Forge a path to success

Chu Hengkong walked around her once, patting her wet fur: "You're exactly the same as before."

Qingxia immediately relaxed, collapsing to the ground on all fours. She grabbed Chu Hengkong's arm and said pitifully, "Doesn't it smell bad...?"

"It's good enough that you're alive, why are you still worrying about this?" Chu Hengkong said, both amused and exasperated. "A wash will make everything alright."

Qingxia shifted her gaze hesitantly to the side, but still stubbornly held onto someone's arm: "General Chu, I have another request..."

"I'm scared when you act normal."

Qingxia muttered softly, "I'm exhausted, my bones are weak and my muscles are numb, I don't even have the strength to walk... But I'm a clean person by nature, and I can't stand looking so shabby and wet..."

"You're squeezing my arm so hard it's starting to hurt, and you call that being weak?"

Qingxia seemed to try to straighten her back, but suddenly lost her strength and collapsed into Chu Heng's arms. Her body temperature was as high as if she had a fever: "Anyway, General Chu has already met me... could you help me... wash up?"

The centaur girl stared intently at the corner of the room. Chu Hengkong helped her straighten her head and smiled gently at her.

"sure."

Qingxia's heart raced: "Then...then..."

Chu Hengkong tilted his head back and shouted, "Captain Ji! Come over here and help your comrade clean up!"

"It's a small matter, leave it to me!"

Upon hearing the news, Ji Huaisu sprang out, carrying a long ice brush on his back, a fine steel comb on his arm, long gloves on his hands, and a water mask over his head—a seasoned and battle-hardened sanitation worker indeed.

Without saying a word, she picked up a bucket and slammed it on the ground: "I, Ji Huaisu, have been good at dealing with animals since I was a child, especially good at taking care of horses. You can rest assured that this job is mine!"

Qingxia's expression changed drastically, and she immediately tried to run away: "No! I can wash it myself!"

"Qingxia, you're really delirious with fever. You don't even have the strength to get up, so how do you expect to take care of yourself?" Chu Hengkong used his energy to restrain the centaur girl and naturally got up. "Captain Ji, the responsibility of taking care of this teammate is very important, so I'm entrusting it to you."

"You're all brothers, you can rest assured leaving it to me!" Ji Huaisu wet the ice brush, his smile becoming particularly sinister. "Come on, Qingxia, let me give you a good wash!"

Qingxia tried to jump out the window to escape: "I don't want you to wash me! I want Chu Hengkong to wash me!!"

"What a lecherous horse! Even with the water at hand, he's still thinking about sex! Don't try to be arrogant, or else!"

"No! It's an assault! Chu Hengkong, save me!!"

Ji Huaisu gasped, "Damn it, where did you get so much strength, you seriously ill patient?! Xiao Ye, come help me!"

Qingye darted out with a bar of soap in hand: "Qingye obeys!"

"My dear sister, let's tie her up tightly and wash her thoroughly... Don't splash water on her, I'm telling you! If you splash her again, I'll get angry!"

"Ouch, I got a soap bubble in my eye!"

Chu Hengkong whistled and walked briskly away, casually picking up Fan De, who was listening to the commotion in the distance. Fan De glanced at him: "Hey, hey, weren't you supposed to be there to provide support? Why is someone deserting their post?"

"When dealing with heretics, do what you can," Chu Hengkong said. "If you encounter a woman, run away if you should."

Chapter 229 Drink today, for tomorrow we die!

A day and a night have passed since the campaign against the Wenyao. The warriors' wounds have finally healed, and their exhausted bodies have recovered somewhat. Now, the time is finally approaching…

It's time to eat.

"When is dinner served?"

"I'm hungry too..."

"I saw it, the phantom of rice."

"Haha, I'm starving."

The valiant warriors who guarded the desolate wilderness slumped in a row before the earthen table, while a few of the more resilient ones sat listlessly, leaning against the backs of their chairs. They couldn't go on any longer; they simply couldn't hold on any longer. Even the strongest warriors needed food to survive, especially since some of the unfortunate members present hadn't had a decent meal since entering the wilderness.

At this moment, the soldiers from all over the country reached a rare consensus: they wanted to eat! They wanted to eat!

"They're here! Don't rush, don't grab them!"

Jie An came running over carrying several large platters, and everyone perked up, automatically making way for the food. The chef quickly arranged the dishes: "Pan-fried mushroom steak, cabbage fried rice, seven-color salad, nourishing tomato juice, and a fruit platter for dessert! Pretty plentiful, right? Nutritious and healthy."

The soldiers stared at the red and green mess on the table, their faces turning pale to varying degrees.

Van Der's eyes lit up: "Why is it all vegetarian?!"

"Where's the meat?!" Ji Huaisu screamed in despair.

