There were no caves here; the Beastmen simply transformed into their animal forms and lay down to sleep wherever they found a dry spot.

As the only Sub-Beastman—or at least, what they considered a Sub-Beastman—A-Si was treated with great respect. At the very least, he had a nest woven from vines. A-Si’s brow was deeply furrowed, his face pale, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead, and his body trembling in fits. Zhang Shuguang placed his hand on A-Si’s forehead to check his temperature—it was burning hot.

“Was he like this when you arrived yesterday?” he asked, turning to look at Mang Jiu. Mang Jiu shook his head. “He was fine then.”

Zhang Shuguang turned to look at Xiong Bai. “What did you guys eat last night?”

Xiong Bai was taken aback by the question, looking confused. “I don’t know. I haven’t eaten since dark.”

“You haven’t eaten?” Zhang Shuguang frowned.

Mang Jiu explained, “Beastmen can usually go three days without eating once they’re full.”

“……” Zhang Shuguang twitched the corner of his mouth. “Alright, go fetch some water from the pond. I’ll help cool him down first.”

Mang Jiu looked at Xiong Bai, who pointed at himself. “Me?”

“You want me to go?” Mang Jiu retorted.

Xiong Bai pouted. “Fine, I’ll go. Since you’re here, Shuguang, does that mean we’ll get something good to eat soon?”

“Yeah, I’ll make sure you all eat your fill.” Zhang Shuguang nodded with a smile.

Mang Jiu glared at Xiong Bai, who quickly ran off.

Zhang Shuguang used a bone knife to cut open the short-haired pelt he’d brought, soaked it in water, then wrung it out, smoothed it out, and placed it on A-Si’s forehead.

“I was actually planning to use this for a pair of pants and a vest, but I’ll just use it for him instead.” He spoke as he worked swiftly, changing the skin on A-Si every few minutes and wiping his body down with cool water.

A-Si’s body temperature dropped rapidly. Zhang Shuguang placed the hide in the water, and Mang Jiu spoke up: “I’ll go find you a deer hide later—it’s short-haired too.” He raised his hand and pointed to A-Si’s chest. “It has a grain pattern.”

Zhang Shuguang jerked his head around, rubbing the hide hard against A-si’s chest. When he realized the markings wouldn’t come off, he pursed his lips and looked up at Mang Jiu.

Mang Jiu raised an eyebrow. “You knew all along?”

Zhang Shuguang shifted his gaze nervously, not daring to meet his eyes. Mang Jiu asked calmly, “Was it when I was smashing stones last time?”

“……” Zhang Shuguang’s mouth twitched. “Could you please not be so smart?”

Mang Jiu pinched his cheek. “I knew he was a Beastman when I saved him.”

“……” Zhang Shuguang raised his hand to wipe his face. “What else do you know? Tell me now.”

Mang Jiu corrected himself. “I suspected he was a Beastman,” he said, smiling when he saw Zhang Shuguang glaring at him. “He must have been brought here by the Sea Beast. His injuries were severe—if he were just a Sub-Beastman, he would have died long ago.”

“Just because of that?” Zhang Shuguang asked in surprise. “You suspect he’s a Beastman just because of that?”

Mang Jiu ruffled his hair and said, “You don’t understand Sub-Beastmen. They’re very fragile. With injuries that severe, forget about Sub Beastmen—even ordinary Beastmen wouldn’t survive.”

“He’s from the Giant Turtle Clan. I promised to keep it a secret.” Zhang Shuguang pulled his hand away from his head and pouted.

“Don’t go telling anyone else, okay?”

Mang Jiu tilted his chin. “He can’t keep it a secret himself.”

Zhang Shuguang sighed. “If he can’t keep it a secret, so be it. We’ll deal with it when he wakes up.” He wiped down A-Si’s body.

Seeing no sign that the other was about to wake up, he asked, “Do you have any idea why he’s like this?”

“I don’t know much about the Giant Turtle Clan’s Beastmen, but he should be waking up soon.” Seeing the markings on A-Si’s chest gradually fade away, Mang Jiu raised an eyebrow. “They’re gone.”

