[Host, yes.]
Uh… Hu Li looked at the group of wolves baring their sharp fangs and claws as sharp as eagle talons, feeling a surge of fear. “If I make the female lead unhappy, do you think she’ll split me in half?”
[Host, it’s fine. I’ll protect you. You won’t die.]
Hu Li’s heart sank—the System didn’t say she wouldn’t get hurt!
In the city lord’s hall, the Black Wolf City Lord sat on the main seat. Seeing that the newly arrived Female showed no sign of fearing him, he couldn’t help but feel intrigued.
“Are you the new Female?”
“Yes.” Hu Li’s reply was neither submissive nor arrogant. Originally, Hu Zhuo had wanted to answer for A Li, fearing she might be scared, but she stopped him.
“But you have no tribe to live in?”
“Yes, City Lord.”
“Good. It just so happens that Wanshou City is in great need of Females. In the future, feel free to take any Male you like. It will also help add new Beastfolk to Wanshou City.”
Hu Li couldn’t offend the City Lord right after arriving, so she could only nod repeatedly.
After asking his questions, the City Lord had intended to tease her a bit, but seeing her timid and submissive demeanor, he realized she was just like ordinary Females—boring and cowardly. If only a different kind of Female would come, he’d definitely send his own son over.
The City Lord sent Beastfolk to give them five pieces of meat freshly cut from a rhinoceros, along with a large piece of rhinoceros hide, before letting them leave.
Wanshou City gathered Beastfolk from all over, and many useful things were widely spread here, making it far more advanced than the Red Fox Tribe.
For example, they would cut branches from sturdy trees and pile them up to make beds, preventing them from getting soaked in water after rain.
Or, they would use lotus leaves to hold cut meat, sprinkle coarse salt on it, and eat it directly, unlike the Beastfolk of the Red Fox Tribe, who would pick up large chunks of meat and tear into them with their teeth.
Hu Li’s lower abdomen had already begun to swell slightly. Hu Zhuo wasn’t comfortable leaving her alone at home, but he still needed to go out hunting, as food would eventually run out.
Considering that Hu Zhuo wasn’t very familiar with the nearby terrain, Hu Li came up with her own clever idea.
First, she gathered a lot of firewood. To avoid attracting the attention of Beastfolk, she asked the Priest for Sacred Fire to light the firewood. Hu Zhuo was responsible for cutting the meat into small pieces, while Hu Li was in charge of roasting the meat over the Sacred Fire.
When the meat was almost done, she sprinkled a bit of fine salt on it, along with the precious seasonings they had found on their way—evergreen trees and herbaceous plants, namely star anise trees and cumin grass.
Hu Li had specifically ground them into powder and sprinkled it on.
Even though they didn’t live in a bustling area, the aroma drifted far and wide, attracting many Beastfolk to gather and watch.
Seeing that it was a dark-skinned Female roasting the meat, they couldn’t help but feel pity. “Don’t you have a Beast Husband? Sacred Fire is so dangerous. Why don’t you let your Male roast the meat?”
“Yeah! For us Beastfolk, roasted meat is the worst-tasting. Didn’t you know?”
Several Males whispered cautiously, but Hu Li was confident. “Take a look, have a taste! Delicious roasted meat, guaranteed to make you dream about it after eating.”
“Huh? Is it really that amazing?”
“Of course! This is my first time roasting meat outside. Five Beastfolk can try it for free, no exchange needed!”
A few Beastfolk were eager to try. Hu Li skewered a piece of the roasted meat on a thin twig and handed it over.
The first Beastfolk to try it looked nervous, while the others watched with anticipation, eager to find out just how delicious Hu Li’s roasted meat really was.
The moment the roasted meat entered his mouth, the other Beastfolk held their breath, and the scene instantly fell silent.
Upon seeing the Beastfolk chew twice, then his eyes light up as he claimed he wanted more, the place erupted. Everyone wanted a taste, and Hu Li knew this method had succeeded.
“Sorry! There are only four spots left, who wants them?”
All the Beastfolk on the scene raised their hands. Hu Zhuo stood to the side, watching to ensure A Li’s safety.
Seeing many Beastfolk gathered in the distance, Lang Xi couldn’t help but feel curious and asked her companion beside her, “What’s going on over there?”
Several wolves looked at each other and shook their heads. “Don’t know.”
“Let’s go take a look.”
Among the Beastfolk crowd, someone shouted that the city lord’s daughter had arrived, and many Beastfolk quickly cleared a path.
Lang Xi looked puzzled at the busy Female before her. “Aren’t you afraid of the Sacred Fire?”
Hu Li shook her head. “As long as it’s controlled well, the Sacred Fire won’t harm me.”
Lang Xi grew interested. “Is that roasted meat in your hand?”
Hu Li thought to herself that since this was the city lord’s daughter, befriending her would mean having a powerful backer.
Before she could get excited, the System beat her to it.
【Host, Host, it’s the Daughter of Fortune! Quick, quick, quick, win her over.】
Hu Li was stunned. She hadn’t expected the city lord’s daughter to be the female lead, so she became even more polite to her. Picking up a skewer, she handed it over. “Try it. If you think it’s delicious, you can exchange something for it.”
Curious, Lang Xi took it, glanced at her companions, then skeptically placed the roasted meat in her mouth and chewed. The next moment, her eyes lit up. “How much more do you have? I want it all.”
This statement displeased the other Beastfolk. “Lang Xi, we want to buy some too. Buy less.”
Lang Xi, of course, refused. “I’ll buy today’s batch. You can come back and buy tomorrow!”
Um… The Beastfolk didn’t know if Hu Li would make roasted meat again tomorrow, so they all turned to look at her.
“Our roasted meat is limited. Each person can only buy ten skewers.”
Hehe, the Beastfolk’s eyes grew even brighter, staring at the roasted meat and drooling. Today, they too would have a treat.
“Why?” Lang Xi always felt she had excellent luck, always able to get what she wanted before others. Yet, with mere roasted meat, she could only buy ten skewers.
She grew angry and demanded that Hu Li exchange all of it with her.
Hu Li glanced at her twice. What kind of female lead is this? So unreasonable. Then she coldly replied, “No.”
Lang Xi deflated. This was the first time she had used her status as the city lord’s daughter to pressure a Female outside, but the other party showed no fear at all. No, even if she had to beg, she would beg for it—it was just too delicious.
The next second, just as the Beastfolk were happily about to exchange for the roasted meat, Lang Xi, with lightning speed, hugged Hu Li’s thigh. Even Hu Zhuo hadn’t anticipated this move.
“Ahhh, please, please exchange it all with me! Tell me what you want, and I’ll search heaven and earth to find it.”
Hu Li was dumbfounded. This… this wasn’t an unreasonable female lead but a 250 female lead, right? Where was the arrogant, domineering aura of the city lord’s daughter? Shouldn’t the normal novel trope involve secretly causing trouble for her? Hugging her thigh in public—this silly, foolish energy was a match for the 250 System.
Hu Li had thought it would take great effort to become good friends with the female lead and then help her cultivate. She never expected that a single piece of roasted meat had already won the female lead over.
Looking at the adorable female lead with her teary, sparkling eyes, there was no trace of the fierce, bloodthirsty ferocity she had shown when they first met, when she had bared her fangs and lunged to bite.