“What he means is, if he eats garlic, are you still planning to lay eggs with him?”

Zhang Shuguang’s single remark left the two of them speechless.

The two people involved—one turned bright red and ran off, abandoning the meat bun he’d been eating. The other dropped his meat bun into his bowl, taking a lonely bite.

Mang Jiu calmly took a bite of his meat bun and turned to his brother. “You should try the garlic. It’s actually pretty good.” Zhang Shuguang held a plump, white garlic clove in his hand, taking a bite of the meat bun followed by a bite of garlic, chewing with a satisfying crunch.

“We’re all eating it, but you’re not. You’ll probably find the smell even harder to bear when we’re talking later.”

Mang Er took a deep breath; the pungent garlic smell made his eyelids twitch. “No thanks, I can’t handle it.”

Zhang Shuguang only dared to eat the garlic this way because he had peanuts in his hand. Later, he’d chew a few raw peanuts, brush his teeth with sea salt, and rinse his mouth—that would get rid of most of the garlic taste.

“You’re giving up such a great kid just because of some garlic?”

“It’s not like I have to eat the garlic.” Mang Er pressed his hand to his forehead; he really did have a headache.

Zhang Shuguang was just trying to be funny, but when he saw Li’s face turn pale, he quickly grabbed a handful of peanuts, stuffed them in his mouth, chewed a few times, and then said, “Second Brother, you’re really serious about Li, aren’t you?”

Mang Er sniffed and looked at him in puzzlement. “Doesn’t it smell as strongly of garlic as it did a moment ago?”

“Oh, I ate some peanuts. Chewing raw peanuts for a while helps get rid of the garlic smell,” he said, grabbing a handful of peanuts and handing them to Mang Er. “I saved some on purpose to neutralize the garlic smell when I eat it.”

Mang Er took the peanuts, ate two, shook his head—he didn’t like them—and went back to munching on his meat bun. Mang Jiu kicked him with his foot. “I’m asking you a question.”

“Hm?” Mang Er looked up and nodded. “He’s doing fine. Let’s wait for the rainy season.”

“Why wait for the rainy season?” Zhang Shuguang looked at Mang Er, then at Mang Jiu. “What’s the difference between the rainy season and now?”

Mang Er glanced at Zhang Shuguang, then turned to look at Mang Jiu, raising an eyebrow.

Mang Jiu said, “He has nothing. To mate with Li, he needs to make some preparations. That’s the custom in the tribe—everyone courts during the rainy season.”

“Is that so?” Zhang Shuguang tilted his head. He thought of the people in the tribe who moved in together as soon as they took a liking to each other, and then recalled Li saying that if he were to find a partner, he must find someone who was completely devoted to him. He nodded. “Then some preparation is needed. Li said he only wants one beastman and doesn’t want to share him with anyone else.”

Mang Er and Mang Jiu nodded in unison. Zhang Shuguang raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, “What’s that supposed to mean? Do you agree with that?” 

“Of course,” Mang Er chuckled. “What’s the point of having so many sub-beastmen? They’re just a hassle to take care of.”

Mang Jiu spoke bluntly, “I don’t want any sub-beastmen. Having you is enough for me.”

Zhang Shuguang raised his hand to rub his face and glared at him. “Just eat your meal. Don’t talk.” 

Mang Jiu went, “Oh,” and lowered his head to eat.

Mang Er chuckled softly, reached out to place two meat buns in a bowl, and stood up. “I’ll take this to Li.” Zhang Shuguang nodded with a smile. “Alright, call him back to eat with us. We’ll be roasting beef jerky later.” 

Mang Er replied and walked off carrying the bowl.

Zhang Shuguang turned sideways, propping his chin in his hand, and asked Mang Jiu, “Beastmen—do you have a mating season?” Mang Jiu paused for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, during the rainy season.”

Zhang Shuguang hummed in acknowledgment. No wonder they had to wait for the rainy season. But the thought that the person right in front of him was also a mature beastman—the rainy season and all that… Ugh, so frustrating!

Mang Jiu wiped his hands and poured himself a cup of hot water. “Eat first.”

