Chapter 50

Leaving the bustling tribe square, the atmosphere was lively, almost like a festival, with every face beaming with joy as they surrounded Zhuo Yan. There were so many people around him that he decided to approach Shi Tou, Aman, and Xiao Xian.

Those about Cong Lu’s age also eagerly struck up conversations with him.

“Let’s get a good night’s sleep tonight. I won’t be working; instead, tomorrow I’ll teach everyone how to make a filter net, how to dilute and filter, and we’ll set up a sun-drying area for the salt. When the salt-gathering team returns, everything will be ready, and we can get started right away,” Zhuo Yan said. He had no intention of Staying up late to finish filtering the saltwater; A-Yin was back, and he wanted to cuddle up with him for a good night’s rest.

There was no rush for work.

The other sub-beasts nodded in agreement, eager to follow Zhuo Yan’s lead.

That night, every cave was filled with laughter, and the smiles never faded. They talked endlessly about salt, marveling, “…I can’t believe there’s actually salt in the mammoth territory! If it weren’t for Zhuo Yan and A-Yin, we’d never have known!”

“From now on, we won’t have to trade our best goods for salt at the feathered people’s market.”

“Do you think the salt-gathering team has reached their destination yet?”

“They probably haven’t arrived. Do you think we’ll get to eat salt before the leaders even reach the feathered people’s market?”

The thought filled them with curiosity and delight.

“When they come back, the leaders will surely be amazed!”

“Yes, yes!”

Zhuo Yan carried the wooden barrel back to his cave, arranging it neatly at the entrance. After brushing his teeth and washing up, he headed to the river—his family’s wooden barrel was already filled, leaving no clean water. After a long day of work, he was exhausted. On his way back, he found A-Yin lying down, so he hopped onto his back.

“So obedient,” Zhuo Yan said, stroking A-Yin’s neck. “Let’s go back and get some sleep.”

A-Yin sprang up and dashed away, and Zhuo Yan leaned down to cling to A-Yin’s neck, urging, “Slow down, slow down.” A-Yin then sauntered at a leisurely pace. Once inside the cave, Zhuo Yan skipped the grass mat for the night, instead pulling out a smooth hide to sleep on. It was soft, though a bit warm.

The stone bed was somewhat hard, and Zhuo Yan thought about suggesting a bamboo bed for summer but hesitated, glancing at A-Yin. A-Yin blinked his bright blue eyes, wondering what his brother was thinking.

Zhuo Yan reached out to rub A-Yin’s cheek, playfully saying, “Let’s forget about the trip to the mammoth territory this time, but from now on, you have to tell me what you’re planning, or else I’ll spank you.”

He mimicked how Aman scolded his brother.

Upon hearing this, A-Yin turned his back to Zhuo Yan but then reconsidered and crawled back up, lowering his front legs and lifting his rear, looking back at his brother with a happy tongue lolling out.

Zhuo Yan: …

Hahahahaha!

It amused him. The anger from the morning when A-Yin returned vanished as he realized how grateful he was for A-Yin’s safe return.

Zhuo Yan chuckled, wrapping his arms around A-Yin, hugging him tightly.

“We’ve already had our scuffle this morning.”

A-Yin tilted his head, wondering if they had fought. He hadn’t felt anything. Seeing a hint of regret in A-Yin’s eyes, Zhuo Yan was taken aback. Did he misinterpret? He cupped A-Yin’s face and leaned closer, and A-Yin eagerly moved in, licking Zhuo Yan’s cheek affectionately.

Zhuo Yan burst into laughter, holding A-Yin tightly as they rolled around on the stone bed.

After playing for a while, Zhuo Yan said, “Alright, let’s sleep now. And remember, you must tell me whenever you go out for something.” A-Yin howled, pressing his head against Zhuo Yan’s. He understood.

That night, Zhuo Yan slept soundly and warmly, reluctant to awaken from such a pleasant dream. When morning came, he was drenched in sweat, and when he opened his eyes, he saw A-Yin had moved to sleep a little further away at his feet, likely to avoid overheating him.

