If Zhang Shuguang had thoroughly read this book he had entered, titled The Beast Lord’s Mad Wife, he would have known that the author mentioned legends about gods in the interrupted plot—meaning the existence of roles like the Beast God, Divine Child, Divine Messenger, Shaman, and Shaman Attendant.

The protagonist of the book, having received the Beast God’s blessing, gradually grew stronger, eventually becoming a dominant figure in his domain.

The Beast God bestowed favor upon its subjects, dispatching Divine Children and Divine Messengers to tribes that held profound reverence for it, aiding their growth and prosperity.

These elements formed the foundational framework—the most basic structural outline for the narrative.

The problem is, Zhang Shuguang hadn’t read this book—or rather, he hadn’t even gotten around to reading it before he was transported into its pages.

Perhaps others who undergo such transpositions might, having read the book beforehand, find an excuse to adopt a title for themselves upon arrival—to boost their credibility and facilitate their actions. But not him. He himself didn’t quite believe in concepts like Beast Gods, Divine Children, or Divine Messengers.

Zhang Shuguang neither believed nor commented excessively on these concepts. After all, they served as the spiritual pillars for the tribal Beastmen. If Beastmen could exist, why couldn’t a Beast God?

He understood why Wu Ming and others were so determined to see him as a Divine Child. After all, he’d repeatedly produced things they’d never seen before—especially salt production, which wasn’t something ordinary people would even consider.

Getting the Beastmen, who lived strictly by instinct and tradition, to accept new and novel things was actually quite difficult.

Zhang Shuguang gazed into the old shaman’s slightly clouded eyes and sighed inwardly.

He knew Wu Ming had harbored doubts about his identity from the very beginning. Otherwise, that night after their meeting, the other wouldn’t have immediately asked him where he came from.

Zhang Shuguang understood that Wu Ming harbored no ill will toward him. In fact, the old shaman was using his last reserves of power to protect himself.

Otherwise, Wu Ming wouldn’t have repeatedly elevated Zhang Shuguang’s status, solely to secure greater support and respect for him within the tribe.

Truthfully, Zhang Shuguang was deeply moved by his actions.

As a recent graduate thrust straight into corporate life, he’d already been worn down by society. The fiery spirit he’d possessed in college didn’t translate to the real world. No one would accommodate or adapt to you—you had to adapt to society.

Sure, some fresh graduates made a splash right away, but Zhang Shuguang knew he lacked that kind of boldness. He preferred steady, long-term growth.

He had only been in this unfamiliar world for three days. Everything here was novel to him. Even if he truly wanted to claim some lofty identity for himself, now was not the time.

When he held enough cards to win over the masses, he certainly wouldn’t shortchange himself.

These thoughts couldn’t be shared with the old Shaman before him, so Zhang Shuguang shook his head, declining the offer.

“Shaman,” he said, his usual polite smile replaced by earnest seriousness, “I know you mean well, but the time truly isn’t right.”

Wu Ming frowned deeply, baffled by this renewed refusal.

Xiong Kui and Xi San, standing nearby, were equally perplexed. To them, Zhang Shuguang’s salt-making skill alone was sufficient to make him the next Shaman—his lack of magical power was irrelevant.

Thus, when Wu Ming had just declared Zhang Shuguang a divine envoy, they had immediately played along. They hadn’t anticipated that the title of divine envoy would be rejected, nor that of Divine Child accepted.

Zhang Shuguang realized that if he didn’t dispel this notion today, he’d be hounded with titles for a long time to come.

He glanced at Xi San and Xiong Kui. He understood that Xi San had been brought by Xiong Kui to witness his salt-making—a clear indication of Xi San’s high standing within the tribe, likely serving as one of Xiong Kui’s trusted confidants. As for Wu Ming, there was no need to elaborate; from their very first meeting, he had showered Zhang Shuguang with flattery.

Even with a familiar phone for company, Zhang Shuguang felt unsettled in this alien world. Frankly, he simply lacked a sense of belonging here.

Now, he desperately wanted to unburden himself by sharing his thoughts with someone, but in the end, he swallowed them back.

