Chapter 507 - 341: Seaside-Style Charcoal-Grilled Chicken

Chapter 507: Chapter 341: Seaside-Style Charcoal-Grilled Chicken

"Oppa, where do grouse usually hide? On the branches? I noticed you keep looking up."

"Shh, quiet down. Wild animals are very sensitive to sound. Things like black-tailed and white-tailed deer can easily detect noises from a kilometer or two away."

Lin Chen made a hushing gesture and pointed to the spruce branches and the bushes on the ground.

Jin Meiyan quickly covered her mouth and nodded to show she understood, her eyes immediately starting to scan those two areas.

After they walked forward for another few minutes, Lin Chen suddenly stopped. He pushed aside the dense weeds ahead, revealing a single grayish-white downy feather lying quietly among them.

Without him needing to explain, Jin Meiyan’s eyes lit up. She immediately got into a ready stance, vigilantly scanning her surroundings.

"Grouse hide quite well during the day. They only start moving around slowly when it gets dark. So don’t bother looking in open, obvious places. Just focus on searching the dense thickets, groves, and bushes."

With Lin Chen’s tip, Jin Meiyan shifted her focus to searching the ground.

While the spruce needles were dense, the branches themselves were relatively open—clearly not a good place for hiding.

Just as she was completely focused on finding their target, Lin Chen had already used his experience to locate the creature’s hiding spot.

He didn’t say anything. ’Discovering the prey and capturing it with your own hands is a complete package. You only get the maximum sense of accomplishment by finishing the entire process.’

’It’s a rare experience for her, and if possible, I don’t want to ruin it.’

He discreetly took half a step back and, from behind Jin Meiyan, pointed to the grouse’s hiding place for the camera. This would make it easier to add a hint during video editing and also serve to demonstrate his skill and consideration.

The main purpose of the "Free Fan Experience" series was promotion—to advertise that his wilderness guide service was experienced and that he took excellent care of his clients’ needs during the experience. This was how he would attract more tourists.

Fortunately, Jin Meiyan was a former trainee and had an almost instinctual awareness of the camera, so she noticed Lin Chen making subtle movements behind her.

She deliberately didn’t turn to look, having a vague idea of what was happening.

’Oppa has probably already found the prey but isn’t saying anything. He’s waiting for me to find it myself.’

This small detail warmed her heart. She secretly cheered herself on. ’I have to find that grouse!’

Judging by the fact that Lin Chen hadn’t turned around, she deduced the creature must be hidden somewhere in the one-hundred-and-eighty-degree area in front of her.

With this clear directional clue, she widened her eyes even more, focusing intently on every dense patch of grass and bushes, not letting a single blade of grass escape her notice.

Sure enough!

In an area where low bushes and weeds grew together, she faintly spotted a greyish-brown shadow.

The shadow was lying motionless in the grass, its color blending in almost perfectly with the branches of the bush. Without looking closely, it was impossible to tell that a living creature was hidden there.

The bush’s branches were thin and looked bare, with only a few vibrant green shoots sprouting from the tips.

’It’s hiding in there. It’ll probably be hard to hit with the slingshot; the shot could easily be blocked by the branches.’

In other words, this was a huge test of a Hunter’s aiming ability.

Her gaze was fixed on the shadow as she slowly raised her slingshot, her breath catching in her throat.

’No matter how many times I practiced before, that was just practice. This is the real deal. If I fail even once, the prey will run off and disappear. I only have one chance.’

As she drew the slingshot, fine beads of sweat had already appeared on her smooth forehead. She bit her lower lip, her expression strained with effort.

Her right hand, pinching the stone, was trembling uncontrollably. After getting into position, she found she couldn’t even draw the band back to her eye.

’My strength gave out?!’

Standing behind her, Lin Chen took in the whole scene and thought, ’This is bad.’

’This girl must have overdone it with practice on the way here and exhausted herself. Now, with the added tension and erratic breathing, she can’t muster any strength.’

But from the looks of it, she had no intention of giving up, showing a stubborn refusal to admit defeat.

’That’s the most troublesome part.’

’If she can’t keep her drawing hand steady, missing the shot would actually be the best-case scenario. It’s even possible the rubber band could snap back and injure her cheek or eye when she lets go.’

’For an influencer whose brand is her looks, she can get hurt anywhere but her face—especially since she grew up in appearance-anxious South Korea.’

At this thought, he no longer hesitated. Casting aside any worry about being misunderstood, he immediately took a step forward and reached out with both hands.

At that moment, Jin Meiyan also sensed that something was wrong. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t pull the slingshot’s band back to the proper position. Even gritting her teeth and using every last ounce of her strength, she could only bring it about a centimeter closer to her eye.

But that single, forced centimeter only made her right hand tremble more violently.

’If I let go now, I’ll definitely miss and startle the grouse.’

’But this is my first hunt ever. I acted so confident before... if I fail here...’

Just as she was struggling to hold on, a large hand suddenly appeared before her, gripping her own hand that held the slingshot’s handle.

