Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Xue Tuan slumped gloomily beside his father, Rong Shan. Before he could utter a word, Rong Shan thrust a large bowl of meat into his hands.

"Eat up. Then you’ll be strong enough to carry him next time."

The adults stifled their laughter; even while chatting, they had all clearly noticed Xue Tuan’s recent endearing antics.

Xue Tuan remained silent, simply shoveling meat into his mouth.

As always, his father had thoughtfully cut the meat in his bowl into small pieces, making it easier for him to eat independently. Although his family was more than willing—even eager—to feed Xue Tuan, he had sternly refused every time. Eating by himself was his last stand for dignity.

Scooping meat with a spoon was rather awkward. The adults preferred using clean bone knives to spear and eat their meat, but an ordinary knife was longer than Xue Tuan’s face—he couldn’t manage it.

"Uncle, come, try this—our Xue Tuan made it." Bing Qiu, like a proud parent showcasing his child’s achievements, recommended the sweet and sour sauce to their neighbors.

Qing Miao’s family had never encountered such a dipping sauce before. They found it a bit odd; just eating meat, yet there were so many extra steps. But they quickly embraced it and loved it wholeheartedly.

"This way of eating is quite unique…" Qing Miao’s father, An Tu, devoured several pieces of meat in quick succession. "Delicious! Shu Yi, you should try it too."

Next, everyone received a pinch of crushed pepper—something else Qing Miao’s family had never seen.

The meat Feng Yan roasted was tender and succulent, and the spiciness of the pepper perfectly enhanced its flavor.

"Dad, the meat really tastes different with the pepper," Qing Miao mumbled, still chewing, as he eagerly recommended it to his father, Shu Yi.

His entire family marveled at the pepper’s unique taste, wondering how they had never discovered such a wonderful thing before.

Who wouldn’t appreciate something that elevated the taste of food? Qing Miao’s father, Shu Yi, quickly asked Rong Shan how it was made.

Qing Miao’s family was very friendly, and Bing Qiu and Xue Tuan had no qualms about sharing the method. Bing Qiu, having been involved in the entire process, enthusiastically launched into an explanation.

The pepper in this world seemed to be spicier on the tongue, but seeing how well everyone accepted the new flavor, Xue Tuan was content.

Perhaps from now on, no matter what new experiments or variations he introduced, everyone would take it in stride.

While the adults were still deep in conversation, Xue Tuan learned that Qing Guo was not Qing Miao’s biological younger brother.

Qing Guo was a young beastman of the same tribe whom the family had adopted—much like how Elder Mushi had adopted the little black lion, Zhong Yan. Xue Tuan glanced at Qing Miao’s slender frame, then at Qing Guo’s sturdy beast form, and understood: Qing Miao’s family were truly good people.

Xue Tuan shifted closer, spearing a piece of roasted meat and placing it in Qing Miao’s bowl. "We both need to eat more!"

Qing Miao, touched by the little one’s spontaneous gesture of feeding him, nodded vigorously, his heart warmed. "Okay!"

Xue Tuan thought to himself that it would be even better if they had some lettuce leaves to wrap the roasted meat in.

He disliked eating the wild greens raw here—they felt a bit scratchy on his throat. Usually, Rong Shan would blanch some in soup for him.

While busy eating, Xue Tuan overheard Qing Miao’s father, An Tu, speaking.

"Lately, the elders and the Deputy Chief seem to be in a very tense relationship…"

Hmm? Aren't the elders little black lion’s family?

Xue Tuan pricked up his ears, eager to hear what was happening.

Feng Yan and Rong Shan immediately recalled the argument they had heard from the elder’s hut that day.

"What’s going on with Elder Grandpa?" Qing Miao, who was happily eating nearby, asked.

"Apparently, the High Priest wants the chief to agree to relocate the entire tribe." An Tu, being close with Shi Hu, had already heard about this.

Everyone gasped in surprise upon hearing this.

Feng Yan and Rong Shan, however, simultaneously remembered another detail. On the day they arrived, Priest Yun Lu had been among those opposing them.

Thinking back, perhaps when Priest Yun Lu told them not to come, it wasn't a rejection, but because the tribe was planning to move.

At the time, the matter hadn’t been formally decided, so they probably couldn't say much to outsiders.

"I’m not entirely clear on the details, but the High Priest is very insistent. The chief and elders are hesitant, while the Deputy Chief’s family is strongly against it."

Feng Yan and Rong Shan exchanged a glance. Although somewhat surprised, they didn’t feel much pressure regarding the situation.

