Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Da Er and Xiao Er watched as Feng Yan and Rong Shan swiftly erected the tents, while the young beastmen found tasks to keep themselves busy. Everything proceeded with remarkable order.

Observing them, Da Er began to grasp why the Mountain Water Tribe had dispatched this particular group for the journey.

Though Bing Qiu stayed near Xue Tuan, his primary task was to gather small branches for his A-Die, who would soon start a fire. This time, they had brought along the tribe’s recently crafted small ceramic stove, eliminating the need to build a fire pit.

With Black Lion now accompanying Xue Tuan, Bing Qiu only needed to ensure Xue Tuan remained within his line of sight, allowing him to relax his vigilant watch.

Xue Tuan, however, was intent on finding fresh ingredients to prepare a delicious meal for his family after a full day of travel. Yet, after wandering with Black Lion for a while, they found nothing noteworthy—not even many edible greens.

"Squish."

The next moment.

"Squish."

"Huh?" Xue Tuan wondered, turning to Black Lion. "What did you step on? Why the sound effects?"

Black Lion innocently retracted his two front paws. Looking down, they saw he had stepped on two plump insects, one under each paw.

"Caterpillars?" Xue Tuan glanced at them, then corrected himself, "Wait, no... these are silkworms?"

Silkworms! That meant mulberry trees had to be nearby!

They had finally found mulberry trees. So they were here after all!

To Black Lion, these were merely insects—not edible. Noticing Little Dumpling’s excitement, Black Lion lifted a paw and pointed to a spot dozens of yards away. "There are many more over there."

Black Lion had keen eyesight. Seeing Xue Tuan’s interest in the insects, he pointed them out. From Xue Tuan’s perspective, however, he only saw a few low shrubs in that direction.

Xue Tuan hurried over, pushed aside the branches and leaves, and sure enough, several more equally plump silkworms were clinging to the branches, diligently munching on mulberry leaves.

"They really are here!" Xue Tuan exclaimed, glancing at Black Lion. "Pretty sharp eyes, huh?"

Noticing Black Lion’s curious gaze fixed on the insects, Xue Tuan explained, "These insects are called silkworms. They only eat mulberry leaves."

Hearing this, Black Lion merely nodded silently. He didn’t quite understand the point of learning an insect's dietary preferences, but since Little Dumpling was telling him, he listened.

"Strange, these trees... they don’t look like the ones I’ve seen before," Xue Tuan murmured.

Xue Tuan ran his hand over the leaves—jagged edges, slightly fuzzy surfaces—they were definitely mulberry leaves. Normally, wild mulberry trees could grow over ten feet tall, while cultivated varieties, pruned for easier harvesting, were generally shorter.

But in this mystical beastman world, even the wild mulberry trees were naturally dwarf varieties, which made cultivation much easier.

Previously, he had asked Uncle Yun Lu to send people to look for mulberry trees, thinking they could make mulberry bark thread for Brother Ye Cong to use for stitching wounds.

However, the instinct to cultivate mulberries and raise silkworms seemed ingrained in the Hua people's DNA—even Hua Nation-born Ginseng Spirit cubs like Xue Tuan were no exception.

Xue Tuan envisioned a future where they could clear a plot of land in the tribe, establish mulberry groves and silkworm rearing facilities, plant flowers, keep bees, and enjoy honey and mulberries. The thought filled him with excitement.

They were already stepping into the flower season, a time when mulberry leaves were "nutrient-rich," allowing the spring silkworms—which "eat only mulberry leaves"—to spin the highest quality cocoons.

It was said that a single cocoon, the size of a fingertip, could yield nearly a thousand feet of silk thread. In the future, beastmen might have access to better clothing, Xue Tuan thought.

Bing Qiu, having gathered enough branches, picked them up. He noticed Xue Tuan and Black Lion seemingly playing with insects. "Stop playing around, let’s go," Bing Qiu said.

"Coming!" Xue Tuan replied. He tossed aside the small branch he was holding and returned to Bing Qiu with Black Lion. The group headed back toward where their fathers were.

