CHAPTER 54: CHAPTER 54: THE BEASTMEN’S FIRST BARBECUE

Soon, beast men began rushing back with armfuls of wood, sticks, and meat. Some came proudly holding neat piles, others clutched broken branches in a panic, but all of them carried the same eagerness in their eyes.

One after another, they stacked their small fires, clumsily but earnestly.

But when it came time to light them... Not a single one dared. They were too afraid of it.

The flames from Su Qinglan’s hand still lingered in their minds. Who among them would dare make fire so casually?

The silence stretched until a deep voice rumbled.

"I’ll do it."

Hu Yan stepped forward with his calm golden eyes. He knelt without hesitation and started burning their fires one by one with the already burning wood.

"Like this," he said simply, his tone unbothered, as if handling fire was as natural as breathing.

Relief washed over the beastmen.

"Hu Yan is amazing!"

"Quick, quick, roast the meat before the fire dies!"

In no time, the sacred grounds filled with dozens of small fires, each flickering under beastmen’s trembling hands.

And soon...the scent spread.

Golden-brown juices dripped into the flames, making a loud sizzling sound. The air grew thick with mouthwatering smoke, richer and more intoxicating than anything they had ever known.

The entire area was wrapped in the aroma of roasted meat.

"Delicious!"

"Ah—mine turned golden!"

"Look, it’s not burning this time!"

Excitement spread like wildfire. Beastmen laughed as they fed their females, and the females, who were timid at first, also began to nibble cautiously. But once the first bite melted on their tongues, their restraint broke.

Those who had roasted successfully grinned like children. The females’ eyes glowed with delight as they clutched their sticks as if afraid someone would snatch them away.

But not everyone was lucky enough to taste it.

Those who had hesitated earlier, who hadn’t stepped forward, now stood at the edges. Their throats bobbed painfully as they swallowed down saliva, eyes locked hungrily on the roasted meat in others’ hands.

They gritted their teeth with regret plastered on their face.

And among them was Xu Meiyan.

Her sharp nails dug into her palms as she glared at the scene.

Her own beast husbands stood nearby, their eyes stupidly fixed on the glowing meat sticks in other females’ hands, drool practically forming at the corners of their mouths.

Snap!

Her patience broke.

"What are you standing there for?!" Xu Meiyan’s voice cracked like a whip. She shot them a glare filled with chillness.

The three beastmen froze, shoulders trembling.

"Go!" she shouted furiously, her eyes blazing. "Go and learn how to roast meat from her! Do you expect me to eat this disgusting raw filth forever?!"

Her words dripped with anger as she pointed at the untouched bloody chunk in her own bowl.

"You fools!" she spat, her teeth grinding. "Everyone else is eating like kings, and you stand here like pigs!"

Her voice carried over the firelight, making a few beastmen glance at her nervously.

But Xu Meiyan didn’t care.

Her pride was bleeding...

How dare Su Qinglan, that ugly, unwanted female, steal all the attention and respect that should have been hers?!

Su Qinglan had no idea that, in the shadows of the firelight, someone’s heart was twisting black with jealousy. To some, her very existence had already become taboo, an eyesore, a thorn that could never be ignored.

But honestly?

She couldn’t care less.

She had seen plenty of bitches in her past life. None of them were unique. None of them was worth her precious time. Xu Meiyan and her petty antics? Not even worth a glance.

So instead of wasting her breath, Su Qinglan did what she always did best, she focused on food.

She was roasting her meat carefully, turning the stick over the flames, her cheeks glowing in the firelight. The golden-brown surface sizzled, dripping juices onto the fire. When she bit into it, her eyes curved into crescents.

"Mmm...so delicious!"

The other beastmen copied her movements eagerly, their own sticks turning clumsily over their little fires. The air was filled with the sound of sizzling meat and the laughter of beastmen trying not to burn their food.

Even Rong Ye, who had been sulking dramatically with his arms crossed, finally ended up with a pitiful stick of meat. It wasn’t roasted evenly...half was black and stuck to the wood, the other half too tough.

When he bit into it, the meat stubbornly clung to his teeth, refusing to let go.

"..."

His beautiful violet eyes watered with sadness.

Meanwhile, Su Qinglan’s happiness was overflowing. She roasted, she ate, she laughed, and she taught. Around her, beastmen praised her endlessly, their voices filled with respect and awe.

And Bai Ling, sitting right by her side, was almost bouncing with excitement. She held her meat stick proudly like a treasure, her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel as she chewed.

"Qinglan-jie is the best!" Bai Ling chirped between bites. "You know something so precious... And you made food this delicious! No one has ever tasted anything like it before."

She swallowed quickly and kept going, her eyes shining.

"We females could never eat raw meat properly. It was always disgusting, but we had no choice! We had to eat it to stay strong. But now I’m sure! Once they eat roasted meat, no female will ever want raw meat again!"

Her words carried such certainty that even the beastmen nearby nodded in agreement.

Then Bai Ling bit into her meat again, juice dripping down her chin, and declared proudly,

"I hope Qinglan-jie will soon be blessed with many cubs!"

The words landed like a stone thrown into still water.

Su Qinglan froze.

Hu Yan froze.

Rong Ye froze.

Even Han Jue’s calm face twitched ever so slightly.

For a full second, no one moved.

Then Su Qinglan turned stiffly toward Bai Ling, her eyes wide. "What...what are you even saying?!"

She knocked her knuckles lightly against Bai Ling’s head with pink cheeks.

"I don’t want cubs right now!" she blurted.