Chapter 149

Chapter 149

The Salt-Seeking Team set off with everyone's blessings.

This time, they traveled by flying horse-drawn carriage, which differed from the ordinary carriages in the tribe. This team's carriages were each drawn by a pair of flying horses.

One carriage could accommodate four people lying down to sleep, and the top and rear could be used to store luggage.

The youngest of the group, Xue Tuan, Zhong Yan, Sha Hu, and Xiao Shu, were assigned to the same carriage, pulled by the two flying horses Ju Ju and Chi Chi, traveling in the middle of the procession.

Hui Hui had more freedom and could fly around everywhere. It would go to other carriages to "get into mischief," but when it returned to Xue Tuan's side, it was well-behaved.

The carriage at the front held the Rockball Sparrow clan leader, A Rong, and A Ying. A Ying was truly uneasy about A Rong leading everyone back to the old tribe alone, so she came along as well.

The Rockball Sparrows were also very supportive, telling their leaders not to worry. They promised to obey the elders' commands and not cause trouble in the tribe.

After all these years, the Rockball Sparrows had completely come to regard the Mountain Water Tribe as their own, returning to their true nature from their days as a clan.

On a spring morning, the air still seemed to carry a hint of lingering frost. The sky was clear, and the mountains and fields were dotted with fresh green.

Xue Tuan and Zhong Yan sat on the driver's bench, driving as they followed the group ahead.

They had agreed to take turns driving, switching to Xiao Shu and Sha Hu in the afternoon.

Xue Tuan: "I don't think we even need to control the reins. Ju Ju and Chi Chi are very well-behaved; they know to follow the carriage in front."

"They're really smart." Zhong Yan sat with one knee bent and an arm resting on it, loosely holding the reins as he turned to look at Xue Tuan.

Seeing Xue Tuan's hair flying in the wind, he asked, "Cold? Go sit inside. I've got it."

"Not cold at all. It's so nice to be out here seeing everything. Anyway, we'll switch in the afternoon."

Seeing how smart both flying horses were, just like Hui Hui, Xue Tuan let go of the reins, leaned sideways against Zhong Yan's back, and gazed into the distance.

All they could hear was the wind and the rumble of the wheels. On a small slope not far away, tender green grass had just sprouted, and several clusters of wildflowers swayed in the breeze.

The peach trees they passed were in full bloom, pink petals flying in the wind, covering the ground.

If not for their mission, this team would have seemed like they were on a spring outing.

Thinking of Uncle An Tu's flying horse, Xue Tuan couldn't hold back a laugh: "I don't know what's up with Uncle An Tu. How can he not control a flying horse well?"

"Uncle An Tu's skills are poor. Even his flying horse can't stand him!" Sha Hu chimed in from inside the carriage.

Xue Tuan and Xiao Shu cracked up upon hearing this. Uncle An Tu managed the ironworks so well, yet he couldn't handle a single flying horse. It was truly amusing.

Zhong Yan could feel Xue Tuan's body shake with laughter against his back, and a smile touched his lips.

At noon, the Mountain Water Tribe's flying horse carriages didn't stop. Xiao Shu and Sha Hu pulled back the carriage curtain, ready to start heating their food.

"Uncle Rong Shan prepared many flavors of bamboo tube rice for us. What do you want?" Sha Hu opened the icebox and looked at the bamboo tubes on the top layer.

The tribe had prepared plenty of food for their traveling team, from things that would spoil quickly to things that would last, with the latter being more convenient and durable.

In the first few days of the journey, they needed to eat the fresh food before it spoiled.

Bamboo tube rice could be heated over a portable stove during a non-stop lunch, which was easy.

Xue Tuan replied, "I want the 'Mushroom and Bamboo Shoot' flavor. Get this guy the 'Pepper Salt Spare Ribs' flavor." Xue Tuan pointed to himself and Zhong Yan.

"No problem." Xiao Shu responded. With his keen sense of smell, Xiao Shu didn't need to lean in to know what ingredients were in each bamboo tube. He took out the flavors Xue Tuan mentioned one by one.

