Beastmen carry the genes of beasts within their bodies, so aggressiveness, impulsiveness, and irritability accompany many beastmen throughout their lives. 

And with their tribe’s development being fairly simple, their ways of handling problems are also straightforward and often harsh. 

When there’s a conflict or misunderstanding, the solution is simple: find a place, settle it with a fight, and the one with the stronger punch wins. 

But the tribe does have rules: fights should stop when it’s clear who’s won. No permanent injuries or death are allowed. 

After all, the beastmen themselves are well aware of their low birth rates. 

There’s one exception, though: a duel where both participants agree. 

For a duel, you have to issue a challenge and have someone of importance witness it. In that case, the outcome, whether life or death, is left to fate. 

Once a duel is called, it’s like putting everything you have on the line, showing both your courage and determination. 

As soon as Zhuo Mu finished speaking, the atmosphere grew tense. Wen Ze’s expression immediately changed. 

Chi Yu was still smiling, but his fox-like eyes had darkened. 

As a tribe leader who had fought his way to the top, he wasn’t intimidated by a challenge. He responded with a question, just as provocatively: 

“If I win, will Wen Ze come to our tribe?” 

Zhuo Mu spoke coldly, “This is between you and me. It has nothing to do with anyone else. We’ll fight in your tribe. If I win, you’ll give me your black silver knife. If you win, I’ll give you an equal amount of supplies.” 

Wen Ze stared in shock and subtly shook his head at Zhuo Mu. 

If he really managed to take down Chi Yu in the Rainbow Sun Tribe and win the black silver knife, he’d be in big trouble. Not only would Chi Yu hate him, but the entire Rainbow Sun Tribe would despise him. 

If he lost, even the least embarrassing outcome would be humiliating, and Wen Ze didn’t want to face that either. 

Sighing inwardly, Wen Ze thought to himself, “I made myself so clear, yet Chi Yu just won’t give up.” 

Chi Yu, too, was fired up by Zhuo Mu’s words. He sneered and said, “Alright…” 

“Stop!” Wen Ze raised his voice to interrupt them and said seriously, “No duels are allowed.” 

He first looked at Zhuo Mu, whose face was as cold as ice. In a calm, reassuring tone, he said, “I know why you’re doing this, but trust me, I’ll handle it.” 

Zhuo Mu pressed his lips together and stayed silent. 

Wen Ze then looked at Chi Yu with a smile, though his tone was cold. “Leader Chi Yu, aren’t we here to discuss the exchange? Let’s stay on topic.” 

Chi Yu stared at him for a couple of seconds, then sighed and reluctantly backed down. 

“Wen Ze, you’ve helped us so much, and I feel bad about it. I really want to treat you. If you don’t want to come, I completely understand and won’t insist.” 

“Yes, I believe you.” Wen Ze softened his tone. “Since we’ve cleared things up, Zhuo Mu and I will head back tonight.” 

Chi Yu gave a bitter smile. “Alright, I respect your decision. As for the chili peppers, don’t worry, we’ll go to the place that the older half-beastman mentioned and take a good look. If we find them, we’ll send them to your tribe.” 

“Or, if you’re concerned, you can set aside some time to visit, and we can search together.” 

His sincerity made Wen Ze feel a bit guilty. 

“Leader Chi Yu, I have no concerns about the way you handle things. Thanks for taking care of it.” 

“We’re good friends, don’t be so formal.” 

After talking for a bit, Wen Ze stood up and said, “I’ll go back to work with Zhuo Mu.” 

Chi Yu nodded. “Alright.” 

Wen Ze gave Zhuo Mu a glance, and together they walked toward the crowd in the distance. 

Having avoided a fight, Wen Ze sighed in relief. 

“I honestly thought you two were about to fight. Don’t do that again,” Wen Ze said seriously. 

Zhuo Mu stared at him for a moment before quietly asking, “Were you afraid I’d lose?” 

Wen Ze corrected him, “I was worried you’d get hurt.” 

With the primitive medical conditions in this world, what would they do if he suffered a serious injury that couldn’t be treated? That thought alone was terrifying. 

Zhuo Mu paused in his steps. After Wen Ze walked a few paces ahead, he snapped back to reality and quickly caught up. 

The whole time, his gaze never left Wen Ze. 

Wen Ze kept muttering under his breath, “And I told you, I’m not coming to the Rainbow Sun Tribe. So, there’s no need to be so worried.” 

