The Scaled Bird had a back and wings like a giant eagle, with black feathers; on its head were two brown, withered horns shaped like tree branches; its head and body resembled a fierce tiger, covered all over with fine, dense black scales, sharp fangs and teeth, yet its limbs and tail were like those of a turtle—short, thick, and powerful, with no sharp claws.

This monstrous creature, a hybrid of no known species, rampaged along the stream, quickly killing three or five of the black-and-white beasts as they scattered in panic. It flapped its massive wings, whipping up dust and sand, and some of the small trees nearby were snapped clean in half.  The commotion was so loud that a giant python resting nearby opened its eyes.

It flickered its tongue in a probe, a hint of confusion flickering in its vertical pupils.

The thick, dark-green python lay quietly in wait among the grass. Mang Er knew full well that he alone was no match for this beast; if targeted, death was his only fate.

He dared not move a muscle; his tongue darted in and out of his lips incessantly from the tension.

A faint rustling sound came from nearby. Mang Er turned his head and saw his much larger brother slithering toward him—seemingly slow, yet moving with astonishing speed.

Mang Jiu, of course, had also spotted the beast feeding. He slowly shifted his body to press close against Mang Er. The two brothers stared at the beast. After it had devoured all the black-and-white creatures, Mang Jiu raised his head.

The Scaled Bird hadn’t noticed the two giant pythons nearby. It crouched low, lapping water from the stream with a squelching sound, its long tongue covered in fine, dense barbs.

“What on earth is this thing? Why do I know it’s called a Scaled Bird?” Mang Er lowered his voice; if he were in human form right now, one could clearly see his furrowed brow. “It doesn’t look anything like a bird! And where did it come from? The largest beast in this hunting ground is supposed to be the male Giant Boar!”

His mind was reeling with shock, and his body was as stiff and rigid as a stick. Mang Jiu glanced at him sideways and said coldly, “You talk too much. Kill it!”

They usually hunted in the hunting grounds surrounding the tribe, and the appearance of such a large predator would disrupt the rules of survival there. It couldn’t be spared.

Mang Er tilted his head back slightly, staring at the beast—which seemed oblivious to their presence—for a long moment before asking quietly, “How do we kill it? This thing looks pretty formidable.”

It wasn’t just “seemed”—it really was formidable.

After being kicked away for the third time by those short, thick forepaws, Mang Er curled up into a tight coil.

He was furious!

So what if he was much thinner than his own brother? Why was it picking on him like this!

Just moments ago, after he’d asked how to kill it, his own brother hadn’t even glanced at him—he’d simply charged forward without a word and, with a single swipe of his tail, knocked over the scaly bird that had spotted them and was letting out a piercing, furious screech.

A thunderous crash echoed, sending dust and grass flying. In the next second, Mang Er charged forward as well.

After Mang Jiu whipped the Scaled Bird through the air several times with his agile, massive tail, the creature finally roared, flapped its wings twice, and laboriously lifted its massive body off the ground.

How could Mang Jiu possibly give it a chance to counterattack? He twisted his body upward, wrapped himself around the bird’s hind legs, and pulled it down with all his might. After hitting the ground, the scaly bird turned back in frustration to bite Mang Jiu, only to find its hindquarters tightly bound.

Mang Er mimicked his brother’s move, intending to wrap around the Scaled Bird’s abdomen, but was kicked away. After that, getting kicked away became a regular occurrence for him.

“Stupid,” Mang Jiu remarked as he tightened his grip, not forgetting to critique his brother. Mang Er was furious and simply shifted back into human form.

Trapped by Mang Jiu, the Scaled Bird was immobilized from the waist down. Its front half thrashed furiously, trying to turn around and bite Mang Jiu, but it realized it lacked a flexible long neck. Its limbs were too short and stubby to allow it to scratch or kick the opponent away.

Mang Er charged forward carrying a huge rock, screaming “Ah! Ah! Ah!”, and smashed it right into the Scaled Bird’s front legs. He kept smashing here and there, jumping up and down to dodge the bird’s snapping jaws and sharp teeth.

It showed no sign of fatigue, only smug satisfaction.

Mang Jiu lifted an eyelid to glance at him, coiling his body even tighter. A creaking sound echoed—the sound of scales grinding against each other.

Blood spurted from the Scaled Bird’s mouth; no matter how unwilling it was, it was crushed by Mang Jiu’s massive body, the bones of its entire hindquarters crushed to pieces.

It wasn’t dead, but lashed out furiously with claws and teeth. Even if it couldn’t harm Mang Jiu, it was determined to bite Mang Er to death as he darted about before its eyes.

Seeing the danger, Mang Er quickly dropped the stone and fled backward.

“Mang Jiu, what do we do!”

The Scaled Bird’s lower body lay limp on the ground. It opened its blood-stained maw and struggled forward, propping itself up on its forelimbs. Mang Jiu transformed into human form, leaped directly onto its back, clenched his fist, and slammed it down hard against its spine.

