TVFW 14

Chapter 14:

Is She Still Our Female Lord?

Mu Ling and Yi Yuexi had been there for quite a while.

They stood quietly among the crowd, even stepping back a little, not wanting their female lord to notice them.

What they didn’t expect was that the female lord — who used to only know how to yell and charge at people whenever she was angry — had actually learned how to fight back with words?

And the one shouting now… was Nana Si.

Nana Si had always been the most popular female of the Lion Roar Tribe. Her spiritual power was strong, and her fertility was even stronger. Among her fifteen beast husbands, she had already borne children for four of them.

It was said that when she was born, her spiritual power was visible — but because she grew up in the Cursed Land, the power was suppressed by the curse, making her an “ordinary” female.

Of course, that was just a rumor.

But rumors, told long enough, become truth to many.

After she laid her third clutch of beast eggs, unmarried beastmen from the other six tribes of the Cursed Land began flocking to the Lion Roar Tribe to pursue her — hoping to marry her.

So naturally, Nana Si’s beast husbands were all very strong.

That is, until Jiang Xi’s beast husbands arrived.

Ever since Jiang Xi came to the Lion Roar Tribe — and during a quarrel with another female, forced her beast husbands into battle — the title of “strongest” shifted to them.

But everyone knew that was only because Jiang Xi forced them.

Then suddenly, Lu Liufeng stepped forward. His voice was firm.

“I am willing to duel.”

The crowd fell silent.

Lu Liufeng? Volunteering for a duel?

Wasn’t he… the one who hated such things the most?

Those who had fought beside him during the cursed beast tides remembered him saying that wasting power on duels was meaningless — that any extra strength should go toward killing more cursed beasts, or finding the source of the beast tide, to solve the root of the problem.

Even Jiang Xi was stunned.

She only meant to borrow their presence to intimidate Nana Si — she hadn’t actually wanted to fight.

But before she could say anything, Nana Si herself broke the stalemate.

She stomped her foot, fuming.

“I won’t bother with you today! But you— you just wait!”

Then she turned and fled, her beastmen following with dark faces.

Jiang Xi cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted after her:

“I’ll be waiting!”

After all, anyone can talk tough.

Lu Liufeng looked confused — were they fighting or not?

He lowered his gaze toward his female lord, about to speak, but Jiang Xi quickly pulled him back.

“We’ll talk about it when we get home!”

She didn’t want him constantly fighting and getting hurt.

If something could be solved with words, there was no need for blood.

Mu Ling and Yi Yuexi exchanged a glance before stepping out from the crowd.

Yi Yuexi still wore his usual proud, indifferent look, his foxlike eyes gleaming with charm — as if silently saying, Foolish female lord, come beg for my attention.

But Jiang Xi didn’t spare him even a glance.

Seeing them, she immediately called out:

“Come help move the beast-skin bags! They’re full of food.”

Remembering how Mu Ling had called her picky earlier that morning, she added with a grin:

“I’ll show you tonight what real food tastes like!”

Mu Ling said nothing.

Because he saw what peeked out from the torn beast-hide bag — purple yam (called “zima” here, known for causing itchiness if not handled right).

Could that stuff really be eaten?

But even if he wanted to annul the marriage contract, until it was officially done, he would not embarrass his female lord in public.

No one wanted to be beaten.

If a beastman attacked, he could fight back; if another female hit him, he could dodge. But if the female lord struck — he could only take it.

Yi Yuexi also saw the purple yam and wrinkled his nose in disgust.

“Isn’t that itchy zima? How can you eat that?”

Jiang Xi replied matter-of-factly,

“It’s taro. Once handled properly, it can be used in dishes or desserts — it’s delicious.”

Before Yi Yuexi could retort, Lu Liufeng hoisted a beast-hide bag onto his shoulder and gave Yi Yuexi a look.

“When the female lord tells you to move, you move. Stop whining.”

There were three bags in total.

Mu Ling carried two, Yi Yuexi one, and Lu Liufeng shouldered the wild boar.

The onlookers made way.

Some of them had also noticed the purple yams inside and whispered skeptically among themselves.

Jiang Xi didn’t bother explaining.

Explaining too much was pointless — those who didn’t believe would never believe.

When the time came, they’d see for themselves.

