Chapter 29: A Stone Pot

Qiao Yitong looked at Deng You’s expression and knew he had been completely hijacked by his own appetite.

This look was not unfamiliar to her from her past life.

In that wasteland world where food was scarce, she had insisted on walking the most difficult path of a Culinary Cultivator precisely because of the status it afforded in such a world.

Because food was hard to find, the birth of a good Culinary Cultivator was extremely rare.

But once one emerged, they were sought after by everyone.

People would trade all sorts of precious items just for a single gourmet meal.

High officials and nobles would fight over her. Gluttony might sound like a base desire, but it was often enough to hold a person’s heart hostage.

Qiao Yitong glanced calmly at Deng You and said, “Fine. Just do your work.”

Having received permission, Deng You was visibly delighted. “Don’t worry, Sister Tong. I’ll definitely work hard.”

• I’m dazed. How did Deng You turn into a completely different person the moment he got to Qiao Yitong? –

• Exactly. When he was with Shisan, he wouldn’t sit if he could lie down, and he’d slack off whenever possible. Why does he look like he’s afraid of not getting enough work to do here with Qiao Yitong? –

• Could it be that our Sister Tong has some special dog-training techniques? –

• Pfft, hahaha, what the hell are “dog-training techniques”? But why do I actually find that so fitting? –

Qiao Yitong finished setting things up on her end and checked the time. It was getting late; it was time to continue exploring the mountains.

She looked at the returning Lu Cheng and said, “Deng You and I are going into the mountains. You wait for us here.”

Lu Cheng, who had just finished burying the fish bones, felt like his world was ending.

How did Deng You get closer to Sister Tong in such a short amount of time?

Why did he get to have close contact with Sister Tong and go into the mountains while Lu Cheng had to stay behind?

Did Sister Tong think he was inferior to Deng You?

Lu Cheng felt like he was falling apart.

“Sister Tong, why can’t I go with you?” Lu Cheng asked, his voice sounding a bit pitiful.

“If he stays, I won’t feel at ease,” Qiao Yitong said.

Here, she had not only the bamboo house she’d built but also the seasonings she had just prepared. If someone stayed behind and destroyed her work, she would be truly angry.

She wasn’t familiar with Deng You.

Therefore, it was better to take him away to do some manual labor.

She preferred to leave these more important matters to someone she trusted.

Lu Cheng froze for a moment after hearing this, but then he immediately brightened up.

Sister Tong said she wouldn’t be at ease if Deng You stayed behind. Didn’t that mean she felt more at ease with him?

As expected, he was still more important than Deng You.

Once Lu Cheng figured this out, he felt much better. “Alright, Sister Tong. I’ll wait for you here. Be careful on the way.”

“Mm,” Qiao Yitong nodded.

Qiao Yitong set off with Deng You. Each carrying a backpack, they plunged into the jungle.

For Qiao Yitong, having an extra person like Deng You wasn’t a bad thing.

In her past life, when she reached the “Void Shattering¹” realm, she automatically gained the ability to open a personal dimension for storage. No matter how much she needed to carry, it was just a wave of her hand.

But things were different now.

In the process of exploring this island, even if she found valuable things, what she could carry back with her own two hands was very limited.

With an extra person, she could bring back double the supplies.

With this in mind, whenever Qiao Yitong saw edible fruit along the way, she would pluck it and toss it to Deng You behind her, letting him put it in the bag.

Deng You followed behind Qiao Yitong like a little lackey, picking up items.

He occasionally glanced up at Qiao Yitong. The two of them had barely exchanged a word since they started, but during this process, Deng You’s judgment of Qiao Yitong underwent a subtle shift.

As someone who spent all his time on the internet and relied entirely on the web to understand the world, Deng You was all too familiar with the online reputation of Qiao Yitong.

A bully who used her influence to oppress others, had a terrible temper, and loved acting like a big shot.

“Very difficult to get along with; stay away if possible.”

That was the judgment and label Deng You had placed on Qiao Yitong.

However, through these few days of interaction, his perception of her had changed.