There was a crisp snap, and the beast, which had been panting heavily just moments before, fell silent.

Mang Er blinked, his mouth agape in disbelief. His gaze darted back and forth between the dead Scaled Bird and Mang Jiu. “Me… you… was it that easy?”

Mang Jiu gave a soft snort, leaped down from the corpse, and instantly transformed into a giant python, slithering leisurely into the tall grass.

“Take it back to the tribe. Tell Dawn I’ll be back tomorrow. You don’t need to come. As for this Scaled Bird, ask him if he wants to keep it for himself or share it with the others in the tribe—it’s up to him.”

Mang Er gave a noncommittal “Oh.” After watching him leave, he reached out to grab the Scaled Bird by its front leg and dragged it back.

After walking about ten meters, he paused in surprise and muttered, “He could take human form, so why did he turn back into a snake?” Not only was he puzzled, but even Mang Jiu himself was quite perplexed.

He returned to where he’d shed his skin, resting his massive serpentine head on the coiled skin, and slowly closed his eyes. He stretched his body; with each breath, his huge, sturdy frame rose and fell.

Mang Jiu gently wiggled the tip of his tail, the fine scales on his underside lightly brushing against the grass. It seemed that ever since shedding his skin, he’d had a persistent itch beneath his belly.

He shifted his body, twisting it into a pretzel shape around the shed skin, finally resting his massive head on his belly and flicking his tongue. So tired. Time to sleep. When I wake up, I’ll go back. I miss Shuguang.

Mang Er dragged the Scaled Bird back to the tribe. He let out a loud bellow outside the settlement, signaling for someone to fetch Zhang Shuguang. Zhang Shuguang arrived quickly, accompanied by Li and A-Si; they were there to cure eggs again today.

After washing all the eggs, they were layered in a dry stone jar—a layer of eggs followed by a layer of salt. Finally, they poured in boiled and cooled water, sealed the lid, and that was it.

The eggs had been gathered by Mang Qiqi and his friends, who traded them with Zhang Shuguang for a bowl of pork drippings and some of his homemade jerky.

After finishing the egg-curing, the three were just about to take a break and have a drink of water before tackling today’s main task—cleaning the intestines. But no sooner had they taken a sip than someone came up from the valley, saying that Mang Er had caught a huge scaled bird and wanted him to come over.

Standing at the edge of the cliff, Zhang Shuguang spotted the dead beast at the entrance to the tribe from a distance. He furrowed his brow slightly and turned to ask A Si, “Do you know what that is?”

A-Si paused for a moment, then slowly nodded. “I think it’s called a Scaled Bird. It’s my first time seeing one.”   

“You know what it’s called on your first sighting?” Zhang Shuguang frowned at him.

A-Si frowned as well, tapping his forehead with his finger. “I just knew the moment I saw it. It was a very, very strange feeling.” Zhang Shuguang nodded slightly, then looked away and asked him, “Do you know what that is?”

“A-Si said it’s a Scaled Bird, right? But to me, it doesn’t look like a bird at all. Don’t birds usually have only two claws?” He tilted his head, his face clearly puzzled. “That terror bird is the same—neither of them looks like a bird.”

Zhang Shuguang had a hunch, but said no more.

The three of them went outside the tribe and circled the massive beast. The rest of the tribe members had all run out as well, their faces filled with shock and curiosity.

Zhang Shuguang looked at Mang Er and noticed patches of redness on his body. Worried, he asked, “Are you hurt, Second Brother? What about Mang Jiu? Is he okay?”

“What could possibly happen to him?” Mang Er waved his hand dismissively. “I’m fine too—I’ll just need a good night’s sleep. He said he might be back tomorrow. You figure out what to do with this thing; if you don’t like it, just split it up among the others.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded, tilting his head back to examine it, then pointed with his finger. “I’ll take the two wings and this fine-scaled hide. Divide up the rest—it’s perfect timing since everyone’s been planning to cure some extra meat lately.”

“Divine Son, this is the prey Mang Jiu gave you—we don’t want it!” 

“Right, we can go hunting ourselves!”

“Divine Son, you needn’t worry about us—we have plenty of meat to eat!”

The beastmen gathered around spoke one after another.

Mang Er blinked, turned to Li, and asked, “How did Shuguang become the Divine Son?”

“After the Chief returned yesterday, he said Shuguang was the Divine Son, and the Shaman said so too. Plus, Shuguang has brought so many good things to the tribe, so we all figured he was meant to be the Divine Son.” Li reached out and patted the scaly bird’s thick leg, then grinned as he turned to look at A-Si, who was standing nearby with his hands behind his back. “It looks a lot like your legs in beast form.”

A-Si shot him a glare, but had to admit it wasn’t just a resemblance—aside from being a bit thicker, they were practically identical.

