This time, each of the five Giant Beast Clans sent one Beastman to accompany Zhang Shuguang and Mang Jiu to the Hot Rock Cave.

Having heard the words of their clan elders, they understood that Zhang Shuguang knew how to make salt, and they also recognized his importance.

Don’t let Xiong Bai’s usually carefree demeanor fool you—he’s actually shrewd beneath his rough exterior. To have become a permanent member of Mang Jiu’s hunting party, his abilities are naturally no small feat.

Xi Ershi had recently come of age. Though not among the tribe’s first-generation warriors, he was steady and obedient; despite his youth, he possessed remarkable composure and always followed his leaders’ orders to the letter.

Ying Fei, though somewhat impulsive by nature, was a skilled aerial scout for the Giant Eagle Clan.

Lang Yan, the oldest Beastman in the group, is the designated successor to lead the Gray Wolf branch of the Giant Wolf Clan.

The last one is Mang Wu.

He and Mang Jiu both belong to the Great Python Clan, but the two aren’t very familiar with each other.

First, they aren’t in the same hunting party; second, Mang Jiu is a real homebody. Before Zhang Shuguang appeared in the tribe, Mang Jiu’s life was basically a cycle of going out to hunt, eating his fill, coming back to sleep, waking up, and then going out to hunt again—a very monotonous routine.

Mang Wu was different; this Giant Python Clan Beastman was naturally warm and outgoing.

One day he’d wander over to the Giant Wolf Clan, the next he’d pop over to the Giant Eagle Clan, and every now and then he’d tag along with the foraging party for some fun. In any case, he particularly enjoys hanging around the women of the tribe.

Whether they are female Beastmen or female Sub-Beastmen, they have all received meat from Mang Wu. The amounts may vary, but every woman in the tribe without a steady Beastman partner has been courted by him.

But when it came to settling down with one of them to have children?

That never happened. In later times, he would have been given a very fitting nickname—the “Sea King.”

He truly was a man who passed through a sea of flowers without a single petal sticking to him. If Zhang Shuguang were to describe him, he’d use just two words: “scum bag.”

His presence in the group this time wasn’t because he volunteered; rather, on the way to a certain female Beastman’s cave in the Giant Bear Clan, Xiong Kui had simply grabbed him to make up the numbers.

Xiong Kui’s exact words: “You’re always crawling into people’s caves day in and day out. Fine, go ahead and crawl—at least you could have an egg. And what happened? No egg in sight. Just the other day, some Beastmen got into a fight because of you. Since Mang Jiu is leading a group to the Hot Rock Cave—one per clan—and everyone else in your clan is busy while you’re the laziest, you’re coming along!”

Mang Wu was dragged off as a conscript with a bitter grimace. Only after the group set off did it dawn on him: with Mang Jiu already representing the Giant Python Clan, he was completely redundant!

But it was too late to realize this. Mang Wu could only follow along grudgingly, bidding a tearful farewell to his fluffy little ones.

“Who can carry A-Si?” Zhang Shuguang looked at Xiong Bai. He had no choice; aside from Xiong Bai, he didn’t know anyone else.

Xiong Bai blinked back at him. Huh?

Ying Fei transformed into his bird-man form, flapped his wings, and soared into the sky. He was tasked with scouting the area within a hundred-mile radius from above.

Mang Wu shifted to the side. He didn’t like anything hard; he preferred soft and fluffy.

Lang Mu also looked at Xiong Bai. His Beastman partner had a short temper; if she caught a whiff of another Sub-Beastman’s scent on him, she’d probably give him a hard time for ages.

Seeing that no one was speaking, Xi Ershi scratched his head and said shyly, “How about I carry him?”

A-Si smiled and thanked him.

Xiong Bai, standing nearby, caught the disapproving glances from Lang Mu and Zhang Shuguang, leaving him baffled.

What’s the matter? I haven’t even said anything yet.

Xi Ershi shifted into his beast form. Zhang Shuguang noticed that his beast form was nearly twice the size of an ordinary white rhinoceros. The rhino had the build of an elephant, though it wasn’t excessively large. The massive form of Xi San they’d seen earlier—which looked like half a small mountain—was likely just an individual variation. Perhaps within a clan, there’s always one or two that stand out from the rest, much like Mang Jiu, who was also several times larger than the other Beastmen of the Giant Python Clan.

