Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Feng Yan approached, scooping the still-dazed Xue Tuan from the little black lion. "The High Priest wants to take you as his disciple. Are you happy?" he asked with a laugh.

Xue Tuan’s mind raced, recalling his "unconventional" actions and how his family had witnessed them. So, his attentive fathers believed he should study under the Priest?

"Of course I’m happy," Xue Tuan replied, hugging his father. He saw no reason not to be. Becoming a Priest would make it easier to help his family and the tribe—a good outcome indeed.

Bing Qiu exclaimed, "Tuanzai! You’re going to be the High Priest’s disciple!" This was an honor! And considering Xue Tuan’s endless creative ideas, Bing Qiu felt it was only natural.

"My little brother is going to be the Priest someday, hehe." Bing Qiu was bubbling with pride.

Rong Shan gently stroked Xue Tuan’s head. "That's my good boy. Since the High Priest said so, he won’t be hard on you. I’m sure you’ll still be able to go out and play every day." Rong Shan worried the little one might think he’d lose his freedom, so he reassured him.

The surrounding beastmen also heard the good news and came to congratulate the arctic fox family. Feng Yan and Rong Shan were already powerful, so no one was surprised that their little one was chosen as the Priest’s disciple.

Besides, their own children constantly chattered about how adorable Xue Tuan was and how he always played with them. With the little ones always running off to find Xue Tuan, it saved the adults a lot of "trouble." Everyone had already heard all about Xue Tuan’s name.

It seemed the little one had caught the Priest’s eye and was chosen as a disciple long ago.

Feng Yan set Xue Tuan down, and immediately, the little one was enveloped by his fluffy, shapeshifted friends.

"Xue Tuan is amazing! Xue Tuan is going to be a Priest!"

Ah, a sea of fluff—how wonderful. For a moment, Xue Tuan forgot everything, swept up in the fluffy adoration.

He hugged the nearest little black lion and nuzzled him. At first, he hadn’t thought much of becoming the Priest’s disciple, but the joy around him was contagious.

Watching Xue Tuan disappear into the crowd of fluffy little ones, even the usually stern Feng Yan couldn’t help but smile.

Then, Feng Yan turned to Shi Hu, who was standing nearby, and told him what he had been about to say earlier.

Shi Hu examined the black substance, his face lighting up with surprise. "Really? This thing called charcoal is that useful?"

If it was as durable and smokeless as Feng Yan said, then everyone could burn it inside their caves for long periods! His partner couldn't handle the cold well—with this, they wouldn’t have to worry about the chill anymore.

Shi Hu wasted no time and called out to the little one playing with the other cubs in their beast forms, "Xue Tuan! Where did you find this?"

Xue Tuan struggled to free his face from the pile of fluff and pointed in a direction. "I found it over there."

His innocent, clueless expression was convincing enough—no further explanation was needed. The adults would assume he’d stumbled upon it by chance.

The charcoal was a gift from nature. Making it themselves would take effort, but the amount they found should be enough for the tribe to use for a few days.

Thank goodness for that thunderstorm.

Once he knew the direction, Shi Hu eagerly led a few of his tribesmen there and soon found the remaining charcoal.

"Everyone, put your backs into it and bring all of this back to the tribe. Don’t leave a single piece behind!" Shi Hu was overjoyed. No wonder his partner had such high hopes for the arctic fox family’s little one—he always discovered new things and brought good fortune to the tribe.

"Got it!" The beastmen unloaded their bamboo baskets and began collecting every piece of charcoal. Hearing how useful it was, they took anything black they could find, just to be safe.

The adults soon returned to their work, leaving the little ones to play—after all, that's what kids their age should be doing.

"Xue Tuan, is this the pepper you mentioned?" Sha Hu handed Xue Tuan a plant stem covered with small green berries.

Xue Tuan glanced at it and said, "Yes, that’s it. If you come across it, pick some and take it home. It tastes great with meat."

Hearing this, the little ones crowded around Sha Hu, eager to memorize what pepper looked like.

They already trusted Xue Tuan implicitly, and now that he was the Priest’s disciple, they depended on him even more.

