Douluo Continent: Gourmet Prisoner

Two and a half years passed in the blink of an eye.

For the past two and a half years, I have been sneaking out of the Zhu residence almost every day to venture into the outer edge of the Starry Sky Forest in search of food.

Those unique gourmet spirit beasts not only satisfied my taste buds, but also rapidly increased my spirit power—I am only ten years old now, but my spirit power has already reached the level of a level 25 Great Spirit Master.

Hunting has gone from being a chaotic affair to a skillful one, and I have long since become an excellent hunter.

That day, as usual, I sneaked into the forest and, relying on the stealth ability of the Netherworld Cat and the hunting experience I had accumulated over two and a half years, successfully located a whole roasted pig that was almost a hundred years old.

It is much larger than a regular ten-year roasted whole pig, and the aroma of the meat is much stronger. Just looking at it makes my mouth water.

I held my breath and unleashed the Nether Thrust, the Soul-Guiding Dagger flashing coldly as it pierced its vital point.

Everything went smoothly as usual. The whole roasted pig didn't even have time to heat up and turn charred before it collapsed to the ground with a thud, and the white spirit ring slowly rose up.

Just as I was about to enjoy my spoils, a scorching heat suddenly came from behind me, accompanied by a deafening roar.

My heart tightened, and I turned around abruptly. My pupils shrank instantly—not far away, an enormous roasted whole pig was glaring at me. It was over three meters tall, its skin was dark brown, covered with fine lines, and radiated a scorching heat that distorted the surrounding air.

This is a whole roasted pig that is over a thousand years old.

It was probably the mother of the whole roasted pig I had just hunted.

I instantly realized I was in dire straits. The strength of a thousand-year-old soul beast was far beyond what I, a level 25 Great Soul Master, could contend with.

The intense heat emanating from it made it difficult for me to breathe, and the oppressive feeling from its enormous size almost immobilized me.

But I had no choice but to back down.

I gritted my teeth and used the speed advantage of the Netherworld Cat to constantly dodge its attacks.

Each of its impacts shakes the ground and leaves a charred crater; if I were hit head-on, I would surely die.

At the same time, I was also looking for an opportunity to retaliate. The soul-guided dagger in my hand was sharp enough to leave a wound on it every time I got close.

But I knew in my heart that these wounds were only minor injuries to it, and would not only fail to seriously damage it, but would only further enrage it.

Its temperature rose higher and higher, and the smell of burning became stronger and stronger. Mixed with the smell of my skin that had been burned by the high temperature, I had a kind of illusion - I seemed to be able to smell the smell of my own corpse being roasted.

My physical and spiritual strength were being rapidly depleted. The prolonged high-speed movement and dodging had made my legs weak and my breathing rapid.

But the thousand-year-old roasted whole pig was still full of energy, and its attacks became more and more fierce. I couldn't shake it off at all.

I know I'm finished.

Finally, in one moment when I couldn't dodge in time, I was struck hard in the chest by its huge fangs.

A tremendous force struck me, and I was sent flying like a kite with a broken string. My body rolled dozens of times on the ground until I crashed into a large tree and came to a stop.

"It hurts! It hurts so much!"

Intense pain swept through my entire body. I could clearly feel that several ribs were broken, and my skin was burned by the high temperature, burning painfully.

A sharp pain shot through my face. I thought, my once pretty face is probably swollen up like a pig's head now.

Dying like that is not a pretty sight at all.

But now, that doesn't matter anymore.

I could feel the thousand-year-old roasted whole pig approaching me, its scorching heat growing ever closer, ready to roast my corpse into charcoal.

My consciousness began to fade, and the figures of my father and mother flashed before my eyes, filling my heart with guilt.

Dad, Mom, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run away to the Star Dou Great Forest without telling you. I shouldn't have been so willful...

In the last second before I completely lost consciousness, I saw that thousand-year-old roasted whole pig suddenly rush towards me, its huge shadow looming over me.

……

I don't know how much time passed, but a rich aroma of food woke me from my coma.

Is there delicious food in the afterlife?

I struggled to open my eyes, and what came into view was a white-haired figure squatting in front of a campfire, roasting a huge duck.

The duck was larger than any spirit beast I had ever seen before. Its skin was roasted to a golden brown and glistening, and the fat dripped into the campfire, making a sizzling sound. The aroma was coming from there.

I subconsciously moved my body, but to my surprise, the excruciating pain I had felt earlier had disappeared, leaving only a faint trace of fatigue.

I looked down at my body; my clothes were still tattered and stained with blood and dust, proving that the life-or-death crisis I had just experienced was not an illusion.

"You're awake? Come and have something to eat."

The person in front of me turned around, and I was instantly stunned.

It was an extremely delicate face, with fair and smooth skin, like the finest mutton fat jade, and long white hair that fell over his shoulders, making his eyebrows and eyes look like a painting.

Her clear eyes were like mountain spring water, with a hint of lazy laughter, and her voice was clear and melodious, like the sound of wind chimes.

I admit, he was more beautiful than any woman I had ever seen.

The fact that he saved my life, coupled with his perfect looks, was an irresistible temptation for me.

Given these two conditions, I don't even care about his gender.

"I have no way to repay your life-saving grace, I, Zhu Lu, am willing to offer myself to you."

These words kept swirling in my mind, but I didn't dare to say them out loud. My cheeks just turned red uncontrollably, and I stared at him blankly.

