Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off-Chapter 423: Inviting the Merman Tribe to a Feast

The four days of Su Qinglan’s heat passed in a complete blur.

By the time the fourth morning arrived, the "fire" in her blood had finally cooled down, leaving her feeling exhausted but strangely powerful. Her Level 6 ability felt rock solid in her veins.

The morning sun was bright, and the salty breeze from the ocean was refreshing.

Hu Yan was already busy by the fire, grilling a fish so large it looked like a small log.

Rong Ye and Han Jue were helping him, while Xuan Long and Shi Feng watched the cubs.

Su Qinglan stretched her aching limbs and looked toward the sea. "Today, we’re going to have a feast," she announced, her voice finally returning to its normal tone.

"I want to try those giant prawns and the blue-shelled crabs. We should cook enough to share."

She had a very good reason for this. During their stay, the Merman tribe leader, Uncle Tang, had been incredibly kind.

He had given his word that no other males would bother her, and he had kept it. The Merman tribe members were gentle; they even played with her three cubs and brought them rare, sweet sea fruits.

Su Qinglan wasn’t the type to take kindness for granted. Since they were planning to leave soon, she wanted to show some courtesy. But she had a bigger mission in mind: Salt.

In the beast world, salt was as valuable as gold. It was the most expensive item for trade, and the Merman tribe was the biggest supplier. She knew they were likely very secretive about how they produced it.

If they don’t want to tell me, I won’t force it, she thought as she began cleaning the prawns. But if I teach them how to cook delicious food and maybe how to make salt, maybe we can strike a deal.

She started by showing the males how to de-vein the prawns and crack the crab shells without crushing the meat. The scent of ginger, wild herbs, and roasting seafood soon filled the air, drifting toward the Merman village.

"Lan Lan, why are you making so much?" Rong Ye asked, his mouth already watering. "We can eat all of this ourselves!"

"We’re inviting Uncle Tang and some of the tribe elders," Su Qinglan said, swatting his hand away from a hot prawn. "They’ve looked after us. Besides, I want to talk to them about the salt they trade."

Xuan Long’s eyes flickered. He knew exactly what she meant. "The salt? They guard that secret with their lives, Lan Lan. Many tribes have tried to steal the method." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Su Qinglan smiled confidently. "I’m not going to steal it. I’m going to offer them something better...a way to make it faster and cleaner. But first, let’s show our sincerity."

As the dishes were laid out on large, flat leaves...steamed crab with herbs, grilled prawns, and her special fish soup.

She knew that in this world, food was the best way to open a person’s heart and win their trust.

The sun was warm on the sand as the guests began to arrive for the feast. Lan Yue walked up with a bright smile, flanked by her two mates, Bo Jian and the eldest son of the tribe leader. It was clear she was being pampered; her skin glowed, and she looked a little rounder and healthier than before.

Soon, Uncle Tang appeared with his two younger brothers and their females. A few other tribal elders joined them, bringing the total to ten guests. They were all curious.

They had lived by the sea their entire lives and eaten every fish in the ocean, but they had never smelled anything like the fragrant herbs and spices drifting from Su Qinglan’s fire.

Hu Yan stepped forward, his tall, muscular frame casting a shadow. He raised a large shell filled with clear water as a toast. "Uncle Tang, thank you for taking such good care of our female and protecting her during her stay. We are honored to have you here."

The tribe leader laughed heartily, his blue eyes shimmering. "You are too polite! Little Fox is a treasure to everyone who meets her."

As the group sat down on soft mats, the feast began.

The moment the guests took their first bites, the clearing went silent. Then, eyes widened in shock. The elders and their females looked at the food as if they were seeing magic.

"This... this is the same fish we catch every day?" one elder whispered, his mouth full of succulent meat. "How is it so sweet? How is it so tender?"

Uncle Tang’s eyes curved into happy moons as he chewed. "Incredible! I have lived many years, but I have never tasted anything this delicious."

Lan Yue, sitting next to Su Qinglan, leaned in and grabbed her arm playfully.

"Sister! Look at me! My mates don’t cook like yours at all. I’ve gotten so thin because I can’t stand the smell of plain raw fish anymore. They keep forcing me to eat fish puree, and I just can’t stomach it!"

Everyone burst into laughter. Lan Yue looked healthy, glowing, and very well-fed, so her "complaint" was clearly a joke.

Her mates, Bo Jian and the leader’s son, looked embarrassed and scratched their heads.

However, Uncle Tang took it very seriously. He turned to his eldest son with a stern look. "Is this what I taught you? You are a high-level warrior, but you can’t even make a delicious meal for your female? What are you capable of if you can’t even fill her stomach with joy?"

The son bowed his head, looking sheepish.

Uncle Tang then turned back to Su Qinglan with a hopeful expression. "Child, would it be too much trouble if my son stayed with your mates for a while? If they could teach him some of these skills, perhaps he wouldn’t ’starve’ his female so much."

Su Qinglan smiled and nodded immediately. This was exactly the opening she needed.

"No problem at all, Uncle. In fact, you can send more people from the tribe. If they learn how to use the herbs and the heat properly, the taste of food for the whole Merman tribe will improve. Once they learn, they can go back and teach everyone else."