine powder is really effective, though the smell is quite strong. But they say bitter medicine is good for you, so it's understandable that good medicine doesn't smell nice," Li Mang muttered, but he still dared not move his left arm, as the pain was excruciating. Although the bleeding had stopped, the wound was still there, and based on his past experience, it would take at least half a month to heal.

After carefully putting on a piece of clothing, Li Mang summoned the Classic of Mountains and Seas again and entered it using the same method as before. This time, he was more cautious, as even a small pheasant had such a lethal force, and he couldn't afford to be careless.

Upon entering the world of the Classic of Mountains and Seas for the second time, Li Mang still appeared in the map of the Southern Mountains, specifically on Mount Yaoyao, but not at the same spot as before. Instead, he was by the Lijishui River, a place he had never been to.

"Randomly appearing in a place on Mount Yaoyao? Although there are no fierce beasts on Mount Yaoyao, even pheasants are quite formidable. I need to be more careful next time!" Li Mang warned himself.

Injured, Li Mang had no heart to continue exploring. He used the divine effect of the Migu plant to find the 'battlefield' and picked up the pheasant he had killed at the cost of his blood, along with his two weapons and the shirt wrapped around the beautiful jade stones. After ensuring nothing was left behind, he exited the world of the Classic of Mountains and Seas.

In the courtyard, he had his own kitchen. After some effort, a pot of fresh and fragrant chicken soup was ready, the aroma incredibly inviting.

"I lost a whole bowl of blood today, I need to replenish it!"

At this moment, Li Mang forgot about his injuries and focused only on the chicken soup on the table. It wasn't that he was greedy, but the wild chicken soup was truly tempting.

The soup wasn't golden yellow because the wild chicken didn't have much fat. Instead, it was slightly red due to the blood from the chicken. As a food lover, Li Mang knew that this kind of soup was the most delicious. Domesticated chickens raised on feed could never produce such a color, nor could they compare.

First, it wasn't greasy, and you could drink as much as you wanted as long as your stomach could hold it.

Second, the meat of the wild chicken was dark red, similar to the meat of eagles in the mountains, indicating its deliciousness.

Finally, the nutritional value of this wild mountain chicken from the world of the Classic of Mountains and Seas was exceptional. It was not only purely wild but also lived in a world rich in spiritual energy, making it far superior to wild chickens on Earth.

"However, I wonder if it's poisonous?" Li Mang, who was about to bring the bowl of soup to his mouth, had to restrain himself and put the bowl back on the table.

It wasn't that Li Mang was overly cautious, but the pheasant, though it looked normal, was not from this world. Could it carry viruses? Or be unsuitable for human consumption? He needed to think carefully about this.

"Wow! Wow..."

The barking of a dog from outside the courtyard caught Li Mang's attention.

The dog outside belonged to Doctor Ghost, an old man. Its name was very common, just "Dawang." Dawang was large and muscular, a Tibetan Mastiff. Except for its owner, Doctor Ghost, it was aggressive towards everyone else. Li Mang had been knocked down by this dog several times, and although his injuries had been healed by Doctor Ghost, the humiliation still lingered in his heart.

"Hehe!"

Li Mang smiled slyly and reached into the plate to tear off a chicken leg...

But after some thought, he felt reluctant. The aroma of the wild mountain chicken was too strong and tempting. If it wasn't poisonous, wouldn't it be a waste to give it to the dog?

So, Li Mang found a knife and fork and, with great effort, managed to cut off the chicken's tail. Seeing no one around, he threw the tail outside.

"The chicken tail is a favorite of many people, so it's a good deal for you!" Li Mang looked like he had lost something, but his sly nature was evident. However, he then thought of something and worried aloud, "Dawang only eats food given by Doctor Ghost. If he ignores it, won't my efforts be in vain?"

Tibetan Mastiffs are known for their loyalty, especially purebred ones, who recognize only one owner for life and won't eat food from others.

