Chapter 514: Time-Limited Mission
"Hey Host, what a coincidence!"
DING DONG
"Please, Host, work with the cubs to find the monster lurking within the tribe. The mission difficulty is five stars. However, if you are willing to accept a timed challenge, you can receive 3,000 points upon completion."
Qiao Xixi’s eyes lit up. "How long is the time limit?"
"Three days."
Qiao Xixi: "..."
’You might as well have said three hours.’
"Host, the more points, the stricter the conditions. But I’m sure you can do it!"
"Do I just have to find the monster?"
"Correct. Just find it."
"Mother, Mother."
Qiao Xixi snapped back to reality, pushed open the door, and went outside.
"Mother, come down and eat."
"Coming."
As Qiao Xixi came downstairs, she saw Qiao Lie and the others filing out of the kitchen.
Feiyan followed behind them, holding a ladle. When he saw Qiao Xixi, he crossed his arms and lifted his chin. "Xixi, I woke up early to make you a pot of fruit and meat stew. Make sure you eat plenty."
’Fruit and meat stew?’
Qiao Xixi walked over to the table and glanced at the pot. The stew was an odd color, and it smelled sour, like fermented fruit.
She glanced at Feiyan, who was back in the kitchen, then moved to Qiao Qiao’s side and whispered, "Qiaoqiao, what did your father put in there?"
Qiao Qiao stood on her tiptoes and whispered into Qiao Xixi’s ear, "Mother, he put crimson berries in it. Father put in a whole lot. He said they would make the stew sweet and that you’d definitely like it."
"Qiaoqiao, what are you whispering to your mother about?"
Feiyan brought a tureen out and set it on the table. He picked up the ladle and dished out a large bowl for Qiao Xixi.
"Here, Xixi. Have a taste."
Qiao Xixi sniffed. It was very sour, but it seemed oddly appetizing.
She took the bowl under Feiyan’s expectant gaze. Qiao Qiao shot her a sympathetic look and scooted a little closer.
"Alright."
Feiyan then served a bowl to each of the cubs.
"It’s not too hot anymore. You can eat."
The little tiger cub was already starving. Seeing food in her bowl, she immediately lowered her head and started gobbling it down.
But the moment she took a bite of meat, she spat it all out. PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! She seemed very upset, opened her mouth wide, and burst into tears. WAAAH!
Startled, Qiao Xixi quickly put down her bowl, picked the cub up, and tried to soothe her. She took a cloth made of animal hide to wipe her mouth, and the little one didn’t stop crying until every last trace of the stew was gone.
Feiyan stared, stunned. In disbelief, he picked up his own bowl and took a sip.
The moment it touched his lips, his face contorted.
"What is this awful taste? I swear it was delicious when I tasted it earlier."
’He probably stewed it for too long,’ Qiao Xixi suspected. ’That would cause the berries to ferment and produce such a strong, sour flavor.’
’The cubs are still young, and their palates aren’t very developed. A sudden, unfamiliar flavor like this would be a shock to their taste buds.’
"You silly father," Qiao Qiao said, standing up to grab the pot of meat. Feiyan, afraid she would burn herself, rushed to help.
"Qiaoqiao, don’t throw the stew away. That’s too wasteful. I’ll eat it."
"I’m not throwing out the meat, just the broth. Then we can take the meat out and re-stew it. It’ll be fine to eat then."
Feiyan’s troubled expression brightened. "My cub is the smart one!"
The breakfast fiasco lightened Qiao Xixi’s heavy mood.
However, the cheerfulness only lasted until breakfast was over.
"Clan Leader, the Hunting Team was attacked by a monster! The former Clan Leader, Feili, is injured!"
The color drained from Qiao Xixi’s face. Hearing the news, Feiyan dashed out of the kitchen.
"Have they been brought back?"
"Yes, they’re at the witch doctor’s."
Hearing that their grandfather was also injured, Qiao Qiao and Qiao Ang grew frantic.
"We... we want to go see Grandfather."
Seeing the cubs were about to cry with worry, Qiao Xixi quickly soothed them, "Don’t panic. Mother will take you to see him right now."
When Qiao Xixi and the others arrived, the witch doctor was just stepping out of a stone house, having finished treating the injured.
"Witch Doctor, how are my father and the others?"
The witch doctor’s expression was grim. "Two of them didn’t make it. But your father’s injuries aren’t life-threatening. You can go in and see him."
Qiao Xixi gave the witch doctor a small nod and followed Feiyan into the stone house.
Feili was lying on the bed closest to the entrance. Seeing Feiyan hurry in, he tried to sit up, but the movement pulled at a wound on his arm, making him hiss in pain.
"Father, don’t move."
Feili didn’t try to act tough and lay back down.
"I’m alright. None of you panic."
"Grandfather, I’ll use my ability to heal you," Qiao Qiao said, running to the bedside and taking Feili’s hand.
Feili started to refuse, but Qiao Xixi quickly interjected, "If it’s just a surface wound, let Qiaoqiao heal you with her ability. It will help you recover faster."
Hearing this, Feili relented. "Alright, alright."
Qiao Xixi saw that while Feili was pale, his spirits were still decent. She told Feiyan to stay and watch over him, then went to the other stone houses to check on the rest of the injured.
Ma Qing was the captain of the patrol team now. He and his men had been the ones to discover Feili’s group while patrolling the outskirts of the tribe.
When they went out, the beastmen of the Hunting Team would split into smaller groups to search for prey.
"The squad that was attacked was the one led by the former Clan Leader. By the time we heard the noise and got there, they were already lying in pools of their own blood. We wanted to search the area, but their injuries were too severe. We had no choice but to bring them back first."
Qiao Xixi nodded slightly. ’In other words, Ma Qing and his men didn’t see what attacked Feili’s group.’
By the time Qiao Xixi went back inside, Qiao Qiao had finished healing Feili.
Compared to before, the color had almost completely returned to his face.
"Feili Father Beast, are you feeling better?"
Feili patted Qiao Qiao’s head affectionately. "Our little Qiaoqiao is truly amazing. I’m perfectly fine now."
As he spoke, he sat up in bed, feeling no pain from his wound at all.
Feiyan took Qiao Qiao to treat the other injured beastmen, while Qiao Xixi went to Feili’s bedside to ask him about the incident.
At her question, Feili frowned. "A Wild Bull Beast charged out at us, and we were preparing to hunt it. But the thing was berserk. It was unbelievably strong and knocked over two members of the Hunting Team in a single charge."
Feili said he sensed something wasn’t right with the Wild Bull Beast, so he had his men leap into the trees to take temporary cover. But once they were in the trees, the beast began to ram the trunks wildly.
From his perch, he waited for the right moment, preparing to use his sharp claws to pierce its throat.
But just as he leaped down, a cloud of black-red mist suddenly flashed before his eyes, obscuring his vision. In that instant, the Wild Bull Beast whipped its head around and rammed into him.
The violent impact made Feili’s vision swim with black spots. Fortunately, the other beastmen arrived just in time to intercept the Wild Bull Beast.
"There was something very wrong with that Wild Bull Beast. It was like a Mutant Beast with a beast soul, but not quite. We got injured because we underestimated it."
"Did the Wild Bull Beast get away afterward?"
Feili nodded. "Mhm."
Qiao Xixi didn’t believe a mere Wild Bull Beast could have injured Feili and his men so grievously. ’That black mist must be the monster.’