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Large and small rivers converged, forming a Y-shape. Xu Shuangci called it the Shuya River.

While the area through which the Shuya River flowed was dense with forests and endless peaks, once they crossed it and continued south, the landscape gave way to rolling hills, becoming flatter and more open.

But before that, they had to cross the river.

Earlier, when they came to pick red berries, they had come within a hair’s breadth of the great river. Now, standing by the riverbank, the water flowed gently, yet the opposite shore remained several hundred meters away.

Xu Shuangci: “How do we get there?”

Qing: “We’ll swim across.”

Xu Shuangci looked taken aback: “Isn’t there a bridge we can just walk across?”

Qing replied calmly, “No.”

Qing’s territory consisted of two basins flanked by three north-south mountain ranges.

There were two major rivers within the territory, both flowing from northwest to southeast. The rivers originated in the central and western mountain ranges, effectively dividing his territory diagonally into three sections.

To travel south, one must cross the river.

He had traveled back and forth between the two banks of the river before; crossing the river was second nature to him.

“But you’re carrying such a heavy load—how are you going to get across?” Had Xu Shuangci known they’d have to cross the river, he would never have let Qing carry the clay pot. Qing replied calmly, “Let’s try.”

Xu Shuangci frowned sternly. “You’re not allowed to try!”

Trying it could get you killed.

Who knows if there are rocks or whirlpools in the water?

In just a few breaths, Xu Shuangci made up his mind.

“We’re leaving the water cistern and pot behind.” As he spoke, he untied the animal hide, intending to leave these heavy items behind. “Shuang…” Qing hooked his paw around him, pulling Xu Shuangci so he stumbled and collided with him. “We can take them.”

Xu Shuangci poked him on the forehead.

“No way.”

“I’m not joking.”

Qing hesitated.

He’d always gone places empty-handed before, and he’d never actually carried anything across the river. He’d give it a try—maybe it would work.

Xu Shuangci cradled his big head in his hands and stared into his eyes.

“Let’s go across first and leave these things here. We’ll come back for them once we’ve settled in.” 

“Then I’ll be able to just float across the water.”

Xu Shuangci looked absolutely certain.

Qing knew he was probably cooking up some new, outlandish idea.

He nuzzled Xu Shuangci’s cheek with the tip of his nose and said, “Okay.”

They couldn’t take everything with them, so they had to hide the rest. In the end, they only took the Red-Feathered Beast, the Golden-Eyed Beast’s pelt, two wooden basins, and a few small trinkets that didn’t take up much space.

Qing tried to keep Xu Shuangci out of the river water as much as possible, so he had him sit in one of the wooden basins. The Red-Feathered Beasts were placed inside with him.

By the time they were ready, it was midday, when the sun was at its peak. Qing entered the water and pushed the wooden basin forward.

Xu Shuangci had been extremely thin before, and now that turned out to be an advantage. He weighed just over a hundred pounds—about the same as the women in Jiangnan who sat in wooden tubs to harvest water chestnuts.

As long as the wooden tub didn’t tip over, he could cross the river safely.

Qing had a steady temperament, especially when it came to Xu Shuangci. He was physically strong, but he was also cautious and careful.

Xu Shuangci kept a constant watch on Qing; the moment he showed the slightest sign of weakness, Xu Shuangci would immediately jump into the water. As they reached the latter half of the crossing, the shore was almost within sight.

With a splash—

A fish leaped out of the water.

Xu Shuangci heard the red-feathered beasts nearby let out a few startled cries. With a firm grip, the fish actually fell right into his hands.

Worried about the wooden basin, Xu Shuangci could only stand there, clutching the fish as it thrashed its tail wildly, not daring to move a muscle. The young man, with his fair complexion, stared wide-eyed, looking even more docile than a cub.

A flash of amusement crossed Qing’s eyes as he quickened his paddling. With a soft thud, the wooden tub came to rest against the shore.

Qing stepped out of the water, hooked his tail around Xu Shuangci’s waist, and lifted him onto the shore.

Lifting the two wooden tubs from the water—along with the red-feathered beast in its cage—Qing moved a short distance away and shook his body vigorously to fling the water off.

