Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Wow! What incredible strength!" Bing Qiu was utterly stunned. If he hadn't witnessed it firsthand, he wouldn't have believed what had just transpired.

The little black lion's size, slightly larger than Bing Qiu's Beast Form, had already made Bing Qiu a bit uneasy. Learning that Zhong Yan was actually a year younger than him only amplified his annoyance.

But he never imagined Zhong Yan's strength to be so immense—it was almost on par with an adult beastman. It was truly astonishing, and he couldn't fathom how powerful Zhong Yan would become once he reached adulthood.

Xue Tuan was equally astonished. He had heard from Qing Miao that the little black lion possessed great strength, but he never envisioned it to be like this.

Bing Qiu and Xue Tuan excitedly rushed towards the little black lion. Bing Qiu, seeing the newly formed ice hole, heartily patted the little black lion. "Well done!"

"This saves us a lot of effort."

With that, Bing Qiu quickly placed the fish trap he had made into the river, holding onto the vine rope with his other hand, eagerly anticipating a catch.

Zhong Yan watched as Bing Qiu lowered the peculiar-looking rattan basket into the river. What was he doing?

However, Zhong Yan didn't allow Xue Tuan to linger near the edge. Instead, he gently grasped the scruff of Xue Tuan’s fur coat with his teeth and guided him to a dry spot on the riverbank to wait.

Then, the little black lion naturally settled down beside him, his eyes gazing expectantly at Xue Tuan.

Seeing the well-behaved little black lion lying beside him, Xue Tuan felt the urge to pet him again. He looked so gentle, a stark contrast to the fierce lion that had shattered the ice moments ago. And his glossy black fur—without a doubt, it had to be incredibly warm.

Qing Miao had mentioned that the little black lion couldn’t transform back into human form due to a strange illness and had even lost his voice. Xue Tuan felt a pang of sympathy upon hearing this—the little black lion hadn’t been as fortunate as he was.

Xue Tuan tentatively placed his small hand on the little black lion’s back, gently stroking him.

Seeing that the little black lion showed no resistance, Xue Tuan grew bolder. He scratched here and rubbed there, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of the soft fur.

The little black lion seemed to enjoy Xue Tuan’s touch as well, squinting with pleasure and occasionally nuzzling into Xue Tuan’s palm.

Xue Tuan now wished he wasn't so small and unable to lift the little black lion. But lying against such a fluffy creature was pretty great too.

Hui hui pecked at Xue Tuan’s shoulder, seeking his attention. He hopped on his feet, tilting his head to look at Xue Tuan one moment and then towards Bing Qiu the next, his bright, clear eyes shining.

Xue Tuan gave a quick pat to Hui hui’s head. He was happily petting the little black lion when he suddenly felt the weight on his shoulder lighten.

Turning to look, Xue Tuan saw Hui hui flap his wings and take off, cutting a graceful arc through the air.

In that moment, Hui hui’s gaze turned sharp—the intense focus of a hunter on the hunt.

Just then, a silvery-white fish swam by underwater, its scales glinting briefly under the sunlight.

A second later, Hui hui folded his wings and shot into the water like an arrow.

With a splash, water sprayed everywhere. Hui hui had accurately clamped down on the fish’s body. The fish struggled desperately, its tail fin flapping wildly in an attempt to break free, but Hui hui’s strong beak held it firmly.

A moment later, Hui hui flapped his wings and flew back, dropping the fish he'd just caught at Xue Tuan’s feet.

Bing Qiu was dumbfounded.

That fish should have ended up in his fish trap…

Hui hui stood on Xue Tuan’s shoulder, hopping and tilting his head to gently peck at Xue Tuan, awaiting praise.

"Hui hui, you’re amazing!" Xue Tuan snapped back to reality and happily petted Hui hui with his fingers. Hui hui reminded him of the birds from his previous life that were skilled at catching fish.

"You, you, you… this bird." Bing Qiu mumbled under his breath, surprised that such a small bird possessed this ability.

It all happened so quickly that Bing Qiu and the others were still processing it when Hui hui had already caught the fish.

Bing Qiu was about to say something when he suddenly felt a tug on the vine rope in his hand.

He instinctively pulled the fish trap upward.

"Fish!" Bing Qiu exclaimed. "Good job, Tuan! We caught a fish!"

Excitedly, Bing Qiu brought the fish trap over to Xue Tuan to show him the fish inside. "We really caught one!"

Catching fish meant that the river hadn’t been overfished yet—at least there were still fish to be eaten.

Having Hui hui, who was skilled at catching fish, was great, but the modified rattan basket had also proven useful, meaning they now had another method for fishing.

Bing Qiu couldn’t help but pick up Xue Tuan and plant a big kiss on his cheek. "Xue Tuan! Are you some kind of Beast God reborn?"

The great Beast God had not only restored Xue Tuan’s health but also made his younger brother smarter and smarter.

Zhong Yan was so shocked that he stood up, staring in disbelief at the fish trap. He had never seen anyone catch fish during the cold season before.

He couldn’t believe that such a strangely shaped object could catch fish. The little black lion couldn’t help but look at Xue Tuan and the others with admiration.