“Actually, I wanted to ask,” Zhang Shuguang took a sip of water, picked up the meat bun, squeezed it a bit, then lowered his eyes and took a bite. “What’s your mating season like?”

Mang Jiu was stumped by the question. He chewed on the meat in his mouth, stared at him for a long moment, and finally said, “I don’t really feel anything. Maybe a little hot? I’ll just go take a dip in the ocean.”

Zhang Shuguang was speechless. He wasn’t wrong, though. If you’re hot, you go soak in cold water. While others might pick a spot with plenty of water, Mang Jiu just jumps right into the sea. No matter how high your body temperature is, that’ll bring it right down.

As he was eating his second meat bun, Li returned, blushing and trailing behind Mang Er. He caught his eye and gave him a shy glare, but he actually looked quite happy.

Zhang Shuguang didn’t tease him any further. He just finished his meal quickly, went over to the kiln, and lit the fire to fire the pottery.

He wiped the flat stone slab over and over with a clean pelt, then arranged the air-dried beef strips neatly on it, one by one.

“I’ve prepared these—take a look and see if they’re any good.” Li brought over all of his air-dried beef strips—a whole large bowlful.

Zhang Shuguang reached out to pick up a strip to test its firmness, then gave it a sniff and laughed, “Not bad. The seasoning’s pretty good, too.”

“My mom helped me prepare them. She said we can take them to the gathering soon to trade for some things. Actually, I don’t really have anything I want to trade for—as long as it’s not snow season, our tribe doesn’t lack food.” Li poured himself a cup of water, sat down to one side holding the bamboo bowl, and whispered, “You’re definitely going to the gathering with Mang Jiu, right? Could you ask the chief to take me along too?”

Zhang Shuguang turned his head to look at the two brothers clumsily weaving a wicker basket. He shifted slightly and nudged Li with his shoulder. “I’m still relying on Mang Jiu to take me. If you really want to go, you could try talking to Mang Er. If he’s going to the trade fair, getting him to take you along shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Will that work?” Li asked uncertainly. “Usually, they don’t let sub-beastmen tag along for events like this.”

“I’m not a Beastman either!” Zhang Shuguang patted his shoulder. “Go talk to Mang Er. Once the Chief returns in a couple of days, I’ll speak with him. I think it’d be good to take some young sub-beastmen out to see the world.”

He genuinely thought it would be a good idea to take some sub-beastmen out, especially single ones! Preferably good-looking ones, regardless of gender. Going on a long journey for matchmaking or something like that—who knows, maybe he could even bring back a few young beasts?

He lit the fire and said, “Keep an eye on the fire for me. Don’t let it die down or go out.” Li nodded, grabbing a piece of wood. “Go about your business. I’ll watch it.”

“It won’t take too long. Check on the meat after a while. Once it’s done, take it all out. It should be ready in about—” he scratched his cheek, “—about the time it takes you to eat a meal here.”

Zhang Shuguang said a quick word to Mang Jiu, then went into the cave and filled a large conch shell with honey. “I’m going to Wu’s place. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Inside the large cave, Wu Ming was watching the little ones play. He had already told their parents to take the children back home before the rainy season began; he was getting old and didn’t have the energy to look after them anymore.

When Zhang Shuguang approached, the sharp-eyed cubs spotted him and instantly surrounded him.

Several cubs from the Giant Bear Clan caught the sweet scent of honey and began pouncing on his legs one by one. Zhang Shuguang quickly bent down to pat each one on the head, then dipped a twig into the giant conch shell and fed them a bite each. “Good boys. The rest of this is from Grandpa Wu. Here, have a taste of something sweet to satisfy your cravings.”

Wu Ming sat nearby, smiling broadly. “You’re finally back. I was so worried I couldn’t sleep.”

“Mang Jiu and I found some beehives with plenty of honey inside. I brought some over for you to try,” Zhang Shuguang said, handing him the large conch shell with a smile. “It’s pretty sweet.”

“Next time, save some for yourselves—don’t bring it all to me,” Wu Ming said with a laugh as he thanked them. He took the giant conch shell, and when he saw the little ones crowding around, he fed them a bite as well. “Go on, go play.”

