72: Feeding

Lu Chuan quickly ascended the mountain, carrying the grilled fish, constantly on guard against the sudden appearance of wild boars.

The first time is unfamiliar, the second time is routine.

He soon arrived in front of the cliff crevice.

However, before entering the crevice, he suddenly remembered something and quickly stopped.

"He Jingrui's crazed state is best not approached directly. It's best to light a fire nearby to heat the grilled fish and lure him with the aroma of the food."

Lu Chuan then ran around, searching for some broken, dry branches, withered grass, and fallen leaves. After bundling them into a pile, he returned to the crevice.

He took a deep breath, then, holding the takeout box in one hand and the dry branches and fallen leaves in the other, he squeezed into the crevice.

The crevice was very dark, and he fumbled his way forward.

Last time, having been chased into the crevice by a wild boar, he had run frantically without a clear path and hadn't been able to calmly observe the situation inside the crevice.

This time, as he re-entered, he felt a dizzying sensation as he passed through a narrow pass within the crevice.

But this sensation of dizziness was too slight, easily overlooked if one wasn't paying attention.

After walking a few more steps, his vision suddenly opened up, and he was out of the crevice.

"The air here is so fresh!"

He took a deep, intoxicated breath, then hurried towards the place where he had encountered He Jingrui before.

As he approached the gully, an astonishing smell of blood assailed him.

Lu Chuan quickly retreated behind a few large rocks before daring to peek out.

In the distance, He Jingrui was sprawled on the ground, licking raw flesh. The mist emanating from his body had become even deeper, and its color had changed from light red to blood red.

This sight made Lu Chuan's scalp tingle, and he quickly questioned the system in his mind.

"How much time does he have left?"

"Based on his state, the final rescue time is only 40 minutes left."

"40 minutes? That's plenty!"

Lu Chuan quietly retreated until he felt a safe distance away, then moved some stones to build a simple stove.

Once the stove was built, he took out a lighter to ignite a strip of cloth, then threw it into the firewood pile under the stove, constantly fanning to intensify the flames.

In less than three minutes, the fire was burning fiercely.

Lu Chuan quickly placed the aluminum foil takeout box on the stove. He didn't tear off the sealed aluminum foil, but heated it directly.

In just a moment, the air inside the takeout box expanded under the high temperature, pushing the aluminum foil high up.

Lu Chuan felt the time was right. He took out a small knife and cut a cross-shaped opening in the sealed aluminum foil. Then, with a flick to the left and right, the aluminum foil was removed, revealing the fragrant grilled fish underneath, covered in minced garlic and green onions.

At the same time, an astonishing aroma instantly wafted out, quickly spreading to the surroundings.

Retreat!

Lu Chuan dared not linger and quickly ran towards the hiding spot he had previously scouted.

However, just as he started to move, he heard a sudden roar behind him, accompanied by an astonishing heat.

The scorching heat, like flames, immediately caused large blisters to form on his back.

But what terrified Lu Chuan even more was the scaly, steel-like hand reaching for his neck.

He watched as the hand was about to grasp his throat, and Lu Chuan even vaguely saw his grandmother waving at him.

Just then, the fire in the stove suddenly flared up, and the grilled fish, stimulated by the high temperature, released another enticing burst of aroma.

Lu Chuan watched, wide-eyed, as He Jingrui's body stiffened, then he pounced on the grilled fish like a ravenous beast.

"Hoo, hoo, hoo!!!"

The experience of escaping death made Lu Chuan's pupils constrict and dilate.

But he had no time for sentiment. Taking advantage of He Jingrui's attention being completely drawn to the grilled fish, he took off running into the distance.

He didn't stop until he returned to the crevice, and then he went directly through the crevice, back to the other side of the exit, where he finally collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat.

But the next moment, he grimaced.

Because he moved too much, he accidentally burst a few blisters on his back.

"Hiss!!!"

The intensely painful sensation made Lu Chuan's expression contort.

"System, please help with the treatment."

"Based on the host's injuries, it is estimated to cost 50 appetite coins. Please confirm."

"What?! 50 appetite coins! You're ripping me off!"

"The price is fair, no deception!"

"Alright, alright, you win! Treat it."

As Lu Chuan finished speaking, a white light appeared on his back.

Two seconds later, the white light dissipated, and his back, which had been covered in blisters, became smooth and fair.

Lu Chuan couldn't see his back, but he felt that the burning pain was gone, and he knew that his injuries were mostly healed.

Only then did he feel relieved enough to put his clothes back on.

Then he looked back at the crevice, thought for a moment, and decided to postpone going through.

"System, can he regain consciousness after eating delicious food?"

"Normally, yes, but he has been in a state of 'autophagy' for too long. One treatment is not enough. It is recommended to do it several times."

"So it really is like taking medicine to cure an illness?"

Hearing the system's reply, Lu Chuan was torn between laughter and tears, but the anxiety in his heart also subsided.

After waiting for about half an hour, he finally went through the crevice again, then cautiously made his way over.

After a while, he saw He Jingrui's figure again.

Only this time, He Jingrui's state was much calmer, and the misty glow around him had returned to a light red.

Seeing this, Lu Chuan felt much relieved, then quietly retreated.

He Jingrui in this state looked peaceful, but no one knew if he still had any attack power.

At worst, Lu Chuan would just prepare more delicious food to feed him.

That would be safer.

Having made up his mind, Lu Chuan went down the mountain again.

Because of He Jingrui, a lot of time had been delayed, and there were less than four hours left until the system's stipulated vending time.

Lu Chuan calculated that riding the tricycle to Nameless Lake to set up his stall would take an estimated 40 minutes.

And the round trip to feed He Jingrui once would take about two hours. Time was a bit tight, but he could still make it.

Lu Chuan rushed home.

On the way, he passed Lu Deming's house. Through the open courtyard gate, he saw Lu Deming's family enjoying themselves, and smelling the aroma of grilled fish wafting from their house, Lu Chuan smiled.

He did not stop, continuing to rush home.

After returning home, he continued to light the fire and put the grilling pan on, layering side dishes, grilled fish, and sauce on the bottom of the pan, then constantly adjusting the heat.

In just a moment, that astonishing aroma wafted up, drilling into the homes of his neighbors, causing dogs to bark and children to cry incessantly.

Lu Chuan silently apologized, but he fanned even more vigorously.

Once the three grilled fish were simmered over charcoal, he quickly packed them and then hurried towards Yinhua Mountain.

He was familiar with the route, passed through the crevice, then set up stone stoves at distances of three hundred meters, eight hundred meters, and twelve hundred meters from the crevice, and placed the takeout boxes on top of the stoves.

Then, at the stove 1200 meters away, he looked at He Jingrui in the gully in the distance, nervously swallowed, and without further hesitation, threw the ignited cloth strip into the firewood pile of the stove, then took off running.

When he reached the stoves at eight hundred meters and three hundred meters, he lit them in turn, then rushed into the crevice without looking back.

Only after passing through the crevice did he wipe the hot sweat from his forehead, panting, and muttered to himself:

"Old He, three grilled fish should be enough to fill your stomach. Don't eat raw food anymore."

"I'll come see you again tomorrow. I'll prepare a few more grilled fish for you then, which should be enough for you to regain consciousness..."