The water in this pool was around 43°C. Since Beastmen generally have higher body temperatures, soaking for too long would make them uncomfortable. With the exception of Mang Jiu and Mang Wu—the two cold-blooded species—everyone else had gotten out of the water.

They didn’t bother drying off; instead, they sat down directly on the clean rocks nearby, their postures casual and unrestrained.

Zhang Shuguang took the three cubs out of his backpack and set them on the ground. Maodou sat there obediently, not moving a muscle, while Naidou planted all four paws on the ground and took off running. Zhang Shuguang pressed his hand down on Naidou’s back, forcing him to lie flat on the ground.

“Meow-ow-ow~~~ Meow-yaaa~~!!!” Naidou let out a panicked shriek; anyone unaware of the situation would surely think he was being brutally beaten.

Sure, cats are afraid of water and hate baths, but surely they shouldn’t be this terrified.

Seeing the kitten curled up, whimpering and yelping, he was at a loss for words.

“It’s finally time for a nice hot bath, so why are you so scared?” he said, though his hands moved without the slightest hesitation. He grabbed the wriggling, struggling kitten and said to Mang Jiu in the water, “Reach out and grab him.”

Mang Jiu obediently reached out, and the kitten—which had been writhing and screaming in Zhang Shuguang’s hands—went instantly quiet as a baby chick the moment it landed in his palm.

Zhang Shuguang shook the bloodstain from his hand—scratched by the kitten’s sharp claws—and glared, “Look at this! You’ve even scratched Daddy until he’s bleeding!”

Naidou let out a whimper, and its little ears, which had been standing upright, drooped.

Zhang Shuguang crouched by the water’s edge, tugging at his whiskers. “What little darling doesn’t take a bath? You’re all stinky! If you’re stinky, Daddy won’t let you sleep in bed.”

Naidou let out a series of whimpers from deep in his throat. His long fur was soaked through, and he looked at Zhang Shuguang with pitiful, teary eyes.

After all, he was his own pup; a few scoldings were enough. Zhang Shuguang reached out to give him a bath, but Mang Jiu grabbed his wrist. He must’ve misjudged his strength, because Zhang Shuguang nearly got pulled into the water by the man.

“I’m fine.” Regaining his footing, Zhang Shuguang saw the man still holding his hand and realized he was worried. “He just kicked out—the wound isn’t deep.” Naidou had panicked at the prospect of being thrown into the hot water, so his reaction had been a bit intense.

Mang Jiu glanced at the little one he was holding in the water with one hand. The cub was curiously paddling with its paws. Sensing Mang Jiu’s gaze, it timidly turned its head, its big eyes glistening with moisture.

“I was wrong.”

Mang Jiu stared at him for a moment, then turned his gaze to Maodou, who was leaning over the edge of the bank, peering into the water. He tilted his chin toward Zhang Shuguang. “Maodou wants to come down.”

Zhang Shuguang looked down and reached out to touch the cub’s frail back. “Wash Naidou first. Is the water in this pool flowing?”

“Yeah, there’s a hole at the bottom, and another one over there.” Mang Jiu pointed, then turned and handed Naidou to Mang Wu, who was sitting there dozing off. “Wash him.”

Mang Wu was startled by the fuzzy texture. He opened his eyes to meet Mang Jiu’s cold stare and reluctantly took the cub. “Why don’t you just wash it yourself?”

Mang Jiu reached out and carried Maodou into the water, proving that he didn’t have enough hands to wash both cubs at once.

Zhang Shuguang had actually been about to offer to go down and bathe the cub himself, but seeing how eager Mang Jiu was, he swallowed the words before they left his mouth.

Maodou liked water more than Naidou. As soon as his body touched the water, he splashed around a bit, then began to move his limbs.

Seeing his movements, Zhang Shuguang exclaimed in surprise, “Can he swim?”

Lang Yan, who had remained silent until then, spoke up: “Wolf cubs can swim from a young age. Where did you find him?”

Zhang Shuguang turned his head slightly, but didn’t look directly at him. Although there was nothing taboo about it, he felt it would be impolite. “At the edge of the Black Forest. Mang Jiu said the White Wolf Clan abandoned him.”

Lang Yan nodded. As a member of the Giant Wolf Clan, he was familiar with the customs of other wolf clans, but he didn’t approve of this.