At the same time, another hand, radiating a scorching heat, covered her right hand that was pulling the rubber band.

The rubber band, which had been shaking nonstop, stabilized in an instant and was drawn back by an overwhelming force.

She froze for a second, blinked, and only then did she feel the man’s searing body heat against her back and his warm breaths tickling the right side of her neck.

"Don’t space out. Aim!"

The man’s deep voice struck her heart like a clap of thunder. Jin Meiyan immediately snapped back to her senses, closed her left eye, and began to aim.

To her surprise, although the strength wasn’t her own, it seemed to be connected to her will. When she tried to make minute adjustments to her aim, his hands moved in perfect harmony with her intentions, as if they were her own.

WHOOSH—

A dark shadow flashed through the air, and a faint whistling sound echoed through the forest.

THWACK!

The stone dodged all the bush’s branches in its path and precisely struck the dark shadow through a gap.

Instantly, the curled-up grouse began to struggle, flapping its wings, but it was trapped by the dense branches and could only flutter frantically in place.

’I... I hit it?’

Before she could even react, Lin Chen had already darted forward, grabbed the still-struggling grouse, and pulled it out from the bushes by its feet.

Even held by its feet, the creature continued to flap its wings.

"Congratulations! You successfully hit your prey on your very first hunt!"

He held the grouse high, an encouraging smile on his face. "You have great aim. You got a direct headshot. Spinning in place and flapping its wings is a sign of a headshot. It’s actually already dead; those are just its body’s reflexive nerve reactions."

’Me?’

’A one-shot headshot?’

Jin Meiyan looked at the grouse, whose struggles were slowly weakening, then her gaze returned to the man’s face. A deep sense of gratitude welled up in her heart.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but after a moment, she changed her mind. Chin held high, she proudly flashed a peace sign at the camera.

"But of course! I’m a slingshot prodigy, you know~"

...

The setting sun gradually sank below the sea.

Atop the cliff, a bonfire blazed, its flames dyeing the entire sky red.

The two sat by the fire. Shellfish and crabs gathered from the seaside were simmering in a mess tin, bubbling away. Lin Chen held the butchered grouse, which was skewered on branches.

He had broken the grouse down into several pieces. The thicker parts, like the legs, were even partially deboned, then secured with sticks and placed near the fire to roast. A ring of red-hot charcoal was piled underneath, and the surface had been sprinkled with salt.

Lin Chen had several kinds of seasonings laid out beside him and was constantly basting the chicken with a brush.

As the glistening oil was brushed over the surface, the once-plain chicken meat instantly took on a delicious sheen, shimmering under the light of the open flame.

The pale chicken skin slowly turned yellow and then brown under the intense heat, at which point it was time to flip it over.

Next, he pulled a jar of a familiar red condiment from his backpack.

"Gochujang?!"

She never imagined Lin Chen would have brought a South Korean sauce with him. It was clearly prepared especially for her.

This kind of Korean chili paste just looks red but isn’t spicy at all. Add a little soybean paste and you get the kind of sauce used for bibimbap. Its main purpose is to add color and enhance flavor. Since it’s already seasoned, it can be spread directly on food as a substitute for soy sauce and salt.

Once the crimson chili paste was slathered on, the chicken’s color became even more appetizing. As it roasted over the high heat, the aroma of the gochujang mixed with the scent of chicken fat and drifted straight into her nostrils.

Having been hungry all day, she couldn’t possibly withstand such a temptation. She stared intently at the row of roasting chicken, which was constantly dripping with fat, and swallowed hard.

The roasted chicken Lin Chen was making was completely different from the Korean barbecue she was used to, and it didn’t bear any resemblance to American barbecue either. It was undoubtedly a Great Xia method, but with the addition of Korean sauce, it could be called fusion cuisine.

After roasting each side of the chicken legs for about five minutes, he began to apply a second coat of sauce, followed by cumin and chili powder, which was mixed with some sesame seeds.

Hit by the heat of the charcoal, the aromas of the cumin and sesame instantly exploded, making the ravenous girl sniff the air eagerly.

"It smells so good! The aroma is a bit like lamb skewers. Is that cumin powder?"

"Yes. Cumin powder and chili powder are staples in Great Xia barbecue. That’s the base; other seasonings are up to personal preference."

She watched as the chicken gradually transformed into a tempting sight, juices constantly dripping down onto the charcoal and making a wonderful SIZZLING sound.

Jin Meiyan rested her chin in her hands, her eyes full of curiosity.

"Oppa, why doesn’t the oil from the chicken legs catch fire when it drips down? I remember when I eat charcoal barbecue, it often flares up. Does it have to do with the salt you sprinkled on earlier?"

Lin Chen gave her a surprised look, then nodded with a smile. "I didn’t expect you to be so observant. That’s right. Sprinkling salt on the charcoal effectively prevents flare-ups caused by dripping fat. A flare-up creates smoke, which would blacken the meat and ruin its appearance and taste."