Just like yesterday, Wen Ze had been running around all afternoon. 

Everyone was getting better at working together, and it was almost like a production line. In the end, they assembled twenty-two spinning tools! 

Adding the nineteen from the morning and yesterday, they made a total of forty-one tools! 

Looking at all the new tools lined up on the ground, Wen Ze couldn’t help but puff out his chest with pride. 

If his beast ears were showing, they would probably be happily swaying in the wind. 

After a quick meal, with the sun still setting, if they pushed themselves, they could make it back to the South Mountain Tribe before the moon was high in the sky. 

Thinking about how the people of the Rainbow Sun Tribe still needed to help him find peppers, Wen Ze said to Chi Yu, “We’ll go with what we discussed before and take twenty tools back.” 

Chi Yu tried to persuade him, “You’re leaving already? Are you sure you don’t want to stay the night?” 

“We can’t stay.” 

“Alright then.” Chi Yu added, “With so many spinning tools, you two can’t carry them all, so we’ll help you.” 

“We can take them apart, then I can fit a bit in my space. Zhuo Mu, can you carry the rest?” 

Zhuo Mu replied, “Just put them all in mine.” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Alright.” 

Chi Yu sighed helplessly. “Wen Ze, it’s really hard to help you out.” 

Wen Ze smiled lightly. 

“Since that’s the case,” Chi Yu said, handing him something, “take this with you.” 

Wen Ze glanced over, and to his surprise, it was a knife made of black silver! The blade was just a little shorter than his forearm, heavy, with the edge reflecting a silver shine like aluminum. 

Chi Yu had exchanged almost a hundred fine pieces of pottery for the small knife. Seeing such a large knife, Wen Ze didn’t even want to guess how much supplies did they spend for it. 

His eyes widened in shock, and he quickly waved his hands to refuse. “This is way too valuable. I can’t take it.” 

But Chi Yu was persistent. “Wen Ze, take it. This is the whole tribe’s decision.” 

“But we already agreed on the supplies that you would pay me, didn’t we?” 

Chi Yu replied, “You’ve helped us so much. You taught us how to cook, how to weave and spin, and most importantly, you helped us improve our pottery kilns. How could the supplies we agreed on be enough?” 

“We’ve been trying to get you peppers, but we still haven’t found any. We, the Rainbow Sun Tribe, don’t take advantage of our friends. It would feel wrong to let you leave like this.” 

“This black silver knife, no matter what, you have to accept it.” 

Wen Ze still shook his head in refusal. 

Huo Lan and the others started getting worried and tried to convince him, “Wen Ze, just take it! A black silver knife can be exchanged for enough supplies, but the method for making spinning tools isn’t something that can be bought with supplies. What you’ve given us is far more valuable than anything we can give you.” 

“Yes, exactly! We’ve seen all the hard work you’ve put in these past few days. You even left us two extra spinning tools this afternoon. We don’t know how to thank you enough.” 

“Our two tribes will have plenty of chances to work together in the future. Giving you the knife is also for our own benefit.” 

“If you ever make more useful tools, consider selling them to us!” 

Their enthusiasm was overwhelming. Wen Ze didn’t want to take it, but they wouldn’t let him leave without it. 

Seeing that after all this time, he was still lingering outside Chi Yu’s cave, Wen Ze, feeling touched, finally gave in: 

“Alright, I’ll accept it. Thank you, everyone.” 

Everyone cheered with joy and excitement: “That’s great!” 

Chi Yu, with a serious expression, handed the knife over with both hands and said with a sincere smile, “To the friendship between our two tribes.” 

Wen Ze also replied earnestly, “To the friendship between our two tribes.” 

After gathering everything, Wen Ze climbed onto the back of the giant white python and waved to the people from the Rainbow Sun Tribe who were seeing him off. 

Everyone had smiles on their faces and warmly told him that he was always welcome to come back. 

Chi Yu, along with a few beastmen, escorted them for quite a distance. 

The sun had completely set, and the evening breeze eased the heat. The forest was also dark and quiet. 

Wen Ze turned and said, “Leader Chi Yu, you should head back. If you keep going, you’ll be leaving your tribe’s territory.” 

The fiery red fox, standing over ten meters tall, stopped at the sound of Wen Ze’s words, followed by several large giant beastmen beside him. 

His deep voice rang out, “Be careful on your way. Goodbye.” 

Wen Ze waved with a smile, “Goodbye.” 

The giant white python turned its head, swayed its body, and with a few flicks, vanished into the deep forest. 

