Chapter 47

In the center of the square, two rhinoceroses lay in stark contrast against the dirt as Ma Ha wasted no time, wielding his bone knife with precision. He called over the other two beastmen, completely disregarding any chance for D Electric to claim her share of the meat.

D Electric had anticipated this scenario from the moment they had separated, so she made no move to approach for a piece of the prize.

The square was packed with villagers—everyone had gathered, forming a sparse crowd.

Zhuo Yan stood at the front, scanning the area intently. He had hoped he was mistaken earlier, but as he confirmed the absence of A-Yin, a knot tightened in his stomach. “Where’s A-Yin? He hasn’t come back?”

Worry mirrored in the eyes of another sub-beastman nearby.

“What about Da Ya?” the sub-beastman asked.

Zhuo Yan turned to the speaker, recognizing him as Da Ya’s partner.

Ma Ha was consumed by the task of butchering the rhinoceros, his focus unwavering as blood splattered across him. Zhuo Yan’s anxiety surged; he stepped closer, his voice rising in urgency. “Where’s A-Yin? He didn’t come with you?”

The other beastman had heard the initial question but glanced back at the young sub-beastman, then at the older one, and finally at Ma Ha, still engrossed in his work. It was clear that Ma Ha had little interest in addressing the concerns of these two sub-beastmen.

“He and Da Ya didn’t come with us,” the beastman replied.

“Then where did he go?” Zhuo Yan pressed, his heart racing.

The beastman shrugged. “I don’t know. He mentioned hunting for a gray elephant, but we didn’t want to go after that; it’s impossible to catch. The moment he heard that, he took off, and Da Ya followed.”

“Duo Yu, you talk too much,” Ma Ha suddenly barked, his voice booming over the crowd.

Duo Yu fell silent, realizing he might have spoken out of turn. He recalled Ma Ha’s earlier irritation, likely stemming from his comment about not wanting to hunt gray elephants, which could be overheard by D Electric. Yet, in this situation, it hardly mattered; after all, they had emerged victorious, bringing back two rhinoceroses while D Electric and her brothers had only managed to snag a single deer.

Zhuo Yan’s brows knitted together, ready to ask more questions, but before he could, an older sub-beastman tugged him back. Recognizing her as Da Ya’s partner, he saw her shake her head gently, signaling him to stop asking.

Once they had stepped outside the throng, Da Ya’s partner said, “Duo Yu made it clear enough. If you keep asking Ma Ha, he won’t tell you anything. I… I’m worried that Da Ya has gone to the mammoth territory.”

“Mammoth?” Zhuo Yan repeated, confused. He couldn’t understand why A-Yin had chosen to go with Ma Ha’s team but hadn’t returned with them. “That Duo Yu just said they went to hunt gray elephants; maybe they went looking for them.”

Compared to mammoths, gray elephants were a safer target.

Da Ya’s partner chimed in, “My partner Da Ya and I lost our son, Lei, to a mammoth. I thought Da Ya had avenged him by killing a mammoth calf, but it seems that pain never really passed. He’s strict with Lei, training him to hunt and become the fiercest beastman in the tribe. But now…”

Zhuo Yan noticed the sorrow etched on Da Ya’s partner’s face. It wasn’t just Da Ya who hadn’t moved past the grief of losing a child; he could see it was weighing heavily on the other beastman too. But Zhuo Yan was too worried about A-Yin to offer any comfort.

“A-Yin isn’t even of age yet. I should have opposed him joining the hunting team.”

The mere thought of something happening to A-Yin sent chills down Zhuo Yan’s spine.

“I think Duo Yu might be right. A-Yin and Da Ya likely went to the gray elephant territory. Duo Yu mentioned hunting gray elephants; that’s probably why A-Yin chose to stand with Ma Ha’s team. Xiao Xian’s older brothers said the same—they must have gone to the gray elephant territory,” Zhuo Yan rambled on, trying to reassure himself. Gray elephants were less dangerous; A-Yin was big enough to escape if he needed to—he’d said that before.

A-Yin would definitely remember.

Before long, Shi Tou, Aman, and Xiao Xian had gathered around, along with Ah Tou and Ah Ri—the two brothers were still annoyed about A-Yin choosing Ma Ha’s group. Ah Tou had resolved not to speak to A-Yin when he returned, at least until the salt team came back! If A-Yin apologized, he might reconsider the distance between them, before the rainy season arrived.