A-Si thanked Xi Ershi and then climbed onto his back.

Zhang Shuguang leaned against Mang Jiu’s arm and whispered, “Why ride in beast form?”

Mang Jiu: “Less contact surface.”

“Huh?” Zhang Shuguang looked baffled. “What on earth did you just say?”

Mang Jiu: “Isn’t that what you always say? Less contact surface.”

Zhang Shuguang’s gaze shifted to A-Si, and to the section of rhino’s back he was sitting on.

He thought about how, if Xi Ershi were to carry A-Si in human form—chest to back, with his arms wrapped around his neck and legs—and suddenly grinned.

“I…”

“Hm?” Mang Jiu bent down and turned to look at him. “What’s wrong? Hop on.”

Zhang Shuguang took a deep breath, leaped from where he stood, and clung to Mang Jiu’s broad, sturdy back.

“What were you about to say just now?” Mang Jiu asked as he walked forward, carrying him on his back.

Zhang Shuguang’s face flushed red as he rested against his shoulder, not uttering a word.

Inside the backpack he was carrying, the three little ones were also sitting quietly, but they were all peering out through the holes, looking a bit curious.

“Should we hurry up?” Xiong Bai couldn’t help but ask, seeing how leisurely and unhurried he looked.

Zhang Shuguang opened his eyes slightly, glanced at him, then closed them again.

Mang Jiu hummed in acknowledgment. “Let’s head to the Wild Plains first.”

The group picked up speed; A-Si crouched low and clenched his legs.

Zhang Shuguang was playing dead on Mang Jiu’s back, but as he kept it up, he actually fell asleep.

When he woke up again, Mang Jiu had already stopped.

Looking out, the landscape was a mix of withered yellow and hints of green, giving off a distinct sense of spring warmth and blossoms about to bloom.

“How long have we been going?” Zhang Shuguang asked, looking up at the sky and pausing in surprise. “It’s noon?” They’d left right after breakfast—had he really slept through most of the day?

“Yeah, based on your usual routine, it’s time for lunch.” Mang Jiu set him down and cracked his neck. “I’m going hunting.”

“Where are you going?” Zhang Shuguang reached out and grabbed him. “Is there prey around here?”

Mang Jiu nodded. “We’ll find a spot to eat first.”

“Don’t eat too much again!” Zhang Shuguang blurted out.

Mang Jiu hummed in response. “I know. Tell Xi Ershi to stay here. Large beasts rarely appear around here, so we’ll be back soon.”

“Ah, okay.” Zhang Shuguang nodded. “We won’t wander off. Just draw a bigger circle for us.”

Mang Jiu laughed and asked him, “Are you scared?”

Zhang Shuguang put his hands on his hips as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “I have to be extra careful in unfamiliar places. It might look like a flat, open plain with no danger, but who knows if a beast might jump out and bite me.” He pointed to the ground. “From here to there. Hurry up and draw it—don’t dawdle.”

Mang Jiu scraped his foot on the ground twice, then drew a large circle with Zhang Shuguang as the center. It was big enough for all three of them to move around freely inside. While drawing the circle, he also caught two long-eared beasts on the side.

Zhang Shuguang saw the plump rabbit he was holding and smiled as he reached out to take it. “What a fat rabbit. Thanks.”

“I’m off.” Mang Jiu ruffled his hair, then turned and led the other Beastmen away.

A-Si had already started a fire. Seeing this, Zhang Shuguang hurriedly said, “Wait a moment before putting it down. Xi Ershi, clear all the grass from here and create a buffer zone. Never mind, I’ll handle it myself.” He handed the two plump rabbits to Xi Ershi, then took the hoe he’d made earlier out of his backpack, dug a trench in the ground, and began pulling and cutting the grass.

“Go ahead,” Zhang Shuguang told A-Si. “When lighting a fire in the wild, you must always have a firebreak. Otherwise, this dry grass can catch fire easily and cause a large-scale wildfire.”

A-Si and Xi Ershiyi nodded, looking as though they’d learned their lesson.

Xi Ershi took the two plump rabbits over to skin and gut them, then rinsed them with the water skin Zhang Shuguang had handed him. “Shuguang, the water skin is running low. I’ll go refill it.”