"No! This area is a barren desert for miles around. If you can find a single piece of meat even if you dig three feet into the ground, I'll change my surname to yours." Jie An slammed a large can of tomato juice on the table. "All that's left are the mushrooms and vegetables that Gu Libo grew. Take it or leave it."

Chu Hengkong gasped, realizing that the lustful demons had devoured the surrounding jungle, leaving nothing to eat around the settlement. Qingye chewed on a piece of mushroom, her expression sorrowful: "Since things have come to this, let's eat Fande..."

"Get out of here!"

Qingxia looked at Fan De and shook her head firmly: "No! One piece of meat is not enough. Let's stew the Gummy Bear too."

"Don't eat me! If you want meat, go hunt sandworms!" the little animals protested vehemently.

“I’d rather eat vegetable leaves,” Shaks said grimly.

Chu Hengkong's stomach protested the loudest since entering the wilderness. He quickly finished a bowl of fried rice as a delaying tactic, then grabbed the shoulder of the cook who was preparing to leave.

“Jie’an, you’ve always been cautious. Even if your storage and belongings are full of medicinal herbs, you should at least have some emergency rations on hand…”

Jie An started whistling loudly.

Ji Huaisu sprang up in a flash, grabbed the cook, and shook him violently: "Hand it over! Hand over the meat!!"

"That's emergency rations! Do you even know what an emergency is? It's our last resort!" Jie Anning stubbornly refused. "At most, it's just a few pieces of cheese and two pork legs. It's not like we're starving. Do you guys need that little bit of meat? Just bear with it!"

Chu Hengkong almost drooled; he clearly heard several people swallowing. Fan De leaped up, jumping onto the cook's head: "Now's the time for an emergency! If we don't get meat for this meal, our morale will plummet, and in the next decisive battle, we'll fall apart without the enemy even needing to fight. The Demon King's army will be completely wiped out!"

"The Demon King's army is so fragile! What kind of good-for-nothings would be wiped out just because they didn't eat a good meal!"

“The symptoms have already started, look!” Van der pointed angrily at the table.

In the midst of their struggle, Qingxia slid down the tablecloth and softly slid to the floor. Qingye rushed over, tears welling in her eyes: "Qingxia! Hold on, Qingxia!"

Qingxia tremblingly reached out her hand: "When you all return victorious... please cook for me... a pig's leg... two pieces of cheese... a fried rice, two roast chickens, a pig's head, and some fine braised beef..."

"You even ordered food!"

"Add... three more ounces of good wine..."

Qingxia tilted her head, closed her eyes, and lay on the ground. Qingye was overcome with grief, tears welling in her eyes: "General Qing! At least three catties of wine!!"

"What? There are still drunkards here? Stop drinking, you bastards!"

Fenya also tried to persuade him: "Young people should drink less..."

Shakes, rubbing his forehead, leaned back in his chair, trying his best to appear as if he didn't know these people. Gulibo, seeing this, exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my god, Shakes's lost his voice!"

"I never imagined that even a ruthless sniper could collapse from hunger..." Ji Huaisu said sympathetically.

Shakes let out a groan of unbearable strain.

Chu Hengkong gripped the cook's shoulders tightly, exerting invisible pressure with his eyes. Jie An had no choice but to shrug and say, "Alright, alright, get up, stop acting. We'll give you your food rations, but you really will have to eat vegetarian for the next few days, and no complaints after that."

"no comment!"

Jie An took out the remaining dairy products and meat: "This is all we have. How do you plan to cook it?"

The table was mostly covered with two cured pork legs and a few pieces of cheese; the rest was all flour and compressed biscuits. Chu Hengkong glanced at the fried mushrooms, which were disappearing the fastest, and had a good idea.

"Listen up, everyone, there's a dish in my hometown called pizza..."

·

Another half hour later.

"Make way, make way! The first batch of pizzas is ready!" Jie An shouted. "This is a Margherita pizza, with a pure cheese and tomato base; this is a mushroom and ham pizza, topped with spices; and there's also potato pizza, all you can eat!"

The advantage of having a Discipline Knight in the party is that you can start a fire, set up an oven, and make cooking utensils anytime, anywhere. Jie An is an experienced pastry chef; he understands the methods just by listening and learns the techniques without needing to be taught. In less than half an hour, the freshly baked pizza was served on the table. The piping hot cheese hadn't had time to solidify yet, remaining semi-liquid, with freshly made tomato sauce floating on top, its vibrant red color. The ham slices were crispy, the mushrooms tender and fragrant, and the locally gathered spices released an enticing aroma from the heat.

Chu Hengkong couldn't wait to take a piece and put it in his mouth. As he chewed, the rich flavors filled his mouth, giving him a long-lost sense of happiness.

"Earthlings know how to enjoy life," Van der exclaimed. "Absolutely fantastic! This time-honored Earth brand is truly authentic!"

"I feel like my soul has been resurrected at this moment..." Ji Huaisu said emotionally, "I could eat ten of them..."

