As the meat was almost ready, a dark figure appeared beside Xiao Chui. Zhu Qing, who was about to indulge, missed his bite, and the fragrant roasted lamb instantly vanished, falling into the hands of another man. The man was burly, clad in black armor, and a roasted lamb in his hand seemed rather small.
The man took a bite of the roasted meat, chewing slowly, "Crispy outside, tender inside, your craftsmanship is good."
"Again, this is our roasted meat!" Zhu Qing was agitated, stretching his neck to snatch it back. Huo Wu, quick as lightning, pressed Zhu Qing to the ground, staring warily at the man who had appeared. Although they were both ancient divine beasts, she was no match for a Taotie!
The man glanced at Huo Wu and Zhu Qing, "Since when has the Phoenix tribe associated with snakes?"
Xiao Man looked at the man and said calmly, "Taking something without permission seems rather improper, sir."
The man sneered and took another large bite of the roasted meat, "You're roasting meat here precisely to lure me out, aren't you? Now, I am out."
Xiao Man's eyes flickered, "Eating my roasted meat comes with a price."
"Price?" The Taotie ate the meat heartily and said nonchalantly, "Leave your seasonings behind, and I'll let you go."
"Deal!" Xiao Man agreed without hesitation, laying out the seasonings before the Taotie, "Enjoy your meal, I bid you farewell."
The Taotie glanced at Xiao Man, who was walking towards the teleportation array, and a meaningful smile curved his lips. He had stayed in Du'an Mountain for too long, so long that he had forgotten what roasted meat tasted like. Today's roasted meat was indeed very fragrant.
"For the sake of the roasted meat, I'll give you a warning," the Taotie said while eating, "The barren lands are not an easy place to traverse. The people there are different from the demonic beasts here. These demonic beasts are wary of each other, but the people there are very united. Injure one, and the entire tribe will hunt you down. Moreover, outsiders who go to the barren lands, no matter how powerful, will be at the mercy of others."
"Thank you for the reminder." Xiao Man took out a jar of wine and threw it to the Taotie, "This is a token of my gratitude."
The Taotie caught it, opened the seal, and was immediately filled with a rich aroma of wine. He took a large gulp, and the mellow wine flowed down his throat, his eyes sparkling with brilliance. He suddenly felt reluctant to let Xiao Man go.
Xiao Man walked to the teleportation array and scanned the intricate array. It was somewhat shattered and seemed like it wouldn't last much longer.
Xiao Man glanced back at the Taotie, who seemed to know what she was thinking, "It wasn't me who broke it; it was already broken. And I haven't used this teleportation array. As for whether there will be any problems during teleportation, that remains to be seen."
Xiao Man didn't rush to activate the teleportation array. Instead, she walked around it and began to draw talismans with her spiritual power, repairing the damaged array. The Taotie was slightly surprised, then withdrew his gaze, eating and drinking heartily. Since he had decided to let her go, he wouldn't stop her. As for the consequences of letting her go, he was not afraid.
He was one of the Four Great Fierce Gods of ancient times. The reason he had remained in Du'an Mountain was that he did not want to be involved in external conflicts. Now, even Du'an Mountain was no longer peaceful.
As Xiao Man was repairing the teleportation array, the demonic beasts that were chasing her also arrived. However, upon seeing the Taotie sitting in their path, they hesitated, not daring to advance. After all, the Taotie was the true king of Du'an Mountain!
The Taotie slowly turned his head to look at the demonic beasts not far away, "What? Have you become so bold as to run wild on my territory just because I haven't appeared for a while?"
"Taotie, we have no intention of offending you, but you must hand that woman over to us." The Golden Crow bared its injured wing, "She broke my wing! This revenge must be taken."
The Taotie looked at Xiao Man, "What did you do with its wing?"
"Roasted chicken wings, sweet and fragrant, tasted excellent."
The Taotie turned to look at the Golden Crow and said slowly, "Do roasted Golden Crow and roasted chicken wings taste the same?"
"Roasting the whole bird will make it even more fragrant," Xiao Man said while repairing the teleportation array, "Especially if you put spiritual medicine in its belly, it will be even more fragrant when roasted."
"I'll deal with them for you, and you'll roast a Golden Crow for me." The Taotie's gaze at the Golden Crow sparkled, making the Golden Crow's spine tingle. It kept retreating, and when it reached the back, it turned and fled. It shouldn't have come. This Taotie was fond of delicacies, and Golden Crow meat was the most tender and spiritually rich. This scoundrel had probably wanted to eat it for a long time!
"Too late to run now!" Seeing the Golden Crow flee, the Taotie's lips curved into a cold smile.
Why would he let a plump chicken delivered to his doorstep escape? He flashed his body, flying over the heads of the many demonic beasts, and chased after the Golden Crow. Seeing this, the Golden Crow's feathers stood on end in fear.
"What are you all standing around for? Attack together, capture the Taotie, and we'll share that humanoid fierce beast!"
The Golden Crow cried out in panic. Normally, it could still find a way to fly away, but now, its wings were eaten by Xiao Man. Its two legs couldn't match the Taotie's speed. In the blink of an eye, it fell into the Taotie's grasp.
The Taotie grabbed the Golden Crow by the neck and leaped back to his original position. He nimbly plucked its feathers, a sight that instilled fear in all the demonic beasts. With a glance from the Taotie, they were utterly routed and scattered in all directions.
"Such little courage, yet you dare to come to my territory." The Taotie sneered, and in a few strokes, he stripped the Golden Crow into a bald chicken. The Golden Crow's screams echoed throughout the valley, sounding exceptionally tragic.
Xiao Man looked back, "Shouldn't you kill the chicken before plucking its feathers?"
"You wicked woman, you ate my wings, and you incited him to kill me! Aren't you afraid of being dismembered a thousand times!"
Xiao Man snorted dismissively, "Didn't you want to eat me all along? If you hadn't been thinking of eating me, you wouldn't have had your wings removed. The law of the jungle, isn't that always the rule in Du'an Mountain?"
"Taotie, this woman crawled out of the Ice Fire Spring, and she ate many heavenly treasures from the Ice Fire Spring. She's even tastier than me."
"You're a chicken, and she's human. Can they be compared?" The Taotie's hand moved swiftly, and he severed the Golden Crow's head with a single strike, bringing it to Xiao Man, "It's killed, and the feathers are all plucked. Roast it for me."
"Gut it, empty its belly, and clean it thoroughly." Xiao Man continued to repair the teleportation array. Only a little was left. By the time the Taotie finished, the teleportation array would also be repaired.
The Taotie glanced at Xiao Man with some disdain. Roasting a chicken was so troublesome. Back then, he wouldn't even pluck its feathers. However, for the sake of a delicious roasted chicken, he still followed her instructions. By the time he had finished preparing the Golden Crow, Xiao Man had just repaired the teleportation array.
"Hurry up and roast the chicken." The Taotie handed the Golden Crow in his hand to Xiao Man, his expression calm as he looked at the repaired teleportation array. With some skill, why was she thrown into this place?