“Even if I truly am the Divine Child, my Father wouldn’t want me to exploit my status for unearned gains.” Since he couldn’t say much, he offered a reason they might accept.

After speaking, Zhang Shuguang didn’t look at their expressions. He turned away and began working on the large block of sea salt crystals.

He was focused on the fine salt task. Settlement time was fast approaching, and he couldn’t afford to waste any more minutes.

Wu Ming froze upon hearing his words, his face turning pale as if he’d just nearly sabotaged the Beast God’s plan to cultivate his son.

Xiong Kui and Xi San weren’t faring much better. Their gaze toward Zhang Shuguang shifted once more—from surprise at his salt-making skill to astonishment at the possibility he might be the Divine Child.

Could it be… they’d truly stumbled upon the Divine Child venturing out for training?

But recalling Zhang Shuguang’s demeanor, they buried their speculations deep within. Unspoken, they each warned themselves: as long as the Divine Child didn’t reveal his true identity, they would pretend nothing had happened, as if they knew nothing.

The three exchanged knowing glances and nodded simultaneously.

That’s right. The matter of our tribe having a Divine Child—we absolutely won’t speak of it. We’ll bury it deep within our hearts!

Zhang Shuguang was unaware of the wild theories swirling in these three minds. He used his bone knife to chip away at the salt block on the large banana leaf. Setting aside a small portion, he wrapped the larger remainder in the leaf and began gently pounding it with a stone.

After each round of pounding, he would unfold the leaf to check the fineness of the salt grains. After repeating this several times, he finally produced a bundle of fine salt, white as sand.

“Xiao Cai, Xiao Cai.”

Xiao Cai: “Master, I’m here.”

Zhang Shuguang: “See if this can complete the task.”

Xiao Cai: “Master, detected that the fine salt quality fully meets edible standards. Task can be completed.”

Zhang Shuguang: “Really! “ He was thrilled. He’d only tried it on a whim, never expecting it to work. Glancing at the fine salt on the leaf, he asked, ”Don’t I need to store the salt in the app?“

Xiao Cai: ”Yes, but storing it now would reveal the app’s existence. Task-required items become locked upon completion and cannot be used in daily life. You may also hand over the item at your convenience.”

Zhang Shuguang processed the meaning: this pound of salt was for display only, not consumption. Every single gram of the required item must be handed over.

He sighed. Fine, as long as the task was completed.

By now, the sun was already setting in the west. Zhang Shuguang asked, “What time is it?”

Xiao Cai: “Earth time: 16:33.”

Zhang Shuguang calculated the time: boiling two buckets of seawater yielded about one and a half pounds of salt blocks, taking five and a half hours. If one and a half pounds of salt were consumed by one person, it would last roughly two months.

The yield was quite good. If the salt concentration could be increased further, the resulting salt would have a purer taste and be saltier, reducing the amount needed by the human body.

Zhang Shuguang was quite satisfied with this outcome.

But having people stand around boiling salt in stone pots every day was too grueling and inefficient. The best method was still the oldest salt-field sun-drying technique, capable of mass-producing refined salt.

He rubbed his chin, the stubble prickly and itchy. He pulled out his bone knife, sharpened it on a nearby rock, then walked to the waterhole and shaved by its reflection.

Thanks to the bone knife’s sharpness and my steady hand!

Otherwise, I’d have disfigured myself.

Wu Ming and the others had snapped back to reality from their earlier dazed state. They now examined the fine salt grains Zhang Shuguang had crushed, each pinching a bit between their fingers to rub and test.

“Chief, if we bring the tribe members here to boil salt, we could soon have enough salt for everyone in the tribe.”

Fine salt grains slipped through Xi San’s fingers, landing on the leaf beneath him and forming a small pile.

Zhang Shuguang watched his movements nervously, dreading that he might get the wrong idea and lick it. If he discovered the salt had no taste, Zhang would have no excuse to make up some nonsense.

Fortunately, Xi San wasn’t that inconsiderate. This salt had been painstakingly boiled and refined. He had already tasted it earlier and wouldn’t waste it by licking it again.

