Chapter 165
Chapter 165
After sleeping, Jiang Yunsui’s plump waist no longer ached and her legs no longer hurt.
Today she was an energetic Little Mushroom again!
She stood, wiggled her bottom, and stretched.
“Huh? Where did everyone go?”
How long had she slept?
Her stomach growled.
Time to freeload breakfast.
Little Mushroom pattered toward the kitchen. She first surveyed enemy territory, peeking out with two blades of grass held ceremonially above her head.
No one at the entrance. Slip inside.
While the kitchen bustled, she stole a steamed bun and stuffed it into her mouth.
Then she froze at a familiar feather in someone’s hand.
Wasn’t that a Golden Eagle feather?
Disguised as a Barbarian, Song Jin was speaking with a man who had noticed it at his waist.
“Beautiful feather. Where did you get it?”
“Found it while hunting. Lucky me.”
“Could it belong to the legendary divine bird?”
Grassland tribes worshiped different animals as divine messengers, especially the bird of sky and freedom and the wolf of grassland and courage. Legends described the divine bird as an enormous golden roc, though some believed in a pure-white giant eagle.
The man asked to buy it, but Song Jin refused. “It’s my lucky feather.”
Someone suddenly cried, “More steamed buns are missing! And stuffed buns! I counted them!”
The kitchen erupted. Men brandished sticks, hunting the damned rat.
The “rat,” Jiang Yunsui, had a lamb bun in her mouth and several steamed buns in her arms.
Had they discovered her? But she had taken only one from each pile, just as before.
Song Jin narrowed his eyes until they nearly hurt, but could not find her.
Sometimes he truly felt helpless.
He had displayed the feather specifically to lure Little Mushroom, yet she never took the bait.
Jiang Yunsui had no way to know whether anyone else owned such a feather.
After failing all day, Song Jin decided she had forced his hand.
That evening, using his social skills, bribes, and schemes, he arranged for himself and several companions who could not speak the Barbarian language to patrol the slave pens.
He winked at Centurion Lin, then asked Ji Si and the others, “Did you learn what I taught you?”
Several innocent faces stared back.
“Are your brains paste? Those basic phrases are easy! You only need a mouth!”
To avoid exposure, he had been spinning like a top, finding Jiang Yunsui while keeping these men away from others.
Deadweight. Every one of them!
He would be better alone. They could not even learn to speak!
“What use are any of you?”
Fat Chef patted his belly. “I’m an old man. Learning Barbarian speech at my age is asking too much.”
Ji Si remained silent.
“Don’t look at me,” Ji Lu said. “I learned a few words.”
“What use is that?”
“I’ll go ahead,” Ji Si said, then vanished.
Song Jin stared. This one was even harder to handle than he was.
Ji Si had rushed away because their patrol reached Centurion Lin’s pen.
The veterans were secretly eating when he appeared among them, nearly provoking a group attack.
“Where is Jiang Yunsui?” Ji Si asked coldly. With his coffin-like expression, he looked more like a killer than a rescuer.
“Who are you?”
Centurion Lin reached for a hidden dagger.
They were moments from fighting when Song Jin arrived. A fight attracting Barbarians would be disastrous.
Deadweight, he cursed inwardly.
“You have a mouth but never use it. Why rush over and make more trouble for me?”
Ji Si pressed his lips together and stayed mute.
“What use are you?”
Centurion Lin hesitated. “You…”
“Can’t you tell we’re together?” Song Jin snapped. “Where is Jiang Yunsui?”
“She hasn’t returned.”
At that moment, Jiang Yunsui was slowly approaching with several eggs. The people she supported needed balanced nutrition.
She had stolen enough eggs to infuriate the Cook Battalion’s chefs.
Why were guards around the pen today?
Were her people in danger?
Little Mushroom hurried over and saw two “Barbarians” apparently interrogating Centurion Lin’s men.
She grabbed an egg and hurled it.
No bullying the people she supported!
“Jiang Yunsui!”
The egg struck Song Jin squarely. He needed no guesswork. Only Jiang Yunsui caused such supernatural incidents.
She paused while preparing to hide and throw another.
That voice sounded familiar.
“Jiang Yunsui, come out!”
Her eyes widened. “Song Jin!”
She stopped hiding and appeared with the eggs in her arms.
Ji Si flashed over and swept her up.
An unfamiliar face, but familiar movement and expression.
“Si Si!”
Ji Si nodded reservedly, though his lips curved upward. Little Mushroom had recognized him.
Song Jin poked her dirty cheek. “Impressive. You gave me quite the greeting gift.”
After her initial delight, Jiang Yunsui burst into tears.
Everyone panicked.
Centurion Lin shoved Song Jin aside. “Did you hurt her?”
“Nonsense! I’ve poked her before. I barely touched her.”
Yet his confidence wavered. Had he really hurt her?