132: Chapter 12 Traveling together

The rain had stopped, so Meng Li naturally prepared to continue his journey.

The same was true for Guo Jing and the Jiangnan Six Monsters.

Although they had agreed to travel together, they did not stay long in the Dream Travel Residence.

Once the horses and their clothes were dry, they each set off on horseback, though their pace was not as rushed as before.

The group chatted as they traveled, so the pace didn't feel slow at all.

This was one of the reasons Meng Li agreed to travel with Guo Jing and the Six Monsters; having a few companions on the road helped pass the time.

After traveling for a while, they suddenly spotted some wild pheasants.

Han Baoju remembered their earlier talk about hunting game. His eyes lit up instantly, and with a quick shout, he used his Lightness Skill to leap off his horse and chase after the pheasant.

Hearing the commotion, Ke Zhene asked in confusion, "What happened?"

Zhu Cong replied, "There's a wild pheasant in the distance; Third Brother has gone to catch it."

Quan Jinfa stroked his beard and smiled. "We're in for a treat tonight."

A short while later, Han Baoju returned carrying the pheasant, saying, "There's only this one, not enough for everyone. I see it's about that time anyway, why don't we just rest here and look around for more game?"

Zhu Cong and the others looked at the sky and nodded in agreement.

Meng Li had no objections.

And so, the group stopped where they were.

Next, they quickly divided the tasks: Zhu Cong, Han Baoju, Nan Xiren, and Quan Jinfa went to search for game nearby, while the others stayed behind.

Han Xiaoying handled the pheasant they had just caught, while Guo Jing went to a nearby puddle to fetch water and help out.

Ke Zhene and Meng Li watched the horses, which essentially meant they were idle.

This was because Ke Zhene was blind, and Meng Li had already stepped out of the kitchen.

The pheasant was prepared, but since Zhu Cong and the others hadn't returned yet, Han Xiaoying started cooking the rice first.

Seeing that he couldn't help there, Guo Jing thought for a moment and approached Meng Li to chat.

Based on their relationship, he should have gone to Ke Zhene. But Ke Zhene had a fiery temper and was always prone to getting angry, especially with Guo Jing. Guo Jing felt this was his own fault, so to avoid making his Grand Master angry, he went to find Meng Li.

It was called chatting, but it mostly consisted of Guo Jing asking curious questions and Meng Li answering them.

Meng Li didn't feel impatient about this.

This was because he happened to be free, and he had a bit of a soft spot for that face that looked like Hu Ge.

Before long, Zhu Cong and the other three returned, each carrying small game: wild pheasants and rabbits.

Seeing Han Xiaoying busy, they began preparing the animals themselves.

By the time the stars and moon appeared, a table of food was successfully completed.

Han Baoju twitched his nose and sniffed, saying happily, "Fragrant! It smells so good!"

After speaking, he picked up a piece of chicken to taste, then gave a thumbs up and said, "Seventh Sister, your culinary skills haven't declined a bit after all these years!"

Han Xiaoying smiled and said, "It's not that my cooking is good, it's that Young Hero Meng's kitchen is fully stocked with seasonings."

Quan Jinfa smacked his lips. "If only there was some wine, that would be perfect."

Meng Li raised an eyebrow slightly. "Would some Huadiao Wine do?"

Han Baoju's eyes immediately lit up. "Of course! Huadiao is my favorite!"

"Wait a moment," Meng Li said. He stood up, went outside, and headed up the stairs to the second floor.

Soon, he returned carrying two jars of wine.

The eager Han Baoju hurried to take a jar and open it. He instantly caught the familiar aroma and wore an entranced expression. "This is the scent!"

With that, he first poured a bowl for Meng Li, then poured one for himself.

Next, Han Baoju raised his bowl toward Meng Li and said, "Young Hero Meng, thank you for the hospitality. I'll drink this first as a toast!"

After speaking, he tilted his head back and finished the bowl in one gulp, then let out a long breath. "Refreshing!"

