Chapter Fifteen: Striking from the Shadows

Yun Li was a female he had waited so long to be with, so of course he would treat her well.

Mu Qing did not argue with the chieftain’s words. Only after the chieftain had taken the other beasts away did he turn to Yun Li and say, “A Li, tomorrow I’ll find someone to investigate those females in the gathering party. Is there anything you want to tell me?”

If she cherished their current life and wished to avoid further troubles, he would resolve everything quietly on his own. But if she wanted to speak out, he would make sure she witnessed the consequences those females who bullied her would face.

Yun Li had planned to talk to him about this in the evening, but unexpectedly, he brought it up again when no one else was around.

“Don’t you trust that the chieftain will stand up for me if he finds out?” she replied with a question instead of answering.

Mu Qing hummed in acknowledgment, then, as if recalling something, he explained, “The chieftain isn’t a bad person, but since those who bullied you are females, and he cares about the tribe, he probably won’t severely punish them. Instead, he’ll offer something himself to make amends on their behalf.

“But that won’t sit well with He and her other mates.”

“So… the females who bullied me will still be punished by the chieftain in the end, right?”

Yun Li’s eyes shone brightly. Seeing this, Mu Qing hesitated to tell her that the most likely outcome was that even if He found evidence of their bullying, she would keep it from the chieftain.

Even Mu Qing could guess that the chieftain would sacrifice his own interests to maintain stability and protect the tribe’s females. As He and the others were like family to the chieftain, how could they not think the same way?

He would probably dismiss it as just teasing between females and brush off both Mu Qing and Yun Li.

“The chieftain is the chieftain, but I am your male. A Li, just tell me who those females are who bullied you,” Mu Qing finally said to her.

Yun Li understood—this meant the chieftain would never handle the matter impartially.

In truth, she also knew that, according to tribal rules, those females would at most bring food to her and apologize.

Even if Mu Qing insisted on harsh punishment, the end result would likely be those females bringing her the food they found every day for her to choose from until she was satisfied.

But none of that was what Yun Li wanted to see. If she were the original owner of this body, what she most wanted was for them to feel regret.

On this point, she trusted Mu Qing wouldn’t disappoint her.

She whispered several names and recounted events that had happened to the original owner into Mu Qing’s ear.

Seeing his expression darken instantly, Yun Li quickly wrapped her arms around his waist and planted a playful kiss on him.

“Don’t look so fierce. See, I told you everything. I knew you’d avenge me, right?”

Mu Qing hummed in response, but his face remained stern. Then he lowered his head, gently holding his female’s small mouth, hugged her tightly, and kissed her deeply.

Yun Li usually disliked his sudden attacks, but this time she indulged him.

Sensing her change, Mu Qing seemed to feel something. What should have been a brief kiss lasted over ten minutes today.

Watching Mu Qing, beaming as he carried a basin to the earthen stove, Yun Li touched her lips, still tingling from their kisses, and shot him a teasing glare.

……

Glug glug!

With misty steam rising, tiny crystalline particles mixed with some impurities appeared in the stone pot. Surprise flickered across Mu Qing’s face. He looked at Yun Li and saw delight shining on hers.

“It actually worked?”

“Do you know saltwater can cook things?” Yun Li asked.

Mu Qing was somewhat puzzled by her words.

“Because I’m smart,” she said proudly, tilting her chin.

She wasn’t really smart—she had never seen how salt was made before, and only from vague memories about salt production was she able to produce coarse salt. That hardly qualified as cleverness.

Yun Li glanced at Mu Qing with pride. “Tonight, let’s try using this salt to fry some meat. By the way, where does the tribe’s communal area keep the food? When will you bring back some new foods I haven’t seen? I’m eating meat, wild vegetables, and fruits every day—getting so tired of it.”

Although she had told Mu Qing early on not to repeat the same meals every day, without finding other more filling foods, meat remained the staple.

Her modern palate was beginning to protest the monotony.

“Where can we get other staples?”

“The tribe’s communal food is in the ice cave. If you want new food, I can get some tomorrow. But most of the tribe’s foods are also at home—except for Xixi tree fruit, cloud fruit, and bamboo powder.

“Those are reserved for the cold season. The tribe’s beasts only take from the ice cave when there’s truly no food left.”

As Mu Qing finished speaking, Yun Li immediately recalled the cold-season meals the original owner had eaten. A slight displeasure surfaced on her face.

“Then forget it… Wait, A Qing, when you go to the ice cave tomorrow, get some Xixi tree fruit and bamboo powder. I want to try making something new.”

If she guessed right, the Xixi tree fruit needed to be cooked before eating.

As for the bamboo powder, it was basically flour, but the beasts didn’t know how to cook with it. They just added a little water and swallowed it raw.

No wonder it tasted awful!

Mu Qing frowned but didn’t refuse his female’s request. “Alright, A Li. Anything else you want? What about the glug meat?”

Their home supply of glug meat was nearly gone. If the ice cave still had some, it would be a good chance to bring more back.

“But don’t the tribe’s females all like glug meat? Do you think there’s still any left in the ice cave?” Yun Li looked at her male in doubt.

Mu Qing was silent for a moment, then said, “Besides those two, I’ll bring some black porcupine meat and a few kinds of wild fruits you like.”

Yun Li nodded. “But isn’t that a bit much?”

Mu Qing replied, “No, I’ll be careful.”

Even if he took a lot, the chieftain and others wouldn’t say anything. Before he had a female, he hunted enough to feed the whole family. Now he was only taking food for his female. If the tribe fussed over this, it wouldn’t be a good place to stay.

Yun Li said no more. He understood these matters better than she did.

……

“Leng Xiao, do you know what you were doing just now?”

Daring to lay hands on a female of the tribe—luckily no one saw, or the trouble would be great.

Leng Xiu frowned at his younger brother and warned, “Don’t do that kind of thing again.”

Hearing this, Leng Xiao sneered and mercilessly exposed him, “You’re the one who gave me those females’ names. Now you’re acting all good?”