Qiao Yitong gave off a very cold impression. From the moment they set off until now, she hadn’t said a single unnecessary word. Her manner was indifferent, a bone-deep detachment that suggested nothing had anything to do with her.

Yet, the overbearing arrogance everyone talked about hadn’t appeared at all. It simply didn’t happen.

It seemed the online rumors about her were biased.

Just like the framing incident he had discovered, perhaps she was also a victim.

Thinking this, Deng You lost the initial ill will he’d held toward Qiao Yitong.

Qiao Yitong was still picking fruit. Deng You felt it wasn’t right for him to just stand there carrying things while she did all the work, so he stepped forward to pick a fruit himself.

“Don’t move,” Qiao Yitong stopped him directly.

“Huh?” Deng You’s hand froze. Though he didn’t know why, he was indeed startled into stillness by her sharp command.

“It’s poisonous,” Qiao Yitong said.

Deng You snapped his hand back, feeling a lingering fear.

After scolding him, Qiao Yitong ignored him and continued picking fruit from the adjacent branch.

Deng You watched for a while before he finally couldn’t help but ask, “Sister Tong, isn’t the one you’re picking the same as the one I was going for? Why did you say it’s poisonous?”

He was genuinely curious. The trees were growing right next to each other; where was the difference?

Qiao Yitong glanced at him.

She didn’t explain much. She picked a few more to ensure they had enough fruit for the next two days, then picked up two leaves from the ground to cushion her hand. She reached out and plucked a fruit from the tree Deng You had reached for.

Deng You raised an eyebrow, wanting to tell her to be careful as well.

But remembering how experienced Qiao Yitong seemed—clearly on a different level than him—he realized she didn’t need his reminder and kept his mouth shut.

Qiao Yitong held the two fruits out in front of Deng You.

Deng You looked at them seriously, but the more he looked, the more confused he became.

Putting them together only made them look even more identical.

What was wrong?

The next moment, Qiao Yitong flipped her hand, turning both fruits over.

“I still think they…” This time, before Deng You could finish his sentence, his pupils suddenly constricted.

No, they weren’t the same.

Although the two fruits looked nearly identical, at the position of the fruit’s navel, the non-toxic one had five segments, while the toxic one had six.

Deng You wasn’t sure if his theory was correct or if it was just a coincidence. Mimicking Qiao Yitong’s actions, he used two leaves to shield his hands and picked several more of the toxic fruits.

Sure enough, the navel sections were all six-segmented.

He checked the non-toxic fruits again; every single one had five segments.

It was a minuscule difference, but the consequences of accidental ingestion would be unimaginable.

Deng You tossed the fruit away with a lingering sense of dread. When he looked at Qiao Yitong, although he was not the type to express himself easily, a deep sense of admiration began to spread through his eyes.

“Let’s go,” Qiao Yitong said. It was time to find the next item.

“Mm.” This time, Deng You didn’t even realize that his feelings toward Qiao Yitong had deepened. It was the recognition and submission one felt toward the strong, a sincere respect born from the bottom of his heart.

• Am I blind? Don’t these look exactly the same? Why can’t I see any difference at all? –

• Me neither. I specifically skipped back to take another look. The segments at the navel of these two fruits are indeed different. –

• I specialize in botany. This fruit is called the Cryptospina Fruit, a plant unique to tropical island regions. It belongs to the Rosaceae family, genus Cryptospina. The fruit is sweet, round, and plump, with a pale green skin that turns slightly yellowish when ripe, roughly the size of a walnut. But the amazing thing about this fruit is that depending on the pollination during growth, the alkaloid content varies, resulting in two states. One is the edible Cryptospina Fruit, which is darker in color with five segments at the base; the other is inedible, with six segments at the base. –

• Furthermore, this alkaloid, known as Cryptospina toxin, causes symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and intestinal discomfort in the early stages if ingested. If left untreated, the toxin affects the nervous system, leading to dizziness and numbness in the limbs. In severe cases, it can be life-threatening. –

• So you must identify it carefully if you encounter this plant in the wild! –

• !!! The expert above is amazing. Learned something new today. –

• It’s actually toxic? So everything Qiao Yitong said was right? –

• Wait, isn’t this knowledge a bit too obscure? She’s just an actress, how does she know so much? –