Zhu Cong and the others did the same.

After they finished their toasts, Meng Li raised his bowl and said, "Only these two jars of wine remain, so I won't return each toast individually. Let this one bowl be my return toast to everyone."

When he finished speaking, he also downed the wine in one go.

Zhu Cong and the others felt a bit embarrassed.

While it was true they wanted to thank Meng Li, they were also craving a drink.

Meng Li clearly saw through them but didn't point it out.

However, the Six Monsters weren't the type to be overly sensitive. They quickly brushed aside their embarrassment and promised Meng Li that once they reached Jiangnan, they would definitely treat him to a great meal and drinks at the best local tavern.

Guo Jing didn't notice the subtext. Once the conversation paused, he asked curiously, "Elder Brother Meng, it's one thing to carry a house with you, but why do you also carry wine?"

Meng Li replied, "Because this wine is from my hometown."

"While traveling abroad, it's inevitable that I'll miss home, so I keep some wine with me."

"When I miss my hometown, I take it out for a drink or two as a bit of comfort."

Guo Jing realized, "So that's how it is."

Then, with a hint of envy, he said, "You are luckier than me. You know the taste of your hometown and can carry it with you. I grew up in the Great Desert, but my hometown isn't there; it's Niu Family Village in Linan Prefecture. But I haven't even been to Linan Prefecture yet, so I don't know what's there."

"Linan Prefecture?"

Meng Li murmured the name, then continued, "I've been there. I remember that regarding food, the famous specialties include water-milled rice cakes and various pastries."

"Water-milled rice cakes are handmade with pure rice and spring water. They are soft, glutinous, and chewy."

"You can try them when you get to Linan Prefecture."

"As for pastries, there are many. Just the ones I've tried include sugar cakes, honey cakes, wheat cakes, Fengtang cakes, milk cakes, chestnut cakes, millet cakes, flower cakes, Cici cakes, snow cakes, Jianchu cakes, dry cakes, mirror cakes, and Double Ninth cakes, plus some I haven't tried yet."

"Each has its own unique characteristics that are hard to describe. You'll know once you eat them."

"As for drinks, there are herbal teas, snow-chilled plum blossom wine, sour plum soup, and papaya juice, along with others I don't know."

Guo Jing swallowed hard and said, "There are actually so many good things to eat in Linan Prefecture? I must try them all when I get there."

Zhu Cong and the others saw this but said nothing.

Even the usually strict Ke Zhene didn't scold Guo Jing.

He also missed the tastes of his hometown.

After a moment, Han Xiaoying smiled and said, "You can only eat those delicacies once you reach Linan Prefecture. We're still far from there, so let's eat dinner first."

Guo Jing snapped out of it and nodded repeatedly. "Right, let's eat first."

Then, everyone began their meal.

After dinner was finished and the dishes were put away, Meng Li chatted with them for a bit before going upstairs to sleep.

Guo Jing, Ke Zhene, and the others each found a spot on the first floor to sleep.

The next day was sunny.

Meng Li and the others set off as usual.

In the following days, the group's daily routine on the road was largely a repetition of this.

The slight differences were that the wine ran out, the types of game caught varied, and as time passed, their relationships grew much closer.

This last point referred to the bond between Meng Li, Guo Jing, and the Jiangnan Six Monsters.

Of course, the journey was not entirely smooth. They encountered highwaymen several times, but Meng Li never had to act; the Jiangnan Six Monsters handled it.

Judging from their performance in the original story, the Jiangnan Seven Monsters' Martial Arts seemed quite average. In reality, however, the fact that they could make a name for themselves in the vast Jianghu meant they were definitely masters. It was just that in the original story, the people they encountered were all top-tier masters or even ceiling-level figures like the Four Masters, which made them look weak by comparison.

If they encountered ordinary thugs, they could deal with them with ease.

The bandits easily driven away on the road were proof of this.

And so, the group traveled on without incident until they reached the Central Capital...