Zhuo Yan woke up, and A-Yin stirred awake instantly.

“Good morning, good morning, A-Yin!” It was going to be another energetic day.

“Awwoo~” Good morning, brother.

They didn’t linger. There was work to be done. Once Zhuo Yan opened the cave door, he was surprised to see several sub-beasts waiting at the slope of his home. After a moment of shock, he waved them over. “Have you been waiting long? Come on in.”

They rushed up, and among them were older members, as well as Aman’s mother and Xiao Xian’s mother. Zhuo Yan felt a bit embarrassed for making them wait, but the sub-beasts were understanding, saying it was no problem—they couldn’t sleep and had come early.

No more idle chatter.

Zhuo Yan knew why they were there, so he began organizing tasks. First, he took out the wooden barrels from yesterday. “It’s too hot now; we need to find a shady spot for filtering the saltwater.”

“And we need to make filter nets. We’ll cut down the grass and soak it in water…”

The mothers of Xiao Xian and Aman were familiar with this process because they used the same kind of grass mats at home.

They quickly divided up the work. Some went to cut grass, soaking it directly in the river; it couldn’t be soaked too long, or it would rot. After soaking, it had to be dried in the shade, and they could modify the filter net to not require direct weaving.

Zhuo Yan demonstrated the filtering process with the wooden barrels at his entrance, even disassembling one of the “filter nets” to show everyone.

The sub-beasts erupted in awe.

“Is the water in the barrel muddy?”

“It’s so clear!”

“With the stones and grass sections still needing to be woven into the mat, this is how you filter—”

Aman stepped in from the back, loudly reminding everyone, “Filter!”

Now everyone had arrived.

Zhuo Yan no longer needed to explain to many people at once, as Aman, Shi Tou, and Xiao Xian were there to help. “Over the next couple of days, we’ll strengthen and improve the filter nets. Also, to dry the salt, we need to build a wooden box for it.”

Everyone jumped into action. The old kiln shed proved useful, providing a shaded area with a tiered structure perfect for drying the soaked grass. Zhuo Yan led the stronger sub-beasts to chop down trees near the tribe, and some beastmen came to lend a hand.

With everyone working together, a lively atmosphere developed.

As the heat intensified, Zhuo Yan called for everyone to take a break and rest until evening to continue their work. Some sub-beasts insisted they were fine and not afraid of the sun.

Zhuo Yan firmly stated, “We don’t have many people right now; every one of you is essential. Don’t overexert yourselves. We have four to five days to take our time. The salt-gathering team is on their way, and we have plenty of time. Everyone needs to take care of their health; we can’t afford to have anyone collapse before the salt team returns.”

“Let’s head back.”

“Let’s listen to Zhuo Yan.”

“Zhuo Yan is right.”

The sub-beasts murmured in agreement. Those who had insisted on Staying out in the sun now felt a bit embarrassed and nodded. They knew they couldn’t avoid the heat and sun; it was just that they were eager to start drying the salt. After hearing Zhuo Yan’s words, they completely understood.

By noon, the sub-beasts returned to their caves to rest.

Meanwhile, the beastmen had their own small matters to attend to. Da Ya had gone to visit Dian in the morning heat, then stopped by Ma Ha’s home, where he shared some ground powder made from the wings of short-legged beasts with both of them.

Dian and his partner Xiao Kui hurried to thank him, while Ma Ha shot a sharp look at Da Ya, feeling as if he was being mocked. After all, he had previously called Da Ya a cripple, and now he himself had a broken leg.

Although Da Ya had promised his partner to live well, that didn’t mean he would suddenly become excessively kind. When faced with the gratitude from Dian and Xiao Kui, he impatiently replied, “Get better soon. No need to thank me.”

Confronted by Ma Ha’s glare, Da Ya mockingly said, “Whether you want it or not, if you’re capable, drag that broken leg of yours out to hunt short-legged beasts! You won’t even dare to approach the gray elephant, not even a single crippled leopard.”

