Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Yun Lu gazed at the young man before him, a sense of inexplicable familiarity washing over him, yet he couldn't quite place who it was.

Yun Lu racked his brain, struggling to recall: "You are...?"

"It's me, Ye Cong!" the young man blurted out, "Brother Yun Lu, don't you remember me?"

"Ye Cong? It really is you! You've grown so much!" Yun Lu strode forward, and the two embraced, overcome with emotion.

At last night's bonfire gathering, Yun Lu had only appeared near the end, having been preoccupied with tribal matters. In the darkness and crowd, they hadn't managed to meet.

Tears welled in Yun Lu's eyes. It had been over a decade since he left the tribe, and this was his first encounter with a member of the Four-Horned Deer tribe since his departure.

Ye Cong's eyes reddened. Yun Lu had been an adult when he was exiled, while Ye Cong was still under ten. Yet, they had been close since childhood; Ye Cong particularly adored this elder brother, who appeared stern but possessed a warm heart.

A few years later, the tribe fractured, forcing Ye Cong into the life of a wandering beastman. Still, he yearned for the communal life of the past.

Back then, many were like Brother Yun Lu, supporting each other. But after Yun Lu left, the tribe slowly began to change, eventually meeting the same fate as all small tribes—it disintegrated.

"It's wonderful, Brother Yun Lu! You're still alive!" Despite the years of separation, their friendship remained etched in their hearts. Tears streamed down Ye Cong's face, yet a smile touched his lips.

Ye Cong didn't know the exact reason for Yun Lu's expulsion, but at the time, even the tribal chief couldn't quell the Elder Priest's fury, and the Elder Priest's apprentices were too terrified to utter a word. None of that mattered now; his sole wish was for Brother Yun Lu to be well, and now that wish was granted.

Yun Lu also smiled. Seeing Ye Cong brought back memories of the few joyful moments he had experienced as a child.

Shi Hu and Sha Hu watched the emotional reunion, a mix of laughter and tears, in stunned silence. Finally, Shi Hu put an arm around Yun Lu's shoulder and offered comfort: "After so many years apart, to be reunited again—it seems even the Beast God couldn't stand in the way of your bond. Don't be sad now."

Shi Hu's interjection made them both laugh through their tears. For now, they composed themselves to focus on the task at hand; there would be ample time later for a private reunion.

Yun Lu wiped the corners of his eyes, his usual detached demeanor returning. "Let's resume our discussion."

While the adults conferred, Sha Hu, unable to keep quiet, chattered to Shi Hu, counting on his fingers all the antics Xue Tuan and the other young ones had been up to.

Yun Lu glanced at Sha Hu but didn't silence him, seemingly curious to catch a bit of the tale himself.

Hearing his child's name, Rong Shan couldn't help but divert some attention, eager to hear what his Xue Tuan had been up to that day.

When he heard that the little one had come up with something like a "toothbrush," a flicker of pride shone in Rong Shan's eyes, though it was quickly overshadowed by concern.

After the Mountain Water Tribe was established, he and Feng Yan had traversed the entire tribe, conversing with everyone and closely observing their words and actions. Both he and Feng Yan were certain that those who remained in the Mountain Water Tribe were simple, kind-hearted people.

He and Feng Yan had already secured irreplaceable positions within the tribe. Perhaps their unique child, Xue Tuan, should...

Rong Shan snapped out of his thoughts as Feng Yan began assigning people to process the salt ore. Neither Shi Hu nor Yun Lu raised any objections, so the matter was settled for the time being.

Rong Shan and Feng Yan walked out of the cave hand in hand, but Rong Shan suddenly paused, turning to look back at Yun Lu inside.

Following Rong Shan's gaze, Feng Yan saw Yun Lu catching up with his newly reunited tribesman. Feng Yan looked at Rong Shan, seemingly understanding his unspoken thoughts, and gently shook his head. Today was not the opportune moment for such a conversation.

Rong Shan nodded. No more needed to be said. The two headed together toward the arctic fox's cave.

Raindrops fell from the low-hanging dark clouds, splashing onto Bing Qiu as he hurried along. He quickened his pace, running toward the Elder Grandpa's cave.

"Elder Grandpa, I've come to pick up our Xue Tuan," Bing Qiu called out as soon as he entered the cave, then smoothly scooped up Xue Tuan in one fluid motion.

Only two young ones remained in the cave: Xue Tuan and the little black lion.

Xue Tuan felt responsible for bringing the little black lion out and wanted to wait for his brother to arrive so he could escort him back to his cave. Meanwhile, Bing Qiu, who had been engrossed in weaving fish traps, dropped everything and rushed to fetch Xue Tuan as soon as he heard the Howler Monkey Beastmen's rain warning.

"Wait—" Xue Tuan clung to Bing Qiu, struggling to turn around and point at the little black lion.

Bing Qiu turned and only then noticed that Zhong Yan, the little black lion, was also there. He thought to himself, *He's a big kid now; no need for our Xue Tuan to worry about him.*

Seeing how fond Xue Tuan was of Zhong Yan, Elder Grandpa smiled warmly and said, "It's alright. He can stay here. Ye Cong will come by later to change his medicine."