“This scaly bird is too big for me to eat all by myself. Why don’t we all share it? Now that we have enough salt, we can take the meat back and cure it without worrying about it spoiling.” Zhang Shuguang stood nearby, smiling as he waved his hand to call over Mang Qiqi. “Go, fetch the chief. Ask him to help us figure out how to divide the meat.”

Meng Qiqi nodded and ran off.

Before long, Xiong Kui arrived, followed by Xiong Bai.

Xiong Bai held a stone axe in his hand and smiled at Zhang Shuguang. “Shuguang, I’ll help you divide the meat.”

Zhang Shuguang thanked him and pointed to the pair of wings. “Just chop them right off for me—I’ll pluck the feathers myself later. Try to keep the skin as intact as possible; I’ll save it for future use. You guys can divide up the rest of the meat.”

Xiong Bai: “Alright. This is the first time I’ve seen one of these. Mang Er, where did you guys run into it?” 

“The hunting grounds,” Mang Er said, pointing in the direction. “It just suddenly appeared.”

Xiong Bai just went, “Oh,” and didn’t ask any further. After all, the terror birds had appeared out of nowhere too; so now a Scaled Bird showing up suddenly didn’t seem all that far-fetched.

Mang Er helped Zhang Shuguang carry the wings back to the cave. Without a word, he turned and headed back down the mountain. He had Xiong Bai chop off a hind leg for him, then grabbed Li—who was still waiting in line for his share of the meat—and dragged him back. “Don’t wait anymore. I’ll give you this one.”

Li was taken aback. He glanced at his wrist, which was being held, then at the massive hind leg Mang Er was carrying, and muttered, “That’s yours. I don’t want it.”   

“I came back after I’d already eaten. I got this hind leg just for you,” Mang Er said, not letting go. “Didn’t you say the meat from the hind leg tastes good?”

“That was from a boar’s hind leg, not this one,” Li retorted softly, though he didn’t actually refuse. He pursed his lips, a faint smile of delight on his face. “I’ll go back and ask Shuguang how to cook this meat. Once it’s ready, I’ll call you over to eat.”

Mang Er nodded. “Okay.”

A-Si joined the others in line. He picked out two ribs—the portion, meat and bone included, was quite substantial.

Carrying the two ribs—each about two and a half meters long—he headed straight for Zhang Shuguang. He found the task too troublesome, and he wasn’t skilled at preparing it anyway; it would be better to bring them over for everyone to share.

When he arrived, Zhang Shuguang was plucking the black, stiff feathers from the Scaled Bird one by one. Each feather was as wide as a palm and as long as an arm; three of them together could make a large feather fan.

With a flutter, a cool breeze swept across his face, and Zhang Shuguang squinted his eyes in delight. Not bad, not bad—it had a bit of the feel of Zhuge Liang’s feather fan.

“What are you doing?” A-Si set down the two ribs. “We’ll eat this tonight.”

“Sure,” Zhang Shuguang handed him the feather fan. “Here, give it a few swings to fan yourself. It’s really refreshing.”

Upon hearing this, A-Si waved his hand. Just holding it, he knew how to use it; the cool breeze hitting his face felt incredibly refreshing.

He looked down at it and saw that it was simply three feathers tied together with a thin vine—a technique that was incredibly simple, yet surprisingly useful.

“Make one for me.”

“Just pluck the feathers yourself. Just be careful not to damage them,” Zhang Shuguang said, pointing casually at the two wings on the ground. 

“It’s best to pluck all the feathers off. If you like them, make your own fans, and make one for Wu and the chief to send over.”

A-Si nodded, picked up a stone, and sat down next to the wings, taking one feather in each hand and beginning to pluck them.

Zhang Shuguang crouched beside the ribs, a bone knife in hand. He took a sniff and frowned slightly. “This meat smells pretty fishy.” 

“Anything with wings smells fishy,” A-Si said with a laugh as he plucked the feathers at a rapid pace. “I see you’re enjoying your duck quite a bit.”

Zhang Shuguang raised an eyebrow and nodded with a smile. “Duck is pretty tasty. Once Mang Jiu gets back, we’ll catch a few. Now that we have honey, we can make honey-glazed roast duck. That flavor—it’s to die for!”

A-Si unconsciously swallowed and teased him, “So you and Mang Jiu are officially a thing now? I heard you went to the hunting grounds and brought someone back. What exactly happened over there?”

Zhang Shuguang thought back to the scene that day, pursed his lips, and shook his head. “Don’t even mention it. Just thinking about what happened that day makes me want to cry. Seriously, I’ve never been so scared in my whole life.” After he finished speaking, he suddenly stopped chopping the ribs. “Where are my bugs?”

“What bugs?” A-Si placed the feather in her hand into the bamboo basket and looked up at him. “You want to eat bugs?”

Zhang Shuguang waved his hand. “No, I’m just going to ask around.”