Dawang, the king of Tibetan Mastiffs, was even more powerful and proud. It was not surprising that he wouldn't eat the chicken tail thrown by Li Mang.

"Awooo..."

Dawang walked up to the chicken tail, sniffed it hard, and his tongue started to drool.

However, out of instinct, he didn't dare to eat it and took a few steps back.

But he didn't leave. He circled around the chicken tail, his movements becoming more and more restless, and he couldn't resist any longer.

"Heh! This wild chicken is so tempting that even I can't resist. How could I not tempt a dog like you!" Li Mang was pleased.

Sure enough, Dawang couldn't resist the temptation and snatched the chicken tail into his mouth, swallowing it hurriedly without chewing.

Afterward, he couldn't resist licking the soup from the grass, losing all his noble Tibetan Mastiff dignity.

In the end, he even ate a few blades of grass before reluctantly giving up and looking longingly into the courtyard, where Li Mang was watching him.

After about ten minutes, Dawang, apart from drooling all over the ground, showed no other signs.

"Let's eat!"

Li Mang couldn't hold back any longer and quickly filled his bowl with the soup, carefully taking a small sip. The rich aroma instantly filled his mouth, and all his fatigue from the day vanished, leaving him refreshed and invigorated.

Li Mang didn't say anything else because the taste was so good. He buried his head and started eating, drinking bowl after bowl of chicken soup. He finished off the three to four-pound wild chicken, leaving only a skeleton and a few pieces of skin.

"Delicious! Delicious! Absolutely delicious!" Li Mang's face was flushed, as if he were drunk, and the lingering aroma in his taste buds made him praise it repeatedly.

To be honest, his cooking skills were only barely passable, but this stewed chicken was the most delicious food he had ever eaten, without a doubt.

In the Yanhuang compound, the food was excellent, and even high-end clubs outside couldn't compare. After all, they served important figures, and their living conditions, including food, were of the highest quality.

However, no matter how good the chefs at Yanhuang were, they couldn't match Li Mang's stewed wild chicken. It wasn't because of his cooking skills but because of the quality of the ingredients!

For some reason, Li Mang then felt a sense of intoxication, not the discomfort of overdrinking but a pleasant dizziness. His body felt warm and light, and he was very comfortable.

But like being drunk, Li Mang also wanted to lie down and sleep.

Too lazy to clean up the table and seeing that Dawang was still looking at him from outside the courtyard, he threw the chicken bones outside. Without seeing Dawang's excitement, he went back to his room and fell asleep, his body red and sweating, but his brows relaxed.

That night, Li Mang had a good dream, but the Yanhuang compound was not peaceful. Dawang barked excitedly all night, making it difficult for others to sleep.

"Doctor Ghost, is your Dawang suffering from rabies?" a young boy joked.

"This isn't rabies, it's heat!" an old woman said sinisterly.

"Granny Snake, what is heat?" the young boy asked curiously.

"Cough, cough... Heat is..." the old woman was at a loss.

"Get lost, all of you, get lost!" Doctor Ghost, who had been unable to determine the cause, was extremely frustrated. Hearing the noise around him, he couldn't help but lash out, his eyes full of worry, showing his concern for Dawang.

The young boy and others looked at him resentfully but didn't leave. They just stopped making noise, as Dawang's barking was a rare and amusing event for them.

"Who gave Dawang something to eat today? Step forward! Step forward!" Although Doctor Ghost wasn't a professional veterinarian, he was knowledgeable about animals and quickly identified the problem. He was certain that Dawang had taken some kind of stimulant, not a sudden illness.

"Dawang only eats what you give him. Who else could have poisoned him?" Granny Snake's sinister voice reached Doctor Ghost's ears.

"Right!" Doctor Ghost realized, but then he was even more confused. The food he gave Dawang couldn't be the problem, but if it wasn't poisoning, he couldn't explain Dawang's condition. Doctor Ghost was extremely worried.

Doctor Ghost had no idea that the culprit was sleeping soundly at that moment!