"What are you spacing out for? I don't remember your injury hitting your head." He raised an eyebrow, his tone slightly teasing. "Are you getting delirious from hunger?"

"I'm sorry, I was just thinking about something," I said, somewhat flustered, as I came to my senses.

"It's not something rather impolite, is it?" He looked at me with a smile.

"No, no! Absolutely not!" I hurriedly waved my hands, my cheeks turning even redder.

"I was just joking, why are you reacting so strongly? Are you really thinking something rude?"

"Ugh!" I let out a soft, mournful cry, like a steam engine whose secrets had been exposed.

At the same time, my stomach also started growling, the sound particularly clear in the quiet forest.

My face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple, and I wished I could disappear into a crack in the ground.

"Alright, enough joking around. Come on, have something to eat. Your stomach's protesting." He smiled and handed me a huge duck leg.

The duck leg emitted an enticing aroma, and hunger instantly overwhelmed my shyness. I took the duck leg, no longer caring about my ladylike image, and began to devour it.

The duck meat is extremely tender, with a delicate flavor unique to birds, while the fat is as fine as top-grade Wagyu beef, and it also has a hint of pork sweetness.

The most amazing thing is that its fat has a natural flavoring effect, so it is already extremely delicious without the need to add any extra seasonings.

I was so engrossed in the delicious food that I didn't realize how messy my eating manners were until I had finished the whole duck leg. To be so disrespectful in front of my savior was incredibly impolite.

I was about to thank him when I discovered that there was only a complete duck skeleton left by the campfire, and he was holding a small pot, heating oil by the fire.

"Huh?"

"Are you full? Bring me the duck leg bone you're holding too." He said without turning his head. "This kind of duck is called a flying duck. You can eat the bones after frying them; they're crispy and delicious."

"Oh, okay." I quickly took the duck leg bone and went over to him, handing it to him.

Watching him skillfully place the duck bones into the oil, I gathered my thoughts and whispered, "Thank you, sister, for saving me."

"Huh? I'm a guy." He turned around and looked at me with some surprise.

"Huh?!"

I froze on the spot, my mind blank, as if I had been struck by lightning.

The "girl" in front of me, with her exquisite features, fair skin, and clear voice, is actually a boy?

My brain started racing, a jumble of chaotic thoughts intertwined like a tangled mess—Why can't you soak No. 9 steel bars in milk tea? What's the relationship between the insulation time of a thermos and the depreciation rate of high-speed rail? Can succulents really capture the Pythagorean theorem? Did Zhuge Liang's feather fan actually have Bluetooth functionality?

Seeing my stunned expression, Shi Yu shook his head helplessly. He knew that the best way to deal with a foodie was through delicious food.

He fished a golden-brown, crispy duck bone out of the oil and handed it to me.

This trick worked. I instinctively took the duck bone and bit into it.

"Snap!"

The crisp sound echoed in my mouth, and the crunchy texture paired with a light salty and savory flavor was absolutely delicious.

My confused mind instantly cleared. Seeing that Shi Yu had already started enjoying the fried duck bones, I quickly joined in this culinary feast.

Only after we had devoured all the duck bones did I let out a satisfied burp and look at Shi Yu, asking, "Thank you for saving me. My name is Zhu Lu. What's your name?"

"Shi Yu," he wiped his mouth and asked casually, "You ran off to hunt soul beasts without your parents by your side?"

"I snuck out without my family's knowledge," I said with a hint of pride. "I come from the Zhu family of the Star Luo Empire. My family definitely wouldn't allow me to do this, but I've been sneaking away like this for two and a half years now, so I have a lot of hunting experience!"

"So, you almost got gored to death by a thousand-year-old roasted whole pig?" Shi Yu looked at me with a half-smile.

My cheeks flushed bright red instantly, and I lowered my head in shame.

Indeed, my little bit of experience is nothing to brag about.

But I quickly looked up again and asked curiously, "How long was I unconscious?"

Three hours.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, it was only for three hours. If I had been unconscious for a day or even longer, my family would have definitely found out, and then I would never be able to sneak out to eat delicious food again.

As for the near-death experience I just had, I had almost completely forgotten about it.

For me, the most important thing is whether I can continue to come to Starry Sky Forest to eat delicious food.

I suddenly remembered the flying duck I had just eaten; its size and aura were even more powerful than that thousand-year-old roasted whole pig.

"Shi Yu, how old was that flying duck? Did you hunt it yourself?" I asked curiously.

"A thousand-year-old soul beast." Shi Yu nodded. "Is there anyone else here besides me? Of course, I hunted it myself."

"You're amazing!" I exclaimed, a hint of admiration in my eyes. "Could you teach me some hunting techniques? I want to be as good as you!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Yu's eyes lit up. He hadn't yet gotten over his craving for training Tang Ya and was itching to do it again. He immediately nodded, "Sure."

"That's great! Thank you!" I hugged Shi Yu excitedly, completely forgetting my previous shyness.

By the time I realized what was happening, I had already grabbed his arm tightly.

His skin was cool and smooth, with an excellent feel.

My face instantly turned bright red, and I quickly let go of his hand, took two steps back, and dared not look him in the eye.

"Then, shall we meet here from now on? I'll come every day!"

"Okay." Shi Yu nodded with a smile.

And so, I escaped with my life, and Shi Yu gained another target to "persecute".