He washed his hands, grabbed the feather fan he’d made earlier, turned, and headed down the mountain. Xiong Kui was still outside the village, organizing the meat distribution. Zhang Shuguang pulled him aside and whispered, “Where are those two bugs?”

Xiong Kui paused, startled. “Insects? Oh, oh, oh—you mean those earthworms.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded. “Right. Didn’t you bring them back?”

“No, I left a few people to help you watch the Divine Blood Tree, so I didn’t bring the worms back.” Xiong Kui pulled him a few steps further away. Only after they were completely out of earshot of the crowd did he say, “It’s not two worms anymore—it’s just one.”

“One?” Zhang Shuguang was surprised. “How can it be just one? When I left, there were still two halves.”

“They merged. It happened right after you and Mang Jiu left. But since only the tail sections were left behind, it hasn’t grown that huge mouth yet.” Xiong Kui looked utterly helpless. “I watched it happen. Didn’t you say to have them eat a little worm meat every day to help their wounds heal? I personally went to cut the meat for every meal, afraid they’d cut too much and kill the worms.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded slightly. “Hmm. And then?”

“I went to cut the meat before I came back and found them huddled together. Then they slowly fused back together,” Xiong Kui said, equally exasperated, his hands on his hips.

“I was actually planning to cut them apart again with a single stroke.”

“That’s a good idea. Cutting it would split it back into two halves.” Zhang Shuguang agreed wholeheartedly with his suggestion.

Xiong Kui waved his hand. “No, have Mang Jiu go over and cut it later. I thought about it—there’s no place to keep such a huge insect, and it would be easy to draw attention to the problem. My hands aren’t steady; if I really cut it to death, wouldn’t that be a waste? You guys should handle it.”

Zhang Shuguang waved the feather fan in his hand at him and said with a smile, “No problem, no problem. You’re still going strong at your age.” Although Xiong Kui didn’t understand the meaning of “still going strong,” he could tell from the context that it was a compliment.

“Mang Jiu managed to bring back such fine things from just one trip out. This is the first time I’ve ever seen a scaled bird.” He pointed at the feather fan Zhang Shuguang was waving. “It’s actually quite cool. Is it made from the feathers on its wings?”

“Right. This is for you. I’ll make another one to send to Wu later. It’s called a feather fan. You can use it to fan yourself when it’s hot, or give the fire a few quick fans to help the flames grow.” He fanned Xiong Kui a couple of times, then handed it to him. “Chief, you go ahead with your work. I just came by to ask about the earthworms. Since you didn’t bring any back, never mind.”

Seeing him about to leave, Xiong Kui reached out and pulled him back. “When do you and Mang Jiu plan to lay eggs?”

Zhang Shuguang never would have guessed that this middle-aged man, who looked so down-to-earth and cheerful, was actually a total gossip! Always prying into when others were going to lay eggs!

Is that the kind of private matter you just blurt out casually?!

Zhang Shuguang’s face flushed crimson in an instant, the redness spreading from his neck to his ears and then across his entire face.

“Why are you blushing?” Xiong Kui said with a smile. “With a body like yours, you really need to eat well and put on some weight. Once we get back from the Lion-Tiger Tribe, the rainy season will begin. If you’re still this skinny, how on earth will you survive?”

Zhang Shuguang felt like he was about to melt; he was clearly uncomfortable from head to toe.

Seeing how embarrassed he was, Xiong Kui patted his shoulder and burst out laughing. “You really are a little rascal—so thin-skinned! Go on back, and remember to eat plenty.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded absently and hurried off.

A-Si had made six feather fans and was just about to chop up those two ribs when he saw Zhang Shuguang running back.

“How big should I…” Chop?

He watched helplessly as Zhang Shuguang swept past him like a gust of wind, darting straight into the cave and slamming the wooden door shut. A loud thud echoed.

A-Si froze for a moment. What was going on?

Zhang Shuguang was lying face-down on the stone slab bed, burying his face in the fur, letting out shy, muffled whimpers. He actually—he actually didn’t think what Xiong Kui had just said was too harsh!

He actually really wanted to fatten himself up as soon as possible! What on earth was he going to do with all that fat!

Was he just waiting for someone to devour him whole? Waaah, how humiliating!

Don’t let your imagination run wild! Don’t think about it!

A series of thumps rang out at the door. Zhang Shuguang grunted and snapped, “What do you want?” 

“Aren’t you cooking? Li and Mang Er brought over some leg meat,” said A-Si from outside.

Zhang Shuguang sat up straight, gasping for air a few times. He raised his hand to touch his face—it was still hot to the touch. If he went out with a face this red, Li, that curious little thing, would definitely chase after him with questions.

“Shuguang! What are you doing? Come out!” Li’s voice called out.

Zhang Shuguang took a deep breath to calm himself, then stood up and looked down at himself—nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He rubbed his face and opened the door to step out of the cave.