The little ones reluctantly walked away, but the Giant Bear Clan cubs didn’t want to leave, whimpering as they rubbed against Wu Ming’s calves.

“That’s all, that’s all. I’ll wash down the rest with water myself.” Wu Ming patted their head with a smile, then stood up and said to Zhang Shuguang, “Come on, let’s go over there and talk.”

The kids knew they weren’t allowed to wander into the other caves, so they didn’t follow any further.

Zhang Shuguang reached out to steady Wu Ming and followed him inside. “Ying Wu must have told you everything by now.”

Wu Ming nodded and gave his hand a light pat. “It’s thanks to you. Otherwise, none of them would have made it back this time.”

Zhang Shuguang gave a wry smile. “I didn’t do much. They’ve thanked me plenty of times already—please don’t bring it up again. I came to see you about something else.” He briefly mentioned teaching the tribe how to grow vegetables, cure meat, and weave baskets, then added with a laugh, “I just picked it up from the beastmen I’m close with. The others watched and learned on their own; we never held any formal training sessions.”

Wu Ming said, “I was actually going to mention that to you. Since it’s rained, the soil is good for planting. Have them learn quickly and get the seeds in.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded. “Actually, I have a request.” He rubbed his hands together and said, “I’d like to go with Mang Jiu to the gathering to take a look, and I’d also like to bring some of the younger beastmen from the tribe with me—the sub-beastmen who haven’t found partners yet.”

At first, Wu Ming was taken aback by his words, but as soon as Zhang Shuguang finished his last sentence, the look of surprise faded from his face. He clapped his hands. “Right, take them! Let them go!”

“As long as you get my drift, it’d be great to bring back even one beastman—at least they’d be of foreign blood.” Zhang Shuguang smiled. “So, you mention this to the Chief. It’d be best if only unmarried beastmen went on this trip—who knows, we might even bring back a few sub-beastmen.”

Wu Ming patted him on the shoulder. “You, huh? Alright, I’ll go with your suggestion. I’ll talk to Xiong Kui when he gets back.”

Zhang Shuguang stood up and said to Wu Ming, “I’m heading back now. I’ve got some jerky roasting; I’ll bring you some once it’s done.” 

“Alright, see when you have time to come to the Great Platform and teach them.” Wu Ming said.

Zhang Shuguang nodded. “Maybe after breakfast tomorrow. I’ll spend tonight preparing and figuring out what to teach them.”

“Alright, it’s up to you. They’re most eager to learn farming from you. Hua and Ying have already taught them basket weaving—there are plenty of bamboo baskets stored in every cave now. They say they’ll take them to the market to trade for goods.” Wu Ming walked out with him, strolling slowly. “And that dried meat you made—it’d be even better if you could produce it in bulk.”

Zhang Shuguang stroked his chin. “It’s not really practical to have them come over to my place to roast it. How about we build a bigger oven on the big platform? We could roast meat on top and fire clay pots on the bottom.”

“Clay pots?” Wu Ming looked puzzled.

Zhang Shuguang explained what a clay pot was, and Wu Ming’s old face broke into a smile so wide it creased his skin. “All right, all right, that’s a good idea. Tell them to go dig up some clay!”

“It’s a good idea, but I’m worried we won’t have enough firewood. I’m starting the fire right now—let’s see if it works.” As he spoke, he had already stepped out of the cave. “I’ll let you know if it works out. You go ahead and rest.”

Wu Ming nodded with a smile. “Go on, go on. You go about your business.”

Zhang Shuguang returned to the fourth-level cave. The fire beneath the oven was roaring, and Li was crouched beside it, carefully adding wood.

“Shuguang, I took out all the jerky and put some more in. Take a whiff—it smells amazing!” Li finished adding the wood, reached out, grabbed a piece, and took a bite. “It does smell good, but it’s a bit tough on the teeth—really hard!”

Zhang Shuguang took a strip and gave it a bite. Even with some effort, he couldn’t tear the meat off, but the flavor was good.

He held the meat in his mouth for a moment before biting down again, tearing off a piece. “It really is tough on the teeth, but it’s also really tasty.” Li nodded vigorously. “Your three kids love it. They just went into the cave, each holding a piece in their mouths.”