Among them, the "Pepper Salt Spare Ribs" bamboo tube was exceptionally large, probably equivalent to three or four ordinary ones.

Xiao Shu's eyes went wide for a second, but he quickly realized these must be for Zhong Yan! This guy's stomach couldn't be measured by ordinary standards!

The carriage interior was equipped with a foldable wooden table and small wooden boards, holding a water kettle and a portable stove.

"I'll light the fire first." Sha Hu got the fire going and then opened the carriage roof. They had designed the roof with a double-layer structure. The inner layer was a fabric canopy that could be removed, providing shade and ventilation.

The outer layer consisted of wooden boards soaked in multiple layers of tung oil. During rainy days, an additional layer of "tung oil cloth" could be spread on top for waterproofing.

Soon, the bamboo tubes were slightly charred by the charcoal fire, and Xue Tuan, sitting at the front, could already smell the faint fragrance of bamboo.

The aroma gradually spread inside the carriage, mingling with the fresh scents of bamboo and glutinous rice.

The first bamboo tube of rice was ready. Sha Hu gently split the bamboo wall with a bone knife, releasing a burst of steam. Inside, the rice grains were soft, glutinous, and glistening, infused with the refreshing fragrance of bamboo juice, making everyone's mouths water.

Sha Hu handed the bamboo tube to the front of the carriage: "Xue Tuan, your 'Mushroom and Bamboo Shoot' is ready."

"Thank you!" Xue Tuan took it with both hands but immediately yelped from the heat, "It's hot! So hot!"

Zhong Yan quickly took the bamboo tube: "Call me next time."

Xue Tuan clutched at his ears, watching Zhong Yan hold the freshly heated bamboo tube as if it were nothing. Xue Tuan sometimes wondered: since they were all beastmen, did Zhong Yan have several extra layers of skin on his hands? How could he not feel the heat at all?

"Couldn't you have let it cool a bit before giving it to Xue Tuan?" Xiao Shu gave Sha Hu a smack on the head to teach him a lesson.

"I... I forgot." Sha Hu scratched his head. Xue Tuan was a rare beastman who couldn't handle such heat, so sometimes, when he was in a hurry to eat, Sha Hu forgot about this.

"It's fine, it's fine. I was too eager." Xue Tuan laughed, watching Xiao Shu scolding Sha Hu as usual.

Only when the bamboo tube wasn't so hot did Zhong Yan hand it to Xue Tuan. If it cooled further, it wouldn't taste as good.

Xue Tuan sat cross-legged, holding the bamboo tube in one hand and a spoon in the other, enjoying his lunch. He even fed Zhong Yan a few bites. The "Pepper Salt Spare Ribs" bamboo tube was large and wouldn't heat up as quickly.

Xue Tuan comfortably enjoyed the delicious bamboo tube rice. Probably to reward these traveling beastmen, the rice inside was no longer bland and tasteless. It was savory, with tender meat and a strong mushroom aroma—exceptionally delicious.

Somehow, Ju Ju and Chi Chi ran so steadily that the carriage was particularly smooth.

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To prepare for even more extreme situations, Xue Tuan had the elders make a backup set of "wooden tracks." Usually, these were rolled up and stored under the carriage. When encountering a road section that was truly impassable, the tracks could be laid down to manually create a path for the wheels to pass.

Later, Xue Tuan also considered whether to add a wooden "lever brake system" to the carriage for emergency wheel braking in special circumstances.

Eating the bamboo tube rice his father had prepared for everyone in advance, Xue Tuan already began to miss his father's cooking.

During this part of their journey, there weren't many opportunities to cook slowly themselves. They were either busy traveling or trying to get more sleep and rest—and they had just set out.

Xiao Shu cleared the table and called out, "Xue Tuan, Zhong Yan, come inside after you finish eating. It's my and Sha Hu's turn."

"Okay, coming." After eating his fill, Xue Tuan hung his and Zhong Yan's removed shoes on the hooks on the carriage board before entering the compartment.

