I've been transported to the orc continent.

Chapter 344, unsurprisingly, Part 1

The braised pork received unanimous praise from the beastmen.

Fill a bowl halfway with mixed grain rice, top it with a generous layer of braised pork, and the beastmen are satisfied with a bite of braised pork followed by a bite of mixed grain rice, feeling fulfilled both physically and mentally.

They didn't even have time to speak; they were all busy eating, holding their bowls.

Bai Ling, just like them, held a bowl in one hand and chopsticks in the other, eating the braised pork in big bites.

Since arriving in the central tribe, Bai Ling has eaten braised pork several times. Every time she eats it, she misses rice and steamed buns. This time was no exception.

But there's no white rice or steamed buns here, only mixed grain rice.

Fortunately, Bai Ling has learned to comfort herself. She already has braised pork, and it's made with pork. How far away can rice and steamed buns be?

*

The beastmen agreed to return at around three or four in the afternoon, when the sun was between the two distant mountains.

Some orcs returned before the appointed time because they had run out of arrows. Those who returned early were not discouraged. After returning, they put down their prey, tidied up briefly, and began to eat heartily.

The steamed, sticky, and fragrant mixed grain rice, the richly flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth braised pork, and the crispy yet still warm fried meatballs made the beastmen forget their defeat in the competition and their fatigue from the journey, leaving them only with the joy of enjoying the delicious food.

The returning orcs ate, while those who remained at the camp counted the prey they had brought. The competition was simple: regardless of the size of the prey, as long as it was hit by an arrow, it counted as one.

The total number of prey hunted today and yesterday will be the orcs' score. Whoever hunts the most prey will be the winner of this competition.

Yesterday's competition was a team battle. The prey hunted had to be distributed among each orc in the group, and the size of the prey represented different scores.

For example, one cow represents three pigs or four deer, one pig represents three sheep, one deer represents two sheep, one sheep represents two short-clawed beasts, and the short-clawed beast is the smallest wild animal that can be hunted; there are no smaller wild animals.

Based on this calculation, Yue's team came in first place, and each member of their team had two and a half sheep's worth of prey.

The competition continues today. The two half-goat beasts have been converted into five short-clawed beasts, so the orc team's score is now five.

They were already ahead of the other orcs, but the competition wasn't over yet, and no one knew which orc would be the final winner and receive the exquisite headdress made of gemstones.

Except for Bai Ling and Yue.

Bai Ling was absolutely certain and had no doubt that his Yue would be the final victor! Yue was also full of confidence in himself. He knew that he would definitely win that headdress, just like at the Chada Tournament, and in front of countless orcs, personally give the ornament symbolizing courage and strength to his beloved.

*

The moon wasn't the last to return; it returned before the sun had even reached the area between the two mountains.

A huge white wolf came flying from the sky, its body creating gusts of air, its fur blowing in the wind, and the grass and trees it passed by bending backward.

Bai Ling was the first to see the moon. Without thinking, he dropped what he was doing and ran out.

Bai Ling's body was much better than when he first arrived. He ran very fast, and the huge white wolf was also running quickly. The distance between the man and the wolf was getting closer and closer. When they were about to get close, the white wolf stopped.

Bai Ling didn't stop. He pounced forward and hugged Yue's front leg. He rubbed his head against the white wolf's front leg and happily called out, "Yue."

The white wolf lowered its head, rubbed its large head against Bai Ling's shoulder, and made a "woofing" sound.

Bai Ling reached out and pinched Yue's ear. Yue lay down, and the two orcs slid off its body.

They were also hunters participating in the competition, and they returned with Yue.

After they got off, Bai Ling climbed onto Yue's back, and Yue stood up and carried Bai Ling slowly toward the camp.

Yue brought back more than a dozen prey, which was a lot. Other returning orcs brought back at most eight prey.

Today's competition is about hunting with arrows, so you have to deliver a fatal blow to your prey with an arrow for it to count. If you first inflict a minor injury on the prey with an arrow and then kill it by other means, it won't count.

This inadvertently increased the difficulty of the competition.

The prey brought back was naturally handled by the orcs. Yue transformed into human form, tidied herself up, and Bai Ling waited eagerly by her side. As soon as Yue finished wiping her hands and face, Bai Ling immediately handed her the ceramic bowl in her hand.

"Yue, are you hungry? Hurry up and eat, the rice and meat are still warm."

Yue was indeed hungry. After running around all day, he had only eaten a few cassava cakes. Now, smelling the aroma of braised pork, his mouth was watering.

"Yue, you eat first, I'll go fry some more meatballs," Bai Ling said with a smile. "Freshly fried meatballs taste the best."

Yue puffed out her cheeks and nodded gently at Bai Ling.

Bai Ling reached out and touched Yue's cheek before contentedly going to fry the meatballs.

*

Before the sun had even set, all the orcs had returned. The eldest orc led the way in counting the prey, and without a doubt, Yue had brought back the most.

Of the prey that Yue brought back, eight were killed with arrows, and each arrow struck a vital spot with a single shot. There were no signs of a second arrow on any of the prey.

The remaining prey were all wounded by arrows and had their necks broken by the moon. According to the rules of the competition, these prey were not counted in the score.

Even with eight prey, Yue was still far ahead, while the second-place player only managed to take down four prey with a bow and arrow.

Yue won first place without exception. The beastmen surrounded Yue and Bai Ling in the middle. Amid the cheers of the beastmen, the oldest beastman raised the headdress high and said to Yue, "Yue, you are a warrior. This is your prize."

This headdress has a bronze base, inlaid with various gemstones, with a thumb-sized ruby ​​in the very center.

The sun had completely set, and the stars and moon had not yet risen. The jewels on the headdress stood out conspicuously in the dim light, attracting much attention.

The orcs' eyes were immediately drawn to a pair of slender hands that took the headdress. The hands held the jeweled headdress in mid-air for a moment before placing it on a person's head.

Yue put the headdress on Bai Ling's head, and the headdress fit Bai Ling's head perfectly, as if it were made specifically for Bai Ling.

Yue adjusted her headdress so that the largest gemstone was positioned directly above Bai Ling's forehead.

Bright eyes, fair skin, jet-black hair, and gleaming red gemstones made Bai Ling's handsome face even more dazzling.