Although Zhuo Mu had never eaten stir-fried shredded meat with radish before, he had seen many things while staying by Wen Ze’s side, so his expression remained calm. 

On the other hand, Ri Yan swallowed and muttered in a daze, “So this is how green-stalk roots are eaten… It smells amazing.” 

Xue Yuan’s eyes also lit up. “Just from the smell, I can already imagine how delicious it is.” 

Gurgle— 

Everyone turned toward Bai Han’s stomach. 

The young tribe leader’s fair cheeks flushed slightly as he cleared his throat awkwardly and mumbled, “I wasn’t even hungry before this.” 

Laughter broke out immediately. 

It wasn’t just them—the rich, mouthwatering aroma had already drawn in the nearby beastmen, half-beastmen, and even the little ones. 

Everyone craned their necks to look over, curiously asking, “That amazing smell is from stir-fried green stalks? Have we been eating them wrong this whole time?” 

“It smells so good! Father, I want some~” 

Xue Yuan appeared serious, but in reality, he was quite mischievous and couldn’t help but tease them. “This is nothing. Wen Ze also said he’s going to make fried radish meatballs and cold shredded radish salad.” 

“What?! What even are those?!” 

Just then, Wen Ze took the stir-fried radish and shredded meat out of the pan. The dish had a rich color and was steaming hot. 

“I made a lot, so everyone, come and try some!” 

The tiger cubs whined hungrily, “Father, food! Food!” 

A nearby young man with sharp features quickly covered the furry little mouth and, feeling slightly embarrassed, declined, “No need, we already had dinner. We were just curious about what smelled so good.” 

Wen Ze smiled. “It’s fine, if you want to eat, go ahead. Xue Yuan, why don’t you help serve everyone? I still need to marinate the shredded radish.” 

Xue Yuan could tell Wen Ze genuinely wanted to share the food. Impressed by his warmth and generosity, he nodded. “Alright.” 

Zhuo Mu stepped forward and handed him some salt, and the two got to work. 

Xue Yuan turned to the rest of the tribe with a smile and said, “We dug up a lot of green root stalks, so don’t hold back. If you feel bad about taking some, you can exchange them for other food.” 

Bai Han added, “Meat, vegetables, bird eggs, all are fine.” 

Normally, they’d just be curious and watch from the side, but they wouldn’t actually eat. 

But today, the aroma was too tempting—it had their mouths watering. 

With the cubs whining and making a fuss, their resolve wavered even more. 

Since Wen Ze had already offered, they might as well exchange some food and give it a try! 

“If it’s really that good, we’ll go dig up some green root stalks ourselves tomorrow!” 

“Thank you! I’d like to exchange some fresh bird eggs I just collected today so my little cub can try the stir-fried meat.” 

“How about black deer meat? I hunted some today. If it’s good, I’ll run back to my cave to get it!” 

As the people gathered, Ri Yan took charge of collecting the items while Xue Yuan used a wooden spoon to serve everyone a portion. 

Holding clay bowls and using chopsticks made from tree branches, they started eating right then and there. 

Meanwhile, Wen Ze had just salted the shredded radish for the cold dish and was getting ready to boil water to blanch it when he heard everyone expressing their amazement. 

“This is so fresh and sweet! And the meat is so tender—I barely had to chew before swallowing it!” 

“It smells incredible! I bet it’d taste even better with some steamed roots!” 

“Exactly!” 

“So delicious! Father, I want more!” 

“You greedy little cub! You never eat my cooking properly, but this? You’re gobbling it down!” 

Even Xue Yuan and Ri Yan, after tasting it, were amazed by the flavor. 

The smell and the lively atmosphere drew in more members of the tribe. Even though each person only had a spoonful, Wen Ze’s stir-fried radish and meat dish quickly disappeared. 

“Oh! We ate it all! What will Wen Ze and the others eat later?” Everyone panicked. 

Wen Ze, who was currently squeezing excess water out of the radish shreds, chuckled. “It’s fine. I’ll just cook some more. If anyone has time, help me slice some more meat and radish.” 

One of the half-beastman quickly raised his hand. “I’ll do it!” 

Wen Ze’s eyes curved into a smile. “Great! I also need someone to split these beast bones so I can make soup once the pot is free.” 

