Beastmen have sharp hearing, and although Zhuo Mu’s voice wasn’t loud, everyone still turned to look. 

Wen Ze froze for a moment. Of course, he felt it was inappropriate to say in front of the Rainbow Sun Tribe members that their kiln consumed too much firewood. 

In fact, the process of firing pottery naturally takes a long time. In modern times, with the advancement of industry, wood-fired kilns have become quite rare. 

He first gave Zhuo Mu a quick smile and quietly said, “It’s nothing.” 

Then he looked at Chi Yu and asked, “The pottery being fired isn’t directly placed on this firewood, right?” 

Chi Yu nodded. “No, there’s a dedicated kiln cave ahead, built a bit higher than this one. It’s specifically for the pottery. Come on, I’ll show you.” 

Hearing this, everyone immediately followed, and Wen Ze let out a small sigh of relief. 

Zhuo Mu gave him a thoughtful glance before looking away. 

Sure enough, the cave where the pottery pieces were placed was much larger than the passage for burning firewood, as if a massive enclosure had been carved out of the mountain. 

They climbed up some steps before reaching the cave floor. 

Chi Yu, holding the torch, led the people from the South Mountain Tribe around, not only showing them the place but also patiently explaining the kiln’s structure. 

In the dark, Yi Yan and the others’ eyes were shining, and they occasionally asked a question or two. 

Wen Ze wandered around, looking at everything with interest. 

After the tour, Sang Hui asked the question on his mind, “Is there a specific reason why the air and smoke passages are built this way?” 

Chi Yu answered honestly, “It’s not really anything complicated. It’s to make sure the temperature inside the kiln is even. Based on the experience passed down by our ancestors, pottery fired this way turns out better.” 

Wen Ze nodded, understanding the principle. 

When the temperature inside the kiln is stable, the quality of the pottery will be more consistent. 

Chi Yu then added, “But actually, it’s mostly built based on the mountain’s terrain. If we just picked any mountain, we definitely wouldn’t be able to build such a functional kiln. That’s why when I visited your tribe, I said this kiln might not work for you.” 

He pointed his hand at the stairs below. “For instance, that area over there was originally lower, so when the firewood burns, the heat naturally rises.” 

Everyone looked up, and they could all imagine how much heat would gather in the cave they were in when the flames burned fiercely. 

Yi Yan sighed, “It must be much hotter than open-air firing. No wonder your pottery is so good.” 

Wu Ye couldn’t help but feel hopeful, “Although we don’t know when the South Mountain tribe’s kiln will be built, I’ve learned so much from you today. Even if we apply it to open-air firing, we’ll be able to make better pottery.” 

He said sincerely, “Thank you, Leader Chi Yu.” 

Chi Yu had thought the Beastmen from South Mountain were a bit too straightforward at first, but seeing how sincere they were, he couldn’t help but feel moved. 

He waved his hand modestly and smiled, “This kiln has been maintained by the previous generations. I’m just sharing what I know. If you want me to improve it, I don’t have any ideas.” 

He had made the offer to exchange not just because he was envious of their weaving method but also because the kiln hadn’t changed in so long. He thought perhaps the South Mountain tribe might have some ideas for improvements. 

Wu Ye, hearing this, smiled and teased, “It’s already great as it is now, and you’re thinking about improvements? That’s too hard. I certainly can’t think of anything.” 

Yi Yan and Sang Hui looked around, also unsure of what to do. 

Only Wen Ze, while they were talking, walked down the stairs, stroking his chin as he stared at the ground. 

“What do you think… if we dig this area down a bit?” He turned to look at the others and stepped on the ground. 

Everyone stared at him, and Chi Yu’s voice became a bit tense: “Why dig it down?” 

Wen Ze said, “Didn’t you say that the terrain affects the heat, right? I was thinking, if we can’t raise the upper hole, we could dig the firewood pit a bit lower. That way, the height difference between the two holes would be greater. This hole could store more heat.” 

Zhuo Mu, who was closer to him, nodded while the others were still figuring things out. He suddenly said, “I think what you’re saying could work.” 

Soon, Chi Yu’s eyes lit up, and with a clenched fist, he struck his palm excitedly, “That makes sense! I brought some people with me, so let’s dig it and give it a try now!” 

Since the tools they had weren’t as useful as changing into their beast forms, Chi Yu left the two wolf Beastmen behind, while the others exited the kiln. 

Not long after, a Beastman carried a pile of ash and dirt out. 

When everyone returned, they found a brand-new hole at the bottom of the stairs. 

This hole wasn’t very deep; Wen Ze estimated it to be about one point two meters. 

Chi Yu walked excitedly around the hole and said, “Let’s dig this deep for now and see how the pottery turns out.” 

Sang Hui asked with interest, “When will you fire it?” 

Chi Yu replied, “As you can see, this kiln is very large, and the mountain absorbs a lot of heat. Firing it once will consume quite a bit of wood. If we start collecting now, it might take until tomorrow evening to begin firing.” 