“No need. Let’s wait until Mang Jiu and the others return,” Zhang Shuguang said.

Xi Ershi frowned. “There’s a small river not far from here. I’ll be back in no time.”

Zhang Shuguang still shook his head in refusal. “Mang Jiu left you here just to protect the two of us. You can go refill it after he gets back. A-Si has another water skin; we have enough to drink.”

Xi Ershí pouted. Fine, he wouldn’t go.

A-Si whispered to Zhang Shuguang from the side, “He’s still young. You didn’t have to be so blunt.”

Zhang Shuguang glanced at the sulking Xi Ershi and snorted. “If I’m not direct, will he even listen? He’s just come of age and hasn’t been out hunting very often. If I let him go out and he runs into some danger, how am I supposed to explain it to Mang Jiu and the others when they return?”

“……” A-Si looked at him speechlessly. “Didn’t you get that backwards?”

Zhang Shuguang glared at him. “Is it wrong for me to be careful?”

A-Si nodded. “No, you’re right. Hurry up and grill the meat. You do it—mine never tastes as good as yours.”

Zhang Shuguang took the three cubs out of his backpack and set them on the ground, patting their little bottoms. “Play over there. Don’t run around.”

A-Si went to find some thick branches to skewer the rabbits with. Zhang Shuguang opened the fur covering the top of the thick bamboo tube he’d brought—the one containing the gelatin—and gave it a sniff; it hadn’t gone bad.

“Xi Ershi, could you help me find some large leaves? Plenty of them.” He said to Xi Ershi as he carried things outside.

Xi Ershi looked around and spotted a large-leaved tree not far away—the banana tree Zhang Shuguang had mentioned. He went over, picked a few large leaves, and dragged them back, then spread them out on the ground as Zhang Shuguang had requested.

“Are you hungry? The grilled meat won’t be ready for a while yet. Have some meatballs first.” Zhang Shuguang took a thick bamboo tube filled with meatballs out of his bag, opened it, and handed it to Xi Ershi. “Here, have some.”

Xi Ershi was taken aback, a bit dazed. “For me?”

“Yeah,” Zhang Shuguang fished more items out of his leather bag—the Sichuan peppercorns, salt, and oil needed for the grilled meat, along with a brush made from prickly grass.

Xī Èrshi held the thick bamboo tube in his hands, inhaling the unfamiliar aroma of the meat. He couldn’t resist and took two meatballs to eat.

It’s really delicious.

His cheeks puffed out as he chewed, watching Zhang Shuguang bustle about with a look of curiosity.

Unable to hold back any longer, he asked, “What are all these things?” He didn’t even have this many items in his cave.

“Good stuff that’ll let you enjoy some delicious grilled meat.” Zhang Shuguang cut a small piece of pork skin jelly and popped it into his mouth. After tasting it and finding it quite good, he said, “A-Si, try this.” He handed A-Si a small piece.

A-Si took a look at it—it was wobbly and crystal clear. He put it in his mouth; it was a bit cool, and the next second, the piece of gelatin slowly melted away in his mouth.

His eyes widened in astonishment. “It melted! I didn’t even chew it! It’s gone!”

“Mm,” Zhang Shuguang cut a small piece for Xi Ershi as well. “You try some too.”

Xi Ershi took it cautiously, afraid he might crush the soft thing if he squeezed too hard, then placed it in his mouth and let it dissolve.

“This is gelatin, made from water boiled with the hairless skin of a hog beast. It’s perfect for elderly people without teeth, but you shouldn’t eat too much at once—it can upset your stomach.” After explaining this, Zhang Shuguang set the thick bamboo tube aside, intending to cut it open and share it with everyone once Mang Jiu returned.

They set up a rack over the fire, and A-Si placed the plump rabbits on it to roast slowly. Zhang Shuguang worked alongside him—one roasting, the other basting—just as they had done the night before when roasting the game leg.

Before long, the aroma of roasting meat wafted through the air. Xi Ershi leaned in closer, his eyes fixed intently on the two plump rabbits sizzling and dripping with fat.

Zhang Shuguang chuckled. Seeing how hungry he looked—almost drooling—he sliced a piece of meat from the skin and handed it to him. “Here, see if you can get used to the flavor.”