Xue Tuan hadn’t found any ingredients; however, Rong Shan had unexpectedly discovered something tasty.

"A-Die! You found wood fungus!" What beastmen called "wood fungus" was actually black fungus, and Xue Tuan adopted the term. He ran over for a closer look—his A-Die had gathered a small basketful. Each piece of fungus was as large as a palm, jet-black and glossy, with thick, intact leaves—clearly high quality.

Rong Shan gently tapped Xue Tuan’s nose and smiled. "You noticed quickly." He had intended to surprise Xue Tuan with it. They rarely got to eat wood fungus, and he thought Xue Tuan would like it.

"A-Die, let’s take out the Whitefeathered Beast eggs Uncle Le Hu gave us and eat them." Before leaving, Le Hu had secretly slipped Xue Tuan a few small Whitefeathered Beast eggs—each about the size of two or three chicken eggs.

Beastmen hadn’t yet developed the habit of raising Whitefeathered Beasts, so if Xue Tuan wanted to eat eggs, he had to rely on lucky beastmen finding some to trade.

Le Hu was one such lucky individual. His leg had mostly healed, the stitches removed, leaving only a fierce-looking scar that needed more time to fade.

Since hunting was still challenging for him, Le Hu had joined the Gathering Team and found the Whitefeathered Beast eggs then. He didn’t ask for anything in return, quietly giving them to Xue Tuan to avoid other beastmen accusing him of favoritism.

Hoping for a future supply of Whitefeathered Beast eggs, Xue Tuan had whispered a few extra suggestions to Uncle Le Hu before leaving. Given that many tribe members had temporarily accepted the presence of yaks, adding Whitefeathered Beasts to the mix might not meet much resistance.

It remained to be seen whether Uncle Le Hu could make it happen, but there was hope.

Based on Xue Tuan’s observations, beasts that were "largely mutated" compared to their predecessors couldn’t be domesticated, while those with less exaggerated sizes stood a better chance. No wonder even Whitefeathered Beasts came in giant and small varieties.

"Sure, just tell me what you want to do with them." The Whitefeathered Beast eggs were quite noticeable, and Rong Shan had already known they were in the supplies.

With eggs and wood fungus on hand, the first dish that came to Xue Tuan’s mind was—Muxu Pork. They also had carrots and cucumbers, gifts from enthusiastic beastmen. These were ingredients Xue Tuan often enjoyed eating raw.

In the old tribe, food was scarce, and beastmen often went hungry even at mealtimes. Xue Tuan’s habit of snacking on raw vegetables anytime, anywhere stood out, making it hard for others not to notice—and naturally, they thought of gifting such items to the traveling arctic fox family.

"Oh, and A-Die, Zhong Yan and I found mulberry trees over there!" Xue Tuan had been so focused on Muxu Pork that he nearly forgot the good news.

Squinting in the direction Xue Tuan pointed, Rong Shan asked, "Mulberry trees?"

Rong Shan remembered—this was the tree Xue Tuan had once described to Yun Lu and the others. He hadn’t expected to find it here.

Rong Shan said, "After dinner, take me to see them." He recalled Xue Tuan’s many praises of mulberry trees and decided he and Feng Yan should mark the spot later, so they could send people to dig them up.

After helping Da Er and Xiao Er set up their tent, Feng Yan joined Rong Shan to help prepare the ingredients.

"What are we eating today?" Feng Yan pulled out several smaller packages from a large ingredient bundle—each containing fresh meat prepared back in the tribe, all from the best cuts. They ate dried meat during the day but enjoyed proper meals at night.

"Tusked Boar meat," Rong Shan replied. Xue Tuan had already explained how to make Muxu Pork, using Tusked Boar meat.

"Alright."

"Um... Brother Rong Shan, what can we two do?" Da Er approached with Xiao Er, both still marveling at how Feng Yan had helped them with their tent.

Their tribe’s current temporary settlements included both cave dwellings and tents, but tent-building was usually a skill mastered only by elders and their apprentices. He and Xiao Er had been completely clueless and clumsy earlier, grateful for Feng Yan’s assistance.

