Inside the Cliffside Tribe, Xiong Kui held the soundly sleeping kitten, Naidou, in his arms, with the equally soundly sleeping wolf cub, Maodou, curled up at his feet, while the bird chick, Tangdou, nestled peacefully in his hair.

Xiong Kui sat on a rock, motionless.

Hua sat on the other side, busily carding the fleece of a Meimei Beast. She worked meticulously, ensuring the resulting yarn was almost uniformly thick.

Xiong Kui yawned and stretched his shoulders; Naidou, nestled in his arms, let out a soft whimper.

He quickly reached out and ruffled the kitten’s fur; seeing that it remained fast asleep, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Hua chuckled softly.

Xiong Kui gave a wry smile; he really hadn’t meant to upset the little ones.

The story begins when they woke up that morning.

The three kittens hadn’t seen Zhang Shuguang in quite a while. At first, right after he’d left, it hadn’t been a big deal—they’d run around and play wildly every day with the other kittens in the tribe. But after a day or two of nothing out of the ordinary, and then several days had passed, they started to get restless.

Lately, people from the tribe had been coming by almost every day to keep the kids entertained, worried they might not be eating or sleeping well.

Originally, after breakfast, the three cubs were supposed to go out to play with Mang Qiqi, but then Xiong Kui came over and said, “Shuguang has brought a new group to the tribe.” Just that one sentence was enough to send the three cubs into a frenzy.

Although the three little ones weren’t quite old enough to understand much yet, they knew their dad’s name was Shuguang, so as soon as they heard Xiong Kui mention Shuguang, they immediately clung to him, howling.

At first, no one understood what it meant, until Hua asked if they were looking for Shuguang again. Then the three little ones rushed into the cave in unison, howling as they ran—their voices were particularly shrill and pitiful.

Now everyone understood: the cubs missed their dad and were looking for him.

Xiong Kui was practically trapped—the cubs wouldn’t leave his side for a moment, no matter what he said, and even after lunch, they insisted on napping right on top of him.

“Ying Wu reported that the Golden Tiger Clan won’t arrive for a few more days. He told us to start preparing and figure out where to accommodate them,” Xiong Kui said, lowering his gaze to the cub in his arms. He praised, “This fur is so soft and smooth—how did Shuguang raise it?”

Hua chuckled, her knitting hands never stopping, and simply said, “He fed him three meals a day and took him for a bath every other day. Haven’t you noticed? Naidou’s gotten a bit darker these past couple of days.”

Xiong Kui nodded with a smile. She was right—they had gotten a bit darker, a bit dirty.

“I originally thought that if Shuguang took people out, it’d be good enough if he brought back just one beastman. But I heard he brought back two whole tribes?” Hua finished winding the yarn in her hands into a ball and placed it in the basket. She got up, fetched another basket of clean fleece from deep inside the cave, sat down at the table, and continued winding yarn. “He’s really something.”

“I didn’t expect that either. That’s the Golden Tiger Clan, after all. The Rock Forest Tribe had lived together for so many years, yet he actually managed to convince them to relocate. How on earth is he so capable?” When Xiong Kui first heard the news, he thought he was dreaming.

Only after confirming it repeatedly did he realize that Zhang Shuguang had truly persuaded the Golden Tiger Clan to relocate.

As for what made them agree to relocate, no one knew.

Hua twisted the yarn quickly; in no time, she had twisted a thin strand of yarn.

She shook her hands, poured herself a glass of water, and asked Xiong Kui, “Where are you planning to settle them? Didn’t you say the Black Bear Tribe is coming too?”

“Hmm, and there’s also the earth-dwellers,” Xiong Kui smacked his lips and thought for a moment. “The Golden Tiger Clan will probably have to live in the woods—or should we send them to the Black Forest?”

“The Black Forest?” Hua looked at him in surprise. “There are so many wild beasts in the Black Forest—do you think they’ll agree to that?”

“Why wouldn’t they agree?” Xiong Kui looked at her, puzzled. “If the Ivory Tribe can live in the Black Forest, there’s no reason the Golden Tiger Tribe can’t. Besides, if they settle not far from the pond, they’ll be so close to us that if anything happens, we’ll hear them just by shouting.”

Hua nodded slightly. Just then, Xiong Hong and Yu walked over, and both smiled when they saw Xiong Kui’s expression.