Zhang Shuguang turned to look and noticed the markings on A-Si’s chest had vanished as well, leaving his chest clean and bare once more. He frowned in confusion, just as A-Si let out a groan and opened his eyes, a faint green flash passing through his pupils.

Zhang Shuguang waved his hand in front of A-Si’s face. “A-Si?”

A-Si gave a soft “Mm-hmm” and closed his eyes again. After a moment, he opened them once more, his eyes having returned to their deep brown. Zhang Shuguang helped him sit up and gave him a sip of water.

After taking two sips, A-Si reached out, took the cup himself, and drank greedily, draining the entire long bamboo tube of water before wiping his mouth and letting out a sigh.

“I’m back.”

“What happened to you just now? You suddenly had a high fever.” Zhang Shuguang tossed the piece of leather he was holding onto himself. “You even had a pattern on your chest.”

A-Si looked down at his chest and ran a hand over it. Before he could speak, a sudden, excruciating pain shot through his knees.

“Ah!” He abruptly curled his legs up, his hands clawing fiercely at his knees. Zhang Shuguang was even more startled than he was; he reached out to support him but dared not touch him.

Mang Jiu frowned from the side, reached out to grab A-Si’s curled legs, and said to Zhang Shuguang, “Hold him down.”

Hearing this, Zhang Shuguang frantically pressed his hands against A-Si’s chest, but he still couldn’t stop the other man’s body from thrashing in agony. He was desperate. “I can’t hold him down! Someone, help me!”

No sooner had he shouted than Xi Ershi ran over from a short distance away.

Seeing A-Si’s condition, Xi Ershi froze for a moment, then quickly reached out to help Zhang Shuguang hold him down.

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” Zhang Shuguang shook his head, his face covered in sweat from anxiety. “I don’t know.”

Mang Jiu, his face grim, gripped A-Si’s ankles with both hands, trying his best to straighten his legs.

The pain made the veins on A-Si’s forehead bulge; his body writhed uncontrollably, letting out one agonized howl after another.

His screams were so piercing that they alerted the other Beastmen nearby.

Xi San arrived with his men and was startled by the sight of A-Si.

“Has he grown taller?”

Someone murmured, and only then did Zhang Shuguang notice that A-Si’s knees were a bloody mess. Not only that, but he began flailing his arms, so two more Beastmen ran over to pin them down.

Zhang Shuguang let go and stepped aside, taking a step back.

“Is he a Beastman?” Xi San stared at the beast markings flickering on and off on A-Si’s chest, utterly shocked. “Hold him down—don’t let him curl up, or he won’t survive.”

The others exchanged bewildered glances. Zhang Shuguang stood nearby, visibly nervous, but still asked curiously, “Brother Xi San, have you seen A-Si in this condition before?”

Xi San’s expression darkened as if a thought had struck him. He didn’t answer the question but said coldly, “If he can get through this, he’ll be able to take his beast form.”

“And if he doesn’t make it?” Xi Ershi turned pale with fear. The others nearby, who were about the same age as him, were equally pale, all of them anxious but too afraid to speak up.

Having spent the past few days with him, they’d all grown quite fond of A-Si—this quiet yet hardworking Sub-Beastman. Now that they knew he was a Beastman, they felt an even closer bond with him.

A-Si’s bones were being forcibly stretched, and the excruciating pain made him scream incessantly—the agony was so intense he couldn’t even pass out.

Though fully conscious and aware that the men holding him down were trying to help, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of resentment welling up inside him. If only, if only they hadn’t held him down, he certainly wouldn’t be in this much pain!

Zhang Shuguang kept a close watch on A-Si and noticed a hint of red mixed in with the green glow in his eyes, a sign that something was wrong.

He glanced around, then casually pulled out a clove of garlic from the bundle he’d brought and shoved it directly into A-Si’s open mouth.

A-Si, who had been so enraged he was about to bite someone, took a bite of the garlic. The flavor was so pungent and the heat so intense that he rolled his eyes from the sting.

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t pass out! I’ve got some Sichuan pepper water here—it’s got a nice numbing kick. Why don’t you take a couple of sips?” He pulled a bamboo tube out of his backpack and poured some of the Sichuan pepper water into the gap between A-Si’s lips.