Xi Ershi quickly took it, stuffed it into his mouth, and instantly widened his eyes. “Mmm!”

Zhang Shuguang laughed. “Numbing?”

“Mm!” Xi Ershi covered his mouth. “It’s numbing.”

“If you can’t handle it, eat the one without the Sichuan pepper with A-Si—he can’t eat spicy food either.” Zhang Shuguang pointed to the other plump rabbit beside them.

Xi Ershi shook his head. “No, I’ll eat this. This is good.”

Zhang Shuguang turned to A-Si and said, “So far, you’re the only one who can’t handle the numbing spice.”

A-Si shrugged. “Can’t help it. I’m actually pretty envious of them.”

Zhang Shuguang set down the cup of marinade he was holding, picked up a few twigs to skewer the meatballs, then stuck them into the ground to roast over the fire.

“These meatballs of yours are pretty good. Teach me how to make them when we get back,” said A-Si.

“Yeah, it’s pretty simple. You’ll get the hang of it after a couple of tries,” Zhang Shuguang nodded with a smile. He sliced open the roasted fat rabbit, first handing A-Si half that hadn’t been brushed with the Sichuan pepper water, then handing the other half—brushed with the seasoning—to Xi Ershi. “Eat up,” he called out to the three kids running and jumping nearby, “Kids, dinner’s ready!”

Tangdou hopped and bounced, flapping one wing, moving just as fast as the others.

Naidou and Maodou flapped about on the grass, covered in dust, with plenty of dry grass stuck to their fur.

Zhang Shuguang handed out three legs to the little ones, keeping the remaining front leg for himself to gnaw on.

“Why aren’t Mang Jiu and the others back yet?” He took two bites of meat, then shared some meatballs with A-Si and Xi Ershi, and gave a few to the three little ones. Just as he finished speaking, they heard a rumbling sound.

The three turned to look and saw that Mang Jiu and the others had run back. The rumbling sound was coming from Xiong Bai, who was in his full bear form and hadn’t transformed back into human shape.

At first, Zhang Shuguang thought he’d eaten too much and couldn’t shift back, but then he noticed Xiong Bai was carrying a young hog beast on his back. Though called a cub, it wasn’t small at all—it was actually slightly larger than the one Mang Jiu had had delivered earlier.

“Xi Ershi, come here. This is for you to eat,” Xiong Bai called out, lurching to one side and dropping the hog beast onto the ground.

Xi Ershi finished the rabbit in his hands, licked the grease off his fingers, then reluctantly stood up, walked over to the hog beast, and tore off his leather skirt to shift into beast form.

Mang Jiu walked over, glanced at the item placed on the large leaf, and sat down beside Zhang Shuguang. Seeing the thick bamboo tube in his hand, he peered inside and asked, “Is the aspic ready to eat?”

Zhang Shuguang nodded with a smile, made a few cuts on the top layer with his fishbone knife, then tilted it to pour the jelly into a thick bamboo bowl and handed it to him. “Give it a try.”

Mang Jiu ate a few pieces and nodded slightly. “It’s okay.”

“It must taste too bland to you. It would be better with some dipping sauce.” Seeing that he wasn’t eating any more, Zhang Shuguang took it back to eat himself, then handed the rest to A-Si. “You guys share it. It’ll go bad if we leave it out any longer.” ”

A-Si nodded and took it, dividing the aspic among the others. The four Beastmen—excluding Xi Ershi—all found it passable after tasting it, though nothing particularly special. However, they remarked that the old man might prefer it.

After eating their fill and resting a while, Zhang Shuguang sat cross-legged on the ground and pointed toward a distant mountain. “Is the Hot Rock Cave over there?”

Mang Jiu looked in the direction he was pointing and replied, “Yes, we call that rocky mountain over there ‘Rock Mountain.’ It’s all hard rock—no weeds grow there.”

Zhang Shuguang stroked his chin, murmured “Oh,” then drew his bone knife and traced it across his face. “Could you shave me?”

Mang Jiu nodded. “Sure.”

Zhang Shuguang tilted his chin slightly upward, completely at ease as Mang Jiu shaved him. Mang Jiu held the bone knife, moving it gently along his chin. Zhang Shuguang blinked a few times, then suddenly reached out and rubbed his bare chin, asking in puzzlement, “Why don’t you have any beard?” It wasn’t just him; but none of the Beastmen seemed to have beards; even the older ones merely had a few more wrinkles on their faces.

