Chapter 184: They Are No Longer Necessary

The Beastman soldier in charge of pouring the pot of chili water was stunned. ’Is dealing with the Insect Clan really this simple? Then what were all those injuries we suffered fighting them before for?’

When Yue Junxiao saw this, he burst out laughing. He put his hands on his hips, a smug look on his face. "See? I told you the plan my wife came up with would be super effective!"

He then turned to command the Beastman soldiers boiling chili water in several large pots, his mouth running a mile a minute. "You guys boiling the chili water, put some hustle into it! Make some more, and we can all go back and eat the hot pot and barbecue my wife makes!!"

"Yi Chen, you don’t stand around either! Fan harder! I refuse to believe we can’t smoke them out!"

Yan Yichen shouted back, "Don’t worry! I guarantee every last one of them will get a whiff of this!"

A nearby Beastman asked in confusion, "What are hot pot and barbecue?"

Yue Junxiao explained, "It’s a super delicious kind of food! I guarantee that once you’ve had it, you’ll want it again! You won’t be able to stop thinking about it."

As he spoke, his voice held a hint of reminiscence; he was clearly missing the taste himself.

His words immediately made many of their mouths water. Most of the time, they basically just drank nutrient liquid. It was convenient and fast, and although the taste was mediocre, they drank it to maintain their bodily functions so it wouldn’t hinder them in battle.

They had never heard of this "hot pot" before, but it sounded absolutely delicious.

Suddenly, they were all more motivated. Everyone wanted to finish the job quickly so they could get back sooner and eat the hot pot and barbecue he’d described.

However, a portion of them were focused on something else. ’This man is also a Beast Husband to that delicate, fair-skinned female?’

’Doesn’t that mean the Third Prince is sharing a female with other Beastmen?!!’

The shock in their eyes was genuine; they were truly and utterly stunned.

’What in the world is going on? Even the Third Prince has to share a female with other Beastmen now?!’

’Then is there any hope left for the rest of us to find a female?’

Down below, the members of the Insect Clan tried to endure the smell, but they ultimately couldn’t take it anymore. They decided to risk it all; a desperate dash offered at least a sliver of hope for escape, which was better than being smoked to death.

But the moment they poked their heads out, they were instantly eliminated.

Insect Clan hives usually have many exits. At several of them, the soldiers were initially baffled by the order Hu Yan had given.

"What do you think the Third Prince is thinking, making us do this? It feels like the resurrected Third Prince isn’t as decisive as he used to be. Is it because he has a female now?"

Another Beastman chimed in, "I heard this suggestion came from that female. I really don’t get it. A female who doesn’t know anything, what is she meddling for? One word from her, and we become cannon fodder! What if she gets captured by the Insect Clan? Wouldn’t we have to go rescue her then?!"

Another Beastman beside him even kicked at the pile of chilies. "Exactly! A female has no business being in a place like this! You think this junk can take care of the Insect Clan? Don’t be so naive! I’d rather fight them head-on with cold, hard steel!"

They had just finished complaining when someone immediately reminded them, "Keep your voices down. If someone overhears you being disrespectful to the Third Prince’s female, that’s a huge taboo."

The Beastman who had been badmouthing Bai Zhi said, his face flush with anger, "Were we wrong? If this junk actually works, I’ll twist my own head off and let her kick it like a ball!"

They had barely finished speaking when they caught a faint, pungent, spicy scent wafting out from the hive.

A Beastman with a sensitive nose immediately caught a scent that made him uncomfortable. He even leaned down over the massive cave entrance to sniff. "What is that smell?"

Another Beastman said, "It seems to be coming from inside the cave."

Someone immediately sniffed the red chilies that had been delivered. "Hey, smell this. It seems to be the same smell as these red things."

Hearing this, the other Beastmen crowded around to take a sniff. "It really is the same smell. You don’t think they’re the ones doing it? It’s just... a little too strong. My nose feels really uncomfortable."

His words immediately made some of the Beastmen realize something. ’Could that be the reason?’

Just then, a Beastman spotted a member of the Insect Clan timidly poking its head out from inside.

BANG—

Seeing this, someone instinctively raised their gun and fired at the creature.

For a moment, everyone froze.

But they didn’t have time to think, because several more creatures immediately emerged. BANG, BANG, BANG—

The Beastman who had fired the first shot said blankly, "These bugs... it couldn’t be because of these red things, could it?"

As he spoke, he yelled to someone else, "Ah Jie, is that... uh... water of yours ready yet?"

The Beastman, who had been diligently brewing the chili water as per Hu Yan’s instructions, heard his name and immediately looked up. "It should be about ready."

"Bring it over and let’s give it a try."

Several Beastmen then carried a pot of chili water over. Just as members of the Insect Clan were emerging one after another, they dumped the entire pot of chili water straight into the opening.

They then discovered that the chili water was actually useful. The creatures began to writhe and twist, clearly in great pain from the liquid.

Seeing this, they immediately finished them off with another shot.

One shot after another.

More and more of the Insect Clan emerged, but all the soldiers had to do was aim carefully and take them out with a single headshot.