Since others had set up their tent, they couldn’t expect them to handle the cooking too. Da Er felt he and Xiao Er had to contribute somehow—otherwise, they’d be seen as lazy, a trait despised among beastmen.

"You and Xiao Er can help us prepare the carrots and cucumbers," Rong Shan said. Knowing the two young men weren’t the type to sit idle, he assigned them tasks naturally.

Da Er and Xiao Er brightened up, relieved to have something to do. "Sure! Thank you, Brother Rong Shan." They hurried over to help Rong Shan take out the carrots and cucumbers.

Having tasks to do eased Da Er and Xiao Er’s minds. The Mountain Water Tribe was not only well-organized but its people were exceptionally kind.

It was a rare tribe with the qualities of a leading tribe yet devoid of arrogance.

Since the browneared leopard tribe began dispersing and migrating, their numbers had dwindled along the way, many leaving to seek better opportunities. When they still had the salt flats, the tribe had kept a low profile to avoid attention, but internally, they had always been united.

However, after many years passed, as the salt flats gradually disappeared, the number of people leaving also increased.

By now, the Brown-Eared Leopard tribe had long fallen from being a seemingly small tribe to a truly marginalized one. Their numbers dwindled further, and the chieftain considered allying with other larger tribes.

As long as everyone could have enough to eat and wear, the chieftain was quite willing to negotiate with other tribes. Ideally, they would be merged with another tribe.

But perhaps luck wasn't on their side—along the way, they encountered very few tribes. When they finally came across a medium-sized tribe, they were turned away from the tribe without even getting to see the chief.

This time, they had fortunately found a tribe they liked. Da Er and Xiao Er had already decided to persuade their chieftain earnestly to find a way to join the Mountain Water Tribe. If they missed this opportunity, there might not be another. Da Er had a strong feeling that the Mountain Water Tribe was their best choice.

“Be careful when peeling,” Da Er frowned at Xiao Er, scolding him every time Xiao Er accidentally sliced off a bit of the radish flesh. Food was precious and should be treated with care—no waste was acceptable.

Xiao Er stuck out his tongue. “I didn’t mean to.” He was just too excited. The closer they got to the tribe, the more thrilled he became, and he couldn’t steady his hands.

Da Er nodded, his mind heavy with worries, unlike Xiao Er, who seemed carefree. “Sigh.”

“Big brother, why are you sighing like that? What’s wrong?” Xiao Er cautiously glanced at Da Er, wondering if he had done something wrong again.

“It’s just that matter, what else could it be?” Da Er lowered his voice, speaking softly. For some reason, he felt a guilty conscience, as if his tribe joining the Mountain Water Tribe would be taking advantage of them.

Moreover, Brother Feng Yan and Brother Rong Shan had been so kind to them, yet on this trading expedition, Da Er and Xiao Er couldn’t offer much useful information.

As everyone knew, in the beast world, the most important rule in trade was never to reveal your bargaining position.

Da Er felt his tribe had nothing particularly valuable to trade, but other tribes might not see it that way. Likewise, others wouldn’t easily disclose what they were interested in, for fear of being shortchanged.

It was precisely for this reason that Da Er hesitated to say too much to Feng Yan and the others about the trade. On one side were the beastman leaders he admired and liked; on the other was his own tribe. Da Er suspected that his tribe might not even allow him to participate in the trade negotiations, fearing he might show favoritism.

Even though Da Er knew that Brother Feng Yan and Brother Rong Shan were reasonable people, others in his tribe didn’t understand them yet. All he could hope for was that the trade would proceed smoothly, so that he and Xiao Er could successfully persuade their chieftain.

“I’m sure it will work out,” Xiao Er said, lowering his voice to match Da Er’s, as if they were sharing a secret.

“How do you know?” Da Er looked at Xiao Er skeptically, curious to hear his reasoning.

Xiao Er leaned in and whispered, “They’ve even sent their chieftain here—why wouldn’t it work? Besides, the Mountain Water Tribe has such great resources. It would be out of their minds not to trade.”