“Why come over when you should be resting?” Xiong Kui looked up at Xiong Hong.

Xiong Hong smiled and reached out, taking Naidou from his arms to stroke its fur. Naidou stretched out on her lap, its little paws even pedaling in the air.

“Oh my, how cute—so soft and fluffy,” Xiong Hong said, squeezing its rosy paw pads, utterly delighted.

“I can’t just sit around resting—I’m all better now.” She looked up at Xiong Kui, then glanced at the yarn Hua was twisting in her hands. “What’s this?”

“Shuguang asked me to help twist this yarn,” Hua said, pursing her lips and smiling so widely her eyes crinkled. “He said he wants to weave a cloth or something when she gets back—I didn’t really understand.”

Xiong Hong nodded slightly. Yu sat down beside her, watching Hua go about her work, and reached out to grab some fluff to help twist the yarn. “Shuguang is still the smartest—he knows how to do everything.”

“Hmm, I heard the Golden Tiger Clan is moving over here?” Xiong Hong asked Xiong Kui. “And the Black Bear Clan, too—are they going to live with us?”

Xiong Kui shook his head and repeated to Xiong Hong what he’d just told Hua, “The Golden Tiger Clan is going to the Black Forest. They’ll have plenty to eat and drink there, and it’s close to us.”

He bent down to pick up Maodou, who had been sleeping against his leg, and placed the cub on his lap. Then he took a comb and gently brushed its fur. “The Black Bear Clan will go to the Wild Plains. It’s a good place for growing flowers. It’s not close to us, but it’s near the hunting grounds. Shuguang said that the Earth-Dwelling Clan should go to the hunting grounds—they’ll be needed to mine the ore there.”

Xiong Hong nodded and asked, “Are you sure only three tribes are coming? Will they belong to us from now on?”

“It doesn’t make sense for them to join our tribe the moment they arrive,” Xiong Kui snorted with a laugh, brushing the fur off the comb and tossing it into a bamboo basket nearby. “Besides, according to Ying Wu, the chieftain of the Golden Tiger Clan must have learned of Shuguang’s special nature. We don’t know yet if she’ll say anything to the others.”

“Then what should we do?”

“What else can we do? We can’t exactly bite them to death. Since Shuguang was able to bring them here, it means he thinks highly of them. Hu Fei must be a decent person.” Xiong Kui set down the comb and began grooming Maodou with his fingers. “We’ll find out once Hu Fei arrives and we meet her.”

Xiong Hong nodded and turned her face toward the foot of the mountain, where she saw Wu Ming sitting on a stone on the large platform, surrounded by a group of kids, along with some younger sub-beastmen.

“The young sub-beastmen are actually out here?” She widened her eyes in surprise. “Aren’t they usually kept locked up in the cave?”

“Shuguang said the little ones should get more sun, or they won’t grow tall,” Xiong Kui said, turning his head to look down and smiling. “Lately, the sub-beastmen have been coming out to sunbathe every day, and Wu takes them out to talk to them.”

Xiong Hong gently tickled Naidou’s chin with her finger. Naidou purred contentedly, clearly enjoying it. She asked, “Is Xiong Ye coming back soon? It’s been a while since the others took those little ones out.”

“Soon. They said when they left that they’d be back before the rainy season.” Xiong Kui kept his eyes fixed on the few young sub-beastmen by Wu’s side and said without turning his head, “I hope some little sub-beastmen will be born in the tribe this rainy season.”

“That won’t happen this rainy season. None of the women in our tribe were pregnant during the last one,” Hua said, pouring cold water on his hopes. “If you want to see little ones born, you’ll have to wait until the next rainy season.”

Xiong Kui turned to look at her helplessly and asked, “I want you to give me another kid, so why won’t you?”

“Is it my fault I can’t?” Hua glared at him.

Xiong Kui knew he was in the wrong; it seemed he hadn’t been trying hard enough.

Xiong Hong and Yu chuckled quietly on the sidelines. Yu asked, “Chief, did Shuguang say what we’re going to do next? The vegetables in the field have grown quite a bit—should we fertilize them again?”

Xiong Kui shook his head to indicate he didn’t know. “Let’s wait until Shuguang gets back. It shouldn’t be long now. At Mang Jiu’s pace, they might even be the first ones back.”