Zhang Shuguang exhaled in relief and addressed the three men: “Boiling seawater directly is the simplest salt-making method, but the resulting salt lacks sufficient concentration. Digging salt ponds and sun-drying salt not only yields higher-concentration, purer-tasting salt but also greatly increases production. The only drawback is its dependence on weather—heavy rain makes it impossible.”

He paused, then added, “If there’s a volcano nearby, or somewhere with high temperatures, you could dig salt ponds there.” If it’s close enough, you could dig channels to bring seawater for irrigation. If it’s too far, there’s no way around it.

Moreover, Zhang Shuguang harbored a personal motive. The coastline was an open territory. Even if tribes were geographically distant, it didn’t mean others wouldn’t send spies once they learned of his salt-making skills. If they observed and mastered the sun-drying method, wouldn’t his tribe lose valuable opportunities to trade for supplies?

While perpetual monopoly was impossible, salt production could still help the tribe accumulate considerable wealth.

In this savage age, where even food was often blood-stained, hoarding resources and developing slowly was the only path to strength.

Issues Zhang Shuguang could foresee were naturally recognized by Xiong Kui, the tribal leader.

He simply didn’t know the specifics of salt-making. Hearing Zhang Shuguang ask about volcanoes, he frowned thoughtfully before shaking his head. “There are no volcanoes on the Eastern Continent, but there is a cave with very high temperatures.”

Zhang Shuguang’s brow furrowed at the mention of a cave. “A cave might not work. The terrain is too high to channel seawater for irrigation. We need a lower-lying area.”

Xi San turned to ask Xiong Kui, “Chief, are you referring to the Hot Rock Cave over by the Manghuang Plains?”

Xiong Kui nodded. Noticing Zhang Shuguang’s puzzled expression, he explained, “The Manghuang Plains lie in the direction of our tribe.” He pointed north.

“There’s a rocky mountain over there with a small cave. The temperature inside that cave is exceptionally high—not even cold during the snow season. However, during the snow season, the Manghuang Plains draw many wild beasts. Some of these beasts occupy that cave as their winter den. Beasts in the snow season are extremely dangerous, which is why no tribe settles in the Manghuang Plains.

The surrounding tribes usually send foraging teams there to gather wild berries. That area is abundant with them, ripening in vast quantities during the rainy season. You can go check it out then—the berries are quite tasty.”

Zhang Shuguang wasn’t particularly interested in wild berries. What caught his attention was that rocky mountain with its high temperatures!

His search for a volcano was to use volcanic rock to absorb heat and increase the temperature for evaporating seawater. If the stones from this rock mountain could have the same effect, they could directly replace volcanic rock and be used to pave the ground of the salt fields!

The distance to the rock mountain didn’t matter—they just needed to smash the stones and carry them back! Assigning this task to the strong Beastmen would be a piece of cake.

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, already sketching a rough layout of the salt fields in his mind.

Zhang Shuguang’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Xiong Kui, his face radiating unhidden delight. “Could you take me to see it? If those stones are usable, we’ll carry them back to pave the ground. That would speed up salt production.”

Xiong Kui scratched his head. Truthfully, he wanted to agree.

But the problem was, the rock mountain wasn’t close. A round trip would take at least five or six days. If he took someone without Mang Jiu’s permission, Mang Jiu would likely explode with rage upon returning.

Literally blow up the nest. Mang Jiu might literally blow up his own nest.

“Let’s wait until Mang Jiu returns. Have him accompany you.” As the tribe’s leader, he couldn’t be too selfish. If he sent a Beastman to carry Shuguang back and forth, and something… unspeakable happened along the way, Mang Jiu would be furious!

After all, he’d watched Mang Jiu grow up. The beastman had finally found a satisfactory mate to stay in the cave—he couldn’t let anything ruin that! Especially since this beastman’s status was no ordinary matter! He absolutely couldn’t let him wander off.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shuguang dismissed the idea, reasoning that waiting for Mang Jiu’s return was acceptable.