“Alright, alright, just focus on peeling the radishes,” Da Er rolled his eyes in exasperation, feeling he had asked unnecessarily. After talking half the night, Xiao Er still really didn't take things seriously.

“Brother Da Er, Brother Xiao Er, do you need any help?” Xue Tuan walked over and asked.

“No, no, we’re almost done. You can just relax,” Da Er replied quickly, shaking off his thoughts and speeding up his work. “Xiao Er, hurry up.”

“I know, stop rushing me,” Xiao Er said, nervous that he might mess up again under pressure.

“Alright.” Seeing there was nothing for him to do here, Xue Tuan wandered off like a little old man, hands behind his back, with the little black lion following closely behind, accompanying him on his “inspection.”

As night fell slowly, the temperature dropped significantly at the jungle’s edge. A chilly wind swept through the trees and over the hills, causing the campfire flames to flicker gently.

The arctic fox family had brought two small ceramic stoves—the portable model Ye Cong had previously wanted to make—lightweight and durable.

Da Er and Xiao Er had never seen such pottery before and were deeply curious. They both wondered if such ceramic ware would be part of the trade. It seemed incredibly practical.

Especially for Da Er, who often went out hunting, he immediately understood the original purpose of such stoves—it hit the mark for him.

The stove body was oval-shaped, with a broad base supported steadily by three short legs. The stove opening tilted slightly upward, with a fire chamber inside and three supports on top, perfect for holding a flat-bottomed ceramic pot.

Although they had agreed not to discuss trade-related matters beforehand, Da Er nearly broke his silence when he saw the ceramic stove.

But in the end, he barely managed to keep his mouth shut, not wanting to cause trouble for Brother Feng Yan and the others. Fortunately, under Da Er’s constant reminders, Xiao Er also avoided saying anything inappropriate.

An additional campfire was lit for illumination and warmth, with two ceramic stoves set up nearby. One had already been preheated with a ceramic pot, and a piece of beast fat was placed inside. Once the weather warmed up, the fat would melt, so they needed to remember to transfer it to a better-sealed container.

Xue Tuan was responsible for stirring the Whitefeathered Beast egg mixture. He only needed to whisk it a few times with chopsticks before handing it over to Bing Qiu, who then passed it to his father.

Unbeknownst to Xue Tuan, Bing Qiu turned away and gave the mixture a few more vigorous stirs before handing it to Rong Shan.

Rong Shan kept an eye on the pot as he poured the well-mixed egg mixture like a golden waterfall into it. With a few sizzling sounds, the golden liquid began to slowly solidify.

After just a few stirs, Xue Tuan said, “That’s enough, Dad. You can take the eggs out now, or they’ll become too tough.” As always, he preferred his eggs soft and tender.

“Alright, whatever you say, little one,” Rong Shan replied with a smile, his heart melting at the sight of Xue Tuan acting like a little adult.

He followed Xue Tuan’s instructions, deftly scooping the cooked eggs into a ceramic plate handed to him by Feng Yan.

“I’ve already sliced the meat for you,” Feng Yan said, showing Xue Tuan a plate of neatly arranged meat slices with a reassuring look, as if he were Xue Tuan’s “right-hand man.”

Unaware that the adults were secretly teasing him, Xue Tuan nodded in satisfaction. “Good, thank you, Dad.” His father’s knife skills kept getting better—steady and precise, slicing thinly along the grain. Xue Tuan always marvelled at it.

The little black lion stared intently at the plate of meat, thinking to himself that once he could take human form, he would also learn to slice meat like that for Xue Tuan.

Moo Shu pork required quick stir-frying over high heat. Rong Shan tossed the meat, radishes, and cucumbers into the pot, stir-frying rapidly before adding the pre-cooked eggs back in and mixing everything evenly.

Xue Tuan and Bing Qiu together brought over the “seasoning bamboo container,” adding the final touches. Although they lacked soy sauce or dark soy sauce, and there was no elaborate thickening technique, in the beast world, this was more than enough.