A piece of meat dripping with blood loomed right in front of him. Zhang Shuguang’s mouth twitched, and he shot Li a speechless, sidelong glance. “Are you being childish or what?” 

“I cut you a piece of leg meat so you could taste it.” Li shoved the meat into his hand. “I’m heading back.”

“You’re not staying to eat with me?” Zhang Shuguang was genuinely surprised. Usually, whenever there was something good to eat, Li would come over for a bite. With so much meat today, there was no way he wouldn’t eat any.

Li stole a glance at Mang Er. Seeing that the other’s expression was normal and he didn’t seem the least bit awkward, Li straightened his back. “Mang Er gave me a scaly bird’s hind leg. My mom told him to keep it in our cave so we can eat it together, so I won’t be eating here with you.”

Zhang Shuguang raised an eyebrow with a smile. “Is something good about to happen for the two of you?”

Li blushed and chuckled awkwardly, while Mang Er gave a noncommittal “Mm-hmm.” 

“I’ll tidy up the cave tomorrow.” Tidy up the cave? What for?

To live together, of course!

Zhang Shuguang’s eyes lit up instantly, and with a suggestive smile, he gave Li a knowing wink. Li didn’t catch his drift, but she didn’t deny what Mang Er had said either.

That’s right—they were going to live together!

After the two left, Zhang Shuguang walked over to the hearth. Seeing that the fire was already lit and the pot had been filled with water, he placed the rib chunks that A-Si had chopped into the water, then tossed in a generous amount of lemongrass, green limes, and cinnamon bark to simmer together.

“Don’t add Sichuan peppercorns, but garlic is fine.” A-Si stood beside him, slicing the leg of meat Li had brought over into thin slices as requested.

“Got it,” Zhang Shuguang mumbled. He poured water into another pot, lit the fire to bring it to a boil, and stood with one hand on his hip by the stove while using the other to gently stir the ribs with a bamboo strainer. He chatted casually with A Si: “Haven’t you tried transforming into a beast again?”

“No,” A-Si said as he placed the sliced meat into a large conch shell. “I brought you quite a few conch shells and other shells. I actually had some crabs and shrimp too, but you went off to the hunting grounds and I didn’t know when you’d be back, so I ate them all.”

Zhang Shuguang chuckled, “It’s okay. You can just go out to sea and catch some more for me later.” A-Si sighed, looking thoroughly dejected.

Zhang Shuguang looked at him in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

A-Si reached out to grab some lemongrass and placed it in the conch shell, then added some salt. He began mixing the meat with his hands. “What else should I add?”

“Cinnamon bark—crush it into small pieces and mix it in,” Zhang Shuguang tossed him two pieces of cinnamon bark. “I just told you to go into the sea and catch crabs and shrimp for me. Why didn’t you say anything?”

A-Si lowered his eyes and said softly, “I can’t go into the sea.” 

“Huh?” Zhang Shuguang hadn’t heard him clearly. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I can’t swim!” A-Si closed his eyes and steeled himself. “I used to watch my father swim, and I wanted to try it, but that day I almost sank to the bottom.”

He pursed his lips. “Luckily we were all out fishing together. Otherwise, no one would have known if I’d drowned.”

Zhang Shuguang froze for a moment. After processing what he’d heard, he burst out laughing.

A-Si knew he’d react like this. He glared at him. “Be careful you don’t fall headfirst into the pot and get yourself cooked!” Zhang Shuguang obediently moved back a bit and crouched down, laughing hysterically.

Can’t swim! Sunk like a rock!

Hahahahaha, he was dying of laughter!

He’d assumed that a turtle living by the coast—even if not a sea turtle—must be an amphibious species, but it turned out he couldn’t swim! Although he knew land turtles couldn’t swim, he truly hadn’t expected A-Si to sink to the bottom in his animal form.

He remembered that the other guy could swim when he was in human form.

A-Si slammed his fist on the table, exasperated. “That’s enough, stop laughing.”

“Uh, heh, I—heh heh heh, hahahahaha, just, just wait a sec,” Zhang Shuguang clutched his stomach and wiped his eyes. “Let me catch my breath. Give me a moment.”

It took him several deep breaths to suppress his laughter. Seeing As staring at him, he quickly added, “I really didn’t expect your beast form to sink to the bottom.” As soon as he said that, he felt the urge to laugh again and quickly raised his hand to cover his mouth.

A-Si frowned and snorted, “Neither did I.”

Zhang Shuguang chuckled quietly a few times, waving his hand. “It’s fine, it’s fine. You can swim in human form, so you must be able to in beast form too. Besides, didn’t you say your father can? You’re his son—I guess it’s just because you transformed too late and haven’t adapted yet.”

A-Si brought over a stone bowl and smashed it against the cinnamon tree bark, grunting in acknowledgment. “I hope so. I was actually thinking that once I learn to swim, I might be able to swim straight back home,” he said, shaking his head and sighing. “Never mind. I’m just overthinking it.”