"Consider your weight, Captain Ji."

"What's there to be afraid of? We can just add a few more torches to make up for this little bit of heat."

Qingye pulled out a wine bottle from somewhere and secretly poured some for everyone: "Good news, there's still some fruit wine left in the settlement."

Sachs held up his glass: "I don't drink."

"Wow, actually!" Qingye exclaimed in surprise. "Then what do you want to drink?"

"milk."

"Really... milk..."

Qingxia tried her best to suppress her laughter: "Sharks drinking milk... haha... hahaha!"

Shakes had a dark expression on his face, and Gulibo stood up for him, saying, "What's wrong with milk? I love drinking milk too!"

Vande laughed wildly: "Shax, you and Guli Bobo have the same taste, hahahahaha, aba!"

Shakes smashed the Eye Demon onto the table with the butt of his rifle, and Chu Hengkong snapped his fingers: "Could you please give Shakes a kids' meal?"

Jie An approached the table respectfully: "Young Master, would you like some octopus sausages or potato stars? We also have three toys included with the set meal; you can choose one after your meal."

“For the first time in my life, I want to repent. I must have lived a terrible life in my past life to have met you all in hell,” Shaks said. “Look at how lax and undisciplined you are. Any two messengers could easily wipe out a bunch of good-for-nothings right now.”

“Given Vansalal’s personality, it wouldn’t launch an attack right now.” Qingxia shrugged. “It’s probably laughing happily on its throne right now, thinking how great it is that the Plague Demon has been defeated.”

Vandal shakily got to his feet and protested loudly, "We finally finished a tough battle, can't we say something nice? To be honest, I don't want to hear words like nightmare, fear, or Vandalal again anytime soon..."

The shadows of people chatting and laughing flickered around the campfire, the aroma of food mingling with the cooking smoke. Chu Hengkong held his wine glass, feeling a long-lost sense of joy. Everyone hadn't relaxed in a long time; such a wonderful time was for aimless chatting, escaping the worries of reality.

“Vander is right. Let’s not talk about unlucky things at this rare gathering!” Ji Huaisu waved his hand. “Why don’t we think about how we’ll enjoy ourselves after we get out of here?”

"Don't open the champagne halfway through," Chu Heng said with a laugh.

"Drink today, my friends! If we lose, we won't even have the chance to open the champagne. What a huge loss!" Ji Huaisu said. "To be honest, I've had enough of this dark and gloomy environment. When I get out, I'm going to find a sunny place to sunbathe and get my skin a beautiful bronze color."

"Let's go together!" Qingye raised her hand. "Judging by the time, it should be summer outside. This is the perfect time to go to the beach, enjoy a holiday, and replenish our solar energy."

"Can we go diving outside?" Qingxia asked excitedly. "I want to go to the bottom of the sea to find the Dragon Palace."

"You can go diving, but there's no Dragon Palace there; the seabed is only filled with demons."

"Sigh... swimming would be so troublesome, you'd have to fight a demon first."

"It's okay, just throw Akong over there and the demon will die on its own."

"So you're just assuming I'm a handyman?" Chu Hengkong said helplessly. "Will I have to help you apply sunscreen later?"

Ji Huaisu crossed her arms over her chest, creating a considerable distance between herself and the person: "Ugh! You're so self-important and greasy. Who needs your help?"

"Great! If Sister Huaisu didn't want it, I would have snatched it from her." Qingye cheered.

"Who said I don't want it! Let go of me, you little brat! Don't you dare grab my arm like that!"

"Qingye, what is sunscreen oil?" Qingxia asked curiously.

"Imperfect products specifically designed for color manipulation."

"Then I want it too!"

"What are you doing, you centaur, applying oil to your face?!"

The girls were chattering noisily, making a racket like Godzilla battling Kong. Chu Hengkong took the opportunity to slip away, away from the center of the commotion, to the other end of a quiet long table. Shakes had just asked Jie An for a cigarette, while Fan De and Gulibo were playing Connect Four with vegetable stalks and fruit pits.

When Vande saw him arrive, he flicked his tentacles and said, "Go away, what are you doing in our little animal group instead of hanging out in your girls' group?"

"So you're the small animal group? I thought you were the boys' group."

“Small animals have such an easy life. If you let me choose, I’d definitely choose to be a small animal,” Jie An said. “What about you, bro?”

“I have no interest in being an animal,” Shakes flicked away ash.

Jie An scrutinized him: "I heard you're also an assassin from Earth... but you two are very different."

"In your words, it's a huge dust island, with billions of people living on it. There's no common ground between people." Shaks stubbed out his cigarette and suddenly asked, "How long have I been dead on Earth?"

"Two years."

“Two years.” Shakespeare nodded. “It’s quite a coincidence that two people out of six billion knew each other traveled through time in just two years.”

"It's quite a coincidence."