HCB Chapter 164 Proposal
Chapter 164 Proposal
"...We immediately reported that something was wrong with that place. Captain Qingjin led a team to investigate. After extensive inquiries, it was confirmed that it was probably once an insect nest. Because the shadowy invasion spread too quickly, the insects in the vicinity fled to find new habitats, which is why there have been frequent insect attacks recently."
As the first team to find the key clue, they completed their report by complementing each other's work. Their tone was not particularly smug; on the contrary, because of this incident, their slightly immature faces had become more resolute.
The hunting tournament is coming to an end, and all participants have returned to Windrunner, including the "volunteers" who were sent out to protect them. They have all returned with the main group.
The three clan leaders, rarely able to gather together, sat at the head of the table to assess the winning teams and the best-performing members of this hunting competition. This segment required not only team self-introductions but also assistance from their "volunteers," and the volunteer in charge of this small team was Qingjin, who had just recovered from her illness.
"Okay, we understand the details. Please take a short break. After discussion, we will announce this year's winner before the bonfire party tonight."
After the participants gathered there were dispersed, only the three clan chiefs and their respective guard captains remained in the vast area, forming a temporary competition judging committee.
"Alright, everyone here is an internal staff member, and you all know the details. If there are no problems, let's start voting now."
As the organizer, the Windwalker Clan originally had the right to conduct independent judging, but this time Qinglin had no choice but to bring in Le Chu and Yu Yan. Therefore, he couldn't just make a one-man show like before, otherwise who would help him next time?
Qinglin, who was the most cunning person in the world, had long anticipated this and had already told Lechu and Yuyan that the final winner would be decided by their vote, ensuring fairness, impartiality and transparency to the greatest extent possible.
Only six people participated in this named vote. Lei Xiu was supposed to be there too, but he politely declined beforehand. The voting ended quickly; this year's winner was so outstanding that there was nothing to criticize.
"Alright, now that the results are in, we'll announce them in a bit. Now, let's talk about other things." Qinglin, having confirmed the winner, stopped thinking about it and began to consider the threat located in his territory.
"Qinglin, what do you want to say?" Sensing something was wrong, Le Chu narrowed her eyes.
As an unrelated person, Yu Yan relaxed her body slightly, leaned back in her chair, and stared straight at Qing Lin and Le Chu, looking like she was ready to watch the show.
With Le Chu keeping a close eye on him, Qing Lin didn't dare to keep her in suspense. He gave Qing Jin a look, signaling her to quickly help him out of the predicament.
"Clan Chief Lechu, our clan chief is worried that there might be hidden dangers in that place, so he would like to discuss with you two how to deal with it appropriately." Qingjin sometimes doesn't care about other people's opinions. As long as she thinks it's right, she won't be emotional and will say what she needs to say without any hesitation.
"How should we handle it? Didn't we just burn it down in the past? Why do we need to ask any more questions?" Yu Yan, who loved watching the drama unfold, raised an eyebrow.
“That’s what we say, but we did what we had no other choice before. Now…” Qinglin glanced at Lechu, looking a little weak, but still insisted on finishing her sentence, “We have a better option now, so I think…”
"What are you thinking?" Before Qinglin could finish speaking, everyone present immediately understood what he meant. Before Le Chu could say anything, Le Shan exploded on the spot, "Clan Chief Qinglin, Le Zhi has only just entered the pre-adolescent stage. I heard that he has been running a fever for several days. You don't mean to send Le Zhi there to investigate and deal with it, do you?"
Qinglin really thought so, after all, right now, Lezhi is the only one in Jormungand who is not afraid of the shadows, and they don't have a more suitable candidate.
“Of course I know about Lezhi’s situation. I was there when he entered his sub-adolescent stage.” Qinglin smiled bitterly and said helplessly, “If there were a better way, I wouldn’t have made this suggestion. But the place where the accident happened this time is too special. The plants there are all advanced plants that have been growing for many years. It’s easy to start a fire, but we have to wait for the place to recover. I don’t know how long it will take or how much effort it will take.”
These words silenced everyone present. Indeed, they had dealt with countless similar incidents before, and sacrifices were inevitable in the struggle against the shadowy figures.
The tree spirits, protected by the sap of their mother tree, can at least survive the attack by the shadows. However, for other creatures, their lives are almost over the moment they are discovered to be attacked by the shadows.
The birds and beasts are alright; they have their own intelligence, and there haven't been any large-scale attacks on birds and beasts by the shadows in the past few decades. It's estimated that they have their own ways of dealing with this.
But plants don't have legs, and once they get entangled in the shadows, they can only wait to die.
“As you all know, the foundation upon which we creatures survive in Jormungandr is plants. Before, we had no choice but to sacrifice ourselves to protect the overall situation. Now it’s different. If you were me, what would you choose?”
After remaining silent for a long time, Le Chu sighed softly, knowing that Qing Lin was right. "I agree with your suggestion, but we need to discuss the specifics carefully. We absolutely cannot force Le Zhi."
Since the head of the Lingyu clan had spoken, no one else would have any objections. Qinglin also knew that he had been making a difficult request, so his attitude was very proper.
"Don't worry, I will arrange for the best guard team to accompany Lezhi on the expedition. I can also provide more sap from the mother tree. I will do my best to ensure Lezhi's safety."
Le Chu didn't find fault with Qing Lin's assurance. He believed that as long as Le Zhi agreed to go, the Windwalker Clan would definitely protect Le Zhi well.
"I have no objection, but you'll have to persuade Lezhi yourselves. I can only guarantee that I won't hold you back." Lechu explained in advance that persuading Lezhi wouldn't be difficult, but the challenge lay with that fiercely protective guy. Lechu didn't want to run into trouble as soon as she got back.
The past two weeks of working with Lei Xiu have shown Le Chu and the others just how strict this former number one is when it comes to serious matters. As the clan leader, Le Chu wouldn't easily cross his line.
It was precisely because she had witnessed Lei Xiu's side that Le Chu understood why, when Lei Xiu, with his half-crippled body, said he wanted to come to the Lingyu Clan, the current patriarch of the Leiting Clan immediately dropped everything to escort him. He probably had worked with Lei Xiu before, and such an overbearing act would have resulted in this.
“Alright, I can go, but you have to come with me. This isn’t just a matter for my clan. With our experience this time, if you encounter a similar situation in the future, it will be much more logical to bring it up. So, Yu Yan, I’m talking to you, don’t even think about running away…”
Qinglin discovered her little scheme, and Yu Yan gave a dry laugh, "I didn't intend to run away. I just got back, and I still have a lot of things to take care of..."
Seeing that Qinglin's usually cheerful face was turning dark, Yu Yan quickly replied seriously, "I understand, I'll go with you."
Yu Yan, the captain of the guard behind her, had amusement in her eyes, but she was too lazy to interrupt in this situation. She exchanged a glance with Qing Jin and Le Shan, who were in the same position. The three captains had a tacit understanding and decided to keep their silence in mind.