He and Mang Jiu were roommates now. If he stayed away too long, Mang Jiu would definitely have something to say about it.

And most importantly, Mang Jiu would never agree to help him raise Nai Dou!

His little Nai Dou was so delicate and fragile. What if he were sent to live in that big cave and got bullied by the other cubs there? What if he didn’t get enough to eat and lost all the precious little meat he’d worked so hard to put on?

After imagining how pitifully his little one would fare without him, Zhang Shuguang nodded repeatedly in agreement to Xiong Kui’s suggestion.

“Fine, fine, fine! We’ll go together when Mang Jiu returns!” I’ll bring the little one along then—no one will ever separate me from my baby!

The kitten Zhang Shuguang was so preoccupied with was currently standing triumphantly atop a rock. Though small in stature, its claws were sharp.

Facing any little ones daring to bully him, Nai Dou flashed its claws and pounced, scratching wildly. If I don’t cover your faces with claw marks, I’m not Daddy’s good little kitten!

“Awoo~!”

“Ooh~Awoo~!”

“Chirp~Chirp~!”

“Hiss~Hiss~!”

“Moo~Mmm!”

“Meow-Awoo~!! Myaaah~!!! Ssshah!!”

The great cave where the young ones who couldn’t transform yet lived echoed with the sounds of beasts, bustling with activity.

Eagles soared, cats leaped, wolves and bears were restless, and snakes coiled around rhinos as they scurried about.

The younger generation of Beastmen heard the commotion and curiously gathered outside the great cave, peering inside.

What were their little brothers and sisters doing? Why were they crying out so pitifully? Had they encountered wild beasts?

Yet, adhering to the tribe’s unwritten rules, the young Beastmen wouldn’t help the younger cubs. They’d been through it themselves—when bullied, they fought back, biting, goring with horns.

If they couldn’t win, it meant they were outmatched, deserving of the bullying.

As the sole cub of the Giant Cat Tribe, Nai Dou perfectly inherited their fighting prowess. Agile and nimble, he darted through gaps with his petite frame, delivering a swipe here, a swipe there—each claw strike precise. No blood, but guaranteed pain!

Only after swiping at every single one of the dozen or so Beastman cubs in the cave did Nai Dou stand triumphantly atop the cave’s sole stone slab bed. Tilting his fluffy little head back, he let out a high-pitched, babyish roar: “Meow~~~Woo~~Woo!!”

The dozen or so furry cubs had their fur ruffled by the claws, but luckily, the kitten’s claws weren’t sharp enough to draw blood. And the little ones were covered in thick fur, so they weren’t truly scratched. The two hairless giant python cubs and three giant rhinoceros cubs were the unlucky ones. Especially the giant rhinoceros cubs—Nai Dou had left white scratch marks all over their bodies, though thankfully no blood was drawn.

The giant python cubs fled swiftly. Realizing the giant rhinoceros cubs weren’t safe either, they decisively slithered away to the farthest corner of the cave, leisurely sticking out their tongues to watch the battle unfold.

Yu’s two little bear cubs huddled together, their fur puffed up in distress, shielded by the white-furred kitten beside them.

The whole incident started because Yu had divided the fish soup Zhang Shuguang had made before leaving among the three cubs. The elder, Xiong Nini, was greedier than his younger sister, Xiong Niuniu. She held the last mouthful of fish soup in her mouth, unwilling to swallow it, wanting to savor it slowly.

Yu was heading out to dig potatoes, so he let the three cubs come to the big cave to play with the other cubs.

It was meant well, but the mouthful of fish broth in Xiong Nini’s mouth caused trouble.

When the little cubs gathered together, they inevitably started wrestling and biting. Plus, the three of them smelled delicious when they came in.

The cub with the keenest nose among the giant wolf pack circled Xiong Nini, sniffing him all over.

Not content with just sniffing, the wolf cub lifted its leg and tried to climb onto Nini.

The little cub meant no harm; it was simply drawn by the enticing aroma of meat.

Xiong Nini was so startled that she spilled most of the fish soup from her mouth. Seeing her sister bullied, Xiong Niuniu couldn’t stand it! She charged straight over and knocked the wolf cub flat on its back.