Zhang Shuguang nearly died laughing; his stomach hurt from the effort.

“Even if you could swim, there’s no way you could swim that far. You should focus on mastering the back-and-forth transformation first. Don’t waste your time on that nonsense. Even if I can’t build a big ship myself, I’ll definitely ask Mang Jiu to help you catch a giant sea beast. I’ll make sure to send you back before I die.”

A-Si nodded. “You’re a good guy.”

Zhang Shuguang rolled his eyes at him. “Get to work. Do you want to eat meat or not?”

“Actually, I’m more interested in that field of vegetables of yours,” A-Si said, putting a little more effort into his work as he smiled at him. “You haven’t seen it, but it’s really bustling back on the hill now—people plowing, weeding, and bustling about. There are so many of them.”

Zhang Shuguang scooped the ribs—which had already been blanched once—out of the pot and transferred them to another stone pot to simmer again. He ladled the dirty water from the pot into a wooden barrel nearby; once it cooled, he could carry it down to water the fields.

“What are you going to do with that bowl of intestines? If you leave them another day, they’ll go bad.” A-Si tilted his chin. “Even with salt, they won’t hold up.”

Zhang Shuguang hummed in acknowledgment. “I know. But since we happen to have these boar bristles and feathers, I’ll make a brush to scrape the fat off the intestines.” He rinsed the ribs thoroughly in the hot water before scooping them out. “I’ll wash them after we finish eating.”

“Why are you keeping this? It smells so strong—is it even edible?” A-Si mixed the crushed cinnamon bark into the meat slices, then got up, went into the cave, and brought out a few potatoes. “Let’s stir-fry it with potatoes.”

“I’ll go down and pick some greens for you,” Zhang Shuguang scooped the ribs out and placed them in a basin, filling it to the brim. “Do you have a big appetite these days? Don’t let all this go to waste.”

“I can finish it. I have a big appetite.” A-Si urged him, “Hurry up and pick some greens—get plenty of sweet potato leaves. I really like that flavor.”    

“Okay.”

Zhang Shuguang made a round through his two experimental plots and returned with a basket full of sweet potato leaves. He noticed that the crops in his two fields were growing exceptionally fast; he’d picked quite a few leaves just yesterday, yet today they’d already grown back in abundance.

And this was despite him being so busy that he always forgot to water them. If they could grow this well on their own, just imagine if he tended to them carefully—wow, he could already see himself harvesting crops twice a year.

One harvest in late spring, and another in late fall.

Perfect!

But that was just wishful thinking; he’d be lucky if he could even get the first batch to grow and bear fruit. He carried his basket up the mountain and was stunned when he spotted the pile of scaled bird meat in front of the cave.

“Whose meat is this? Why is it left here?” There were legs, meat—and even half a head! Half a head!

“The beastmen who came back from the hunting grounds said they wanted you to eat some meat to build up your strength. I told them you couldn’t eat it all and to take it back, but they just dropped the meat and ran off.” A-Si laughed. “What should we do?”

“Just send it back, then.” Zhang Shuguang stood at the edge of the cliff, took a deep breath, and shouted, “Whoever sent me this meat, take it back right now! I can’t eat it all. If you don’t come get it, I’ll be really upset!”

His shout caught everyone’s attention.

The people who had brought the meat back to the cave came out and stood at the cliff’s edge, looking up. The people down below turned around and looked up as well.

Zhang Shuguang couldn’t make out who was who, but he knew they were watching him. He bellowed again, “Hurry up and come up to take it back! I can’t eat it all—it’ll just go to waste. Besides, are you trying to wear me out? Do you want to keep me from sleeping? Hurry up and take it all back!”

The group burst into laughter. When Zhang Shuguang saw several people running up the mountain path, he stood up straight.

Before long, Xiong Zhuang led the group rushing over, grinning sheepishly. “Divine Son, we were just worried you wouldn’t have enough to eat.”

“Enough, enough. If I don’t have enough to eat, there’s still Mang Jiu. You don’t need to share the meat with me,” Zhang Shuguang said with a smile. “Hurry up and take it all back. Eat what you need to eat, and cure the meat that needs curing.”

Xiong Zhuang nodded in response and reached out to grab the half-eaten Scaled Bird head. Zhang Shuguang saw this and his lips twitched.

“Divine Son, we’re strong and can help you with the work. If you need anything done, just let us know.” The beastman behind Xiong Zhuang patted his chest. “I can even help you plow the fields!”

Zhang Shuguang nodded and thanked them. “Got it. I won’t hesitate to ask for your help. Go back and eat your meat.” The group then scattered in a rush.

Zhang Shuguang chuckled softly as he emptied the sweet potato leaves from his backpack into a large basin. “You wash them,” he said to A Si. “Wash them well, and I’ll stir-fry them for you.” After speaking to her, he turned to heat the oil and begin stir-frying the ribs. “If only the soybeans would ripen sooner. Then we could try making some soybean paste.”