“Even if the little pup is different, he’s still a young life. Throwing him out of the tribe at such a young age—it’s obvious they didn’t want him to survive.”

“Are you raising him? If not, I can take him.”

Zhang Shuguang was taken aback. Lang Yan hadn’t spoken a word the entire journey, so he hadn’t expected the other party to ask for the pup so directly.

But he couldn’t let him take the pup away, so he hurriedly said, “We’ll raise him. We’ll raise all three.”

Lang Yan glanced at Mang Jiu, who nodded and said, “We’ll raise them.”

Lang Yan said nothing more, simply staring at Maodou with a faint hint of affection in his eyes. Zhang Shuguang had no idea what he was thinking, so he glanced at Mang Jiu, who explained, “Lang Yan’s mate is a female Beastman. She’s in poor health and can’t bear cubs.”

Zhang Shuguang murmured, “Oh,” and didn’t ask any further questions.

Maodou quickly got the hang of swimming. He swam two laps on his own before reaching Naidou’s side. “Woof!”

Naidou, supported by Meng Wu who was holding his belly, saw Maodou approaching and reached out a paw to pat him.

But his body lurched, and he immediately froze.

Zhang Shuguang chuckled, turned around, and grabbed Tangdou from the side. Instead of tossing her into the water, he gently wiped her down with water.

The feathers of adult Bird Clan members are water-repellent, making them hard to get wet, but for a chick, it only took a few swipes before Tangdou became a soaking wet little bird. She was already petite, and with her feathers wet, she looked even smaller.

Zhang Shuguang quickly wiped the dust off her body, then placed her on a nearby rock. He took a clean, short-haired pelt from his backpack, wrapped it around her, and gently rubbed her down.

Tangdou let out occasional chirps but didn’t struggle.

After bathing the chicks, Mang Jiu and Mang Wu emerged from the water as well. Zhang Shuguang couldn’t help but glance at Mang Jiu’s impressive physique, then looked down at his own scrawny frame and pursed his lips.

He needed to eat more and put on some weight!

It was completely dark outside. After soaking in the hot bath, everyone was hungry. Zhang Shuguang said to Mang Jiu, “Go catch some more game. We need to cook a meal.” He took out the flat-bottomed frying pan Mang Jiu had made and said, “I’ll stew some meat.”

Mang Jiu nodded and flew out of the cave with the eagle.

Zhang Shuguang was organizing the items in his backpack when his hand suddenly paused. As, who was standing nearby, noticed and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zhang Shuguang sighed and tapped his forehead. “Earlier, Mang Jiu and I caught quite a few crayfish and snails. I put the snails in a wooden basin to let them spit out the sand. I was worried they’d die in this heat, so I moved the basin into the cave. I’ve been so busy these past couple of days that I completely forgot about them.”

A-Si chuckled, “You’re worried they’ll die?”

Zhang Shuguang pursed his lips. “It’s not that I’m worried—I’m certain they’ll die. If they die, we can’t eat them, and that’s a waste.” It was his own fault, really; he’d discovered so many delicious things these past few days—fat frogs and giant shrimp—that he’d completely forgotten about the little snails.

“Never mind, we’ll deal with it when we get back.” He set the flat-bottomed wok aside, then poured the remaining meatballs into the pot. Turning around, he asked, “Where’s the clean water?”

Xiong Bai said, “How much do you need? I’ll go get some for you.”

Zhang Shuguang took out the thick bamboo tube he’d previously used to store the gelatin and handed it to him along with the one containing the meatballs. “Fill them all up.” 

A-Si handed him the water skin as well. “Thanks.”

Zhang Shuguang quickly handed him the water skins he and Mang Jiu were carrying, smiling gratefully as he added, “Thanks for your trouble. When you get back, I’ll treat you to some braised meat.”

Xiong Bai’s face lit up with delight. Heaven only knew how long he’d been craving Zhang Shuguang’s cooking; the last time he’d delivered the scale-armor boards, he’d intended to sneak a bite, but hadn’t managed to get any.

In high spirits, he turned to the others and asked, “Do you want to fill the water bags?”

The others said nothing, simply reaching out to hand him the water bags.

Xiong Bai gave a soft chuckle, borrowed a backpack from Zhang Shuguang, placed the thick bamboo tube and the water bags inside, slung it over his shoulders, and stepped out of the cave.

“Where should we start a fire?” asked A-Si, holding the tools he used for fire-making.