A beastman immediately volunteered. “Me! I’m strong!” 

What was originally just a simple dinner for five people suddenly turned into a bustling gathering. 

Everyone chopped the shredded meat, shredded radish, and even some scallions, placing them neatly by the stove. 

Even the task of tending the fire was quickly taken over by other Beastmen. 

Seeing how much everyone loved the stir-fried radish and meat, Wen Ze decided to make two more big pans of it before frying the radish meatballs. 

As the fragrant aroma filled the air, everyone eagerly praised him. “Wen Ze, we’ve heard for a long time that your cooking is amazing. Now that we’ve finally tasted it, it’s even better than expected!” 

“You actually made these watery, bland green root stalks taste so good!” 

“I need to learn from you!” 

Then, when Xue Yuan mentioned that they could exchange green root stalks for a weaving tool, the crowd erupted with excitement. 

“Beast God! A weaving tool?! I have a younger brother in the South Mountain tribe, and he told me that thing is incredibly useful! With just a few swift motions, you can spin thread quickly and effortlessly!” 

“This is amazing! We’re finally getting a getting a weaving tool!” 

“Wen Ze, thank you so much!” 

“Leader, you all have worked hard too!” 

Having experienced this kind of situation many times before, Wen Ze had gotten used to it. He responded politely, “No need to thank me. I’m happy to exchange for the green root stalks too.” 

As the leader of his tribe, Bai Han was rarely surrounded by such praise. His face, which had just cooled from the cold, grew warm again. He found an excuse to help Wen Ze tend the fire and quickly stepped away. 

Once the dishes were stir-fried, Wen Ze mixed the filling for the fried meatballs. When the fat in the pot was hot enough, he started frying them. 

Back in the South Mountain Tribe, they used to make fried meatballs all the time, so he was already quite skilled at it. 

Using a wooden spoon, he scooped some filling, placed it in his palm, and quickly shaped it into a meatball with a few swift movements. The whole process took less than three seconds. 

One by one, the formed meatballs were dropped into the oil, floating to the surface as they sizzled and bubbled. 

It wasn’t a particularly difficult task. At first, only Zhuo Mu helped him, but once Xue Yuan and the others got the hang of it, they all joined in, shaping the meatballs together. 

With his hands now free, Wen Ze focused solely on frying them. 

He even told the people from the Snow Sea Tribe, “No need to make them perfect. As long as they hold together, it’s fine—we’re eating them soon anyway.” 

Everyone laughed and loosened up a little as they worked. 

The meatballs needed to be fried twice. After the second round at high heat, Wen Ze scooped them up with his strainer and set them in a clay pot to cool. 

The aroma of fried food was even stronger than that of stir-fried dishes, completely filling the space around them. 

Everyone present was tempted, their eyes gleaming as they occasionally glanced at the golden-fried meatballs. 

Wen Ze picked up a clean pair of chopsticks, grabbed one, and handed it to Zhuo Mu before taking one for himself. 

“Mmm, not bad!” The meatball was still hot, and Wen Ze blew on it as he took a bite, his brows relaxing in satisfaction as he enjoyed the taste. 

Fried radish meatballs were truly exceptional—the spiciness was completely removed, leaving only the fresh sweetness of the radish. 

As for the outer layer, it was crispy and crunchy, while the inside remained juicy and tender. The more one chewed, the more fragrant it became. 

After swallowing the food in his mouth, Wen Ze smiled in satisfaction and said, “You all should try it too!” 

That was exactly what everyone was waiting for! 

Several pairs of chopsticks reached for the bowl of fried meatballs at the same time. 

“So good!” 

“Oh wow, even pure meatballs wouldn’t be this fragrant!” 

“I didn’t see Wen Ze add any sugar to the filling, but why is it sweet?” 

“This flavor is incredible!” 

“Ahhh, this is amazing!” 

“Wen Ze! Can’t you stay in our Snow Sea Tribe?” 

Wen Ze was busy mixing shredded radish and hadn’t answered yet when Zhuo Mu coldly responded, “No.” 

Wen Ze chuckled at that. “Yeah, I can’t.” 

The fried radish meatballs were way more popular than the stir-fried meat, especially among the little ones. They devoured over a dozen each and still weren’t satisfied, pestering their parents for more. 

