Chapter 74: Beloved Chicken

His companion patted him on the shoulder with a sympathetic look, but quickly put the matter out of his mind, his eyes lighting up with excitement as they fell on the fifty brass treasure chests in the center of the square.

""Hawei, let's squeeze a bit closer. Amos said these brass chests can have all sorts of good stuff inside. Let's get a better look.""

A middle-aged woman in front immediately turned around and glared at him, displeased. ""Bulu, stop pushing! You're about to squeeze your auntie's guts out!""

The surrounding clansmen all chimed in, complaining loudly.

""Yeah, yeah, I can't even move with all this pushing.""

""Hey, stop shoving! I just drank some nutrient solution and you're about to squeeze it right out of me.""

""Who's pulling my hair? Who? I barely have a few strands left—if you pull them out, I'll pull yours out too! You, kid in the back, don't move. Wait till I turn around and see your face.""

The crowd was full of grumbling and indignation. Bulu gave an awkward laugh, quickly pulling his hand back, not daring to push forward anymore.

He glanced over at Aunt Meifang in the crowd. She was like a little white dragon riding the waves, skillfully maneuvering through the sea of people. In the blink of an eye, she advanced step by step, carving out a path for herself, and Uncle Kuke, who was with her, got to tag along and make it to the very front as well.

Bulu looked on with admiration, then sheepishly glanced at his good friend Hawei beside him.

If he hadn’t held Hawei back, Hawei might have made it to the front too.

Hawei tugged at the corner of his mouth. ""It's fine. I’ve seen Amos open chests before, and I’m tall enough to see from here anyway.""

Bulu, half a head shorter, puffed out his cheeks in frustration. It must be because he hadn’t eaten as much meat as Hawei—that’s why he hadn’t grown tall. Once they got to Earth Village, he was determined to hunt more monsters and eat more meat.

""Alright, everyone quiet down, quiet down. Please form a circle around the square, with me and the chests in the center,"" Yun Qimu called out.

""Those at the front can sit down on the ground. I already had someone clean it, so it’s clean—don’t worry. This way, those standing at the back can see too.""

With Yun Qimu’s instructions, everyone complied without hesitation.

The crowded mass of people spread out, and those who had been packed in like sardines finally relaxed, their moods lifting.

Smiles broke out all around. ""Chief Yun always thinks of everything!""

""Yeah, Chief Yun is amazing—she can even order star pirates around!""

""I saw it myself outside the tribe just now—those three star pirates didn’t dare resist at all. They obediently swept the ground like little chicks.""

Over a hundred clanspeople gathered in a circle, chatting and laughing. Whether in front or back, everyone could now see Yun Qimu in the center and the brass treasure chests around her.

Standing in the middle, Yun Qimu showed no stage fright at all. In fact, she was reminded of the days in the gifted class, surrounded by junior students and subordinates.

In the flickering firelight, she wore her signature, persuasive—uh, no, her signature warm and friendly smile, facing all those curious, eager eyes as she began to speak.

""I’m sure everyone in the Tiangou Tribe knows why I’ve gathered you here tonight. That’s right—it’s to open treasure chests!""

""These chests are a specialty of Earth Village. You may have heard about them before. They can contain all sorts of things: pure, natural meat with zero dark matter, powerful weapons, stamina-restoring potions, and even cards that can give ordinary people superpowers…""

With each item she listed, the eyes of the crowd grew brighter, their breathing heavier.

When she mentioned the cards that could grant powers to ordinary people, the excitement reached a fever pitch.

Especially the ordinary folks—their eyes were practically boring holes into the treasure chests on the ground, as if they could crawl inside and find the card that would make them strong.

Hawei, an ordinary person longing for powers, clenched his fists in excitement, his eyes red with anticipation. Never before had he so desperately wanted to join Earth Village, to get his hands on one of those cards that could grant him abilities.

The rest of the tribe were no different—everyone held their breath, eyes shining with wolfish hunger, their desire for Earth Village written all over their faces.

Yun Qimu was very pleased with their reaction. She went on to paint a vivid picture of the wonderful life in Earth Village, dreaming aloud of a future with good food, good drink, and beautiful wives. Of course, she also reminded them that opening chests was all about luck—if you’re unlucky, there’s nothing you can do about it, a ""tiny flaw"" in the system.

But the Tiangou tribespeople didn’t care. No one would admit to being unlucky; everyone was sure they’d get an SR card when they opened a chest.

Well, Wu Xingyu probably thought the same before he opened his chest.

Yun Qimu kindly refrained from crushing their confidence, just smiling and moving on to the next topic: the ""deal with the devil"" risks of joining Earth Village.

She gave them one last chance to choose whether or not to join.

The Tiangou people didn’t care about that either. Like Ge Miao, they shrugged off the risks—there are risks everywhere, after all. Earth Village had delicious fruit, tasty roast meat, and so many amazing things. Even if there were risks, so what? That’s only natural. If there weren’t any risks, they’d be more suspicious.

And so, both sides reached a happy, harmonious understanding, forming a beautiful, united front.

Then, with great excitement, they moved on to the final event: opening the treasure chests.

""These fifty chests are the ones I saved from today’s monster hunt. Let’s open them now and show everyone what’s inside,"" Yun Qimu said with a big grin.

""Yes, yes!""

""Hurry up, I can’t wait!""

The Tiangou people cheered and clapped, their excitement echoing far and wide.

Yun Qimu smiled, then bent down to open the nearest chest.

[Ding dong—Congratulations, player has obtained: 1 Plucked Chicken!]

[Ding dong—Congratulations, player has obtained: 1 Red Cotton Coat!]

[Ding dong—Congratulations, player has obtained: 1 Strength Card!]

To Yun Qimu, these three items were nothing special—just an ordinary chest by her standards. But the Tiangou people watching were thrilled.

Especially when she pulled out a plucked chicken.

The eyes of the Tiangou people around her practically turned green with envy.

Cries of amazement broke out all around. ""A chicken! It’s so plump and tender, with a sheen of fat and a touch of rosy freshness!""

""I can smell the delicious, fresh meat—nothing like the stinky, berserk beast meat we usually eat.""

""Ah, I declare: from now on, this is my beloved chicken!"""