The carriage interior was lined with thick fur blankets. It was still warm from the recent fire, so there was no need to light an additional "fire cage."

Inside the carriage, Zhong Yan had to crouch. He tied up the "fabric canopy" on the roof, blocking some of the light so it wouldn't be glaring during their afternoon nap. Since it wasn't raining, the wooden roof could be lowered for now.

Sunlight filtered through the "fabric carriage roof," becoming gentle and soft, casting a faint halo. The entire carriage was bathed in the warm spring day.

Xue Tuan took out his "Beast God's Notes" and jotted down some additions before starting his nap.

Everyone knew Xue Tuan had always been in poor health and had developed the habit of taking afternoon naps. If the others weren't sleepy or didn't feel like napping, they would lower their voices and speak softly.

The sound of hooves and wheels served as a sort of white noise, making it easy for Xue Tuan to fall asleep.

At some point, Xue Tuan noticed a source of warmth beside him and naturally snuggled closer, finding a comfortable spot for himself.

Zhong Yan wasn't asleep; he had simply found a cushion to sit beside Xue Tuan and was casually flipping through Xue Tuan's notebook.

Feeling Xue Tuan nestling closer, Zhong Yan instinctively wrapped an arm around him so he could sleep more soundly. Noticing strands of hair falling across Xue Tuan's brow, Zhong Yan gently brushed them aside.

The carriage was quiet except for their steady breathing as the two spent a quiet and comfortable afternoon nap together.

As days passed, everyone gradually grew accustomed to life on the road.

Originally, they had heard that Flying Horses could travel non-stop for three days and nights, but everyone felt it wasn't right to work these friendly spirit beasts so hard.

So, at most after a day and a night, they would let the spirit beasts stop to rest properly, regain their strength, and then set off again.

However, recently, they had finally hit the rainy season. It had been raining on and off for several days, making the roads increasingly difficult to travel.

This day was no different—the fine weather suddenly turned. Dark clouds blotted out the sun, and the sky quickly darkened, a storm was brewing.

"The chief says we should find a place to take shelter from the rain before setting off again—" A Rong transformed into his Beast Form and weaved through the caravan to pass on the word.

The beastmen who received the news were prepared and naturally followed the arrangements. Once the carriages ahead found a place to stop, they would follow in an orderly manner without causing chaos.

Xue Tuan's Flying Horse Carriage was currently being driven by Xiao Shu and Sha Hu. Upon hearing the news, they were ready to control the two Flying Horses at any moment.

Xiao Shu twitched his nose and said worriedly, "It's going to rain again."

"It's fine, I see the front starting to 'park' now," Sha Hu said, pointing ahead.

Xue Tuan also leaned by the carriage door and indeed saw many Flying Horse Carriages stopping at a sheltered slope. He turned to Zhong Yan and said, "Let's take out the raincoats first; we'll probably need them soon."

"Alright," Zhong Yan replied, turning to go to the very back of the carriage where there was a "luggage wooden box" containing everyone's clothes and other belongings. Zhong Yan dug out the raincoats the tribe had prepared for everyone earlier.

During previous rains, they had mostly stayed inside the carriage. This time, since it was still early and the rain was likely to last a long time, they could take out the raincoats to use. Even the Flying Horses had "raincoats" to wear.

Before their Flying Horse Carriage had even come to a complete stop, they heard a "pitter-patter" sound on the roof—the sound of raindrops falling.

As soon as he got off the carriage, Xue Tuan immediately took the "rain cape" handed to him by Zhong Yan. He wanted to put it on Ju Ju and Chi Chi first.

Although it was unclear whether spirit beasts were prone to falling ill, it was better to be cautious.

Before he could finish adjusting the rain capes for the Flying Horses, a raincoat was draped over Xue Tuan.

Zhong Yan said, "You put yours on first."

"Okay," Xue Tuan replied, but his hands were still busy adjusting the capes for the Flying Horses.

Zhong Yan had no choice but to step in. He fastened Xue Tuan's raincoat while Xue Tuan secured the ones for the Flying Horses.

Then, everyone together took shelter in a cave beneath the hillside.