A-Si’s eyes widened so much his eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets.

Zhang Shuguang sniffed and leaned in closer. “Si’er, you’ve got to hang in there. If you can’t take it and feel like passing out, I’ll pour a couple more mouthfuls of that Sichuan pepper water down your throat.”

A hoarse gurgle escaped from A-Si’s throat, and his eyes glared so fiercely that anyone unaware of the situation might have thought Zhang Shuguang was his sworn enemy. Zhang Shuguang took a step back to maintain a safe distance, smiling. “Hang in there, Si’er!”

A-Si let out a howl, overcome by both pain and rage.

The others turned to look at Zhang Shuguang, filled with admiration.

“He’s in such a state, and you’re still making snide remarks—how infuriating.”

While they stayed here to accompany A-Si through his evolution and transformation, Zhang Shuguang, having nothing else to do, took the three kids to the area where the stones were piled. They must have listened to A-Si’s instructions, as they had already sorted the stones into piles according to the characters he had written.

Zhang Shuguang noticed a pile of grayish-white stones nearby. He reached out and touched one—it felt quite hard.

He walked around the clearing, then stood on tiptoe to look into the distance. He remembered this area wasn’t far from the coast; digging a channel to the water should be no problem.

He didn’t go far, just circled around the area where the Beastmen lived. He found an open spot, sat down, and started a fire. As the fire blazed up, he propped his chin on one hand and admonished the three kids, who were running about, “Don’t wander too far.”

“Xiao Cai.”

Xiao Cai: “I’m here, Master.”

Zhang Shuguang: “From now on, you don’t need to tell me every day what tasks you have. It’s getting on my nerves.” 

Xiao Cai: “Master, are you going to shut me down again?!”

Zhang Shuguang: “I’m not finished yet.”

Xiao Cai: “Okay, Master. Sniffle, sniffle.”

Zhang Shuguang: “Aside from that timed mission of yours, just handle the other daily missions for me. Accept and complete the ones you can, and skip any that aren’t finished before the daily settlement.”

Xiao Cai: “…Master, you really are a clever one.”

Zhang Shuguang: “Thanks for the compliment. It’s settled then. Starting today, if your battery drops below 50%, you don’t need to tell me—nobody’s going to die anyway.”

Xiao Cai: “Got it, Master.”

Zhang Shuguang thought for a moment, then added, “Don’t forget to tell me about the rewards from app updates, and keep the navigation on at all times.” 

Xiao Cai: “Master, aren’t you worried about wasting battery power?”

Zhang Shuguang: “It’s fine. If we run out, we’ll just shut down together. If we’re going to die, we’ll die together.”

Xiao Cai: “…Master, you’re threatening me again. Sniff sniff sniff.”

Zhang Shuguang snorted. “Alright, go into hibernation.” 

Xiao Cai went into hibernation with a pitiful look.

“Shuguang,” came Mang Jiu’s voice.

Zhang Shuguang turned his head and saw Mang Jiu waving at him from a short distance away.

He quickly stood up, brushed off his pants, and ran toward Mang Jiu. “How’d it go? Did it work?”

Mang Jiu hummed in response. “Go take a look.”

Zhang Shuguang hurried over to where the crowd had gathered.

“This… a green-haired turtle?”

The crowd parted, and he saw the turtle lying on the ground.

It looked a lot like a land tortoise—with thick limbs, a long neck, and a bumpy shell. On its brownish-black shell grew a tuft of green fur, and the color was quite vibrant.

Zhang Shuguang circled the turtle once, then couldn’t resist reaching out to tug at the green fur. “Si’er, oh my, this fur is so soft!” Si’er turned his head and opened his mouth to bite him.

Zhang Shuguang waved a clove of garlic in front of it like a magician. “Bite me again, and I’ll feed you garlic!”

Si’er flapped its limbs a couple of times but didn’t stand up.

Zhang Shuguang noticed the problem too and turned to ask, “What’s going on? Can’t he speak?” 

Xi San shook his head. “I don’t know.”

The others shook their heads as well; they had no idea either.