Mang Jiu replied, “That’s just how Beastmen are.”

Zhang Shuguang let out a sigh and grumbled, “I’m so jealous of you guys. It’s really convenient not having a beard.”

Mang Jiu’s lips curled into a smile, then he set down the bone knife in his hand. “All done.”

Zhang Shuguang ran his hand over his smooth chin and tilted his head. “Huh? That’s much cleaner than when I shave myself.”

Mang Jiu’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “It’s way easier than shaving a hog beast’s fur.”

Zhang Shuguang raised his fist and punched him squarely in his rock-hard abs. “You’re asking for it!”

Mang Jiu chuckled softly and pinched his cheek. “Want me to show you around? Didn’t you say you wanted to find some edible plants?”

“Yeah,” Zhang Shuguang reached out, letting him pull him up from the ground. He brushed off his butt with the back of his hand and said to the others, “You guys take a break. Wait for us to come back. I want to look around here for some edible wild plants.”

A-Si and the others nodded, watching the two walk away.

The three cubs left behind by Zhang Shuguang huddled together. Naidou and Maodou lay curled up back-to-back, while Tangdou curled up on their backs. The three little ones kept their eyes half-closed; when they heard Zhang Shuguang speak, they merely wagged their tails in a soft response.

They were full and satisfied, and now they were sleepy and ready for a nap.

Zhang Shuguang wasn’t being carried by Mang Jiu. He held a hoe in his hand, his feet treading on the withered grass of Fengchun, breathing in the distinctive scent of earth. He turned to ask the man walking slowly beside him with his hands behind his back, “Is it about to rain?”

When he was a child, whenever he smelled this damp, earthy scent, it was sure to rain soon, so now that he smelled it, he felt a bit curious.

They say spring rain nourishes all things silently. Judging by the season, it was indeed spring now, so there was nothing unusual about a spring shower.

Hearing this, Mang Jiu lifted his head, sniffed the air around him, then looked up at the sky—a cloudless expanse of crystal-clear blue.

“How do you know it’s going to rain?”

Zhang Shuguang raised an eyebrow. “I’m just guessing. Did I guess right?”

“Hmm, it won’t be heavy.” Mang Jiu pointed with his hand. “I remember some Sub-Beastmen from the tribe digging up that kind of wild vegetable to take back.”

Zhang Shuguang walked over to take a look. He didn’t recognize it—a dark green plant growing close to the ground, with stiff leaves the size of a palm. He plucked a leaf and examined it; a milky-white liquid oozed from the cut edge.

“What is this?” He sniffed it, then cautiously licked a bit, only to wrinkle his brow at the bitterness. “Is this bitter greens?”

As far as he remembered, bitter greens didn’t grow during this season.

However, he had no interest in bitter things; even if this really was bitter greens, he wouldn’t eat it.

“Doesn’t taste good?” Mang Jiu was a bit puzzled when he saw him toss the leaf aside.

Based on what he knew of Zhang Shuguang, shouldn’t this guy be interested in anything edible?

Zhang Shuguang said nothing, but plucked a leaf from the plant and handed it over. “You’ll know once you taste it.”

Since he’d only licked a tiny bit just now, Mang Jiu followed suit, sticking out the tip of his tongue to taste a little—and his expression immediately changed.

It was even more disgusted than when he’d tasted something sour.

Zhang Shuguang chuckled and tossed the leaf onto the ground. “It’s edible, but not many people in the tribe would like it. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a whole patch of it growing here.” His mother actually loved dipping bitter greens in sauce, but unfortunately, there was no sauce here. Eating them plain like this was something he just couldn’t stomach.

Mang Jiu nodded in agreement. Who would like something that bitter? He certainly wouldn’t eat it.

“Let’s look for something else.” He grabbed Zhang Shuguang’s hand and led him off to the side.

Zhang Shuguang said, “There probably isn’t much edible in the fields right now. It’s either root vegetables like the potatoes we found earlier, or dried fruit left on the trees. Things should actually improve in a little while.” He sighed. Even in warmer climates, after a snow season, new crops couldn’t possibly sprout immediately after the snow melted.

