Chapter 128: The Exceptionally Strong Golden Thighs

"Once you have settled down in a Grade C dungeon, do you think you won't need to eat or acquire survival supplies?"

"Or do you truly believe that you can fill your bellies by drinking air? That when winter comes, you can ward off the cold with nothing but righteous indignation, or that when summer arrives, you can resist the scorching heat with the same? The world within a dungeon is not the same as the reality you know."

"Only a few dungeons are pleasant, with spring-like weather all year round and great livability."

"I cannot guarantee that the Grade C dungeon we are relocating to will be one of those few."

"If it turns out to be a world of extreme cold, the quilts and cotton clothes you have now will not protect you from the freezing temperatures within. You will need to find suitable materials yourselves and rebuild your ideal homes. The same applies to the opposite; once we are inside, I cannot be your nanny."

"I am only willing to organize a hunting squad and find a way for the villagers to survive because we are all neighbors and kin."

"Beyond that, I am powerless to help."

"Therefore, for a Grade 3 ability user, guaranteeing the livelihood of two accompanying persons is already a significant risk."

"On this point, there is no room for negotiation."

"I have finished what I have to say. You may all go home. Tomorrow at ten in the morning, I will have Lou Yuhui and the others set up a registration point at the basketball court in the center of the village. Anyone who wishes to join the hunting squad may sign up there."

"I have no requirements regarding your gender or age."

"However, everyone who registers for the hunting squad will be treated equally and will receive about three taels of spirit beast meat to awaken their abilities."

"Three days from now, back at the registration point in the village center, the hunting squad members will receive their first mission objectives. Those who fail to complete them will face varying degrees of punishment."

"As for anyone who takes the spirit beast meat but refuses to join the hunting squad... heh."

Yu Yan chuckled softly as she said this. "They will never have another chance to be part of the hunting squad in this lifetime, and their names will certainly not appear on the list of those accompanying us during the migration."

The implication was clear: anyone thinking of swindling her out of spirit beast meat had better weigh whether they could afford the price.

Initially, Yu Yan had wanted to say something even harsher.

For instance, that she would cripple the abilities of anyone who cheated her, rendering all their schemes futile. But then, she reconsidered; after all, they were neighbors, and she did not want to be that ruthless.

With two top-tier dungeons closing in, those who did not join the migration had only one path: death.

Even if someone swindled her out of a piece of Grade 5 spirit beast meat and became a Grade 1 ability user, what of it?

If they lacked the courage to even join the hunting squad and fight in the first stage inside a Grade E dungeon, could they really expect to escape the high-level monsters in an S-rank or even double-S dungeon and keep their pathetic lives?

Since they were already doomed, there was no need for her to waste any more energy on such people.

***

The crowd had varying expressions and complex thoughts.

Some whispered in small groups, while most rushed home to consult their wives, children, and parents.

Clearly, Yu Yan had made herself very clear: eating her spirit beast meat and joining the hunting squad offered a glimmer—no, several glimmers—of survival. This path required them to constantly bleed and fight on the front lines, while the other path required no such sacrifice.

But at most, they could only scrape by for another month before their stable life would end.

At that point, unless they groveled to the hunting squad members to secure a spot for migration, they would have no choice but to die.

And groveling to the members was not easily accomplished.

Who didn't have parents or loved ones? There were only two spots for accompanying persons; would they really save them for outsiders instead of their own? Although Yu Yan seemingly offered two choices, anyone with a shred of sanity and reason knew they had no choice at all.

As the pillars of their households, they had no path but to join the hunting squad.

That night, nearly every household in Fenghe Village lay awake.

After discussing the registration for the next day, regardless of whether they intended to join or not, their minds were too agitated with excitement, anxiety, or fear to settle down, and everyone suffered from insomnia.

At ten the next morning, nine out of ten people who went to register for the hunting squad had dark circles under their eyes, whether light or deep.

But that is a matter for later.

Back home, Yu Yan was not entirely calm either.

Facing the questions from her family, she gave a brief explanation and chased Lou Yuhui and the others away. "Why are you all hovering here? What, do you really want to mooch off my mother's cooking? Do you have nothing to eat at your own homes?"

Lou Yuhui and the others: "..."

Naturally, they were not just craving Chen Biqin's wheat pancakes or wontons.

Of course, the pancakes and meat wontons Chen Biqin made were truly fragrant, as the meat filling was entirely from spirit beasts the twins had brought back from the Grade E dungeon. Although it was only unranked spirit beast meat, it was still spirit beast meat, wasn't it?

They didn't mind.

However, they had stayed mainly for Yu Yan's sake.

What if Yu Yan was in a good mood and let something slip through her fingers?

Yu Yan possessed far too many good things.

Anything she discarded would be worth far more than a few Grade 5 spirit beast carcasses. Unfortunately, since she had personally kicked them out, staying any longer would not be about making their presence known, but about making themselves unwelcome.

***

The group had no choice but to leave dejectedly.

Just before they left, Yu Yan gave each of them over ten pounds of spirit beast meat.

"I had promised you the spirit beast carcasses, but I decided to distribute a portion of them to the hunting squad members. However, I won't let you bear this loss; once the matter of the hunting squad is settled, I will give you a satisfactory explanation."

"These ten-plus pounds of meat match the attributes of your abilities."

"It is just enough for you to absorb and refine in one night, whether you choose to refine it yourselves or give it to friends and family, it makes no difference to me."

"As for the remaining meat, I will distribute it among you once the hunting squad members have been assigned tomorrow."

"Does anyone have any objections?"

Lou Yuhui and his companions naturally had no objections.

Not to mention that Yu Yan had explicitly promised compensation; even if she hadn't, they would have felt disappointed at most. They dared not harbor any resentment toward her, as they had been through some things together.

Lou Yuhui and the others had grasped the essence of Yu Yan's character.

On the surface, she was generous and kind, but in reality, she was autocratic, possessing a bit of the "those who follow me prosper, those who defy me perish" attitude of an ancient tyrant. It was just that this trait, deeply buried in her bones, was well-concealed.

It was rarely triggered, and most of the time, her approach to problems was quite gentle and soft.

But as those close to her, they could not be deceived by this facade.

It wasn't to say that if they defied her, she would immediately kill them or anything of the sort. But Lou Yuhui would bet that if he dared to defy Yu Yan two or three times, she would immediately, without hesitation, cast him out of her inner circle.

Any past friendship or his act of saving Yu Wan's life—in Yu Yan's eyes, that was just that.

From then on, he, Lou Yuhui, would be no different in Yu Yan's heart from the villagers of Fenghe who had just left.

If one didn't covet the benefits Yu Yan provided or hadn't witnessed her capabilities, it might not matter.

It wasn't exactly a terrible punishment, or even a punishment at all. But having gained immense benefits by following Yu Yan, how could Lou Yuhui and the others bear to give up this incredibly thick golden thigh right in front of them?