This time, the wolf cub wasn’t having it. It let out a howl, and the other wolf cubs in the cave all gathered around, pouncing on Xiong Nini and Xiong Niuniu together.

Under normal circumstances, if the sisters were bullied, the other cubs of the Giant Bear Clan would surely come to their aid. But today was different—because they were hoarding the tasty food for themselves!

In the large cave, whatever the cubs had, they shared. Everything was meant to be shared.

But look what happened!

Xiong Nini and Xiong Niuniu were hogging the food all to themselves!

And that new little runt—he smelled delicious too!

The Giant Bear Clan cubs didn’t intervene, and the Giant Rhinoceros Clan cubs were originally outside the fray. But don’t underestimate the bear sisters—they packed a serious punch, knocking all the wolf cubs flat on their backs. The cave was small, and with all the tumbling and thrashing about, accidental injuries were bound to happen.

So the little ones started kicking each other with wolf paws and bear claws, adding rhino charges and eagle slaps to the mix—a total free-for-all.

Spotting the bear sisters pinned beneath the pile, the little kitten’s fur stood on end.

Daddy said to play with these two bear cubs! They don’t have eggs, but I do—I have to protect them!

With that, Nai Dou charged in. One cat against a pack of cubs, he successfully rescued the bear sisters.

Licking its paw, Nai Dou gave the other cubs a couple of hisses, then swung his fluffy tail and turned, scampering off with a wiggle.

The bear sisters exchanged a glance and quickly followed right behind it, dashing off like the wind.

Why wait to run? The kitten only won because of the surprise attack. If those cubs had time to react, the three of them would still be getting beaten!

By the time the cubs reacted, the trio had already raced from the first level to the third. Mang Jiu’s cave was on the fourth level.

Nai Dou darted into the cave first. The bear sisters weren’t as agile as him, but they were still fast. By the time the three of them entered the cave, the other cubs had just chased them out of the large cave on the first level.

But for the flying giant eagle cubs, the fourth level was merely a matter of height. They could simply flap their little wings hard to soar up.

Nai Dou stared wide-eyed at the wobbly, unstable flight of the eagle cubs, baring his teeth and growling fiercely.

“Myaaah!!”

“Caw caw!!”

The eagle cubs spotted the fish drying at the cave entrance, and their cries grew even more excited.

Nai Dou’s fur bristled as he lunged forward to grab them.

One eagle chick dodged him in flight, but having only recently learned to fly, its movements were unsteady. It couldn’t hover at all, so when the kitten startled it, the chick couldn’t coordinate its wing beats and plummeted straight down.

Startled, Nai Dou shot forward with a meow, biting the chick’s wing and hauling it back up.

“Waaahhh!!!”

The bear sisters spotted the commotion and rushed over to help.

The three cubs pulled the eagle chick back together.

The other eaglets were startled too, chirping incessantly.

Their cries drew the remaining adult Beastmen from the tribe. Ying Liu spread his wings and soared into the air, maintaining his winged humanoid form. Spotting the four cubs huddled together, he frowned in confusion.

The little ones couldn’t speak, making communication impossible, but their posture made it clear: the fledgling eagle had likely encountered danger while learning to fly and had been rescued.

Ying Liu landed on the platform and separated the young ones.

The eaglets were genuinely frightened, their wings quivering as they chirped softly.

Nai Dou’s heart pounded wildly, too. The bear sisters huddled close, their eyes filled with terror.

Just then, the cubs chasing from below arrived. Spotting the adult Beastmen, they didn’t dare roughhouse like before. Instead, they huddled together in a tight cluster. They hadn’t witnessed the earlier scare, but they could sense something was off—the atmosphere felt wrong!

The cubs exchanged nervous glances before turning in unison and scurrying down the slope.

Several cubs stumbled as they ran, tumbling down like dominoes in a heap.

Ying Liu shook his head, picked up the eaglet, smoothed its wings, and glanced toward Mang Jiu’s cave.

