Chapter 93: Strike First

ost King."My lord, you have been trapped here by a Taoist priest. To leave this place, you must find a substitute. I will let him take your place, and then you will be able to leave smoothly, and you..."You dare to return to our territory! You're looking for death!"

A beastman, two meters tall with a fair and delicate face, roared furiously after catching a familiar scent.

The other five beastmen following him immediately transformed into their beast forms, encircling the temporary cave and preparing to attack. While exiled beastmen returning to the tribe was not unheard of, this one was the first to be so brazen as to appear at their patrol beastman's resting point.

"Tai, I didn't intentionally enter the tribe. The female I was following led me to our tribe."

Although he wasn't afraid of Tai, the other party had six people after all. As former clan members, they were well aware of each other's weaknesses. If a real fight broke out, he wouldn't stand a chance, so he immediately brought out Lianyi.

Tai Xia's long eyes narrowed, he didn't quite believe Du's words, but he did smell the scent of a female, and it was a fresh, herbaceous smell.

The old god sat by the fire, roasting a blackened goat on a spit, and after speaking to himself in silence for a while, he opened his mouth and spoke.

"Please, have all your people come in; I've prepared a whole roasted lamb for them."

Du's mouth twitched, but he still rose to his feet and walked out of the cave, issuing an invitation to the six of his kin who looked displeased.

The six members of the Black Snake tribe weren't deaf, naturally they heard Ripple's words. And from their expressions, it was clear that the female beastman who hadn't shown her face was now in charge.

Taihe and his companions were all curious, wondering who the other party was, someone so revered that even Dú was so obedient. Moreover, with six of them against one, he was confident that even if there was any movement, they could still beat Dú to death.

So he waved to his two orc companions who remained at the cave entrance, and the other three, including himself, entered the cave in humanoid form.

After a few people entered, they saw a stunning female orc, who was currently turning a staff-thick ironwood branch. On the ironwood branch sat a black-footed sheep, emitting an alluring aroma.

"I'm sorry to disturb you! Duo and I were hunting black-footed sheep nearby, and for my safety, Duo brought me here. The meat is just cooked, please have some as a thank you for letting us use your place."

The ripples politely and courteously said.

Tai looked at Lianyi for a while, then glanced at the man standing behind Lianyi, bowing respectfully. He felt that his eyes might be having problems, but as the captain of the patrol team, he still asked directly:

"Female, are you sure you weren't coerced into this"

"Just call me Ripples. I wasn't forced to come here, but she tried to attack me while I was washing my beast-skin skirt. I caught her and beat her up, pulled out her venomous fangs, and now she's my follower."

Ripple smiled sweetly.

Tai and three other villagers looked at each other, unsure what expression to make. But the rich aroma wafting from beneath their noses was certainly real.

"Come sit down!"

Liàn Yī first cut a piece of meat and put it in her mouth, tasting it to see if the saltiness was just right. Satisfied, she invited the four people again.

Tai walked straight over, took out the bone knife he carried with him, and cut off a piece of meat from the top. He put it in his mouth. The grilled meat was salty and spicy, with a hint of sweetness. Because the fire was well-controlled, the meat wasn't tough at all, it was tender and juicy, melting in his mouth, satisfying his taste buds greatly.

Thai's eyes lit up, and he quickly sliced down the second piece. The other three saw this and stepped forward one by one, slicing down a piece of meat and sending it into their mouths. Then they were also conquered by the different flavors of the grilled meat.

Next to him, the lone wolf had eaten down two slices of meat and turned his head, leaving only a skeleton behind. He glanced at the four of them with some pride. This kind of barbecue was something he could eat every few days. As long as he hunted fresh prey, Lian Yi would personally make it herself. However, he was just eating what was left over from her.

"Ripple, how do you make the barbecue so delicious"

Orcs are straightforward and just get straight to the point.

“Before grilling, I rinsed the whole black-footed lamb with cold spring water from nearby. I also rubbed salt and ginger on the surface of the meat to remove the gamey smell. After marinating for a while, I started grilling it. During the grilling process, I brushed it with my special sauce. The grilled meat was naturally delicious and different from what you usually grill.”

Ripple smiled and said something vaguely, but didn't reveal the core of the matter.

Tai's eyes immediately landed on the small wooden jar by the female's feet. That must be the special sauce she had mentioned, he thought, his eyes twinkling. Then he spoke:

"Female ripple, you led the lone one to our Black Serpent territory, surely it's not just for rest"

"Yes, I would like to stay in the Black Snake Clan's territory for a while. In exchange, I will tell you a method for storing meat for long periods during both the warm season and the rainy season."

Even ripples didn't want to beat around the bush and directly stated her purpose.

After thinking for a moment, Tai continued to ask:

"What do you want to do while you stay in the Black Snake Tribe's territory"

"I want to see if there are any new foods I can eat."

Ripples said softly.

She had new thoughts about that traverser, Yan Jia, whom she had encountered on her journey.

Let her walk her path, making it impossible for her to proceed. She'll see just how much Yan Jia can build a tribe centered around her.

Yan Jia used the advanced knowledge from another world to profit for herself. She charmed the elites of all beast tribes around her, and she became the destroyer, making all that knowledge worth not even a single beast bone.

"This"

“This is the instruction given to me by the Beast God!”

Ripple smiled, raising a hand to stroke her brow. The beast mark there flashed, and Tai and the other three beastmen felt it. It was slightly different from their own totem marks, but it contained immense power.

Thank you, Beast God, for your gift!

The four members of the Black Serpent Clan, including Du who had a serious expression and clenched his right fist, lightly patted his left chest and said in unison.

The ripples also made the same movement, bowing to the beast god after which Tai opened his mouth and spoke:

"Female Ripple, the request you made, I cannot answer you directly now. I must go back and tell the Chieftain, and after the Chieftain and the tribe's shaman have discussed it, we will give you a reply."

"That's no problem, I'm willing to wait. To be more persuasive, I'll roast another black-footed sheep for you to bring to the chief and the shaman."

Ripple knew even though she was female, if she wanted to enter the core of a clan's territory, she would need permission. Otherwise, she would be seen as a provocation. Beastmen have a very strong sense of territorial awareness.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, they carried the black-footed sheep wrapped in large palm leaves, leaving their temporary cave. Two of their people remained behind to guard against wolves.

Three days later, Lianyi and Du met the chieftain Si and witch of the Black Snake clan. They clearly valued Lianyi's method of storing meat.

The Black Serpent Clan's leader, Si, gave off an air of shrewdness and cunning, while the white-haired Shaman exuded an ambiguous aura of both male and female, untouched by the affairs of mortals.

"I received the gift you brought us, and I am also interested in the way you described storing it."n.Morgan's face turned pale, he didn't even have time to react. Ripples flickered and appeared in front of him, a slender hand gripped Mark transformed into a monster, directly snapping the opponent's...