Put Cinnabar on the Lips?

"Little Chen, I, Lao Deng, owe you a life!"

Lao Deng suddenly leaned over and said seriously.

If Chen Shu hadn't summoned the slime at that critical moment, he would definitely be a corpse by now.

"Is that a big deal for me? Of course not, just a small favor. With me around, is there a problem? Definitely not."

Hearing Chen Shu talk to himself, Lao Deng felt a bit strange, but he acknowledged Chen Shu in his heart.

Although the guy seemed unreliable, he could still step up when it mattered.

Suddenly, the Wind-Winged Eagle above let out a soft cry, and an invisible wind blade descended, instantly killing a Green-Eyed Snake in the treetops above the group.

The power of the skill was obvious!

Along the way, with the Wind-Winged Eagle's protection, there were no more crises.

But the team also hadn't collected any medicinal herbs from the alternate dimension.

...

...

"We'll camp here for the night and head back early tomorrow morning!"

Although the Qingyuan Forest might hold riches, it's best not to stay too long, or else terrifying creatures might appear.

Chen Shu got a craving and took out some Bloodfang Boar meat, setting up his grill once more.

"Today, we're in for a treat."

Chen Shu said, his eyes fixed on the big tree above.

Everyone looked up to see a large beehive hanging there.

"Wait!"

Zhou Shi frowned and ordered the Wind-Winged Eagle to scout it out. They found that the hive only contained slightly larger bees, not even classified as beasts.

The contracted beasts quickly acted, removing the hive, and the bees inside were all wiped out.

"Today we're having honey-glazed wild boar!"

Soon, the mouthwatering aroma spread, and everyone's eyes lit up in anticipation.

More than twenty pounds of wild boar meat were devoured by the group, the taste lingering on their tongues, leaving them wanting more.

"I'm telling you, Little Chen, you should just go study at the Beast-Tamer Culinary University. You'd be way better at that than being a tamer!"

Professions these days were diverse. Beast-tamer chefs specialized in cooking various types of beast meat. Long-term consumption could enhance a contracted beast's attributes, and it was a respectable, high-end job.

Chen Shu curled his lip and said, "Forget it. That's burying the future of a legendary beast tamer! Besides, my best bro Zhang Dali is way better than me at cooking."

He did indeed learn from Zhang Dali, whose culinary skills were outstanding. He even won the chef championship of Nanjiang City.

After chatting for a while, sleepiness began to set in.

Zhou Shi spoke up, "Get some rest. The night watch order remains the same as today."

Everyone returned to their tents, leaving only Chen Shu and Lao Deng by the campfire.

At night, everything was silent.

Chen Shu lay beside the fire, staring at the clear night sky, his gaze deep, as if contemplating the meaning of life.

"There was a bit too much honey on the boar tonight… That was a misstep…"

Lao Deng suddenly spoke, breaking the silence: "Little Chen, you're seventeen this year, right?"

"Hmm? Why? Jealous of my youth?" Chen Shu replied, chewing on a blade of grass.

Lao Deng chuckled and then said, "Same age as my daughter…"

"You're not trying to introduce your daughter to me, are you? Romance is a big no-no on the battlefield!"

"You punk, acting like you're the one being taken advantage of. I just wanted you two to talk as peers."

With that, Lao Deng even took out a phone and opened a photo.

Chen Shu caught a glimpse and suddenly sat up, saying, "Lao Deng, have a conscience! Are you trying to repay kindness with betrayal?"

"???" Lao Deng's face darkened.

What the hell does he mean by repay kindness with betrayal?

"And the key thing—did you say your daughter's the same age as me?! That's just outrageous."

Chen Shu also looked speechless. In the photo, the little girl was wearing a red scarf and holding a certificate that read: "Nanjiang City, Chengbei Primary School."

You really think I'm blind, huh?

"Ahem… she's about to enter middle school, and you're in senior year of high school. Isn't that still technically the same school?"

"Give me a break…"

Chen Shu looked completely speechless. You must be her real dad, huh.

Just as he was chatting casually with Lao Deng, a mysterious prompt suddenly appeared in front of Chen Shu's eyes.

[Option 1: Roll five meters to the right to dodge the attack. Reward: Contracted beast's speed +5%.]

[Option 2: Believe in your iron head and use it to block the Earthshaker Bear's attack. Reward: Beastmaster level +1.]

His expression froze with confusion, but in the very next second, he snapped into action.

With a sudden kick, Chen Shu launched Lao Deng several meters away, then used the recoil to roll himself out of the way as well.

A terrifying giant paw slammed down exactly where Chen Shu had been a second ago.

"Roar!"

A bear merged with the night let out a thunderous growl, filled with ferocity.

"Help! A demon bear's here to steal the sacred robes!!"

Chen Shu shouted at the top of his lungs.

The others, who had just fallen asleep, woke up instantly and rushed out of their tents.

A piercing cry rang out as the Wind-Winged Eagle responded swiftly, slashing with a wind blade that instantly dealt heavy damage to the Earthshaker Bear, leaving it on the brink of death.

Though the bear was nearly three meters tall and looked terrifying, it was only a Level 9 beast.

"Little Chen, Lao Deng, you two okay?" Zhou Shi walked over and asked with concern.

The two shook their heads, signaling they were fine.

But right at that moment, Chen Shu's expression changed and he said, "There's more of them!"

"Roar!"

With the help of the campfire and moonlight, everyone could vaguely see several black bear silhouettes surrounding them.

Zhou Shi shouted, "Battle stations!"

Everyone immediately summoned their contracted beasts—an intense battle was about to erupt!

"We clearly used the Beast Lord dung to repel wild beasts, how come so many Earthshaker Bears still came?"

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Chen Shu's mind. He licked his lips, as if savoring something, and said, "Maybe… it's because we stole their honey."