Chapter 73 Who Can Resist Barbecue? Even the Auspicious Beast Is a Little Foodie
Golden fur reflected mottled light beneath the shade of the trees, every strand possessing a translucent texture.
Four dragon claws stepped upon the withered leaves, the golden flames beneath them pressed extremely low, almost flowing close to the ground.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion stopped five or six meters away.
The vertical eye on its forehead narrowed slightly, a crimson glow flickering within as it stared at the roasted meat in Dai Huabin's hand.
Its two normal golden pupils were sizing up Dai Huabin with obvious curiosity.
Dai Huabin did not move.
He continued holding the barbecue, his heartbeat slightly faster than usual, though nothing showed on his face.
An Auspicious Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
Its cultivation was only fifteen thousand years, yet its strength was comparable to a 100,000-year-old soul beast.
And now, this legendary Auspicious Beast was squatting in front of him, staring at the roasted meat.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion took two more steps forward.
Its nose twitched lightly, and its golden whiskers trembled faintly.
Then it stopped, opened its mouth, and closed it again.
Dai Huabin noticed that it had swallowed.
"Tasty."
A clear and crisp female voice came from the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's mouth.
The voice sounded young, carrying a trace of childishness, with a slight upward lilt at the end.
Dai Huabin was momentarily stunned.
Not "Who are you?" nor "Why are you here?"
But whether it tasted good.
He lowered his head to glance at the half-eaten roasted meat in his hand, now slightly cold, before lifting his head again toward the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
"Want some more?"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion did not answer, but its four dragon claws moved another half-step forward.
Dai Huabin handed over the barbecue.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion walked closer, opened its mouth to reveal neat little sharp teeth, and swallowed the roasted meat in a single bite.
Crunch, crunch.
After chewing three or four times, it swallowed.
Then it licked its lips and flicked its golden tail.
Any more?
Dai Huabin: "..."
He looked at his empty hands, then at the other chunk of meat still roasting over the fire, not yet fully cooked.
"Yes, but it's not ready yet."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion tilted its head, then squatted beside the fire. Its golden flame claws pressed against the ground, yet the surrounding dead leaves remained completely unburned.
It stared at the sizzling roasted meat over the flames, its tail rhythmically swaying left and right.
Dai Huabin sat back down and continued grilling.
But inside, his thoughts were racing, trying to figure out how to obtain the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's destiny guidance.
This was a major problem.
After a while, the meat was done roasting. Dai Huabin still had not figured anything out, but it did not matter for now.
He removed the second piece of roasted meat, this time without adding salt, and handed it over first.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion immediately rushed forward impatiently and swallowed it clean in two bites.
After eating, its golden claws rubbed lightly against the ground before it looked up at Dai Huabin.
"That's all." Dai Huabin shrugged. "I only cut off two legs' worth of meat."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's vertical pupil widened slightly, revealing obvious disappointment.
Dai Huabin almost burst out laughing.
He truly had not expected the Three-Eyed Golden Lion to show such an expression because there was not enough barbecue.
Dai Huabin reignited the fire and took several strips of dried meat from his storage ring.
"Wait a bit. I'll roast this for you."
As for why he did not return to retrieve the previous soul beast's corpse—
By now, it had probably already been devoured by other soul beasts.
At the same time, smelling the aroma of meat, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion perked up its ears and quietly crouched there waiting.
Dai Huabin flipped the meat while pondering.
Soul beasts truly had terrifying appetites.
At this rate, the dried rations he brought would not last two days.
Still, if a few pounds of meat could be exchanged for a chance to establish a connection with an Auspicious Beast, it was an enormous profit.
Three strips of dried meat were roasted, and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion devoured all three in three bites.
"The food you humans make tastes different from the prey in the forest."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion licked its paws, its tone carrying clear satisfaction.
"The prey is alive, and it tastes bloody when bitten. Yours smells delicious."
"That's because humans add seasonings." Dai Huabin took out the remaining raw meat. "I'll roast more for you later."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion flicked its tail contentedly and lay down beside the fire.