Zhang Shuguang glanced around. The cave was hot and humid; if they lit a fire to cook, he’d probably break out in a sweat again, and his shower would have been for nothing.

He stepped out of the cave and looked around, spotting a flat area not far away that was sheltered by the mountainside and protected from the wind.

He pointed and said, “Over there. Lang Yan, Mang Wu, could you two go find some dry grass and twigs? I need to start a fire.”

Lang Yan nodded, and Mang Wu said nothing; the two of them left the cave.

Xī Ershí approached, asking somewhat nervously, “They both have things to do. What should I do?”

Zhang Shuguang smiled at him and said, “Just keep an eye on those three kids for me. Later, when Mang Jiu brings back the game, you can help prepare it.”

Fearing someone might think he was slacking off, Xi Ershi hurriedly agreed, ran over to the three cubs, crouched down, and kept a close watch on them.

Naidou, who had been licking his fur with gusto, paused, looked up at this strange person, then shifted his body to turn his backside toward him, continuing to lick his hind paws with his legs akimbo.

Maodou was less fussy; he stood there shaking himself wildly, as if his whole body were about to fly off. Tangdou, standing nearby, shifted away in disgust and chirped at him twice.

Maodou stopped, leaned in to sniff, and got his nose kicked by Naidou’s raised little paw.

Maodou didn’t get upset; he just wagged his dangling tail, moved a bit closer, and nudged Tangdou with the tip of his nose.

Whenever Tangdou dodged to the side, he moved in closer.

Seeing this, Naidou stopped licking his fur, held his big tail high, took a few light steps, and then pounced.

“Woof!” Maodou was caught in the middle of the attack, let out a yelp, and then turned to pounce on him.

The two pups pounced back and forth at each other, while Tangdou chirped “cheep, cheep, cheep” from the side. She didn’t just chirp—she’d occasionally flap her wings a couple of times, as if cheering them on.

Zhang Shuguang heard the commotion and glanced over. Seeing that they weren’t actually biting or scratching each other, he let them be.

Then he stepped out of the cave and joined A-Si on the platform to light a fire and heat up the hot pot.

“You’re something else,” A-Si remarked as he watched him bring out all the supplies—oil, seasonings, and everything else—so well-stocked that he couldn’t help but tease him. “Why didn’t you just bring your stove over too?”

Zhang Shuguang snorted without looking up. “You can build a stove with just some stones. Why would I bring that over? Besides, I didn’t take any of those dried goods from the cave,” he said, pointing. “Go on, go pick up some stones. I’ll build the stove.”

A-Si was speechless, but he eventually got up and went to gather stones.

Zhang Shuguang was now a pro at building stoves. All it took was a few stones with a hole left for adding firewood. He transferred the fire A-Si had just lit into the finished stove and placed the frying pan on top.

Mang Wu and Lang Mu returned quickly, each carrying a bundle of twigs and dry grass. Seeing that he had already built the stove, Lang Mu asked, “Is there anything else we need?”

Zhang Shuguang turned his head to look at him and said, “We don’t have a pot to hold anything right now. If it’s convenient, could you use one of these heat-retaining stones to carve one out? It’ll also let us test the stone’s hardness.”

Lang Mu nodded. “Sure.”

Mang Wu came over and crouched beside him. Watching the animal fat gradually melt in the pan from the heat, he asked curiously, “What’s this?” He pointed at the frying pan.

Zhang Shuguang explained, “ “Mang Jiu and the others brought back some scaly armor plates. I saw they were fire-resistant and durable, so I had Mang Jiu make me a pot out of them. It makes it easier to stir-fry meat.” As he spoke, his hands didn’t stop moving; he set aside the remaining small pumpkin and took out the large bag of seafood they’d brought, picking out the squid and shellfish from inside.

“I’m back! ” Xiong Bai came up from the foot of the mountain, his clothes speckled with water.

Zhang Shuguang said, “Perfect timing. I need to give these a quick rinse.” He got up to wash the ingredients, then chopped the seafood that could be cut and tossed the rest directly into the pot. He also cut the small pumpkin into small pieces and threw them into the pot, pinched some of the sea salt Xiong Kui had given him into the pot, and filled it with water.

“Keep an eye on the fire. Let it boil vigorously. If foam forms on the surface, use this ladle to skim it off.” He handed the wooden ladle he’d brought to A-Si and instructed, “I’ll pick out some peanuts and toss them in the fire to roast.”