Zhang Shuguang stroked his chin and turned to look at the turtle, which was about two meters long. Although it was quite large, it was nowhere near the giant turtle he had imagined.

Mang Jiu said, “Let’s get him something to eat first.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded. “A-Si likes wild vegetables and fruits. Go find some for him.” Xi Ershi spoke up, “I’ll go look for them!”

“I’ll go too!” Xiong Bai chimed in.

A-Si slowly shifted his limbs, took a few steps forward, then lay there motionless.

Zhang Shuguang glanced back at the blood-stained sand, pursed his lips, and stroked the turtle’s neck. “You’ve been through a lot. If you could turn back into human form, you’d have grown quite a bit taller.”

A-Si nudged him with his head.

Xi San walked over and asked Zhang Shuguang, “How are we going to dig the pit?”

Zhang Shuguang sketched a rough outline on the ground with a twig, then circled it a few times. “Ideally, we should dig a wide trench along this path, then dig a deep pit over here to collect seawater, and finally create an outlet to channel the seawater into the salt fields on this side.”

Xi San nodded and pointed at the sketch on the ground. “Shuguang, could you transfer this onto a board? We’ll dig according to this.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded, found a stone, and sketched the design on it. “It’d be best to dig inlets and outlets for all the salt fields. We’ll use stones to block them off, then just let the water out every day.”

Xi San listened intently. He even borrowed the black wooden stick Zhang Shuguang was holding and traced the diagram onto a piece of leather.

“I’ll have them start digging.”

Zhang Shuguang hummed in acknowledgment. “The stones I marked on the diagram will be used to pave the salt fields. Let’s lay down a section to test it first. About how long do you think it’ll take to finish digging?”

Xi San had the Beastmen all shift into their animal forms, then led the way himself as they began digging.

“It’ll be quick. You go rest for now.”

When he said “quickly,” he really meant it. If modern times had excavators, then this was the equivalent of having rhinos, giant wolves, and giant bears.

Beastmen worked together in a coordinated effort: the rhinos of the Giant Rhino Clan pushed the soil forward with their heads, while the Giant Bear Clan and Giant Wolf Clan followed behind, repeatedly trampling the ground to compact it, while Mang Jiu and Mang Wu worked alongside them, embedding ordinary stones into the banks on either side.

“Mang Jiu,” Zhang Shuguang called out, “Don’t bother setting stones in it—it’s useless. The seawater will wash them all away.”

Mang Jiu was very obedient; without even asking why, he tossed the stones aside, brushed the dirt off his hands, then tugged at his leather skirt and instantly transformed.

Zhang Shuguang flinched, his face pale as he gave a wry smile. “You didn’t have to be so abrupt.”

The massive python rolled back and forth on the ground a few times, then raised its tail and lashed it out a few times—and just like that, a trench long, wide, and deep enough for wading was formed. Zhang Shuguang’s mouth twitched, and he rubbed his face hard with his hand.

The other Beastmen immediately stepped aside to make room after the Mang Jiu transformed, voluntarily moving to the rear and beginning to stomp the ground over and over. Seeing them tamp the ground down solidly, Zhang Shuguang couldn’t help but clap his hands. “Impressive! I’m truly impressed.”

A-Si also moved over to his side, with the three little ones lying quietly on the turtle’s shell.

Zhang Shuguang chuckled, leaned back against the turtle’s shell, and smacked his lips. “Did you suddenly transform because you’ve been eating more lately and getting enough nutrition?”

A-Si shook his big head up and down—a surprisingly agile movement.

Zhang Shuguang chuckled, “Take it easy with that shaking. Your neck’s already long enough—what if it gets so stretched out that you can’t retract it back into human form?”

The three little ones couldn’t stay put for even two minutes; they were immediately drawn to the green fur swaying in the breeze. Naidou reached out with a paw first, then wiggled his hips as he lunged upward.

Maodou was the most aggressive; he pushed off with his hind legs, raised his front paws, and swatted at the green fur with both. Tangdou was the most reserved; he simply used his little beak to gently nip at the green fur, then tugged it backward. A-Si, the turtle, turned his head to glance at the three mischievous little ones, then turned back.