Meanwhile, just as Xiong Kui had said, Zhang Shuguang and Mang Jiu were moving swiftly. Mang Jiu had pushed his speed nearly to the limit, and besides the Black Bear Clan members, Xi Shiyi and Xi Shier were also perched on his back.

“Good thing you’re long enough—otherwise, they wouldn’t all fit,” Zhang Shuguang said, sitting atop his head and communicating with him telepathically.

“Are you tired? Are they too heavy? Why don’t we stop and rest for a bit?”

Mang Jiu: “No need. Let’s hurry back—I want to soak in the seawater.”

“You said earlier you were about to shed your skin—do you really need the stimulation of seawater to do it?” Zhang Shuguang looked up at the sky; dark clouds were gathering once more, drifting slowly toward them.

“Mang Jiu, let’s find a place to shelter from the rain—it’s about to pour.” He patted the giant snake’s head.

Mang Jiu gave a soft “Mm-hmm” and changed course, swimming swiftly toward the mountains in the distance.

Just before the raindrops began to fall, they found a small cave to take shelter in. The group huddled inside, their faces looking rather pale.

They were still feeling dizzy; even after vomiting, they couldn’t shake that queasy feeling.

“Those of you who can still move, go out and gather some twigs. We need to get a fire going before the rain really starts.” Zhang Shuguang took a sip of water and handed the water bag to Mang Jiu. “You get some rest.”

Mang Jiu took a sip of water and shook his head. “I’m not tired.”

Zhang Shuguang glared at him. “You have to sleep even if you’re not tired. I’ll cook dinner later, and I’ll wake you up when it’s ready. You must sleep!”

Mang Jiu chuckled softly and reached up to touch his face; he found Zhang Shuguang’s sudden sternness a bit novel.

“Alright, I’ll sleep.”

Zhang Shuguang watched as Mang Jiu leaned back against the rock and closed his eyes. He turned, took a piece of hide from his backpack, and covered him with it. Then he said to Xi Shiyi and Xi Shier, “Cut up the rest of the crocodile bird meat. We’ll stew some meat to eat. Let’s see when the rain stops, and we’ll leave once it does.”

“Okay, but isn’t the cave a bit small? Should we make it a little bigger?” Xi Shiyi asked.

Zhang Shuguang turned to take a look and noticed that the Black Bear Clan members were all huddled together. They didn’t look like a cheerful tribe on the move; rather, they resembled captives who, after being captured, were as skittish as birds startled by a bowstring.

He sighed, nodded, and said, “Don’t expand this side. Dig a smaller cave on the other side—let’s go over there.”

“I’ll help you.” Xiong San walked over and said to Xi Shiyi.

Xi Shiyi glanced at him and nodded. “Alright.”

Xi Shier led his men to gather branches, leaving behind in the cave only the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled—about a dozen people.

They huddled together, furtively eyeing Mang Jiu and Zhang Shuguang, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

Zhang Shuguang took some dried meat out of his leather pouch and waved it around. A few of the young ones who had just taken human form couldn’t help but swallow hard, their eyes fixed on his moving hand.

“Here, have some,” he said softly.

The cubs took a step forward but then retreated in fear, pressing themselves tightly against the adults beside them.

Zhang Shuguang glanced at the man lying on the ground. He knew this was the leader of the Black Bear Clan—an elderly man in poor health. This tribal migration was a challenge for him; at least right now, he looked somewhat overwhelmed.

Sighing, he got up and walked over. After distributing the jerky in his hand to the children, he asked Xiong Yan, “You look very unwell. Have you been injured?”

Xiong Yan nodded slightly and pushed himself up to sit. “My stomach was pierced by a terrorbird’s tail. Although the wound has healed, my health has been deteriorating, and I can no longer go out hunting.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded. He didn’t feel the urge to perform a bloodletting to save him, which proved that although the man was unwell, he wasn’t about to die anytime soon.

“Once we reach our tribe, a beastman who knows herbs will examine you. If you rest and recover properly, you’ll be fine. You need to keep a calm and peaceful state of mind—don’t spend every day thinking of yourself as a burden or a useless person, or it will hinder your recovery.”

Zhang Shuguang’s voice was very gentle; he was deliberately projecting a warm and kind image.

Xiong Yan was lost in thought for a moment; when he snapped back to reality, the man was no longer standing before him.

“Chieftain,” the elderly beastman sitting nearby moved closer, furrowing his brow as he asked, “Why would the Cliffside Tribe accept us?”

Xiong Yan sighed. Indeed, why would they accept this group of elderly, weak, sick, and disabled people who weren’t particularly strong?

In truth, it wasn’t that Zhang Shuguang was particularly kind-hearted; rather, he understood that if he didn’t take in this group, the young and strong beastmen would certainly refuse to join the tribe—and wouldn’t all his efforts then have been in vain?

To improve the environment for child-rearing, certain sacrifices were necessary. Furthermore, once they had settled down and received the tribe’s protection, they had to do something to repay them.

Was growing vegetables and making things a way to give back? That could only be considered a necessity of life; someone would have done it anyway—he had simply done it sooner.

Bean-sized raindrops began to fall; dark clouds had already gathered overhead, accompanied by howling gales that whipped the tree branches into a rustling, whistling frenzy.

Zhang Shuguang was stewing meat in the cave; that crocodile bird was enough for them to have a hearty meal. Although there weren’t enough earthenware bowls to go around, the Black Bear Clan had brought some household items, so basically everyone had a stone bowl.

However, following Mang Jiu’s instructions, he prepared only enough for the four of them; the others would have to cook for themselves.

Several female beastmen from the Black Bear Clan followed his instructions, from blanching to stir-frying. Although their movements were clumsy, they didn’t burn the meat; on the contrary, a delicious aroma filled the air after they finished stir-frying.

“Is it ready to eat?”

“I don’t think so yet. Look, he added a lot of leaves—are leaves even edible?”

“Let’s add some too. Quick, go see what he put in.”

Zhang Shuguang noticed the female beastman sneaking up beside him and gave her a friendly smile.

The female beastman felt a bit awkward, but the aroma of the meat in the pot was so enticing that her embarrassment was instantly replaced by hunger. Her eyes were fixed on the pieces of meat sizzling in the pot until they turned golden brown, and she asked, “What are those leaves and grasses? Could you spare some for me?”

“Sure,” Zhang Shuguang nodded, scooping some spices into a small bowl and handing it to her. “I’ll take some honey—just this much will do.”

The female beastman nodded and carried the small bowl back.

“He just gave it to her?”

“Do I have to trade something for them?”

“These leaves smell so good. What kind of tree are they from?”

“I think I’ve seen leaves like this before. The tree is really tall.”

“We traded honey for it—one bowl of leaves for one bowl of honey.”

“Hurry up and put it in the meat—I can already smell the aroma coming from his side!”

Zhang Shuguang cut the potatoes into large chunks and added them to the soup, then put the lid on.

He wiped his hands and turned to look at Mang Jiu, who was resting with his eyes closed.

Knowing it was impossible for the other person to be truly asleep amid all the commotion, Zhang Shuguang didn’t disturb him. Instead, he turned and walked to the cave entrance, gazing absently at the heavy rain outside.

“Father, it’s raining.”

“Father, where did you go?”

“Father, you don’t want me anymore.”

Several images flashed through Zhang Shuguang’s mind: a young boy wandering aimlessly in the large courtyard. The sky was gray and overcast; the rain soaked the boy, but he didn’t care. He kept muttering that he wanted to find his father, his face streaked with water—it was impossible to tell whether it was rain or tears.

That towering Divine Blood Tree stood in the courtyard. Perhaps it was because of the grayish-white hues of the scene, but he couldn’t help feeling that the tree’s once lush foliage now looked somewhat withered and gray.

“Father, where are you!”

Zhang Shuguang furrowed his brow slightly, snapped back to reality, and lowered his gaze to look at his hands.

“Shuguang, look at this!” Xi Shiyi’s voice came from behind him.

He turned around to see Xi Shiyi holding a plump, fat rabbit—and it was still alive.

“You actually managed to catch a long-eared beast in rain this heavy!” he exclaimed in surprise.

“It ran right into my leg on its own—of course I wasn’t going to let it get away,” Xi Shiyi chuckled sheepishly at the compliment. “Should we skin it and roast it for dinner?”

Zhang Shuguang glanced at the meat simmering in the pot, then at the plump rabbit, whose three-lobed mouth twitched nervously with fear. He waved his hand and said, “It’s rare to catch one alive. Let’s tie it up with vines and take it back. These things reproduce really fast. If we can raise them on the hill behind our house, we’ll never run out of these little animals. Plus, their fur can be made into gloves and scarves—it’s very soft and warm.”

Xi Shiyī nodded and turned to look for vines. Xi Shier moved closer to him and poked the plump rabbit with his finger; the rabbit squirmed and kicked its legs vigorously.

“Don’t kill it—Shuguang wants to take it back to raise,” Xi Shiyi glared at him.

“It seems like we traded for a lot of little animals this time. Why did Shuguang want to trade for so many? There’s so little meat—it’s not even enough to fill us up,” Xi Shier said, a bit puzzled. “The Meimei Beast’s meat smells so strong—it doesn’t taste good at all.”

“I don’t know. Shuguang said the hide can be made into gloves. What are gloves?” Xi Shiyi tossed the plump rabbit—which had vines wrapped around its body—onto the ground. The rabbit kicked its legs, trying to run away, but he grabbed the vines and yanked it back.

After trying to escape three times in a row only to be dragged back each time, the plump rabbit gave up. It crouched on the ground, motionless, playing dead.

This is insane! Rabbit abuse!

Xi Shiyi tugged on the vines. The plump rabbit remained motionless, letting him do as he pleased, its body jerking up and down with his movements.

“Is it dead?” Xi Shiyi asked, startled.

Xi Shier looked down at it and shook his head. “It’s not dead—it’s probably just tired.”

“What if it gets hungry?” Xi Shiyi scratched his head, looking a bit flustered. “Why don’t you go pick some grass for it?”

Xi Shier shot him a look and snorted, “Are you stupid? Just drag it outside to eat.”

Xī Shier nodded. “You’re right.”

By the time they finished eating, the rain had stopped. As Zhang Shuguang stood at the cave entrance breathing in the post-rain air, he immediately spotted Xi Shiyi holding a vine in his hand. Tied to the other end of the vine was a plump rabbit, which was crouched by a patch of grass, munching away with great enthusiasm.

He’d seen people walk cats, dogs, birds, and even geese, but this was the first time he’d ever seen someone tie a rope to a rabbit and take it out for a walk. He guessed he just didn’t think big enough.

Zhang Shuguang chuckled softly and leaned back.

Mang Jiu wrapped his arms around Zhang Shuguang’s waist, leaned down to kiss the nape of his neck, and asked, “Is something wrong? You seem a little off.”

Zhang Shuguang shrank his neck slightly from the ticklish sensation, then turned his face toward Mang Jiu with a smile. “I don’t have a single secret left now.”

Mang Jiu’s eyes sparkled with amusement as he winked at him. “Mm-hmm.”

“So, what did you see this time?”

Zhang Shuguang said in a flat tone, “The young boy can’t find his father.”

Mang Jiu: “Hm?”

“Nothing particularly useful. I just saw it raining outside a moment ago, and some images suddenly came to mind. Besides, I’ve had this feeling ever since then that the God might be gone.”

Zhang Shuguang thought back to what the main system had said earlier, and then recalled being pushed off the mountain; he couldn’t help but feel it was somehow connected to the God’s inexplicable disappearance.

“I ask, you answer.”

Mang Jiu: “Mm-hmm.”

“The place where the God lives is just him and me—no outsiders, only animals and plants. Then who pushed me off the mountain?”

Mang Jiu: “Him.”

Zhang Shuguang’s heart sank. “Why?”

Mang Jiu gave him a peck on the cheek. “I don’t know.”

Zhang Shuguang was at a loss for words. “Take a guess.”

Mang Jiu kissed him again. “I can’t guess.”

Zhang Shuguang: “……” He was about to curse—he was actually brushing him off.

Mang Jiu didn’t give him a chance to get upset; he simply grabbed his chin and forcefully silenced him with a kiss.

Their lips and teeth entwined.

The rainy season was approaching.

When the kiss ended, Zhang Shuguang’s mind was filled with those five words. Breathing heavily, he looked at Mang Jiu—the man’s gaze was completely different from usual right now, and he didn’t even need to ask to know what he was thinking.

He cleared his throat lightly to steady himself.

The difference in their physiques was too great; what he had in mind would never work.

How could he protect himself…? He certainly didn’t want to end up disabled overnight.

“What are you thinking about?” Mang Jiu’s deep voice rang in his ear, followed by a sharp pain in his earlobe.

“Ouch! You’re biting me.”

“Soft.” Mang Jiu bit down a second time, gently clamping his teeth around it and slowly grinding it between them.

Zhang Shuguang blushed fiercely from his antics. The only consolation was that they were alone in this cave—otherwise, they’d have been a spectacle for everyone to gawk at!

“Mmm…”

“Don’t…”

“Mang Jiu!”

Zhang Shuguang’s body shook violently, and his cheeks burned as if on fire.

He stared wide-eyed and helplessly at Mang Jiu’s hand… then pushed him away with all his might and turned to bolt out of the cave.

Aaaaaah!

How could he be so fast!

How embarrassing!

And, and!

Zhang Shuguang’s face turned bright red; if there had been a basin of water nearby, he would have plunged right in—and the water would probably have boiled.

Xi Shiyi and Xi Shier were dragging the fat rabbit back when they saw him flash past them—fast as the wind.

“What’s going on?”

Xi Shiyi looked completely baffled.

Xi Shier shook his head: “No idea. Is Shuguang okay, running off on his own like that?”

The two brothers turned to look at Mang Jiu, who was approaching at a leisurely pace, their attention drawn to the way he was wiping his hands.

“Do you smell anything?” Xi Shi Er rubbed his finger against the tip of his nose, then sniffed again. “It seems to be a smell coming from Mang Jiu.”

Xi Shiyi stared at Mang Jiu’s hands and sniffed hard. “It’s the smell on his hands.”

Mang Jiu shot them a cold glance. The brothers immediately stood up straight, and the plump rabbit, following their lead, straightened up and hopped to a crouch, obediently staying put as it picked up a blade of grass to chew on.

What’s up? Not taking the bunny for a walk anymore?

Mang Jiu walked past the two brothers, and Xi Shi Yi couldn’t help but sniff again—the smell was even stronger.

“What’s that smell?”

Xi Shier sniffed the air and then suddenly froze. “Bro.”

Xi Shiyi turned to look at him, his expression as if he’d swallowed shit; he was nearly sickened to death by that “bro.”

“You’ve never called me ‘bro’ before in all this time. Just say what’s on your mind.”

Xi Shier grimaced, pouting as he said, “Shuguang—Shuguang isn’t clean anymore!”

“What the hell?” Xi Shiyi nearly jumped out of his skin, causing the rabbit he was holding to hop in surprise.

“That smell on Mang Jiu’s hands—it’s Shuguang’s, it’s Shuguang’s!” Xi Shier looked utterly distraught, almost beating his chest. “I’ve smelled it before—it was on Father’s body too. It’s Mom’s and Dad’s scent!”

Xi Shiyi blinked, finally realizing what he meant.

“( ⊙ o ⊙ ) Ah!”

Xi Shi Er scratched his head vigorously. “I’m going to duel with Mang Jiu!”

Xi Shiyi snorted derisively. “I’m rooting for you. Go ahead—let’s see how far his tail can fling you.”

Xi Shier crouched down on the ground and withdrew into himself.

Xi Shiyi kicked him with his foot. “Come on, let’s head back. The long-eared beast has finished eating and doing their business. Shuguang said these things can’t get cold—they’re prone to freezing to death.”

“With all this fur, what’s there to fear from the cold?” Xi Shier rubbed his face, stood up, and sighed. “Why do you think Shuguang took a liking to Mang Jiu?”

“If he doesn’t like Mang Jiu, does he like you? If you could become the tribe’s top warrior and scare people off in your beastman form, then you could go talk to Shuguang and get him to pay more attention to you.” Xi Shiyi’s words cut deep into his brother’s heart, leaving Xi Shier withdrawn once again.

Zhang Shuguang took off running as fast as he could, with no idea where he was heading. He didn’t stop until he was exhausted.

He looked around and found himself in a rare, treeless expanse of flat, tall grass.

He found a long stick and poked around in the grass. When no small animals suddenly darted out, he walked a short distance ahead and continued poking. Then, a plump rabbit suddenly darted out of the grass!

Zhang Shuguang was startled, but the rabbit was so plump and hopping right toward him that he simply couldn’t resist reaching out to grab it.

He lunged—but missed.

Second try—the rabbit got away.

Third try—his mouth full of grass.

Fourth attempt… After four failed attempts, Zhang Shuguang was furious.

“With a temper like mine, and I still can’t catch you!” He lunged with all his might, but the rabbit—which had been crouching on the ground, chewing on grass leaves—hopped away with a series of “chomp, chomp” sounds.

Mang Jiu stood nearby with an indulgent smile on his face. The rabbit that had been toying with Zhang Shuguang hopped toward him, but without even lifting a finger—just a single glance—he froze the defiant, plump rabbit in its tracks.

He walked over and lifted the rabbit by its hind legs; the plump rabbit trembled so violently it didn’t even dare to struggle.

Zhang Shuguang crawled out of the grass, spat out the mud from his mouth twice, and wiped his face with his hand.

There was a streak of mud on his face.

Mang Jiu reached out to wipe the mud off his face, then handed him the plump rabbit he was holding in his other hand.

Zhang Shuguang lifted his eyelids to look at him, cradled the shivering rabbit in his arms, and gently stroked its back.

“Are you angry?” Mang Jiu looked down at him and asked softly.

Zhang Shuguang pursed his lips and kept his head down, offering only the crown of his head.

“Hmm?” Mang Jiu lightly traced his finger along Zhang Shuguang’s ear. “I was wrong.”

Zhang Shuguang lifted his foot and tapped the top of Mang Jiu’s foot, not bringing himself to use much force.

“What did you do wrong?” He looked up at him.

Mang Jiu raised an eyebrow, leaned in close, and whispered into his ear, “I didn’t make you feel good.”

“……” Zhang Shuguang was truly going crazy—when did this guy become so lecherous!

The rainy season was approaching—could it be that his mind had become just as active? He’d never seen him act this lewd before.

“Want to try again?” Mang Jiu said, reaching out—but Zhang Shuguang slapped his hand away.

“Watch it!”

Mang Jiu took a deep breath and watched him, biting his lip.

Zhang Shuguang felt utterly uncomfortable under that gaze; his legs even rubbed together involuntarily.

“I—I’m not ready yet.”

He said, lowering his head as his ears and neck flushed red again.

Mang Jiu asked, “When will you be ready?”

“…Just, just when you—when you… don’t ask!” Zhang Shuguang couldn’t bring himself to say it, so he looked up and glared at him. “Don’t ask again, or I won’t let you touch me!”

Mang Jiu nodded with a smile, not even uttering a “mhm.”

Zhang Shuguang hugged the plump rabbit in his arms, took a long moment to compose himself, and only started walking back with Mang Jiu once the heat in his face had subsided.

Xi Shiyi and Xi Shier were peering out from the cave entrance. Spotting the two returning from a distance, they hurried out to meet them.

When Xi Shiyi saw the plump rabbit in Zhang Shuguang’s arms, he paused for a moment. “You caught another long-eared beast.”

Zhang Shuguang shrugged. “Let’s take them all back. Who knows, they might end up having a litter of little ones. And those little ones will have their own litters. I remember these creatures can have over a dozen in a single litter.”

“That many? That’s great,” Xi Shiyi said enviously.

Zhang Shuguang chuckled softly and handed him the plump rabbit he was holding. “Tie the two of them together and put them in the backpack to take with us.”

He turned to look at Mang Jiu. “Let’s go. The rain has stopped.”

Mang Jiu nodded again—without saying a word.

Zhang Shuguang raised his hand and patted him on the chest. “Speak up!”

Mang Jiu: “Let’s go.”

Zhang Shuguang gritted his teeth, so angry he kicked him in the calf—he’d gotten the upper hand and was still acting all innocent! Take that!

The Black Bear Clan had just finished eating when they were told they had to hit the road again—everyone froze in surprise.

They’d just finished a delicious meal of stewed meat—what if they threw it all up?

Xiong Ri, who frequently interacted with Zhang Shuguang and Mang Jiu, took the initiative to step out of the cave to discuss with them, suggesting they rest for a while before continuing.

Zhang Shuguang was packing their belongings into a backpack and heading out when he saw Xiong Ri approaching. “Elder Xiong Ri, are you all set over there?” he asked. “Let’s make the most of the break in the rain and get moving.”

Xiong Ri looked up at the sky; the dark cloud from earlier had already drifted away and was no longer visible. To be honest, it was a good time to hit the road.

“I just ate. Why don’t we wait a little longer?” he asked tentatively.

Zhang Shuguang handed the backpack to Xi Shiyi, who was already sitting on the giant python’s back, then said to Xiong Ri, “I’ve got three little ones at home who are starving and need feeding. I’m really worried about them, so I need to get back early. Besides, the rain’s been coming down out of nowhere lately—if we don’t hurry, we might run into another downpour.”

He looked up at the sky, then glanced at the people standing at the cave entrance, his expression serious. “They’re all warriors of our tribe—they aren’t afraid to hunt wild beasts. Just because the pace is a little faster, does that mean you’re afraid? Then you can just run after us from behind.”

Xiong Ri’s eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head. “No, no, no—we’re not afraid. We don’t need to run.”

At the speed Mang Jiu was going, if they tried to keep up, they’d be exhausted halfway there—let alone make it to the Cliffside Tribe.

Zhang Shuguang smiled and nodded in satisfaction. “Then please hurry and pack up. We can cover a bit more ground before the sun sets.”

Xiong Ri slunk away, dejected, sighing with every step.

Zhang Shuguang, with his tail coiled over his head, gently patted Mang Jiu’s forehead and said, “Slow down a bit. It’d be best if we could find a place to stay before dark. Sure, we could hang a hammock in a tree, but I’m always worried it might rain at night.”

“Mm-hmm, got it,” Mang Jiu replied, shifting his body slightly toward the cave. “Have them climb onto my back—the tail’s swinging around too much over there.”

Upon hearing this, Xiong Ri quickly thanked him, then went back to urge his clan members to hurry up.

Actually, the younger ones quite enjoyed Mang Jiu’s speed, but the other beastmen found it truly uncomfortable. The main issue was that there were no fixed points on the giant python’s body; every time Mang Jiu twisted to make a turn, half their bodies would be flung outward, and they’d even find themselves soaring into the air.

They were genuinely afraid.

Zhang Shuguang propped his chin in his hand as he watched them move things over there, then suddenly said, “Hey, you guys—Xiong Da, Xiong Er, Xiong San—come here, come here.”

The three brothers walked to the base of the giant snake’s head and looked up at him, puzzled. “?”

“There are vines over there. Pick plenty of them, weave them together, and then tie them around Mang Jiu’s body. Tie yourselves to him too—one after another.” Zhang Shuguang spoke and gestured at the same time. Seeing their bewildered expressions, he sighed. “Never mind. Just go get as many as you can; I’ll do the weaving.”

He slid down from the snake’s head. “Shiyi, come down. Bring down two back baskets, and two animal-skin bags as well.”

Xi Shiyi obediently jumped down and set the back baskets on the ground. “What’s this for?”

“Put these animal-skin bags inside the back baskets so the little ones from their tribe who’ve just transformed can sit inside. It’s more comfortable than lying on the ground.” Zhang Shuguang pointed to the few little ones inside the cave. “The bigger ones can lie down, and the smaller ones can sit on the edge. One basket should hold two of them.”

“Alright.” Xi Shiyi deftly slipped the animal-skin pouch over the backpack, then looked up and beckoned to the curious little ones peering out of the cave. “Come on over, come on over. Sit inside here.”

There were five little ones in total, but with only two backpacks, there was room for just four. One of them started wailing because he couldn’t get a seat.

Zhang Shuguang helped weave the vines together into a thick, braided rope, then directed everyone to wrap the vines around Mang Jiu’s body before watching as they continued to wrap the vines around themselves.

Hearing the crying, he turned to take a look and found that all five kids were quite skinny and small. If these were the kids from the Cliffside Tribe, they’d be plump and round in their beast forms—having eaten so well lately—and would likely be quite chubby in human form as well. “Bring me the slightly chubbier one; I’ll hold him. The four thinner ones can sit inside.”

Everyone started shuffling back and forth again, passing the children around. The youngest and chubbiest one, Hu, was cradled in Zhang Shuguang’s arms, looking up at him with wide, hopeful eyes.

Zhang Shuguang looked down at him, raised an eyebrow, chuckled, and asked, “Are you scared?”

The little one shook his head. “I’m not scared.”

Zhang Shuguang chuckled, “Good, as long as you’re not scared.” He glanced around and saw that everyone and everything had been securely tied down. He gave Mang Jiu a slap on the forehead and said, “Let’s go!”