A-Si nodded and swapped places with him.

Zhang Shuguang emptied all the peanuts from his backpack onto the ground, picking out the larger ones and piling them up, while setting the smaller ones aside to take back for seed.

After sorting for a while, Xiong Bai, who had been watching the pot and sniffing the aroma, called out, “They’re back!”

Ying Fei was the first to return. He had transformed into his bird-man form, carrying a half-grown long-horned deer in his hands. He flew to the cave entrance, landed, set the deer aside, and said to Zhang Shuguang, “Mang Jiu saw some potatoes and said you might need them, so he’s going to dig some up before coming back.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded, tossed the selected peanuts into the fire, then asked Xiong Bai and Mang Wu, “Roasted venison, stir-fried venison, stewed venison—how about venison soup? Want some?”

Not to mention the two of them, even Ying Fei and Lang Mu, who was breaking stones nearby, couldn’t help but swallow hard.

Zhang Shuguang smiled. Excellent—that’s exactly what he wanted: for them to be craving it.

He pointed to the half-grown long-horned deer. “Help me cut it up. Find the leanest parts and slice off two pieces for me. Save the two hind legs for roasting later, and leave the rest over there—I’ll handle it.”

It was pointless to explain to them how to cut it; it would be better for him to demonstrate first, then have them follow his lead.

“Xi Ershi, come here. Go find a clean slab of stone—something flat. Hurry up,” he called out.

As soon as Xi Ershi heard him tell him to hurry, he ran down the mountain without even saying goodbye, and soon returned with a slab of stone.

Zhang Shuguang took a look at it, washed it with water, and then placed it on the ground to use as a cutting board.

“What else do we need?” Lang Mu set the stone basin aside.

Zhang Shuguang looked at what he was about to prepare and said to him, “Brother Lang Mu, you guys should carve a few more stone bowls and plates. We’re going to be staying here for a few days, and we’ll need them for cooking.”

Lang Mu nodded and called a few men over to start quarrying stone.

They were strong, and the stone wasn’t particularly hard, so they worked quickly.

Zhang Shuguang dipped the sliced venison into the nearly finished seafood broth to blanch it, then added some lemongrass to remove the gamey smell and enhance the aroma. A dish of seafood and venison with pumpkin soup was ready.

A-Si helped him pour the soup into the stone basin they had just made, holding a thick bamboo tube filled with fresh water. “It smells so good!”

“Seafood is just naturally fragrant, and since it’s naturally salty, it tastes great without needing much added salt,” Zhang Shuguang said as he rinsed the pot with water, then continued heating oil to stir-fry the venison. He didn’t cook the venison separately but tossed it in with the shrimp. Since the seafood they’d brought wouldn’t keep for long, he figured they might as well enjoy it all at once.

The fire was blazing, and the stone slab conducted heat quickly. The venison sizzled as it hit the hot oil. Zhang Shuguang tossed in a few Sichuan peppercorns and a piece of cinnamon bark, then gave it a couple of stirs before adding the large shrimp to the pan. He continued stir-frying until the shrimp turned a bright red, then pinched some salt over them and removed the dish from the heat.

“I need a stone platter!” he called out.

Xiong Bai brought over the washed stone platter, and Zhang Shuguang used his hand to transfer the food onto it, saying, “Take it away.”

Xiong Bai stared intently at the bright red shrimp and couldn’t help but sniff deeply. “Can we eat yet? I’m starving.”

Even though he’d already eaten his fill earlier, the aroma was so enticing that he found himself getting hungry all over again.

Zhang Shuguang was cold and unyielding. “No, Mang Jiu hasn’t come back yet.”

“He’s back. He’ll be here any minute,” Xiong Bai said.

Zhang Shuguang glanced down the mountain and saw Mang Jiu climbing up with a basket on his back. He relaxed slightly, then said, “We still can’t eat. There are still dishes left to prepare.”

“If we don’t eat it now, it’ll get cold!” Xiong Bai protested.

Zhang Shuguang shot him a sidelong glance. “This rock radiates heat on its own, so it’ll keep the food warm. It won’t get cold. Xiong Bai, don’t say another word. We’ll all eat together once I’m done. If you really have nothing else to do, you can try to build a table and find some branches of uniform thickness to use as chopsticks.”

