Chapter 198 - 200: A Different Si Cheng

Chapter 198: Chapter 200: A Different Si Cheng

The Old Beastman gave a faint, dignified smile. "This is the one thing we Ring-tailed Lemurs are especially good at. We love to fuss over our houses."

The house was indeed well-built. It was a bit small, but the layout was compact—small but complete.

"If you want to see a finished house, leader, we’ll have to look at the Priest’s," the Old Beastman said, leading the way. "His was the first one in the tribe to be completed."

Su Luoluo was surprised. She hadn’t realized the cabin she’d just entered was Si Cheng’s. "The Priest isn’t here. Shouldn’t we leave?"

The Old Beastman chuckled. "It’s alright. If the Priest knew you were here, leader, he’d be thrilled for you to see our homes."

Seeing how easygoing the Old Beastman was, Su Luoluo figured Si Cheng must let them come and go from his home as they pleased. At that thought, she relaxed considerably.

For a Priest, Si Cheng’s house wasn’t large. The entrance opened into a common room, with his bedroom to the left.

White beast skins and scrolls with ancient writing hung from wooden pegs on the wall. Su Luoluo couldn’t really understand them, but some of the shapes resembled astronomical charts.

She could make out the Big Dipper, which looked just like a large ladle, as well as the bright morning star.

The room’s furnishings were simple, and it was kept very neat.

A potted plant sat on the table. ’He seems like someone who appreciates the little things in life.’

She offered a compliment, "This is a nice room."

The Old Beastman nodded. "Yes. The Priest has always been deft and clever, good at making anything. It’s just... this house is a bit small. It doesn’t seem fair to him."

Su Luoluo was surprised by his words. "Wasn’t the house planned this way from the start?"

The Beastman shook his head. "No. After we discussed it, we allotted the largest plot of land to the Priest. But he took pity on the family behind him, the one with two cubs, and gave some of his land to them."

Su Luoluo wasn’t surprised that Si Cheng would do something like that. ’It sounds just like him.’

’But if he’s capable of that,’ she thought, ’then logically, the tribe should have immense faith in him. It wouldn’t be out of the question for them to make him leader. So why did he come looking for me?’

After a moment’s thought, Su Luoluo asked, "The Priest is so well-regarded. Have you never considered making him your leader?"

"It’s not that we haven’t considered it, but the Priest says that as a Priest, he only wants to handle the affairs of a Priest. He believes the Heavenly God would be displeased if he were to rule the tribe as well."

’So that’s how it is.’ The reason made sense.

The people of the Beast World Continent held the Heavenly God in deep reverence. In their hearts, the Heavenly God was sacred and inviolable.

Her gaze swept around the room. "The Wolf Clan Tribe hasn’t given you any trouble, have they?"

’After all, they’re outsiders who’ve suddenly occupied land and become neighbors. There’s bound to be some friction.’

’Yesterday, she’d hoped to make them back down, which was why she hadn’t inquired further about it.’

’But seeing them with their houses all built, it seemed there hadn’t been any conflict.’

"No, the people of the Wolf Clan are easy to get along with. The Priest negotiated with them, and they quickly agreed."

’The people of the Wolf Clan are easy to get along with?’

’If I hadn’t been bullied by them in the past, I might have actually believed that.’

’It’s not that the Wolf Clan members are evil, but they certainly aren’t that nice either.’

’They’re definitely united among themselves, but when it comes to outsiders, they’re just as exclusive as any other clan.’

’For them to agree after just a short talk with Si Cheng... it just proves how capable he is. I wonder how he managed it.’

Seeing that they were living reasonably well, Su Luoluo felt much more at ease.

Then she noticed a few Beastmen eating wild fruits. She turned to the Old Beastman beside her. "How are you all doing for food? Should I get something for you to eat?"

The Old Beastman shook his head. "Don’t worry, leader. We have enough to eat for the time being."

Before the Priest left, he had repeatedly instructed them not to bother the leader unnecessarily, especially when it came to food.

It hadn’t been easy for the leader to accept them in the first place. If she also had to procure food from the Wolf Clan for them, it would put her in an awkward position.

This time, Su Luoluo didn’t just nod. She chuckled lightly. "Uncle Si, there’s no need to hide it from me. A few wild fruits won’t fill anyone’s stomach. Go have everyone catch some fish, and I’ll cook for you all."

"How could we possibly trouble our leader to cook for us?" Uncle Si was taken aback and didn’t dare to agree.

Su Luoluo glanced at him. "What? Is a leader not allowed to cook?"

Uncle Si shook his head. "That’s not what I meant. You are a female, leader. As Beastmen, it’s our duty to care for females. Do you want to eat fish, leader? We’ll go make it right away."

"Who says a female can’t cook fish? Besides, I guarantee the fish you make won’t be as tasty as mine. Go on, bring the fish over. Today, I’ll show you what my cooking is all about."

Uncle Si was still hesitant. "Leader, please, there’s no need. We can cook for ourselves."

"You all call me leader, don’t you? So why won’t you listen to what your leader says?"

Hearing this, Uncle Si shook his head. "No, it’s just..."

Seeing that Uncle Si was still hesitating, Su Luoluo stepped out of Si Cheng’s house and addressed a few idle Beastmen standing outside. "Go straight, then take a left. You’ll find a deep pool. Go catch forty fish and bring them here."

"Yes, leader!"

The men outside didn’t know what Su Luoluo planned to do, but they received their orders and went off to catch fish.

Uncle Si was left standing there, stunned.

’The leader the Priest chose this time... she’s really different.’

Soon, the fish were caught and brought over.

Su Luoluo nodded, seeing that the fish had already been cleaned. She looked at Uncle Si. "Where are the pots? It’s time to cook."

Startled, Uncle Si pointed to a stone pot behind him. "Here."

Su Luoluo looked at the cumbersome stone pot and shook her head. She pointed to a few of the Beastmen. "You, you, and you. Come with me."

Although the Ring-tailed Lemurs didn’t know what she was planning, they followed her.

A short while later, Su Luoluo returned, leading the group and carrying several pottery pots.

She only had five pottery pots that she regularly used for her own outdoor cooking. The rest she had borrowed from Cai Xia and Ah Zhu. She didn’t know if those two were addicted to making pottery or what, but between them, they had over twenty pots. The number she borrowed was more than enough.

After expertly starting a fire, Su Luoluo set up the pots, added oil, and began preparing a variety of fish dishes: red-braised fish, sour soup fish hot pot, and charcoal-grilled fish.

This display of skill left the Ring-tailed Lemurs staring, completely stunned.

’Their leader was incredible! Who knew there were so many ways to cook a single fish?’

Watching the scene unfold, Uncle Si was utterly convinced. When the leader had implied their cooking wasn’t good enough, he’d thought she was just being polite. ’Now I see she was just telling the truth.’

After a flurry of activity, Su Luoluo looked at the crowd gathered around her. "Did you all watch? Did you learn?"

The Beastmen nodded. "We learned."

"Good. Then let’s eat."

"This is the red-braised fish, that’s the sour soup fish, and over there is the grilled fish..."

"This is so delicious! The leader is an amazing cook!"

"It’s so good! SOB... I haven’t eaten anything this delicious in so long!"

"If you like it, eat up."

"For the next few days, don’t just eat wild fruits. You can eat fish, too."

...