Xue Tuan added, "For making pepper seasoning, my brother can teach you how." He left the small task to his brother.

Bing Qiu, feeling trusted, readily agreed. "No problem, leave it to me. I’ll make sure everyone learns how to make pepper powder!"

Well, it might not be exactly powder, but it would do. With the sun out again recently, it was perfect for drying.

Xue Tuan checked the bundles the little black lion was carrying—they had gathered quite a lot today: winter dates, berries, radishes, and other fruits and vegetables, plus some garlic. It was a fruitful day.

Xue Tuan had also hoped to find cogongrass to bring home, thinking his father might get some inspiration from it to make practical raincoats.

In this world, you never knew what might exist, but finding something similar was enough.

Though he didn’t find cogongrass, Xue Tuan discovered another unfamiliar plant.

Noticing Xue Tuan suddenly crouch down, Bing Qiu stepped closer and smiled. "Doesn’t the fine-leaf grass feel nice? When I was little, Dad loved picking this grass to tickle me with."

Xue Tuan’s small hands were indeed exploring a soft plant covered in fine fuzz on its stem.

So it was called fine-leaf grass. The fibers were delicate and slightly elastic. It might even work as bristles.

Xue Tuan called out, "Sha Hu."

Hearing his name, Sha Hu hurried over. "What’s up?"

He crouched beside Xue Tuan, also examining the ordinary-looking fine-leaf grass.

"Didn’t Elder Grandpa ask us to find bristles ourselves?" Xue Tuan reminded him.

"Oh, right!" Sha Hu, a bit forgetful, had nearly overlooked it.

Xue Tuan shot a glance toward the fine-leaf grass.

Sha Hu asked uncertainly, "...Use this?"

He remembered Xue Tuan mentioning that some toothbrushes were made from beast hair, so he hadn’t considered other options. Could plants work too?

"I get it!" Sha Hu stood up and shouted, "Xiao Shu, you guys, come here quick!"

Sha Hu decided to call the other little ones over and strip this patch of fine-leaf grass clean.

Xue Tuan nodded in satisfaction and continued onward with the little black lion and Bing Qiu to unexplored areas.

Bing Qiu watched his clever little brother, unsure whether to feel proud or a bit sad.

His brother was growing up faster than he’d expected. Would he eventually not need him anymore...?

"Brother, here."

Xue Tuan’s voice made Bing Qiu look down. His little brother was holding up a few winter dates—Bing Qiu’s favorite—with his small hand raised high.

Xue Tuan’s eyes were always so sincere and pure, impossible to resist.

"Thank you, Little Dumpling." Bing Qiu supported Xue Tuan under his arms and lifted him up, happily eating the winter dates from his hand. Bing Qiu felt all warm and fuzzy inside—his little brother really did have him in mind.

Xue Tuan had suddenly sensed that Bing Qiu seemed in low spirits and was wondering if he should occasionally check in on his brother’s emotional state. But now, it seemed everything was fine again.

The Little Black Lion following behind them felt a bit helpless. Little Dumpling’s older brother seemed even younger than him somehow—couldn’t he go help the adults with more work?

Just before nightfall, the large group finally emerged from the forest. Surprisingly, light snow began to fall again, and the temperature plummeted, making it even colder outside.

Everyone was eager to return to the tribe quickly, light a fire, and warm up.

Many had already heard that the Arctic Fox’s little one had discovered something called charcoal, which was incredibly useful. Everyone was eager to get back and try it. Although there wasn’t a lot of charcoal, each household managed to get a small basket.

Xue Tuan had noticed a pattern by now: Elder Grandpa usually ate with the beastmen in the workshop, so he directly brought the Little Black Lion to his own home. He even asked Sha Hu and the others to pass a message to Elder Grandpa on their way.

It wasn’t just a recent thing—Xue Tuan had liked the Little Black Lion for quite some time. The adults in his family all humored him, and no one voiced any objections.

Later on, Feng Yan and Rong Shan even helped persuade the elder, who initially felt it was inappropriate to trouble others.