• All I can say is that Deng You running to pledge his loyalty to Qiao Yitong immediately was definitely the smartest decision he’s made since arriving on the island. Otherwise, he might have already eaten that thing. That first-aid kit they brought wouldn’t have been able to save him at all. He’d be dead. –

• Before, I was just impressed by Sister Tong’s combat prowess, but now I’m completely kneeling to her brain. Just how much knowledge is stored in there! –

• I can only say that in a Deserted Island Survival environment, knowledge is far too important. Compare them to Shisan and the others earlier. Was there really nothing when they were looking for food? Obviously not! It’s because they didn’t recognize those things, so when they encountered unknown fruits, they’d rather go hungry than risk eating them. –

• The power of knowledge… –

After Qiao Yitong gave Deng You a brief explanation, the two continued deeper into the woods.

The environment deep inside was somewhat complex. Towering trees stood in dense clusters, some even blotting out the sun, leaving only a few stray beams to filter through the gaps and cast mottled patterns of light and shadow on the ground.

Walking here, the air seemed to grow chilly.

Ever since entering this area, Deng You felt as if his body was shivering slightly.

Instinctively, he didn’t want to go any further, but Qiao Yitong didn’t stop. Gritting his teeth, he continued to follow.

He merely tightened his grip on his backpack straps, resisting the trepidation in his heart.

The two took a few more steps forward when Qiao Yitong suddenly halted. She looked at the claw marks left on the ground, pausing for a moment in hesitation.

“Sister Tong, what’s wrong?” Deng You asked when he saw her stop.

“There’s an animal.” Qiao Yitong crouched down, brushing away the leaves scattered over the claw marks.

She appeared relaxed and natural, but watching her move made Deng You’s entire body tense up.

One had to remember they were currently on a deserted island in the wilderness. Moreover, Sister Tong had only brought a small dagger when they set out, having left the machete behind because she thought it was too bulky.

If they really ran into something, they wouldn’t be able to fight it off at all.

“Wild boar,” Qiao Yitong said.

Deng You’s muscles tightened even further.

A wild boar! Deng You felt his palms begin to sweat.

Before entering the deserted island, they had all undergone a series of training sessions.

The words of the coach before they landed were still deeply etched in Deng You’s mind.

“Do not underestimate any creature on the island. It is best to avoid them all. Take the wild boar, for example. Some of you might have seen domestic pigs and think they aren’t a challenge, but wild boars are different. An adult wild boar can weigh one to two hundred kilograms. They have thick skin, dense muscle, and incredible brute strength. Once provoked, they can easily snap a tree as thick as a bowl. If a human is hit head-on, they will likely suffer severe injuries and internal bleeding.”

Thinking of this, Deng You felt his scalp go numb.

“Sister Tong, maybe we should leave quickly…” he advised cautiously.

Before he could finish, Qiao Yitong’s subsequent mutterings nearly made his composure crumble.

“Huh? This mark… is it a tiger?”

Deng You: ?!!

His instinct was already telling him to run. Although he had pledged his loyalty to Qiao Yitong, he valued his life even more.

Qiao Yitong stood up, looking in the direction where the tracks disappeared with a hint of regret.

As a Culinary Cultivator, it was her lifelong pursuit to have a wide variety of ingredients to create all kinds of delicacies.

If she could hunt this wild boar, she could experiment with many things.

It was just a pity that with a tiger in the vicinity, she couldn’t take the risk.

Currently, her Spiritual Power was only at about 50 points. With this level of ability, she could only protect herself against a tiger; she didn’t have the energy to look after anyone else.

Therefore, it was better to come alone when the opportunity arose.

Qiao Yitong shook her head with a hint of regret and stood up. “Let’s go, let’s check out other areas.”

And so, the two of them picked as they walked.

Before long, their backpacks were stuffed full.

While Qiao Yitong discovered something similar to ginger and knelt down to dig it up, a relaxed Deng You looked around. Suddenly, his gaze fixed on a bird’s nest in a tree, and he froze.