Sang Hui exchanged a glance with Yi Yan and said to Chi Yu, “We still need to study how to build the kiln for a couple of days. When you fire the pottery tomorrow, can we come and help?” 

Chi Yu was in an excellent mood and readily agreed, “Sure! If there’s anything you don’t understand, I can explain it to you right there!” 

The people of the South Mountain tribe were immediately filled with anticipation. 

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Chi Yu eagerly called, especially to Wen Ze. “The sun has already set, so let’s head back to the tribe. You all should eat something and get some rest! Tomorrow, we’ll all come together to fire the pottery!” 

Everyone nodded eagerly and agreed to the plan. 

Chi Yu looked at Wen Ze with a bright smile and said, “I hope the hole we dug today will be put to good use.” 

His enthusiasm, however, made Wen Ze feel some pressure. 

“I just casually said it,” he said. “If it doesn’t work, I hope Leader Chi Yu won’t be upset.” 

Chi Yu was stunned and quickly explained, “That’s not what I meant! Don’t worry, if it doesn’t work, we’ll just fill the soil back in. Besides, you coming up with the idea is a huge benefit for the Rainbow Sun Tribe. How could I possibly blame you?” 

Hearing this, Wen Ze felt a weight lift off his chest. 

He didn’t notice that several people from the South Mountain tribe looked at each other, their eyes showing a complicated expression. 

As the group made their way to the Rainbow Sun Tribe, Chi Yu, who had changed into a large red fox, tried to strike up a conversation with Wen Ze, but a few members of the South Mountain tribe quickly distracted him. 

Soon, they arrived, and many people from the tribe came out to greet them. 

“Leader, you’re back!” 

“We’ve already prepared the food and cleaned out a few caves!” 

“Wu Ye, it’s been a while!” 

“Haha, your little wolf cub has grown so big! Look at how round he is.” 

… 

Everyone chatted and laughed as they headed straight to the entrance of Chi Yu’s cave. 

Even from far away, they could smell the rich aroma of meat. 

Wu Ye rubbed his belly and laughed, “I’m hungry.” 

Chi Yu waved his hand, “Come, try the food we have here.” 

There weren’t enough stone benches to sit on, so after washing their hands, everyone simply gathered around the fire and sat on the ground. 

The food prepared by the Rainbow Sun Tribe was hearty: roasted meat, boiled roots, and clean young vegetables. 

Wen Ze picked up a piece of roasted meat and, holding it up to the light from the fire, said, “Hmm? Is this sprinkled with scallions?” 

One of the half-beastmen from the Rainbow Sun Tribe replied, “Yes! We learned this from your tribe. We didn’t know that scallions could taste so good before.” 

Chi Yu took a large bite of the meat and said approvingly, “That’s right! People used to ignore them, but now all the scallions on this mountain are about to be dug up.” 

Sang Hui glanced at Wen Ze and laughed loudly, “So it’s spread to your tribe as well. We only learned it by watching Wen Ze eat.” 

“Wow!” The people of the Rainbow Sun Tribe looked at Wen Ze in shock, as if thinking, “So this was your discovery,” which made Wen Ze feel incredibly embarrassed. 

Thankfully, everyone was teasing with good intentions, and soon the conversation moved to something else. 

After eating, Chi Yu had someone lead them to the prepared cave. 

But a small misunderstanding happened along the way— 

Although tribes didn’t interact much, the members of the Rainbow Sun Tribe were familiar with Yi Yan, Sang Hui, and Zhuo Mu, and the others who led the South Mountain Tribe. 

Wen Ze, however, was a new face. 

They had only just arrived at the Rainbow Sun Tribe that afternoon, and after rushing to the pottery kiln, Chi Yu hadn’t properly introduced Wen Ze. 

The beastman assigned to tidy the caves saw Wen Ze sitting on Zhuo Mu’s back and misunderstood their relationship. 

He had prepared only three caves, thinking Yi Yan and Wu Ye would take one, Sang Hui and his partner Ji Sha would share another, and that Zhuo Mu and Wen Ze would share the last one. 

The problem was that Wen Ze and Zhuo Mu were definitely not in that kind of relationship! 

Standing at the entrance of the cave, Wen Ze’s face turned bright red as he awkwardly said, “I… we’re not…” 

The beastman from the Rainbow Sun Tribe quickly understood and felt quite embarrassed. He apologized repeatedly, “Sorry, it was my mistake. I’ll go prepare another cave now! Which of you two will stay in this one?” 

Wen Ze quickly glanced at Zhuo Mu, but before he could speak, he heard Zhuo Mu’s deep, magnetic voice. “He can stay.” 

The beastman from the Rainbow Sun Tribe said, “Okay, Zhuo Mu, will you come with me now?” 

Zhuo Mu said, “You can go ahead first.” 

“Alright, follow my scent. If you can’t find it, just shout.” 

Soon, only Wen Ze and Zhuo Mu were left at the entrance of the unfamiliar cave. 

Wen Ze had not yet recovered from the earlier embarrassment and gently scratched his cheek. 

