It was now dusk. According to their plan, they only traveled until three o'clock each day, after which they would begin searching for a suitable campsite—usually among the canopy of the largest trees. Once they had set up camp, Lan Linger would record the day's journey, while Hao Qi, Su Shiyan, and Zhang Heng set off to forage for ingredients. After all, food was far too crucial to the entire expedition. The four of them had been thoroughly dissatisfied with their meals during the first ten days of the trip, so now they dedicated two or three hours each day to leisurely searching for delicacies. Today, their efforts had finally paid off.
After Hao Qi confirmed that the mushrooms were not only non-toxic but also exceptionally delicious, his mouth began to water. At the same time, he proudly brandished his latest catch: nine birds, larger than quails but slightly smaller than wild pheasants.
Hao Qi boasted, "I bet you guys don't recognize these! Hahaha, these are very much like I used to—cough, these really look like a certain kind of bird I know, called a flying dragon. They're identical in size and shape; I just hope they really are the same. If they are, I guarantee you'll bite your tongues off eating them today! This stuff is legendary—they say dragon meat in the heavens, flying dragon meat on earth!"
Chapter 73