“Soybeans?”

“Yeah, a kind of bean. When they’re dry, they’re yellow; when they’re not, they’re green. We call them edamame. Usually, we’d boil some edamame and peanuts, gather a few friends around the table, eat grilled meat, and drink a little wine—mm, it’s just heavenly.” After rambling on, Zhang Shuguang pursed his lips. “Everything else is easy enough, but the liquor—where am I supposed to get liquor? Without grain, there’s no way…”

He paused, then suddenly remembered the sorghum field in the coastal forest. Sorghum liquor!

How famous it is!

“I didn’t understand about half of what you just said,” A-Si chimed in from the side.

“You don’t need to understand,” Zhang Shuguang waved his hand dismissively, speaking with authority. “When it’s time to harvest the sorghum, just help me with the work. Once I’ve brewed the liquor, I’ll definitely share some with you.”

A-Si nodded. “Alright, you’re the Divine Son—you’re the boss.”

Zhang Shuguang glared at him. “You’re mocking me too, aren’t you? The Chief really has put me on a pedestal. If I do anything wrong, I bet they’ll be very disappointed.”

A-Si, however, had a different take on it. He shook his head. “Who doesn’t make mistakes? Even if you do make a mistake, as long as you admit it right away, that’s all that matters. Surely they’ll let you make amends?”

Zhang Shuguang raised an eyebrow.

A-Si snorted. “It’s still better than those who know they’ve made a mistake but refuse to correct it.” Zhang Shuguang raised an eyebrow; clearly, A-Si had been reminded of something unpleasant.

He didn’t ask any further, and A-Si didn’t say another word.

Just as the braised ribs were ready, Mang Qiqi returned with the three cubs. The cubs had been running around somewhere and were covered head to toe in dirt. The two white-haired cubs, in particular, looked especially filthy.

“I’ll take you guys for a bath in a bit!” He patted each of the three cubs on the head, then turned to Meng Qiqi and said, “You come too. We won’t go far—just head over to the ditch to wash up. Bring back some mud when you return; I need to make a few more pots.”

He’d used the pot he’d made earlier to store honey after stewing soup in it, and there was still plenty of honey left in the bucket—he’d have to find a new place to keep it. After dinner, Zhang Shuguang crouched on the ground cleaning out the large basin of intestines. The smell was so strong it made his eyes water.

A-Si, standing nearby, grabbed two sweet potato leaves and shoved them straight up his nose. In a nasal, gruff voice, he said, “You’re just asking for trouble!”

“I’m happy to do it,” Zhang Shuguang replied, holding his breath and not even looking up. “Just don’t expect to eat any of it later!” 

“No way. If I’m stuck here smelling this stench and don’t get to eat, wouldn’t that be a waste?”

“Instead of standing there chattering on and on, why don’t you grab a bamboo scraper and help me scrape the fat? If we finish sooner, we’ll be stinking for a shorter time.” Zhang Shuguang couldn’t be bothered to pay him any mind and continued carefully scraping the fat from the intestines.

He discovered that although the intestines of this Giant Boar Beast were smelly and greasy, the intestinal lining was quite tough; as long as he was careful with his strength, he wouldn’t damage them. A-Si, unable to bear watching him work alone, stuffed two more leaves into his nostrils and breathed through his mouth.

The two of them huffed and puffed away for quite a while before they finally managed to scrape the fat off an entire basin of intestines. Zhang Shuguang sniffed himself—he reeked.

“Come on, come on, let’s go take a shower.”

A-Si nodded frantically. “Pick some more fragrant herbs to scrub with—they’re great for getting rid of the stench.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded with a smile. “It works pretty well—otherwise, I wouldn’t be using it to cover up poop.” He lifted the wooden bucket filled with intestines. “Kids, time for a bath!”

The three cubs in the cave burst out, dashing past him and racing down the mountain. It stinks so bad! Daddy stinks!

Zhang Shuguang glared. They actually looked down on him!

He went to the ditch to bathe and dug up quite a bit of mud along the way. Zhang Shuguang bent over to wash the intestines, scrubbing them bit by bit with salt, then rinsing them off and holding them up to his nose—they didn’t smell nearly as bad anymore.

He washed it over and over again until his hands and feet had turned white from soaking and were ice-cold before he finally stopped.

“You’re such a stubborn one. I told you we should take turns washing, but you wouldn’t listen,” A-Si had gone back to the cave while he was washing his intestines and brought back an animal hide. Seeing him come ashore, she quickly spread out the hide and wrapped him in it. “If you get sick, Mang Jiu will smash my turtle shell to pieces!”

Zhang Shuguang chuckled softly. “No way, no way. I’m in great shape.” Ding~

The long-absent system notification sounded in his mind. Zhang Shuguang smiled at A-Si. “Let’s go back.”