“Where’s Mang Jiu?” Zhang Shuguang gently chewed on a piece of jerky. “I spoke to Wu, and he agreed to let you sub-beastmen without a beastman attend the gathering.”

Li’s eyes lit up with joy. “Really? That’s great! I’d better get ready then.” Zhang Shuguang raised an eyebrow at him. “Where’s Mang Jiu?”

“Mang Jiu and Mang Er went to that cave over there. I wonder what the two of them are whispering about.” Li couldn’t hide the smile on his face; he was overjoyed. “What do you think I should bring? Should I prepare extra jerky?”

“It depends on what you want to trade. If there’s a lot you want to trade for, then prepare more. I don’t know what kind of prices they use for trading, so bringing too much dried meat won’t really do much good.” Zhang Shuguang looked down at the dried meat in his hand. “It’s too dry and hard to chew. Next time, let it air-dry for no more than two days—one day is best. But this kind keeps well.”

Li nodded, taking note. “I’ll keep an eye on the fire. You go check on the fields. They’re waiting for you every day to teach them how to farm. If you have time, just go take a look around your plot.”

“I’ll go take a look then. If Mang Jiu comes back asking, tell him I went to the fields.” Zhang Shuguang looked down at the clay pots glowing in the firelight and said, “Once all the jerky is done, don’t just sit around. Take out the dried fish I hung up earlier and roast them. We can’t let them sit any longer—they’ll start to go bad. We’ll have stewed dried fish for dinner tonight.”

“Alright.” Li patted his chest. “I’ll remember. You go ahead.”

Zhang Shuguang went into the cave to fetch a small hoe and a bamboo basket. He saw the three pups gnawing on dried meat on the stone slab bed. Maodou was doing better; as a wolf pup, he had stronger teeth, and he was happily crunching away, tearing off a piece with a satisfying snap.

Naidou held a strip of meat in both front paws, lying on his side on the stone slab and biting down with all his might; it took several tries before he managed to tear off a small piece.

Tangdou pecked at the jerky with her little beak, one peck at a time. She was clever—she focused on just one spot, and in no time, she managed to peck off a small piece of meat, which she immediately tilted her head back to swallow.

The three little ones saw Zhang Shuguang come in and, forgetting all about the jerky, rushed over to rub against him.

“Good cubs,” Zhang Shuguang said with a smile as he patted them. “Go eat your jerky. Daddy’s going down the mountain to check on the vegetables in the field. When you’re done, go ask Uncle Li for more.”

He picked up his backpack and left the cave, heading down the mountain.

At the edge of two experimental fields down the mountain, several middle-aged sub-beastmen were pointing and discussing the green seedlings with small white flowers.

“I’ve never seen a wild vegetable with leaves like this before. Where on earth did Shuguang find this?” 

“Shuguang’s so talented; he’s bound to find plenty of things we don’t recognize.”

“I used to make fun of him for watering the fields with his own urine, but look at how well these wild greens are growing.” 

“I made fun of him, too.”

They exchanged glances, their faces flushing.

Just as they were talking, they saw Zhang Shuguang coming down the road with a basket on his back. They quickly waved their hands to greet him.

“Shuguang!”

Zhang Shuguang didn’t recognize them, but they looked familiar, so he greeted them with a flurry of “Uncles” and “Aunts.”

“We came over to take a look at your field—it’s really growing well.”

“Thanks. I’ve made arrangements with Wu. After breakfast tomorrow, anyone who wants to learn how to farm should come to the big terrace—I’ll teach you.” 

“Great, great, great. We’ll head back for now.” The group walked away with smiles on their faces.

Zhang Shuguang watched them head up the mountain before turning to look at his own lush, green field.

“They’re growing way too well,” he muttered to himself, his eyes and mind filled with the sea of green seedlings.

Calling them “sprouts” was an understatement. Looking at the short chili plants already blooming with tiny white flowers, he took a deep breath, walked over to compare their height, and glanced at the other equally towering chili seedlings. His heart was pounding wildly.

“Xiao Cai!”

Xiao Cai: “Master, I’m here.”