But when Ah Tou saw Ma Ha’s group had returned, he stomped over to see what was happening, mainly to catch a glimpse of A-Yin. The whole gray elephant hunt was a joke to him—hunting gray elephants was just like hunting rhinos. But when he found A-Yin was missing, he couldn’t help but mutter to himself, wondering where A-Yin had gone.

He had heard Duo Yu’s words earlier.

A-Yin must have gone after the gray elephants—

Suddenly, Ah Tou had a realization. “I understand now! I finally get it!”

Everyone turned to look at Ah Tou, whose expression had shifted to one of urgency. “Da Ya’s partner is right; A-Yin might have gone to the mammoth territory. It could also be the gray elephants. When we were patrolling, A-Yin mentioned that the territories of mammoths and gray elephants have salt.”

“Salt?” Aman exclaimed, bewildered.

Shi Tou interjected, “That’s impossible. Salt is only found at the Feathered Ones’ market.”

“Exactly! Salt is only available from the Sea People, and that’s far from us,” Xiao Xian said, glaring at his older brother. “Did you lie to A-Yin?”

Ah Tou jumped up defensively, “It wasn’t me; it was A-Yin’s own decision—”

“It was me,” Zhuo Yan interjected, his face darkening. His earlier self-reassurances now felt futile. A-Yin had likely run off to either the gray elephant or the mammoth territory, and it was probably the latter. He had mentioned that mammoth meat contained more salt than that of gray elephants.

A-Yin would definitely remember that.

Damn it.

Zhuo Yan cursed himself inwardly, gripped by fear. He worried A-Yin might end up hurt or worse because of his own careless words.

Shi Tou, Aman, and Xiao Xian exchanged anxious glances.

“A-Yin had once asked Da Ya where the mammoth territory was,” Da Ya’s partner added, breaking the heavy silence.

Zhuo Yan felt his eyes sting with tears as he fought to contain his emotions. It was clear to him that A-Yin hadn’t been eating well at home, complaining that the roasted meat lacked flavor because they had no salt. He had surely remembered that.

If A-Yin got hurt, or—Zhuo Yan couldn’t bear to think about it.

“Zhuo Yan, don’t be too upset. A-Yin and Da Ya are together; A-Yin is clever. He even managed to take down a gray elephant before; they’ll be fine!” Aman chimed in, trying to comfort him.

“Da Ya has plenty of hunting experience and has even taken down a mammoth calf. If things get tough, they can always run,” Aman added.

Shi Tou furrowed his brow, sharing Zhuo Yan’s worry, but he couldn’t find the words to comfort him.

“There’s salt in the mammoth territory, and ha ha ha ha ha!”

Laughter erupted from behind them. Unbeknownst to them, the crowd had thinned as some had finished receiving their share of meat, leaving the square quiet. Thanks to their keen ears, Ma Ha and his companions overheard everything.

“Ma Ha, no wonder that kid wanted to hunt gray elephants,” one of them remarked.

“Looks like he got tricked by that beastman,” another chimed in.

“An untransformed beastman is just foolish, believing what a beastman says. Everyone heard it—there’s salt in the mammoth territory, ha ha ha! Have you ever been there?”

“Right? This is hilarious; that white-haired fool is probably heading to the mammoth territory for sure.”

Zhuo Yan clenched his fists tightly. Shi Tou stepped in front of him, and Aman grabbed Zhuo Yan’s arm, signaling him to avoid confrontation with the beastmen, especially Ma Ha.

“Ma Ha, as the leader of the hunting team entrusted by the clan leader, I challenge you to a duel. You’ve squandered our quarry twice; let’s settle this with a fight!” Dian stepped forward.

She didn’t care about A-Yin’s choice or the supposed salt in the mammoth territory—she didn’t believe that for a second. What mattered to her was her honor as a beastman.

“Ha! You want to fight me? Hahaha, bring it on!” Ma Ha had been waiting for this moment, eager to teach Dian a harsh lesson. It would be even better if she ended up injured; he ruled over the entire hunting team in the tribe.

