Chapter 182 Don’t underestimate the funny characters
In less than half an hour, the settlement's warriors had prepared the scene. They spread a "picnic blanket" woven from animal hides at the foot of the bare tree, creating a banquet area. First, a variety of fruits and vegetables were brought in, served in clay bowls and plates. Later, appetizing pickled meats and semi-liquid "cakes" made from dried insects and plant root powders were brought in.
The banquet was small, with only Chongming, Silar, Qingxia, and the outsiders in attendance. After everyone had arrived, the main course arrived. Two adult warriors carried a roasted "blind feather bird." It was about the size of a man, had four wings, and needed to be pierced from head to tail with a wooden stick to cook it.
The warriors used small knives to cut the meat, distributing the best wings to the four members who had personally participated in the battle against Waklo. Chu Hengkong and Ji Huaisu received two extra hind legs, thanks to their participation in the battle against Luohun. After the best meat was distributed, the breast meat was given to Silar and Chongming. After that, the blind bird was finely chopped and placed on several large plates for the guests to enjoy.
"It smells quite good..." Ji Huaisu muttered softly.
Chu Hengkong took a bite of the bird's leg. His first bite was filled with crispy skin. The bird was quite large, and its skin was much thicker than that of ordinary poultry. The soldiers had marinated it with spices beforehand, allowing the flavor to seep into the skin. The fat and aroma exploded between his teeth with each bite, like thick-cut potato chips cooked in chicken fat.
He ate two or three mouthfuls without stopping. The meat of the blind bird was very tough and had a unique gamey smell. It was not as good as the skin, but it was definitely many times more delicious than the sandworm meat. After such a long time of wandering, being able to eat such a meal was a blessing.
The aroma of meat filled the air as it was torn apart. Everyone was so engrossed in the food that they didn't bother talking for a moment. Chu Hengkong's pockets stirred, and the Eye Demon, awoke from his sleep with greed, said, "Wow! What's that food? Give me some."
As soon as it came out, it was met with angry glares from the crowd. Chu Hengkong stuffed it back with one hand: "You have no place."
Fander protested loudly, "Why?! I've made meritorious deeds by defeating fallen souls, and I've shed blood while working on the Immortal Machine! I want to sit at the table and eat!"
Finally, Vander got a wing tip (twice as big as it), and it fluttered on the golden bird's skin, enjoying itself like a silver parasite on a pile of fat.
Silar observed for a while, then quietly asked Qingxia, "What kind of demon is that?"
"Grandpa, you're dazzled. That's not a demon, it's an eye demon." Qingxia said in a normal voice.
Silar hit his granddaughter on the forehead with the fruit: "Idiot. Keep your voice down!"
Qingxia switched to a small voice: "Grandpa, you forgot that you are hard of hearing again. You can't hear me if I speak softly~"
Old man Silar shook his rabbit-like ears and glared at me with his eyes wide open: "What did you say?! Louder!"
"You're sitting so far away, not to mention the old man, we can't hear you clearly..." Ji Huaisu's mouth twitched.
The centaur lady sat alone, away from the others, at the edge of the venue, looking like someone who wanted to retreat home to eat. She sauntered over to the group and said, "The Holy Pillar is particularly strict with us knights, so I can't sit so close~"
"What do you mean by strict?" Qing Ye asked.
"Hmm... Specifically, it's difficulty breathing, slowed thinking, and weakened vital functions..."
Qingxia reached out and touched the beam of light, and her fingertips suddenly caught fire.
"And if you touch it, it will burst into flames," she said.
"This is obviously not a question of being strict or not! The Holy Pillar looks like he wants to kill you! The fire has already burned your arm, stop smiling foolishly and put out the fire quickly!!" Qing Ye screamed.
The old man was also anxious: "Wait until the banquet is over before performing the acrobatics!"
"That's not right, old man. This isn't about the location, right? It's really burning! It smells burnt!" Vander was shocked.