As long as nothing was overcooked and the salt was just right, it was hard to go wrong. Xue Tuan wasn’t too demanding—he was just grateful he hadn’t been transported to an era where eating raw meat and drinking blood was the only option.

And so, a steaming plate of Moo Shu pork was ready.

Da Er and Xiao Er watched, swallowing hard. “How do they make such simple ingredients smell so incredible?”

Xiao Er had never encountered a tribe so skilled at cooking. If nothing else, this alone convinced him that he and Da Er must persuade their chieftain to join the Mountain Water Tribe.

Xiao Er leaned toward Da Er and whispered, “How about we ask Brother Rong Shan to cook a meal for the chieftain when we try to convince him?”

He refused to believe their chieftain could resist—Brother Rong Shan was undoubtedly the best cook in the Mountain Water Tribe!

“Now you think of that?” Da Er almost didn’t want to acknowledge Xiao Er. But the more he thought about it, the more he felt it might not be a bad idea…

Had he been infected by Xiao Er’s simplicity? Da Er doubted any tribe had ever been persuaded to merge over “a meal.” It didn't sound very smart.

Salty flavors were preferred in winter; sour ones in spring. Now, at the tail end of the cold season, salty flavors still took priority. Rong Shan stir-fried another plate of cured sausage.

The other ceramic stove was used for soup. While the fish they brought was still fresh, they prepared a winter melon and fish soup.

For the main course, they roasted sweet potatoes or potatoes by the fire—simple, quick, and filling.

This journey was entirely different from the arctic fox family’s previous migrations. The tribe had prioritized providing them with ample supplies so they wouldn’t have to worry about food. This was the benefit of having a tribe, Xue Tuan reflected.

They had chosen a campsite with large rocks, where they could place the cooked dishes and utensils.

Xiao Er sniffed eagerly, almost trying to “taste” the aroma with his nose. He even licked his lips without caring about appearances until Da Er nudged him with an elbow, reminding him to maintain some decorum.

Rubbing his arm, Xiao Er shot a resentful glance at Da Er. He was just too hungry! Then he glared back defiantly, as if saying, “Don’t tell me you’re not tempted too!”

“Let’s eat,” Feng Yan announced once everyone was seated, signaling they could start eating.

Previously, Feng Yan and Rong Shan used to insist on letting Xue Tuan eat first, but now that Xue Tuan's health has improved, he often prefers to wait and eat together with everyone. Feng Yan and Rong Shan saw no issue with this, so they quietly accepted Xue Tuan's behavior and stopped insisting.

Seeing the arctic fox family start eating first, Da Er and Xiao Er couldn't hold back any longer. Excitedly wielding their forks, they lunged toward the large stone slab in the center, eagerly spearing pieces of meat with wood ear, occasionally pairing them with eggs or carrots, and putting everything directly into their mouths.

"Delicious! Mmm... the meat is fragrant, the wood ear is crispy—so good!" Xiao Er managed to squeeze in a few words of praise between bites, while Da Er was speechless.

He had been utterly robbed of his ability to speak by the delicious food. Da Er thought to himself, did such delicious food even need words? The fact that this large pot of Moo Shu meat was about to be completely devoured was proof enough.

"Thank you, Brother Feng Yan, Brother Rong Shan." By the end, Da Er was too full to move. Only after putting down his fork did he finally express his gratitude to Feng Yan and the others. Though he had only been with the Mountain Water Tribe for two short days, every meal left him stuffed and satisfied.

In the past, eating was merely about filling his stomach, but now he had come to realize that food could actually be this delightful—a true pleasure. What would he do when he returned to his own tribe?

Rong Shan replied, "No problem, we all look out for each other." Rong Shan was also very satisfied with the meal; the Moo Shu meat had turned out perfectly, just the way he liked it. It had successfully replaced his previous favorite, dry pot potatoes with cured meat, pushing it down the rankings.

Rong Shan distributed the last few remaining bites from the pot to everyone, leaving not a single scrap behind, accompanied by sighs of admiration and contentment.