Zhang Shuguang: “These must be mutants, right? They’re so much taller than the others. When I planted them, I sorted them out—each type of vegetable in its own row.” This confirmed that the few short plants with little white flowers before him were indeed chili peppers, and not something else!

Xiao Cai: “They’re Erjingtao chili peppers and bird’s eye chili peppers, Master. They’ve turned into giant crops.”

Zhang Shuguang’s mouth twitched. The problem was that those people earlier hadn’t found these giant chili peppers particularly remarkable, even though they were so much taller and sturdier than the other crops of the same variety.

“What’s going on?”

Xiao Cai: “I’m not sure of the exact cause, but it probably has to do with soil moisture and air conditions. Master, this question is way beyond my scope.” 

Zhang Shuguang: “Aren’t you the Veggie Seed app?”

Xiao Cai: “I’m the ‘Vegetable Seed’ app—I’m not a vegetable patch!”

Zhang Shuguang was stumped by his sharp retort—it did seem to make sense.

Over by the cabbage seedlings, there were two larger ones. The other seedlings had only a few leaves, each about the size of a palm, but those two also had just a few leaves—yet they had stretched to three times their original height.

Xiao Cai: “Master, these giant vegetables haven’t mutated or become more nutritious; they’ve just grown larger.” 

Zhang Shuguang nodded. “Alright, I understand.”

He stuck some branches into the ground next to the climbing plants to set up a makeshift trellis. He didn’t have any suitable bamboo poles on hand, so he’d have to wait for Mang Jiu to go cut some. After finishing the trellis, he took his small hoe to level the soil and pull out the weeds.

“Shuguang.” Mang Jiu came down from the mountain and immediately spotted Zhang Shuguang crouched in the field, hard at work.

“Perfect. Go cut down a couple of bamboo poles for me—I need to build a trellis.” Zhang Shuguang pointed. “Those varieties all need to climb; they’ll require a support structure.”

Mang Jiu nodded and handed him the thick bamboo tube he was holding. “Have a drink of water and rest a bit. I’ll go cut the bamboo.”

“Alright,” Zhang Shuguang said with a smile, accepting the water. “Go ahead.”

While Mang Jiu went to cut bamboo, Zhang Shuguang continued working in the fields. He noticed that the vegetable seeds he’d obtained from the app all exhibited a giant mutation—a phenomenon that hadn’t occurred with the native crops.

Could it be because they were already giant varieties?

Thinking of the size of the potatoes and sweet potatoes, Zhang Shuguang had reason to suspect that they were already large enough and wouldn’t continue to grow any bigger. He didn’t dwell on it, though—as long as they were edible, it didn’t matter whether they got bigger or smaller.

Mang Jiu soon returned carrying two bamboo poles. Following Zhang Shuguang’s instructions, he cut them to a uniform height, then split them into strips and slats.

Zhang Shuguang wasn’t idle either; he stuck the bamboo strips into the soil, tying two or three of them together with bamboo twigs to form a tripod.

“Do we do this with all of them?” asked Mang Jiu.

“Yes, a tripod is sturdier and saves space,” Zhang Shuguang said. “You stick them in the ground, and I’ll tie them together.”

The two worked together efficiently and quickly finished setting up a row of frames. Looking at the results of their labor, Zhang Shuguang nodded with satisfaction. “In a while, we’ll need to set up the loofah trellis, too. It’d be best to mount that on top of these. When the loofahs grow and hang down, heh heh, it’ll definitely look amazing.”

Mang Jiu nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Zhang Shuguang chuckled and turned to look at him. “You haven’t even seen it yet—how do you know I’m right?” 

Mang Jiu said, “I just know.”

Zhang Shuguang laughed heartily. He really didn’t know when it had started, but Mang Jiu had practically become his biggest fan.

“Go dig up some fresh bamboo shoots. Later, I’ll pick some sweet potato leaves to stir-fry,” he turned to look at Mang Jiu, “and I’ll make you some honey-glazed grilled meat.”

“Okay.” Mang Jiu especially loved seeing the look on Zhang Shuguang’s face whenever he was deciding what to eat each day; it gave him a sense of closeness between them. Although the two of them were already very close now, that feeling was different.