Moreover, the tribes in this area had likely come through and raided the area; even if there was anything left, it had probably been picked clean. Just because the people of the Cliff Shore Tribe didn’t like wild vegetables didn’t mean people from other tribes didn’t.

They hadn’t gone far when Zhang Shuguang spotted a small yellow pumpkin hidden in a clump of grass. He picked it up with delight and showed it to Mang Jiu. “There really is one!”

Mang Jiu looked around and found three more small yellow pumpkins, each about the size of a palm, and picked them all for him.

“That’s all.”

Zhang Shuguang placed the small pumpkins in his backpack and said, “This is a pleasant surprise. Let’s look around some more to see if there are any others; if there are, pick some.” After saying this, he recalled hearing that there were quite a few fruit trees in this area, though he hadn’t seen any yet, so he asked, “Where do we pick those wild fruits?”

Mang Jiu pointed in another direction. “There are plenty of fruit trees over there. This side is closer to the Hot Rock Cave. There are two paths.”

“Is the Wild Plains really this vast?” Zhang Shuguang stood up straight and looked around. The area where they were located truly had no particularly tall trees; most were only about a person’s height, with some low shrubs scattered here and there. It stretched as far as the eye could see. If they came here in the summer, the scenery would be even more beautiful.

“Yeah, both this area and that one over there are part of the Wild Plains. During the rainy season, lots of flowers bloom here, and there’ll be plenty of bees then,” said Mang Jiu.

Seeing how much he was thinking about bees, Zhang Shuguang knew he was thinking about honey again.

This man looked like a tough, no-nonsense guy on the outside, but deep down, he was actually a sweet tooth.

It was actually kind of cute.

Was this what they called the “cute contrast”?

Thinking that, he couldn’t help but break into a smile.

Recently, Mang Jiu had been particularly fond of seeing the dimples that appeared when he smiled; his fingers itched to poke them.

Zhang Shuguang had been poked so many times that when he saw Meng Jiu raise his hand, he quickly turned his head away and even opened his mouth to bite him through the air. “If you poke me again, I’ll really bite you!”

Mang Jiu took advantage of the situation and actually pushed his finger forward. “Go ahead, bite me. Then let me poke you.”

“……” Zhang Shuguang rolled his eyes at him and turned to walk ahead.

After walking a bit further, Zhang Shuguang noticed clusters of yellow-green, two-leafed plants growing upright on the ground. The leaves grew in such a regular pattern that he momentarily thought they might be edible.

He tugged at one in confusion and found that the soil actually shifted slightly.

Still a bit skeptical, he dug into the ground with his hoe, then gathered the clump of withered leaves in his hand and pulled hard.

“Peanuts?!”

Inside the clump of soil he’d pulled up, the peanuts stood out clearly.

“There are actually peanuts here?” Zhang Shuguang was stunned. He didn’t know what peanut seedlings looked like; finding them was pure luck.

“Quick, quick, quick! Pull these all out.” He pointed to the other clumps and urged Mang Jiu to help, while he himself knocked the soil off the roots and picked every single peanut from inside.

They worked together, and in no time, Zhang Shuguang had gathered quite a few peanuts.

“What a find!” Beaming with joy, Zhang Shuguang didn’t mind the dirt; he simply cracked open a peanut shell to reveal a plump kernel wrapped in a dark red skin, each about the size of a fingertip.

He popped a peanut into his mouth, chewed it, and a subtle sweetness spread across his tongue.

“Try one,” he said, slipping a peanut into Mang Jiu’s hand.

Mang Jiu chewed it and exclaimed in surprise, “It’s sweet?”

“They taste a bit sweet when eaten raw, but they’re even better when roasted or boiled. Let’s dig these up first; we’ll come back another time.” Zhang Shuguang put the pile of peanuts on the ground into his backpack, clapped his hands, and stood up. “Come on, let’s head back. Finding these two is already pretty good.”

Mang Jiu had no objections. He reached out, took the basket, slung it over his own shoulder, and then took Zhang Shuguang’s hand as they walked back.

Glancing at their clasped hands, Zhang Shuguang wrinkled his nose, feeling a bit awkward.

The path wasn’t that hard to walk—why hold hands?

But realizing that Mang Jiu could walk much faster by holding his hand, he didn’t say anything.