Xue Tuan and Bing Qiu also ate until their bellies were round. If not for a sliver of self-restraint, Bing Qiu would have already sprawled out on the rocks—he was that satisfied.

During their previous migrations, there had never been moments like this. Those days now felt like a distant memory.

Bing Qiu never imagined that traveling could be so relaxed and enjoyable—comfortable, filling, and even a little sleep-inducing.

Little Black Lion was still the last to finish eating. His normal appetite was enormous, but his metabolism was slow, making him the type who could endure hunger well.

Xue Tuan patted Little Black Lion's head, telling him to take his time and not rush. Xue Tuan still mixed the food in his bowl, and every time, Little Black Lion would finish it clean, leaving not a single crumb.

In the wild, they had few activities at night. After taking his father and dad to see the small patch of dwarf mulberry trees, Xue Tuan returned to sit by the fire, warming themselves and chatting.

Da Er and Xiao Er simply assumed they had gone for a post-meal stroll and didn't think much of it, as they had seen the arctic fox family behave similarly back in the Mountain Water Tribe.

After Feng Yan and Rong Shan returned from marking the area, they naturally didn’t mention the tribe’s plans regarding the mulberry trees and instead shifted the conversation to other topics.

In reality, even if things went as Yun Lu hoped and Xiao Er’s tribe was incorporated, their original plan was to settle the Browneared Leopard Tribe in the Outer City.

They had prepared for the integration of outsider beastmen, which was why Feng Yan and Rong Shan were sent on a mission to the Browneared Leopard Tribe.

In the future, only the original members of the Mountain Water Tribe would reside in the Inner City. This also meant that Xue Tuan’s ability to interpret the Beast God Stone Slab would be kept within their circle and not spread further. To the outside world, Xue Tuan’s identity would simply be that of Yun Lu priest’s disciple.

Protecting Xue Tuan was a consensus among all members of the Mountain Water Tribe. Aside from Xue Tuan himself being not as alert, even the cubs, influenced by the adults at home, knew they must protect their beloved Xue Tuan from being bullied by any outsider beastmen.

They all seemed to understand that even if no other beastmen joined them now, in the future, their tribe would only grow larger, and many beastmen would inevitably join them.

Thus, "protecting Xue Tuan" became a deeply held belief rooted in their hearts.

Aside from Xue Tuan’s identity, certain techniques that were not meant to be shared would also remain in the hands of their own people. They might be passed down at an appropriate time in the future, but not now.

Until they confirmed whether the new beastmen were trustworthy and loyal to the Mountain Water Tribe, they would not rashly teach their skills to those who joined later.

Xue Tuan was unaware that during the time he spent "playing" with the cubs, Feng Yan, Rong Shan, Yun Lu, Shi Hu, and the elders had already discussed many matters concerning the tribe’s future.

Xue Tuan was not alone in thinking about the tribe’s welfare; behind him stood many reliable adults, accompanying him as the Mountain Water Tribe grew together.

Xue Tuan, as usual, was the first to fall asleep. The familiar atmosphere of migration made him feel as though he had returned to his frail cub days when he had little strength.

"Shh." Da Er raised a finger, signaling Xiao Er to lower his voice, then pointed at Xue Tuan. "The little cub is asleep."

"It’s fine, the little one isn’t easily awakened," Rong Shan said with a smile, holding the sleeping Xue Tuan.

This was something they had learned from their long journey—he and Feng Yan had often discussed matters after Xue Tuan fell asleep without ever waking him.

Even though Rong Shan said so, looking at the peacefully sleeping little cub, neither Da Er nor Xiao Er wanted to disturb his rest.

Xue Tuan slept soundly and woke up the next day energetic, so Feng Yan and Rong Shan kept to their travel schedule.

They traveled like this for several days, and time passed quickly. Under the glow of another sunset, their group crossed the final grassy slope and finally saw a row of faintly visible tent outlines in the distance.

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Author's note: Thank you, dear readers, for the nutrient solutions~