Zhang Shuguang leaned sideways against A-Si, his hand scratching and tickling the edges of the turtle’s shell. He was envious—he wanted to climb up and sit there too! He’d ridden snakes, rhinos, and bears; riding a turtle was definitely on the list.

He reached up to touch it, then frowned slightly.

He looked up at the sky; the sun was directly overhead—it was noon.

“Your back is already hot enough now. How are you going to survive when it gets really hot? You could fry an egg up here.”

“…It’s… not… hot.” A hoarse voice came from beside him. Zhang Shuguang looked over in surprise and saw that A-Si, who had spoken, looked just as bewildered.

“I… can…”

“Si’er, calm down,” Zhang Shuguang patted him on the neck. “That voice of yours is really awful. Wait until you’ve adjusted before speaking again.”

A-Si opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.

Over there, Mang Jiu had already started digging the pit needed for the first salt field; dust swirled everywhere, making anyone who looked on cough involuntarily. Zhang Shuguang couldn’t help but mutter, “He’s fast, sure, but it’s really messy.”

He’d only meant to mutter this to himself, but the massive python churning away suddenly froze.

As the dust settled, Zhang Shuguang waved his hand in front of his face and saw the massive python slithering toward him, twisting its thick body.

“You think I’m dirty?” Mang Jiu spoke up.

Zhang Shuguang’s mouth twitched. “I was just… making an observation.”

Mang Jiu turned his serpentine head toward Xi San and said, “I’m tired. You guys handle it.”

With that, he shifted back into human form.

“I’ll take you fishing.” He grabbed Zhang Shuguang’s hand and pulled him over, then glanced at A-Si Guigu. “Are you coming too?”

A-Si gave a soft “Mm-hmm,” then slowly shuffled forward on all fours. It was clear he wasn’t very skilled at controlling his animal form.

The pond wasn’t far from there. Zhang Shuguang was led along by Mang Jiu, while A-Si followed behind, carrying three little ones on his back. At first, he moved slowly on all fours, but as he gradually got used to it, his pace picked up considerably.

The three of them had a meal of grilled fish and brought some back with them. Zhang Shuguang got his wish and rode on the turtle’s back, even playing with the green-haired one for a while. However, he found that riding the turtle’s back wasn’t as comfortable as riding other Beastmen in their animal forms. The turtle’s shell was too rough; without a cushion, even wearing leather shorts didn’t help—it rubbed his thighs raw.

“We’re back. We’ve dug out the spot. Take a look at how we’ve laid out the stones.” Xi San, covered in dirt, pointed as he saw them return. Standing on Broken Mountain, Zhang Shuguang looked out to see four shallow pits arranged side by side, each separated by a dirt wall, with two drainage holes cut into it.

“You guys really worked fast!” He’d originally thought digging the salt pans would take at least three days, but they’d finished it all in just half a day! He had to admit the Beastmen’s physical prowess was truly impressive.

“I’ll make some fish soup. You guys should drink it and rest a bit before laying out the skins. I’ll go down and take a look.” After Zhang Shuguang finished speaking, he turned to speak to Mang Jiu, only to see A-Si suddenly shift back into human form, lying naked on the ground, looking a bit disheveled.

Zhang Shuguang quickly grabbed a piece of animal hide and tossed it to him; A-Si’s own hide skirt had been torn to shreds during his transformation. A-Si wrapped the hide skirt around himself, stood up, and staggered forward a couple of steps before letting out a sigh of relief. “I thought I wouldn’t be able to change back.” 

Zhang Shuguang raised an eyebrow and chuckled, “What’s the difference between walking on all fours and walking on two legs?”

“It feels like I can’t tell my hands from my feet.” A-Si laughed, looking down at him slightly. Zhang Shuguang resented the feeling of being looked down upon.

A-Si had originally been about the same height as him, but now the other guy was actually quite a bit taller. Not only was A-Si taller than him, but standing next to Mang Jiu, he actually looked a bit taller than Mang Jiu at a glance. However, he looked slimmer and didn’t have Mang Jiu’s thick muscles.

Zhang Shuguang pouted. “Being taller has its perks—the air up there feels fresher.”