Its golden body stretched out lazily, four dragon claws tucked beneath it, while its tail curled around its hind legs and rested on its front paws.
At close range, it was about the size of an adult leopard, though its figure was more graceful.
After settling down, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion suddenly raised its head, its vertical crimson eye focusing on Dai Huabin.
"Human."
"Hmm?"
"Why do you carry the aura of a soul beast?"
Dai Huabin's heart skipped a beat.
Hyotei's Blood Pact.
After signing the blood pact, the Ice Emperor's aura had fused into his meridians and Spirit.
Although Electrolux had said this aura would naturally be concealed by human aura before humans, it was obvious that the Ice Emperor's bloodline could not be hidden from an Auspicious Beast.
After all, this was an Auspicious Beast.
Dai Huabin thought for a moment, choosing neither to lie nor reveal everything.
He smiled.
"Because I have a soul beast friend. We're connected heart-to-heart and signed a contract, so I carry her aura."
"A contract?" The Three-Eyed Golden Lion tilted its head. "What kind of contract?"
"A very special connection. It's neither a spirit ring nor a spirit bone. She's alive, and I'm alive too. We support each other."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion blinked its golden eyes several times, seemingly processing the information.
"Humans can become friends with soul beasts?"
"Of course." Dai Huabin answered confidently. "As long as both sides are willing."
He said it without changing expression.
Back in the Far North, the Ice Emperor had only agreed to sign the blood pact after being pressured and tempted with various conditions.
So the phrase "both sides are willing" was slightly beautified from reality.
However, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion clearly did not know those details.
It fell silent for a while, its tail movements slowing as if deep in thought.
"Has your soul beast friend ever gone to human territory?"
"Yes."
"What are human settlements like?"
Dai Huabin understood the meaning behind the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's tone.
Curiosity.
And longing.
The original story had already described this.
As an Auspicious Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion possessed intelligence far surpassing ordinary soul beasts, along with immense curiosity toward the outside world.
It had always lived deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, never leaving this land, and was full of fantasies about the human world.
"Human territory…"
Dai Huabin tossed the final branch in his hand into the fire before leaning against the large tree behind him.
"It's completely different from the forest. There are city walls, streets, and all kinds of shops."
"The streets are filled with people wearing different colored clothes and speaking different languages."
"At night, the lights illuminate everything, making the whole street brighter than moonlight."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's ears perked forward.
"Is there food?"
"Of course." Dai Huabin suppressed a laugh.
"In human cities, there are places dedicated to selling food called restaurants. You sit down, tell someone what you want to eat, and someone brings it to you. There are dozens or even hundreds of cooking methods—roasting, boiling, steaming, frying, stewing. It's not just meat either, but all kinds of things you've never seen before."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's vertical pupil widened completely.
Its tail wagged faster, slapping the ground repeatedly.
"Really?"
"Really. My soul beast friend reacted the same way the first time she entered a human city."
This statement was not entirely fabricated.
When the Ice Emperor first arrived in Dragon City, although she acted arrogant on the surface, she had genuinely been interested in the human city.
It was simply that the proud Ice Emperor did not display emotions as openly as the tail-wagging Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion shifted from lying down into a sitting posture, its two front paws neatly together and upper body upright, looking exactly like a giant cat waiting to be fed.
"Do humans hunt soul beasts and cook them into these seasoned dishes?"
"Of course." Dai Huabin chose not to hide it. Hunting low-level soul beasts for food was not unusual among humans.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion paused briefly.
"So you came here to hunt soul beasts too?"
"Yes." Dai Huabin answered honestly. "I need a soul beast around thirty thousand years old for my fourth spirit ring. I've searched the Star Dou Great Forest for three days already but still haven't found a suitable target."
He believed the most important thing when dealing with an Auspicious Beast was sincerity.
After all, Dai Huabin intended to hunt other soul beasts, not the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
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[end of the chapter]