After bidding farewell to Chi Yu and the others, Zhuo Mu sped up even more. Wen Ze lowered his body on his back, watching the scenery rapidly retreat around them. The wind they created was so strong that it almost hurt his ears. 

About two hours later, they finally returned to the South Mountain Tribe. 

The beastman on patrol tonight was Bai Xia. He spotted them from a distance and called out loudly, “Zhuo Mu! Wen Ze! You’re back!” 

The familiar surroundings and beastmen made Wen Ze feel both excited and at ease, and he experienced a strong sense of belonging. 

He shouted back, “Yes, we’re back!” 

Zhuo Mu opened his mouth and let out a low hiss. 

When they met Bai Xia, he couldn’t stop talking, like a pot full of beans spilling out: “How many days have you been gone? It feels like the tribe’s been pretty boring! How did it go? Was everything okay? That reminds me, have you had a meal? That kid Yin He should be at home. We’ve been helping him feed the cows, water the plants, and collect firewood these last few days.” 

Wen Ze smiled and replied, “It went smoothly. We’ve already eaten, thanks for your help. Bai Xia, Zhuo Mu and I are going back now, but I need to ask you for a favor.” 

Bai Xia pounded his chest proudly, “Tell me! I’ve got your back!” 

“Could you send a message to Uncle Sang Hui and the others? Tell them I have something to show them and ask them to come early tomorrow.” 

“Okay! I’ll make sure they get it!” 

Zhuo Mu, in his beast form, was moving quickly. Bai Xia changed into a big fluffy white bear, thumping his thick bear paws on the ground as he followed a few steps behind. 

He curiously asked, “So, what’s this good thing? Can I come see it too?” 

Wen Ze grinned, “Of course, you’re welcome to come whenever you want.” 

Bai Xia nodded eagerly. If it wasn’t so late, he would have gone to see it right away. 

Before long, Wen Ze and Zhuo Mu arrived at the familiar cave entrance. Zhuo Mu changed back into his human form, his silver clothes hugging his strong, fit body. 

Wen Ze breathed in the familiar scent around them—it felt so comforting, both physically and mentally. 

Yin He came running out of the cave when he saw them, his eyes lighting up as he excitedly rushed over, his eyes red with excitement. 

“Brother! Brother Zhuo Mu! You all have finally come back!” 

The two young men caught the younger boy, who was a bit shorter, and patted his back. 

Yin He lightly complained, “You said you’d be back yesterday. Why did you come back a day late?” 

Wen Ze explained, “Some things got delayed. Come on,” he warmly wrapped his arm around Yin He’s shoulder, “Let me show you what we brought back.” 

Yin He immediately got interested, his face lighting up with a big smile as he followed. 

“There’s no rush. You two must be tired from the journey. Let me get you some water, you can wash up and sleep. We can look at it tomorrow.” 

“Oh, right, I kept the pottery that Uncle Sang Hui and the others brought for you safe in the cave. There are over forty pieces! I was surprised when I saw them.” 

He proudly added, “Everything’s good at home, the two cows are doing fine, eating well and resting well. I’ve even collected a whole pot of milk!” 

Talking about his work, Yin He felt a burst of pride. 

“Haha, our little brother is really capable!” Wen Ze tightened his embrace around Yin He. 

The past few days had been tiring, but it was manageable while they were away. Once they got home, the exhaustion hit them all at once. 

In the end, they didn’t even unpack and fell asleep as soon as they entered the cave. 

They slept soundly through the night. 

The next morning, Wen Ze woke up and stretched lazily. 

His sharp ears caught the sound of people talking outside the cave. 

He ran a hand through his short, messy black hair, got up, and, while tying his clothes, walked outside. 

The sun was already up, and the light made him squint his eyes as he glanced around… 

Then, he froze, his dark eyes widening in surprise. 

Why are there so many people? 

Aside from Wu Ye, Bai Xia, and Sang Hui’s family, it seemed like every young person from the tribe was here! 

“Wen Ze, you’re up!” Bai Ling called out cheerfully and greeted him with a smile. 

Noticing he was wearing new clothes, Wen Ze hesitated and said, “Isn’t this the one I mentioned to Huo Lan and the others…” 

Sang Hui laughed. “Yes, it’s the one you mentioned with short sleeves. After I came back, I described it to Bai Ling, and he made one using some fabric from home.” 

Bai Ling raised his chin slightly, stepped closer to Wen Ze, and spun around so that he could see it more clearly. 