"Can we go now?" Seeing Xue Tuan finally nod, Bing Qiu bid farewell to Elder Grandpa and left with Xue Tuan, unaware of the little black lion’s reluctant gaze behind them.

Bing Qiu jogged back with Xue Tuan in his arms. At first, there were only a few scattered raindrops, but by the time Bing Qiu dashed into the cave, the rain had picked up steadily.

By the time they got the fire going in the cave, Feng Yan and Rong Shan had also returned.

"This rain came on fast," Feng Yan remarked as he hung his and Rong Shan’s damp fur clothing by the fire to dry, changing into dry garments.

The family moved to a spot near the cave entrance where the rain wouldn't reach them. Rong Shan brought out the stone pot and began preparing dinner.

Xue Tuan gazed out at the curtain of rain that blurred the outlines of the distant forest and mountains. The sound of rain filled the ears, enveloping the entire tribe in the rainy night.

A sudden flash of lightning split the sky, briefly illuminating the distant forest, followed by the rumble of thunder.

The loud crash startled Xue Tuan, causing him to nearly drop his bamboo bowl. Feng Yan quickly steadied it for him.

Xue Tuan held the bowl securely. "Thank you, Father."

"Don't be afraid," Feng Yan said, gently patting the little one's head before scooping food into his bowl.

"Mm!" Xue Tuan obediently sipped the fish and winter melon soup his father had cooked. With just a pinch of salt, it was already incredibly flavorful.

The bamboo bowl in his hand was a gift from Ye Cong and the others as an apology. Ye Cong and the newly arrived wandering beastmen had previously lived near the bamboo grove further away and were skilled at making bamboo products.

Xue Tuan loved the little bamboo cup they had given him; he could even smell the bamboo scent when he drank from it.

The itchy taro they had dug up that morning had been shared among the families.

Feng Yan and Rong Shan had initially planned to eat all the itchy taro, but Xue Tuan insisted on saving a small portion to plant. They reluctantly agreed, roasting the rest as a staple food.

Xue Tuan knew that persuading his fathers was as easy as drinking water for him.

However, taro was a warmth-loving crop, yet they had found it in the cold season. In this strange world, could that be why beastmen struggled to grow crops? Or perhaps the itchy taro here was a completely different plant that could thrive in the cold season.

Practice would reveal the truth. The cave temperature wasn't too low, so Xue Tuan decided to plant a small portion in a pot inside the cave to see if he could grow seedlings.

"Father, Dad, come try these itchy taro chips," Bing Qiu called. The longer he spent with Xue Tuan, the more cooking tricks he picked up. He had just learned how to make them that morning and was already recreating them for his fathers that evening—though he still needed Xue Tuan's supervision to get it just right.

Before, Bing Qiu had thought anything was ready to eat once it changed color. But he gradually learned that cooking wasn't just about making food edible—it could be more delicious.

Feng Yan and the others had already heard about the itchy taro chips from Sha Hu and knew it was Xue Tuan's latest discovery.

Feng Yan never doubted his child's ability to discover new things. Since Xue Tuan's health had improved, their family life had unknowingly become much more varied.

"Coming," Feng Yan said cheerfully, pulling Xue Tuan into his lap before trying the itchy taro chips. "They're really good." Unfortunately, there weren't many, so it was just a treat.

Xue Tuan was already full. Seeing his brother shift into his Beast Form, he wriggled to get down, and Feng Yan naturally let him go.

"Good boy," Bing Qiu said in his beast form as Xue Tuan came over and hugged him.

When the arctic fox family first discovered that Xue Tuan could understand speech in beast form, they were thrilled. His father had even teared up, seeing it as a sign that Xue Tuan's health was improving.

Now that Xue Tuan was so healthy and happy, the whole family cherished their life.

Xue Tuan hugged the fluffy little white fox and glanced at the rain outside, remarking casually, "Dad, it would be great if you could sew waterproof fur clothing."

Rong Shan looked over when he heard this, and Xue Tuan added, "That way, my brother and I could go out to play even on rainy days."

"Yeah, Dad, getting rained on is really uncomfortable." Even though his human form no longer had a fluffy coat, and being drenched wasn't as miserable as in his Beast Form, Bing Qiu still hated the feeling of being wet.

Rong Shan had always been one to grant his cubs' requests, but this time, he was truly stumped.

Usually, when they had to go out in the rain, they could only put on more layers of fur, but the fur would get soaked soon enough.

If they could find waterproof fur, that would naturally be best. The key was, which beast's hide was waterproof? He had never heard of such a thing.

They couldn't just cover it with mud and thatch like they did for roofing, could they?

In the past, the tribe had also used large leaves to shield from the rain. The waterproofing effect was decent, but the leaves were difficult to sew together...

After pondering for a moment, Rong Shan said, "Dad will go talk to Qing Miao's father and brainstorm some ideas together." Tree-Clothing was also skilled at making fur clothing, so they could share the headache.

"Okay~" Xue Tuan snuggled against the fluffy little white fox, a knowing smile playing on his lips.