The Girl’s Request

To this day, Li Yin never imagined that the kind of trope often seen in romance anime would actually happen to her.

But that was all.

She wasn’t the least bit embarrassed about being caught doing something ‘good’.

What worried her more was the basket of eggs—they almost rolled out and smashed onto her face!

Even though it was Li Luo who had startled her, Li Yin still kicked out in anger, glaring at her like a protective she-wolf.

In reality, those two eggs were so tough they could survive a fall from a hundred meters without a scratch, which was exactly why Li Luo acted so recklessly.

“You two have such a strange relationship.”

The half-snake girl slithered over, carrying a freshly brewed pot of tea, and placed it on the coffee table, completely unfazed by their bickering.

She picked up a cup, brought it to her lips, and took a sip.

A fragrant aroma instantly spread across her taste buds, and her brows relaxed as she leaned back into the sofa with contentment.

With an outsider present, Li Yin couldn’t do anything too drastic, so Li Luo escaped unscathed.

But her anger still needed an outlet.

Spotting the tea on the table, she grabbed a cup and recklessly downed it.

Was it possible that she had no idea how to drink tea?

The moment it touched her lips, Li Yin’s face twisted in bitterness—her expression even more grotesque than a pig in a slaughterhouse, as if she were about to ascend to heaven on the spot.

So bitter!

So bitter!

So bitter!!!

What the hell is this stuff?!

It’s worse than concentrated Chinese medicine!

As they say, you make your own bed.

To save face, she forced herself to swallow.

“Gulp.”

The tea went down, but the taste lingered in her mouth.

Her overactive tear ducts betrayed her, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes.

“Cough, cough, cough—”

She dry-heaved twice, nearly bringing up the tea along with her stomach acid.

“Yinyin, are you okay?!”

Li Luo was terrified by her reaction, thinking the tea was poisoned.

She immediately used holy magic to heal Li Yin.

“Why is it so bitter!!!”

Li Yin finally vented her frustration.

At her outburst, the snake-bodied girl paused, then inexplicably took another sip of her own tea.

Not bitter.

In fact, it was slightly sweet…

“It’s not bitter?”

The girl said, puzzled.

Li Yin began to question life.

Not bitter?

From now on, even if she died of thirst, she would never touch tea again!

“Yinyin, beastmen have a different sense of taste from humans.”

While Li Yin was sticking out her tongue and panting like a puppy to alleviate the pain, Li Luo suddenly reminded her.

“…”

“…”

One sentence left two people speechless.

“No wonder no one ever drinks the tea I brew…”

Realization dawning, the snake-bodied girl raised her cup again and took another sip.

Ah~

How pleasant~

In contrast, Li Yin was suffering immensely.

“Where’s the mayor?”

“Why hasn’t she arrived yet?”

After the taste had subsided, Li Yin finally asked.

“Huh?”

“Didn’t I mention it?”

The still-sipping snake-bodied girl looked surprised and pointed at herself.

“I’m the mayor.”

“Huh?”

The two stared at each other.

Li Yin was dumbfounded, as if an atom bomb had just exploded in her mind.

After all, why would the mayor of a human town be a beastkin?!

And the decorations in the yard made it hard not to think the mayor was elderly, yet it turned out to be a young beastkin girl.

In a daze, a tightly bound string of cognition in her heart seemed to snap.

“Ahaha…”

The girl laughed awkwardly, apologetic for her oversight.

“Anyway, this invitation is mainly to express my gratitude.”

“You eliminated the obvious threat to Selivia.”

“As the mayor, I should reward you.”

“So, do you have any requests?”

She blinked, not at all looking like a mayor.

But that question actually stumped Li Yin.

After all, she and Li Luo didn’t really need anything.

Money was the simplest and most reliable form of payment, but the problem was they had plenty!

Their space was filled with gems, enough to exchange for money that they could never spend.

When a person has so much of something that they can never use it up in a lifetime, their values toward that thing become distorted, turning it into a tasteless, worthless chicken rib.

At least that was the case for Li Yin.

“It seems we don’t need anything.”

“Rather, what can you offer us as mayor?”

After thinking for a long time, Li Yin said slowly.

“I see…”

The girl looked troubled.

The other’s words clearly indicated that she was not short on money.

She had originally planned to use money as the reward.

But who would have guessed she miscalculated—the other party was a rich woman!

She had intended to ask for a favor, but now she couldn’t even offer a satisfactory reward.

What should she do?

Just then, her gaze fell on the two eggs in the basket before Li Yin.

“What kind of creatures are these eggs?”

“Elves.”

Ever since she had mentioned elf eggs in front of Ai Li, Li Yin had decided to maintain a consistent story: no matter who asked, she would say they were elf eggs.

Although they would still be coveted, compared to dragon eggs, the allure was trivial.

“Then… how about I help you build an incubation room?”

A thought struck the girl, and she came up with a rather unreliable repayment plan.

“No need.”

Li Yin refused without hesitation.

The eggs were due to hatch in just over two months—a critical moment.

She wouldn’t dare take that risk; she had to keep them by her side to feel at ease.

“Hmm…”

The girl was frustrated.

Neither this nor that worked.

There was no way at all!

This complete rejection was so disheartening!

“Then just owe me a favor.”

“How about that?”

Li Yin twirled a strand of silver hair that hung before her, looking at the girl calmly.

A favor—a vague, bottomless thing.

No one knew what it might be used for in the future.

It was the kind of thing you avoided owing if possible, but now the girl was between a rock and a hard place.

She had a request of her own, so she had no choice but to agree.

“Fine…”

The girl said with a hint of resignation.

“So, what is the other matter besides the thanks?”

Li Yin changed the subject.

Faced with the question, the girl’s expression immediately turned serious.

“It’s like this: some time ago, the creatures in the nearby mountains suddenly became bloodthirsty, and they carry an unsettling aura.”

“Several villagers have been attacked and injured while gathering fruit in the forest.”

“The wounds are strange—nothing can heal them.”

“There’s no one in town who knows healing magic, so I’ve isolated them to avoid causing panic.”

The girl’s words fell one by one into Li Yin’s ears.

She frowned slightly.

“All creatures?”

“Yes, even the usually docile animals.”

“But my abilities are limited, and I can’t find any other clues.”

Hearing this, Li Yin understood.

Those creatures were undoubtedly influenced by something deep in the mountains.

As for what it was, she would have to see it to know.

“Anyway, take us to see the injured first.”

Li Yin decided to start by finding answers from the victims.

“Okay.”

The girl responded, then took a ring from her pocket and slipped it onto her finger.

To Li Yin’s astonishment, a flash of white light enveloped her lower body, and the snake tail disappeared, replaced by slender, fair legs smooth as carved jade, full and shapely.

“No time to waste.”

“Let’s go.”

The girl stood up and said to the two.