“How does it look?” 

Because of the different kinds and ways hemp is processed, the color of the hemp thread turns out different. 

The short-sleeve shirt was deep grey, with a soft texture, and it looked fresh and neat on his well-proportioned figure. 

Wen Ze honestly said, “It looks great.” 

Bai Ling huffed, “I knew it looked good. Why didn’t you tell us this design earlier?” 

Wen Ze awkwardly scratched his nose and glanced at Sang Hui for help. Sang Hui shrugged silently. 

Everyone burst into laughter. 

Wen Ze asked, “Did you all come to see the things I brought back?” 

Bai Xia replied, “Yes, everyone is curious, so we all came together.” 

Wen Ze said, “Okay, then wait for me a bit. I’ll go wash my face.” 

Zhuo Mu and Yin He were already up. Zhuo Mu was at the stone stove, working away, with a fire going under the stone pot. 

On the wooden counter, there were chopped tomatoes, and at his feet was a small basket of bird eggs. 

“Zhuo Mu, you’re cooking breakfast today?” Wen Ze asked. 

“Mm, I steamed the roots, and I’m going to stir-fry the tomatoes with bird eggs, then boil the milk that Yin He saved. You can go and take care of the others,” Zhuo Mu replied. 

These dishes weren’t difficult to prepare, so Wen Ze grinned brightly and said, “Alright! I’ll be waiting for the food!” 

After washing his face with clean water and brushing his teeth with his homemade “brush,” Wen Ze finally returned to the straw shelter outside the cave. 

The parts for the spinning wheel were neatly arranged by Zhuo Mu. 

Sang Hui walked over and asked, “I assume what you want to show us isn’t just tomatoes, right?” 

“Yes, just wait a second. I’ll assemble one for you,” Wen Ze replied. 

The others watched as he confidently picked up one part after another and quickly assembled a wooden frame. 

“What is this?!” Bai Ling exclaimed. 

Wen Ze looked up and asked, “Does anyone have any hemp? The kind that hasn’t been spun yet? Can I borrow some?” 

A half-beastman raised a hand. “I have some.” 

Wen Ze took the hemp, skillfully placed it in front of the spinning frame, and positioned his long fingers on the spinning wheel. 

“Ahem… Watch closely.” 

Without needing to say more, everyone’s eyes were locked on him. 

As he turned the spinning wheel, the tangled hemp quickly spun into fine threads, and everyone was left in stunned silence. 

The sound of the spinning wheel hummed as it spun faster and faster, rapidly reducing the mass of hemp into thread. 

On the other hand, the spindle in Wen Ze’s hand, wrapped with thread, became thicker and thicker. 

When all the hemp had been spun, Wen Ze put down the spindle and gave everyone a small smile. “Now you can see how it’s used, right?” 

It was as if a splash of water had been thrown into hot oil, and the crowd erupted with excitement. 

Yin He, who had come to watch the commotion, shouted in disbelief, “Brother! How can this spin so fast? Did the Beast God give you some special power?” 

Wen Ze chuckled and replied, “The Beast God blesses us all, but this spinning tool, I made it.” 

Bai Ling stared at the tool without blinking. “Spinning tool?” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Yes, I was a day late because I was working on this. I came up with the idea, and the Rainbow Sun Tribe provided the people and the materials to help me make it.” 

Sang Hui was completely stunned. “…This is so much better than a spindle. Can I take a look?” 

Wen Ze stepped aside. “Sure, you can take a look if you want.” 

After Sang Hui sat down, someone handed him a bundle of hemp. 

He tried using the spinning frame like Wen Ze had, and effortlessly began spinning the thread! 

Beastmen age slowly, and from their looks, Sang Hui seemed about the same age as Wen Ze and the others. 

However, he was twenty years older and was one of the leaders, so he usually remained calm when facing situations. 

But this time, he truly couldn’t remain calm. 

When he stepped aside for Li Shui, he was still staring blankly at his palm, his eyes feeling strangely warm. 

Looking up, he sincerely said to Wen Ze, “By the Beast God, I never imagined the thread could be spun this quickly and this well. With this, think of how much easier weaving will be for us.” 

Wen Ze grinned, his eyes squinting with happiness. “I knew you’d like it.” 

Li Shui is a mild-tempered half-beastman, but at this moment, he raised his voice and said, “Like it? I really love it!” 

Everyone, whether beastmen or half-beastmen, was extremely excited. 