“Chopsticks? What are they for?” Xiong Bai asked, puzzled.

Zhang Shuguang couldn’t help but scold him, “You don’t even wash your hands before eating meat. That plate of meat isn’t just for you—if you don’t mind it being dirty, others certainly will. Chopsticks and bowls are essential for eating; only barbarians eat with their hands.”

Xiong Bai had a thick enough skin that he didn’t get angry even after being teased like that; he actually thought what Zhang Shuguang said made a lot of sense.

“How thick should the branches be?”

Zhang Shuguang looked down, picked out two from the pile of branches he’d gathered earlier, and handed them to him. “Like these—they need to be straight.”

Xiong Bai nodded and headed down the mountain with the two branches in hand.

Mang Jiu happened to be coming up the path. Seeing the two branches in his hands, he thought of the set of utensils Zhang Shuguang usually used for meals and immediately understood what Xiong Bai was up to.

He stepped aside to let him pass, then continued up the mountain.

“Where did you go to dig up those potatoes? Was it pretty far?” Zhang Shuguang noticed the dirt on his clothes and patted him on the back. “Did you dig up this many?”

“Yeah, nobody goes there—it’s in a mountain hollow.” Mang Jiu emptied the potatoes from his backpack, and they rolled all over the ground with a clatter.

Zhang Shuguang nodded with a smile and handed him the water skin. “Have a drink. Sit down and rest for a bit. I’ll start roasting the venison.”

Mang Jiu: “Roast it here. I’ll help you.”

Zhang Shuguang agreed and set up the grill next to him. He should have started with the meat first, but he figured he could eat the roasted leg as it cooked—by the time he finished preparing all the other dishes, it would be ready to eat.

As A-Si finished peeling the potatoes, Zhang Shuguang had already stir-fried the diced venison. He added the potato chunks and water, then began simmering the stew.

This deer wasn’t very large. Although Zhang Shuguang believed it to be an adult, Mang Jiu insisted it was a fawn, claiming that fawn meat was tender.

The meat was indeed tender; it was cooked through after just a short time in the pot. Zhang Shuguang used a twig found by Xiong Bai to pick up a piece and taste it—the seasoning was just right.

“Let’s eat!” He lifted the skillet directly onto the makeshift table they’d set up. The group sat cross-legged on the ground, each holding a warm stone bowl fresh from the fire and a pair of twig chopsticks.

They all looked so well-behaved and dainty—it was actually quite amusing.

A-Si sat next to Zhang Shuguang, ladled a bowl of seafood soup with a stone spoon, and handed it to him. “The cook eats first.”

“Thanks,” Zhang Shuguang said with a smile as he accepted the bowl and began sipping the soup.

Apart from Mang Jiu and A-Si, the others were using chopsticks for the first time. They weren’t very skilled with them, but that didn’t stop them from eating one bit.

If they couldn’t pick up the food, they just poked at it—no one missed a single bite.

Soon, the sound of slurping filled the air—not exactly refined, but a clear sign of their appreciation for the chef’s skills.

The three kids had their own stone plates, and Zhang Shuguang served them some food as well, letting them eat on their own.

Mang Jiu peeled three large prawns and placed the meat into Zhang Shuguang’s bowl.

“Thanks for your trouble.”

Zhang Shuguang gave him a surprised look, then smiled and picked out a shellfish for him as well. “Eat the meat inside and spit out the shell.”

Mang Jiu tried one and his eyes lit up. “Delicious.”

“The pumpkin broth is sweet. Have a sip of the soup, then take a bite of meat—it’s especially fragrant.”

Mang Jiu followed his advice, sipping the soup and then taking a bite of meat. “Delicious.”

Xiong Bai held his bowl, eating so intently he didn’t even look up.

Mang Jiu and Ying Fei were particularly fond of stir-fried venison; the two nearly came to blows over who would get the last piece of venison on the stone platter.

Lang Mu and Xishi Er were equally savoring every bite. Xishi Er had previously eaten rabbit roasted by Zhang Shuguang, and now, seeing the venison leg roasting over the fire, he found himself craving that flavor.

“Isn’t it done yet?” he asked.

Zhang Shuguang used a bone knife to slice off the outer layer of meat, placed it on a plate, and handed it to him. “Here, have some.”

Xi Ershi smiled, pursing his lips, and accepted it with a thank you.