Zhuo Yan turned away. He didn’t have the energy to watch Dian and Ma Ha fight; his mind was consumed with thoughts of A-Yin. He wondered if A-Yin had found the mammoth territory yet…

“Please don’t do anything reckless. If you encounter danger, you must run. Just run,” Zhuo Yan murmured to himself, looking towards the distant sky, praying for the gods’ protection over A-Yin.

In times of isolation and helplessness, he could only hope for divine intervention to safeguard A-Yin.

Xiao Xian and the others stayed close by Zhuo Yan, hesitant to speak. Ah Tou and Ah Ri exchanged a few more comments: “I told him there was no salt, but he wouldn’t believe me.” “Why does he always listen to that beastman’s nonsense?”

“Enough, you two!” Xiao Xian snapped at her brothers. Can’t you see how worried Zhuo Yan is about A-Yin? He looked like he was about to cry, and you’re still talking!

Even if there was no salt, it didn’t matter—after all, the salt team would return soon enough.

“Ah Tou and Ah Ri: …Let’s drop the subject.”

In the sweltering heat of midday, Ah Tou made his way over to Zhuo Yan, his brother and a few others gathered there. He had news: Ele and Ma Ha had fought, and Ele was injured on the shoulder.

“Does that mean Ma Ha won? How infuriating,” Xiao Xian huffed, feeling frustrated by the day’s string of bad news.

“No, it’s not like that,” Ah Tou replied. “Ma Ha’s leg is injured—possibly broken. During the fight, his strength caught Ele off guard. Ele is quicker and more agile, so when Ma Ha transformed into his human form to draw his bone knife, he nearly severed Ele’s arm. But in the chaos, Ele outmaneuvered him, and that’s when we heard a crack!”

“It must be broken,” Shi Tou chimed in after hearing the details.

That kind of injury would require time to heal.

“In the tribe, both Ele and Ma Ha are injured. Now what are we supposed to do?” Aman glanced at Zhuo Yan, worried. With A-Yin and Da Ya still out there, and the leading orcs injured, their situation seemed dire.

The group wore long faces, their spirits weighed down by the gloom.

Feeling restless, Ah Tou excused himself and left. Soon after, Lin Rong and Da Ya’s companion, Conglu, arrived. “Zhuo Yan, I heard what you said earlier. When your uncle Ah Sen returns, we can send him out to look for them.”

“No,” Zhuo Yan shook his head, casting a glance at Lin Rong’s belly. “That’s unnecessary.”

Lin Rong noticed Zhuo Yan’s gaze and instinctively touched his stomach, wanting to speak, but Zhuo Yan preempted him with calm resolve. “The land of the mammoths is far—at least a two-day journey. If everything goes smoothly, A-Yin and Da Ya are already there. Sending your uncle alone now would only increase the danger, especially since Ele and Ma Ha are injured. What if A-Yin and Da Ya are already on their way back? It would be a wasted trip.”

“Exactly,” Conglu agreed. “I trust Da Ya. Lei is gone now, but I have faith that Da Ya will keep him safe.”

Relief washed over Shi Tou and Aman; Zhuo Yan was still thinking clearly, and that was a good sign.

Lin Rong nodded, acknowledging Zhuo Yan’s perspective. He realized he had acted impulsively earlier, driven by nostalgia for the mud beans Zhuo Yan had gifted him and the camaraderie he once shared with Conglu. Now, he felt a twinge of regret and fear at the thought of Ah Sen venturing to the mammoth territory alone.

With Zhuo Yan’s refusal, Lin Rong secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

“Me too,” Conglu added.

As they prepared to go, Conglu shot Zhuo Yan one last look. “Orcs have things they care about; they won’t come to harm.”

“I know. A-Yin wouldn’t leave me willingly,” Zhuo Yan nodded, using his own words to comfort himself.

The helpless wait was truly tormenting.

By evening, Ah Sen and Ah Hui returned from their patrol of the tribe. The central square was piled high with rhino meat, blood, entrails, and bones, all stinking from exposure to the sun. Ah Sen didn’t bother checking on Ele and Ma Ha’s injuries; he instead sought out the orcs tasked with cleaning up the mess.

Staying within the tribe was too dangerous.

Tonight, they needed to increase their patrols.