“You’re back!” As saw the two of them returning hand in hand but didn’t find it strange. He simply asked, “What did you find?”

“We found three pumpkins and some peanuts,” Zhang Shuguang gestured for Mang Jiu to set down the basket, grabbed a handful of peanuts, and handed them out to everyone. “Peel off the shells and eat the kernels inside.”

The Beastmen all tasted them and found them passable, though they didn’t think they were particularly delicious.

A-Si, however, liked them very much. He shelled three peanuts in a row, licked his lips after finishing, and asked, “Can we plant them?”

“Yes.” Zhang Shuguang nodded. “I’ll figure out how to save the seeds when we get back, and then we’ll plant them in the fields.”

A-Si smiled and nodded. “I’ll help you plant them.” Noticing Zhang Shuguang pull out a small yellow gourd, he asked, “Is this a pumpkin? I’ve seen the other Sub-Beastmen in the tribe bring these back often. Since I don’t usually come to the Wild Plains with them, I haven’t seen them anywhere else.”

“I call it a pumpkin; I don’t know what others call it.” Zhang Shuguang handed the pumpkin to him. “It doesn’t taste good raw—you have to cook it first.”

A-Si nodded. “You’re giving it to me?”

“Yeah, here’s one for you. Take the seeds out and dry them in the sun; you should be able to plant them.” Zhang Shuguang had seen his mother drying pumpkin seeds once. When he asked her if she planned to eat them, she slapped him, saying he only thought about eating—she was saving them for seeds.

Thinking of that, Zhang Shuguang sighed and put the remaining two back into his backpack.

A-Si looked up and saw his previously smiling face suddenly darken. He was a little surprised, but didn’t ask any further.

He noticed that whenever the topic of gardening came up, Shuguang’s expression would always change abruptly.

“Let’s go. The sun will be setting soon,” Mang Jiu said.

Zhang Shuguang gathered his things. A-Si helped him carry the basket of peanuts, while he hoisted the three children onto his own back. Then, with practiced ease, he leaped onto Mang Jiu’s back. “Let’s go.”

“A mountain looks close from afar but is a long way to go”—Zhang Shuguang felt this especially keenly while riding on Mang Jiu’s back.

The mountain didn’t seem far away, but it took them several hours of running to reach it. By the time they stood at the foot of the mountain, the sun was nearly setting.

Zhang Shuguang stood on the ground, looked down, crouched down, and touched the ground. “It feels a bit warmer over here.”

A-Si was here for the first time as well. He reached out and ran his hand along the mountain wall, remarking, “There isn’t a single blade of grass on this mountain.” He looked up and spotted a large cave. “Is that the Hot Rock Cave?”

“Right, that’s the entrance. Let’s go around to it.” The speaker was Xiong Bai; clearly, he’d been here more than once and knew the way like the back of his hand.

Zhang Shuguang, however, wasn’t in a hurry to head up the mountain. Instead, he had Mang Jiu chisel a piece of rock from the cliff face. He held it in his hand to test the temperature, then took down his water skin and poured water over it.

The water evaporated visibly; in no time, the water on top had dried up.

“No need to go up. The rocks down here will do. Start digging,” Zhang Shuguang said calmly. “The temperature should be higher up there. I don’t know the exact principle behind it, but as long as it works, that’s all that matters.”

Mang Jiu: “……”

The others: “……”

Zhang Shuguang looked puzzled. “What’s wrong? Start digging.”

“We’re just going to dig now?” Xiong Bai asked blankly. “Aren’t we going up to soak in some hot water first?”

Zhang Shuguang looked up at Mang Jiu. “What hot water?”

Mang Jiu pointed to the cave on the mountain. “There’s a pool up there. The water inside is hot.”

Zhang Shuguang’s eyes widened. He grabbed Meng Jiu’s arm. “Let’s go! Hurry up and head up there!”

A hot bath? He’d been dreaming of taking one!

“Bath, bath!” Zhang Shuguang couldn’t contain his excitement and muttered under his breath.

Mang Jiu chuckled. “Let’s go.”

As they climbed the mountain, Zhang Shuguang nearly choked on the stifling steam pouring out of the hot cave’s entrance.

“It’s this hot?” he exclaimed in surprise. From where they’d been standing at the foot of the mountain, he hadn’t realized the cave was this scorching.

