Chapter 167

Chapter 167

Xue Tuan and Zhong Yan bid farewell to Grandpa Hui Qiong and Zheng here.

Seeing Hui Qiong repeatedly glance back and wave at Xue Tuan, who remained standing at the city gate, Zheng—driving the Flying Horse Carriage—remarked, “Why don’t you just go with Xue Tuan?”

He was accustomed to solitude anyway; having one more or one less companion made no difference to him.

The carriage sped swiftly onward. Only when Xue Tuan and Zhong Yan had shrunk into distant specks on the horizon did Hui Qiong finally turn away and say, “That wouldn’t be right. We’ve already agreed.”

In the past, when he went searching for salt, an old friend had accompanied him—a debt of gratitude he was determined to repay.

Seeing that he couldn’t be persuaded, Zheng gave up trying and simply reassured him: “I once knew a ‘little friend’ who ended up joining the Dawn Dusk Tribe. I’ve already given them the token—perhaps it’ll prove useful.”

“Let’s hope so,” Hui Qiong replied, thanking his old friend with an uneasy sigh.

Meanwhile, Xue Tuan and Zhong Yan could no longer see Grandpa Hui Qiong’s Flying Horse Carriage. Only then did they urge their own carriage forward.

Ahead, on the open plain, stood a massive wall composed of stone and wooden stakes—the city gate of the Dawn Dusk Tribe.

According to rumors they’d heard along the way, the Dawn Dusk Tribe typically allowed only outsider beastmen holding “copper coins” to enter.

Otherwise, entry could be granted upon stating one’s purpose to the gate guards.

The Dawn Dusk Tribe’s layout also deviated from the conventional tribal arrangement Xue Tuan had imagined. It consisted of two distinct zones: Apprentice Zones and the Main City Zone.

Moreover, the number of Apprentice Zones—and the area of the Main City Zone—was not fixed.

When Xue Tuan first heard this explanation, he was somewhat puzzled—until Uncle A Zhuang of the Valley Forest Tribe clarified it for him.

The city gate Xue Tuan and Zhong Yan were about to enter led to one of the Apprentice Zones. These zones resembled ordinary tribes in appearance, differing only in the abundance of venues where beastmen could study and train.

The Dawn Dusk Tribe regularly held selection events in its Apprentice Zones to identify “outstanding beastmen” for advancement into the Main City Zone—such as exceptional gatherers, hunters, craftsmen, powerful warrior beastmen, or Priests possessing special abilities.

Xue Tuan asked A Zhuang, “So, are living conditions better in the Main City Zone?”

Though the Mountain Water Tribe also maintained teaching areas, everyone lived together under uniform standards.

If the Dawn Dusk Tribe operated this way, living standards in the Main City Zone would indeed far surpass those in the Apprentice Zones—certainly motivating beastmen to strive harder—but…

Hearing Xue Tuan’s question, A Zhuang replied matter-of-factly, “Of course. Otherwise, why would so many beastmen want to enter the Main City Zone?”

A Zhuang himself had never actually visited the Dawn Dusk Tribe. Much of what he said was secondhand, summarized from others’ accounts—so his information warranted a healthy degree of skepticism.

“What’s the purpose of doing this?” Xue Tuan murmured to himself. Simply to strengthen the tribe? He considered another possibility—but would need to see for himself.

Xue Tuan and Zhong Yan joined the queue behind those entering the city. Beastman guards stood watch, each gripping a long spear. When their turn came, one raised his hand and commanded, “Halt.”

Zhong Yan tightened the reins, bringing Ju Ju and Chi Chi to a stop. Xue Tuan presented his “copper coin.” The guard raised his hand again, granting them passage without even asking their purpose.

Sitting inside the carriage, Xue Tuan thought, *How easy that was.* As they passed the guard, the man suddenly added, “After entering, there’s a ‘Guest Lodge’ on your right—you may stay there.”

Xue Tuan’s first reaction was, *They already have inns here?* “Alright, thanks,” he replied quickly.

Zhong Yan narrowed his eyes and shot the guard an unfriendly glance. The beastman instantly felt an inexplicable pressure—and dared not utter another word, simply waving them through.

“The people here are quite friendly,” Xue Tuan remarked, oblivious to Zhong Yan’s earlier glare—and even praised the guard.

Zhong Yan remained silent and drove straight to the entrance of the so-called “Guest Lodge.”

It was so obvious here that there was no need for anyone to point it out.

Zhong Yan didn’t know what was wrong with him. He and Xue Tuan rarely traveled alone to other tribes. Though he himself was unsociable, he seldom experienced such unsettling feelings.