If Xue Tuan hadn’t thought it would be inconvenient for Elder Grandpa to be alone, he would have loved to have the Little Black Lion stay over at their place. Having another fluffy companion would only make him happier.

Today, their family was allotted a mini Whitefeathered Beast. Though "mini" compared to the giant Whitefeathered Beast they’d seen before, it was still two or three times larger than a chicken from Xue Tuan’s original world.

While the adults prepared the roast, Bing Qiu and Xue Tuan volunteered to prepare the Whitefeathered Beast.

Though they claimed to be handling it, Rong Shan had already cleaned and prepared the plump Whitefeathered Beast.

"Xue Tuan, how should we do this?" Bing Qiu whispered into Xue Tuan’s ear. It wasn't really both of them volunteering—he was just following his little brother’s lead. Dad usually prepared the Whitefeathered Beast; Bing Qiu only knew how to eat it.

"Brother, go wash and chop the fragrant leaves, ginger, and mushrooms," Xue Tuan said confidently, directing Bing Qiu with his "theoretical knowledge."

"Okay, I’ll go do that right away." Bing Qiu knew Xue Tuan was up to something new and felt energized.

"What about me? What can I do?" The Little Black Lion watched them eagerly. At that moment, he wished more than ever that he could take human form so Xue Tuan could assign him tasks too.

"Zhong Yan, go help Brother later."

Noticing the Little Black Lion’s pleading look, Xue Tuan walked over and patted his head. "I know you can handle simple tools. Help Brother prepare the other ingredients."

The Little Black Lion’s eyes lit up instantly, and he nodded eagerly.

"Now, let’s go find some mud to use." Xue Tuan picked up a small torch and led the Little Black Lion outside. After the rain, the mud on the mountainside could be dug up in solid chunks.

Once the two capable assistants had prepared the ingredients, Xue Tuan mixed everything with salt grains and pepper and stuffed it into the Whitefeathered Beast’s cavity.

Then he had his brother wrap the meat entirely with large leaves before spreading mud over it.

The next step required skill, so they left it to the adults.

When Bing Qiu brought the large ball of mud to Feng Yan, both Feng Yan and Rong Shan’s faces froze for a moment.

"Why did you wrap the Whitefeathered Beast in mud?" Feng Yan asked, but he took the mud ball anyway and placed it in the charcoal fire to roast.

"Will this really taste better than roasting it directly?" Bing Qiu elbowed Xue Tuan gently, as the method was beyond his understanding.

The Little Black Lion lay beside Xue Tuan without a word, sniffing the air as if he could already catch a faint whiff of meat.

Xue Tuan giggled but didn’t answer. He had only seen Grandpa Big Tree do it once in his previous life, and even then, steps were skipped, so he couldn’t make any promises.

Bing Qiu didn’t really need an answer—he was just too impatient to eat, and the dried meat in his hand had lost its flavor.

Feng Yan was an expert at roasting. He turned the mud ball repeatedly, gauging when the meat would be done.

After a while, he carefully lifted the mud ball with two sticks and placed it on a stone table nearby.

Everyone gathered around. Xue Tuan handed a small hammer to the Little Black Lion and nudged him. "Zhong Yan, go ahead and crack it open."

So the Little Black Lion gripped the stone tool with both paws and broke the mud shell with a bit of force.

Instantly, steam billowed out, carrying a rich, savory aroma. The outer leaves were slightly charred but had successfully locked in the juices. The meat inside had turned a mouthwatering golden brown.

The Whitefeathered Beast was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, infused with the flavors of vegetables and spices. Each bite was incredibly delicious, and the family dug in heartily.

Bing Qiu felt he should never have doubted his brother. As he ate, he gave Xue Tuan a thumbs-up.

The Little Black Lion had never seen or even heard of this cooking method. Since falling ill, he had remained in his Beast Form and often ate raw meat to avoid troubling Elder Grandpa.

But after meeting Little Dumpling and sharing meals with his family, he had completely fallen in love with cooked food—it was just too delicious.

Everyone was so full they nearly slumped onto the wooden benches. Xue Tuan leaned against the fluffy Little Black Lion and let out a satisfied burp.

