Farming In The Eastern Cultivation World-Chapter 51: Hunting and Cooking

A young man forced to leave his hometown, escaping to a remote mountain village in disgrace—Im Beomhyeon must have felt terrible about it, right?

But just then, Im Beomhyeon suddenly lifted his brows high and grinning widely.

"So what if I never go back to that city? I’m perfectly happy living here now! Let them do whatever they want—I don’t care about anything anymore!"

With that, he burst into laughter and strode forward at an increasing pace.

Bok Taejin stared in stunned silence as Im Beomhyeon walked so fast that his figure was almost out of sight.

He quickly picked up his pace and jogged after him.

But Im Beomhyeon was fast, and with the large kitchen just a short distance away, Bok Taejin’s chase led him straight to the kitchen’s entrance.

There, he saw Im Beomhyeon standing by the earthen stove while holding a bowl of steaming hot soup, blowing on it with quick breaths.

After just two puffs, he took a small sip, only to get burned, prompting him to keep blowing—both to ease the burn in his mouth and to cool the soup faster.

Next to Im Beomhyeon stood Seo Sowoo, also drinking soup, but he held a bowl in each hand.

Unlike Im Beomhyeon, who was entirely focused on his soup, Seo Sowoo had been keeping an eye out for Bok Taejin.

The moment he spotted him, Seo Sowoo eagerly waved him over.

As soon as Bok Taejin approached, Seo Sowoo smiled and passed him the bowl in his left hand—it was filled to about eighty percent and hadn’t been touched.

Im Beomhyeon only then noticed Bok Taejin’s arrival.

He gave him a slight nod of acknowledgment before continuing to drink his soup in earnest.

It wasn’t surprising that Im Beomhyeon behaved this way.

He was someone who believed that nothing was more important than eating, and this head mushroom soup smelled so rich and fragrant that it filled the entire open area.

Bok Taejin had inhaled the aroma the whole way here, and his stomach had started growling uncontrollably from the temptation.

It was no wonder that nearly everyone in the area had already grabbed a bowl of soup—except for those who were too busy to stop working.

This was unheard of.

Even the most shameless foodie, Im Beomhyeon, had always needed to beg, scheme, or steal just to sneak a bite before the meal officially started.

Normally, the main event only began when everyone was seated and the dishes were served.

Bok Taejin didn’t care if the soup was still too hot—he took a small sip right away.

Before the hunting team had brought back the head mushrooms, the village had already started simmering a broth with bones.

Once cleaned, the mushrooms were added to the broth.

The head mushrooms were naturally tender and didn’t need to be simmered as long as large bones did, which required hours of cooking to extract their nutrients into the broth and allow the fats to blend into the soup for a richer, more fragrant taste.

Despite the short time the mushrooms had spent in the broth, their umami essence had already infused into it, mixing with the original meaty and marrow-rich flavors of the bone broth and the natural fresh fragrance of wild mushrooms from the mountain forests.

The bone broth alone might become cloying after drinking too much, but this soup was so light and delicious that no one could get enough—it even had an appetite-stimulating effect.

The head mushrooms had a sweet nature and were beneficial for the five internal organs, aiding digestion and nourishing the body.

Bok Taejin wasn’t as accustomed as the villagers to having an abundance of meat and fatty foods at every meal.

In his previous life, although he was somewhat of a foodie, he never passing up the chance to indulge in delicious food.

However, after experiencing too many rich meals, he had come to prefer light, simple vegetables in his daily diet.

And in this life, having lived in a mountaintop monastery for so long, his meals primarily consisted of grains—plain rice, noodles, and other staples to fill his stomach.

He was even less used to the heavy diet of rich meats and fish.

Bok Taejin’s stomach was still holding up, thanks to his cultivation of the Life and Death Technique.

Even so, he still felt some discomfort in his gut.

The moment the head mushroom soup entered his stomach, most of the discomfort dissipated, reinforcing his certainty that he would once again overeat tonight.

As expected, the most sought-after dish at dinner was the head mushrooms soup.

Although they were mixed into the large pot of soup residue along with other nourishing herbs, making them not immediately visible, everyone was still eager to dig them out and eat them.

Dining in Hwayang Village might appear casual, with everyone sitting warmly together, but there were still some unspoken rules—one of which was that no one should pick and choose from the dishes at the table.

The soup residue, in most cases, was left over because its essence had already seeped into the soup.

By the time it was scooped out, it had been simmered to the point of being mushy and flavorless.

Typically, no one was keen to eat it; they would only finish it if possible, and whatever remained would be fed to the village dogs.

However, today, the soup residue was the first thing to be cleaned out.

Bok Taejin wasn’t particularly experienced in eating the head mushrooms soup, making it even harder for him to find the few hidden pieces among the mushy soup residue.

In the end, he only managed to get one.

After finishing the meal, he couldn’t help but rub his stomach unceremoniously.

With plenty of rice, an abundance of dishes, and unlimited meat, and with everyone else at the table eating heartily, how could he not follow suit and end up stuffed?

Seo Sowoo saw him like this and burst into laughter.

After laughing, he said, "You look exactly like Beomhyeon when he first arrived in the village."