Yet something about the way that guard had looked at Xue Tuan deeply irritated him.

Xue Tuan dismounted. The “Guest Lodge” before them was sizable—clearly designed to accommodate diverse visitors.

As soon as they arrived, a beastman approached to lead Ju Ju and Chi Chi away; dedicated stables stood in the backyard.

The setup here mirrored that of the Valley Forest Tribe—perhaps the Valley Forest Tribe’s leader had adopted it from here.

Xue Tuan slung his bow, crossbow, and other small items over his shoulder. Back at the Salt Lake settlement, he’d resumed archery practice, training intermittently.

Zhong Yan, as usual, effortlessly shouldered all the remaining luggage. The two entered the lodge and spotted a counter resembling a “front desk”—so they headed straight there.

This was Xue Tuan’s first encounter with an “inn”-style establishment in the Beast World. After a moment’s pause, he asked, “Excuse me—if we wish to stay for three days, may we pay with salt coins?”

He deliberately chose a moderate duration—not too long, not too short—and specified payment in salt coins. He wasn’t yet ready to part with his sole copper coin.

“That’s fine. Three salt coins will do,” replied a long-faced beastman seated behind the counter—likely the lodge’s owner.

In the past, this would have been painful, but since the Mountain Water Tribe had recently refined some salt, they weren’t short on it.

Xue Tuan nodded, then glanced at Zhong Yan—signaling him to “pay up.” The most valuable items were safest with Zhong Yan, and settling the bill naturally fell to him.

Zhong Yan rummaged through the bag. There were numerous items, so he first placed Xue Tuan’s quill pen and ink on the counter.

But the long-faced beastman froze. He picked up the quill pen, stroked it in his palm, and asked, “This is Purple Owl feather. Where did you get it?”

Xue Tuan: “Ah, a friend gave it to me. Do you like it too?” Even if he did, Xue Tuan had no extras.

It had been gifted by Brother A Yu. Only one or two feathers could be obtained every few years—the rest had to be reserved for A Ang, the child of Brother A Yu’s family.

Ever since accidentally discovering that feathers from Brother Fei Xiao made exceptional quill pens, Xue Tuan had been carefully hoarding Purple Owl feathers.

“No. The Purple Owl has ties with our clan. Anyone bearing Purple Owl feathers is our friend. We’ll charge you only one salt coin for your stay.”

Xue Tuan and Zhong Yan exchanged a glance—eyes clearly saying: *Such good fortune?*

Thinking *This feels a bit awkward*, Xue Tuan still said aloud, “Well then… thank you!”

Later, he could ask A Yu and Fei Xiao what this was all about.

The long-faced beastman waved dismissively. “No need.” His gesture was effortlessly suave—and he truly seemed unconcerned.

After Zhong Yan paid the salt coin, another beastman arrived to escort them upstairs—presumably to the so-called “guest rooms.”

“You may take two meals daily downstairs—or prepare your own. Please make yourselves at home,” the beastman said after showing them to their room, then departed.

He meant roughly that the guest lodge provided two meals total per day; guests could choose when and how to eat—simply by going to the main hall downstairs and informing the responsible beastman.

The two entered the room. After glancing around, Xue Tuan said, “Huh? I forgot to tell them we need two beds.”

Clearly, only one bed stood inside the small room assigned to them.

When Xue Tuan said this, he didn't mean anything by it. He was just used to thinking that any place called a room would have two beds. However, when camping outdoors, he'd assume resources were scarce and default to one bed or tent, not finding this problematic at all.

Zhong Yan suddenly felt awkward and softly asked, "Otherwise, I could sleep on the floor...?"

Xue Tuan was busy unpacking their bags and didn't quite hear what Zhong Yan said. Without looking up, he asked again, "What?"

"Nothing..." Zhong Yan said, back to his normal volume, walking over to put down his pack.

He didn't want to repeat that sentence. He would just sleep in his Beast Form; Xue Tuan probably wouldn't mind that.

"It's been a tiring day. Let's rest early," Xue Tuan said, unaware of what was bothering Zhong Yan. He planned to wash up quickly and go to bed.

Zhong Yan also didn't want Xue Tuan to notice any odd behavior from him, so he agreed, "Okay."

Fortunately, that night, Xue Tuan acted completely normal.

Zhong Yan then transformed into his Beast Form and slept beside Xue Tuan. The giant black lion's expression was blank, but inwardly, he felt exceptionally content.

The next day, they slept until the sun was high in the sky.