"Heh, who knew that female’s method would actually be this good? This is way more satisfying than fighting in the simulation pods. I’ve been fighting for so many years, and this is the first time it’s felt this good."

As he spoke, another creature’s head popped out.

BANG—

Another Beastman, who had fired the quick shot, said, "Same here! I admit, I was out of line earlier! This is so damn satisfying! It’s like these bugs are just lining up to let us shoot them!"

Another Beastman deliberately teased him, "Hey, didn’t you just say that if this junk worked, you’d give your head to that female to kick like a ball?"

He scratched his head in embarrassment. "Well, I didn’t know how powerful this stuff was back then, did I? I was wrong, okay?"

"I was wondering why the great Third Prince would share a female with other Beastmen. Looking at it now, I can see there’s a good reason for it."

Although the Insect Clan’s hive was large, it was no match for such a pungent odor. A hive’s greatest weakness is its poor ventilation; once a smell gets inside, it is very difficult for it to dissipate.

And with the Beastmen continuously fanning the fumes inside, the entire hive was soon filled with the stench of chili.

The Insect Mother, burning with rage, shrieked, "What’s the situation? Can we get out?"

An Insect Clan guard replied, "We can’t get out. The moment we show our heads, they open fire. We haven’t been able to contact any of the ones who went out. I’m afraid they’ve all been eliminated."

The Insect Mother coughed violently a few times. "I knew it! Their plan is to force us out! They must be waiting right outside for us to emerge. These Beastmen’s tactics are becoming more and more despicable!"

The Insect Clan guard was already in great discomfort but did his best to control himself, saying through a series of coughs, "Insect Mother, why don’t we escort you out? This smell is unbearable for us. There are many of us; we should have no problem escorting you out safely."

The Insect Mother’s expression was grim. She spoke with labored breaths, "I’ll contact that Beastman and see if he can think of a way."

This was truly a last resort, but she had no other choice. Otherwise, her only option was to have the others sacrifice themselves to escort her out.

She placed a video call to the person.

It took a long time for the other party to answer. The Insect Mother noticed at a glance that he seemed to be injured.

"You’re injured?"

The person on the other end said nonchalantly, "It’s nothing, just a minor wound. How are things on your end?"

That was the wrong thing to ask. The Insect Mother exploded. "Your people have surrounded my hive! I don’t know what they’re using, but my entire hive is filled with a smell that’s unbearable for my kind! You need to figure out a way to make them withdraw, now!"

The person replied, "Have your subordinates confirm, is the one leading the force outside Hu Yan, or someone else?"

The Insect Mother immediately signaled one of her subjects to investigate.

A short while later, the scout returned. "It is Hu Yan."

"Understood. I’ll think of something." After saying this, the person moved to end the call.

The Insect Mother said, her voice a mixture of desperation and fury, "Hurry up! I can’t hold on much longer here!"

「Main Star.」

"Eldest Prince, now is the perfect opportunity. The Third Prince is far away at the border fighting the Insect Clan; he won’t be back anytime soon. Once he returns, your chance will be gone! If you want to ascend to that position, this is your best shot."

Hu Ao furrowed his brow. "Let me think."

He knew it was true—now was the best time. If he waited for Hu Yan to return, launching an attack would be much more difficult.

"I’ve heard that the Third Prince has employed a special method this time and is on the verge of wiping out the Insect Clan. If you don’t make a decision now and miss this window, I’m afraid you’ll never find such a perfect opportunity again."

Hu Ao finally made his decision. He turned around and said in a low, determined voice, "Gather our men. We’re storming the palace."

Afterward, he paid a visit to the room containing the Treatment Pod.

Hu Ao spoke softly. "Mother, your son has been planning this for many years. I want to seize this opportunity. You’ll support me, won’t you?"

"Well, I must be going now. If I succeed, I will have you posthumously named Empress Dowager. If I fail... then we, mother and son, can be reunited in the afterlife."

With that, he stood up and gazed silently at the Treatment Pod. Then, as if his resolve had been solidified, he turned and left without a backward glance.

Some ten minutes later, Hu Ao and his men stormed their way in.

In less than twenty minutes, Hu Yan learned of Hu Ao’s rebellion and his attempt to seize the palace.

The wind howled on Zelda’s end of the call, and his breathing was a little unsteady, but his voice was filled with unconcealed excitement. "Hu Yan, you predicted it perfectly!"

"I intercepted two calls. Based on their locations, I’ve confirmed the source is in the Lower River District. I’ve already ordered my men to surround the place. Since we can’t rule out the possibility of underground tunnels, I had them seal off the entire area."

"Also, Hu Ao has been brought under control. He was basically just used as a pawn this time. The palace is in complete chaos, so we’re taking this opportunity to completely clean house."

Hu Yan grunted in acknowledgment. "Mm. Thank you for your hard work."

After ending the video call, he gave the order to pour all the remaining chili water into the hive.

There was no longer any need to keep them alive.

The Insect Mother was still waiting for a reply from her contact, but what came instead was a deluge of chili water that flooded the hive.