Chapter 44: Counting Tail Feathers

As dusk gradually fell, venison was simmering in the stone pot on the stove by the entrance of Su Xiyue’s cave, bubbling away and sending out an irresistible, mouth-watering aroma.

She sat in front of the stove, holding a wooden stick, occasionally poking at the firewood inside.

Molin, Qingzhu, and Xuanming had long since finished every last drop of the bone and mushroom soup, licking even their bowls thoroughly clean.

At this moment, they stood nearby, their gazes fixed entirely on her—or rather, on the venison inside the stone pot.

Their eyes burned with hunger, and their adamants apples bobbed up and down. Despite having just consumed such a massive pot of soup, they looked right now like three famished wolves that had starved for ages.

However, the venison had only just been put on to stew and wasn't ready quite yet.

The corners of Su Xiyue’s mouth twitched slightly. Pretending not to notice, she kept her eyes lowered on the fire within the stove, a cold snort echoing in her heart.

Serve you right for looking down on me before and acting like I disgusted you to death.

Hmph, just wait until you completely fall in love with me; I'll figure out how to put you in your place, making every single one of you squat in the corner and count your tail hairs.

Only after you've counted them all accurately will you get to eat what I cook.

She thought happily to herself while diligently continuing to stir the firewood, lest the flame burn too fierce and scorch the venison in the pot.

Watching the slight curve at the corner of her lips, Xuanming’s dark eyes flickered slightly. How could he not know she was feeling quite smug?

Still, he said nothing, casting his gaze back toward the stone pot. Even before tasting it, the fragrance lingering in the air told him that the venison inside must be exceptionally delicious.

Thinking of the bone and mushroom soup he had just consumed—which tasted so divine it left him utterly captivated—and now smelling this rich aroma of venison, he felt as though all the roasted meat he had ever eaten in the past was a waste, utterly incomparable to this.

At the same time, his anticipation grew even stronger.

Molin and Qingzhu felt much the same, both staring intently with burning eyes at the bubbling stone pot, waiting eagerly for the venison to finish cooking.

Seeing them standing around like pillars, Su Xiyue felt it was a complete waste of manpower.

She decided to find something for them to keep busy.

With that thought in mind, she said to the three of them, "It will still take some time for the venison to stew. Since the three of you are just standing there doing nothing, why don't you go carve me a few wooden bowls? Make them about the size of the stone bowls. Also, carve five or six plates styled just like the stone plate over there, and two larger soup bowls with a capacity equivalent to about three bowls of water."

The stone bowls were bulky, crude, and completely unpolished; naturally, they could not compare to wooden bowls in lightness and convenience.

Though Molin, Qingzhu, and Xuanming were reluctant to exert themselves, the thought of the venison in the stone pot kept them from refusing.

Promptly, they left the cave to craft the items Su Xiyue had requested.

...

By now, night had completely fallen. The sky was sprinkled with countless stars, and a bright, clear moonlight bathed the earth, draping the entire tribe in a layer of silvery gauze—mysterious and dreamy.

Under the cover of night, a roaring bonfire was lit in the tribe’s square. The flickering light and shadows danced across the faces of the orcs and females, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere.

Yeling sat alone to one side. The firelight reflected in his silver eyes, yet it failed to pierce the gloom deep within his heart.

He held a branch in his hand, absentmindedly scratching at the ground while a wave of irritation churned inside him.

That fragrance—that damn fragrance—kept lingering at the tip of his nose, as if mocking his self-control.

He knew it was Su Xiyue preparing food; the entire tribe was saturated with that alluring scent.

It had been drifting from noon until now without a single pause.

"Is she a pig? Eating so much without even fearing she'll get fat and die?"

With a dark expression, he cursed under his breath.

In truth, he knew well enough that Su Xiyue was cooking for Molin, Qingzhu, and Xuanming.

Yet he cursed her all the same, as if verbally abusing Su Xiyue could bring some comfort to his heart.

At the same time, he had to admit that the fat wretch actually possessed formidable culinary skills—so remarkable that even he, who loathed her intensely, couldn't help but feel tempted.