He knew it was empty. Mang Jiu had gone out hunting with the pack and hadn’t returned yet. The Sub-Beastman he’d rescued had also left with the leader.

“Ying Liu, what brings you up here?” Mang Er emerged from his den on the same level, but on another hilltop. He’d been sleeping when the cubs’ noise roused him, prompting him to investigate.

Ying Liu turned to him. “These little ones were roughhousing. Just waking from hibernation?”

Mang Er yawned and waved his hand. “I woke up yesterday. I almost starved to death.” After entering hibernation, his beast instincts took over, and he slept through the entire snow season. When the snow melted, he’d groggily woken up once to eat something, but couldn’t stay awake and fell back asleep.

As he spoke, his lazy expression suddenly shifted upon spotting the white furball crouched by Ying Liu’s feet. “A Giant Cat Tribe cub? Who found a Giant Cat Tribe Beastman as a mate? I just took a winter nap and missed out on the good stuff?”

Ying Liu set the no-longer-shivering eagle cub down on the ground and shot a speechless look at Mang Er. “Did you sleep yourself stupid? That cub looks at least three or four months old. Did you seriously spot a Giant Cat Tribe Beastman in the tribe three or four months ago?”

Mang Er scratched his face. Right—he hadn’t seen one, which was precisely why he was so surprised.

And if he remembered correctly, the cave where the kitten was found belonged to his brother.

What was going on? Had his brother brought back a Giant Cat Tribe beastman with a cub while he was hibernating?

Ying Liu saw the turmoil on his face and knew exactly what he was thinking. He quickly interrupted his wild speculation, saying, “This cub was picked up by Mang Jiu. He’s raising it with a Sub-Beastman.”

“Which one are you talking about?” Mang Er scratched his belly again. If it was on him, it was time for a bath!

But his brother had picked up three Sub-Beastmen. Which one was so kind as to give their cub to someone else? Was it A-Si who wanted to raise it, or Tianlu? Surely it wasn’t Ning who wanted it?

Ying Liu retracted the wings behind his back and sighed helplessly, “Didn’t you come out for a walk after waking up last night?”

Mang Er shook his head in confusion. No, he hadn’t. There was meat in his cave, so he’d just eaten it. The meat hadn’t been sitting out long—his brothers must have left it as rations, worried he’d starve.

“Mang Jiu picked up another Sub-Beastman. His name is Shuguang. He’s a very special Sub-Beastman.” After seeing Zhang Shuguang’s leather shorts and straw sandals this morning, Ying Liu wanted to get himself a set too.

The Giant Eagle Clan’s Beastmen could maintain their human form while growing wings on their backs. Unlike other Beastmen who had to rip off their leather skirts during transformation, they instantly fell for the leather shorts!

Mang Er blinked rapidly, his expression shifting from earlier conflict to astonishment. With a mix of envy and irritation, he roared, “He picked up another Sub-Beastman again? How come he’s so good at finding them! I went for a swim in the sea and got chased by a bunch of big fish—nothing else happened!”

Ying Liu raised a hand to stroke his distinctive eagle-hook nose. He’d actually been to the coast too, hoping to find a Sub-Beastman, but he hadn’t gone in the water—he’d flown above it.

Winged tribes generally dislike getting wet, especially in their Beastman forms.

Of course, the result was the same for everyone. Besides Mang Jiu, no one else in the tribe had ever found a Sub-Beastman.

“Meow~” Nai Dou licked his paw, dashed into the cave, and executed a high jump, landing on the tall sorghum stalk that Zhang Shuguang used for drying fish.

“Meow meow!!” He looked toward Ying Liu, calling out at the top of his lungs.

Ying Liu raised an eyebrow. He actually understood what this kitten meant. He walked over, took a look, and pulled down a half-dried fish.

“You want to eat?”

Nai Dou obediently crouched before Ying Liu, his long tail swishing. He extended his pink little tongue and licked his nose.

Ying Liu chuckled softly, bending down to tap the furry little head. “Such a clever little fellow.”

He glanced around. Nai Dou emerged from the cave, leaped onto the hearth platform, then meowed at the stone bowl placed above.