A-Si reached out to help him lift the bucket filled with mud and intestines, and the three little ones scampered back.

Mang Qiqi had been driven away by the stench long before Zhang Shuguang started scraping the intestinal fat, so he hadn’t come along for the bath. On the way back, Zhang Shuguang asked, “Xiao Cai, is that you online?”

Main System: “Hello, Host. It’s me, the Main System.”

Listening to its stiff, robotic voice, Zhang Shuguang recalled the lively voice that had previously called him “Little Master,” and furrowed his brow slightly.

“Where’s Xiao Cai?”

Main System: “Xiao Cai is undergoing a system upgrade. I will be serving you for the next few days.” 

Zhang Shuguang: “Oh, then go into hibernation. I don’t need your help right now.” 

Main System: “…Host, please actively complete system tasks.”

Zhang Shuguang: “I know, I’m working on them.”

Main System: “You still have three tasks left to complete today: make ten pounds of jerky, plant soybeans (0/50), and make three pairs of straw sandals.”

 Zhang Shuguang: “Oh, then give me the soybean seeds. I’ll plant them right now.”

Main System: “What about the beef jerky? What about the straw sandals?”

Zhang Shuguang: “The jerky’s drying. I’ll make the sandals when I get back. Do you think I can just conjure them out of thin air right now?” 

Main System: “…Alright. You received a Snow Lotus Fruit seed as a drop from yesterday’s system upgrade.”

Zhang Shuguang paused in his tracks, and A-Si turned to look at him.

“What’s wrong?”

Zhang Shuguang pulled the animal hide tighter around himself and turned to ask, “What’s a snow lotus fruit? I don’t think I’ve ever eaten one!” 

“What?”

A-Si looked completely bewildered.

I’ve never eaten one either—I’ve never even heard of them!

Zhang Shuguang shook his head. “It’s nothing, I was just talking to myself. Let’s go.”

He grabbed a handful of bean seeds and flung them onto the ground.

No sooner had he finished scattering them than the Main System spoke up.

Main System: “Host, you can’t complete the mission with this method of planting. You need to dig a hole, bury the seeds, and water them.” 

Zhang Shuguang: “Xiao Cai said this would work!”

Main System: “That’s why he needs to upgrade his system.” 

Zhang Shuguang: “……”

He actually had no comeback.

He was always the one giving others a hard time, but today he was the one getting called out!

He snorted, “Then give me another handful of seeds. I’ll plant them when I get back.” 

Main System: “As you wish, Host. Please complete the mission diligently to earn your reward.” 

Zhang Shuguang: “Is that snow lotus fruit tasty? Wait, did I even buy any?”

Main System: “Yes, you have. You’ve purchased a wide variety of seeds and seedlings. I still have ten grape seedlings here, though I don’t know the variety.” Zhang Shuguang pressed his hand to his forehead. Alright then, at least his money wasn’t wasted.

Back at the edge of the experimental field, Zhang Shuguang dug a hole and buried the bean seeds he was holding. A-Si had seen the seeds suddenly appear in his hand, so he didn’t ask.

“I’ll come over tomorrow to help you knead the clay,” A-Si set down the bucket and pointed to his feet. “Why don’t you boil some hot water and soak them? You were standing in the water for too long just now.”

Zhang Shuguang gave a soft “Mm-hmm. It’s fine. You go home. Get some rest.”

After watching A-Si leave, Zhang Shuguang tidied up his things before entering the cave. He pulled the kids into his arms and closed his eyes.

Zhang Shuguang: “Main System, I have a question for you.”

Main System: “Host, I am under no obligation to answer any of your questions.”

Zhang Shuguang: “You came over to cover for Xiao Cai—wasn’t that just so you could talk to me more? Stop playing hard to get. Is the reason you don’t call me ‘Little Master’ now because your energy is insufficient? Or is it that your divine power has waned, causing you to degenerate into a standalone system, unable to reveal your true nature?”

Main System: “……”

Zhang Shuguang: “I really love this silent attitude of yours!” 

Main System: “Oh my goodness, this is driving me crazy! I’m shutting down!” Zhang Shuguang’s mouth twitched. No matter how much he called out to it, it wouldn’t come back.

Well, it really did shut down.

He slept straight through until dawn, and Zhang Shuguang was woken by a kiss.

He opened his eyes to see Mang Jiu’s handsome face. Rubbing his eyes, he asked, “You’re back?” His voice was so hoarse that not only did Mang Jiu frown, but he himself furrowed his brows as well.

Mang Jiu said coldly, “You have a fever.”

Zhang Shuguang: “( ⊙ o ⊙ )……I’m sick again?”

“Aren’t I the Divine Son? Why would the Divine Son get sick!”

No one answered this soul-searching question.

Mang Jiu took out the herbal concoction he was holding. “Even the Divine Son has to take his medicine.” 

Zhang Shuguang let out a wail. “What terrible sin have I committed!”