Favorite of the Beast-world: I Got Rich Through Farming-Chapter 68 - 67: No Idea for a Title

The fragrant aroma of roasted meat filled the air. It was sprinkled with salt and chopped green onions, and its surface was coated with a mouth-watering red sauce.

Chi Li hesitated before taking a tentative bite. The next second, his mouth went numb from the spice, and he stuck out the pink tip of his tongue, panting lightly.

He covered half of his flushed face. Even the tips of his ears seemed to turn red as his fox ears drooped low in his hair. "Wh-what is this?"

’He couldn’t describe the strange, tingling, burning sensation in his mouth. After the initial shock, there was even a surprising sense of pleasure.’

An Jin and Ling Hong looked at each other. A moment later, it dawned on them—the roasted meat had been brushed with a layer of their secret chili sauce!

The two of them had long since grown accustomed to it; they practically couldn’t eat a meal without spice. But most Beastmen had never tasted chili before, and the strange flavor made their mouths go numb. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Chi Li slowly chewed the piece of meat in his mouth for a while until the spiciness subsided.

Only then did he manage to swallow it. His fair, handsome cheeks were flushed, and the corners of his eyes were red from the spice, making him look as if someone had bullied him to tears.

An Jin, "..."

’I didn’t expect foxes to have such a low tolerance for spice.’

Some people are naturally unable to handle spice. Food that’s too spicy can make them physically ill.

An Jin quickly suggested he drink some cool beast milk, which might help. Once Chi Li had recovered, she breathed a sigh of relief and scratched her head guiltily. "I’m so sorry, I completely forgot about the chili. If you’d still like to try the roasted meat, I can bring you a non-spicy portion tomorrow."

’No reason to turn down a free offer.’

Chi Li didn’t refuse.

"AWOO~" The cubs gathered around, pawing at Chi Li’s calves. They couldn’t stand the dark, murky medicinal soup, so they hung their heads and pestered him for candy.

’AWOO~ We’ll only drink our medicine if we get sweet candy!’

"Candy?" An Jin’s heart skipped a beat, and a question formed in her mind.

She squatted down, gathering a few of the little cubs into her arms. She rubbed their dejected little heads and asked tentatively, "The Witch Doctor Castle has candy?"

"Oh?" Chi Li said, his interest piqued. He gave her a meaningful look. "You’ve seen it before?"

An Jin pouted. "I made some not long ago."

"You made it?"

Chi Li was skeptical. "Didn’t that female say the candy was a specialty of her tribe? That no outsiders knew how to make it..."

He’d only just started speaking when he saw the expressions on the female and the Wolf Beast turn cold and grim, their eyes blazing with fury. The sight made Chi Li trail off.

He raised an eyebrow and gave a faint smile. "What’s wrong? You’re making me a little scared with that look."

The female looked at him urgently, her words tumbling out in a rush. "Could I please see that candy? Is it in a yellow wooden box?"

’This doesn’t seem like a trivial matter.’ Chi Li’s expression grew uncharacteristically solemn. He nodded. "You can. And yes, there’s a wooden box."

He produced a small, simple box made of yellow wood.

Inside lay shattered pieces of crystalline candy.

Seeing An Jin and Ling Hong’s faces grow progressively colder, Chi Li realized something was wrong. With the natural shrewdness of the Fox Clan, a quick thought was all it took for him to guess most of the truth. "What’s the matter? Don’t tell me your tribe’s supplies were stolen by another tribe?"

’No wonder that female... Xue, was it? She was so flustered and lacked confidence. I was suspicious at the time, but this reason would certainly explain it.’

The two in front of him nodded. "The huge fire in the forest a few days ago," An Jin said, "was set by that tribe so they could steal our goods!"

This declaration didn’t just shock Chi Li; even the Beast Servants and the little cubs’ expressions changed, their faces contorting with rage.

The little cubs rolled on the ground, their fur bristling as they let out kittenish growls. Even they knew that what the tribe had done was wrong!

It was common for tribes to fight over resources. The rule of the Beast World had always been ’survival of the fittest,’ and being strong enough to steal supplies and escape unscathed was, in itself, a display of power.

But to set fire to a mountain, to burn down the forest and cause the deaths of countless plants and animals—an act that could even wipe out several neighboring tribes—that was a despicable deed that all Beastmen would condemn!

"The tribe that female belongs to, do you know which one it is?"

Chi Li thought for a moment, then tilted his head, his fox ears twitching. "It was something... Bear... the Barbarian Bear Tribe? I remember their Clan Leader is a Fifth Rank Bear Beast."

"So it was them!" Ling Hong’s expression turned frigid, his green, beastly eyes as cold as tempered ice. His hands clenched into tight fists.

’He knew of the Barbarian Bear Tribe. They were a rival tribe from a nearby territory, and the two tribes often clashed over food and land.’

’I have to find proof and expose their heinous crimes.’

’Oh, right. We haven’t reeled in our line yet.’ An Jin thought, remembering Manduo, who was imprisoned in the cabin.

’Good news should be coming soon.’

"Thank you for telling us all this," An Jin said. "As payment, if you need more candy, I can make some for you for free!"

’Seeing this female acting so earnest, with her righteous air of always repaying a favor, Chi Li was surprised. She was different from the females he was used to...’

’At least, she didn’t disgust him.’

Chi Li felt something stir within him. He walked over to An Jin and leaned down, his tall, handsome figure completely enveloping her slender frame. His shimmering, gilded fox eyes narrowed, and his fiery red, white-tipped tail swayed gently. "Alright then," he purred. "It’s a deal."

"There’s no need for it to be free. I’ll pay you a sufficient amount of Beast Crystals. Just don’t disappoint me."

She made a small fist. "I’ll do my best."

Before leaving, she picked up the stone bowl and noticed a few slices of meat and some soup were still left inside. On the principle of not wasting food, An Jin finished it off like a whirlwind.

Chi Li’s eyes widened slightly. "..."

He froze completely, his feet rooted to the spot. An inscrutable emotion flickered across his handsome, bewitching face.

’The female had taken the bowl and wooden spoon he’d just used, scooped up the remaining soup, and finished it in a few big gulps.’

It took a long moment for Chi Li to snap out of it. He started to speak, then stopped, before finally managing to ask, "Y-you don’t think it’s... dirty?"

His voice had lost its usual playful, mocking edge. It was soft and gentle, carrying a hint of cautious vulnerability.

An Jin was immediately displeased. "How could it be dirty? I cleaned the meat myself, and the onions and garlic were freshly picked. How could it possibly be unclean?"

"..."

The two of them were clearly not on the same wavelength.

Chi Li lowered his gaze, his eyes lingering on the wooden spoon she had put her lips to. For a moment, a shadow passed through them, concealing a deep sadness and vulnerability.

But it was just for an instant. He quickly reverted to his playful, wicked, and lazy demeanor. With a flippant curl of his lip and a sneer, he asked, "Why are you like a puppy, liking to lick up other people’s leftovers?"

An Jin, "...??"

’I just didn’t want to waste food, okay?’

Late that night, while the Beastmen, exhausted from their day’s labor, were fast asleep, a Bear Beast crept along under the cover of darkness. He moved furtively along the wall, about to turn into the stone courtyard.

He had just set one foot inside the entrance.

The Wolf Beasts lying in wait behind the door swarmed him, tackling the Bear Beast to the ground and sinking their teeth into his trembling neck and limbs.