Zhang Shuguang had the smallest appetite among them; a few large shrimp, a couple of pieces of meat, and a bowl of soup were enough to fill him up. He let out a soft belch, set down his bowl, and said, “Remember to clean up when you’re done. I’m just here to cook.”

The others nodded repeatedly. Mang Wu said, “We’ll do it, we’ll do it.”

Lang Mu looked at Mang Jiu and said, “You really are lucky to get to eat Shuguang’s cooking every day.”

Mang Jiu nodded; yes, he thought so too.

Everyone was thoroughly satisfied after the meal. All the ingredients Zhang Shuguang had brought were now gone, leaving only a few seasonings.

He scooped the peanuts from the fire onto a stone platter and placed it on the table. Seeing the others looking at him in puzzlement, he chuckled, reached out, picked up a peanut, peeled off the dirt, then pinched it firmly between both hands. With a crack, the peanut shell split open.

He took out the roasted peanut kernels inside, giving one to himself and one to Mang Jiu.

“These get crispy once they cool down.”

Mang Jiu took one and ate it, raising an eyebrow. “Very fragrant.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded and said to the others, “Give it a try. You can also wait until it cools down—it’ll be even crispier and more fragrant.”

None of them reached out; clearly, they weren’t very interested in this little snack.

After eating several peanuts in a row, Zhang Shuguang stopped. He raised his hand to cover his mouth and yawned.

He was sleepy.

By now, it was completely dark. Within a hundred-mile radius, theirs was the only place with a fire burning. Zhang Shuguang looked around and asked, “Where are we going to sleep tonight?”

This place wasn’t really suitable for sleeping. The cave was too damp and stuffy—fine for a bath, but definitely not for sleeping. He was afraid he’d catch a cold if he woke up the next day.

Mang Jiu was at a loss.

Usually, when they were out, they could rest anywhere under the open sky at night, but that wouldn’t work for Zhang Shuguang. If he were to just find a spot and lie down to sleep, he’d likely be blown away by the night wind in no time.

“Hm?” Seeing that he hadn’t spoken for a while, Zhang Shuguang turned to look at him and noticed a rare expression of embarrassment on the man’s usually impassive face.

Zhang Shuguang paused for a moment, then laughed. “What’s wrong? Speak up.”

“There’s a way to help you sleep better at night without getting blown away by the wind,” said Mang Jiu.

Zhang Shuguang nodded. “Go ahead.”

“Have Xiong Bai, Lang Mu, and Xi Er—the three of them—transform into their beast forms and surround you in the middle. Then have Ying Fei transform into his beast form and lie on top of them.” After saying this, Mang Jiu’s expression darkened.

Who knows what he was thinking, but his face was so gloomy—tsk, tsk, tsk.

Zhang Shuguang pictured the scene in his mind and shook his head vigorously. “No, no way. I’d rather just go sleep in the cave.”

A-Si, overhearing their conversation, couldn’t stop laughing. Pointing to the space behind him, he said, “Just dig a hole. Are you two so full you don’t want to move?”

Mang Jiu went, “Oh,” realizing they could just dig a cave on the spot.

Zhang Shuguang thought this was a viable option too, so he said, “Let’s dig it now. We can leave the rocks here and haul them back tomorrow.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Mang Jiu nod, then stand up and rip off his animal-skin skirt. “I’ll do it.”

“What the…?” Before he could finish his question, the man underwent a massive transformation right on the spot.

A massive serpent’s head, a thick serpent’s body—when the head reared up, it towered well above Zhang Shuguang’s standing height.

His eyes widened as he watched the colossal serpent lift its thick tail and smash it against the mountain wall.

With a thunderous crash, a massive crack split open in the rock face.

The way he’d jumped right into action without a word nearly made Zhang Shuguang faint.

A-Si reached out and pulled Zhang Shuguang, who was frozen in place, to the side, muttering, “Why didn’t you say anything before you started?”

Zhang Shuguang was completely numb; if A-Si hadn’t been supporting him, he would have collapsed to the ground by now.

Sorry, my legs really are shaking!

Is this even a snake?

What kind of snake could be this thick?!

By the light of the fire, Zhang Shuguang saw the body of Mang Jiu coiled on the ground.

To describe that body as “as thick as a barrel” would be an understatement.

Its width was at least three meters!