Without hesitation, the parents brought out more meat, chopping it into filling and slicing radish into fine shreds. 

Since they weren’t confident in seasoning the mixture properly, they left that part to Wen Ze. Once it was time to shape and fry the meatballs, they took over again. 

Bai Han wasn’t sure how it happened, but before long, nearly half of the tribe had gathered around. 

But in the end, those who had ingredients brought them, and those who had strength helped out. They mixed bowl after bowl of meat filling, and the rich aroma of fried meatballs filled the entire tribe. 

Freshly fried ones were quickly divided up and eaten. 

Now and then, disappointed voices rang out: “Save me a couple! You’re all too fast!” 

After finishing his work, Wen Ze called Zhuo Mu and the others over for a meal. 

The stir-fried meat was rich in color and full of flavor. The radish meatballs were crispy and fragrant, making everyone’s mouth water. The shredded radish salad was refreshing and slightly sweet, perfectly balancing the richness of the meal. 

This radish-centered meal left everyone full and completely satisfied. 

After eating, Wen Ze didn’t even need to clean up. He simply lounged onto a stone bench covered with animal hides. 

The others had mostly finished eating too, chatting and singing as they tidied up. The atmosphere was warm and harmonious. 

Wen Ze listened to the singing while holding a bowl of rich, milky-white radish bone broth. He blew on it slightly before sipping it slowly. 

Ahh—radish and bone broth were a perfect match! The marrow had absorbed the radish’s fragrance, making it unbelievably delicious. 

After eating and drinking his fill, he leaned back, letting the cool evening breeze wash over him. It felt amazing. 

The only thing missing was something soft and fluffy to pet. If only he had a furry little tiger cub in his arms… 

Just as he was thinking that, he looked up—one, two, three, four… five tiger cubs staring right at him! 

They were even lined up by size, with the smallest one barely bigger than a ragdoll cat. It must’ve been born this year. 

Wen Ze chuckled and squinted his eyes, beckoning them over with his hand. 

The eager cubs immediately let out excited cries and pounced on him. 

Thankfully, the stone bench was big enough. Otherwise, he might’ve been knocked to the ground. 

“Brother Wen Ze!” The cubs called out affectionately. 

“Hello!” Wen Ze quickly finished his soup and stashed the bowl away in his space. 

He patted one cub’s head and pinched another’s ear, wishing he had eight hands to pet them all at once. 

The smallest tiger cub jumped straight into his arms, kneading his belly with its soft little paws before curling up comfortably. Its striped tail wrapped around its front legs, making it look unbearably cute. 

Wen Ze couldn’t resist at all. He pulled out some nut milk candy and stuffed it into their mouths. 

The one in his arms, thanks to its adorable baby-like cries, ended up getting the most treats. 

Finally, Wen Ze gave in completely. He wrapped his arms around the little cub and lowered his head, taking a deep breath of its scent. 

It smelled like sunshine—so warm and comforting! 

Not far away, Zhuo Mu watched him with a gentle gaze. 

*** 

That night, Wen Ze slept soundly in the cave the Snow Sea Tribe had arranged for him. 

According to the usual rules of the beast world, if someone stayed in another tribe and ate their food, they had to offer supplies in return. 

But this time, not only did the Snow Sea Tribe refuse to take anything from him, they even gave him extra supplies because of last night’s feast. He ended up making a small profit instead. 

As dawn broke, he woke up and slowly got ready. 

While thinking about what he needed to discuss with Bai Han later, he noticed two beastmen in his peripheral vision. Their expressions were grim as they hurried toward Bai Han’s cave. 

What happened? 

After tidying himself up, Wen Ze also headed to Bai Han’s place. 

Even from a distance, he could see the two beastmen gesturing animatedly as they spoke to Bai Han. 

Bai Han’s face had never looked so serious. 

Noticing Wen Ze approaching, Bai Han motioned for the two beastmen to pause and greeted him first. 

“Wen Ze, you can leave the weaving tool here. After breakfast, I’ll have someone escort you and Zhuo Mu back.” 

Standing a few steps away, Wen Ze spoke warmly, “Tribe Leader Bai Han, I actually have something I’d like to discuss with you. If now isn’t a good time, I can come back later.” 

