Chapter Fourteen: They Bullied You?

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He realized something was wrong. “Didn’t you say that food tasted sweet? Why are you calling it...?”

Before he could finish, Mu Qing suddenly strode forward and seized Yun Li by the arm. “What was that female called? Did she deliberately make you eat things you couldn’t recognize? Were you often bullied by the females in the gathering team?”

The moment those three questions were asked, even He—not to mention Yun Li—stared at Mu Qing in astonishment.

It felt as though something had suddenly pierced her heart. She pressed her lips together. “That was all in the past. Why are you asking so many questions?”

He was still here. How could she tell Mu Qing that female’s name?

He was not a fool. He could see that Mu Qing wanted to stand up for her. If Mu Qing learned the female’s identity from her today and something happened to that female tomorrow, He would certainly blame everything on her.

So Yun Li could only play dumb for now and wait until they were alone later before telling him.

Seeing the dark expression on Mu Qing’s face, He was frightened as well. When Yun Li said nothing, she hurriedly chimed in, “That’s right, Mu Qing. That was all in the past. Besides, if the females in the gathering team had really done anything to A-Li, how could she have survived until now?”

The instant the words left her mouth, He quickly covered her own lips.

Mu Qing was even angrier after hearing that. He hurriedly glanced at Gong, who was likewise afraid that Mu Qing might actually take action against the females of the gathering team in his fury. Gong strode over to Mu Qing and urged him in a low voice:

“Yun Li herself said it was in the past. What are you planning to do? If you truly lay hands on those females, aren’t you afraid that you and Yun Li will be driven from the tribe?

“Yun Li’s health still hasn’t recovered. You should at least think of your female.”

He abruptly tugged at Gong’s arm. “Those females certainly wouldn’t harm A-Li. Can’t you say something more reassuring?”

Gong ignored her. Quite a few of the females in the gathering team were arrogant and incompetent. After being indulged by their families and the tribe for so long, they had all developed their share of faults. Even if they had not deliberately tried to harm anyone, who would have spoken up if they bullied Yun Li, who had no family to support her?

Gong had also noticed that something was wrong with what Yun Li had said earlier. With so many beastfolk around, if Yun Li had truly been bullied in the gathering team, some busybody would surely investigate.

And if the matter really reached Mu Qing, could he truly restrain himself from doing something to those females?

By saying this, Gong hoped Mu Qing would think things through and not go too far just to vent his anger in the moment.

A lesson was acceptable, but he could not truly take their lives.

At that, Mu Qing exchanged a look with Gong and said heavily, “Gong, you should know that even if I took my female and left the tribe, I could still protect her.”

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“What are you talking about?”

Before Gong could darken his expression, Yun Li suddenly tugged at Mu Qing’s hand. “I was ignorant back then. Whenever I went out, I knew nothing, and the females from the gathering team were the ones who looked after me.

“They were the ones who told me what could be eaten and what couldn’t. That was how I was able to go out and find things to eat on my own and grow up. So how could they possibly have bullied me?”

Although she said this aloud, she was thinking that she had no ability to protect herself at all. If she left the tribe with him and something went wrong, she would have no way to call for help.

Even if she ever decided to leave, she would have to wait until her health had recovered.

Mu Qing naturally listened to his female. “Really? They bullied you?”

Yun Li smiled until her eyes curved. “No. Sometimes they only joked around with me. They weren’t trying to harm me. If they had wanted to hurt me, would I be standing here perfectly well today?”

Exactly. They had only been joking. She would return the favor with a few jokes of her own later.

Seeing that Yun Li had managed to calm Mu Qing, He could not help but sigh in relief.

She smiled and said, “See? I told you. If A-Li had been bullied, she certainly wouldn’t have kept it from you.”

Gong’s expression relaxed as well. He thought that Mu Qing’s female was a good person after all, and that she still remembered the kindness the tribe had shown her.

Still, to put Mu Qing at ease, he leaned close and said, “If you’re worried, I’ll ask Mang to investigate the matter discreetly when he comes back. If any female truly bullied your female in the past, I’ll tell you who they are. Then you can find their males and give them a proper beating, so those females learn their lesson.”

Mu Qing glanced at Gong, though it was impossible to tell whether he believed him.

But Yun Li tugged at him again, and Mu Qing gave a soft hum of acknowledgment.

The matter was finally put behind them.

The clan chief arrived first. He had not been able to see what use the stone mill had at all. It was only after Gong told him that the mill could grind dried medicinal herbs that he began to take it seriously. He said to Mu Qing:

“I know about what happened to your female in the gathering team. I’ll have He ask around there later. As for the food your female wants, the tribe may not have any, but she created this stone mill, so the tribe must give her something in return.

“When you have time, go to the tribe’s ice cave and take a look. If there is anything your female likes, bring some back for her.”

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Mu Qing agreed, then turned to ask Yun Li what she wanted. Yun Li poked him in the waist, looking somewhat displeased. “I already have everything at home. How would I know what I want? Just bring me something tasty.”

This male was far too attentive to her. He was making her feel a little attracted to him.

At first, she had only taken a fancy to his ability to provide for a family and coveted his body. Now, however, she was becoming interested in him as a person.

Mu Qing did not know why she had suddenly become unhappy, but his heart softened terribly when his female clung to him. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead. “All right. I’ll bring you plenty of good food later.”

Besides, A-Li did not really like clothing made from animal hide. She said it was too thick and stuffy.

He remembered that the silk of the Ghost-Eyed Spider could be made into clothing. The next time he went hunting, he would see whether he could destroy a Ghost-Eyed Spider’s nest and pull out all its silk, then have someone make her some lighter clothes.

“This thing...”

When the witch doctor arrived and saw the stone mill, he fell into deep thought as well. After a while, he turned to the clan chief. “Have Gong make two of them and send them to my place. I want to try them myself.”

After learning that the stone mill had also been used to grind salt ore, the witch doctor refused the clan chief’s suggestion that they use this existing mill to grind medicinal herbs.

Yun Li came over as well. “Clan Chief, Witch Doctor, besides grinding medicinal herbs, this stone mill can also grind hard fruits. You know how some fruits aren’t poisonous, but are simply too hard to eat? We can grind them into pieces with the stone mill and then boil them.”

Hearing this, the witch doctor asked, “Is that something you came up with when you were hungry in the past? The tribe neglected you before.”

He sighed as he continued, “Now that Mu Qing is by your side, you won’t have to live as you did before. So you don’t need to rack your brains over every bite of food anymore.”

Yun Li felt the arm around her waist suddenly tighten. She knew that Mu Qing was feeling sorry for her, so she smiled helplessly. “All right!”

Later, when she came up with something delicious, they had better not blame her for keeping it all to herself.

Perhaps the witch doctor’s words had stirred a little guilt in the clan chief. Before leaving, he said to Mu Qing once more:

“Treat your female well. Life was not easy for her before.”