Mang Jiu held his hand as they strolled toward the bamboo grove. Every now and then, they’d spot groups of sub-beastmen from the tribe heading out to dig for bamboo shoots, and they’d smile and wave to them.

“I thought they didn’t like bamboo shoots,” Zhang Shuguang remarked.

Mang Jiu shook his head. “I’m not sure. I don’t have much contact with the sub-beastmen in the tribe.” Speaking rather coldly, he hadn’t even bothered to remember all their names; just recognizing a familiar face was good enough.

Zhang Shuguang chuckled softly, his petty vanity satisfied. “Let’s go. I remember planting a few cabbages over there. Let’s go check how they’re growing.”

But when he went to the bamboo grove, he found that the cabbages he’d planted were all gone, leaving only a few shallow holes in the ground. Zhang Shuguang blinked, staring at Mang Jiu in bewilderment. “They were dug up?”

“It must have been picked ages ago.” Mang Jiu placed a hand on his head and chuckled, “I bet someone mistook it for a wild vegetable.”

Zhang Shuguang thought about where he’d planted it—right by the roadside, where people were constantly passing by and wouldn’t have missed it if they’d seen it. He sighed. “Never mind. I was hoping to see if the cabbages over here had grown huge too, but since they haven’t been watered or fertilized, they probably won’t be much bigger.”

Mang Jiu nodded slightly. “Dig up some bamboo shoots to take home. You need some rest.”

“Alright, let’s dig up plenty. We’ll dry some bamboo shoots and eat the ones we harvested earlier.” He grinned, waving his small hoe. “Let’s go!”

Since the sub-beastmen in the tribe come in groups to dig for bamboo shoots, there are now far fewer fresh shoots on the outskirts of the bamboo grove; they’d have to venture deeper inside to find any.

With Mang Jiu by his side, Zhang Shuguang didn’t care where they were going. He simply kept his head down, searching for bamboo shoots while remarking on just how vast the grove was.

“Wait.” Mang Jiu reached out and grabbed him.

Zhang Shuguang turned his head to look where Mang Jiu was staring, but saw nothing but tall bamboo growing densely packed together.

Perhaps it was because the bamboo grove was so tall and dense—the leaves and branches intertwining and shading one another—that even though it was mid-afternoon and the sun was at its peak, no sunlight filtered through.

He hadn’t noticed it before, but now Zhang Shuguang felt a chill creeping over him.

“What did you see?” He nervously shifted half a step closer to Mang Jiu, their arms pressed against each other. Although Mang Jiu’s body temperature was also quite low, it still gave him a strong sense of security.

Mang Jiu leaned down, his mouth close to Zhang Shuguang’s ear. “Feathers.”

Zhang Shuguang’s neck itched from his cool breath, and he couldn’t help but push him away. “Speak clearly—where are the feathers?”

Mang Jiu raised his hand to turn Zhang Shuguang’s head toward the feather’s location. Zhang Shuguang’s eyes darted back and forth, up and down, before finally settling on a bamboo branch about ten meters away.

Hanging there was a dark green feather. Because its color was so similar to the bamboo itself, he had overlooked it several times.

He only spotted it because the wind had stirred the bamboo leaves, allowing a bit of sunlight to filter through. Bathed in the sunlight, the dark green feather glinted slightly.

The moment Zhang Shuguang saw the feather, his mind immediately went back to that creature—which he’d thought might be a peacock—that he’d caught a fleeting glimpse of in the Coastal Forest days earlier.

“Mang Jiu,” he grabbed Mang Jiu’s hand and shook it gently, “Last time I went to the Coastal Forest with the Chief and Brother Xi San to boil salt, I saw a Longtail there—or at least I think it was a Longtail. It was just a fleeting glimpse, so I didn’t get a clear look,” he pointed at the feather fluttering in the wind, “but I’m certain that bird had this exact color.”

“The Long-Tailed Tribe,” Mang Jiu murmured in a low voice, nodding slightly. “It’s nothing. It must be someone from another tribe who wandered in by mistake.” He took Zhang Shuguang’s hand and turned around. “Let’s dig up a few more and head back.”

“Is the Black Forest ahead, too?” Zhang Shuguang obediently followed him in the other direction, asking curiously, “It feels quite different from the surroundings out here.”