A-Si was also startled. He peered inside and saw the place was steaming, filled with white mist.

“It’s actually quite beautiful.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded and followed Mang Jiu inside.

The hot spring wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t small either. He dipped his hand in to test the water temperature—it was a bit scalding.

Just as he looked up to speak, he saw the others pull off their leather skirts and jump right in, splashing down one after another like dumplings being dropped into boiling water.

Here, there was no rule against Beastmen and Sub-Beastmen bathing together, nor any need to avoid suspicion. Sometimes, if two Beastmen took a liking to each other, engaging in a spontaneous act of life’s harmony right there under the open sky was perfectly normal—let alone doing so while in Beastman form.

For Zhang Shuguang, a native of Northeast China, this was just a regular trip to the public bathhouse.

Go ahead and ask—is there a single man from the Northeast who hasn’t been to a bathhouse, soaked in a big communal pool, or had someone scrub him down?

So if you’re expecting him to feel any sense of shame, well, sorry, that’s not going to happen.

However, seeing how this group seemed even more eager than he was, the corner of his mouth twitched, he remained speechless for a moment, then stripped and stepped into the water. The moment his feet touched the hot water, he flinched. “Scalding!”

A-Si called out from the water, “It’s fine. Come down and try it—the water isn’t deep.” He took a couple of steps while standing, and the water came up to his waist.

Mang Jiu stood not far away. He was tall with long legs; the water level at A-Si’s waist reached… Zhang Shuguang nearly couldn’t bear to look, thinking to himself, This is way too accurate!!!

Describe what you see in one sentence—a colossal creature resting quietly on the water’s surface. If that colossus were to awaken, what a sky-shaking spectacle it would be!

He shuddered, then quickly slipped into the water, finding a slightly shallower spot to sit down. He buried half his face in the water and let out a few big bubbles with a gurgling sound.

Mang Jiu walked over and sat down beside him, reaching out to touch his head. “Are you hot? Your face is red.”

Zhang Shuguang went “plop” and coughed a few times.

“Are you okay?” Mang Jiu patted his back gently. “Did you swallow some water?”

“No, um… just sit there. I’ll soak on my own.” Zhang Shuguang shifted over a bit; for some reason, he didn’t want to be close to him right now, afraid he might pass out from the heat.

Mang Jiu didn’t think much of it and splashed water over himself.

Zhang Shuguang hadn’t had such a comfortable hot bath in a long time. The steam made him feel drowsy and sleepy.

“I can’t believe there aren’t any other beasts in this cave. I thought a place this warm would be taken over.”

Xiong Bai said, “Right now, the furry ones don’t want to come into the cave—they find it too hot. During snowy weather, though, there are some. Basically, every time we come here to hunt, we manage to catch quite a few.”

The others nodded. Yes, this was a rare place where they could eat their fill during snowy weather.

However, for the Giant Python Clan, the game here wasn’t exactly plentiful. Eating their fill was basically a bit of a challenge.

Mang Wu sighed and shifted his legs. “We’ll have to spend the night here. We’ll head back at dawn.”

“Have Ying Fei go back and tell the chief to send more Beastmen to dig up the stones and haul them back,” Zhang Shuguang said. “Didn’t Xi San already find a spot? Pile them up first, and I’ll lay them out once I get back.”

Ying Fei nodded. “Alright, I’ll fly back at dawn.”

“Just tell the chief that the stones here are usable—no need to send too many people. It’d be best if the Giant Rhinoceros Clan and Giant Bear Clan come over; we need to break off large chunks of stone to carry back,” Zhang Shuguang added.

Ying Fei nodded. “Got it.”

After soaking in the hot water until his body felt limp, Zhang Shuguang emerged from the water with flushed cheeks. He walked around the cave, touching here and there, and discovered that the stones inside were significantly warmer than those outside. He was actually quite puzzled as to how this pool had formed.

“Are all the stones in this mountain warm?”

Mang Jiu explained, “When you look from the outside, wherever there’s no grass or trees growing, the rocks there are hot.”

Zhang Shuguang shifted closer to him and asked, “Can you bring me back here to soak in the hot water again sometime?”

Mang Jiu was amused by his tone and nodded. “Sure.”