Zhuo Mu looked at him and asked, “You seemed a bit shocked earlier in the pottery kiln. What happened?” 

Wen Ze was drawn in by his words, and the uncomfortable feeling went away a lot. 

“Ah, it’s nothing big, really. I’m just surprised that it takes a lot of firewood to burn the kiln.” 

It’s just that in the Beast World, the land is vast but the population is small, so the demand for pottery isn’t high. Otherwise, with that firing method, there wouldn’t be enough firewood. 

“Mm, when we build our own pottery kiln, maybe we can change things up.” 

Wen Ze smiled, “That’s exactly what I was thinking.” 

“Then, I’ll go now.” 

Wen Ze waved. “Okay.” 

Watching Zhuo Mu’s back disappear, Wen Ze felt a little strange. After all, they had both been sleeping in the same cave for a while, just on different levels. 

After moving to the unfamiliar cave, Wen Ze had trouble sleeping and woke up early the next morning. 

After having breakfast that someone brought him, he went to the cave where Chi Yu was and listened as they talked about the plan for the day. 

“…Last night, I arranged for a group to gather firewood. During the day, aside from the teams going to gather and hunt, everyone else will go chop wood. By evening, we should be ready to start the fire. As for Leader Yi Yan and the other beastmen, they can join the hunting group.” 

Sang Hui asked, “What about the half-beastmen?” 

Chi Yu turned to Wen Ze and Sang Hui for their opinions: “You can either gather or pick up firewood, it’s up to you. Once we have more people available tomorrow, Wen Ze will start teaching everyone how to weave cloth.” 

Wen Ze nodded, “Alright, I’ll go gather.” 

Sang Hui: “I’ll gather too.” 

“Good.” 

With the plans quickly arranged, the whole tribe began the work. 

Wen Ze and Sang Hui were assigned to the same gathering team. With baskets on their backs, they walked into the mountains. 

Along the way, the half-beastmen from the Rainbow Sun Tribe were all very friendly and eager to talk with them, especially curious about the clothes they were wearing. 

A young half-beastman, around the same age as Bai Ling and wearing a fur skirt, walked with a lively pace and said excitedly, “I’ve already signed up, maybe I’ll be among the first group to learn weaving!” 

His companion laughed heartily, “There’s not a single half-beastman who didn’t sign up. Only fifteen people are going to be chosen, and I feel like none of us will make it.” 

Another one added, “It’s a good thing that the tribe leader didn’t allow the beastmen to join, or they’d be competing with us. Honestly, when they hunt, they’re in beast form, so why are they in such a rush to make clothes?” 

“Exactly! We should be the ones to wear them first!” 

“That reminds me, Wen Ze, didn’t the tribe leader bring people to your tribe last time and exchange for a batch of fabric? I’ve seen some people already make clothes from it, and they look pretty similar to what you’re wearing.” 

Wen Ze wasn’t surprised. “Yes, that’s right.” 

“I actually don’t really want to wear clothes with an open front and ties. Does your tribe have any other styles?” 

Wen Ze thought for a moment and said, “I didn’t really notice.” 

The half-beastman was about to feel disappointed when he heard Wen Ze say, “But I just remembered something.” 

“Oh?” 

Wen Ze casually picked up a branch from the side, smoothed the dirt on the ground with his foot, and began to draw with the stick. 

In an instant, the half-beastmen rushed towards him. Unprepared, Sang Hui was pushed out of the group. 

He had the basket on his back, looking a bit helpless. 

Wen Ze quickly drew a short-sleeve T-shirt on the ground. 

“The front and back are the same, oh, but the neckline in the front is lower. You just put it on over your head when you wear it…” 

He made a gesture on how to put it on, and when he looked up, he found several half-beastmen staring at him with bright eyes. His words got stuck in his throat. 

The half-beastmen excitedly said, “I really like this style! It seems so convenient to wear!” 

“It could be made into long sleeves too, so you could wear it when it gets cold.” Wen Ze added. 

“Ahhhh, I really want to learn weaving right now! I want to wear new clothes!” 

“Who doesn’t?! I really hope tomorrow comes quickly!” 

During the gathering, the half-beastmen from the Rainbow Sun Tribe were all excitedly discussing the “new clothes.” 

Sang Hui finally got the chance and returned to Wen Ze’s side. His gaze was full of anticipation, with a bit of resentment. 

Wen Ze, not quite understanding, asked quietly, “Uncle Sang Hui, what’s wrong? Was I not supposed to tell them about the style of the clothes?” 

Sang Hui chuckled, “Of course not. I was just thinking about Bai Ling. Such a simple and nice style, and you didn’t tell him first. When we get back, he might come looking for you, haha.” 

Wen Ze felt a chill on his scalp: “…” 

Oh, he had forgotten. 

“Come here, there are persimmons over here!” A voice called out, pulling his attention. 

Wen Ze instinctively looked over, and his eyes slowly widened. 

Wasn’t that… a tomato??! 

---

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