After organizing everything, Ah Sen returned to his cave, only to hear from Lin Rong that A-Yin and Da Ya had become separated and headed toward the mammoth territory. A frown creased his brow; no one had mentioned this before.

With Ma Ha and Ele injured, Ah Sen had already been in a foul mood. He had scolded Duo Yu and the others for not speaking up about these “minor matters,” but to him, those orcs were insignificant and wouldn’t shape-shift—if they died, it wouldn’t matter.

“I went to find Zhuo Yan,” Lin Rong explained, recounting the events from earlier.

“Zhuo Yan is smart. Even if you urged me to go, I wouldn’t,” Ah Sen clasped Lin Rong’s hand. “Tonight, I’ll patrol. Those orcs are too foolish. For at least the next two days, we shouldn’t hunt. I have a feeling we’ll be attacked.”

Lin Rong felt a surge of fear. “Then you—”

“I won’t go too far; I’ll stick to patrolling the inner tribe.” After comforting his companion, Ah Sen stepped out, seeking the other orcs.

As he left, he wedged the large stone at the cave entrance securely. He thought about building a door for Zhuo Yan’s cave when the salt exchange team returned.

Right now, there were only six orcs left in the tribe who could help.

Meanwhile, at the mammoth territory, midday.

Two leopards had been stealthily following a mammoth for some time. The weather was heating up, and the mammoths roamed an endless expanse of grassland, living as large, powerful, herd animals.

Initially, the two leopards trailed a fully grown mammoth from twenty meters away. As they continued their pursuit, more mammoths joined, eventually forming a small herd.

Now, the leopards had retreated to a distance of one hundred meters.

Fortunately, though the grassland stretched endlessly, it wasn’t entirely flat; there were small hills with dips and rises. The two leopards had hidden themselves behind one of these slopes.

The spotted leopard, feeling the heat weigh down its fur and parched throat, licked its lips and let out a frustrated growl. It might not understand animal language, but it could sense the impatience in the tone.

They had been trailing all morning, yet where was the salt? Just endless grass! “Let’s move, I’m about to bake out here!”

The silver leopard stared resolutely at the distant mammoths. Although it, too, felt the heat draining its energy, it remained steadfast.

“I won’t leave; Brother said there would be salt!”

The spotted leopard cursed under its breath. If only the silver leopard would listen, they could save themselves the trouble—this stubborn creature! “What your brother says is always right? He said there’s no salt—he’s just an underdeveloped beast who has never been here. Hey, where are you going? If we get too close, we won’t be able to escape if we’re discovered. The mammoths run fast, and there are no trees for us to climb!”

“Hey, hey, hey—”

The silver leopard ignored the protest and pressed on, unwavering in its determination.

It believed wholeheartedly in its brother’s words: there would definitely be salt.

The others didn’t trust their brother.

The flower leopard glanced back at the path they had taken and decided to head back, muttering to himself, “Let that stupid A-Yin go die. What was I thinking, following him here in the first place?”

After running a few dozen meters, he couldn’t resist turning back to see the silver figure racing across the grassland. Gritting his teeth, he cursed, “You idiot!” But deep down, he felt an inexplicable pull and soon caught up with the other leopard again.

“I’m telling you, there’s no salt! If you find any, I’ll let you call me ‘Dad’!”

A-Yin shot him a sidelong glance and replied quietly, “I don’t want you to be my dad; you’re too old for that.”

“Big Tooth: … More nonsense,” he replied, shaking his head. “Let’s see, you think your life will end here? All we’ve got is grass. If you find salt, maybe I’ll start respecting you—hahaha!”

“I don’t want your respect,” A-Yin retorted with a low growl. He simply wanted his brother to eat more.

Big Tooth snorted. “This silly leopard doesn’t understand—finding salt here is next to impossible!”

The two leopards trailed a herd of mammoths, keeping a distance of about a hundred meters. The mammoths, basking in the morning sun, rolled around on the ground, scratching themselves and looking for food. Despite the lush grass around them, these giants preferred to munch on shrubs and moss.

As they ventured deeper, Big Tooth fell back, cautious, and whispered a warning, “Stay low. We can’t let them see us.”

“How do I lower my presence?”

