Chapter 005 Unique Flavor​​

Sunset Forest was one big expanse of woods.

Qin Qing walked for a while before spotting Yu Niang and her daughter searching for white stones, along with a white stone they had just picked up.

At first glance, the white stone looked ordinary. Only upon close inspection could one see the faint, luminous halo shimmering on its surface. You really had to look carefully to notice it.

She didn't know what these stones were actually good for, but in exchange, she'd only given away some nearly expired instant noodles. Even if they were useless, it didn't really matter.

"Immortal Master."

"No need for that," Qin Qing quickly waved her hand, seeing the mother and daughter about to kneel again. "No need for formalities in the future. That custom isn't practiced where I come from."

"Yes, Immortal Master." Yu Niang held her daughter back. Though they didn't kneel, she still curtseyed slightly.

Qin Qing didn't stop them this time. After all, she still needed to rely on the "immortal" title to navigate things here.

After meeting Yu Niang and her daughter, she continued walking. It took her nearly an hour to finally emerge from the woods. As those people had said, the forest was lush with vegetation but devoid of living animals. Clearly, there were secrets hidden within.

She hadn't expected the forest to be this vast, though. She'd thought it would take maybe ten minutes, but it ended up taking so long.

She pulled her phone from her pocket, glanced at the time, and leaned against a tree trunk, panting heavily. Thankfully, getting back didn't require walking. If she had to walk back, she reckoned she'd never step foot out of the forest again.

After walking a few more steps, she saw a tall mountain. Standing atop it and looking down, she saw yet another expanse of dense forest below, along with a distant river and a town.

The town looked somewhat dilapidated. Wisps of cooking smoke rose, indicating it wasn't particularly prosperous.

She took out her phone, opened the camera, zoomed the lens to maximum, and peered at the distant town through the screen. She finally made out the blurred figures of commoners moving about within.

Judging by the walking distance, getting from here to there would take at least half a day.

No way was she going. Absolutely not.

Qin Qing found a relatively clean large stone nearby and sat down to admire the scenery. Due to the sparse human presence, the surrounding landscape was beautiful. When the breeze blew, it carried exceptionally fresh air. With each breath, it felt like she was exhaling impurities from her body.

She took a few photos of the distance with her phone, then instinctively opened a social media app to upload them. Only then did she realize there was no signal. Disappointed, she stuffed the phone back into her pocket.

Just as she put it away, she spotted a squirrel leaping over from afar.

Qin Qing watched the squirrel for a moment and suddenly realized something. This proved small animals could survive here, meaning there should be some edible wild vegetables.

She looked around, found a small path that seemed trodden, got up, and walked in that direction.

The climate here was similar to back home. It was probably also spring turning to summer. The midday weather was warm, but luckily, the forest canopy provided ample shade. Walking along the path, she wasn't exposed to too much sun, so it wasn't overly hot.

With nothing better to do, she walked along, picking leaves, planning to make a specimen collection later. Leaf specimens from another world sounded fascinating.

After walking a while longer, she encountered several people coming towards her.

The moment they saw her, they froze, then immediately dropped to their knees.

Qin Qing stopped them. They all tightened their grips on the wild vegetables they were carrying. "Immortal Master, we... we came to pick some wild vegetables."

"Are they edible?" Qin Qing asked.

"Yes," one person immediately nodded. "We found a patch where the vegetables around it had been nibbled by small animals. We confirmed there were no animal carcasses before picking."

"Any fruit?" Qin Qing inquired. She was curious about what fruit looked like in this other world.

The group all shook their heads. "We found a few fruit trees laden with fruit, but they all looked perfect. Such good fruit untouched by animals means it must be inedible."

"And some fruits we saw were covered in thorns, like chestnuts," another person chimed in, emboldened by Qin Qing's approachable demeanor. "The fruits were huge, but we'd never seen them before and didn't dare eat them."

"Could I go take a look?" Qin Qing asked eagerly. "Unless you're in a hurry to get back?"

"No hurry, no hurry," they all quickly shook their heads. "Please, Immortal Master, accompany us."

After a brief back-and-forth, Qin Qing ended up walking behind them, with the group in front. Even with the dimensional supermarket as her advantage, she couldn't just turn her back on strangers.

It was another trek to the fruit location. Following the group, Qin Qing walked for about half an hour before arriving.

"Immortal Master, it's just ahead."

"It smells a bit."

Hearing this conversation, Qin Qing had a guess. She looked up and, upon seeing the actual fruit, her eyes crinkled into a smile.

Wasn't this thing just a durian? She hadn't expected durians to exist in another world too.

"Could someone pick one down?" she asked.

The moment she spoke, someone immediately volunteered, quickly climbed the tree, and soon brought down a large durian.