A-Si sighed helplessly, “If you told me to shift into beast form right now, I wouldn’t even know how to shift back. Besides, I didn’t shift back on my own just now.”

Xi San, who had been listening nearby, spoke up, “You’d better try transforming on your own more often these days. The beast mark on your chest hasn’t faded, which means you can still shift.” After saying this, he gave a hearty laugh and patted A-Si on the shoulder. “Eat more—look how small you are in beast form.”

A-Si nearly fell to his knees from the slap, but luckily, Zhang Shuguang was there to steady him.

“Xi San, tell them to gather some firewood and stoke the fire. I’ll make some fish soup.” Zhang Shuguang pan-fried all the fish he’d brought back in animal fat, then added some sea salt and water to simmer them. Aside from lemongrass, he didn’t add any other seasonings. He brought it to a rolling boil, and soon a delicious aroma began to waft through the air.

While the fish soup was simmering, Zhang Shuguang went down into the pit to take a look. The ground had been trampled back and forth by Beastmen many times and was now quite hard. He walked around the pit, counted the number of stones, and looked up. “Six stones per pit. Set the rest aside for now.”

Mang Jiu nodded. “Alright.”

After drinking the fish soup, the Beastmen got back to work—laying stones, trampling them down, rumbling back and forth. They labored until dusk before taking a break.

Zhang Shuguang stood on high ground, looking down at the salt fields that had taken shape below. He nodded with satisfaction.

“We can start flooding them at high tide tomorrow morning. If we work quickly, we’ll have the first batch of salt crystals ready before sunset.”

“Well, let’s get some sleep first. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.” Mang Jiu pulled the person close and pointed to a rock nearby. “I had them pile the remaining rocks together. You can make do with that for now.”

Zhang Shuguang smacked his lips and said with a smile, “Thanks.”

This was a natural, insulated shelter, much warmer than a cave with no door.

Early the next morning, Zhang Shuguang opened his eyes to the cheers of the Beastmen. As he had requested, the inlet for the incoming tide had been left wide open, and before long, the salt field was filled with seawater. Everyone washed their feet and jumped into the field, tossing the fish Zhang Shuguang had prepared in advance into the water.

With the heat from the stones and the rising sun, the seawater in the salt field began to evaporate noticeably. Watching this, Zhang Shuguang quickly had someone open the outlet to drain the water into the next field.

Then began the cycle of draining, refilling, draining, and refilling.

It wasn’t until the sun was about to set that the Beastmen, after a busy day’s work, were delighted to discover that a layer of white granules had formed across the salt fields beneath their feet.

Zhang Shuguang, along with A-Si and Mang Jiu, had crafted numerous wooden shovels and wooden boards to help gather the crystallized salt more efficiently.

“Shovel these crystals into the barrels, then place them in the last salt field to dry,” he said, pointing to the adjacent salt field that had no inlet. and said earnestly, “While the salt is drying, you must keep turning it gently. Also, pay close attention to the weather. If it looks like rain is coming, you must gather the salt early—otherwise, all our hard work will be for nothing.”

Everyone nodded. When Chief Xiong Kui had first asked them to help lay out the salt pans, the young Beastmen had actually been skeptical. But today, as the crystallized salt began to take shape before their eyes, they had no choice but to believe.

At that very moment, the dozen or so Beastmen’s regard for Zhang Shuguang skyrocketed. A couple of them even went to find Mang Jiu, challenging him to a duel.

Mang Jiu sent them all flying with a single swipe of his tail, making it clear that they should go cool off somewhere else.

“What should we do with this water?” Xi San pointed to the water left in the salt fields.

Zhang Shuguang replied, “Leave it there. Once I’ve grown the soybeans, this brine will actually come in handy—we can use it to make tofu.” He yawned. Although he hadn’t done much that day, preparing three meals and constantly monitoring the salt’s drying process had been quite exhausting. “Xi San, tell them this water isn’t drinkable. Even if it tastes salty, it’s still not good. Drinking too much of it is very bad for your health.”

“Bad?” Xi San turned to look at him, clearly puzzled. “But just a moment ago, quite a few small wild animals came over to drink from it.”