Ying Liu fetched the bowl, setting it on the ground before slicing the fish with his stone knife.

The bear sisters gathered nearby, joined by the eagle cub.

The four cubs gathered to eat the fish. Ying Liu stood nearby with his arms crossed, watching them eat. He felt hungry himself.

Mang Er leaped over from the other platform and came to stand beside him. “Is this my brother’s cave?”

He remembered that Mang Jiu’s cave didn’t have these things.

Ying Liu shrugged. “Shuguang worked all night yesterday preparing this. I heard the noise.”

“You seem quite interested in that Sub-Beastman named Shuguang?” Mang Er narrowed his eyes, then suddenly caught something off. His mouth fell half-open. “He’s living in the same cave as my brother?”

“Yeah, otherwise why would Mang Jiu have all this stuff?” Ying Liu glanced sideways at Mang Er and nudged him with his chin. “Go get that fish. Let’s try it.”

Mang Er shook his head. “Why don’t you go?”

That Mang Jiu fellow has a temper. If he found out I snatched fish from his den, he’d whip me with his tail for sure.

Ying Liu curled his lip, goading him. “Don’t you want to eat? Look how happily the little ones are devouring theirs.”

Mang Er lowered his gaze to the four cubs, who were eating without even lifting their heads. They did look happy, their little tails wagging away.

He narrowed his eyes, reached into the stone bowl, grabbed a piece of fish, and shoved it into his mouth under Ying Liu’s stunned gaze. He chewed it, then strode decisively into the cave. Swiftly, he plucked two dried fish from the pole—one for himself, one for Ying Liu.

If he was going to get punished, he’d drag someone down with him—he wasn’t getting it alone.

“This really is delicious,” Ying Liu murmured, sitting side by side with Mang Er outside Mang Jiu’s cave. He held a piece of fish, half-dried and still slightly soft, and took a bite. “Shuguang is so resourceful. He even found delicious roasted potatoes.”

Before sunset yesterday, Hua and several other Sub-Beastmen had brought back a large haul of potatoes. They roasted them and shared them with everyone in the tribe. No one who tasted the roasted potatoes could resist their flavor.

Mang Er hadn’t met Zhang Shuguang and wouldn’t judge him, but he knew his brother’s temperament. If the man were no good, he certainly wouldn’t have kept him around to share a cave.

Meanwhile, Zhang Shuguang sat atop Xiong Kui’s back, cradling a leather pouch filled with intact seashells and snail shells, along with several crab molting shells.

These shells were large enough to serve as bowls when washed clean, a handy substitute for dishes. Though not very deep, they were far lighter. As for the crab shells, he planned to crush them into powder—this stuff was great for calcium!

Calcium makes you grow! He wanted to grow tall!

“Xiao Cai, Xiao Cai.”

Xiao Cai: “Master, I’m here.”

Zhang Shuguang covered the finely crushed salt he’d previously ground with his hand. “Hand over the task.”

Xiao Cai responded with a nod, and the fine salt beneath Zhang Shuguang’s hand slowly vanished.

Hearing he was out of salt, Xiong Kui had considered giving him all the salt they’d boiled, but Zhang Shuguang refused.

If he wanted the tribe to join in salt production, he absolutely had to show them the finished product first. Otherwise, they might not believe it.

Xiong Kui agreed with his reasoning and took the small, unbroken crystal salt chunk, leaving all the fine salt behind for him.

This suited Zhang Shuguang perfectly.

Xiao Cai: “Master, you still have two tasks left uncompleted today.”

Zhang Shuguang: “I know. I won’t do those two tasks today. Can uncompleted tasks carry over to tomorrow?”

Xiao Cai: “Yes, but the task rewards will be halved.”

Zhang Shuguang: “Fine, half is better than nothing. Settle it.”

Xiao Cai: “Understood, Master. Please wait a moment.”

