"Cluck cluck cluck, cluck cluck~"
"Cluck cluck~"
Across the vast plain, Chen Yu crushed the chicken tokens in his hand one by one. The greedy critical strike bonus caused the entire plain to be dominated by them.
They had now returned to the camp.
Exploring outside took a lot of time, but returning was simple, just crush a teleportation scroll. When they returned, Chen Yu deliberately watched Kuluzhe and the others crush theirs first before crushing his own.
He wouldn't let them escape!
If he was giving good fortune, no one dared to refuse it!
The change in environment left the creatures that had lived in the Screaming Chicken Camp somewhat disoriented.
The clamor was incessant.
"Did our camp ever have this many chickens?" Little Stream, standing behind him with her hands clasped, blinked her eyes, surprised by the boundless sea of free-range chickens before her.
In her memory, the camp had never raised more than twenty thousand chickens even at its peak.
The number before them—
A rough estimate suggested over a hundred thousand.
"Definitely not," Kuluzhe replied after hearing her. "If our camp had these chickens, we wouldn't have ended up so miserable."
"Then the Great King he..."
"Shush!"
Before Little Stream could finish, Kuluzhe signaled her to stop speaking carelessly.
"My Godfather's abilities are far beyond our comprehension. Look around you... this is a city. And look at the woman standing beside my Godfather. Everyone in the city calls her the City Lord, yet she is so cautious around my Godfather. I suspect the true owner of this city is our Godfather."
"Ah?" Little Stream gasped, covering her mouth in surprise.
A city!
What kind of person could own a city? She never dared to even dream of such a thing. The most extravagant dream she used to have was to own a larger camp.
"We've definitely followed the right person this time."
Kuluzhe looked up at Chen Yu's back, his eyes filled with adoration and respect.
"Look at our old camp, dilapidated. The most ridiculous thing was that when people attacked us, they just abandoned us and ran. Now look at my Godfather's city, although it's also in ruins, at least it's big. Give it time, and it will definitely develop. I've also been greatly valued by my Godfather, who bestowed upon me an official position..."
"Isn't the Great King just making you a captain?" Little Stream asked curiously.
"Heh!"
Immediately, Kuluzhe became displeased.
"What are you saying, calling me a mere captain? We've just pledged allegiance. My Godfather intends to promote me, but I haven't achieved any merit yet. Now I'm a small captain, but in the future, I can be a squadron leader, a battalion commander. As long as I perform well, surely my Godfather won't neglect me?"
Listening to Kuluzhe call Chen Yu "Godfather" repeatedly, Little Stream pursed her lips and didn't argue further.
"Little Stream?"
Suddenly, Kuluzhe flapped his wings and moved closer to Little Stream.
"Now that I've somewhat made a name for myself, regarding us... when do you think..."
"Who, who has anything with you!" Little Stream's face instantly turned red. She bit her lip and pushed Kuluzhe away. "Don't talk nonsense."
"I..."
"Kuluzhe!"
A loud call echoed. Kuluzhe, who was chasing Little Stream, instantly turned his head and wagged his tail as he trotted to Chen Yu's side.
"Father, you called me."
This exclamation of "Father" made everyone around Chen Yu look at him with disbelief. But he remained unfazed, even raising his head even more proudly.
Why should he be ashamed?!
Being able to recognize the Great King as father was such a great honor; many people couldn't even achieve it.
Thinking of this, Kuluzhe felt even prouder.
With his head held high, he looked as proud as a phoenix.
"Pay more attention to important matters, don't just chase after Little Stream," Chen Yu glanced at Kuluzhe and whispered. "A man should prioritize his career. When the flowers are fragrant, the butterflies will naturally come, understand?"
Kuluzhe: (⊙o⊙)
Utterly confused.
Fine.
Seeing the mismatched eyes of Kuluzhe, Chen Yu knew that the words were too profound for him and he wouldn't grasp their deeper meaning anytime soon.
"Let me introduce you,"
Chen Yu didn't dwell on Kuluzhe's romantic pursuits any longer. He extended his hand towards Kaelen.
"This is Kaelen, the City Lord of this city-state. From now on, you will liaise with her regarding all matters concerning the chicken farm. She will also review your work."
"Yes!"
Kuluzhe bowed repeatedly, nodding his head.
"From now on, this area will be your territory," Chen Yu pointed to the chicken farm nearby. "Your subordinates from the Screaming Chicken Camp will continue to be under your command. I will also assign more personnel to assist your work. Kuluzhe, remember... the chicken farm holds significant importance for my future strategic plans. Do not disappoint me."
"Please rest assured, Godfather!"
After patting Kuluzhe's shoulders twice, Chen Yu gave Kaelen a look, and they walked away from the chicken farm side by side.
Kuluzhe stood on the spot, his mismatched eyes gazing intently at Chen Yu's retreating back.
Then, his gaze fell upon his own shoulders.
He felt it.
Chen Yu had high expectations for him!
"Godfather, please rest assured, I will absolutely not disappoint you. This chicken farm... I will manage it well!"
A firm conviction was murmured from Kuluzhe's lips.
"Little Stream!" Kuluzhe shouted with determination, "Take the people from our Screaming Chicken Camp and follow me into the chicken farm. Let's give these chickens a lesson first!"
"Leader, where did you find this treasure? Calling you 'Godfather' non-stop."
After leaving the chicken farm, Kaelen glanced sideways, her eyebrows curved with a smile.
The first lesson everyone who joined the group had to undergo was 'Recognize the enemy... recognize Chen Yu as father.' Kaelen had also been asked to do so.
Among so many people, only Kuluzhe was so sincere.
"Don't underestimate him. I met him while I was out hunting monsters. He's a descendant of the phoenix," Chen Yu's eyebrows revealed a hint of a smile.
To be honest, he did have expectations for Kuluzhe.
A descendant of the phoenix!
Chen Yu truly hoped that Kuluzhe would one day experience a genetic mutation and turn into a phoenix. Or, if any of their screaming chickens turned into a phoenix, the strength of his group would instantly elevate by a level.
Phoenixes, divine beasts!
Although the bloodline was thin and the possibility very low, it was still a wish.
"Right, later you have someone contact Fang Xiu. Designate that area we just passed as the chicken farm. Have him plan out the surrounding areas as well. I think that environment is quite suitable for a breeding farm."
"No problem."
"During my absence, has our camp... no, I should say our city-state, encountered any issues? Has the development been smooth?"
Chen Yu glanced sideways, whispering with a light smile.
In fact, this was a very ordinary daily inquiry. He would usually ask Kaelen a few questions when they met, just to get a general understanding of the territory's development.
Kaelen usually gave brief reports, but this time—
"Hmm~"
Kaelen, holding a notebook, suddenly stopped in her tracks, pursing her lips. Chen Yu instantly realized that something was wrong.
"What happened?"
"It's probably not too serious," Kaelen whispered softly. "It's just that someone came to collect protection fees from the city-state some time ago. Don't worry, Second Master has already led people to quell them."
"What?!"
Even upon hearing that someone had come to cause trouble, Chen Yu remained calm. In his opinion, it was expected. It was only when he heard that Hei Dou had led people to quell them that he was completely stunned. His voice was somewhat broken with disbelief.
"You're saying Hei Dou led troops to fight rebels?"