Male Lead, Please Don’t Covet the Mob Character Cannon Fodder (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 34

The stream gurgled softly. Only a few months had passed since the snow season, and the water was still a bit chilly, but for a male beastman like Qingshi, this temperature was quite comfortable.

A thin trail of blood drifted downstream as Qingshi nimbly used a bone knife to disembowel two Gugu beasts. After cleaning away the blood and entrails, he began plucking feathers. This was a tedious, repetitive task, so while his hands moved steadily, his thoughts began to wander.

This world was a primitive era of raw meat and blood, filled with hidden dangers. Humans here were not pure humans, but beastmen. Lu Qing, Qingshi’s current identity, was a male beastman capable of transforming into a white deer. Orphaned at a young age, he had been adopted by a wandering fox beastman named Hu Shan and followed him to join the He Tribe. Once he gained the ability to hunt independently, Lu Qing carved out his own cave and moved out of Hu Shan’s home. Despite living apart, the two remained close.

Not long ago, Hu Shan was fatally wounded by a wild beast while hunting. On his deathbed, he entrusted his only son, Hu Ke, to Lu Qing, requesting that they become mates so that Hu Ke would be protected for life. Lu Qing agreed and brought the orphaned female beastman back to his cave. Hu Ke grieved for a long time and eventually fell into a high fever one night. Just as Qingshi thought the youth would not make it, he suddenly woke up. Upon seeing those eyes, which were still clear but now possessed a scholarly air, Qingshi knew that the soul inside was no longer the original Hu Ke.

Hu Ke’s subsequent actions, such as firing pottery and reclaiming wasteland, only confirmed this suspicion. Transmigration, a term Qingshi had seen in the Galaxy Corporation Employee Handbook, flashed through his mind. The handbook stated that some worlds feature Destined Ones from other realms arranged by the World Consciousness. It seemed Hu Ke was such a case. The manual was very clear on how to handle this: maintainers should actively uphold the plot and not interfere with the actions of the Destined One. Thus, Qingshi decided to act as if he had noticed nothing.

As for Qingshi’s own mission, it was quite baffling. According to the information from 886, the male lead of this world was named Lang Lin, the son of the Beast King of the Central Plains. Qingshi’s task was to attempt to snatch the male lead’s mate, fail, and then be bitten to death by the enraged male lead. Putting aside the absurdity of the mate-snatching mission, the He Tribe was currently tens of thousands of miles away from the Central Plains. Where was he supposed to find the male lead’s mate?

To make matters worse, since entering this world, 886 had seemingly vanished. No matter how much Qingshi called out, there was no response. Maintainers cannot exit a mission world until the task is completed or confirmed as a failure. Unable to report an error and restricted by his current identity, Qingshi had no valid reason to leave the tribe for the Central Plains. He could only take things one step at a time.

A rustle of grass nearby snapped Qingshi back to reality. He shot a sharp, alert gaze toward the sound and met a pair of smiling, dog-like eyes. It was the male canine beastman who had stopped by the cave earlier to visit. He stepped out of the woods, carrying a handful of leaves from a Round-Broad tree. Confirming the visitor’s identity, Qingshi retracted his gaze and resumed his work.

Quan Bai, ignored yet again, raised an eyebrow with a flicker of interest. He walked to the stream and squatted down, washing the leaves while watching Qingshi out of the corner of his eye. For some reason, while the female Hu Ke was supposed to be the one worth his attention, his focus kept drifting to this male deer. A mate? With such a frail frame, can he really protect his female? Quan Bai wondered. He had heard that in some tribes, males who were too weak to hunt were treated as special, non-bearing females. Could he be?

While Quan Bai’s mind wandered, Qingshi finished processing the birds. He picked them up and headed back toward the cave. Seeing this, Quan Bai quickly rinsed the remaining leaves and hurried to catch up, walking alongside him. Qingshi noticed the extra presence but only spared him a glance before ignoring him again.

“You are back!” At the cave entrance, Chen Ke had already started a fire. A rich, meaty aroma drifted from the clay pot in front of him.

Quan Bai sniffed the air deeply, his eyes lighting up as he dashed past Qingshi toward the pot. “Is that stew? Why does it smell so good?”

“Hahaha!” Chen Ke laughed at his eagerness. “It sure is. I am not bragging, but my stewing skills are the best in the tribe.” This was not an exaggeration. Chen Ke had tasted the tribe’s usual cooking. Meat boiled without being blanched or deodorized, with nothing but salt for seasoning, was a nightmare.

“Seems I came at the right time today!” Quan Bai handed the leaves to Hu Ke. “See if these will work.”

Chen Ke took the large, lotus-like leaves and praised, “They are perfect, really good!”

Qingshi approached. “The Gugu beasts are ready. Do we wrap them now?”

“Yes!” Chen Ke laid two leaves on the ground and signaled Qingshi to place the meat on them. “I have the mud and the pit ready. We just wrap them, bury them, and light a fire on top.”

Under Quan Bai’s watchful eye, the two wrapped the birds in leaves, coated them in thick mud, and buried them in the pit. Once covered with soil, they started a fresh fire on top. As the wood crackled in the flames, Chen Ke wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm. “That is it. Now we just wait a bit.”

Quan Bai squatted by the fire. He watched as Chen Ke casually held his hands out for Qingshi to pour water over them to wash. The intimate atmosphere between them caused a dark glint to flash in Quan Bai’s eyes. “The two of you must have been mates for years. Why are there no cubs?”

At the question, Chen Ke looked up at Qingshi’s flawless, jade-like face. His cheeks flushed slightly. Meeting Qingshi’s cool, clear eyes, he looked away awkwardly. “No, we only recently decided to become mates.” Through Hu Ke’s memories, Chen Ke knew that he and Lu Qing were together because of his father’s dying wish, a commitment made just days before he transmigrated.

“Oh, I see.” Quan Bai’s gaze flickered between the two, eventually settling on Qingshi. “I really envy you, Lu Qing, being able to mate with a beautiful female like Hu Ke.”

Qingshi gave him a cold look but did not respond to the passive-aggressive comment. Seeing that Chen Ke had finished washing, Qingshi turned away to put the water container down. Chen Ke quickly tried to smooth things over. “I am sorry, Lu Qing is not much of a talker.”

“It is fine, I noticed.” Quan Bai smiled warmly, showing no sign of offense.

Chen Ke dried his hands and checked the pot. “The stew is ready.” Just then, Qingshi walked out of the cave holding bowls. Chen Ke laughed, “Lu Qing, we really are on the same wavelength. I just said it was ready and you brought the bowls out.”

“Yes.” Qingshi was a bit puzzled by his excitement, but not wanting to ruin the mood, he simply nodded.

“Hehe.” Chen Ke took a clay bowl, ladled out some meat and broth, and gestured to Quan Bai. “Quan Bai, this one is for you. You are the guest, so you eat first.”

“Thanks, I will not hold back then.” Quan Bai took the smooth clay bowl carefully, afraid his grip would accidentally crush it.

The three sat by the fire. Noticing Quan Bai’s cautiousness, Chen Ke giggled, “You do not have to be that careful; it will not break that easily.”

Quan Bai nodded. He watched as Qingshi and Chen Ke held a bowl in one hand and used two smooth wooden sticks in the other to pick up the meat with total ease. He tried to mimic them, but the small sticks were far harder to control than he expected. He tried several times but could not pick up a single piece.

“Pfft.”

Hearing the sound, Quan Bai looked up. He caught a fleeting, upward curve of Qingshi’s lips, a momentary smirk that vanished instantly. It made Quan Bai’s teeth feel itchy.

Chen Ke, who had also let out a giggle, comforted him. “Chopsticks are a bit tricky. You can just hold the bowl and drink from it.”

Quan Bai smiled and nodded at Chen Ke, then lifted the bowl and gulped it down. He finished the large bowl in a few swallows. “So good! This is the best stew I have ever had!”

“There is more in the pot,” Chen Ke said, happy to hear the praise. “You can have the rest. One bowl each is enough for Lu Qing and me.”

“Alright.” Quan Bai’s gaze subtly drifted over the small portions in Chen Ke and Qingshi’s bowls. He thought to himself: How can a male eat as little as a female?

By the end of the meal, Quan Bai had eaten his fill, consuming two beggar’s chickens and most of the stew. As darkness fell, he took his leave.

As they cleaned up, Chen Ke finally noticed the dead deer piled in the corner. “Ah, I forgot to let him take this back.”

Qingshi stepped forward and picked up the carcass. “He left it on purpose. Just keep it. I will go process it.”

“Oh, okay,” Chen Ke scratched his head, puzzled.

In the middle of the Growing Season, the wild beasts that had been silent all winter became active, and the forest grew lively. The He Tribe reached the day of the first Great Hunt of the year. During the Great Hunt, all able-bodied males must participate, except for those assigned to patrol the village. They would be divided into several hunting teams. The teams would compete to see who could secure the most prey. Each member of the winning team would be rewarded with an extra-large portion of meat. In the He Tribe, this honor was consistently monopolized by the team led by the Chief’s son, Hu Meng.

“If only I could join Hu Meng’s team. Too bad that is impossible for me.” Shu Rong gazed at Hu Meng’s tall, muscular figure in the front row with eyes full of envy.

Quan Bai, leaning against a tree on the outskirts, looked down and asked curiously, “What are the requirements to join his team?”

“The members of Hu Meng’s team are fixed,” Ma Yan, who was sitting cross-legged under the tree, chimed in. “But if you can defeat any member in a fight, you can take his place.”

“Sigh, weak ones like us can only huddle together to make up the numbers.” Shu Rong looked at the others nearby and lamented, “I wonder who our captain will be. I hope they are not too difficult to get along with.”

Support