A snake three meters wide—just how long must it be?

Zhang Shuguang pinched his thigh hard, forcing himself to stay calm.

Mang Jiu turned his head to glance over. Seeing that Zhang Shuguang hadn’t fainted or screamed, he relaxed.

Then he began lashing his tail, thudding it against the mountain wall with a thunderous roar.

In no time, he had whipped a three-meter-square opening into the rock, sending boulders scattering to the side.

The other Beastmen didn’t just stand there watching; as soon as he stopped, they rushed forward and cleared away the rocks.

Mang Jiu shifted back into human form, wrapped his leather skirt around himself, and said to Xiong Bai, “You dig out the inside—make it deeper. We’ll stay here for now.”

Xiong Bai nodded, shifted back into beast form, and went to dig out the rocks.

His claws were sharp, and in no time, the cave had been dug out to a depth of five or six meters.

The rocks were tossed directly from the cliff’s edge down to the valley floor. The Beastmen worked swiftly; with their division of labor, the cave was expanded by over ten meters in no time.

Zhang Shuguang had also regained his composure. He merely glared at Mang Jiu before going inside to take a look.

It was warm inside, but not damp—perfect for living in this weather.

“Stop digging,” he called out to Xiong Bai, who was about to swing his claws again. “This is enough for us to live in. Let’s find some dry grass to make a makeshift nest for now, and see if we can find any suitable stone slabs tomorrow.”

Xiong Bai shifted back into human form, wrapped a leather skirt around himself, and said, “I set aside some stone slabs earlier—I dug out a few on purpose.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded and thanked him. “Thanks for your hard work.”

“No need to thank me. That’s how we usually set up our mountain caves—Mang Jiu makes the initial hole, and then we dig it out.”

Zhang Shuguang asked offhandedly, “ “Can’t you guys dig your own holes?”

“Sure we can, but he’s fast. Look, he just swishes his tail three times and there’s a hole. It’d take me a while to dig one.” After saying this, Xiong Bai muttered to himself, “If he wanted to, he could dig a huge cave right away. I don’t know what’s wrong with him today—he actually stopped after just making a small opening.”

Zhang Shuguang suddenly felt relieved—Mang Jiu must have stopped to avoid scaring him.

Zhang Shuguang and A-Si slept at the very back of the cave, while the Beastmen slept on the outskirts. Aside from the lack of pillows, everything else was quite comfortable; they didn’t even feel cold without covering themselves with animal skins.

Plus, Lang Mu had transformed into his beast form and stood guard at the entrance, blocking the cold wind from blowing in.

Early the next morning, after they woke up, Zhang Shuguang and A-Si followed Xiong Bai to the stream to wash up. On the way back, they picked up a few eggs—they weren’t sure if they were chicken, duck, or some other kind of bird’s eggs.

There were still plenty of potatoes left from what Mang Jiu had dug up yesterday. Zhang Shuguang simply sliced the roasted venison and tossed it into the pot, then added some shredded potatoes. He cracked the eggs into a bowl and made a unique version of egg drop soup.

The Beastmen didn’t drink much; they planned to go hunting later.

Shortly after Ying Fei left, Zhang Shuguang called out to A-Si and Mang Jiu, and the three of them headed down the mountain together. They left the little ones with Xi Ershi to watch over—just to make sure they didn’t get too rowdy and fall off the cliff—while he went to scout the area to see if he could find any other food. Eating meat for every meal was really getting to him.

“There doesn’t seem to be much edible produce around here.” He dug through the grass with a hoe in his hand. It took him a while to unearth a small pumpkin. Following the vine, he found a few more small pumpkins that had been half-eaten and were already rotten.

Holding the small pumpkin, he pursed his lips and said, “They must have been eaten by other wild animals.”

Mang Jiu nodded. A-Si pointed to a spot not far away. “Over there—I saw a lot of them growing.”

Zhang Shuguang looked over and furrowed his brow. “What is it?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s buried in the ground too?” He already knew that peanuts were buried underground, so he was quite interested in this kind of sprouting plant and reached out to dig.

The three of them went over to dig, but found nothing usable.

Seeing the awkward look on A-Si’s face, Zhang Shuguang laughed, “Failure is the mother of success. Let’s keep going.”

By the time the sun was high in the sky, the three of them had found nothing but that little pumpkin.