Xue Tuan said, "Let's just tidy up a bit and head down to eat." When traveling, people from the Mountain Water Tribe tried not to dress too "conspicuously." Comfy cotton clothes were only worn within their own tribe.

Xue Tuan wanted to eat downstairs because the guest hall was an excellent place to overhear conversations among passing beastmen, making it a prime spot for gathering information.

"Okay." Zhong Yan moved quickly. He wasn't one to dawdle. Once Xue Tuan was ready, he would follow along; they could always tidy up later when they returned.

From what he'd seen of the beastmen on the road so far, Xue Tuan felt that the beastmen here lived quite well, at least without any look of hardship on their faces.

The state of ordinary beastmen's lives could at least give a sense of the leadership style of the Dawn Dusk Tribe's chief.

There was no exploitation, forced labor, or slavery here, which Xue Tuan saw as a positive sign.

If this large tribe didn't meet Xue Tuan's standards, he would be quite troubled, as the Mountain Water Tribe would lose a potential ally worth considering.

Xue Tuan and Zhong Yan went down to the first-floor hall, where there happened to be one empty table left in the corner. As soon as they sat down, a beastman came over to ask what they wanted to eat.

The beastman asked, "Grilled meat and tossed wild greens are our standard fare. Additionally, we have wheat porridge and grilled fish available today, which is rare. What would you two like?"

Xue Tuan had come down to eat mainly out of curiosity and to gather some information.

However, upon hearing the dishes listed, he suddenly lost his appetite. It would have been better to cook something themselves in their room.

"Then we'll have the wheat porridge and grilled fish, thank you," Xue Tuan said. Since they were already here and the meal was included in the salt coins, they might as well try it.

Fortunately, although the food was ordinary, it wasn't bad. However, Xue Tuan's attention was quickly drawn to the conversation at the next table.

"Since the new chief took over, life has finally returned to how it used to be..."

"Exactly, I've come to prefer the new chief these past few years."

"Alright, let's lower our voices. After all, the old chief was the new chief's elder..."

Xue Tuan remembered that he had indeed heard Uncle A Zhuang mention that the current chief of the Dawn Dusk Tribe had only taken office in the last two or three years. The previous chief had passed away at a relatively young age due to a serious illness.

This was something that particularly interested Xue Tuan. Logically, beastmen rarely fell ill.

Having lived in the Mountain Water Tribe for so long, he had seldom seen beastmen with colds or fevers, unless they had inherently weak constitutions like his own.

Sitting on the wooden stool, Xue Tuan frowned in confusion, wanting to understand what illness had caused the early death of that chief.

He didn't want anyone in their Mountain Water Tribe to come down with such an illness and be unable to receive timely treatment.

"Dong—— Dong——"

Xue Tuan, tilting his ear to catch more news, suddenly heard two loud bell tolls, deep and prolonged, coming from afar.

Both Xue Tuan and Zhong Yan were taken aback. They hadn't expected to hear bell tolls outside the Mountain Water Tribe.

Currently, the large bell in the Mountain Water Tribe, painstakingly crafted from collected materials, was mainly used for timekeeping and occasionally for ceremonies or meeting announcements.

The beastmen around who heard the sound put down their food. Some closed their eyes in prayer, while others stood up and walked outside.

Curious, Xue Tuan and Zhong Yan also stood up and followed them outside. They found many beastmen gathering on both sides of the street, standing sideways toward a small structure made of three stone pillars on higher ground.

The braziers on the three stone pillars were lit, with raging flames soaring into the sky. The bell tolled again, and a person dressed in Priest robes led everyone in prayer facing the altar.

Non-local beastmen beside Xue Tuan and Zhong Yan silently recited prayers using their own tribe's unique gestures or words, while those with synchronized movements were likely local beastmen of the Dawn Dusk Tribe.

Although Xue Tuan was the Priest of the Mountain Water Tribe, he wasn't focused on leading sacrificial ceremonies; Yun Lu and others were sufficient for that.

This seemed to be just a brief daily ritual that would end soon, so Xue Tuan and Zhong Yan returned to their seats.

Xue Tuan was already full, so he let Zhong Yan finish the rest. He drank some water on the side, feeling as if a fish bone was stuck in his throat.

Maintaining such daily rituals was quite necessary for the Dawn Dusk Tribe.

Because the beastmen here lived in a tribe with no shortage of food or clothing. Apart from being very harmonious like their Mountain Water Tribe, other tribes could only rely on the chief's charisma, personal appeal, or shared beliefs to unite the beastmen.

The ritual they had just witnessed was one way to maintain "shared beliefs."