“Mammoths are herbivores; they won’t attack unless they sense danger. But if they’re protecting their young, they’ll drive you away, no matter what. If you’re not careful, they’ll trample you underfoot,” Big Tooth hissed, his eyes glinting coldly. “That’s how A Lei met his end. I just don’t understand why he came here to hunt mammoths—he’s not like this fool beside me, thinking there’s salt here.”

A-Yin looked at Big Tooth, noticing the sadness behind his anger.

“Still thinking about A Lei? I heard he was one of the strongest among the young ones.”

“Of course. He was my son, and I trained him well.” Big Tooth fell silent, his fur bristling with a mix of anger and grief, but he quickly gathered himself.

A-Yin mirrored Big Tooth’s posture as they huddled behind the slope.

The afternoon sun was relentless, and even the furry beasts feared the heat. A-Yin felt dizzy and glanced at Big Tooth. “Are you hot?”

“Of course! Let’s get out of here,” Big Tooth lamented. He regretted following A-Yin.

“Where’s the salt?! Where’s the salt?!”

A-Yin stretched his neck towards Big Tooth, but Big Tooth turned away. “Don’t stretch out like that! Are you trying to invite me to give you a claw to the face to save you from being stomped by a mammoth?”

“No, look! There’s a little ball on my neck that my brother prepared for me,” A-Yin insisted.

His thick, fluffy fur concealed the woven grass ball, making it hard to spot unless one looked closely.

Big Tooth didn’t want to engage anymore; he just wanted to drink some water.

Holding his breath, A-Yin lifted his neck and extended a front paw, carefully hooking the rope. The grass ball tumbled to the ground, and he deftly tore it open, revealing two small pills inside.

“Thank goodness, it’s still here. My brother said I could eat it when it gets too hot, and then I won’t feel dizzy anymore.”

Big Tooth glanced over, his skepticism toward A-Yin’s brother growing.

A-Yin offered one pill to Big Tooth. “Here, you eat it. It’s dried bitter tree sap.”

At the mention of bitter tree sap, Big Tooth instinctively moved half a meter away.

“I’ll just leave it here,” A-Yin said, licking one of the pills. A bitter taste flooded his mouth, causing him to grimace, but seeing Big Tooth’s reaction made him feel a little better.

After swallowing, A-Yin’s ears drooped; he ignored Big Tooth, who was still chuckling at him. He lay low on the slope, focusing on the distance, contemplating everything his brother had told him about salt in the mammoth territory.

Half an hour later, Big Tooth glanced at A-Yin, who was oblivious to him. He then eyed the shriveled grass ball, noting the remaining pill inside.

“Let’s go,” Big Tooth finally said.

After a moment, A-Yin muttered, “My brother said…”

Big Tooth was tired of hearing whatever it was A-Yin was going on about. He knew the stubborn fool wouldn’t budge, so resignedly, he used his paw to nudge the grass ball closer. A pill rolled into his paw.

With a sigh, he closed his eyes and licked it, savoring the bitter taste that lingered in his mouth, causing him to scrunch up his face.

If it weren’t for the mammoths nearby, he might have felt a strong urge to deal with A-Yin—at the very least, to give him a beating.

As evening fell, the adult mammoths began moving toward the grasslands with their young ones. A-Yin and Big Tooth carefully navigated around the herd.

“It’s dark now,” Big Tooth said quietly.

A-Yin nodded, turning away from the mammoths and heading toward the lake. At first, they moved cautiously, but once they were far enough away, they sprinted. Big Tooth cursed under his breath as he followed.

The lake was clear, surrounded by muddy patches and fragments of moss, with scattered wild grasses. Nearby stood a forest, and not far away was a barren hillside, littered with tracks and dung from the mammoths who had trampled the area during the day.

Big Tooth scanned the area cautiously before finally ambling over to the lake’s edge for a drink.

“There’s no salt here, just mammoth dung,” he muttered after quenching his thirst.

A-Yin piped up, “My brother said—”

With a flick of his tail, Big Tooth transformed into his human form and jumped into the lake for a bath. He even gulped down a few more mouthfuls of water, then spat it out; he was hungry but had no appetite, as his mouth was still filled with that bitter taste. Each sip of water was tainted with it.

Seeing that Big Tooth was in no mood to talk, A-Yin set off on his own quest. His brother had mentioned that mammoths needed salt to supplement their diet, so maybe the grasses they favored would have a salty taste.