Based on his childhood experience of raiding nests…

There were very likely eggs in there!

“Sister Tong, you keep digging. I’m going up to take a look; I think there’s something up there,” Deng You said.

Qiao Yitong didn’t look up. “Mm.”

Deng You set his bag on the ground, rolled up his sleeves, and began to climb.

Raiding bird nests was indeed one of his specialties. Although he had been a shut-in for several years and his athletic abilities had somewhat regressed, he was still quite fast at climbing.

When he reached the height of the nest, he peered inside.

His eyes immediately lit up.

There were five eggs!

What a luxury; they could have an extra dish tonight.

Happy, Deng You carefully reached out, picked up the eggs one by one, and tucked them into his jacket pocket.

After succeeding, he began to climb down bit by bit.

Perhaps it was because he hadn’t exercised in too long and lacked physical stamina, or perhaps his foot truly slipped.

Halfway down, his sole lost its grip, his hand failed to hold tight, and his entire body began to plummet.

Deng You’s heart leaped into his throat.

It’s over.

In that instant, that was the only thought in his mind.

But unexpectedly, the moment he fell, Qiao Yitong, who had been crouching on the ground digging, suddenly launched upward. In two or three strides, she reached the base of the tree.

She kicked off the trunk with her left leg, propelling herself into the air. When she was level with the falling Deng You, she reached out and grabbed his collar, breaking his momentum. The two of them landed steadily together.

Deng You’s feet hit the ground, and he staggered for a moment before finding his balance.

Still gripped by lingering fear, he looked at Qiao Yitong with shock and uncertainty.

“Th… thank you.” Scared nearly out of his wits, Deng You thanked her instinctively.

Qiao Yitong let go of him and knelt back down to continue digging for ginger.

She didn’t take the casual rescue to heart at all.

Deng You: “…”

He looked at the nonchalant Qiao Yitong, who acted as if nothing had happened, and then at the bird eggs in his pocket.

After a long while, a look of utter confusion crossed his face.

What… just happened?

As the person involved, Deng You only knew he had been saved; he had no idea what had actually transpired.

However, the audience in front of their screens saw everything clearly.

• What was that just now! Why do I feel like I just saw Qiao Yitong fly? –

• Exactly! How did she reach the tree in the blink of an eye and then whoosh, fly up? –

• Why did it feel like Sister Tong was hovering in the air when she caught Deng You’s collar? It was like she could fly! –

• (English Comment) Kung Fu! Kung Fu! Chinese Kung Fu! Mom, I saw the real thing! They weren’t lying, it’s amazing! I’ve never seen this before! –

• Never mind you, I’ve never seen anything like this either! –

• What on earth is Qiao Yitong’s background? Help! What kind of “ordinary little actress” can do this stuff? –

• You’re all shocked by Qiao Yitong’s abilities, but I just want to say, the production crew really needs to thank her! This is the second time she’s saved someone. If not for Qiao Yitong, this show would already have one death and one injury. –

…

The production crew did indeed need to thank Qiao Yitong.

But it wasn’t just for the life-saving.

They had originally thought today would be an unremarkable day with no viral moments worth hyping up.

But today, Qiao Yitong’s flying rescue and those movements that looked like genuine Qinggong² sent the show straight to the top of the trending searches again.

#QiaoYitongQinggong#

The hashtag appeared across all major platforms within half an hour of the incident.

At first, netizens thought it was just promotion for some TV drama, but after clicking on it and realizing it was actual live footage from a variety show, they were stunned.

