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Xu Shuangci waited for Qing to shake the water from his fur, then they slipped into the woods. After a few steps, Qing suddenly grew alert and looked up at the mountain. Xu Shuangci stopped in his tracks. Before he could figure out what was going on, Qing hooked his arm around his waist and pulled him behind her.

“What’s wrong?”

“I smell something unfamiliar.” Qing looked up at the towering trees by the river. “Can you climb trees?”

Xu Shuangci nodded.

Knowing that going up there would only make things worse, he climbed the tree without hesitation. Qing stood below, watched for a moment, and then said:

“Climb a little higher, steady yourself, and don’t make a sound. I’ll be down soon.”

Xu Shuangci nodded. “Be careful.”

Qing turned around and gathered all the items at the base of the tree.

Once he was a safe distance from the tree where Xu Shuangci was hiding, he set the items down and dashed deep into the mountains at breakneck speed. As he neared the cave, he crouched low.

As the scent of the beastmen grew increasingly strong in the vicinity, Qing’s eyes darkened little by little.

It had been a long time since he’d encountered such a provocation.

Qing moved inch by inch toward the cave halfway up the mountainside. The cave was in a prime location, perched on a nearly vertical rock face.

Below lay the valley floor, where a stream flowed, and spring flowers bloomed in full splendor. Living here in spring and summer meant no shortage of food or drink, and the scenery was delightful. After confirming the type and number of beastmen inside, Qing used the terrain to propel himself forward and burst into the cave.

The beastman lying on the stone bed, his belly bulging, had been dozing. The moment Qing burst in, he jolted awake and, in an instant, transformed into a black panther, baring his fangs.

Wandering beastmen possess an astonishing sense of survival and lightning-fast reflexes.

Qing’s first strike missed, but as the black panther pounced, he clamped a claw around its head, tearing through its scalp with his sharp talons and pinning it down with overwhelming force. The two beasts locked in a fierce struggle, sparing no mercy with their bites and claws.

The black panther dared to enter and provoke him, harboring the intention of seizing Qing’s territory.

This fight was a matter of life and death.

Black and white fur flew through the cave. Qing, unwilling to engage in a prolonged struggle, twisted his body and launched a direct attack at the black panther’s neck. The black panther erupted with a burst of strength, struggling desperately in its final moments.

The sound of cracking bones echoed, and the beast’s agonized howl reverberated throughout the mountains.

At the foot of the mountain, Xu Shuangci, hidden in the treetops, heard it too.

He instinctively grabbed a branch and began climbing down, but then froze at the memory of Qing’s warning, standing rigidly as he strained to hear any further sounds. Unfortunately, the roar was a single, isolated cry, and Xu Shuangci heard nothing more.

As time passed, Xu Shuangci grew increasingly uneasy.

His fingers, digging into the bark, turned white, and his grim face grew icy cold.

The more panicked he felt, the clearer his mind became.

Qing hadn’t looked particularly grave just now, which meant this was an easy problem to solve. And that wail hadn’t been Qing’s voice either. It’s fine.

Before long, looking down from the tall tree, the strikingly white figure gradually drew nearer.

Xu Shuangci sat down, hugging the tree.

He rested his forehead against the trunk and let out a soft sigh.

“Shuang, come down.” 

“Right away.”

Xu Shuangci leaned against the trunk for a moment to catch his breath before hugging the tree and climbing down.

On the last few steps, Xu Shuangci lost his footing and plopped limply onto Qing’s back. He instinctively wrapped his arms around the big cat’s neck and buried his face deep into its fur.

That was a close call.

Suddenly catching a whiff of blood, Xu Shuangci’s expression turned grave.

“You’re hurt!”

“Just a minor scratch.”

Xu Shuangci climbed straight down from Qing’s back. His white fur was speckled with debris, and the red on his hind legs was painfully vivid.

“You call that a minor injury!” Xu Shuangci said, almost through gritted teeth.

A chunk of flesh had been torn from his hind leg, hanging by a sliver of skin. Just looking at it was enough to send a chill down one’s spine. It was a miracle that Qing acted as if nothing had happened and could still walk normally.

“Let’s go back to the cave first.” Qing avoided Xu Shuangci’s gaze.

Xu Shuangci: “Let’s deal with this first.”

Qing: “There are no herbs here.”

Xu Shuangci looked at the blood still flowing and quickly stripped off his undershirt to bind the wound for Qing. The cold air on his bare upper body sent shivers down his spine.

“Put on the animal hide.”

“Don’t move!” Xu Shuangci snapped.

Qing’s tail stiffened, and he silently hooked the animal hide over Xu Shuangci’s back. Grabbing their belongings, they headed back into the cave, only to face another ordeal.

He told Qing to go first, then climbed up himself, gripping the vines. After washing his hands and heating the knife over the fire, he immediately cut away the piece of flesh that had fallen off Qing. First, he made a paste from the herbs, applied it, and wrapped the wound.

Fortunately, the bleeding stopped not long after Qing lay down. There was a stone pot in the cave, piled in a corner and covered in dust. A fire was already burning.

Xu Shuang washed the stone pot clean and boiled water twice. He poured out the first batch, added a pinch of salt to the second, and after it cooled, he carefully washed the wound.

Qing didn’t move a muscle, as if he weren’t the one who’d been injured.

Watching the sub-beastman with his cold expression, the tip of his tail quietly hooked around his ankle.

Xu Shuangci had always smiled gently before; he’d never seen him like this. He was fierce, but it was better for a sub-beastman to be fierce.

As he cleaned the wound, Xu Shuangci’s eyelid twitched at the sight of the large, sunken area.

Fortunately, the nerves weren’t damaged, and Qing could still run and jump. Otherwise, a lame leg would make it hard for a tiger to survive. But even if he were injured, Xu Shuangci wouldn’t let him starve to death.

At this thought, Xu Shuangci’s expression turned icy.

As the wound was re-dressed and bandaged, Xu Shuangci watched the green herbal juice seeping through the cloth. His legs gave way, and he slumped down. He was immensely grateful that he had gathered extra herbs before moving.

Qing nudged Xu Shuangci’s shoulder with his snout.

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

He had been wandering for over a decade, surviving through all sorts of hardships, and had suffered countless injuries; a wound like this was indeed a minor one to him. Xu Shuangci grabbed Qing by the scruff of the neck, his face stern as he ordered, “You need to rest properly. You can’t get out of bed or use your leg for the next few days.”

“I’ll take care of your food and drink.”

Qing looked at him quietly. He didn’t refuse; instead, he told Xu Shuangci, “There are plenty of Long-eared Beasts in the valley below, and fish in the stream. There are also more Red-feathered Beasts there than over here.”

Seeing that he was willing, Xu Shuangci leaned over and lay down on his two front paws. He ran a hand over the fur on his chest, which still bore specks of blood.

“What was that in the cave earlier?” 

“A black panther.”

Big cat versus a panther—the big cat won hands down.

“What about the panther?” 

“It’s dead. I disposed of it.”

Xu Shuangci nodded.

If the black panther hadn’t died, it would have been his big cat that perished.

After resting for a moment, Xu Shuangci dampened a cloth again to wipe Qing’s fur.

Without his pajamas, even a slight bend of his waist exposed a large patch of skin on his chest. Xu Shuangci saw this and raised a paw to press against his collar.

That way, no drafts would get in.

“Can you still wear that?”

Xu Shuangci looked at the bright red nightgown and shook his head.

“The blood won’t wash out.”

“I’m going to try making it myself.”

Qing: “What will you use to make them?”

“Pajamas are made of cotton, which I haven’t seen around here yet. But I can make clothes out of linen. If I can find silkworms, clothes made from silk would be even more comfortable.”

Qing had never heard of any of this, so he didn’t know what Xu Shuangci was talking about. But he trusted his partner unconditionally.

After the wound was cleaned up, Xu Shuangci told him to dry off first. Then he took out the Golden-Eyed Beast’s pelt, draped it over him, and began tidying up the cave. The cave smelled musty; Xu Shuangci had noticed it the moment he walked in.

It was uncomfortable for him, let alone for Qing.

Xu Shuangci swept all the dry grass in the cave toward the entrance. Just as he was about to make a broom to sweep, he looked up at the three-meter-high opening and asked:

“Why did you choose this cave?”

Qing: “It’s in a good spot.”

Xu Shuangci fell silent.

The situation had been urgent back then; they’d just scrambled up here in a daze. But now, he couldn’t very well go back down. Spotting the vine he’d grabbed earlier, Xu Shuangci pulled it toward him and tugged at it.

“Will the vine break?” 

“No.”

Xu Shuangci first kicked the debris in the cave down, then grabbed a leather pouch and lowered himself down inch by inch, holding onto the vine. It was spring, and the valley was lush with greenery.

Purple and red flowers spread out like a carpet. Xu Shuangci stared at a cluster of swaying flowers, but just as he took a step, a long-eared beast darted into the cave.

The little creature was incredibly fast; there was no way to catch it with bare hands.

Xu Shuangci turned his gaze away and went to the stream to wash whatever needed cleaning.

He wove a small basket out of thin twigs, filled the leather pouch with water, stuffed it into the basket, and placed the broom he had tied together inside as well.

He slung the basket over his arm and pulled himself up the vine a few times.

He swept every nook and cranny of the cave clean, then poured the water from the animal-skin pouch into the pot to boil again. With the cave cleared out, Xu Shuangci went back down to gather dry grass, tied it into bundles, slung them over his back, and climbed back up to the cave. After a few trips back and forth, he finally finished tidying up.

Xu Shuangci washed his hands, then flopped down onto the freshly made bed of animal skins.

His breathing was uneven, and he was covered in a fine sheen of sweat.

His cheeks were like ripe fruit, pale with a hint of red.

“I suspect you chose this cave just to build up my arm strength.”

Qing looked down at him.

“Fine.”

Xu Shuangci grabbed the stubble on his chin, his voice hoarse with frustration. “What’s so good about that? I’m so exhausted I don’t even feel like cooking.”

“I’ll cook. Just show me how.”

Qing obediently tried to sit up, but Xu Shuangci rolled over and straddled his back.

“You’re just ignoring me, aren’t you!” He grabbed Qing’s ears and tugged at them fiercely. He looked like a cat, claws out and all. Afraid he’d fall off, Qing had no choice but to lie back down.

“Then I’ll dig up a ladder.”

“That’s more like it.” Xu Shuangci let go, leaned forward, and rested his chin on Qing’s forehead. “Is there anything else around here besides this cave?”

“Nothing else.”

Xu Shuangci’s fingers caught hold of Qing’s furry ears and rubbed them.

“Then we’ll have to set up a shelter down there for the Red-Feathered Beast to live in.”

Ignoring the tingling sensation running down his spine, Qing said calmly, “Leave them in the valley; they’ll survive even without shelter.” 

“The big ones can, but the little ones can’t.”

“Besides, we’ll still have to keep them locked up at night. We’ve raised them for so long—what if they run away?”

All that running around had worn him out.

Xu Shuangci waited for the water to boil, then poured it into the bowls they’d brought and set them aside to cool.

One bowl for him, one for Qing. After quenching their thirst, he simply pulled back the animal-skin blanket and curled up with Qing for an afternoon nap.

When they woke up in the afternoon, Xu Shuangci went down to the valley.

He cut down some suitable trees and vines to take back, intending to try his hand at making something.

He already had animal sinew on hand, so he planned to try making a slingshot. As for a bow, he’d figure that out later once he’d gathered the materials. If the slingshot couldn’t hit the long-eared beasts, he’d weave a rough vine basket instead.

The stream was teeming with fish and shrimp, so they had fish for dinner.

Combined with the various wild vegetables in the valley, he certainly wouldn’t go hungry.

A fire burned in the cave, and despite the emptiness inside his animal-skin cloak, Xu Shuangci didn’t feel cold. He whittled at a piece of wood with his stone knife, then held the animal sinew up against it to measure.

There were many types of tree branches he’d brought along; after trying a few, he finally selected one that was hard yet not brittle. Qing propped his chin on his paws, watching Xu Shuangci tinker with the wood.

Her gaze followed his fluttering fingers upward, resting on the half-beast’s face, flushed rosy in the firelight.

He was still very thin.

If it weren’t for his fair skin, he’d look even more like a stray beastman than he did.

Qing thought he should gather more divine flower herbs and hunt more meat. He aimed to get the sub-beastman back in shape before winter arrived.