“Hahahaha!” Da Ya genuinely laughed in Ma Ha’s face.

Ma Ha’s neck bulged with veins as he fumed. Da Ya’s gaze landed on Ma Ha’s injured leg and then back to the powder in his hand. “Whether you want it or not.”

“…I want it,” Ma Ha spat out through clenched teeth.

He was still young, a strong and upright leopard, one of the mightiest beastmen in the tribe. He couldn’t afford to become a crippled leopard. How could he hunt and choose the strongest sub-beasts in the future?

“I’ll pay you back later.”

Da Ya set the powder down and left. Instead of returning home, he went to find Ah Sen. The two exchanged a few words and quickly came to an agreement.

As evening approached, the tribe’s drums began to sound, but this time calling for the beastmen to gather. A-Yin understood and barked at his brother before rushing to the square. Zhuo Yan was busy at that moment; with the day being hot, they only had the cooler morning and evening hours to work. Fortunately, the sub-beasts had good night vision, otherwise, they wouldn’t have enough working hours during the day.

Before long, A-Yin returned, excitedly barking.

Zhuo Yan didn’t catch on to what he was saying until Ah Tou arrived and translated, informing him that the beastmen would be going on a short hunting trip that night. They could catch whatever they found to eat, and after the salt-gathering team left, it would be a feast or famine situation, relying solely on their strength.

“Is A-Yin going too?” Zhuo Yan asked.

“We’re all going, except for Dian, Ma Ha, and Ah Sen,” Ah Tou replied.

Zhuo Yan felt it might be too much for them, but seeing A-Yin’s enthusiasm, he figured the plan was within the beastmen’s physical limits and shouldn’t be too exhausting, so he didn’t say much more.

Actually, he still had some jerky at home, but most of the other sub-beasts had already thrown away the rotten rhino meat they had collected earlier. The beastmen going out to hunt tonight likely hoped to return with fresh food to dry and preserve, so they could be on alert for another day, just in time for the salt-gathering team to set off.

The plan seemed quite suitable.

And now they had salt. Zhuo Yan wanted to share some of it with everyone. He hadn’t yet proposed this when Cong Lu approached him with the same idea. Cong Lu even suggested they could wait until the next salt-gathering team returned to dry the salt and then give it back.

“That’s actually what I was thinking,” Zhuo Yan replied enthusiastically. He had considered giving it away outright but hadn’t thought about getting it back. Cong Lu was right—when they had more salt, they could share it collectively. Giving away half a scoop and getting half a scoop back would work well.

In the Leopard People tribe, borrowing and returning like this helped maintain good relations over the long term.

Giving it away unilaterally was indeed inappropriate, as the other sub-beasts were not his partners.

Sure enough, once Zhuo Yan and Cong Lu voiced their thoughts, the sub-beasts were delighted, expressing their gratitude toward both of them.

As night fell, the hunting team set out.

Leading the charge were Da Ya and Huo Xia, followed by a string of young beastmen. A-Yin, with his striking silver-white color, stood among them, looking impressive and powerful.

Zhuo Yan stood at the cave entrance, watching A-Yin leave with pride on his face.

Just last year, A-Yin had been so small and frail that Zhuo Yan could easily carry him. Now, he had grown so strong and impressive, and Zhuo Yan couldn’t help but feel proud of his efforts in raising him!

Zhuo Yan placed his hands on his hips, reveling in that moment of pride.

Then, at the back of the group, A-Yin barked, urging his brother to hurry back home and close the door.

Zhuo Yan: …

His hands were on his hips for no more than three seconds. Alright, time to go home and sleep.

Perhaps it was the familiarity or the fact that this was a short hunting trip with so many people involved, or maybe it was that they were all exhausted from the day’s work, but that night Zhuo Yan slept very well. When he awoke, the hunting team still hadn’t returned, and Dian was patrolling near the river in his human form.

Zhuo Yan got dressed—his bone-structured clothing needed new leaves—and he pondered if the grass mats he wove would be softer and sturdier. He would have to try that out later.