“……” Zhang Shuguang’s mouth twitched. Alright, he’d underestimated the local wildlife once again.

That night, as he lay down to sleep in the stone-built shelter, the three little ones beside him were already snoring away.

Tangdou was lying comfortably on Naidou’s furry belly, covered by Maodou’s large tail.

Zhang Shuguang stared at the three cubs for a moment, then rolled over.

He stared at Mang Jiu for a moment, then rolled over again.

He tossed and turned for quite a while, but sleep still eluded him.

He decided to crawl out of the warm den, wrap himself in a pelt, and walk to the nearby salt flats, where he sat down on a dirt embankment.

Here, without the moon’s light, the night sky was exceptionally dark—not a trace of indigo could be seen. Stars, each as brilliant as a diamond, dotted the heavens. As he looked up, a shooting star would occasionally streak across the sky.

“This is the most beautiful sky I’ve ever seen.” Since arriving here, he’d been busy every day, and even after dark, he’d never had the heart to sit quietly and admire the night sky. But tonight, his sudden insomnia had allowed him to witness the beauty of the night sky.

Mang Jiu stood behind him, shielding him from the night breeze, and asked, “Why can’t you sleep?” Having lived in the cave for so many days, Zhang Shuguang had always fallen asleep shortly after lying down; it was truly rare for him to toss and turn like this tonight.

Zhang Shuguang turned his head to glance at him. “Move a little closer. I need to lean on you for a bit.”

Mang Jiu obediently took two steps forward, sat down behind him with his legs outstretched, and wrapped his arms around Zhang Shuguang, almost as if he were embracing him.

The posture was intimate, yet neither Zhang Shuguang nor Mang Jiu felt anything was amiss.

Mang Jiu stepped forward, wrapping his arms around his waist, while Zhang Shuguang leaned back, relaxing as he nestled against his chest.

“We’ll see the salt flats tomorrow morning. When we get there, let’s catch a cow. I’ll make some beef jerky for you.” 

Zhang Shuguang tilted his face up to look at the stars above him, smiling as he talked about the snacks he wanted to eat. “I’ll make some sausages, too. Now that we have cinnamon and garlic, we can make all sorts of things. Cinnamon tastes great when removed; if we save some clean intestines, we can use them as casings,” he mumbled, counting on his fingers as he spoke.

He didn’t need Mang Jiu to respond; he just wanted to ramble to himself. Mang Jiu listened quietly as Zhang Shuguang spoke with his eyes half-closed.

“When we get back, I’ll have to build an oven and dig up clay to make pottery. It’s going to be so busy.”

“I want to get the people in the tribe to make pottery together. If we can make a bigger batch, we can use it to trade for things at the gathering.”

“Can I come along to the gathering? I want to go to other places to find some crop seeds to plant. Maybe I’ll discover rice and wheat.” 

“Do you know what wheat is?”

“Rice smells so good. I love rice. I’m craving some rice.”

“Shaman is amazing—he knows everything I’m thinking about.”

“I need to grow soybeans quickly. Soybeans are great—you can make tofu and press oil from them, and all kinds of soy products are made from soybeans.”

“I’d also love to have stir-fried eggs with persimmons. If you serve that with rice, it’s absolutely delicious.” 

“I’m craving braised spare ribs. Could you bring back a pig for me tomorrow?”

“Let’s weave a big bed out of vines and hang it in the tree. Weave a few more—anyone who’s free can lie down and rest on them. It’s cool and relaxing.” 

“Time sure flies. I haven’t even done much, and the day’s already over.”

“What if I forget all of them?”

“I’m sleepy.” Zhang Shuguang didn’t realize when he’d ended up lying on his back in Mang Jiu’s arms, talking until his throat was dry. He couldn’t help but cover his face and laugh. “I must be a little out of my mind from the wind. Why am I rambling on to you like this?”

Mang Jiu looked down at him, his rough fingers gently tracing his face. “I like listening.” Zhang Shuguang looked at him, curled the corners of his mouth, and reached up to pinch his earlobe—it was soft and felt amazing.

Mang Jiu flinched reflexively, but when he saw the other man’s stern gaze, he eventually relaxed his body and let him play with it.