However, temptation didn't mean he would lower himself to beg that ugly creature.

Yeling's irritation mounted. Glancing down, he discovered that the tree branch in his hand had been crushed into powdery fragments.

Frowning, he tossed the debris aside, brushed off his hands, stood up, and strode away from the square.

He had barely taken two steps when Mia called out to him.

"Yeling, what's wrong with you? Why is your expression so dreadful?"

Yeling paused in his tracks, turning his head to cast a sidelong glance at Mia as she approached him. Disgust flashed deep within his silver eyes, and ignoring her entirely, he simply walked on.

In his view, Mia possessed nothing more than a pretty face; her personality was arrogant and unlikable, and she was insatiably greedy.

Despite already having seven beast-husbands, she was still unsatisfied and coveted the rest of them, never minding whether she could even handle them all through the night.

Seeing that he completely ignored her and just walked away, Mia’s face turned unsightly with rage.

"Damn Yeling, where on earth am I inferior to that ugly monster? Honestly!"

Staring in the direction of Yeling's departure, she stamped her foot in frustration and cursed under her breath.

Yet, a moment later, catching the drifting aroma of meat in the air, her expression darkened even further.

The scent had been wafting since noon without stopping, making her mouth water uncontrollably.

It had completely ruined her appetite for roasted meat this evening; food that she once considered delicious now tasted like sawdust.

Thinking of Mu Qing, a trace of dissatisfaction and grievance surfaced in the depths of her eyes. She had originally expected to cadge some food made by the ugly girl from her mother.

Who could have known there would be no movement whatsoever by evening.

She had no idea whether the ugly wretch had failed to send any food to her mother, or if her mother was hiding away to enjoy it all by herself, refusing to share a single bite with her.

In short, she felt thoroughly disgruntled right now and looked at everyone with displeasure.

The females of the tribe had naturally caught wind of this fragrance as well. Knowing that Su Xiyue was cooking again, they felt too embarrassed to go begging for food.

Instead, they each urged their respective beast-husbands to go find stone pots so they could try making it themselves.

Meanwhile, just as Yeling left the tribal square and passed near Su Xiyue's cave, he caught sight of Molin transformed into his true form—a massive black python—whose tail curled high up before crashing heavily back down.

With a series of loud thuds, the thick tree trunks laid out on the ground were snapped into neat segments one after another.

As for Qingzhu and Xuanming, one had transformed into a Azure Moon Howling Wolf, and the other into a Nether Dark Wolf. Each cradled a piece of wood, crouching on the ground as their claws continuously gouged at the timber.

They seemed intent on carving it into a specific shape.

Yeling felt a pang of confusion, failing to comprehend what they were up to at first.

Standing in place to watch for a moment, until the objects gradually took form, he finally realized they were making wooden bowls.

He froze in utter disbelief. He never expected these three fellows would work this relentlessly just to eat that fat woman's food?

A surge of anger rose within him, accompanied by the distinct feeling of being ostracized.

With a cold huff, he turned around, preparing to leave.

Just then, he saw Su Xiyue standing at the entrance of the cave, locking eyes with him. From afar, she raised her voice and called out, "Yeling, if you're willing, come help out too. If everyone pitches in, we'll get it done much faster."

Yeling paused, eyeing Su Xiyue with a peculiar expression.

Wanting him to help? That was pure fantasy.

Staring at her for a moment, he wondered if it was just his imagination, but her protruding front teeth didn't seem as prominent anymore, and even her mouth appeared smaller.

He furrowed his brow, perplexed by the change.

Brushing it off, he attributed it merely to the darkness of the night.

Recalling what she had just said, he replied coldly, "Why on earth should I help you?"

Su Xiyue was unsurprised by his reaction. This dog of a man harbored maximum animosity toward her; it would be a miracle if he agreed easily.

With a faint smile, she said, "You can certainly choose not to help, however..."

She deliberately drew out her last word.

Yeling couldn't help but frown, looking at her with a hint of displeasure.