When he headed to the river with his wicker basket to brush his teeth and wash his face, he found that most of the sub-beasts had already gathered there, exchanging greetings and wearing smiles. It was lively as they kicked off a new day of work.

The wooden boxes for drying salt they made yesterday had been originally designed with a mortise-and-tenon structure to lock tightly, but Zhuo Yan wasn’t sure if they would leak. In the end, Aman suggested they simply make it like the barrels, a straightforward and effective approach.

They were working on a colossal tree, splitting it in half and digging into the heartwood—a challenging task that required both effort and skill with stone and bone knives. Yet, amidst the struggle, Zhuo Yan realized that in their tribe, the most precious commodity was salt.

Even the stones, known for their care with bone knives, chuckled at the thought.

“Let’s get to it, then!” Zhuo Yan declared, rallying the others.

With great effort, they split the massive tree, and after a long morning of digging, they continued their work into the afternoon. They found another tree, and as they moved the two halves together, they realized that each piece was at least three meters long. The orcs gathered around, digging diligently; it was a community effort, just like yesterday when the orcs had done the same.

By midday, the heat bore down, and Zhuo Yan decided it was time to take a break. “Let’s head back; the hunting team has returned!”

The square was alive with excitement as the hunters brought back a colorful array of game: horned sheep, baboons, and tusked boars, all in various forms. With so much game to process, there would be no time for rest.

Big Tooth, the leader of the hunting team, instructed Electric and Little Kui to start dividing the meat. Electric hesitated, but Big Tooth impatiently urged, “The chief said you’re in charge of the hunting team, so get to it before it’s too hot!”

With that, Little Kui and Electric began the task of divvying up the spoils.

The pelts from their catches would be collected too; the orcs needed to prepare the hides for the tribe. Traditionally, they saved the less visually appealing pelts for the elders in the Great Cave and traded the more beautiful ones at the Feathered People’s market for salt. This had been the way for many years.

“Today’s haul is impressive!” someone exclaimed. “Where did you find all this game?”

“Big Tooth led us on different paths,” Ah Hui explained. “He told us to take what we could eat, so we did.”

“I was with Big Tooth, and we caught this sheep!” another chimed in.

“I was with Fire Summer and snagged two baboons!”

With their stories, the excitement grew. They had spotted baboons lounging in trees, ambushed solitary boars, and chased down a flock of horned sheep, bringing back a feast for the tribe.

After dividing the meat, each hunter had about ten pounds to carry back. Knowing Zhuo Yan’s method of drying meat, they were eager to start drying it in the sun. Earlier, Zhuo Yan and Cong Lu had each given them a scoop of salt, enough to rub on their meat before drying. With this plan, they felt assured they wouldn’t go hungry in the coming days.

As the sun began to set, they hurried back to their caves to start the drying process while the orcs were still preparing for their evening hunts.

On the day the salt team was set to depart, Zhuo Yan followed his usual routine, tying a small woven ball of grass around A-Yin’s neck. “Since Little Xian and the others aren’t eating theirs, I’ve packed a few extra for you—five in total. If you get too hot, eat one, then share the rest with the others.”

“Awuu, awuu~” A-Yin replied excitedly, eager to please.

Zhuo Yan ruffled A-Yin’s fur, proud of his younger brother.

In the distance, Big Tooth caught wind of the little balls of bitter tree sap Zhuo Yan had given, his leopard-like face contorted in frustration. The younger hunters instinctively moved away from him, and the chief called out for A-Yin to come down quickly.

“Have they all arrived? Hurry up and don’t keep everyone waiting!” Zhuo Yan called, not noticing the gathering crowd.

A-Yin licked his brother’s hand and dashed off to join the group. “I’ve got bitter tree sap balls! My brother made them for me! If anyone feels dizzy from the heat, come find me; I’ll share!”

“Let’s get moving!” Big Tooth urged.

The following days passed without incident in the tribe. The remaining orcs maintained a steady routine—waking early to work and returning to their caves before nightfall. With only four orcs left to patrol at night and two nursing injuries, Asen took on the night watch alone.