Rong Shan said to the cubs, "You can teach this method to your Big Tiger brothers—I’m sure they’ll love it."

The three Big Tiger brothers had become Rong Shan and Feng Yan’s most reliable helpers. Since the founding of the new tribe, they had worked tirelessly alongside them.

Bing Qiu was too busy savoring the Whitefeathered Beast to speak and merely nodded in agreement.

After resting, Xue Tuan began his post-meal exercise, chasing the fluffy Little Black Lion around the cave.

Xue Tuan reached out to play with the fluffy tails, making the running game even more fun.

When they grew tired and night fell, Xue Tuan and the Little Black Lion agreed to meet again the next day.

The Little Black Lion walked silently toward his own cave, glancing back occasionally at the small figure still watching him from the entrance. Little Dumpling waved goodbye, warming the Little Black Lion’s heart.

"Go inside quickly—don’t stand in the wind," the Little Black Lion called out.

Only after seeing Xue Tuan return to the cave did the Little Black Lion quicken his pace under the moonlight.

The next day, the cubs carried the fine-leaf grass they had gathered to the workshop to find Elder Grandpa.

"You actually found it?"

Cubs tended to forget things easily, so Elder Mushi was genuinely touched to see them bringing a basket of fine-leaf grass—proof of their earnest desire for toothbrushes.

But the elder hadn’t been joking either; he had spent days figuring out how to make the toothbrushes.

And it wasn’t just for the cubs—he planned to promote their use among the adults, with the chieftain’s approval.

He had asked Ye Cong and others to help make bamboo handles of suitable sizes, with holes drilled at the top as Xue Tuan suggested. Considering the different sizes for cubs and adults, the handles varied.

The elder inspected the fine-leaf grass the cubs brought and found it quite suitable.

"Come, let’s make your own toothbrushes," the elder directed. "First, wash these grasses thoroughly."

After examining them, he noticed that the fibers near the roots were the most uniform—perfect for brush bristles.

"Be careful when washing them, mainly to remove the mud near the roots, but don’t rub off the fuzz."

"Okay!" As long as the cubs were doing something they were interested in, they were full of energy.

Meanwhile, Xue Tuan and Little Black Lion were quietly goofing off on the side.

"I should help you, but why should I help the lion too?" Bing Qiu was now alone, handling materials for three people.

"Brother is amazing, Brother can do more." Xue Tuan leaned against the furry friend, teasing Little Black Lion with the Fine-Leaf Grass, his little mouth spouting charming praise.

Bing Qiu was indeed pleased to hear this, feeling proud, and decided to make a few extra for backup.

The elder watched with a smile in his eyes, patiently observing the young ones, thinking he might even pick out a few skilled crafters from among them.

The cleaned Fine-Leaf Grass still needed some processing. The elder taught the cubs to hold its roots above the fire and lightly roast them, which would make the root fibers softer and easier to bend.

Then, the elder demonstrated with a stone knife, carefully cutting off the roots of the Fine-Leaf Grass.

Next, all that was left was to fix these fuzz onto the brush handle, and the task would be complete.

Priority was given to threading the suitable fuzz through the holes from top to bottom, and after threading a row, other fiber fuzz were used to tie the bristles horizontally onto the brush handle.

The more holes there were, the denser the bristles would be arranged, which tested the cubs' patience and attention to detail.

Although the method of making the toothbrush was slightly different from what Xue Tuan had imagined, fortunately, Xue Tuan was the only one who had seen a toothbrush before, so he understood it quickly and wouldn't lose face in front of the other cubs.

"Zhong Yan, this one is for you." Xue Tuan gave the toothbrush he had made to Little Black Lion, as this kind of delicate work was something Little Black Lion's claws couldn’t handle.

"Thank you, Tuan Tuan." Little Black Lion watched as Xue Tuan placed the freshly made toothbrush into the small pouch hanging on his chest.

"You’re welcome." Friends should help each other, after all. Xue Tuan patted the small pouch, quite satisfied with his work.