Zhang Shuguang smiled, narrowing his eyes, and hummed, “You look so stiff, but your earlobes are plump and soft—they’re actually quite nice to pinch.” Mang Jiu cleared his throat uncomfortably and, returning the favor, poked him in the dimple on his cheek.

“Don’t poke me!” Zhang Shuguang glared at him.

Mang Jiu ignored him; as long as he didn’t let go, he’d keep poking.

The two of them seemed to be competing, one rubbing the other’s earlobe, the other poking the dimple.

After a while, Zhang Shuguang couldn’t help but laugh, and only then did Mang Jiu reach out and pull him into his arms. “I’ll take you for a bath.”

“Huh?” Zhang Shuguang was taken aback by his sudden move and was even more surprised when he heard what he said.

“Taking a cold bath in the middle of the night? Are you worried I’m too healthy?”

Mang Jiu shook his head. “I’m taking you for a warm bath.”

“Warm water?” Zhang Shuguang sat up, a look of surprise on his face. “Where would there be warm water?”

“In the ocean.” Mang Jiu gave him a smile, one that had a slightly mischievous edge to it—a look that didn’t seem to fit the usually serious, stern man at all.

Zhang Shuguang blinked. He had heard that the water in some parts of the ocean was warm, but that depended on the location. The ocean here not only has warm currents but might also be home to giant sea beasts.

With his scrawny build, he’d probably be nothing more than a snack for a giant sea beast if he ran into one. But the idea of soaking in warm water was incredibly tempting, making Zhang Shuguang unable to resist the urge to give it a try.

Taking a bath in the ocean—what if he didn’t run into a giant sea beast, but instead came across all sorts of seafood? He’d been so busy with the salt fields these past few days that he’d completely forgotten to catch some seafood to eat!

With that thought, Zhang Shuguang found it hard to sit still.

Still, he remained cautious and asked, “Are you talking about warm water in the ocean, or somewhere else?”

“There’s an island in the ocean with a warm-water pool,” said Mang Jiu. “You can only see the island at night—it’s not very big.”

Zhang Shuguang stood up, excitedly exclaiming, “Let’s go, let’s go! Hurry up and take me to see it.”

Islands like this, accessible only at low tide, often hide plenty of delicious treats!

“Grab the backpack, plus some salt and a pot. No need to bring oil. Leave the kids with A-Si—let’s get going.” Zhang Shuguang ran toward the greenhouse. After gathering his things, he nudged A-Si awake and told him that he and Mang Jiu were going out for a bit, asking him to help look after the kids.

A-Si was half-asleep, peering at him with half-open eyes. After hearing what he said, he mumbled a couple of “mms” before rolling over and going back to sleep. Mang Jiu exchanged a few words with Xi San, who had been on night watch, then took the backpack from Zhang Shuguang’s hands, slung it across his chest, and bent down.

Zhang Shuguang didn’t need him to say a word; the moment he bent down, Zhang leaped up, his legs hooking around

him, and wrapped his arms around Mang Jiu’s neck. Xi San nodded and chuckled, “You’re pretty skilled at that.”

Zhang Shuguang gave a dry laugh and waved his hand. “We’re off. We’ll be back tomorrow morning.”

“No problem. We’ll keep sun-drying salt tomorrow. We’ve done this once already, so we know the drill.” Xi San had no intention of stopping the two of them from going out alone. He knew how formidable Mang Jiu was; if Mang Jiu wanted to take his Sub-Beastman out for a spin, it would be a problem if he tried to stop them.

Zhang Shuguang had no idea what Xi San was imagining. He simply asked him to keep an eye on the kid, thanked him, and left with Mang Jiu.

At the seaside, Mang Jiu placed the animal-skin skirt into her backpack and transformed into her massive beast form.

Zhang Shuguang swallowed hard. Watching him slip into the water and vanish from sight, he blinked hard. Wait, if he’s going in, does that mean he has to take his clothes off, too?

Otherwise, getting back on shore in wet underwear or something would probably feel uncomfortable, right? But…

But having him… ride a giant snake or something… how embarrassing!