Chapter 325: Chapter 211: Oil Sealing Techniques (Part 2)

"Secondly, and most importantly, prolonged low temperatures will slowly decompose and melt the tough membranes in the meat, turning them into a jelly-like, soft and slippery gelatin."

"The final result is that the meat becomes extraordinarily tender, almost easily pulled apart, a cooking alchemy that turns decay into magic."

After finishing all this, Lin Yu’an began the final packing process.

He neatly arranged four leg meats, two loins, heart, liver, kidneys, and the rolled-up wolf skin on the spread-out birch bark.

Then he did one more crucial thing: he picked up the Hunting Knife and returned to the skeleton of the wolf carcass, carefully scraping off all the usable fat.

This wasn’t an easy process; the wolf had almost no block of fat. He could only patiently collect the scattered fat clusters around the abdominal organs and the subcutaneous fat layer.

"Alright, this is one of the most important trophies of the day." He displayed the collected pale yellow fat mixed with membranes in front of the camera.

"I mentioned before, the best way to cook wolf meat is to use its oil, but it has very little fat. This is all I could find, and they will be the soul of my wolf meat cooking."

He carefully wrapped all the scraped fat, along with the previously processed casing fat, in a large piece of birch bark, making a fat pack that wouldn’t easily leak.

Because he didn’t bring a sled, only a limited-capacity hiking backpack, he had to make reasonable choices and allocations.

"Guys, now is the packing stage, and it’s the most challenging test of planning ability."

"I must fit the most valuable items, which also align with my next plan, in the limited space."

First, he stuffed the two most premium loin cuts, heart, liver, and kidneys, these highest-value organs, and that heavy fat pack, into the main compartment of the backpack.

"These are the most important assets, and must be well protected. Meat provides protein, organs provide vitamins, and fat provides energy and the key to cooking."

Then he firmly tied the wolf skin and the four remaining heavy leg meats to the outside and top of the backpack with nylon rope using the "mountaineering bundling method."

"External items can greatly expand the volume of the backpack but must be tightly tied, with no movement, otherwise it will seriously affect your balance and consume extra energy while walking."

This made his backpack exceptionally heavy, with a total weight of at least over sixty pounds.

As for the remaining skeleton and those organs he decided to abandon, he chose to leave them here temporarily, burying them under thick snow for future use if needed.

He glanced at the sky; the sun was almost touching the western ridge, and the sky was darkening at a visible speed.

He hefted the backpack, so heavy that it pulled him down sharply, picked up his spear, and without the slightest pause, started heading back toward the shelter as fast as possible.

This time, his steps no longer had any of the victors’ composure but were filled with urgency and vigilance.

He knew he was now a moving, strongly blood-scented "bait."

The bloodstains left behind and the scent constantly seeping from his backpack were broadcasting his location through the entire forest.

He must return to the shelter safely before nightfall, before other large predators, following the scent, found him.

The return journey was full of torment, the massive load causing his snowshoes to sink deeper into the snow than when he came, each step requiring tremendous effort.

He didn’t dare stop to rest, only mechanically trudging forward, step by step.

From afar in the sky came a few hoarse, harsh raven calls, and he didn’t think it was an illusion caused by his fatigue.

Ravens have arrived." He didn’t look up, but his tone became even more grave.

"These scavengers of the sky, their appearance, means only one thing, they’ve already discovered the wolf carcass I left behind."

"And their cries are like a flashing neon sign from Japan for all predators in the forest, saying ’New entry today! Welcome to experience!’"

"This will accelerate the gathering of other animals to that area, also meaning I must leave here faster. Because after finishing the appetizer, they will start looking for the main course."

The last ray of dusk was swallowed by the horizon.

When Lin Yu’an finally dragged his almost shattered body, stumbling back to the shelter, night had already completely fallen.

He didn’t immediately start a fire but first gently put down the backpack and weapons, then, at the shelter’s observation port, spent a full ten minutes carefully observing and listening to the surrounding darkness.

He paid special attention to the movements in the sky, but those ravens hadn’t followed, which gave him a slight sigh of relief.

After confirming nothing had followed him back, he completely sealed the entrance and lit the fireplace.

The warm firelight rekindled the small shelter and finally dispelled the last trace of fear of being tracked from his heart.

He didn’t immediately deal with all the wolf meat but first took out the precious fat pack from the core area of the backpack, then threw all the fat clusters directly into the iron pot.

Watching the "sizzling" oil in the pot, the rich aroma was the highest reward for his life-and-death struggle today.