Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Looking Forward to the Feast

After drying the chilies, Changxia and the other females stayed in the courtyard to make chili oil.

Chenrong took Yadong and a few others and headed for the wilderness south of White Lake. Now that the rain had stopped, some tribe members had already gone out early.

Besides worrying that the smell of blood might attract wild beasts,

they were also eyeing that huge patch of cogongrass in the wilderness—if they dug it up, they’d definitely find lots of cogongrass roots.

When it came to sugar, everyone was highly motivated.

In the afternoon, a beautiful rainbow appeared over White Lake.

“Changxia, are Chenrong and the others going hunting again this afternoon?” Milu asked in surprise.

Changxia gazed quietly at the rainbow over White Lake—the blue sky, white clouds, shimmering water, and the rainbow arching across the sky. She wished she could capture the scene, but it was impossible.

“They made a lot of noise hunting the anaconda yesterday, so they’re basically patrolling near the tribe today,” Changxia explained. The Lion and Bear tribes knew about the anaconda hunt, so she didn’t hide it—she just didn’t mention that Chenrong and the others were also digging for cogongrass roots.

“Anaconda—” Milu licked her lips and looked at Changxia expectantly, envy written all over her face. “I heard from the elders that anaconda meat is incredibly delicious. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll never forget it. It’s a shame the Snake Tribe is crazy, and other beast tribes can’t just wander into their territory.”

Nearby, Jie was tending the fire. He didn’t say anything,

but from the way he swallowed, it was obvious he was thinking about anaconda meat too.

Just like with sugar—

no beast tribe could resist the temptation of anaconda meat.

The Snake Tribe was the only exception.

“Anaconda meat is delicious!” Changxia nodded.

Maple smacked her lips, savoring the memory. “It’s so tender—when you bite into it, the juices just burst in your mouth.”

“Milu, did you know? Anaconda meat has a special aroma that lingers and makes you want to keep eating more,” Nan Feng said, swallowing hard. “It’s like marbled beef—just sprinkle some salt on it and roast it over the fire. The fat sizzles, and the aroma goes straight to your nose...”

In the corridor,

Su Ye and Baiqing listened to Nan Feng and Maple’s descriptions,

and both were left speechless.

Anaconda meat was delicious, sure—but wasn’t this a bit much?

Meanwhile, Milu and Jie were practically drooling dry.

If the chili oil had been ready, they’d probably have drunk two bowls of it straight.

“Changxia, I know anacondas are huge. Would the Heluo Tribe be willing to trade some with the Lion Tribe? The Lion Tribe might not have much else, but we have mountains of chilies. If not chilies, you can ask for animal skins or bones—whatever you want,” Milu said, full of enthusiasm. She was practically saying that as long as she could get some anaconda meat, the Lion Tribe would meet any condition Changxia named.

Jie still didn’t say anything, but his eager expression made it clear he was just as excited.

Obviously.

He had the same idea as Milu.

As long as they could trade for the meat of the anaconda, losing a few animal hides and bones was a cost the Lion Tribe could easily afford.

Given how much the Snake Tribe valued the anaconda, it was nearly impossible for the Beast Tribes to find an opportunity to hunt one.

Rather than hoping to hunt an anaconda somewhere outside the Twilight Forest or the Moonwatch Mountains, it would be more realistic to set their sights on hunting stone elephants or octopuses. Anacondas, after all, could be honored as snake spirits by the Snake Tribe, which meant they were highly intelligent and usually lived deep in hot, humid forests.

Such places were often crawling with countless venomous snakes, insects, and ants—dangerous in the extreme.

“This... you’ll have to talk to my tribe’s chief. I can’t make that decision,” Changxia said, spreading her hands in explanation.

Maple Leaf stroked her chin, looked at Milu and Jay, and said, “The chief didn’t hide the fact that our tribe hunted an anaconda from me. I think tonight you’ll probably be treated to a feast of anaconda meat, but as for trading any, that’s unlikely. If we did, the Snake Tribe would definitely be furious.”

The Snake Tribe could forgive the Heluo Tribe for killing an anaconda—after all, the anaconda was at fault for entering Heluo territory first.

But if the Heluo Tribe traded anaconda meat to other beast tribes, the Sheyue Tribe would absolutely come knocking, causing trouble for the Black Panther Tribe.

In the first case, the Snake Tribe would be in the wrong.

In the second, they’d be justified.

Even if Su Ye stepped in, the Heluo Tribe would still have to give the Sheyue Tribe an explanation, and would have to go out of their way to appease them—and even then, it might not be enough.

“Really?” Jay said excitedly.

He exchanged a quick glance with Milu—coming to the Heluo Tribe with the chief this time had really paid off.

Anaconda meat! That was anaconda meat!

“It’s possible,” Maple Leaf replied. The Heluo Tribe wasn’t stingy. They might not be able to trade the meat, but inviting the Lion and Bear Tribes to a feast was certainly doable.

“Don’t worry,” Nan Feng added, “you’ll definitely get to eat anaconda meat tonight.”

Yadong and the others had even brought Wu and Baiqing along, so there was no way they’d be stingy with the feast. Lunch was probably too soon, and besides, the Lion Tribe had brought chili peppers. Changxia could use them to cook up a big meal, which would be even more meaningful than the anaconda feast.

With the promise of anaconda meat, Milu and Jay were full of energy.

Soon, the chili oil was ready. Changxia found some small clay jars and filled seven of them. She gave one to Milu on the spot to take back to the Sky Lion Tribe.

She didn’t divide up the rest any further.

Two jars she set aside for Su Ye and Baiqing. The remaining four she kept at home—if Maple Leaf or Nan Feng wanted some, they could come over.

Before long, the Sky Lion Tribe would send over tens of thousands of pounds of chili peppers—enough for everyone in the tribe.

After all, chili peppers weren’t like ginkgo nuts; you couldn’t live on them alone.

Milu was overjoyed, hugging her jar of chili peppers, and looked excitedly at the chili powder in the wooden jar beside her.

“Changxia, are we starting to chop up the chilies now?”

As she spoke, Milu and Jay rolled up their sleeves, eager to get started. They’d always had this treasure but never knew how to use it. Before, they’d only thought to roast chilies with meat or stew them together, never imagining there were so many ways to prepare them.

With Changxia’s guidance, Milu and Jay felt that when they returned to their tribe,

their people would definitely discover a whole new world.

Next time they visited the Heluo Tribe, they’d be sure to bring Changxia a special surprise.

“Alright, you can start. But remember, don’t mix the chopped chilies together—otherwise, the flavors might blend,” Changxia reminded them.

With so many types of chilies, they couldn’t possibly make chopped chili out of all of them.

Changxia picked a few varieties—spicy, sweet, and aromatic—and made a bit of each. Later, they could see which tasted best and make more of that kind.

Actually, Changxia herself didn’t really like the sweet-spicy type,

but she figured someone in the tribe would.

Luckily, the Sky Lion Tribe had brought plenty of chilies, enough for Changxia to experiment with.

Soon,

the spicy aroma spread through the courtyard again,

this time more of a raw heat, a bit better than the pungent smell from making chili oil.

But for the animals living near White Lake,

today must have felt like dancing with death—after all, it wasn’t easy to get used to such a spicy scent.

[Author’s note: Thanks to Xiaomaomi Eats Salmon, Jinling, Allarestars, Wooden Man, and others for your monthly votes! Special thanks to Allarestars for the tip—there’ll be an extra chapter tonight! \(^o^)/~]