All that hard work over two days wasn’t for nothing. 

Someone called out, “Li Shui, let me try it too!” 

Another person exclaimed, “We thought exchanging our weaving method for the pottery kiln was already a great idea, but I didn’t expect Wen Ze could even make a spinning tool!” 

“Yes! I’ve been so excited thinking about the better pottery we’ll soon have, and now Wen Ze’s brought us this huge surprise!” 

“The fabric is so popular; we can exchange as much as we make!” 

“Wen Ze, you’re truly the lucky star of our South Mountain Tribe!” 

“I’m glad I came early this morning! Hahaha!” 

“That reminds me, Wen Ze, how many spinning tools did you bring back?” 

Wen Ze replied, “Twenty.” 

“Only twenty? Are you going to exchange them?” 

“Yes.” 

Those with sharp minds immediately jumped in. “I want one! How much supplies do you want?” 

Others quickly followed. “I want one too! We weave cloth every day at home; we really need one!” 

“Me too! Wen Ze, you have to give me one no matter what!” 

The voice was so loud that it made Wen Ze’s ears ring. He raised his hand, signaling everyone to calm down. 

Seeing this, Yin He yelled, “Everyone, listen to my brother!” 

The crowd finally quieted down, but all eyes were still fixed on Wen Ze. 

“The spinning tools will be given to our tribe members. Each one will cost half a piece of animal hide.” 

Half an animal hide was affordable for anyone. Once they heard this, everyone got excited and eager to grab one. 

But Wen Ze changed his tone. “As you can see, the quantity is limited, and it’s impossible for everyone to have one. Those who can’t get one will be disappointed.” 

“I’ve come up with a solution for this, which is to rent them out.” 

This word was unfamiliar to everyone. 

“What’s renting out?” 

Wen Ze explained, “It means I will keep the spinning tools here and maintain them. If anyone wants to use one, they can pay me with supplies to borrow it. After using it, they return it to me. But be careful when using it; if it gets damaged, you have to compensate.” 

“You don’t have to worry; this situation won’t last long. The Rainbow Sun Tribe has the tools and experience. I’ll exchange more parts from them, and once they’re assembled, we’ll be able to sell them to everyone.” 

The crowd thought about his words and nodded in approval. 

Sang Hui said, “Wen Ze, that’s a great idea. After all, we don’t spin thread every day, so buying one just to leave it unused would be a waste.” 

Bai Ling added, “Yes, and twenty tools would be hard to divide.” 

Li Shui remarked, “Renting is different. If everyone takes turns, we should be able to manage for a while.” 

The others also nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes, Wen Ze, you’re really clever for thinking of such a solution.” 

Wen Ze blushed at the compliment. The sun came through the straw shelter and made his young, handsome face turn a little red. 

“Alright, so that’s settled, then?” He looked at Sang Hui and Wu Ye, who had been silent all this time. 

The two people with authority both gave their approval. 

Bai Ling was extremely fond of the spinning tools and eagerly asked, “So, Wen Ze, how are you planning to collect supplies for the rentals?” 

Wen Ze was already prepared. “I’m not short on animal hides or cloth right now. For common food, Zhuo Mu and I can gather some, so I’m thinking of asking for bird eggs, honeycomb, nuts, seeds, and things like that. These things are rare, and their small quantities make them easier to exchange.” 

Everyone took note of this seriously. “Sounds good.” 

A lot of people reached into their spaces and took things out. 

In addition to what Wen Ze had mentioned, others brought out dried fruits, processed thorny fruits, and easily stored dried fruits. 

Those who wanted to rent the spinning tools lined up in front of the straw shelter and showed Wen Ze the supplies they had prepared. 

Wen Ze would decide on the rental time based on the supplies. 

He was fair—three honeycombs could be exchanged for a whole morning of use, which everyone could afford. 

Those who had other plans or weren’t in a hurry to spin thread gave the opportunity to others. 

For example, Sang Hui’s family rented two spinning tools. 

While Zhuo Mu was boiling milk, he glanced over at the scene. The atmosphere was friendly, and everything was running smoothly. 

Wen Ze, who had cleverly solved the problem, wore a joyful smile on his face. 

Seeing him, Zhuo Mu also smiled faintly. 

When all twenty spinning tools were rented out, and everyone left satisfied, Zhuo Mu invited Wen Ze to join him for a meal. 

During the meal, he said to Wen Ze, “How about we go to the hot springs today?” 

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