Bai Han nodded. “Now really isn’t ideal. I need to head to the pearwood forest with them.” 

Wen Ze frowned slightly. “Can I ask what happened?” 

Bai Han’s tone was heavy. “They said the entire pearwood forest is infested with insects.” 

Wen Ze was taken aback and frowned. “What kind of insects? Are there a lot of them?” 

Since Bai Han had already brought it up, the two beastmen didn’t hide anything from him. 

“They’re tiny white insects. At first, we thought it was frost forming on the fruit.” 

“But there are a ton of them. Every tree is covered. We can’t catch them all.” 

“They’ve already started eating the fruit. At this rate, we won’t have a single pear left by autumn!” 

Wen Ze raised a hand. “Don’t panic just yet. As long as we act quickly, the fruit can still be saved.” 

His calm demeanor had an effect on the two beastmen. They weren’t as frantic as before, but their faces were still full of worry and uncertainty. 

“But how do we stop them? We can’t catch them all. We even tried pouring water on them, but it didn’t work. We can’t just set the whole forest on fire, can we?” 

“That whole forest? Of course, we can’t burn it.” 

Wen Ze looked at Bai Han and asked seriously, “Can you take me with you to the pearwood forest?” 

Bai Han was a bit puzzled but still agreed. “I mean, we can… but aren’t you having breakfast?” 

“There’s no time for that! Let’s go now!” 

On the way, they stopped by Zhuo Mu’s cave and brought him along. 

While traveling, Wen Ze sat on the giant python’s back and filled him in on the situation with the pearwood forest. 

Bai Han and the other two Beastmen had changed into their beast forms and led the way up front. 

They moved fast. In about twenty minutes, they arrived at the pearwood forest. 

Wen Ze got off Zhuo Mu’s back, and the beastmen returned to their human forms before heading into the woods together. 

Yesterday, he had only seen it from a distance and knew it was big, with trees full of fruit. 

Now, stepping onto the thick layers of fallen leaves, he gained a deeper impression of the place. 

Unlike any other forest he had seen in the Beast World, this one consisted entirely of pearwood trees, each about five meters tall. There were no other trees, and even weeds were scarce. 

The pearwood branches were thin yet flexible, with deep green leaves that rustled softly in the wind. 

Clusters of round, plump pears grew at the tips of the branches, their weight causing the branches to bend. 

It wasn’t harvest season yet, so most of the fruit was still green, with only a few showing a faint yellow hue. 

Wen Ze took a sniff but could only catch the faint sour scent of unripe fruit. 

What stood out the most was the layer of “white frost” covering the fruit. Squinting, he realized those tiny white specks were moving. 

His expression darkened—he already had a few guesses about what kind of pests these were. 

Back in his original world, pest control had been around for as long as agriculture itself. 

In modern times, chemical pesticides were the most widely used method. 

But in the Beast World? There were no ready-made pesticides. 

How long would it take to find the right plants and create something effective against the pests? 

Could this massive forest even hold out that long? 

Clenching his fists, Wen Ze gritted his teeth and shook his head, pushing aside those distracting thoughts. 

Now wasn’t the time to back down! 

The priority was to assess the damage and figure out a solution. 

He saw Bai Han and the other two beastmen already climbing different trees, inspecting the leaves and fruit carefully. 

Wen Ze walked up to a tree and was about to climb it when Zhuo Mu spoke. 

“I’ve never seen these insects before. They might be poisonous—you shouldn’t touch them directly. The trees aren’t that tall anyway. I’ll lift you up instead.” 

Wen Ze agreed and nodded cautiously. 

Zhuo Mu crouched down, and after hesitating for a moment, Wen Ze sat on his sturdy shoulder. 

“Hold on tight,” Zhuo Mu said, securing Wen Ze’s legs with one strong arm before standing up steadily. 

Now raised higher, Wen Ze reached out and easily grabbed a pearwood branch. 

His attention was quickly drawn to the tiny white insects on the tree. Forgetting any discomfort, he focused entirely on the pests. 

Carefully flipping over a leaf, he found more of the same white insects on the underside, along with clusters of white eggs. 

The leaves with the most pests were already showing signs of damage, covered in spots and curling at the edges. They were getting thinner, and soon, the insects would chew right through them. 

