Chapter 187: Inexplicable Good Luck
Seraphina didn’t even look up, directly waved her hand to refuse, her fingers tightly clutching the edge of the wooden bowl.
"The roads are already hard to travel in the rainy season, taking a detour wastes too much time. Dad is still waiting in the Fox Clan’s territory, I don’t even know how he is now, how dare I delay for a bit of salt?"
Her tone was urgent, her heart felt like it was on fire.
Wyatt Yardley saw her determination and didn’t persuade her further.
But a hint of heartache appeared in his dark red eyes.
The males could hold on for a few days, but he was afraid Seraphina couldn’t take it.
Though she was stubborn, her body wasn’t as resilient as those who traveled frequently outside.
Long-distance travel combined with mental tension would eventually take its toll.
Kaelan Hawthorne lowered his head and muttered softly, "It’s all my fault, I should have mentioned it earlier..."
As he spoke, he twisted the corner of his clothes, his face full of regret.
Isaac Vaughn frowned, his eyes darting around, thinking hard.
Besides the sea, where else in the mountains could they find salt?
Gideon Larkin scratched his ear, muttering under his breath.
"How about I take a walk outside? What if I stumble upon a wild beast’s lair storing salt?"
"Forget it, beasts don’t eat salt, why would they hoard such things."
Evan Orwell immediately interrupted, his gaze calm.
He was always pragmatic, disliking ungrounded speculations.
"Drink the soup first, when on the road, check the crevices along the stones, some places may have salt crystals, which can be used in emergencies."
Seraphina acknowledged, but had no appetite.
She sat there holding the bowl, a few leaves floating on the soup, looking pathetically bland.
The tasteless soup going down her throat was no different from drinking water.
With so much on her mind, she felt weighed down.
She subconsciously glanced at the cave’s inner wall, stopping when her gaze landed on a stone near the fire.
In that moment, she couldn’t move her sight away.
The stone was pale white, its surface shimmering.
It was completely different from the surrounding dull gray rock walls.
When light hit it, it even reflected a faint glow.
A line from a book suddenly popped into her head.
It said sometimes there could be natural salt stones hidden in the crevices or walls of deep forests, feeling rough to the touch.
She put down the bowl and slowly walked over, gently rubbing her fingertip over the stone.
After feeling it for a few moments, she noticed the color in this area was different from the other rocks, slightly pale.
So she lightly scratched it with her fingernail.
Some fine powder fell off, accumulating on her fingertip.
Indeed, the texture was different from other rocks, slightly gritty.
The powder emitted a faint sound when rubbed between her fingers.
She leaned in for a closer look, the powder was faintly white, evenly textured, without soil or impurities.
An idea took form in her mind, but she wanted to confirm it.
She hesitated for a moment, dipped a bit of powder, carefully licking it with the tip of her tongue.
The moment the powder touched her tongue, a distinct sharp sensation emerged.
The flavor quickly spread through her mouth.
She smacked her lips, tried again, confirming she wasn’t mistaken.
A familiar salty bitterness burst forth, just like regular salt!
The taste was direct and clear.
Previously, they relied on boiling seawater to obtain a small amount of coarse salt.
That salt always had a bitter taste and contained many impurities.
But the powder before her had pure saltiness without any distracting flavors.
"It’s really salt!"
Seraphina’s eyes lit up, she turned to shout at everyone, her voice trembling with excitement.
"This is edible salt! We don’t have to worry anymore!"
Wyatt Yardley was the first to come over, finger traced a circle on the stone, and tasted some powder.
After confirming the taste, he withdrew his hand, his expression becoming more serious.
A gleam flashed in his dark red eyes, his previously tense expression finally relaxed.
"It’s really salt. Seraphina, you sure have a knack for finding such hidden treasures."
After saying this, he casually ruffled Seraphina’s head and exhaled a long breath of relief.
With the journey’s tension these past days and insufficient supplies, he had constantly worried about their stamina.
With this stable salt source, their diet would improve, reducing the pressure of the journey ahead.
No need for detours, no need to worry about exhaustion, this would save them a big trouble.
Isaac Vaughn took a few steps over, fingers picked up some salt powder, testing it in his mouth.
He chewed a few times, carefully discerning the components.
His pale purple eyes lit up instantly.
"This is really salt! And it’s exceptionally clean, purer than what I got from boiling seawater."
He raised his hand, using spiritual power, light patterns emerged in his palm.
The rotation of the light patterns gradually accelerated, forming a thin energy layer adhering to the rock wall.
Without much effort, the entire block of salt came off neatly from the wall, without crumbling.
He handed the salt over to Kaelan Hawthorne.
"Here, keep it. Scrape some off whenever you need it."
Kaelan took it with both hands, its weight apparent.
It was much larger than the small pieces Isaac usually made, with a smooth, glossy surface.
He flipped it over to inspect the back, its cut was smooth, with a tightly packed crystal structure.
Such high-quality salt mines were extremely rare.
Usually requiring a specific geological setting to form.
Looking at the salt, he thought to himself how absurd Seraphina’s luck seemed.
Encountering beasts could yield Crystal Cores, and during salt scarcity, she could actually dig out a natural salt mine in a cave.
Kaelan scraped a bit of fine salt from it by the side of a bowl.
First sprinkling some in Seraphina’s bowl, then adding a bit for each person.
For each addition, he controlled the amount to avoid overwhelming the taste.
As the salt grains hit the hot soup, they dissolved, transforming the previously flavorless broth.
The aroma of chicken and mushroom mixed with a slight spice rose up, irresistibly enticing.
Everyone sat up straight without realizing, eyes fixed on their bowls.
"Wow! This flavor is fantastic!"
Gideon Larkin took a gulp, his icy blue eyes lighting up instantly.
"Adding salt makes all the difference! It’s unbelievable how you find such treasures just by entering a cave!"
Evan Orwell sipped his soup, a thoughtful glimmer passing through his amber eyes.
This scene reminded him of many things that had happened before.
She always managed to avoid danger and gain unexpected benefits at the most unpredictable times.
This inexplicable good fortune seemed to suit her quite well.
Wyatt Yardley remained silent, sitting by Seraphina’s side without moving.
He watched her bowl for a few seconds.
Then he reached out to pick up chopsticks, choosing the most tender piece of chicken from the pot.
Seraphina sipped her soup, feeling the warmth through the bowl.
The salinity was just right, warmth spreading from her stomach.
The cold on her body gradually dissipated.
The heaviness pressing on her heart these past days finally eased.
The stiffness left her limbs, no longer did her back cling to damp clothing.
Outside, the rain continued, the wind hitting their makeshift shelter.
But somehow the moisture seemed unable to invade her anymore.
Most of the coldness was driven away, leaving only a faint chill trembling at her toes.
She looked up at the few people around her.
Everyone was eating, no one speaking.
Suddenly, she felt a sense of peace inside.
After breakfast, the sun remained hidden by clouds.
The group quickly packed up to set off.
The campfire was completely extinguished, traces covered by leaves.
They couldn’t leave any clues that might reveal their whereabouts.