Ji Huaisu quickly threw a ball of ice water, which managed to put out Qingxia's anger. Qingxia blew twice, and the burned skin was immediately healed. She sat down next to Chu Hengkong with the bowl in hand, and threw the dried insects she disliked into Ji Huaisu's bowl, saying, "Grandpa, isn't it time to get to the point?"
Silar stroked his beard and smiled at everyone, "Haha, please don't mind! The Holy Pillar is particularly strict with its own people, so you should be able to touch it normally."
"No, who dares to touch it? I will never touch that broken thing." said Vander.
Silar remained calm and raised his wooden wine glass. "Let's get back to the point... Today is truly a great day, with so much to celebrate. Please allow me to confirm this one more time. Does everyone here have the willpower to fight fear?"
Everyone nodded. Silar laughed heartily, raising his glass high. "Although it's presumptuous of me to say this... please allow me to welcome you all to the 'Allied Forces'!"
People clinked their glasses and drank the fruit wine in one gulp. Chu Hengkong put down his glass and asked, "Were you also a member of the 'Allied Forces' back then?"
"This isn't a question of belonging to just one or two people, me or Qingxia. Did Qingxia just show you the knight's statue?"
Ji Huaisu's expression was quite interesting. Qing Ye replied for her: "I've seen it before. It's very beautiful."
"That holy image depicts the history of the Allied forces rescuing our ancestors during the Great War," Silar said proudly. "Before the war, the battle settlement of Volkaso was a dusty island ruled by demons. But the knights led the Allied forces to clear out the heretics, restoring freedom to our ancestors and leaving behind a great holy pillar to protect us from the invasion of the heretics."
"To repay this favor, our ancestors joined the Allied forces and fought alongside the knights. Those unable to participate in the battle used the passages between the Dust Islands to provide supplies to the Allied fortress, 'Halvila', from the rear. There were many small Dust Islands like ours during the war... We have all received favors from the Allies and have volunteered to contribute to the war. In a broad sense, we are all part of the Allied forces."
"Don't take it too seriously!" Zhongming said lazily. "The Allied Forces aren't an organization in the traditional sense. They don't have a specific structure. Just think of it as a school club. If you want to fight, join. If you don't want to fight anymore, you can quit at any time."
Silar smiled bitterly: "Commander Chongming, at least be serious in front of the newcomers..."
"Huh? What's this new guy I brought up pretending to be a veteran here, you bastard?!" Chongming made a rascal-like sound, "No one knows the Allies better than me!"
Silar shook his head and sighed: "Alas, the image is beyond saving."
"What the hell did you say? You want to fight, old rabbit?!"
Ji Huaisu and Fander chuckled along, it seemed that Commander Chongming's interactions with each newcomer were similar. Chu Hengkong touched the rough wine glass and said, "Isn't the old man from the fog?"
Anyone in the fog could offer no information about the past. Silar explained the settlement's past in a few words, something Chongming and the others couldn't do.
"At this time several decades ago, I was still a rookie of the 28th class. My class had no achievements to speak of... I luckily survived the war and have remained in the settlement ever since." Silar smiled. "As you can see, I'm a forest dweller. How is my hometown, Jingsha City-State, doing now?"
After working as a detective in Huilong City for several months, Chu Hengkong already knew how to distinguish the races of the Shendong Realm. The old man was short, with two rabbit ears and huge eyes. A race with this style of painting either came from the Shenshu City-State or the Paradise of Seeking Fun. Ji Huaisu answered for him, "It's still thriving. This time, we have the forest people of 'Jingsha' with us."
"Oh!" The old man was very surprised. "I'm not bragging, but our forest people's hidden weapon throwing skills are not inferior to those in Longquan Township. To be able to travel with such a strong man like you, is he a master of blowgun or a good archer?"
Ji Huaisu recalled the complacent boasting of a certain furry little animal and sneered, "Second-level professional gardener and first-level plant nurse..."
Old man Silar jumped three feet high, his eyes almost popping out.
