Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Haven’t Seen the Master Smile in a Long Time

"Little one, you must be hungry, right?"

After bringing the serpent cub home, Ao Jin cut some beast meat into small pieces and offered him a bite.

The Little Serpent had never eaten raw meat in his life. He quickly backed away, shaking his head like a drum rattle.

Ao Jin asked, puzzled, "You’re not hungry?"

"I am hungry," the Little Serpent said, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "I want it cooked."

His Female Mother said eating raw food would make him sick.

When he suddenly spoke, it startled Ao Jin. "Y-you’re not a beast cub, you’re a Beastman cub?!"

The Little Serpent nodded. "That’s right."

’My Female Mother said that cubs out on their own might run into cub traffickers. I thought about it for a long time before coming up with the great idea of pretending to be a beast cub. But I got too hungry, and someone caught me when I was climbing a tree to pick fruit.’

Ao Jin pressed, "Then what about your Female Mother and Beast Father? How did you get caught?"

"I don’t know." The Little Serpent’s spirits fell at the mention of it. "My brothers and I were taken by bad people. When I woke up, my brothers were gone."

"My Female Mother and Beast Father will come looking for us. I was hiding in the forest, but I accidentally got caught."

"You poor little thing." Ao Jin patted his little head. "Why don’t you stick with this old grandpa, then? When I get home, I’ll have someone help you look for your Female Mother and Beast Father."

The Little Serpent nodded vigorously, his tail tip shyly curling around his rumbling stomach.

Ao Jin understood. "Just wait, it’ll be ready in a moment."

The Little Serpent wanted to help him with something, but Ao Jin wouldn’t let him, giving him a small toy to play with instead.

For some reason, he found this little serpent cub more adorable than any of the cubs in his clan. His heart couldn’t help but soften whenever he saw the little guy.

’Perhaps it’s because no cubs have been born in the clan for years, and it’s been so long since I’ve seen one.’

’Oh, right. I left in such a hurry that I still haven’t seen the two Tiger Clan Zaizai that Little Four brought back. I should buy something kids like and bring it back for them later.’

After that, the number of people watching the Invincible Alliance traitors next door increased to two, giving Ao Jin some time to rest.

The Little Serpent asked curiously, "Grandpa, why are we watching them?"

Ao Jin said seriously, "Because they’re bait. Grandpa is using them to lure out someone Grandpa likes, and I’m afraid they’ll run away."

The Little Serpent nodded, only half-understanding, then asked in confusion, "Why not just capture them? Lock them in a cellar and give them only a little food every day. If they’re too hungry to have any strength, they won’t be able to run."

Ao Jin was speechless.

’Why didn’t I think of that!’

’No, wait. What kind of family is this little Zaizai from? How can he suggest something so vicious right off the bat!’

Ao Jin’s information was slightly off. While Yu Huang and her group were indeed heading for Tianyang City, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be stopping elsewhere along the way.

To avoid being wiped out all at once, the traitors from the Invincible Alliance had scattered and fled in several directions. Yu Huang, unhurried, followed behind them and picked them off one by one.

She had a small booklet where she would write and draw after every kill. Yu An had once taken a curious peek.

Good heavens, it was densely packed with names. For every person who died, one name was crossed out. It was like watching King Yan call the roll of the dead.

Until she recovered her memories and remembered which one was her real child, Yu Huang treated Yu An and Ao Yun equally.

Yu An was very content with the current situation. As long as she and her mother were safe, the memories didn’t matter. Even if they couldn’t be restored now, they surely could be once her Superpower Level increased.

Ao Yun, on the other hand, was a little dissatisfied.

Yu Huang was cold to everyone, including the Invincible Alliance’s Hierarch, Ao Yin. Before, she had only ever shown a hint of warmth to Ao Yun.

Now that Yu An was around, she was no longer the special one.

"Miss An, what are we eating today?"

For Chu Feng and the others, nothing in the world was better than the delicious feast they got once every three days. They had no idea where Yu An learned to make such incredible food; every dish was so good it made them want to cry.

Yu An subconsciously glanced at the task platform and saw there were no new tasks. Ever since coming to the Beast God Continent, the platform had been as good as dead.

’Still, that’s a good thing. No need to worry about failing to complete any tasks.’

She patted her slightly bulging belly, thought for a moment, and said, "Let’s have roasted pig’s trotters."

The previous night, a group of wild boars had bizarrely decided to provoke them. In a fit of anger, Chu Feng had led his men to slaughter them all.

After the killing, they kept some meat for the road. Yu An kept the trotters, and the rest of the meat was given to the Beastmen in a nearby village so nothing would go to waste.

Everyone was overjoyed, except for Ao Yun, who didn’t look very happy.

After teaching them how to prepare the pig’s trotters, Yu An went to get the braising spices ready.

She rummaged through her pile of luggage and produced a large bowl of strange-looking ingredients.

Someone curiously picked up a seed-like thing, tossed it in his mouth, and chewed—

Sweet Female Mother, it felt like something was repeatedly smacking the inside of his mouth! He would never eat a random thing he found again! 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

The pig’s trotters were to be braised first, then roasted, a time-consuming and laborious process. Fortunately, it was their day off, so they didn’t need to rush.

They built a stove, set up a large pot, and blanched the pig’s trotters to remove the blood and any gamey taste.

Yu An also caramelized some sugar, then stir-fried the prepared spices and seasonings until fragrant before adding boiling water and finally, the pig’s trotters.

After that, someone else took over tending the fire, leaving Yu An free to prepare the dry rub for roasting the trotters.

Even though they were in the wild, a rich aroma began to fill the air. Yu Huang felt that this was even more comfortable than her luxurious quarters in the Invincible Alliance.

Her quarters, though exquisite and elegant, were occupied only by her, leaving them feeling empty and desolate.

It wasn’t that Ao Yun hadn’t suggested living with her, but she had refused, using her preference for quiet as an excuse.

Aside from her own room, Yu Huang had also cleaned up the other rooms and decorated them in different styles. One of them was clearly designed for a young female.

She didn’t know why she did it; she just... found herself doing it instinctively.

"Female Mother, what is it? Did you need me for something?"

Yu Huang snapped back to her senses, only then realizing she had unknowingly walked over to Yu An’s side.

The young girl’s eyes were filled with confusion. Yu Huang quickly found an excuse. "Are you tired? Sit down and rest for a while."

"I’m not tired," Yu An said, her eyes crinkling into a smile. "Female Mother, the pig’s trotters are almost ready. I promise it’ll be a delicacy unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before!"

’Xiao Wu is being very well-behaved, sleeping quietly in my belly. I’m already two months pregnant, but not only have I had zero morning sickness, I feel like I could kill a bear with my bare hands right now.’

Seeing her smile, Yu Huang’s lips curled up unconsciously. Yu An looked as if she’d discovered a new continent, exclaiming in amazement, "Female Mother, you smiled!"

As soon as she said that, all the Beastmen—those tending the fire, those chatting idly, and those dozing off—scrambled over. Chu Feng looked closely, then said with disappointment, "Where is the Commander smiling?"

He had worked under the Commander for so long, and he could count the number of times she’d smiled on both hands—and most of those were just cold smirks.

"My Female Mother did too smile," Yu An said seriously. "Look, the corner of her mouth is turned up a little!"

Seeing Yu An’s insistence, Chu Feng and the others took a closer look and discovered that Yu Huang’s lips were indeed turned up a tiny bit.

What auspicious day was it today, for the Commander to actually smile!

It’s been so long since they’d seen the Commander smile!