• Holy crap, is this really not special effects? I don’t have a VPN and didn’t watch the stream. Can the family who watched the live tell me if this is CGI? Or is the crew playing tricks? Was she actually on wires? –

• I’m coming from the livestream, and I can tell you, it was all real! Deng You falling was a pure accident; even we viewers didn’t see it coming! –

• Yeah, I didn’t even have time to react, my heart was just pounding. Right then, our Sister Tong was like a goddess descending to earth, catching him directly. –

• Those movements should be impossible, right? –

• No, no, no. As a parkour athlete, I can responsibly tell you that a top-tier parkour player could do it. But mind you, I said top-tier! –

• I still think the mystery of how much strength Qiao Yitong has is unsolved. Lifting that log with one hand was already ridiculous, but look at that move just now. She caught the rapidly falling Deng You with one hand. No matter how thin he is, he must weigh at least a hundred pounds, yet he was like a little chick in Sister Tong’s hand. –

• Waaaaah, I’m so jealous of Deng You! I want to be carried by Sister Tong too. –

• To the person above, I think you actually want to be hugged by Sister Tong, don’t you? –

• So what if I do? My Sister Tong is beautiful, kind, strong, and smart. If I don’t want her to hold me, do I want to be held by you smelly men? –

• …Fair point. –

A single trending topic caused the variety show’s popularity to skyrocket. Simultaneously, Qiao Yitong’s follower count shot up like a rocket.

However, none of this concerned Qiao Yitong herself, who was still on the island.

She finished digging up what she needed, completely stuffing her backpack, and said to Deng You, “Let’s go.”

Deng You hadn’t yet recovered from the shock and followed her back woodenly.

It wasn’t until they returned to the seashore and the sea breeze blew against him that Deng You felt a jolt and his senses finally returned.

He hurried a few steps forward to catch up. His expression was now completely different from when he had first approached Qiao Yitong for a trade; now, his eyes were filled with nothing but respect and fanatical admiration.

Others might not have recognized that expression, but Lu Cheng knew it better than anyone.

It was the exact same look he’d had on his face when Sister Tong rescued him just two days ago!

He understood the weight of the emotion behind that look better than anyone else, and his heart tightened at the sight.

As he drew closer, he heard Deng You’s words with painful clarity.

“Sister Tong, thank you for everything today. I’m not an ungrateful person. You saved me today, and I will definitely repay that debt. If you ever need anything in the future, I’ll do my absolute best to help, regardless of the cost,” Deng You said to Qiao Yitong, his tone solemn.

Lu Cheng was stunned.

Wait, they’d only been gone for half a day. What on earth happened?

He knew it. He knew he shouldn’t have let Sister Tong go out alone with someone else, or something was bound to happen.

And now look.

In just half a day, a rival had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Lu Cheng shot Deng You a fierce, warning glare, but Deng You simply looked away, ignoring him entirely.

This only made Lu Cheng more furious.

He ground his teeth in frustration.

However, he hadn’t forgotten his main purpose. As Qiao Yitong walked back toward the base, Lu Cheng suddenly remembered what he had spent the afternoon working on. He caught up to her and said, “By the way, Sister Yitong, look at this!”

Qiao Yitong followed his gaze, and her eyelids twitched in surprise.

In Lu Cheng’s hands was a Stone Pot!

“Didn’t you mention a couple of days ago that we were missing a pot? While I was optimizing the fishing baskets today and looking for materials, I happened to find this large chunk of granite. Granite is hard, heat-resistant, and conducts heat well, making it an ideal material for a Stone Pot. We got really lucky, too; the original shape was already very close to a pot. I just polished it up a bit, so it should be usable.”

Qiao Yitong took the Stone Pot. Although her face didn’t show much excitement, her heart was filled with delight.

While one could make many types of food with just ingredients and no cookware, having a proper tool was like a swordsman receiving a legendary blade. The possibilities of what she could create had just expanded significantly.

“What do you think? Do you like it, Sister Tong?” Lu Cheng asked with a smile.

As he spoke, he hid his hands behind his back, concealing the blood blisters that covered his palms.

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Translator’s Notes

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1. Void Shattering: A high-level cultivation realm (Pòkōng). In many xianxia systems, reaching this stage signifies a level of power where the cultivator can manipulate space, often allowing them to create personal storage dimensions or travel across vast distances instantly. ↩
2. Qinggong: A common technique in Chinese martial arts and wuxia fiction, literally meaning ‘light body skill.’ It allows practitioners to move with extreme speed and agility, perform gravity-defying leaps, and run across surfaces like water or thin branches. In the context of a modern setting, the audience is shocked because such skills are usually considered fictional or exaggerated. ↩