After waiting for a moment.
Clatter.
The wooden ladle in Ninike's hand fell to the ground, her eyes widening into perfect circles!
As the green light swept over, the scorched flesh peeled away, broken bones knit back together, and within a few breaths, a perfectly intact, fair-skinned arm had completely regrown!
“Is... Is this a miracle?!”
“What are you staring at? A slave looking directly at her master? Watch it, or I'll mark you down for a hundred lashes. Keep working!”
“Y-Yes! My lady!”
Ninike shuddered and hurriedly replied.
Qimeng remained lazily reclined in the host's chair. However, when Ninike looked at her again, the fear in her eyes had faded, replaced by a deep sense of awe.
It wasn't until her fully healed clanswoman was carried away by the stunned villagers that Ninike snapped out of it, realizing she had been staring blankly at this lady.
She swallowed hard.
Hurriedly picking up the wooden ladle, she poured water over the next clansman.
One after another, the clansmen washed with the warm water seemed to undergo a baptism of holy water. Their injuries miraculously vanished, and even the fishy smell of their feathers was gone, replaced by a pleasant, refreshing scent of plants.
Just what did she put in this hot water...
Ninike thought to herself, dazing out as she worked.
“Slave Ninike, daydreaming again, are we? Come here. I'm going to punish you.”
“I-I'm sorry, my lady...”
Ninike's delicate body shuddered, and she obediently knelt before Qimeng.
Under the astonished gazes of her clansmen, Qimeng grabbed Ninike's snow-white wings and began to vigorously rub and knead them!
Wow, this feels amazing!
It's incredibly satisfying!
They feel so cool and refreshing. They'd make the ultimate pillow in the summer!
Qimeng cheered inwardly with satisfaction, but she kept a stern face on the outside.
“Slave Ninike, go gather feathers from your clan and make me a cushion that doesn't get stuffy or hot! If it's uncomfortable, I'll pluck you bare!”
“Ah? Oh! Yes!”
The White Feather Clan had feathers in abundance.
They had a molting season every year, and they usually collected shed feathers to make accessories. Making a cushion would be a breeze.
Soon, under Ninike's attentive service, an exquisite cushion made entirely of White Feather Clan feathers was placed beneath Qimeng.
It felt cool to the touch, soft, and breathable.
Qimeng narrowed her eyes, sinking her body comfortably into it.
Meanwhile, upon learning that entering the treehouse was not only safe but also healed injuries, the bird girls' worries vanished. Their enthusiasm for boiling water and carrying the wounded soared.
By the time the last bird girl emerged, the sky had already grown dark.
Night had fallen.
Ninike led a few others to bring over several clay bowls containing food that their clan usually couldn't bear to eat.
It was a thick, hot soup brewed from wild berries and magic leaves, with a few pieces of tough, dried magical beast meat floating on top.
Their feelings this time were highly complex.
Part of them sincerely wanted to thank Qimeng for healing everyone, while another part remained terrified of this wicked woman.
However, the tiny shred of goodwill the White Feather Clan had just developed for Qimeng was instantly shattered by her own hands.
Qimeng glanced at the bowl of wild herb mush, her lips twitching.
Whoosh!
A vine whip lashed out, shattering the clay bowl. The thick mush splattered all over Ninike and several bird girls, leaving them in a miserable state.
“What are you doing?!”
“This is the only food we have left!”
Ninike was so anxious that tears were on the verge of falling.
“Slave Ninike, how dare you disrespect your master? It seems you have made another mistake. I must punish you!”
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Qimeng whipped the ground with her vine, making a chilling sound.
Then, with a casual flick of her wrist...
The vine whip transformed into a long vine, hoisting Ninike upside down from a high branch outside the treehouse.
Ninike closed her eyes, expecting a severe beating.
To her surprise, Qimeng merely pulled out a feather and began to vigorously tickle her smooth, bare soles!
“Ah! Hahaha! No! It tickles! Stop, haha! My lady, I was wrong!”
Ninike squirmed in the air, laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face.
Below, the young girls of the White Feather Clan trembled in fear.
“How cruel...”
“Yes, truly horrific...”
“Since you know you were wrong, get to work!”
Having had her fun, Qimeng released the vine, dropping Ninike, who was completely weak from laughing, onto the ground.
“W-What work?”
Ninike asked, panting for breath.
Qimeng pulled out a Space Fruit and snapped her fingers toward the empty square.
Crash! Clatter!
A massive pile of magical beast carcasses tumbled out, forming a small mountain in the square and releasing a pungent, bloody stench.
“Whoa! So many!”
“Where did these come from? How magical!”
“Heavens, is that an Advanced Rank double-headed demon wolf?! And a violent demon bear?!”
They really were a bunch of country-bumpkin bird girls.
Qimeng gave them a sidelong glance.
“Slave Ninike, what's with that look? You think this is for you to eat?”
“My lady... is it not for us?”
Ninike's stomach let out a loud rumble.
“A slave wants to eat meat? Did I say you could eat?!”
Qimeng imperiously issued her command.
“Listen up. All of you, get over here and work for me. Clean and butcher every single one of these magical beast carcasses!”
“All of them?”
Ninike stared at the mountain of meat, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.
“Slaves have no right to question their master!”
“You, go find a vine, hang yourself up, and reflect on your actions!”
“Yes...”
Feeling aggrieved, Ninike walked to the tree, wrapped a hanging vine around her feet, and obediently suspended herself upside down from a branch.
“The entire clan, get moving! Clean them up, I want to eat!”
“Yes!!”
Under Qimeng's overwhelming pressure, the entire White Feather Clan sprang into action.
Bonfires were lit in the square.
Five hundred bird girls worked tirelessly, butchering the mountain of meat.
Qimeng sat in the middle of the square. Ninike had been let down and was now sweating profusely as she roasted meat for her master.
Qimeng feasted on the fragrant roasted meat and sipped on ice-cold fruit juice she had retrieved from her storage.
She looked incredibly content!
Ninike could only watch from the side, swallowing her saliva repeatedly.
It wasn't until Qimeng had eaten and drunk her fill.
She glanced at the exhausted Ninike and the neatly butchered piles of meat in the square, then stood up.
“I am going to sleep. If this meat stays here, it will rot and stink up the place, disturbing my rest. Throw it all into the forest to feed the wild beasts!”
“Eh?! Throw it to the wild beasts?!”
Ninike's eyes widened in panic, and she cried out, swallowing hard.
“My lady! Throwing it away is too wasteful! Can... can we eat it?!”
“Slave Ninike, did you not hear my order? Throw it all away!”
Qimeng snorted heavily.
“Once it is thrown away, whoever is fast enough to snatch it can keep it. I don't care! But if I see even a single piece of meat left in the square tomorrow morning... hmph!”
“Yes, yes! I guarantee not a single piece will be left!”
Ninike's eyes lit up, and she repeatedly agreed.
Late at night.
Qimeng lay on the comfortable, cool feather cushion, closing her eyes to rest.
Through the crack in the door, she could clearly see the situation outside.
The bird girls, who had been dejected just moments ago, were now erupting in hushed cheers, followed by the sounds of a massive cleanup.
Rate on N.U.