A-Si was fine with it; he often encountered situations like this when he went out wandering on his own, so he didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.

Zhang Shuguang, however, was quite discouraged. He bit his lip and muttered to himself, “Power on.”

A moment later, Xiao Cai’s enthusiastic electronic voice rang out, strangely tinged with excitement and a hint of choking emotion.

Xiao Cai: “Master, you finally remembered me! Master, I missed you so much! Master, you haven’t called me in four days!”

Xiao Cai: “Master, I was wrong. Please forgive me. I really didn’t mean to deceive you!”

Xiao Cai: “Master, I’ll now calculate your current status.

…After deducting consumption, current power is 96%, points are 105, experience is 750/3900, APP Level 4. Upgrading the APP drops rapeseed (Shanghai Green) seeds.”

Xiao Cai chattered on for a while, but Zhang Shuguang didn’t say a word.

Xiao Cai: “Master, you’re not going to lock me in the ‘little black room’ again, are you?”

Zhang Shuguang couldn’t be bothered to argue with him and simply said, “Turn on navigation. See if there are any usable crops nearby.”

Xiao Cai: “Yes, Master. I’ll activate the navigation function immediately.”

Xiao Cai: “Master, there are edible crops within 500 meters to the north.”

Xiao Cai: “Master, there are edible crops within 300 meters to the west.”

Xiao Cai: “Master, there are edible crops 20 meters ahead.”

Xiao Cai: “Master, daily app tasks…”

Zhang Shuguang: “Shut down.”

Xiao Cai: “……”

Zhang Shuguang: “Shut down.”

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

Zhang Shuguang acted like a heartless jerk who discards things after use, completely indifferent to whether his app was crying.

He took a few steps forward, then rummaged through the withered grass until he finally found a small bump buried in the sandy soil.

His eyes widened. He carefully dug around the bump with his hoe, creating a small hole. Inside was a round, plump… sweet potato.

“…” He felt like cursing. What kind of sweet potato grows to look like a human head!

“What is this?” A-Si crouched down curiously and poked it—it was rock-hard.

Zhang Shuguang felt utterly drained. He said nothing, simply crouching on the ground and digging up every spot where withered leaves lay, unearthing dozens of these “human-head” sweet potatoes.

“……” A-Si didn’t know what to say either; he just looked at him with admiration.

Zhang Shuguang stood up and sighed. “Pack these up. I’ll keep looking.”

He headed toward the spot Xiao Cai had indicated earlier. He wasn’t quite sure which direction was north, south, east, or west, so he’d take a few steps and look up at the sky. Mang Jiu and A-Si, who were following him, didn’t understand what he was doing, so they mimicked him, taking a few steps and then looking up at the sky.

Zhang Shuguang found the spot Xiao Cai had mentioned. He turned to call the other two over to help dig a hole, only to see them both looking up at the sky.

He looked up as well. The sky was clear and vast, with nothing particularly noteworthy.

Confused, he asked, “What are you looking at? Is it going to rain?”

Mang Jiu looked down at him and shook his head.

A-Si found his earlier behavior truly baffling, so she asked, “What are you looking at? We’ll copy you—can you actually see something up there?”

Zhang Shuguang: “……” How am I supposed to explain this to you? I was just looking at the sun to figure out which way to go.

This was a huge misunderstanding.

He waved his hand, feeling utterly exhausted.

“Let’s dig. There should be something under here.”

Mang Jiu didn’t say a word. He knew Zhang Shuguang had secrets, so he didn’t ask any further. He simply took the hoe from Zhang Shuguang’s hands and crouched down to dig.

A-Si couldn’t help but say to him, “You’re amazing.”

Zhang Shuguang gave a dry laugh. Yeah, I am pretty eccentric.

After digging for a while, Mang Jiu discovered a stick-like object buried in the soil. Not recognizing it, he turned back and said, “Shuguang, come take a look at this.”

Zhang Shuguang walked over and took a closer look. It was a yam.

A giant yam, much thicker than an ordinary one.

“This is a yam. The one from earlier was a sweet potato,” he didn’t feel like explaining what a yam was or what a sweet potato was—they were both edible anyway. “Dig away. Dig up as many as you can. I’ll keep looking.”

Seeing him head off alone in another direction, Mang Jiu got up and followed.

A-Si glanced at the hoe left on the ground, then at the two men walking away, and sighed.

Fine, I’ll dig.