“Yeah. Beyond the bamboo grove lies a dense forest. The beasts over there are usually kept at bay by the bamboo, so they don’t venture this far easily.” Mang Jiu explained, “The Black Forest is vast—much larger than the Wild Plains.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded slightly and pointed with his finger. “That’s the Dark Forest, this side is the Coastal Forest, and that direction is the Wild Plains. What about the West? The direction where the sun sets—what’s there?”

“Dense jungle,” Mang Jiu raised his hand and pinched Zhang Shuguang’s cheek, chuckling. “That area is mostly mud pits—the kind you sink into and can’t get out of. Usually, when the foraging teams go there, they only stay on the outskirts.”

“Mud pits? You mean swamps? They look like small mud holes, but no matter how big the beast, once it goes in, it gets swallowed by the mud?” Zhang Shuguang suddenly perked up and pressed further, “Is that mud really sticky? Stickier than the silt we dig out of ditches?”

Mang Jiu thought for a moment, then nodded. “It seems to be a bit stickier. I haven’t been into the dense jungle much—the air there has a really pungent smell, and I don’t like it.”

Zhang Shuguang realized that areas with many swamps produce large amounts of biogas, so the pungent smell was to be expected.

“Take me there when you get the chance. We might just stumble upon some unexpected surprises.”

Mang Jiu nodded. “Sure. If you want to go, we can head out tomorrow.”

“No need. There’s no rush. I have to teach the tribe how to farm and cure meat tomorrow morning, and we need to stock up on some jerky. You can go hunt some game tomorrow—it doesn’t matter what kind of meat it is. We’ll roast some jerky to store up and eat on the way to the gathering,” Zhang Shuguang said, trudging through the carpet of fallen leaves, his back basket already filled with bamboo shoots of all sizes.

“I’ve told the shaman that we should let the young beastmen and sub-beastmen from the tribe go to this gathering. It’ll broaden their horizons and show others the spirit of our tribe. Who knows, we might even bring back a few people from other tribes.” Zhang Shuguang looked at him with a smile. “What do you think of that idea?”

“What do you mean by ‘spirit and morale’?” Mang Jiu tugged him aside to avoid a protruding rock on the ground.

“It’s about a person’s state of mind—their energy, spirit, and attitude—all of that,” Zhang Shuguang scratched his head, not quite sure how to explain it. “That’s roughly what it means. Anyway, people from our tribe will definitely look more spirited than those from other tribes when we take them out. Just remember that.”

Mang Jiu nodded, looking as if he half-understood.

The two emerged from the bamboo grove. Zhang Shuguang looked up at the sky and paused, “Have we been walking that long?”

“Hmm, can you make something to tell time?” Mang Jiu asked. “If you need anything, I’ll help you find it.”

Zhang Shuguang didn’t actually know much about how to make a sundial. As far as he could recall, it was just a large circular disk with a stick stuck in it. You had to choose the right spot to place it, and then you’d judge the time by watching the shadow of the stick move across the disk. But with such a crude, simple sundial, he always felt the time wasn’t very accurate.

Realizing that the people here didn’t even have a concept of time, Zhang Shuguang decided to tinker with a small sundial as soon as he got back. He would test it for a couple of days first, and if it worked, he’d build a larger one.

He explained to Mang Jiu how he planned to make the sundial, and Mang Jiu nodded repeatedly as he listened.

Seeing the man hunched over before him, Zhang Shuguang didn’t even wait for a prompt—he simply pounced, clinging to the man’s back with his legs wrapped tightly around him.

“Have you ever been to a gathering before?” Resting his chin on the man’s broad shoulder, Zhang Shuguang yawned. “I’m actually pretty curious about what a gathering is like.”

In his mind, the only things that qualified as “trade markets” were those massive markets in Northeast China—crowds of people swarming everywhere, and the lively clatter of vendors hawking their wares.

When he was very young, his father had taken him there once on a 28-inch bicycle. It was both lively and chaotic, with all kinds of goods available at very low prices.

There was no concept of currency here, but bartering had existed since ancient times, so he was really looking forward to this fair.

