Chapter 65: Do You Think I’m Miserable Enough?

Masa thought for a moment. Although this son of his was a bit slow, he was absolutely honest and trustworthy—he’d never lie to his old man. If Earth Village was really as good as they said, sending him as a scout to check it out first wasn’t a bad idea.

He waved his hand, not wanting to look at his silly son bouncing around like an eager puppy. “Alright, alright, stop batting those big, girly eyes at me. You can go if you want, but you have to get in through recruitment. I’m not paying for any of those tour groups with my energy coins.”

“Hehe, I’ve got energy coins! Just today, a spaceship dumped some trash and my hunting squad happened to be there. We didn’t find any nutrient solution, but there were a few scattered energy coins mixed in. I got eight of them.”

Ge Miao grinned and flashed a hand gesture. “After paying the tour group fee, I’ll still have five left.”

Seeing his father’s face growing more and more stern, he quickly straightened up, put on a serious face, and shouted, “Don’t worry, Dad! I’ll do my best to get recruited. Just wait here for my good news…”

Before he even finished, he dashed off to join the long line. There were plenty of warriors in their tribe—even as the young chief, he wasn’t confident he could cut ahead of them.

“This brat, jumping around like that—how could Village Chief Yun ever take a liking to him?” Masa grumbled as he watched his son’s back, but his tone was full of indulgence and amusement.

Luke, holding little Lu Xiaomao, was also grinning nearby. He knew exactly what his old man was thinking. After a moment, he pulled out a string of grilled fish from a big green leaf and handed it to Masa. “Uncle, you should try this grilled fish too.”

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly…” Masa’s eyes were glued to the fish, but he still made a show of waving his hand politely.

Luke simply shoved it into his hand. “It’s fine. Shakela and Xiaomao are full, and if we run out, I can always go back to Earth Village and make more. But you, Uncle, at your age, never having tasted grilled fish—that’s a real shame.”

Masa’s eyes bulged. Since when did this kid learn to tease people like that?

What did he mean, ‘at your age’? He was only 69—he could easily live another hundred years!

But the smell of the grilled fish was just too tempting, even more mouthwatering than those sweet candies. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth, he’d start drooling uncontrollably, so he swallowed his words and stuffed the fish into his mouth.

Wow, what divine flavor!

With the first bite, the crispy skin broke apart effortlessly, and the delicious aroma spread through his mouth.

Another bite revealed the tender, snowy-white flesh inside. The fresh, savory taste danced on his tongue, an unprecedented, heavenly flavor that swept over him like a flood, making him feel completely invigorated.

His eyes lit up, and he couldn’t help but sigh, as if years of regret had finally been filled.

“Good, so good! Even the fish bones are fragrant and crispy—delicious, absolutely delicious.”

He took careful, almost reverent bites, savoring every mouthful. Even after finishing the whole fish, he licked his fingers, still unsatisfied, his eyes sneaking longingly toward Luke.

Luke spread his hands helplessly. “That’s all I brought—really, there’s no more.”

Seeing this, Masa could only look away with regret, a hint of hope in his eyes as he turned to look at the long line.

He muttered to himself, wondering what the process for joining Earth Village was like.

At that moment, Yun Qimu was sitting behind a long table, holding a stack of white papers. Her delicate, beautiful face was serious, her bright eyes sharp as she asked, “Name?”

The man in front, Awa, was equally solemn, clutching half a cucumber he couldn’t bear to eat, standing upright. His deep, gruff voice was earnest and honest. “My name is Awa.”

“Have you awakened any abilities? What kind?”

“Yes, I have an ability. Metal element.”

“Ability level?”

“A-level.”

At that, Yun Qimu looked up at him. Muscular, strong build—a real fighter, and a powerful ability too. He could be assigned to the monster-hunting squad.

She was satisfied, but kept a straight face as she continued, “You’re an A-level ability user. That’s pretty impressive out there. Why did you choose to stay in the Tengu Tribe instead of going out to make your mark?”

Awa paused, his honey-colored, rugged face frowning slightly. “Probably because I was born in the Tengu Tribe. And… I have a troublesome wife.”

Yun Qimu immediately thought of Mana. Yep, that woman was definitely a handful.

She couldn’t resist her burning curiosity and, in the middle of recruitment, skillfully went off-topic, asking slyly, “Then why did you marry her in the first place?”

Awa’s big, bright eyes looked at her in surprise. Yun Qimu didn’t feel embarrassed at all. Instead, she said righteously, “I’m just trying to understand your family situation. If something big happens at home and you have to leave work, that would delay things, wouldn’t it?”

Awa suddenly understood and answered seriously, “Because Shakela got married. Reproduction is important. Mana said she wanted to marry me, so I married her.”

“Oh.” So he’s a straight-up, emotionless guy, Yun Qimu thought, a little disappointed—she’d hoped for some juicy drama.

“Do you regret marrying her?”

“Regret.” The word slipped out of Awa’s mouth without hesitation. He really, truly regretted it.

From the very first night after marrying Mana, he’d been regretting it. He no longer believed the other men in the tribe who said that even if there was no love, feelings would grow over time.

Not for him. The more time he spent with Mana, the colder his heart became.

After marrying her, the Tengu Tribe’s top warrior often went hungry—Mana ate all the nutrient solution, meat, and root vegetables they got.

Mana wouldn’t even let him warm the bed, kicking him out of the cave to sleep outside. When she lost her temper, she’d hit and curse him. Life was harder than when he was single. Yet the other men in the tribe envied him, saying he’d married the most beautiful girl in the tribe.

Awa suffered in silence—he was a man, after all.

Yun Qimu, already imagining countless stories from his conflicted expression, looked at him with sympathy. “Alright, I think you really need this job to escape your misery. You’re hired. Be at the tribe gate at eight tomorrow morning. Just bring yourself—Earth Village will provide everything else you need.”

Awa’s eyes lit up, his deep voice rising with excitement. “Don’t worry, Chief! I’ll work hard!”

Yun Qimu looked at her new employee with satisfaction. “Good, I believe in you.”"