Leaning in closer, Wen Ze noticed that some of the insects had black wings, orange-yellow abdomens, and fine, spiny legs on either side of their bodies. 

They looked… a lot like spider mites. 

But spider mites from his past life fed on leaves. These white insects were bigger—and they also ate fruit. 

Holding the leaf between his fingers, Wen Ze glanced deeper into the forest. 

“Zhuo Mu, let’s check a few more trees.” 

“Alright.” 

The good news was that after inspecting several trees, Wen Ze only found this one type of pest. 

The bad news… 

Between the layers of leaves and fruits, countless white insects were constantly gnawing on it. 

There were already so many adult insects—once the eggs hatched and the larvae matured, this entire pearwood forest would be completely wiped out! 

Wen Ze’s heart sank. 

After Zhuo Mu set him down, Bai Han and the others had also finished their inspection. They walked over, looking completely dejected. 

Bai Han let out a heavy sigh. “Let’s go back to the tribe.” 

They hurried back. 

News spread fast in the tribe. 

By the time they reached Bai Han’s cave, a crowd had already gathered outside, their faces filled with worry. 

As soon as they saw him, someone immediately asked, “Leader, you’re back! How are the pear trees?” 

Bai Han walked over and said grimly, “Not good. Almost every tree is infested with those white insects. The leaves are already thinning out, and the fruit won’t last much longer.” 

“What do we do?! Should we send everyone to catch the insects?” 

Bai Han shook his head. “There are too many, and they’re too small. We can’t catch them all. And we also found countless eggs on the trees.” 

Wen Ze added, “There are probably eggs in the soil under the trees too.” 

Everyone’s faces darkened. 

“So even if we get rid of the insects, once the eggs hatch, the trees will be covered in them again! And they’ll just keep laying more eggs!” 

“Does that mean we can’t save the pearwood forest?” 

“This isn’t just about the pears anymore! What if these insects spread and eat all the trees in our territory?” 

“If the trees die, the wild animals will starve—and so will we!” 

“No way!” 

“Let’s just burn the forest down!” 

“Why is this happening? Did the Beast God get angry with us and send this disaster as punishment?” 

The crowd exchanged anxious looks, their voices filled with panic, despair, and frustration. 

One of the beastmen, eyes red with fury, suddenly turned and bolted. 

“These damn insects! I’m going to burn them all!” 

While the others were still caught up in their emotions, Wen Ze quickly shouted, “Zhuo Mu, stop him!” 

Without hesitation, Zhuo Mu strode forward and grabbed the beastman’s arm, holding him back with an iron grip! 

The beastman shouted and instinctively fought back, but Zhuo Mu was already prepared. He twisted the man’s arm and, with a loud bang, slammed the tall and burly man hard onto the ground. 

The already tense crowd instantly erupted like water splashing into hot oil. 

“You…you from the South Mountain Tribe! What are you trying to do?!” 

“Are you declaring war on our Snow Sea Tribe?!” 

The situation was on the verge of exploding. 

Bai Han’s expression remained cold as he signaled for the Snow Sea Tribe members to back off. His voice carried authority as he said, 

“Wen Ze and Zhuo Mu are our friends. No one is allowed to make a move.” 

At times like this, Wen Ze refused to back down. 

Despite the pressure, he stepped forward and stood firmly beside Zhuo Mu. Then, he dropped the one thing they cared about the most: 

“Everyone, stay calm! The pearwood forest can still be saved!” 

The crowd gasped in shock, even the beastman pinned down by Zhuo Mu shouted, 

“What? How?!” 

Wen Ze didn’t answer right away. Instead, he glanced at Zhuo Mu, signaling him to let the beastman go to avoid escalating the conflict further. 

Then, he turned to Bai Han and spoke seriously, 

“Leader Bai Han, you should know that if a wildfire breaks out, it won’t just affect your territory. It will spread to the surrounding tribes, including ours.” 

Bai Han nodded. “You’re right. I won’t allow my people to use fire. They acted on impulse just now. Good thing you reacted quickly—thank you.” 

The beastman who had clashed with Zhuo Mu finally realized his mistake. His face turned red as he lowered his head in shame. 

From within the crowd, Xue Yuan looked at Wen Ze anxiously and asked, 

“You said our pearwood forest can still be saved… Is that true?” 

---

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