Chapter 61: The Sharp-Tongued Man is Acting Up

Mu Qing's expression changed, as she had not expected Su Lie to say such things.

Even less did she expect him to hold such utter contempt for Ling Feng and the others.

Anger flared in her heart, yet she found herself unable to refute him.

Because everything Su Lie said was the truth.

This was precisely why she had chosen to stay by Su Lie's side in the past.

Possessing the greatest strength and serving as the leader of the Wolf Tribe,

following him ensured better survival without the fear of freezing or starving to death during the harsh winters.

As for why she had ultimately betrayed Su Lie, it boiled down to nothing more than sheer unwillingness to be resigned to her fate.

Why should other females in the tribe be allowed to have multiple beast-husbands, while she was expected to cling to a single withered tree and die for it?

Unable to act openly, she had resorted to sneaking around behind his back.

She had never imagined that after successfully hiding it for over twenty years, that wretched female Su Xiuyue would somehow discover her secret and report it directly to Su Lie.

At this thought, gnawing hatred filled her teeth.

She wished she had never given birth to that wretched female, or better yet, strangled her to death back then.

Noticing her expression shift unpredictably before settling into a vicious glare, Su Lie sneered inwardly, knowing precisely what was passing through her mind.

Applying more force to his grip, he spoke coldly, "What? Cat got your tongue?"

Mu Qing's chin was gripped so tightly that a wave of agonizing pain nearly forced a scream from her throat, yet she stubbornly swallowed it back.

Her expression grew increasingly venomous as she stared at Su Lie, wishing she could tear this old bastard to pieces. "Su Lie, you had better pray you never fall into my hands. Otherwise, I will make you pay dearly."

"Hah..."

With a short, mocking chuckle, Su Lie sneered, "Fall into your hands? You think you're worthy?"

The moment he finished speaking, a sudden surge of strength erupted from his hand.

A sharp crunch echoed through the air as Mu Qing's chin was crushed instantly.

"Ah..."

A miserable shriek escaped Mu Qing's lips, her eyes widening in sheer terror as she stared in shock at Su Lie.

Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined this old bastard would shatter her jaw so ruthlessly, nor that he could be so cold-blooded.

True, she had wronged Su Lie, but they had been partners for over twenty years, and she had even borne him two pups.

This brute was truly devoid of affection, loyalty, and human feeling.

Observing the terror frozen on her face, Su Lie scoffed inwardly.

Lacking any sense of the current situation yet completely unable to control her tongue, why had he never realized how utterly stupid Mu Qing was?

He cursed himself for having been blind in the past to ever choose her as his mate.

The mere thought now filled him with disgust.

"Enjoy whatever comes next."

With this cold parting remark, Su Lie turned and strode out of the dungeon,

not even sparing her a single backward glance.

Left behind, Mu Qing stared fixedly at Su Lie's departing figure as an unprecedented wave of terror washed over her.

She knew all too well that Su Lie had completely cast her aside.

Worse still, he intended to torment her to death.

What should she do?

Was she really going to die in this place?

No, she refused to die; she had not lived nearly enough yet.

A fierce desire to survive surged deep within Mu Qing's eyes, alongside an all-consuming hatred for Su Lie.

She would never let that old bastard off.

Nor would she ever forgive that wretched female, Su Xiuyue.

Once she managed to get out of here, she would slaughter them both.

***

Su Xiuyue remained entirely unaware of the events transpiring in the dungeon, nor did she know of Mija's jealousy toward her.

At that moment, she was leading the tribe's females through the forest to search for rattan vines while simultaneously teaching everyone how to identify mushrooms.

"Mushrooms with bright colors and striking appearances are generally poisonous and must never be eaten."

"On the other hand, mushrooms that look rather ordinary and lack vibrant colors are the ones safe for consumption."

Holding up two different mushrooms, she presented them for comparison.

One was brightly colored and visually striking yet toxic; the other possessed dull colors and an ordinary appearance yet was entirely edible.

Yunxiang, Shuangshuang, and the other females crowded around eagerly.