He still preferred using dental floss to clean the teeth of the furry family members at home, but using both dental floss and a toothbrush was also good.

Xue Tuan planned to make one for everyone in the family. After all, toothbrushes needed to be changed often, so having many wasn’t a problem.

Bing Qiu worked through the materials fast, which was more than enough for him and Xue Tuan to use generously.

After finishing all the toothbrushes, Xue Tuan was about to check on the progress of the other cubs when his Father and Dad came looking for him at that moment.

Rong Shan: "Good cub, come, let’s take you to see High Priest."

So it was to take him to see Uncle Yun Lu. Xue Tuan obediently took the hand his Dad extended and waved goodbye to his other little friends.

"I’ll come and play with you another day."

However, Bing Qiu and Little Black Lion insisted on coming along.

Yun Lu and the Subbeastmen had a separate cave for their work. The front part of the cave was led by Rong Shan and Tree Clothing, with a simple fence dividing the space. Yun Lu handled various tribal matters in the deeper part of the cave, and Ye Cong occasionally came to help him.

Yun Lu was already waiting at the cave entrance, a rare, slight smile on his face, quite different from his usual serious demeanor.

When Feng Yan brought Xue Tuan there, he felt a deep reluctance. Although the Priest had promised them that if Xue Tuan didn’t like staying there, he wouldn’t be forced, they still didn’t know if this was the right thing to do.

Xue Tuan, on the other hand, was very calm, though he was quite curious about what the Priest would teach him. He was very interested in the medicinal herbs of the beast world.

Rong Shan put Xue Tuan down and took out a piece of fur clothing from his bag.

With a swoosh, Rong Shan shook out a small cloak and put it on Xue Tuan.

Xue Tuan stroked the cloak, which was made in the same style as the Priest's. It was sewn from a whole piece of beast hide, carefully tanned to become incredibly soft, with the beast's fur still retained along the edges. This was... made from the hide of a monstrous beast!

The collar of the cloak was adorned with polished monstrous beast teeth, and the bottom was sewn with the colorful tail feathers of a giant Whitefeathered Beast.

As the cloak fluttered in the wind, it looked like a sacred bird spreading its wings to fly.

Rong Shan leaned down and kissed his cub’s forehead, saying, "The feathers are only from the Whitefeathered Beast for now. Later, Dad and Father will sew you a better one."

Xue Tuan knew his Fathers must have put a lot of effort into making this cloak quickly: "Thank you, Dad, thank you, Father. I really like it."

Seeing the smile on their good cub’s face, Rong Shan and Feng Yan felt it was all worth it.

"Come, Xue Tuan, follow me." Seeing that the arctic fox family had finished speaking, Yun Lu came over with a smile to lead him away.

Xue Tuan said goodbye to his brother and Little Black Lion. Just as he was about to let go of the hand his Father was holding, he found that his hand couldn’t break free and was instead held tightly.

Xue Tuan looked up at Feng Yan in confusion: Why wasn’t Father letting go?

Feng Yan: "Father... will come to pick you and Dad up tonight."

Xue Tuan nodded obediently: "Okay, goodbye, Father."

This time, Feng Yan finally let go. Xue Tuan trotted a few steps to catch up with Yun Lu and Rong Shan but suddenly stopped.

Feng Yan saw the little cub return to him, tugging at his fur clothing.

So Feng Yan crouched down, and the little cub kissed him on the cheek before playfully running off: "Don’t worry about me, Father."

Feng Yan was amused by the little one, and the worry in his eyes gradually faded.

Yun Lu led Xue Tuan deeper into the cave, while Rong Shan returned to Tree Clothing and the others, continuing to teach them how to sew fur clothing that better fit human shapes.

In the past, many in their tribe wore single-piece garments, just tied with grass ropes, which was neither attractive nor warm. Now, with Rong Shan’s involvement, things had finally improved.

Xue Tuan, led by Yun Lu, walked deeper into the cave, which grew darker and darker. After passing a fence, they reached the Priest’s territory.

There were no other beastmen serving here. Yun Lu preferred to handle affairs alone, calling for help from the other side of the fence when needed.