Back home, Mu Ling and Yi Yuexi dropped the beast-hide bags in the kitchen corner, while Lu Liufeng went to the frozen river behind the house to clean the boar.

Jiang Xi, worried he might throw away the organs, quickly followed.

The river was frozen over. Lu Liufeng had just cracked a hole in the ice with his power when he heard her call out:

“Lu Liufeng, don’t throw away the boar’s organs — the stomach and intestines can be cleaned and cooked!”

Lu Liufeng gave her a strange look.

The organs, he could understand… but intestines?

Sometimes, his female lord’s obsession with food made him a little embarrassed.

“Female lord, we’re not at the point where we need to eat those things.”

Jiang Xi nearly laughed.

“That’s not what I mean. If you clean them well, they can be made into delicious dishes — and I even found all the spices we need in the Hot River Valley today!”

If she hadn’t found the right seasonings, she wouldn’t have dared try.

Lu Liufeng hesitated a moment, then nodded.

“Alright.”

Then paused again.

“But… how should I clean them?”

Jiang Xi was ready for that.

“Turn them inside out, wash once, then scrub them with salt or plant ash — that’ll remove the odor.”

Salt was precious, so Lu Liufeng focused on the unfamiliar word.

“Plant ash?”

Jiang Xi explained,

“It’s the ash you get from burning branches, leaves, or dried grass.”

Lu Liufeng nodded thoughtfully, then called toward the house:

“Mu Ling, burn some dry grass for me — I need the ash.”

Mu Ling poked his head around the corner.

“What for?”

Then he turned to Jiang Xi.

“Female lord, what should I do with the things in the bags?”

He still didn’t believe they were edible, but since they’d brought them back, he couldn’t let her handle them herself.

After Lu Liufeng told him the purpose, Jiang Xi hurried back inside.

“I’ll take care of it.”

But before disappearing fully into the house, she stuck her head out again and shouted:

“Lu Liufeng! Save the fat — I’ll use it to render oil and make soap!”

When Lu Liufeng turned back, she was already gone.

He didn’t really understand, but he felt oddly happy.

He liked this new life.

It was full of energy.

Even the winter in the Cursed Land felt less bitter.

Back in the kitchen, Mu Ling was crouched by the stone stove, burning grass for ash. Jiang Xi told him to make extra.

“Burn a bit more — I’ll need some too.”

As she spoke, she knelt down to open the beast-hide bags and started sorting ingredients, planning dinner:

Braised pig trotters with potatoes, stir-fried pork with wood ear mushrooms, garlic ribs, stir-fried pork liver, marinated offal, cold purslane salad, and stir-fried taro with shepherd’s purse…

The pig head could be marinated and preserved, and the fat used for oil…

Thinking of the fat, she asked suddenly:

“Do we have any seashells?”

Mu Ling, distracted, nodded absently while tending the fire.

He was still puzzling over why the female lord had changed so much.

“Then please burn some of those too and grind them into powder.”

Mu Ling froze and looked up sharply.

“What?”

Jiang Xi blinked.

“What’s wrong?”

Seashells could be used to make quicklime, and plant ash to make alkali water — both essential for soap-making.

Mu Ling gave her a strange look but didn’t question further.

“If you say burn, I’ll burn.”

After all, in the Cursed Land, everything was bartered — there was no use for shell currency anyway.

Jiang Xi didn’t realize that seashells were actually the sacred city’s currency.

Since coming here, she’d only ever traded goods for goods, so she’d long forgotten.

Mu Ling finished quickly.

He set aside half the ash for Jiang Xi and brought the rest to Lu Liufeng.

Watching Lu Liufeng separate the meat, he said quietly:

“Don’t you think the female lord has become… strange?”

“Like… she’s a completely different person.”

Lu Liufeng’s hands paused for just a moment. His amber eyes lowered slightly as he resumed cutting.

“Maybe a little.”

“But… I think it’s good.”

He liked the female lord like this.

If that morning he’d still been unsure whether to search for the Golden Soul Fruit to dissolve their marriage contract — now, after returning from the Hot River Valley, he’d made up his mind.

He wouldn’t dissolve it.

He liked this life. It was comfortable, warm — something he wanted to keep forever.

Mu Ling folded his arms, gazing at the frozen river, deep in thought.