After all, their original plan was only to stay here temporarily. If the tribe relocated, it wouldn’t be unacceptable—it just meant their plans were moving up.

Shu Yi said, "Who knows what happened that would require the whole tribe to move?" He served everyone vegetable soup from another pot to cut through the richness of the meat.

"Probably still because of food issues," An Tu replied, taking the bowl from his partner.

The resources in this area were largely depleted, so the Priest’s desire to move was a natural response.

The conversation had grown a bit heavy, so An Tu changed the subject, sharing other news about the tribe.

An Tu and Shu Yi were both talkative, kind, and very easy to get along with. The two families enjoyed a pleasant dinner together.

After the meal, Qing Miao’s family helped the Arctic Fox family with the cleanup. If it hadn’t been so late, they might have continued chatting. The two families reluctantly separated Xue Tuan and the sun bear cub, promising to meet again soon, and only then did they part ways.

The next day, half of the indigo sky gradually took on a soft golden hue as dawn broke.

The Arctic Fox family had slept soundly.

Every beastman’s physique was different. Minor injuries like those Rong Shan and Feng Yan had sustained had faded to faint marks and would heal completely in a few days.

By now, Xue Tuan was up helping his father start the fire. As he crouched by the fire pit, he noticed a long line of ants seemingly on the move.

He hadn’t seen them before, so why were there suddenly so many ants?

Nearby, Bing Qiu had just carried a wooden stump chair out of the house. He suddenly paused.

"Do you… hear something?" Bing Qiu inexplicably shivered, feeling a deep unease. "Is there something underground?" It sounded almost like a rumbling.

As he spoke, Bing Qiu involuntarily shifted into his beast form and roared several times at the ground.

Then, the others also sensed that something was wrong. As beastmen, they were highly sensitive to unusual atmospheric changes in nature.

On the roof, Hui Hui grew restless, flapping its wings vigorously and letting out a sharp cry.

Priest Yun Lu and Chief Shi Hu were at Elder Mushi’s house helping prepare breakfast. Just as Yun Lu was about to set down the stone pot, he stumbled, and Shi Hu caught him. Yun Lu’s eyes widened in shock—the thatched hut across from them suddenly began shedding straw rapidly.

Dozens of kilometers away from the tribe, the ground began to tremble faintly. At first, it was barely noticeable, but soon the shaking intensified into an unmistakable rumble!

The firewood in the fire pit collapsed. Young beastmen screamed in terror as adults rushed out of their thatched huts in panic. Just as they emerged, part of a hut collapsed.

"What’s happening?! What’s going on?"

"It’s an earthquake!!"

"Run! Get moving!"

Then the tremors abruptly ceased.

Everyone froze in place.

Elder Mushi immediately took charge, shouting loudly, "Quick! Everyone go back and pack your things!" There might be more quakes—they needed to leave this place as soon as possible.

Shi Hu also snapped out of it and quickly commanded, "Don’t waste time! Don’t take too much; gather at the entrance immediately!"

Shi Hu’s orders were promptly relayed by the Howler Monkey Beastmen, who amplified the call to ensure the other beastmen could hear.

The Howler Monkey tribe had the loudest voices among the beastmen, and the chief’s commands were spread by them.

People moved with hurried, chaotic steps as everyone quickly and simply packed their belongings, preparing to temporarily leave the tribe and head to an open area.

On the other side, Rong Shan swiftly gathered the children's things. "Was that an earthquake just now?"

"Yes," Feng Yan replied, spreading out a large animal hide and sweeping everything from the stone table into it in one motion.

Feng Yan’s calm voice helped calm the others a little.

Xue Tuan, afraid of causing trouble, still stuffed his small bundle full—since it wouldn't all fit, a few handfuls of pepper would have to do.

Fortunately, their family had only stayed for a few days and were already old hands at the sudden need to grab their belongings and flee.

All the beastmen assembled and left the tribe, heading south. As they rushed forward, they could still occasionally feel the ground shaking, and the very mountains seemed to tremble as well.

Hui Hui flew at a low altitude over the beastmen, following the footsteps of Xue Tuan’s family.

In ancient China, there was already the experience of "do not rush out; crouch and wait for stability" during earthquakes, but these thatched huts weren't very stable—staying inside might actually be more dangerous.

Moving away from the earthquake’s epicenter and heading to an open area was a better choice.

With everyone on edge, Xue Tuan also set aside his earlier relaxed attitude about migration, allowing Feng Yan to "pack him up and carry him away."

Xue Tuan was wrapped up in the bundle, only his large, moist eyes visible. Fortunately, he was already used to this arrangement and didn’t find it uncomfortable.

Author's note: