Lang Yan paid a visit to the priest’s cave to discuss matters with him. Since both sides were concerned about Lin Qiu, they decided to gather all the beastmen of the tribe.

Usually, the entire tribe of beastmen was only summoned for major events. This time, it was to discuss splitting off a new sub-tribe.

The beastmen were a bit nervous. “Could it be that we’re migrating?” 

“Where could we possibly go?”

Today’s hunting party hadn’t bagged any game, but they still had fish to eat and could barely scrape by. If they were to migrate, they wouldn’t have enough food stashed away for the journey. The beastmen felt both anxious and curious.

Lang Yan stood on the platform in front of the cave with the priest. As he raised his hand, the beastmen’s murmurs fell silent. Everyone looked up, gazing ahead.

Lang Yan: “We won’t migrate. There have been some positive changes in the tribe recently, and these are all thanks to Qiu’s suggestions. So, regarding whether Qiu should remain in the tribe…”

“Stay!” the beastmen shouted in unison.

They were all a little nervous, their eyes scanning the beastmen, then settling on Lin Qiu.

“Qiu, don’t be afraid.”

“Qiu, the King won’t drive you away.”

Lang Yan glared at Lang Mo and the others surrounding Lin Qiu, his eyes darkening. Was he supposed to just ignore this?

“King! Lang Qiu has already served his punishment, and he’s been on his best behavior lately…” Lang Yan shot them a glance, and Lang Mo and the other beastmen fell silent.

“Did I say I was going to banish Qiu?”

“But you—you said Qiu had reformed, so surely you’ll send him back to his tribe.” Lang Yan glared at Lang Mo; the beastmen’s voices grew quieter and quieter until they finally fell silent,  huddling behind Lin Qiu.

The priest tapped his wooden staff and said slowly, “The two tribes are one family. Based on Qiu’s recent conduct in the tribe, I’ve discussed it with the King. From now on, Qiu is free to move about within the Wolf Tribe.”

“Awoo!”

“Woof! Woof!”

The priest’s words were like pouring water into a pot of oil—the crowd erupted instantly. The beastmen cheered and, beaming with joy, lifted Lin Qiu high into the air.

Lin Qiu had thought this would be a simple formality, but now he found himself in the hands of the beastmen, tossed high into the air like a little chick. The sudden loss of gravity made his face go pale. Lang Yan frowned and quickly moved closer.

The beastmen scattered in panic, and as Lin Qiu fell, Lang Yan caught him securely.

“Ugh!” Terrified, Lin Qiu clutched Lang Yan’s arm, his eyes tightly shut and his lips pressed into a tight line—clearly frightened. Lang Yan glared at the group of beastmen who had abandoned him and fled, kicking each one into the river one by one.

The beastmen lay face-down on the ground, shifting into their beast forms, their paws covering their eyes. “Don’t see me, don’t see me…”

Lang Yan set Lin Qiu down. “Are you okay?”

Lin Qiu’s legs gave way, and he clung tightly to Lang Yan’s arm, while Lang Yan steadied him by supporting his elbow.

“You guys can be reckless sometimes. If you don’t like something, just say so.”

Lin Qiu: “I was just startled—I’m fine.” It was more that he wasn’t used to it.

“Can I go foraging with Lang Bei  tomorrow?”

Lang Yan: “It’s a long way to go.” 

Lin Qiu: “I’ll turn into a wolf, too.”

Lang Yan let go of his hand, his frown melting away at his rare display of playfulness.

“Let’s eat the fish first. Go to bed early tonight—we’ll be up very early tomorrow.”

Lin Qiu glanced at his arm, gently touched the five fingerprints Lang Yan had left, and whispered, “Okay.” The priest watched the two leave, while Lang Bing helped him into the cave.

“Priest, has the King paired up with Qiu?” 

The old priest: “I have no idea about your royal laws.” 

Lang Bing: “They’re already living under the same roof.”

The old priest tapped Lang Bing on the forehead—neither too hard nor too soft—but the young beastman clutched his head and glared at him, as stubborn as a curved horn beast.

“Focus on studying your herbs—Qiu’s about to kick you out.” 

“I’m not letting him kick me out!”

The next day.

Just as the first glimmer of white appeared on the horizon, the sound of fish traps clattering out of the water echoed along the riverbank.

The hunting and gathering teams were already up; the beastmen were helping haul in the fish traps and prepare breakfast. By the time the beastmen brought out steaming bowls of fish soup, it was barely light out.

Lin Qiu sat up upon hearing the commotion from inside the cave; it had been a long time since he’d woken up this early, and he was still a bit groggy. Lang Yan, having donned his animal pelt, looked at the dazed Lin Qiu, and the corners of his lips twitched slightly.

“Time to get up.”

Lin Qiu nodded, pushed aside the animal hide, and climbed to his feet. He wore a mended animal-skin tunic, and his shoulder-length hair fell loosely over his shoulders, looking somewhat disheveled.

Lang Yan waited nearby, watching as Lin Qiu folded the animal hide. He then picked up the cub—whose little belly was rising and falling as it slept by the grass nest—and carried it back to Lang Guo. With his long legs, he was at Lin Qiu’s side in just a few strides and said, “Let’s go.”

Lin Qiu: “Okay.”

Neither of them said they’d wait, nor did either say they wouldn’t—just a glance and a word, yet there was a familiar, unspoken understanding between them.

The beastmen were up early; the first group was already clutching their clay bowls and using all sorts of odd wooden spoons to slurp down fish soup.

The beastmen responsible for cooking in the tribe have now settled into a routine, led by Lang An, along with Lang Yu, Lang Shuang, and six other sub-beastmen. They work in groups of three, taking turns to make the work a little easier. 

This morning’s meal was fish and wild vegetable soup.

Beastmen have big mouths; they’re used to being hungry, so they eat hurriedly. Even though every beastman’s earthenware bowl is the same size—and everyone gets a fixed portion—after scooping a few spoonfuls, they tend to just hold the bowl to their mouths and gulp it down.

As a result, it’s common for a beastman to choke on a piece of fish—though it’s not entirely the fish bones’ fault; their own impatience plays a part too.

This morning, the fish was cooked until tender, and the leftover leafy greens and yams from yesterday’s foraging team were all mixed in and cooked together, making it look like a big stew. Lin Qiu held his bowl and poked at it with his chopsticks.

His bowl was filled with meat and vegetables, but there was little broth.

Lang Yan explained, “Hunting and gathering take a lot of energy—you’ll have to come along too.” 

Lin Qiu glanced at Lang Yan’s bowl; it, too, was mostly meat and vegetables.

He nodded and began to eat this particularly hearty breakfast.

The beastmen hadn’t been cooking with clay cooking pots for very long; aside from learning a few recipes from Lin Qiu, they hadn’t done much additional experimentation. Fish balls and meatballs were difficult to make, so they hadn’t tried them yet.

Stir-fried meat slices with wild greens, meat and wild greens soup, bone and Chinese yam soup, bone and wild greens soup, and fish and wild greens soup—those were the only varieties. 

The beastmen aren’t picky eaters; their main goal is to fill their bellies. After breakfast, they wash their own dishes.

Over at Lang Mo’s place, they’ve been conducting research and have produced quite a few clay pots and bowls. Each beastman has one, marked with their own claws, and they all use their own bowls when eating.

Once the bowls were washed, they put them away.

Most are placed next to their grass nests, while a few are set beside the clay cooking pots or near their favorite spots to lounge—so they can hold them close when taking a nap. Or they turn them upside down, resting their heads on them—the height was just right.

Lin Qiu had just finished washing his when Lang Yan reached out.

He handed over the bowl, and Lang Yan placed it inside the pot, setting it alongside the clay cooking pot outside.

“There’s a lot of fur in the cave,” Lang Yan said.

It was almost time for them to shed their fur; when the beastmen shook their heads, their long hairs flew like needles, scattering all over the cave. If one were to take a stroll through the cave and look at the beastmen’s thatched nests, you’d see wolf hair clinging to the dry grass and twigs everywhere.

After they finished eating, the beastmen began to gather.

At that moment, the morning sun was rising, casting rays of brilliant light. The dewdrops on the grass blades at the foot of Wolf Mountain had already been brushed off by the coming and going of the beastmen, while the forest and meadows beyond Wolf Mountain were still shrouded in thick mist.

The hunting party on one side, the gathering party on the other.

Lang Bing and Lang Kim led the young foragers and hunters, respectively, and followed at the head of the group.

This gathering brought together most of the beastmen of Wolf Mountain. Once everyone was assembled, they set off in a mighty procession toward the east.

Leaving Wolf Mountain, the beastmen began running in the morning light at a command from the hunting party ahead, effortlessly shifting from human form to beast form. Lin Qiu, carrying a backpack, watched as dozens of massive wolves suddenly appeared ahead. He quickly took off his backpack, focused his mind, and transformed into a black wolf as well, following close behind Lang Bei.

Compared to the members of the hunting party racing ahead, the beastmen in the gathering party were generally smaller in their wolf forms.

But Lang Bei was different—she was almost as large as the wolves ahead. She looked majestic, her eyes sharp and piercing.

“Qiu, once we’re out of the woods, we’ll need to pick up the pace.”

Lin Qiu, carrying his backpack in his mouth, glanced at the rattan baskets hanging from the beastmen’s backs and finally understood why they carried them over one shoulder. When transformed into their beast forms, the baskets fit perfectly against their backs, and the length of the straps was just right.

Lin Qiu: “Mm.”

The sunlight quickly caught up with them, its dazzling golden glow dispelling the morning mist, and the surrounding mountains, forests, and trees came into sharp relief. Lin Qiu adjusted to the running, saying nothing as he kept close behind Lang Bei.

Although this was his first time running on four legs, it felt like an innate ability, and the more he ran, the more accustomed he became. To the east lay flat forests, while the northeast was crisscrossed by endless grasslands and a long river.

A path had been trodden through the woods by the beastmen, who raced along silently and in perfect order.

They moved as effortlessly as fish in water.

Even the golden patches of light peeking through the gaps in the trees could barely catch a glimpse of them; only the occasional flash of wolf fur, like shards of gold, revealed just how fast they were moving. Dozens of giant wolves darted through the dense forest, accompanied only by a rustling sound as light as the forest’s very breath.

Lin Qiu stared intently at the scene, his emotions surging and his eyes gleaming with intensity.

This was a completely different life experience from anything he’d known before—it stirred his heart and completely revitalized his weary spirit in that moment. The wolf tribe’s territory was vast; the beastmen typically hunted in the eastern, northeastern, or southern regions.

It would take half a day to run there from Wolf Mountain.

Just as they were about to leave the Sun-Shading Forest, a clear, piercing wolf howl rang out.

“Awoo!” Lang Bei answered.

Beastmen from the wolf pack ahead also answered.

Lin Qiu turned back, but before he could get a clear look, Lang Bei said, “The young wolves are gathering herbs nearby; they’ll join us on the way back.” 

“What about Lang Kim’s group?” Lin Qiu asked.

“They… The King didn’t assign them to follow the hunting party today, so they’re probably with the Ice Clan.” 

“They always like to stick together,” Lang Bei said.

After running for a while, the light suddenly brightened, and the landscape opened up.

It was a vast grassland, stretching endlessly. Knee-high grass, like a velvet carpet, undulated across the land. The wind rustled through the grass; its fresh scent was entirely different from the heavy, woody aroma of the forest—it felt open and free.

Once they emerged from the woods, the figures of the wolf pack became clearer.