Emerging from the lake, Big Tooth spotted the foolish leopard, who was now busy licking the ground. Big Tooth raised an eyebrow in confusion. “What are you doing?”

A-Yin continued his search, muttering to himself, “Nope, not here. Not here either. This one’s no good…” He nibbled on some grass, grimaced at the taste, and spat it out. “Yuck!”

Big Tooth sighed, “I won’t scold you this time. Since the mammoths are sleeping, we should hurry and leave.”

“I wonder if we can find a way out from here?” Big Tooth gazed at the thick forest surrounding them, finally deciding to retrace their steps. “We’ll have to take a big detour.”

“It’s cooler at night, easier to run back,” A-Yin replied, still lost in thought about the grass he had been chewing.

“I don’t want to eat those bitter tree-juice balls again,” Big Tooth grumbled.

A-Yin, deep in concentration, ignored Big Tooth’s complaints. He pondered why he hadn’t found the right grass to chew; it must be his mistake, not his brother’s. Perhaps the salt was somewhere along the path? Maybe in the spot where the mammoths were sleeping? He decided to thoroughly search this area first, and if he didn’t find any, he could return tomorrow when the mammoths were out and about.

This time, A-Yin was even more meticulous in his search.

Big Tooth sighed, “What exactly are you looking for?”

“Salt,” A-Yin answered simply.

“Salt? Where do you think you’ll find salt here? Just grass, more grass, and some dung. You don’t think mammoth dung is salt, do you?”

To Big Tooth’s horror, he watched as A-Yin leaned in to sniff the mammoth dung. “What?!!!” he exclaimed.

Had he scolded the foolish leopard too harshly, forcing him to consider eating dung?

But Big Tooth soon relaxed, realizing A-Yin was merely sniffing it.

Relieved, Big Tooth kept his mouth shut this time; he didn’t want to risk A-Yin actually eating the dung. Though, if they returned together, the stench would be unbearable.

Grass, dung, and stones—A-Yin had chewed through the grass in this area, and he still hesitated at the dung. Even if it did contain salt, his brother would surely turn up his nose at it. He turned away from the dung and focused his gaze on the nearby stones.

These weren’t just ordinary stones; they were part of a gentle slope leading down to the lake, where dirt mingled with pebbles. A patch of land was speckled with sparse green vegetation, which A-Yin dashed over to examine. He found that most of the plants had already been devoured, leaving only a few behind.

Among them, he noticed some small footprints.

A-Yin speculated that the adult mammoths had left those behind for the calves to eat.

This time, instead of gnawing on grass, he leaned down and licked a stone, savoring it. Meanwhile, Big Tooth, having transformed back into his beast form, rushed over to see what this ridiculous leopard was doing.

“Salt doesn’t look like that! It’s gray and salty!” Big Tooth protested. “That’s just a rock!”

Ignoring him, A-Yin spat out the stone and licked at the dirt, analyzing it closely. Time seemed to stretch as he focused intently. Suddenly, his blue eyes sparkled with excitement.

“I found salt! Salty! My brother was right!”

“My brother is the best!”

The gloomy, misunderstood determination he had earlier transformed into a rare moment of pride and joy. His brother had been correct—there really was salt, and they had found it.

It was salt that he and his brother had discovered together!

Big Tooth, instinctively skeptical, studied A-Yin’s expression, unsure whether to believe him. After all their running and the bitter, gnawing hunger in his belly, he was reluctant to pass up this chance. If he didn’t try it, it might feel like a loss, especially since it was just him and this foolish, juvenile leopard here. If the rest of the tribe were around, he would never dream of doing something this reckless.

So, in a moment of dazed contemplation, Big Tooth lowered his head and took a tentative bite of the mud.

“Just savor it, chew it slowly,” A-Yin encouraged, excitement bubbling in his voice.

Big Tooth grimaced, mouth full of mud, realizing how ridiculous he sounded for believing the foolish A-Yin.

As he chewed, the confusion on his face shifted into disbelief. Slowly, he started to realize that it was indeed salty—combined with the earthy taste of the mud, it was unmistakable.

“Could it… really be salt?”

They had found it! They had truly found salt!