Mang Jiu shook his head and said, “This fair is held every year after the snow melts, but we don’t attend every time. I’ve never been to the grand fair held once every ten snow seasons—I was still a child back then.”

“What can you trade for at the gathering?” Zhang Shuguang asked curiously.

Mang Jiu shrugged. “I don’t know. The one I went to didn’t seem to have much—just meat, bones, and some herbs.”

Zhang Shuguang tapped his cheek lightly with his finger. “No bowls or plates?”

“No, the pottery you made is the first I’ve ever seen.” Mang Jiu knew what he meant. Thinking of the things he’d cobbled together, he chuckled, “If you took that pottery to show them, they’d probably go crazy for it.”

Since every tribe basically used stone or wooden utensils, it made perfect sense that the appearance of pottery would be met with such enthusiasm.

“Take two of them with you when you go, and see how they react. But to be honest, I’m not really interested in trading them for meat or bones—I want something else.”Zhang Shuguang thought for a moment and said, “Since you’re capable of evolving into stronger forms, logically speaking, there must be something in this world that can help beastmen enhance their evolutionary potential. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but beast meat and bones are of no use to you.”

Mang Jiu hummed in acknowledgment. “What do you think?”

“From what I’ve seen, the things that beastmen can absorb are usually minerals or the like.” Zhang Shuguang thought back to the novels he’d read; whenever there were items that could enhance abilities, they were always crystals or spirit stones. He figured the situation here was likely similar.

Although this world might not be quite as advanced as the ones in novels, he still felt that if the main system had sent a dream to that author, it would likely have included some useful elements.

He rubbed his chin against Mang Jiu’s shoulder and whispered, “I’ll go ask around.” Mang Jiu gave a soft “Mm.”

“Xiao Cai.”

Xiao Cai: “Master, I’m here.”

Zhang Shuguang: “Is the main system still dormant?”

Xiao Cai: “Yes, Master. If you have any questions, just let me know, and I’ll leave a message for the Main System.” 

Zhang Shuguang: “Then ask it if there are any ores in this world that can enhance a beastman’s strength.” 

Xiao Cai: “Ores? Like coal or iron ore?”

Zhang Shuguang: “Yeah, I guess so—spirit stones, crystals, that sort of thing.” 

Xiao Cai: “Got it, Master. I’ll leave a message for the Main System right away.”

Zhang Shuguang whispered in Mang Jiu’s ear, “If I could really find crystals that make beastmen stronger, wow, I’d be something else.” Mang Jiu turned his head to look at him. “Did you get an answer?”

“No, it said it’s sleeping. I might have worn it out last time.” Zhang Shuguang sniffed and muttered, “The gathering is in about twenty days, right? What should we prepare to bring? I was thinking of bringing plenty of jerky—it keeps well, and it’s way better than going out to hunt wild beasts on someone else’s turf.”

At that, Zhang Shuguang froze and asked, “That terror bird you mentioned last time—what does it look like?”

“You didn’t see it?” Mang Jiu asked in return. He remembered that Zhang Shuguang had spotted him from the edge of the cliff that day.

Zhang Shuguang chuckled. “Actually, my eyesight isn’t that great. When you guys were dragging the terror bird back that day, I didn’t even get a good look at it.”

Mang Jiu described the terror bird’s appearance to Zhang Shuguang, and Zhang Shuguang’s body immediately stiffened.

“This isn’t just a hybrid—it’s been spliced together!” he exclaimed. “Spliced?”

“Exactly! It’s clearly been spliced together—an experimental specimen,” Zhang Shuguang frowned deeply. “Are there really beasts like this? So enormous, so rare, and with such bizarre appearances.”

Mang Jiu nodded slightly. “There are massive sea creatures in the ocean that have grown legs and can move on land, though they rarely come out.” 

“What about on land? None?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never seen any. There must be other things out there,” Mang Jiu said, pausing for a moment before adding thoughtfully, “The terror bird appeared suddenly too, and we only knew its name after we saw it.”

Zhang Shuguang thought to himself: Even within a single tribe, people use different names for the same thing. How is it that everyone uses the name “terror bird”?

“I sense a conspiracy.” 

“?”