Acquired a 40-square-meter cultivable plot. Task completed. Reward: 10% power. Current power: 88%. Reward points… Produced fine salt (500/500 grams). Task completed. Reward: 15% power. Current battery: 128%. Reward points: 15 points. Current points: 115 points. Reward experience: 300 points. Current experience: 1100/1300. APP Level 3. Obtained a limited-time task reward: 15 minutes of ad-free video viewing.

Daily settlement consumed 8% battery. Total chat duration: 3 minutes 22 seconds, consumed 1% battery. Remaining phone battery: 119%, 115 points, APP Level 3, Experience: 1100/1300 points.

Points reached 100 to unlock the Tier 1 Points Store display. APP initiating update process, estimated update time: five hours.“

Zhang Shuguang blinked. ”Xiao Cai?”

Xiao Cai didn’t respond, clearly already in the app update phase.

He sighed, redirecting his attention back to the surrounding scenery.

Xiong Kui moved swiftly, and they returned to the tribe before the sun fully set.

Just as Zhang Shuguang dismounted from Xiong Kui, Lang Tai, who had been guarding the cave entrance, stepped forward.

“Where should I put the bamboo we cut?” Lang Tai asked.

Zhang Shuguang quickly thanked him. “If it’s not too much trouble, could you place it on the platform in front of Mang Jiu’s cave?”

Lang Tai nodded, let out a wolf howl, and then his four brothers emerged from the cave. Each shouldered a bamboo stalk and effortlessly climbed the mountain.

The bamboo was exceptionally thick and long. Zhang Shuguang estimated it was over forty meters.

This won’t work—the platform in front of the cave can’t possibly hold it!

“Wait, wait!” He ran a few steps to block the four brothers. “My apologies, I didn’t think this through. Could you cut the bamboo into four sections?” He pulled two white round pearls from his leather bag and handed them over, smiling as he said, “This is a token of my gratitude.”

“Gratitude?” Lang Tai took the pearls, examining them, puzzled.

Zhang Shuguang: “Yes, it’s payment for your help.”

“No need,” Lang Tai returned the pearls. “Your meat for bamboo? You’re losing out.”

With that, he raised his stone axe and hacked the entire bamboo stalk into four sections with a few sharp blows, then turned to cut the remaining stalks.

Once he finished cutting all four bamboo stalks, the brothers once again hoisted them onto their shoulders and headed back up the mountain. Zhang Shuguang hurried to catch up.

Sitting before the Mang Jiu cave entrance, Mang Er and Ying Liu paused when they saw the climbers approach. Mang Er asked, “What are you up to?”

Lang Li, leading the way, set the bamboo on his shoulder down. “No idea,” he replied.

They only took meat for their work, asking no further questions—and even if they did, they wouldn’t understand.

The four brothers set down their bamboo. Zhang Shuguang retrieved five fish from the cave and handed them over, smiling broadly at Lang Tai. “This is a token of thanks. Should I need your help again in the future, I’ll ask for it.”

This time, Lang Tai didn’t refuse. He nodded in agreement. “Alright. As long as it doesn’t interfere with our hunting, just let us know anytime.”

Not many shared food with them—this Sub-Beastman was truly decent!

Watching them descend the mountain, Zhang Shuguang turned and only then noticed two adult Beastmen seated near the cave entrance.

He didn’t think much of it, assuming they’d come to speak with Xiong Kui.

Entering the cave, he set down his leather bag and scooped the remaining fine salt into a seashell.

“Meow meow meow~~~” Nai Dou meowed softly beside him, his adorable, clingy demeanor showing none of the ferocity she’d displayed earlier when fighting with the cubs.

Zhang Shuguang picked him up, rubbed his belly, and kissed his furry mouth. “Did you sneak some fish? You reek of it.”

Nai Dou rubbed his face against Zhang Shuguang’s, then meowed at the two men sitting outside the cave.

Not just me! They ate it too!

Zhang Shuguang couldn’t possibly understand his meaning. He placed the kitten on his shoulder and continued his work.

“The hunting party is back!”

The Beastman stationed on the hilltop to observe the surroundings bellowed.

Zhang Shuguang froze, dropping the seashell he held as he dashed out of the cave.

Mang Jiu is back!