In the corner of the cave, a stone basin held burning charcoal, and several torches hung on the cave walls, faintly illuminating the area. Xue Tuan’s eyes scanned the surroundings, thinking that lighting seemed inadequate now.

Yun Lu watched the little cub with a smile in his eyes. After seeing his big, darting eyes settle, he pretended to remember something, reached for a torch on the wall, and shone it toward the very back wall.

As the light brightened that area, Xue Tuan’s gaze turned there.

"!"

Xue Tuan was astonished to find that the entire wall was piled high with stone slabs! Some that couldn’t fit were piled separately in front.

Xue Tuan was instantly amazed—weren’t these the things the mammoth-type beastmen had carried during the earthquake evacuation?

Some of the slabs had become uneven due to weathering over time, but someone had stubbornly preserved them.

"These..." Xue Tuan turned to Yun Lu, asking uncertainly.

"These were once preserved by my grandfather." They were also the only things Yun Lu had demanded to take when he was cast out from his clan. Fortunately, he had met Shi Hu and the others at the time; otherwise, he couldn’t have carried so many stone slabs alone.

Yun Lu picked up the nearest slab, gently rubbed it a couple times, and then handed it to Xue Tuan.

"After leaving the Four-Horned Deer clan, I brought these things to our current tribe." Yun Lu seemed lost in thought.

Xue Tuan took the stone slab, only to see some crude drawings he couldn't understand. They didn't quite look like pictographs, yet they seemed to be recording something. Xue Tuan frowned; this was beyond his comprehension.

"My grandfather, and his ancestors before him, always believed these were left by the Beast God."

"But for many years, none of us have been able to decipher what is recorded on them."

After speaking, Yun Lu looked directly at Xue Tuan, his eyes gradually filling with anticipation and excitement, which made Xue Tuan a bit uneasy. That gaze was like that of someone who had been thirsty for a long time finally getting a drop of water.

Xue Tuan looked down at the small stone slab in his hand. Of course, he couldn't understand what was on it. Perhaps early Beastmen had their own methods of recording things, but for some reason, that knowledge was lost.

But at this moment, a different idea suddenly occurred to Xue Tuan's little head: "Let me take another look."

Xue Tuan then began to act, trying hard to put on a thoughtful expression.

"Alright, take your time." Yun Lu's face indeed lit up with delight. He had long suspected that Xue Tuan was the one he had been searching for—someone who could read the Beast God Stone Slabs.

There were a few wooden chairs in the cave. Yun Lu specifically picked out one for the young one and gave it to Xue Tuan to sit on. He himself sat on another chair, picked up the young one's fur clothing he had been sewing earlier, and stayed silent, not disturbing Xue Tuan's thoughts.

Xue Tuan had a lot to think about—this was a great opportunity! The knowledge he possessed no longer needed to be hidden away.

After pondering for a long time, Xue Tuan tentatively spoke up: "Uncle Yun Lu."

Yun Lu didn't insist on them addressing each other as master and disciple, so Xue Tuan called him Uncle Yun Lu or Priest interchangeably, just like usual.

Yun Lu immediately put down the bone needle in his hand, looked up at Xue Tuan, and signaled with his eyes for him to continue.

"I think this records a method of preserving ice." Xue Tuan frowned, staring at the stone slab, pretending to be very uncertain.

"Preserving ice?" Yun Lu seemed to recall something.

"Like... storing ice?" Xue Tuan couldn't explain too much. It was best for him to simply play the role of conveying the "Beast God's will." That way, even if he said words that others couldn't understand, the Beastmen could interpret it as something recorded by the Beast God, and the young one was just reading it out.

"How does it say to do it?" Yun Lu quickly asked.

Xue Tuan's small hand traced the carvings on the stone slab and said again: "It says to first dig a cellar, store the ice inside, then cover and seal it with reeds."

After speaking, Xue Tuan handed the stone slab back, pointing to a curved symbol that looked like a hole to make his words more convincing.

Yun Lu had already looked at these stone slabs many times and naturally couldn't understand or interpret them.

But since the young one could describe it so clearly and completely, he had no reason not to believe him!