The people at the table next to Xue Tuan finally finished their prayers. One of them softly added as a final remark:

"May the Beast World be at peace..."

"Pfft." Xue Tuan instantly spat out his water, and the fish bone that seemed stuck in his throat flew out with it.

This... this was definitely adapted from "May the world be at peace," right?! Could the one who said such a thing be their First Great Chief?

He might have heard stories in the past about large tribes annexing smaller ones, but those were just rumors. During his time living in the Beast World, Xue Tuan hadn't actually heard of anything resembling war happening.

If war hadn't occurred, how could the concept of "peace" appear out of nowhere? This was likely the "masterpiece" of that First Great Chief.

Zhong Yan called a beastman over to help clean the table. Xue Tuan apologized to the beastman, indicating it wasn't intentional, and the beastman said it was fine.

Xue Tuan returned to his earlier speculation. No wonder he had never heard of large tribes engaging in slaughter or plunder in recent years. After all, resource plundering and land encroachment were almost primitive "instincts" of savagery.

So, was this the result of intervention by the Dawn Dusk Tribe?

If the First Great Chief had been promoting the "concept of peace" from the very beginning, making beastmen remember this principle, even spreading it through rituals like prayers, giving everyone this shared belief...

Over time, it wasn't impossible for such a belief to take root in the hearts of beastmen.

Actually, he was now quite interested in this First Great Chief. Unfortunately, it was said that he only stayed in the Dawn Dusk Tribe for a few seasons before disappearing.

However, whether it was the techniques or the beliefs he left behind, they had allowed the Dawn Dusk Tribe to remain powerful to this day, which was no easy feat.

There must have been many beastmen supporting him behind the scenes. This made Xue Tuan increasingly want to understand this tribe more deeply.

When Xue Tuan was lost in thought, he would become completely still. Zhong Yan, familiar with this state of Xue Tuan's, didn't disturb him and instead wolfed down all the remaining food on the table.

When the bell rang once more, it signaled the end of the prayers. Xue Tuan snapped back to reality, looked at the clean plates and bowls before him, and said, "C'mon, let's take a walk."

The two walked side by side on the tidy street. The road was wide, lined with houses built of wooden stakes and packed earth.

In front of the houses were small stalls selling pottery, medicinal herbs, rare ingredients, or items like coarse cloth and hemp cloth.

The young cubs, in both human and beast form, played and laughed by the roadside, running back and forth. It made you smile, and Xue Tuan felt as if he were walking in another "Mountain Water Tribe."

Suddenly, several rapid drumbeats sounded, this time noticeably closer, though what they meant was anyone's guess.

The beastmen on both sides of the street suddenly started chattering excitedly:

"Whose turn is it to be tested today..."

"Who knows? Let's go check it out..."

As they spoke, groups of beastmen on the street surged forward, sweeping Xue Tuan and Zhong Yan along to a square at a street corner.

Before Xue Tuan could grasp what was happening, he and Zhong Yan were already standing right at the front of the square.

Zhong Yan kept a protective arm around Xue Tuan. Other beastmen, seeing the tall figure standing there, didn't press forward but squeezed together nearby.

Everything had happened too quickly, and those beastmen hadn't acted intentionally, so Zhong Yan couldn't very well throw them off. He had no choice but to follow the flow of the crowd with Xue Tuan, which was how they ended up here.

On the other side of the square stood a small wooden hut. Shortly after, a beastman emerged from it.

Xue Tuan clearly heard the surrounding beastmen let out a collective gasp.

Xue Tuan focused his gaze and saw a burly man slowly walk to the center of the area. His muscles were bulging and knotted, and he wore a coarse hemp short shirt, leaving half his chest exposed.

But what was most striking was the scar running across his neck, as if meant to sever his entire head, stretching from behind his ear all the way to his collarbone.

Looking at it made Xue Tuan feel a sympathetic twinge in his own neck.

"Today, who is willing to step forward and accept the test?" the beastman said.

His expressionless face already bore a "ferocious and menacing" look, making many beastmen hesitant to meet his gaze directly.

The moment they heard this, everyone except Xue Tuan and his companion instinctively stepped back.

Thus, when the beastman scanned the crowd, he spotted the two figures conspicuously standing at the front. He said, "Then it'll be you two."

Xue Tuan immediately looked left and right, only to find that the people around them had vanished at some point, all having retreated to the rear.

The beastman standing in the square clearly looked "unfriendly"!

Xue Tuan pointed at himself and Zhong Yan, stunned, and asked, "Us two?"