“So powerful?!!!”
"Eh? No, this is something amazing, right?"
"You just realized that? Gulibobo's professional level is very high." Fander said as he ate. "The professional titles in the Divine Tree City are divided into four levels: one, two, and three. The second-level professional gardener can make anything grow rapidly and can even cultivate a garden in the desert. The first-level plant nurse is qualified to water the Jingsha Divine Tree and can even upgrade low-level Divine Trees. Converted in the ancient dragon totem system... it's equivalent to the chief priest of your Huilong City."
Everyone's faces paled, as if they'd discovered the chinchilla they'd been raising for ten years was actually a senior professor supervising postdoctoral students at the nearby key university. Silar rubbed his short paws excitedly. "That's fantastic! Could this Guli Bobo be the city-state's new councilor?"
"As far as I know, it's currently working as a handyman in a small bookstore," said Vander.
"Why?"
Fander added ruthlessly, "And its fighting ability is weaker than that of an adult chicken. If it hadn't been for the help of a noble person, I'm afraid it would have rested in peace under the white sand."
“No! Please, go and save it!!!”
Old man Silar clutched his cheek and uttered a shrill cry, like a large, distraught guinea pig. Qingxia patted his head and soothed him, "Grandpa, calm down. Let's try to get him to reincarnate as the White Bone Demon."
"Don't assume it's dead, idiot!" The old man waved his short paws. "Honestly, it has to be alive. It's too important for us!"
Chu Hengkong's heart moved. Silar had always been calm, but when talking about this topic, his excitement was beyond words. It seemed that he was not only helping his fellow countrymen.
"The settlement is currently in need of plant nurses?"
"More than that..." Silar covered his head in pain, "This concerns the survival of the settlement."
"Actually, we were planning to hold a banquet before everyone arrived. Because another good thing is going to happen soon..."
It used its cane to draw a small tree-like symbol on the ground and poked it. The enormous tree of light standing beside the picnic ground suddenly became illusory. Only then did everyone see clearly that the entire tree of light was not a physical object, but a projection condensed from the light element. In the center of the projection was a golden altar, upon which was enshrined something round...
"During the last counterattack, our sacred pillar lost its effectiveness due to an accident." The old man sighed, "The safe zone where the settlement is located could no longer be maintained after the war. But Qingxia brought back a noble life. Its arrival has brought new life to the settlement!"
Silar excitedly raised his hand, revealing the altar to everyone. The round object was oval in shape, about the size of a rugby ball, and as hard as stone. It was—
A type of stone that is thrown around in Jinye City.
[Everyone, see you again.] Shi Zhong wrote on the ground, [I've been wanting to say hello, but I haven't found the right time. Can someone get me a glass of water?]
"Oh, okay." Qing Ye trotted over and poured some fruit wine on it. The translucent wine flowed down the altar.
[Such a high degree...! ]
"No, this is a drink."
Old Master Silar jumped up again: "You know Master Shizhong?!"
"Ah, how should I put it." Ji Huaisu's expression was subtle, "The stone seed was snatched from us by Qingxia."
Qingxia finished the roasted bird wings in two bites, tore off a large piece of bird meat, and stood up naturally: "Well, I'll go patrol outside the settlement first~"
"Stop right there, you bastard! Tell me the truth about what you did in the outside world? How dare you laugh? Don't run!" the old man shouted at the top of his lungs.
Silar got up and tried to chase Qingxia, but his legs were too short to catch up. Chu Hengkong took a sip of fruit wine and said to Shi Zhong, "It's back to this atmosphere again."
"It's a rare sight. I've been so nervous these past few days I can't breathe. I don't need to breathe, though." Shi Zhong replied, "But seriously, I still need to ask everyone to save Gulibo. If it were here, I could level up."
"What good will it do even if someone like you is transformed?" Vander said with disdain.
[We can contact Huilong City now.] Shi Zhong said.
(End of this chapter)
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