A few drops splashed onto Xu Shuangci’s face.

He raised his sleeve to wipe it off, then pulled out the handkerchief tied to his waist and walked over to wipe Qing’s face.

Xu Shuangci said, “Let’s find a spot to build a fire and warm up. Don’t catch a chill.”

Qing: “Let’s go to the lakeshore first.”

The sun was shining brightly, and it wasn’t actually that cold once they were out of the water.

Now that they were free of those heavy, bulky items, Qing led Xu Shuangci further south.

Their steps were light and brisk as they raced along.

After crossing the river, the terrain gradually leveled out.

Peaks rose in jagged clusters to the east and west, while the center remained flat, forming two pod-shaped lakes.

This was the largest lake in Qing’s territory.

The lake’s surface was vast, its emerald waters rippling gently. A breeze swept across the water, causing the grass to sway like waves, and a faint scent of fresh grass wafted toward them. The spring breeze brought warmth—it was the perfect season for farming.

Xu Shuangci ran his fingers over the seeds and herbs wrapped in the Golden-Eyed Beast’s hide.

Once they’re past this, it’ll be time to try planting them.

They didn’t linger at Pod Lake but continued westward.

This area was dotted with small lakes formed by converging mountain streams.

The lake shores were lush with fragrant grasses, and birds and cranes strolled through the water in search of food. At a glance, hoofprints and claw marks could be seen along the shore, indicating that animals frequently visited this area.

“Are we staying here tonight?” 

“Mm-hmm.”

Xu Shuangci looked at Qing, who was crouching beside him, and ran a hand through his back fur. He parted it to check inside and said, “It’s still a bit damp.”

Qing: “It’s dry.”

Xu Shuangci: “That’s just your imagination.”

They gathered firewood, built a fire, and pushed Qing so he was facing away from the flames to warm his fur.

Without his usual pottery pot, Xu Shuangci could only whittle a few sticks to spear fish by the lake. He took off his shoes and waded into the water.

Qing glanced at his muddy feet, stood up immediately, and walked over, wrapping his tail around Xu Shuangci to pull him closer.

Xu Shuangci was forced to stand with both feet on Qing’s paws.

He curled his toes and tugged at the big cat’s ears, asking, “Don’t your paws hurt?”

Qing: “I’ll go catch them.”

Xu Shuangci: “There are fish right by the lake. You don’t need to bother.”

Xu Shuangci tried to lift his foot off Qing’s paws.

Qing gave his tail a sharp tug, and he lost his balance, forced to step back down.

Qing: “I’ll go.”

Xu Shuangci: “Your fur just dried.”

Qing thought for a moment and said, “It won’t get wet.”

Xu Shuangci was skeptical, but after Qing watched him put on his animal-skin boots, he saw Qing walk to the lakeshore and dip the tip of his tail into the water. The huge tail twitched back and forth, just like a fish lure.

Xu Shuangci was amazed by the big cat’s cleverness, but he didn’t think any fish would actually bite such a thick tail… “Splash!”

Qing hooked his paw into the water and pulled up a plump fish.

Startled, Xu Shuangci hurried over and pinned down the fish, which was thrashing wildly.

“Impressive… you can actually do that!”

Qing repeated the trick, catching three more fish with his tail. Combined with the one Xu Shuangci had snagged for free, they had more than enough to eat. Qing strolled leisurely over to Xu Shuangci.

Xu Shuangci showered Qing with random compliments, but the cat simply avoided his gaze and walked ahead of him. Xu Shuangci asked with a smile, “Since you can fish with your tail, why did you keep jumping into the water before?” Qing: “It’s faster.”

Xu Shuangci: “I see.” Even a big cat values efficiency.

Xu Shuangci quickly cleaned the fish and threaded them onto a wooden stick.

Today’s lunch was grilled fish again. Seasoned with the usual spices, the familiar flavor was actually quite good. The only problem was that without a pot, he couldn’t boil water for now.

Life suddenly felt like it had gone back to when he first arrived.

Xu Shuangci made the best of a bad situation, thinking that at least he now had a brood of chickens to add to his household.

After filling his stomach, it wasn’t even dark yet.

It was Xu Shuangci’s first time here, and he wanted to see what unique local produce there was, so he took Qing for a stroll around the area. There were many lakes here, especially Pod Lake, which stretched for who knows how many kilometers.

The lake shores were overgrown with edible wild plants; among those he recognized were reeds and calamus… As they walked, Qing hooked his arm through Xu Shuangci’s and stopped.

“What’s wrong?”

“Over there, on the other side—a Horned Beast.”

A spiked-horned beast—it looked like a sheep; in fact, it was likely some kind of sheep. It had curly, brown fur.

However, with Xu Shuangci’s eyesight, he couldn’t possibly see the Horned Beast several kilometers away across the lake. Xu Shuangci stood by the lake. The gentle breeze blew, filling him with a sense of peace and contentment.

He squinted, took a few steps, and leaned against Qing, feeling a bit lazy.

“Are there more of these animals around here?”

Qing: “Not just these.”

They hadn’t actually seen much game along the way. Spotting this herd of Horned Beasts now offered a small measure of comfort. Back at their camp, Xu Shuangci herded the Red-Feathered Beast, which had wandered off, back to the group.

After nightfall, the Red-feathered Beast, cradling its chicks, was once again caught by Xu Shuangci and locked in a cage.

This was their second day out.

The sky was pitch black, and the campfire cast an orange glow over the area.

Xu Shuangci was wrapped up by Qing, with only his head sticking out.

“How much longer until we get there?”

“Tomorrow.” Qing tucked his paws under his and rested his chin on Xu Shuangci’s head. “We’re already halfway there.”

If it weren’t for all the stuff they’re carrying and the slow pace earlier, we’d be almost there by now.

“Are we going to keep walking tomorrow?” 

“Yeah.”

“Let’s take it slow, then. It won’t hold us up anyway.”

Qing closed his eyes and whispered, “It’ll be quick.”

At dawn the next day, Xu Shuangci woke up. He reached out and touched Qing’s back; a layer of dew had gathered on his fur.

Xu Shuangci took a handkerchief and wiped it off for him.

As he bent down, a strand of his shoulder-length hair fell into his eyes. Xu Shuangci found the leather cord used to tie his hair on the fur blanket where they had slept and bent down to tie it.

As he looked down, his gaze met Qing’s blue eyes.

He smiled gently and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear.

“You’re awake.”

Qing lifted his head, resting it on Xu Shuangci’s crossed legs, and looked up at him from below.

Xu Shuangci had already mastered the art of tying his hair. He withdrew his hands, wrapped his arms around Qing’s large head, and ruffled his hair.

“What are you looking at so intently?” 

“You’re beautiful.”

Xu Shuangci laughed joyfully, “Our Qing is beautiful too—the most beautiful big cat I’ve ever seen.”

Hearing the tone he used to coax a kitten, Qing turned his head away.

He was a mutated tiger-shifter, deemed an ill omen by the Priest’s divination. And because of his white fur, he had been cast out of the tribe—how could he possibly be attractive? He gently licked the collarbone that was slightly exposed on the shifter.

But that was just his own perception.

After breakfast, they continued on toward the southwest.

Unburdened, they moved quickly.

The terrain they passed through consisted of only a few small hills, much flatter than the north.

After half a day of traversing the grassy forests and crossing a few more low hills, they reached the second river. Standing by the riverbank, they could now see the mountain to the west where the cave was located.

The mountain range stretched out in winding contours, with waterfalls cascading down its slopes. Above, mist hovered amidst lush greenery, and spring flowers bloomed vibrantly across the peaks. At first glance, it looked like some kind of utopia.

Xu Shuangci asked, “Is the cave on that mountain over there?”

Qing nodded.

Xu Shuangci looked at the mountain, then at the water before them, and smiled. “Nestled against the mountains and beside the water—what a lovely spot.”   

“What’s the name of this river here?”

“The Dawan River.”

“There are five bends downstream, with plenty of grasslands and a bit more game. Once we’ve settled in, I’ll take you down to have a look.”

Xu Shuangci looked a little eager.

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

It’s so flat—what wonderful rice paddies!

Crossing the river the old-fashioned way, once they’re across, they’ll be right at the foot of the mountain.