Listening intently to her explanation while studying the mushrooms in her hands, they nodded repeatedly.

"So that's how it is! Do all poisonous mushrooms have such bright and gorgeous colors?"

"Not necessarily. Some poisonous mushrooms look quite similar to ordinary ones, but certain features remain very distinct, such as this..."

Glancing briefly at the female who had spoken, Su Xiuyue patiently explained the distinctive characteristics of each mushroom, detailing the exact differences between toxic and non-toxic varieties.

Everyone listened with utmost concentration, terrified that a failure to recognize the traits would lead to mistakes during foraging and result in accidental poisoning.

This was a matter of life and death; no carelessness could be afforded.

From time to time, the females raised questions or brought forward unfamiliar mushrooms they had picked for her inspection.

She answered every single query with immense patience.

Beyond teaching mushroom identification, she also pointed out edible wild vegetables, wild fruits, and special seasonings with unique properties whenever they crossed her path, explaining their functions and uses to everyone.

"Alright, I believe everyone now has a general understanding of mushrooms. Next, I am going to teach you how to weave backbaskets."

Clapping her hands to draw the attention of all the present females, Su Xiuyue smiled.

Everyone gathered closely around her, fixing their gazes on her hands for fear of missing a single detail.

At the same time, they pricked up their ears to listen.

Bending down, she began searching the nearby undergrowth for suitable rattan vines.

After a brief search, she quickly located what she needed.

Gently pulling a vine free, she snapped its base.

Then, holding it up for everyone to see, she explained, "First, we must select vines that are both tough and elastic. Look here—only vines like these will produce backbaskets that are sturdy and durable."

With that, she set to work processing the vine, stripping away excess leaves and small twigs to leave only a smooth, clean main stalk.

"Why must we use rattan to weave backbaskets?"

Continuing her explanation while working on the vine, she said, "Because rattan possesses remarkable toughness and elasticity, allowing it to bear heavy loads while resulting in backbaskets that are both breathable and durable."

Having prepared the rattan, she seated herself on a nearby boulder and announced loudly, "Watch closely as I demonstrate once. If anyone has questions, you may ask me afterward."

Her fingers began to fly with nimble dexterity, intertwining the vines one by one to form a sturdy, circular base.

"During the weaving process, it is essential to keep the vines tightly and neatly packed together to ensure the backbasket remains both strong and aesthetically pleasing."

She offered reminders continuously as she wove.

The gathered females watched with rapt attention, terrified of missing even the smallest step.

Qingzhu happened to arrive at Moonlight Forest at that moment. Initially out for a casual stroll, he had unexpectedly stumbled upon this scene.

Concealed behind a tree trunk, his emerald-green eyes quietly observed Su Xiuyue as a slight arch formed in his brow.

Why did this chubby woman look significantly slimmer and much fairer now? And the change was by no means small.

Just yesterday she had looked rather plump and certainly not this fair, right?

Even with drastic, unyielding weight loss, the results shouldn't manifest this quickly, should they?

Doubt lingered in Qingzhu's mind, yet he chose not to step out and disrupt the scene, remaining quietly hidden to watch her instruct the tribe's females in basket weaving.

Truth be told, Su Xiuyue with her serious demeanor as she taught the others appeared considerably more pleasing to the eye.

Meanwhile, Su Xiuyue, deeply focused on guiding everyone through the weaving process, remained entirely oblivious to Qingzhu hiding nearby.

Mid-weaving,

a crisp system notification suddenly echoed in her mind: *"Ding! Congratulations, Host! Qingzhu's favorability toward you has increased by 10 points. Current favorability stands at 10. Please keep up the good work, Host."*

She froze instantly, blinking in utter bewilderment.

Had that sharp-tongued fellow Qingzhu suddenly lost his mind?

Why would his favorability rating increase out of nowhere?

Could he be hiding nearby and peeking?

Sweeping her gaze across the surrounding area, she failed to spot any sign of Qingzhu, deepening her confusion.

Had she guessed wrong after all?