Zhuo Yan carefully delegated tasks, reassuring everyone that they wouldn’t need to work late into the evening. With the Ah Rival of night, they quickly returned to their caves, prioritizing safety above all.

Thanks to the previous salt and the ten pounds of dried meat each received, the tribe could sustain themselves without needing to hunt.

One day, a member of the orc patrol approached Zhuo Yan. “Why didn’t you call me to go for salt?” he asked.

“Next time, you can go,” Zhuo Yan replied. He noticed the orc’s puzzled expression and added, “You and Duo Yu can go; I remember Duo Yu’s name, but I don’t know yours. What is it?”

“Wood,” the orc replied, surprised. “I thought you were upset that we bullied A-Yin.”

Zhuo Yan raised an eyebrow. “You bullied A-Yin?”

Wood faltered, his expression shifting to unease. Despite being an orc, he suddenly felt a twinge of fear in Zhuo Yan’s presence. With an awkward chuckle, he explained, “When we split into teams, Duo Yu and I teased A-Yin, but we won’t do it again, I swear to the gods.”

“Don’t swear to the gods; just apologize to A-Yin when he returns,” Zhuo Yan replied seriously.

Wood nodded vigorously, “I will!” He hesitated, looking at Zhuo Yan. “Can I still go for salt next time?”

“…If I’m in charge, then yes.”

“Thank you!”

Zhuo Yan nodded but remained silent as Wood lingered. “Do you dislike us? Me, Duo Yu, and Ma Ha?”

“Indeed. You take advantage of your strength as orcs to bully the weaker. That’s not true strength. We cannot choose whether we are born orc or sub-orc. A-Yin cannot transform into human form, but he strives to learn hunting to protect me. The wise and strong orcs protect the entire tribe.”

“The tribe knows who the true strong orcs are,” Zhuo Yan concluded before returning to his tasks.

Though he didn’t know the specifics of the hunting teams, he had heard plenty about the strong hunters from others. The sub-orcs respected and admired them, especially the likes of Ah Da’s mother, who bravely defended the tribe from a bear attack during the snowy season—a memory that lingered vividly in Zhuo Yan’s mind.

Wood stood still, feeling the oppressive sun beat down on him, his head spinning as he contemplated Zhuo Yan’s words. He thought slowly, carefully, as determination began to solidify in his expression.

A good orc is not only skilled in hunting but also protects the tribe.

Finally, the sun-drying “wooden boat” was completed. Unlike the pot used yesterday for boiling—necessary for sharing salt—this time, there was no rush. They would take their time to experiment with salt drying.

The remaining filtered brine only needs to be poured into the clean wooden trough and taken out into the sunlight to evaporate. They had two buckets of brine left, just enough to cover the bottom, and in some uneven spots, there wasn’t even any brine at all.

But the capacity was enormous; they could evaporate a lot of saltwater.

“Alright, everyone can head back now. The filtering screen is finished, and the salt-drying trough is ready. We just need to wait for the salt-gathering team to return,” Zhuo Yan announced.

Everyone felt relieved; it wasn’t difficult work at all.

“When will the salt be ready?” someone asked.

“Boiling salt is pretty quick,” Zhuo Yan replied. “With this sunny weather, it should evaporate fast. But since I’ve never done it before, I’m not exactly sure how long it’ll take. We’ll all have to keep an eye on it.” He continued, “Boiling salt is fast, but it requires burning firewood pot after pot. Since this trough holds more, I think drying in the sun is the better option when there’s no urgent need for salt.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, deciding to head back and cool off for a bit.

On the fourth day, the patrol team returned, and Mahā showed up in beast form. With one hind leg broken, he was hopping on three legs, which was honestly a little comical. Zhuo Yan couldn’t help but laugh at him behind his back with Xiao Xian and the others!

“A revenge for A-Yin!” Aman said, smirking.

“Right? They laughed at A-Yin’s expense; we can laugh at Mahā too,” Stone added.