However, as the durian descended, its potent smell came with it. Several people instinctively covered their noses.

Qin Qing didn't find it smelly. Instead, she found the aroma unique. She urged someone to open the durian.

"Immortal Master, is this thing edible?"

"You can try it in a moment," Qin Qing's gaze remained fixed on the durian. Seeing a large section of durian flesh revealed, her eyes sparkled. "But not everyone might find it palatable."

She took the durian, broke off a small piece for herself, and handed the rest to the group.

They exchanged hesitant glances but ultimately steeled themselves and each took a small piece.

Qin Qing took a bite first. As it entered her mouth, her eyes lit up even more. Unexpectedly, this otherworldly durian tasted even better than the ones she usually ate – creamy, fragrant, soft. Just one piece wasn't enough.

She looked up at the tree laden with durians, and a feeling of bliss washed over her.

Just then, the others also tentatively tasted the durian. Though they started with furrowed brows, after tasting it, their expressions relaxed.

Not everyone can adapt to durian's flavor, but these people hadn't tasted many delicacies. The durian smelled pungent, but its taste was unexpectedly pleasant and easier to accept. Moreover, this durian tasted even better than the ones Qin Qing was used to.

"It really is edible!"

"So delicious!"

"Who would have thought something that smells like this could taste so fragrant! And with so much flesh in just one fruit, and so many fruits on the tree, does this mean we can eat well for quite a while?"

At this point, everyone looked up, their gazes fixed on the durians in the tree with even more fervor than Qin Qing's.

"I'll do it! I'm good at climbing!"

"Me too, I can climb that one over there!"

Men and women, anyone who could climb, rolled up their sleeves. Before Qin Qing could say anything, they were already scrambling up the durian trees, starting to pick the large fruits.

Not daring to drop them, they had to climb up and down for each fruit. In half an hour, they picked over twenty durians.

"That's enough," Qin Qing stopped those still eager to climb. "Leave the rest for later, so they don't spoil."

They turned back, looking at the pile of durians on the ground with deep satisfaction. Gazing at the tree still heavy with fruits untouched by birds or beasts, they nodded. "Alright, we'll come back later."

"Immortal Master, please take this fruit..."

"I'll take two durians. The rest are for you," Qin Qing picked two from the pile on the ground, stored them in her space, then looked up at their astonished faces and smiled slightly. "I'll head back first. Take your time."

With that, she clicked "Return to Shop," instantly transporting herself back to the dimensional supermarket.

The moment Qin Qing vanished, everyone began looking around frantically.

"Where is the Immortal Master?"

"Did the Immortal Master return to Heaven?"

"Nonsense! The Immortal Master said 'returned,' she must have gone back to that beautiful house. Truly an immortal's power, returning in an instant."

"Let's hurry and take these fruits back. With these, everyone can eat a bit more tonight."

"Not fruits," someone corrected. "The Immortal Master said this thing is called durian."

"Right, durian! We're so lucky! Not only did the Immortal Master save our lives, but she also guided us to such a good thing. Without the Immortal Master, how would we know this smelly thing was edible?"

"Exactly! No wonder birds and beasts don't eat it. With such a thick rind, ordinary animals probably couldn't even bite through it. Everyone, grab two."

"If only we could have the Immortal Master's power! Those two fruits disappeared instantly too."

"An immortal's power isn't for ordinary folks! Even the old emperor seeks immortality! If the emperor can't achieve it, how could we? I just want enough to eat and drink."

"I want a bit more. I want to be full and warm. That would be enough. If I can't be warm, I hope the winter is mild. Or failing that, I hope I die quickly so I don't freeze for too long."

"I heard winters here in the south are warmer."

"When we can eat our fill, we'll find some unclaimed land nearby to reclaim and farm. Then we can sell the grain, trade for some hemp cloth, build a strong fire, and ward off the cold. There's plenty of wood around here, if nothing else."

"I really thought I was going to die before."

"We all did. But luckily we met the Immortal Master and found these big fruits. They'll last us a long time."

"It's durian. The Immortal Master said it's durian."

"Right, durian fruit. Whatever the Immortal Master says, it is."

Qin Qing placed the newly acquired durians by the cash register, took out her keys, and unlocked the glass door.

"What are you doing resting at noon? I remember you never used to take naps!"

"Xiaoshuang! You're home?!"

"Came home to lie flat," Wei Xiaoshuang replied with a smile, then her nose twitched. "Durian smell?"

"Perfect timing! Have some durian," Qin Qing laughed, welcoming Wei Xiaoshuang into the store. "I'm telling you, this is the best durian I've ever eaten."

"Really? That good?"

"Not exaggerating, just telling the truth. You'll know once you try it."

"Well then, I won't hold back! Hehe."