Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Bonus Chapter for Ming Lili’s Reward

“Tian Lion Tribe, Mi Lu.”

Mi Lu watched Chang Xia head to the cellar, then turned and walked into the kitchen.

She greeted the three inside with poise and introduced herself.

“Heluo Tribe, Maple Leaf.”

“—Nuan Chun.”

“I’m Nan Feng,” Nan Feng said. “Just now, were you talking to Chang Xia about Chen Rong? I think I heard his name.”

“Maple Leaf, you’re Maple Leaf from the Heluo Tribe?” Mi Lu stared at Maple Leaf in shock, completely forgetting Nan Feng’s question. She looked at Maple Leaf like a starstruck fangirl, her beautiful face flushing red.

Maple Leaf paused, giving the blushing Mi Lu a strange look.

“That’s right, I’m Maple Leaf from the Heluo Tribe.”

“Hi, I’m Mi Lu from the Lion Tribe. I really like you—no, I admire you!”

After Elder Yami, Maple Leaf was another female whose name was known throughout the Twilight Forest.

Absolute strength, outstanding beauty.

Maple Leaf’s name was famous in every beast tribe of the Twilight Forest.

Tsk!

Another beastman fooled by Maple Leaf’s looks.

“Wait, Maple Leaf has a mate? How come I never heard about this?” Mi Lu snapped out of it, surprised.

Nan Feng pouted. “Kongshan. You should have met him.”

“Kongshan’s not bad-looking, but he’s got nothing on Chen Rong,” Mi Lu muttered. “Maple Leaf, your taste isn’t great. Chang Xia’s is much better—she picked Chen Rong. I think Chen Rong is way better looking than Kongshan.”

Upon hearing this, Nan Feng felt there was no need to ask what she and Chang Xia had been chatting about.

Nine times out of ten, it was obvious.

The two of them had been discussing Chen Rong’s looks out in the hallway.

Back at the Normandy market, the main reason Chang Xia picked Chen Rong was simply because he was good-looking. Yes, it really was just that straightforward.

“…” Maple shrugged, not responding.

How was she supposed to reply to that?

After all, in Maple’s eyes, Kong Shan was even better looking. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all.

“Milu, Kong Shan’s looks are more rugged and handsome, while Chen Rong’s are refined and scholarly. They’re different types—you can’t really compare them. Each has their own strengths.” As Chang Xia spoke, she carried a wicker basket filled with various seasonings.

She set the basket down and began sorting the seasonings into the cupboard.

Milu listened to Chang Xia’s explanation, thought for a moment, and nodded in agreement.

Off to the side, Maple and the other two looked at the pair with indescribable expressions, completely speechless at Chang Xia.

Milu was clearly eyeing her partner, yet Chang Xia remained totally unfazed.

At that moment, Nuan Chun and the others couldn’t tell whether they felt more complicated or just more exasperated.

After finishing with the seasonings, Chang Xia looked up and caught the odd expressions on Nuan Chun and the others’ faces. She paused, then quickly understood.

“Milu’s just into good looks—she only admires Chen Rong’s appearance, nothing more,” Chang Xia explained.

Milu instantly realized what was going on.

Maple and the others had misunderstood her.

“Chang Xia’s right. I just appreciate Chen Rong’s face, that’s all—there’s nothing else to it, really,” Milu promised. “Actually, I think Phyllis from the Bird Tribe and Qing Lan from the Fish Tribe are both pretty handsome too. It’s just a shame those two tribes are so exclusive and don’t marry outsiders. Hehe!”

As she spoke, Milu gave a mischievous grin.

At this, Maple and the others were left speechless, black lines practically forming above their heads.

Milu was from the Lion Tribe, and by rights should have been tall and sturdy. But she was an exception—petite, just a head taller than Chang Xia, and a head shorter than Maple and Nan Feng. With her delicate, elegant features, she looked every bit the classic beauty when she stood quietly.

But that grin…

Honestly—

She looked just like some weirdo who’d crawled out of a dark alley!

Nan Feng tilted her head, sizing Milu up.

Who would have thought this little thing had such big ideas? As far as she knew, Phyllis from the Bird Tribe and Qing Lan from the Fish Tribe were both famous totem warriors in their respective tribes.

Not only were they good-looking, but they were also outstanding fighters.

Neither of those two had married yet.

If Milu really pulled it off, the two tribes would have no choice but to accept the match.

After all, the Heavenly Lion Tribe was powerful and not to be trifled with.

Milu’s eyes lit up, and she said excitedly, “Really… I could do that?”

She rubbed her hands together, clearly thrilled.

Honestly, Milu had never thought of such a thing before.

But after hearing Nan Feng’s suggestion, she was tempted.

At this point, Chang Xia realized something was off. Nan Feng was encouraging Milu to cause trouble! If things went wrong, it could spark conflict between the Beast, Bird, and Fish Tribes.

Maple raised her hand and smacked Nan Feng again.

“Nan Feng, get lost!”

Chang Xia quickly spoke up to mediate: “Milu, don’t listen to Nan Feng’s nonsense. You can’t just mess around when it comes to finding a partner. First, you need to ask the other person’s opinion. When I brought Chen Rong back to the Heluo Tribe, I asked him directly if he was willing, and only after he agreed did I bring him back.”

On the side, Maple and Nuan Chun facepalmed, looking pained.

Chang Xia—

That’s not exactly good advice either, is it?

With the pride of the Bird and Fish Tribes, if Milu dared to ask them directly, she’d probably just get beaten up. There’s no such thing as “not hitting females” in this world.

“Chang Xia, you shut up too,” Maple said coldly.

Nuan Chun quickly jumped in, “Chang Xia, it’s time to prepare lunch. Look, it’s getting late—we should get started…”

They could practically feel a chill run down their spines.

If they let Chang Xia, Nan Feng, and Milu keep talking, the Heavenly Lion Tribe might show up at their door one day, blaming them for corrupting Milu.

“Chang Xia, how are you planning to prepare your all-spicy feast?” Maple chimed in.

Oh god!

Please, just stop this dangerous conversation.

If they kept going, Milu might actually turn into a roaming bandit, kidnapping eligible bachelors left and right.

“Milu, besides eating raw chili peppers, how else does your Lion Tribe usually prepare them?” Nuan Chun asked with a gentle smile, pulling Milu aside.

In short, they needed to cut off that conversation—no way could they let that dangerous topic continue.

“We dry the chilies in the sun, like ginkgo nuts. In the cold season, we boil water with dried chilies to drive away the chill. Usually, we roast them with meat, and sometimes stew them together…”

Milu was cheerful and outgoing, though a bit scatterbrained at times.

With Nuan Chun’s gentle tone, Milu was quickly distracted and started explaining how the Lion Tribe ate chili peppers.

At first, when Chang Xia and the others heard that the Heavenly Lion Tribe drank chili water, they were genuinely impressed. Then, when Milu mentioned roasting and stewing chilies with meat, they were pleasantly surprised.

The Heavenly Lion Tribe really knew how to eat chilies.

Even though their methods were different from Chang Xia’s, whether roasted or stewed with meat, it probably tasted great. No wonder the Lion Tribe couldn’t understand why the other beast tribes in the Twilight Forest didn’t like eating chilies.