“Exactly!” Xiao Xian chimed in, laughing even harder.

While it was a bit mean-spirited to mock someone’s limping gait, Zhuo Yan didn’t mind.

“An eye for an eye!” he chuckled.

On the fifth day, the salt-gathering team returned in the early morning.

Each leopard was covered in grime, their fur matted with dry dirt, but their eyes sparkled with excitement. They carried two hefty bundles of pelts on their backs and dropped them off as soon as they arrived at the tribe.

The sub-beastmen emerged eagerly from their caves.

Next up: diluting, filtering, and drying the salt.

That evening brought good news: Lin Rong had given birth. When Zhuo Yan heard the news, he was momentarily stunned before exclaiming, “She gave birth? When?”

“They say it started around noon. The first cub arrived while everyone else was busy diluting the mud salt. It was only when your uncle returned that he discovered it,” Aman explained.

“Was everything alright?” Zhuo Yan asked anxiously.

“What could go wrong?” Aman looked puzzled.

“Aren’t births dangerous?” Zhuo Yan pressed.

The two hadn’t thought about that, and no one in the tribe had ever mentioned the dangers of childbirth. They exchanged uncertain glances before Zhuo Yan decided to skip that topic. He figured the three of them had no partners and had never experienced childbirth, so they might not realize how perilous it could be.

“Should I go take a look?” he wondered aloud.

Stone pulled Zhuo Yan back excitedly, saying, “You shouldn’t go now; Lin Rong might still be in labor!”

“Wait, didn’t they say she already gave birth?” Zhuo Yan was confused.

“Zhuo Yan, you’re so clueless! My mom gave birth to my older brothers at different times. My eldest brother was born when the sun just came up, and my second brother didn’t Ah Rive until later!” Xiao Xian explained.

Zhuo Yan slapped his forehead, “I forgot!” The last time he saw Lin Rong, she was heavily pregnant, so he subconsciously associated it with human childbirth.

“You really love babies, don’t you?” Stone teased.

Zhuo Yan stayed quiet.

The next morning, the whole group gathered to work, and Zhuo Yan heard from his uncle A Sen that Lin Rong had given birth to two cubs, both spotted leopards. A Sen was thrilled and had even named them.

“Yesterday, the salt-gathering team came back just in time; the first is named Little Salt, and the second is called Little Plate.”

Zhuo Yan understood the name Little Salt—it was similar to Xiao Xian’s name, meaning something precious. But Little Plate?

“That’s from the Mammoth’s territory,” Aman chimed in.

The leopard tribe’s naming conventions were always surprising, making them sound amusing.

Later, Zhuo Yan asked his uncle if he could visit the cubs, and A Sen happily agreed. That evening, as the heat faded, Zhuo Yan brought some gifts—salt, potatos, and dried meat. It wasn’t much, but he went with A-Yin, who stayed outside since the newborn cubs might be too sensitive to have an unfamiliar leopard nearby.

Zhuo Yan entered alone to find Lin Rong and A Sen waiting for him. He set down his gifts and exchanged pleasantries before rushing over to see the cubs.

The newborn leopards were unbelievably cute, resembling tiny kittens, their eyelids still covered by a thin membrane, and their mews sounded soft and sweet.

They were just too adorable!

Zhuo Yan felt a surge of joy but held back from touching them. He stepped back outside, beaming with happiness, and when he saw A-Yin, he couldn’t help but excitedly gesture, “They’re so tiny, with the cutest little pink paw pads! The second one is a chocolate color, its eyes haven’t opened yet, and it’s making the cutest little mew sounds like a kitten…”

A-Yin raised his paw to show his brother, revealing that his pads were also pink.

Zhuo Yan burst out laughing, grabbing A-Yin’s paw, “Right, A-Yin is pink too.” But they were different—those little leopards were simply adorable!

A-Yin sensed his brother’s praise but still wanted to play with the cubs, wrapping his tail around Zhuo Yan’s leg. Zhuo Yan felt a tickle and continued walking forward, saying, “I’m just checking out the little leopards, but of course, A-Yin is the best.”