"Great! Thank you, Xue Tuan!"

Yun Lu deeply believed what Xue Tuan said and became even more convinced that Xue Tuan was the messenger sent by the Beast God to save them.

As for why the Beast God left a method for preserving ice, Yun Lu was too excited earlier to think carefully, but now it made perfect sense—it was naturally for surviving the hot season!

If they unfortunately encountered a "scorching season," there would be cases in the tribe where some wouldn't survive. However, with ice—something that could be deadly in the cold season but life-saving in the hot season—the probability would be greatly reduced.

Yun Lu fell silent for a moment, then stood up and called Rong Shan over. He repeated what Xue Tuan had just said to Rong Shan: "The cold season is more than half over. If we want to use cool ice in the hot season, we need to start digging cellars and harvesting ice now."

Rong Shan glanced at his child and the stone slab in his hand. What these stone slabs were wasn't just known to the chiefs and elders; many Beastmen in the tribe knew about them. Now, seeing Xue Tuan holding one and combining it with what Yun Lu said, Rong Shan instantly understood the connection and said directly: "I'll go find Feng Yan and the others."

"Go ahead." Yun Lu couldn't contain his excitement. If they could successfully store enough ice, it would only bring benefits to them.

The matter of building houses could be postponed for now, as they could live in the cave for the time being. But if they missed the window for storing ice, they would have to wait until the next cold season.

Yun Lu turned around excitedly, about to ask Xue Tuan for more specific details on how to proceed, when he suddenly remembered something, and his expression instantly darkened.

Xue Tuan saw that Uncle Yun Lu, who had been so happy just moments ago, suddenly became... distressed?

"Uncle, what's wrong? Why such a sudden shift?"

"I... we..." Yun Lu's lips trembled as he recalled the past. "We can't teach the Beast God's methods to non-Priest individuals..."

This was exactly why Yun Lu was exiled from his tribe.

The position of Priest holds a lofty status in any tribe.

Priests must maintain mystery; Priests must have absolute control over specialized knowledge. The Elder Priest absolutely forbade his disciples from teaching what they learned to other Beastmen.

However, during a critical moment, to care for an injured friend, Yun Lu told a non-Priest Beastman about a healing herb formula.

In a fit of fury, the Elder Priest resolutely decided to expel Yun Lu from the tribe, saying he was unworthy of being their tribe's Priest. No matter how much Yun Lu begged afterward, it couldn't be undone.

"I don't understand. If the position of Priest was born to 'help,' then why can't these methods be taught to others?" Yun Lu said confusedly.

On one hand, he felt he did nothing wrong; on the other hand, he always felt uneasy and conflicted. Did he really violate the sacred duties of a Priest?

Xue Tuan looked at Yun Lu, who was in distress, and gently held his hand: "Uncle, what you did was right."

"Please don't blame yourself."

"What?" Yun Lu wondered if he had misheard.

How could it be right? Everyone said he was wrong. Even his partner, though comforting him, couldn't truly understand.

But this little child before him actually said what he did was right?

Yun Lu's eyes welled up, as if at this moment, he was finally understood.

Xue Tuan nodded and said sincerely: "In the future, let's pass these methods on to everyone together."

"Okay." Yun Lu's tears streamed down, but he smiled in relief. He wasn't alone in sticking to what he believed was right; someone was willing to work with him.

Xue Tuan silently thought to himself, I will also slowly share everything I know with everyone...

Suddenly, Xue Tuan glanced at the stone slab in his hand and seemed to begin to understand something.

Perhaps the "Beast God" was never a mythical concept—he was the embodiment of countless ancestors!

Everything he knew was the accumulated experience of predecessors over millennia.

He came here from the distant future precisely to teach everyone the legacy of countless ancestors ahead of time.

He wasn't the reincarnation of the Beast God; he was just the Beast God's messenger in the beast world.

Having figured this out, Xue Tuan also felt a sense of clarity: "Uncle Yun Lu, our tribe will definitely continue to improve!"

Author's note: There will be red envelope drops in the comments section. Thank you for your support, babies~ [Heart]