Chapter 104 - 103: A Little Bit of a Critical Hit

"Don’t look at me like that. Everything I said is true." Chu Liangyu picked up the pouch from the ground, tucked it into her Storage Bracelet, and then said, "You can learn it if you want, but I have conditions."

Feng Qingqing was no fool. She immediately pressed, "I’ve seen them practicing, and it’s impressive, but I haven’t seen a single one of them succeed in Beastification. You aren’t trying to trick me, are you?"

Chu Liangyu raised her eyebrows in surprise. ’This girl isn’t as gullible as she acts,’ she thought. ’It seems I’ll have to show her some real results.’

"How about this: in three days, there will be a competition between the females and the Beastmen in the tribe. You can watch that and then decide. How does that sound?"

Feng Qingqing agreed without hesitation, but she looked like she had more to say.

"What else do you want to ask?"

"You must know what I did, so why do you still want to work with me? I don’t quite understand."

Chu Liangyu understood and explained patiently, "One of my conditions is that you help me persuade your people to join our tribe. And with the Body Technique as your lure, convincing them will be an easy task."

"But you could use it to persuade them yourself."

Chu Liangyu rolled her eyes. ’This girl is so fickle, smart one minute and dense the next.’

"With nothing but my word, they won’t necessarily believe me, just like how you doubted me a moment ago."

"They might even think I’m a male Beastman disguised as a female, trying to trick them."

’Besides, it’s not like I can strip naked to prove I’m not a liar.’

After a moment’s thought, she added, "So, it’s not too late for you to persuade your people after you achieve Beastification."

’Feng Qingqing herself is the best proof. Once her own people see that she has successfully achieved Beastification, they’ll have no reason to be suspicious, no matter how skeptical they are.’

"So that’s how it is. In that case... aren’t you worried about me poaching your people?"

Chu Liangyu gave a cryptic smile. "Pardon my bluntness, but you don’t have what it takes. Besides, you failed even with that thing to help you. How worried do you think I should be?"

Feng Qingqing: That was a direct insult, plus a billion points of emotional damage...

"Of course, to prevent any... accidents, you still need to swear an oath to the Beast God."

"Fine, I get it. You can go now!"

Feng Qingqing flopped back onto the bed and even pulled the covers over her head.

"Alright, then. I’ll let you rest and recover."

As for why Chu Liangyu didn’t use the Mermaid Tears powder she had to heal Feng Qingqing right away—first, she wanted to teach the girl a lesson. Second, she didn’t want her to secretly master the Body Technique and then welsh on their agreement.

’I wonder what materials Jiang Li used to make that pouch,’ she mused. ’It would be great if Xiong Jiaojiao could replicate the formula.’

She wasn’t in a hurry to return to her room. Instead, she changed direction and headed for the training ground where Xiong Jiaojiao was instructing the others.

Xiong Jiaojiao hadn’t had time to attend the meeting in the main hall, but someone must have filled her in later. She was now intensifying the women’s training, her demands stricter than ever.

"I know you’re tired! But if you don’t want to be humiliated in the competition three days from now—if you want to reclaim your dignity—then you will train until you drop! Do you hear me?!"

"WE HEAR YOU!"

"The body-tempering herbs are ready. Everyone who met the requirements I just listed, come with me."

Chu Liangyu’s footsteps were light. She watched until Xiong Jiaojiao had everyone situated, then waved to her from the doorway. "Jiaojiao, come here a second. I need to talk to you."

"Sister Liangyu, are you alright?"

Xiong Jiaojiao’s face was a picture of surprise. Seeing Chu Liangyu’s rosy, vibrant complexion, she couldn’t help but look her up and down.

Chu Liangyu knew Xiong Jiaojiao had misunderstood. ’She probably thinks that after a night with eight or nine Beast Husbands, there’s no way I should be this energetic.’

"As expected of one of the Beast God’s successors. You’re amazing!"

The sincere praise made Chu Liangyu flush. She tried to explain but ended up choking on her own spit, letting out an uncontrollable cough.

"Sister Liangyu, don’t rush. Just tell me what’s going on."

Xiong Jiaojiao’s expression changed, and she hurriedly patted her on the back.

It really did help. Chu Liangyu straightened up. "What in the world is going on in that head of yours? If I’d really slept with all of them, a normal person would have been drained into a dried-up husk by now."

"AHEM... That’s why I was so surprised! Besides, you’re not a normal person." Noticing her words could be taken the wrong way, Xiong Jiaojiao quickly added, "I mean, you’re not an ordinary person. You’re much more powerful than the rest of us."

Chu Liangyu shot her a look, deciding not to dwell on it. Instead, she took out the pouch. "Smell this and tell me what materials are inside. See if you can replicate the formula."

The pouch looked vaguely familiar to Xiong Jiaojiao, but she didn’t say anything, simply taking it. "I can only give it a try. If you want a real expert, Cheng Miao is the more reliable choice."

"Alright. If you can’t identify the ingredients, we’ll have him take a look."

Xiong Jiaojiao nodded and began to sniff it carefully.

Chu Liangyu didn’t know anything about this, so she could only try to read Xiong Jiaojiao’s expression. Seeing her brow remain tightly furrowed for a long time, Chu Liangyu had a sinking feeling.

"I can identify most of it, but there are two or three ingredients I don’t recognize."

"I’ll ask Cheng Miao about it later. Don’t worry about it. Just focus on preparing the women for the competition in three days." Chu Liangyu took the pouch back and, in its place, took out a large pile of dried herbs.

Seeing the herbs, she couldn’t help but think of the person who gave them to her. After Wen Yan’s death, she had taken in the young ones as he had wished, but she had been so busy that she hadn’t had a chance to see them yet. She wondered if they even knew what had happened.

’Looks like I can’t delay teaching those little rascals the Body Technique,’ she thought. ’But they’ve only been with me for a short time and are still a ways from adulthood. I’ll have to start by teaching the ones who are already adults.’

’Their original clan was weak, and I can’t watch over them in the tribe forever. The only way is to help them become strong enough to protect themselves.’

"This is a Hundred Poison Immune Grass. It’s a real treasure. Anyone who eats it will be cleansed of all poisons and negative effects."

Xiong Jiaojiao handled the herb with extreme care, her eyes shining as she looked at Chu Liangyu. "Sister Liangyu, where did you get these? We could try planting them."

"Can’t they be planted after they’re dried?" Chu Liangyu asked, subconsciously avoiding any mention of him.

"If we soak them in water and infuse them with some vitality, it might be possible to plant them again. It’s just a bit of a hassle."

"Do you have the time? If not, we can give them to the Elders to study."

’The Elders of the Wood Spirit Clan are quite skilled themselves. Otherwise, it would be difficult for Xiong Jiaojiao to manage all these medicinal fields so well on her own.’

"I’d love to take care of them personally, but just as you said, Sister Liangyu, I really don’t have the time."

Seeing how reluctant she was to let them go, Chu Liangyu found it a little amusing. "What’s the matter? Once you’re done with all your work, won’t it be even better to see the final results, all ready for you?"

Xiong Jiaojiao clicked her tongue. "You don’t get it, Sister Liangyu. Tending to herbs doesn’t just increase our power; it also strengthens our affinity with them."

"Especially with rare herbs like these. The effect is even stronger."