A-Yin stubbornly stayed close to Zhuo Yan.

Zhuo Yan realized A-Yin was definitely feeling jealous. Although he found the cubs delightful, he straightened his smile and decided not to praise the other cubs in front of A-Yin.

After all, A-Yin wasn’t yet an adult; he was practically a cub himself. Zhuo Yan understood this, gently pinching A-Yin’s cheek. “Big brother is just admiring you, A-Yin, the cutest little fluffball.”

By the third day, the salt was drying nicely, and by noon on the fifth day, it was ready! It went quickly, partly due to the lesser amount of brine they had used. Zhuo Yan and Cong Lüy shared the salt evenly, finishing the supply that Da Ya and A-Yin had brought back.

Next up was the tribe’s collective efforts.

Thanks to the salt, the entire tribe—whether the hunting teams of the beastmen or the sub-beastmen—worked in unison. At night, there were still watchmen keeping an eye out, making the most of their time during the day to dry the salt while balancing work and hunting.

On the fifth day of salt drying, every cave received a large bowl of salt. That evening, Huoxia announced, “The rainy season is coming.”

“Really? Is the rainy season Ah Riving so soon?” Zhuo Yan felt that Aman had mentioned summer only lasted a little over ten days. The sun was still blazing hot enough to roast people alive, but he trusted Huoxia’s words.

So, that night, everyone moved the remaining filtered brine outside to cook in stone pots. The beastmen gathered around, while the sub-beastmen watched closely as they finished processing all the salt, filling an entire large ceramic pot with it. This salt would temporarily stay in the big cave.

Zhuo Yan had been busy all night, and by the time they finished processing the salt, he and A-Yin returned to their cave just as the sun was rising in the morning. He collapsed onto his bed, and A-Yin curled up by his feet and fell asleep.

How long he slept, he didn’t know, but he was jolted awake by a loud crack of thunder. Outside, a torrential downpour battered the earth. The cave door was only half-closed, and rainwater dripped inside, wetting the entrance. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and humidity.

The intense heat of the past few days had transformed into a steaming cauldron of rain.

“My chickens! The wild boar and the rabbits!” Zhuo Yan panicked as he rushed to the cave entrance.

A-Yin jumped off the stone bed, grabbing the hem of Zhuo Yan’s skirt in his mouth. Zhuo Yan, worried, quickly covered his rear, “A-Yin, my skirt is not leather right now; let go!” He couldn’t afford to ruin his only piece of summer clothing.

“Awow, awow!” A-Yin called, having gathered all the animals into the cave. He dropped Zhuo Yan’s skirt.

Now feeling calmer, Zhuo Yan realized that the rain was too heavy for him to go outside. He could only trust that the small animals were more sensitive to the weather than he was, and that his animals weren’t foolish; they would know to run home when danger approached.

The torrential rain came quickly and left just as fast, lasting barely an hour before stopping.

Outside, the sun shone fiercely, but the paths around the tribe had turned into muddy trails.

Zhuo Yan found himself stuck; there was nowhere to go.

Meanwhile, two days before the rainy season, the leopard tribe encountered the werewolf tribe on the road. Both tribes were at the bottom of the hierarchy among the four tribes, with the tiger and lion tribes at the top due to their larger populations and territories. The werewolves and leopards had always maintained a harmonious relationship.

“I heard the lion and tiger tribes arrived at the market early,” the werewolf chief remarked.

Upon hearing this, the leopard chief replied, “The eagle tribe will definitely wait until all four tribes are gathered before opening the market. They want to pick and choose, so don’t worry.” Ah Riving early didn’t really matter.

“Indeed,” the werewolf chief acknowledged. “These feathered folk are impossible to deal with, even for the lion and tiger tribes.” They had to avoid the lion and tiger tribes, but these feathered beings were unafraid of them.

Without the feathered folk, who would trade salt with them?

Of course, they had nothing to fear from the four tribes of the grassland and forest.