Although Zhong Yan was still a cub, he had already stockpiled enough small game meat before the cold season to last him and Elder Grandpa through the winter.

He also regularly collected fruits, so he wasn’t worried about making it through the cold season.

But he never expected Xue Tuan and the others to be so capable—using a "weird rattan basket" to catch so many fish in the cold season. Even their parents had managed to hunt a Whitefeathered Beast yesterday. What an impressive family.

Once they started, they kept going. By the end of the day, Xue Tuan and Bing Qiu’s fish trap had caught over a dozen fish, a few of which were caught by the capable Hui hui.

"Hmph, if I can’t pet him, then I won’t." Bing Qiu sulked.

Xue Tuan initially wanted to share some fish with the little black lion, since he had helped break open the fishing hole. However, the little black lion didn’t accept the fish Xue Tuan offered. Instead, he kept pushing the fish back toward Xue Tuan before running off.

"Never mind, we’ll invite him over for a meal next time. Good Tuan, hold onto my fur clothing tightly." Bing Qiu needed to carry things and couldn’t hold Xue Tuan’s hand, so he told his younger brother to grip his clothes so he wouldn't get lost.

Bing Qiu carried one fish trap on his back and held another in his hand, heading home loaded down.

If Feng Yan and Rong Shan hunting a giant Whitefeathered Beast yesterday had only caused a bit of surprise in the tribe, today’s event—where the two cubs of the arctic fox family caught over a dozen fish—had the other beastmen totally amazed.

In their view, it was already good enough if cubs didn’t cause trouble during the cold season. Those who could help the Gathering Team gather resources were considered a great help. No one had ever imagined that cubs could catch fish.

"Look, they actually caught so many fish!"

"Am I seeing things? How is this possible?"

For a while, exclamations of surprise filled the tribe. No one could believe what they were seeing—it didn’t seem like something two cubs could accomplish. Those with insufficient food stores instinctively salivated at the sight of the fish.

During the cold season, when the river surface froze, it was generally accepted that fish were unavailable. Fishing was usually reserved for when the ice began to melt. No one had ever considered the laborious task of forcibly breaking the ice.

"It’s that bird! I’ve seen one like it in another tribe when I was wandering before. That kind of bird is a Spirit beast that can catch fish!"

Amid the chorus of envy, an older beastman spoke up.

"That bird doesn’t look special at all, yet it’s actually a Spirit beast."

"Fishing beasts aren’t common. It seems it won’t be easy for us to catch fish on our own." Some were already discouraged before even trying.

"Ah, why don't I have such good luck to catch a fishing spirit beast?" Others began to covet the bird, but it was clearly a personal spirit beast and impossible for them to claim.

"Is that a rattan basket in the cub's hand? Why have I never seen one shaped like that?"

Some eagle-eyed folks also noticed the strange "rattan basket" in Bing Qiu's hand, speculating whether it had any special use.

No one truly believed that the cubs, even with the Spirit beast, could catch so many fish on their own—it must have been taught by the adults in their family. So, some nosy people went to the elder to inquire about the situation.

However, Feng Yan and Rong Shan had not yet returned, and the elder, of course, had no idea what was going on. But upon hearing the tribespeople's claims, he was also surprised.

Thus, when Feng Yan and Rong Shan returned empty-handed, the elder actually came to their home instead.

At first, they thought the elder had come to ask for food, but generally, newcomers only had to provide food once every one or two days—demanding it daily would be too much.

But upon hearing the elder's reason for coming, Rong Shan and Feng Yan, who hadn't even entered their home, were also startled.

"Bing Qiu and Xue Tuan caught fish?"

They had thought their two cubs were just out playing, never expecting them to bring back food. The two cubs were so capable that the parents fondly ruffled their heads.

The elder also knew he was pushing his luck at this point. He had already received a large hind leg from the family yesterday, and if not for the tribespeople's pleas, he would have been too embarrassed to come again.

But if there really was a method to catch fish, it would indeed be good news for the tribe.

Under pressure from the crowd, the elder had to swallow his pride and come and ask Feng Yan's family for advice.

The actual situation left the elder disappointed but also secretly relieved. He genuinely liked the arctic fox family and couldn't bear to keep imposing on them.

Feng Yan: "Since it was the children who caught the fish, we'll need to hear from them."

Bing Qiu didn't hesitate and directly reported to the adults how they had caught the fish that day. But Bing Qiu was being clever, attributing the main credit to Hui Hui.

Hui Hui was a personal spirit beast, and even if others knew it was Hui Hui who caught the fish, they wouldn't dare mess with him.

The arctic fox family was no stranger to fishing, but upon hearing that the children had gone and broken through the ice directly on the frozen river in the cold season, Feng Yan and Rong Shan both frowned in unison.

Feng Yan gave a warning look at Bing Qiu: How dare you take your younger brother on such a dangerous adventure? It seems we haven't educated you enough.

Sensing his father's sharp look, Bing Qiu shrank his shoulders, shivered, and hid behind his father's back.

"So that's how it was," Elder Mushi replied. If it depended on a fishing beast, it would be more difficult—Spirit beasts were always hit or miss—you can't just go looking for one. He would have to advise the beastmen in the tribe to find another way.

Author's note: