“I’ll go with you.”

Fan Zhou immediately said.

Feng Xun felt warmth in his heart upon hearing this. This was his own matter, yet the rabbit was willing to travel all the way to the Holy Temple for him. The rabbit was truly good.

He shook his head gently. “You need to hold down the fort at Waterfall Tribe. Without you, no other beastman can protect so many Beast Spirit Flowers.”

“That won’t do.” Fan Zhou shook his head, poking Feng Xun’s forehead with his finger. “Do you remember you’re actually an injured patient? How could I possibly let you go to the Holy Temple alone?”

Just getting from the Holy Temple to the Siguo Bridge would take fifteen days.

From the Siguo Bridge to Waterfall Tribe—that would take a full month.

If it was a round trip, three months!

If there were any delays on the road, it could stretch to half a year!

And that wasn’t even considering the hidden dangers this man carried. Just thinking about their relationship made Fan Zhou unable to resist cupping Feng Xun’s face and rubbing it fiercely. “Are you really sure you want us to be apart for that long?”

And he still claimed to love him.

What kind of boyfriend just disappears for half a year?

Feng Xun grabbed Fan Zhou’s wrist, his expression serious. “I don’t want to be apart from you for even a moment.”

How much he loved the rabbit—only he himself knew.

Besides, the tribe was supposed to hold the Divine Sacrifice this year. He had originally planned to hold their wedding during the ceremony… Now, their marriage would have to be postponed.

Sighing inwardly, he added, “But you really can’t come with me. Don’t worry, I’ll move fast. I’ll take a straight path—it won’t take that long.”

The reason Fan Zhou thought it would take half a year was that he was using Treehouse Tribe as a reference. When beastmen like Bao Cheng came to Waterfall Tribe, they had first gone to Giant Bear Tribe, then followed their route to reach them.

If they didn’t take such a detour, they could save a lot of time.

He had already learned that between two points, the straight line was the shortest.

Once he reached the Central Continent, he would also take a straight path, which would save even more time.

“Aren’t you afraid of getting lost? Do you even know how to go straight from Waterfall Tribe to the Siguo Bridge?” Fan Zhou still disagreed.

“Head straight in the direction of the Siguo Bridge. If there’s a mountain, climb it; if there’s water, cross it. It won’t be a problem for me.”

Fan Zhou: “…”

No words to refute that. Fine, fine, he was getting better and better at leaving him speechless.

He simply hardened his expression. “No matter what, you’re not going alone!”

“Then, how about I take another beastman with me? Like last time when I went digging for Beast Spirit Flowers with Ying Xiao.”

Seeing Fan Zhou wouldn’t budge, Feng Xun thought for a moment and compromised.

He didn’t want the rabbit to spend every day worrying either.

“…”

Fan Zhou didn’t speak, but his expression clearly softened a bit.

Truthfully, if both he and Feng Xun left, he wouldn’t feel at ease about Waterfall Tribe either. The tribe, combined with Axe Tribe, had too few beastmen—barely over a hundred in total.

If they encountered a gang of rogue beastmen, it would be dangerous.

Back then, Little Pond Tribe had been even larger than Waterfall Tribe, yet it had been easily overrun by a group of rogues.

“I’ll take two beastmen with me, plus the Beast Spirit Flowers. That way, it’ll be secure. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely come back safe and sound.”

Seeing Fan Zhou still silent, Feng Xun added another beastman to the plan, then pulled him into an embrace.

Ah… He loved the rabbit far more than the rabbit loved him.

The one who couldn’t bear to part the most was actually him.

Fan Zhou: “…”

Hearing the sigh by his ear, he reached out and hugged Feng Xun back.

This man was more rational than him.

No—actually, he was plenty rational too! How could his considerations be any less thorough? Right now, he was just being emotional and throwing a bit of a tantrum.

Because he knew—for safety’s sake, this man had to leave for the Holy Temple immediately, and it would be months before he returned… Back when Feng Xun had gone digging for Beast Spirit Flowers with Ying Xiao, they hadn’t even been together yet, and he had already been restless day and night, unable to sleep.

Now that they were together, how could he bear to part…

Besides, this man’s body truly hadn’t fully recovered. How could he possibly rest easy knowing he’d be away for so long?

“Feng Xun.” He called out sullenly.

“I’m here.” Feng Xun gently stroked his hair, his movements tender.

“Feng Xun.” He called again.

“I’m here.”

“It’s so great… our tribe is about to have a second panda.”

Feng Xun: “…”

Noticing the stiffness in his body, Fan Zhou burst into laughter. “Cubs—in my eyes, they’re all cubs. You’re about to leave the tribe, and I’m not even allowed to think of something happy?”

Feng Xun sighed helplessly, reaching out to grab Fan Zhou’s tail and giving it a light tug. Fan Zhou immediately yelped, “Let go, let go!”

If he didn’t let go soon, his body would go weak.

He had no idea how it happened—back when this man first started playing with his tail, it had just felt a little strange. But the more he played with it, the more sensitive it became.

Now, even a slight tug made him tingle and go weak all over.

“You’re doing this on purpose.”

Feng Xun released his tail, looking a bit aggrieved.

If things didn’t go his way, he’d just provoke him. What a bad rabbit.

“Who’s doing it on purpose? Am I not allowed to have my own preferences and tastes? I can only think you’re handsome but not find pandas cute? You’re way too domineering.”

“…I can’t win against you.”

Feng Xun simply pulled him to his feet. “Pack some dried meat for me. I’ll go find Hu Sheng and Bao Cheng—I’ll take them with me to the Holy Temple.”

Hearing this, Fan Zhou knew Feng Xun was eager to get to the Holy Temple as soon as possible.

Even though he was reluctant, he could only set aside his teasing mood. “Are you sure you want to pick those two?”

“They’re fast. They’re a good fit.”

“Fine, go find them.” Fan Zhou nudged him, urging him to head down the cave to look for Hu Sheng and Bao Cheng.

Hu Sheng was currently staying in his new house—he already had his own place now.

With six sacks of dried meat as motivation, Xing Wei had built his new house at record speed.

However, Fan Zhou hadn’t yet allowed him to join the Waterfall Tribe.

Because Fan Zhou hadn’t inspected the road.

Hu Sheng knew exactly how busy Fan Zhou was every day. Besides, if he really wanted to inspect the road, it would take twenty days—way too long for Fan Zhou to be away right now.

But Hu Sheng wasn’t anxious.

Because he had genuinely worked hard on that road!

Though he had taken on some side jobs during construction, he had still made the road wide and smooth. He wasn’t afraid of Fan Zhou’s inspection.

Right now, life was good. His mindset was at ease.

During his second round of roadwork, he had saved up even more dried meat. Meat in abundance, a new house to live in—even if he had to do farm work every day, he could feast on the tribe’s communal meals and still go back to munch on dried meat as a snack!

And so, after judging Xiang Er, he returned to his new house, took down the dried meat he had roasted the night before from the wooden rack, then lay on his bed, crossing his legs and leisurely eating.

When he got thirsty, he’d scoop a bowl of sweetened water from the wooden bucket.

Pure bliss.

Just as he was happily flicking his tail, Feng Xun’s voice called from outside the yard. He sprang up from the bed and rushed out.

Upon learning that he was to accompany Feng Xun on a trip to the Central Continent, he froze for a moment before quickly nodding. “Got it. I’ll pack some dried meat right away—we can leave whenever.”

“Good. Then I’ll go find Bao Cheng.” Feng Xun told him to finish packing and wait at the foot of the cave.

Bao Cheng was at the guest lodge. After hearing Feng Xun’s request, he immediately agreed.

Of course, no problem!

As the High Priest’s most loyal subordinate, when the High Priest’s partner needed his help, he absolutely couldn’t refuse.

Soon, Hu Sheng and Bao Cheng arrived at the foot of the mountain.

Fan Zhou had also packed Feng Xun’s luggage:

A large animal-skin bag.

He glanced at Hu Sheng and Bao Cheng, then took out four dried Beast Spirit Flowers from the animal-skin bag.

The ones he had planted in the big cave hadn’t fully bloomed yet. All he had now were dried Beast Spirit Flowers.

“Two for each of you. Keep them for self-defense.” He handed the Beast Spirit Flowers to Hu Sheng and Bao Cheng.

“For us?”

Hu Sheng couldn’t believe it, his eyes widening in shock.

Heavens! His biggest dream was to join Waterfall Tribe—as for Beast Spirit Flowers, he had never dared to hope for them! Yet now, Tu Zhou was voluntarily giving him two?

“Yes, this is the deposit. Protect Feng Xun well. As long as he returns safe and sound, I’ll give you ten freshly bloomed Beast Spirit Flowers each.” Fan Zhou explained.

“!”

Hu Sheng’s heart trembled violently—t-ten!

Bao Cheng also froze mid-breath, instinctively patting his chest. Great, I’m about to have forty Beast Spirit Flowers!

But Feng Xun could only sigh helplessly. Was the rabbit treating him like a child now?

He didn’t want the rabbit to see him as a child.

“Tu Zhou, don’t worry! Even if I die, I’ll cling to my last breath to protect Feng Xun!” Hu Sheng took the Beast Spirit Flowers and loudly declared his resolve.

“Me too! By the Beast God above, High Priest, rest assured—I’ll protect Lord Feng Xun with my life!” Not to be outdone, Bao Cheng immediately swore an oath as well.

Just then, Ying Xiao, who had been perched on a nearby tree, couldn’t hold back any longer and fluttered over on small wings: “Tu Zhou, I want to go too!”

He had come to ask Fan Zhou about his reward—after all, he was the one who had discovered Ying Ao and Xiang Er! That was a huge merit! But earlier, with all the focus on judging Xiang Er, Fan Zhou hadn’t mentioned any reward. Unable to hold back, he had come to probe.

But who would’ve thought he’d stumble upon Feng Xun preparing for a long journey? Since Beast Spirit Flowers were being offered as rewards, he wanted in too!

“What can you even do if you go?” Fan Zhou asked.

“I’m small, easy to hide. I can scout for intel or lie in ambush from the shadows.” Ying Xiao puffed out his little chest, earnestly promoting himself.

“…”

Fan Zhou pondered for a moment, then pulled out two more Beast Spirit Flowers from the animal-skin bag. He returned to the cave and found a palm-sized hemp pouch.

After stuffing the two Beast Spirit Flowers inside, he hung the pouch around Ying Xiao’s neck.

“Consider yourself the wild card.”

If—just if—Feng Xun, Hu Sheng, and Bao Cheng were all injured and immobilized, at least Ying Xiao could still feed the Beast Spirit Flowers to Feng Xun.

A precaution.

A necessary precaution.

“Yes!” Ecstatic at receiving two Beast Spirit Flowers, Ying Xiao flapped his wings excitedly. “Tu Zhou, don’t worry! I’ll also fight with my life to protect Feng Xun!”

Feng Xun: “…”

No beastman would believe it if word got out that he needed Ying Xiao’s protection…

But seeing the heaviness in Fan Zhou’s expression, he stepped forward and pulled him into an embrace. He knew it was all for his sake. “I’ll miss you. Every single moment. Eat well, sleep well—I’ll be back soon.”

“You’d better.” Fan Zhou kept his face stern, unwilling to show his reluctance. Damn it, why did this hurt more than he’d imagined? It hurt so much he wanted to shed tears.

Since when did tough guys cry over something like this?!

He raised his hand and pinched Feng Xun’s waist hard, making Feng Xun’s handsome face scrunch up in pain.

“Did that hurt?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“Yes.” Feng Xun hissed—it really hurt.

“Good. Remember this pain. Don’t be reckless. Safety comes first—or you’ll hurt even worse later.”

“…I’ll remember.”

Feng Xun found himself torn between laughter and tears.

“Alright, you should get going now,” Fan Zhou said as he took two steps back, slipping out of Feng Xun’s embrace.

Feng Xun rubbed the spot where he had been pinched—he was sure it must have drawn blood. But after staring at Fan Zhou with his dark eyes for a few seconds, he suddenly broke into a smile.

The rabbit really loved him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have pinched him like that.

He lowered his head, kissed Fan Zhou’s lips, then grabbed the animal-skin bag and walked away, turning back every few steps.

Fan Zhou stood rooted in place, unmoving, until Feng Xun’s figure disappeared down the main path in front of the tribe. Only then did he finally look away.

Fan Zhou exhaled heavily. He took a few steps back and leaned against the mountainside. For some reason, it felt like most of the strength had been drained from his body, leaving him so exhausted he could barely straighten his back.

His gaze grew distant as he spaced out for a long while before slowly making his way back into the cave.

Sitting under the thatched shelter, he resumed weaving hemp cloth.

This time, he worked at a frantic pace, trying to distract himself with labor.

After burying himself in the task for a long time, Xiong Jing’s voice suddenly called from below: “Tu Zhou, are you there? I’m coming up.”

Hearing this, Fan Zhou leaned over the edge of the rock to look down. Seeing Xiong Jing in her beast form climbing up toward the cave, he immediately said, “Come on up.”

Xiong Jing scrambled up in a few quick movements. Spotting him weaving hemp cloth, she got straight to the point: “Feng Xun asked me to keep you company. I won’t be working this afternoon. Want me to help you weave?”

“…Sure.”

No wonder Xiong Jing had shifted into her beast form.

Watching Xiong Jing settle under the thatched shelter and reach for the prepared fine threads with her paws, Fan Zhou suddenly changed his mind. “Never mind. Let’s make sesame oil instead.”

Weaving in beast form was too inefficient. Besides, they were running low on sesame oil, and the sesame seeds sent by Treehouse Tribe were still piled up in the storage, untouched.

It was time to process some of them.

“Okay.” Xiong Jing nodded.

Her task was to accompany Tu Zhou—whatever work he wanted to do, she would do it.

So for the next several days, Xiong Jing stayed by Fan Zhou’s side, helping him make sesame oil and sesame paste.

Of course, Fan Zhou also helped her make mud bricks in return, aiding her in moving into her new house sooner.

During this time, the Beast Spirit Flowers bloomed. Fan Zhou gave one to Song Li, allowing him to take human form.

After transforming, Song Li appeared as a young boy with obvious baby fat on his face.

Song Li was only thirteen, still years away from adulthood, but he threw himself into work with relentless effort. He would weave hemp cloth all day without complaint, refusing to rest unless Fan Zhou ordered him to do.

He was so grateful to Fan Zhou. But whether in beast or human form, he was useless at anything beyond light tasks like weaving.

So, unless it killed him, he would weave like his life depended on it—because he truly didn’t know how else to repay Fan Zhou.

Not long after the Beast Spirit Flowers bloomed, the Waterfall Tribe finally finished harvesting their grass seeds.

The intense farm work of the past days had been far more exhausting than hunting or foraging. The beastmen had visibly slimmed down.

With the farm work done, the beastmen from Treehouse Tribe prepared to return home with their hemp cloth.

Their chief, Bao Cheng, had taken a straight path with Feng Xun and wouldn’t pass by the Treehouse Tribe along the way. If they delayed any longer, Quan Zhi and the rest of their tribe would surely worry.

Before they left, Fan Zhou gifted them a pottery jar of sesame oil and another of sesame paste. These beastmen had worked hard for Waterfall Tribe, and Fan Zhou—who wasn’t actually the Beast God’s chosen High Priest—couldn’t in good conscience let them leave empty-handed.

The unexpected gifts of sesame paste and oil delighted the Treehouse Tribe beastmen. Such treasures!

They could make wild vegetables taste as rich as meat!

Once they returned to their tribe, they planned to harvest more sesame and bring it to Waterfall Tribe in exchange for even more oil and paste.

Besides, Waterfall Tribe was about to hold their Divine Sacrifice—this year would be their first. They absolutely couldn’t miss it.

After the Treehouse Tribe beastmen departed, the members of Waterfall Tribe and Axe Tribe rested for two days. Then, Waterfall Tribe resumed hunting and foraging as usual.

Sure, they had harvested plenty of grass seeds—but who would ever complain about too much food?

Besides, grass seeds weren’t meat. Winter was approaching. They needed to stockpile as much meat as possible!

As for Axe Tribe, they returned to farm work—Fan Zhou’s third batch of grass seeds was still far from ripe.

After finishing work in the evening, they would still make mud bricks to exchange for meat with Fan Zhou. Since they couldn’t go hunting, if they wanted meat, their only option was to make more bricks.

They deeply envied the four beastmen—Hu Sheng, Niu Zhuang, Yang Chang, and Niu Fei—who had managed to accumulate so much meat by working on the road.

They had to prove themselves, so that when another opportunity like this came up, Fan Zhou would choose them.

Fan Zhou did indeed have another road construction task in mind—this one leading to the hard nut trees of Axe Tribe. Now that the Axe Tribe was empty, the hard nut trees that belonged to them had to be transported back.

Last time, Niu Zhuang, Yang Chang, and Niu Fei had seen how Hu Sheng’s diligent roadwork earned him a place in Waterfall Tribe, so they had also wanted to take on a task.

Now, he could finally assign this mission to them.

He called Niu Zhuang, Yang Chang, and Niu Fei over. After hearing his instructions, the three exchanged glances before nodding in unison: “Got it, Tu Zhou. We’ll definitely do a good job on the road.”

Fan Zhou’s gaze swept over them, slightly puzzled. “Once you complete this task, you’ll be able to join Waterfall Tribe. But you don’t seem very happy about it.”

“No, no, we are happy!”

Niu Zhuang quickly spoke up.

Then he scratched his head, looking like he had more to say but was hesitating.

“If you have something to say, say it,” Fan Zhou urged.

“It’s just…” Niu Zhuang lowered his head, not daring to meet Fan Zhou’s eyes. “Hunting’s bad over there. Could you… give us some grass seeds to take with us?”

This roadwork mission—forget saving up dried meat, they’d probably end up losing some of their own stock!

Prey was scarce near the Axe Tribe. Even back when they spent entire days hunting, they could barely fill their stomachs. Now, with road construction as their main task, they’d have even less time to hunt, meaning even fewer catches.

If they relied solely on fresh prey, they’d definitely go hungry.

The dried meat they had saved up was hard-earned. Yang Chang and Niu Fei were fine—they only had themselves to feed—but he had a mate and cubs to think about. Luo Hua had stored away the dried meat he brought home, planning to save it for winter.

One piece a day, and it’d last most of the season!

But if he took that meat with him for the roadwork, Luo Hua would be so disappointed…

So, mustering his courage, he dared to ask Fan Zhou for provisions. If he got them, great. If not, he’d figure something else out.

After hearing Niu Zhuang’s explanation, Fan Zhou was surprised. To avoid disappointing Luo Hua, Niu Zhuang had actually dared to ask him for grass seeds.

Still, considering the practical situation, some provisions were necessary.

If you want the horse to run, you’ve got to let it eat.

“Fine. I’ll give each of you a hundred catties of grass seeds. Combined with foraged greens and whatever prey you catch, that should be enough,” he said.

The Axe Tribe was close to Waterfall Tribe, so the roadwork wouldn’t take long, and the food required would be minimal.

Niu Zhuang hadn’t expected Fan Zhou to agree so readily and was overjoyed, quickly thanking him.

Yang Chang and Niu Fei were equally grateful, showering him with endless praise.

Once the three had left carrying their animal-skin sacks, Fan Zhou secured the warehouse’s water gate again and returned to the cave.

Song Li was diligently weaving hemp cloth.

Xiong Jing had gone hunting today and wasn’t around.

He entered the cave, flopped onto the dry grass bedding, and let out a long exhale.

Niu Zhuang’s doting behavior toward his mate had struck a nerve.

Inevitably, his thoughts turned to Feng Xun. Where was he now? It had been nearly half a month since he left… With three burdens in tow, Feng Xun couldn’t just scale mountains directly anymore, so his speed had to be slower.

Even under the best circumstances, the journey would take three months…

Taking a deep breath, he raised a hand to cover his eyes. Damn this primitive world. If only they had phones.

He missed Feng Xun so badly that it was driving him insane. But even if he did lose his mind, he still wouldn’t hear his voice or see his face.

During the day, beastmen were always coming to him with tasks, so his mind stayed occupied. But at night, when everything was quiet and he was alone, he ached for Feng Xun. He missed him so much, he felt like he was going mad.

So much that he’d roll around on the dry grass, then glare in the direction of the Holy Temple and curse the three old geezers—the High Priest, the Old Beast King, and Li Zhong.

But after the tantrum passed, all that remained was emptiness.

Just like now.

A moment later, he sat up, wiping the dampness from the corners of his eyes. He walked deeper into the cave, opened a pottery box on the wooden shelf, and took out a bone needle and fine thread.

Last time Xiong Wu left, he mentioned he would bring some cotton on his next visit.

For winter, if he wanted to maintain human form, he had to have cotton quilts and cotton clothing. His beast form was too small—he was much more accustomed to human form. Besides, enjoying beauty definitely required being in human form!

So, cotton quilts and clothes were absolute necessities.

He decided to make the outer shells for the quilts first. Once Xiong Wu brought the cotton, he could just stuff it inside.

He didn’t want to weave hemp cloth anymore.

He wanted to do something related to Feng Xun.

Holding the bone needle, he threaded it while gritting his teeth. Damn it, it hadn’t even been half a month since they parted, yet just now, he had missed that man so much his nose tingled with unshed tears.

So embarrassing. In this relationship, he was the one in the dominant position—the one who always boasted about enjoying the view. On the surface, he seemed carefree, as if he could walk away anytime.

But reality had slapped him in the face. A straight guy like him had completely fallen.

Probably because he hadn’t dated enough… If he’d been with Feng Xun for years, he definitely wouldn’t be like this!

Meanwhile, the very man Fan Zhou was grumbling about—Feng Xun—was currently on the road. Just as Fan Zhou had predicted, with three burdens in tow, he couldn’t move quickly. Whenever they encountered mountains or rivers, they mostly had to detour.

His animal-skin bag, aside from a few Beast Spirit Flowers, had long been emptied of snacks.

But the bag still felt heavy—it was filled with bark paper. He had sketched the routes they took and recorded the plants they encountered along the way.

These notes were precious. When he brought them back to show the rabbit, he’d surely be delighted.

The three burdens were slow, but his memory was excellent, so jotting things down as they walked didn’t delay them at all.

After two more days of travel, they finally reached the Siguo Bridge.