Chapter 92

Zhuo Yan had been in this world for five years now.

In the first year, he built a door.
In the summer of the second year, A-Yin and Da Ya found salt.
In the third year, they went to the Feathered People’s market and brought back seeds. That year, they returned late, making it unsuitable to plant ramie.
In the fourth year, the tribe planted vast fields of crops. It was a time of hard work and exhaustion, but they harvested foxtail millet, mung beans, peanuts, and even found transparent stones suitable for making glass, along with chili peppers. By the end of the year, they had also harvested ramie.

Now, in the fifth year, as the snow had just melted and the grass had yet to sprout, he finally had pants to wear.

He was so overwhelmed with joy that he could cry, grin from ear to ear, and pile happiness upon happiness—

Zhuo Yan was just short of stringing together a whole series of parallel sentences to express his emotions.

There wasn’t much fabric woven from the ramie, just enough for ten full sets of clothing—tops and pants. The leftover scraps were piled together. The Peacock Clan had been rushing, barely resting, and had worked tirelessly to sew them in time.

The Peacock Clan didn’t throw away the leftover fabric scraps either—they planned to sew something else with them later.

As for how the clothes would be distributed—

Kong Xingxing had his people neatly fold and organize the clothes. They were going to hand them over to the Leopard Tribe’s chief.

The six Peacocks carried the clothes, surrounded by a large group of sub-beastmen. A grand procession followed them all the way to the plaza, chatting excitedly about the pants they had just seen.

Pants.

Two legs could go into them—how strange. They had never seen anything like it before.

“Boss Kong, do the Feathered People wear these?”

“Do the five Feathered Tribes have pants? I remember they all wear skirts.”

“I’ve never seen pants before either.”

Zhuo Yan had always called Kong Xingxing “Boss Kong.” The sub-beastmen in the tribe didn’t really understand what it meant, but caught up in the excitement of something new, they weren’t intimidated by Kong Xingxing at all. They naturally joined in the conversation and started calling him “Boss Kong” too.

Calling him Peacock Chief felt too formal.

Calling him Kong Xingxing—well, with that strikingly beautiful yet cold face of his, to be honest, was still a little intimidating. But calling him Boss Kong felt just right.

So in the end—Zhuo Yan was smart. Following his lead was the safest bet.

Sure enough, Kong Xingxing responded, “The Feathered People don’t wear them.”

Kong Lü added, “The five Feathered Tribes don’t even know this plant—ramie—can be used for weaving.”

That grass grew everywhere near the five tribes. He had seen it before, but it had never occurred to him that it could be used for making fabric.

Well, of course. In the past, they were too lazy to fly that far and certainly too lazy to mess around with some random grass.

Kong Huo, holding onto a Leopard Tribe sub-beastman, said, “We only found out after coming to the Leopard Tribe. The looms for weaving and even the idea of making pants—Zhuo Yan taught us everything. That plant grows near the Feathered People, but without Zhuo Yan, we never would’ve figured any of this out.”

It was the truth. But in the past, Peacocks were too proud—no matter how true something was, they would never go out of their way to flatter anyone.

Now, though, Kong Huo was willing to make the Leopard Tribe’s sub-beastmen happy. One reason was that Zhuo Yan truly was great—there was nothing bad to say about him. And the other? He had come to realize that the Leopard Tribe’s sub-beastmen and beastmen were actually pretty adorable.

They were straightforward, said whatever was on their minds, and had simple, honest personalities. They loved hearing praise—but only if it was sincere.

Just like Maha—so easy to please.

Hearing this, the sub-beastmen were overjoyed and filled with pride. After all, Zhuo Yan was one of them. He was from their tribe, their kin, a sub-beastman just like them.

That plant grew right near the Feathered People’s territory, yet the Feathered People had never figured it out—but the Leopard Tribe’s sub-beastmen did!

How could they not feel proud?

Zhuo Yan walked at the back, listening as the four Peacocks showered him with compliments like they were performing a comedy act. Everyone was in high spirits, and honestly, he felt a little embarrassed—this knowledge wasn’t something he had actually invented himself.

Still… thank you all for the support.

Also, the Peacock Clan genuinely wanted to integrate into the tribe now. That was a good thing.

Zhuo Yan was pleased with Kong Xingxing’s clan’s change in attitude. If they had remained as arrogant and aloof as before, unwilling to interact with others, conflicts and small frictions would have inevitably arisen over time. And stuck in the middle, he would have been in an awkward position.

When they arrived at the plaza, the chief and the elder uncle came out upon hearing the news. Kong Xingxing’s clan handed over the clothes and put them on display.

“…Ten full sets, including tops and pants, to be distributed by the chief.”

The chief nodded, and the elder uncle took the clothes.

Everyone looked at the chief with anticipation. There were so few sets—how would they be distributed? Who would get to wear them first this year, and who would have to wait?

“The first set goes to Zhuo Yan,” the chief announced. “The loom, the ramie seeds, and the method the Peacock Clan used to make these—all of this came from Zhuo Yan.”

The crowd nodded in agreement—no objections, full support.

Zhuo Yan had been longing to wear pants, so he didn’t hesitate. If it was his, he would take it. In this primitive beastman world, false modesty wouldn’t get him anywhere—it would only cause unnecessary frustration.

Sure enough, when he stepped forward to claim his clothes, everyone was supportive, even applauding him.

“Xiao Xian, thanks for the support.” Zhuo Yan grinned happily as Xiao Xian led the applause.

“The remaining nine sets—thirty-two burrows—will be decided by drawing long or short grass,” the chief announced. “Whoever gets a set this time won’t be eligible for the next batch that Kong Xingxing’s group brings.”

Last year, the tribe gained two more burrows—Shitou’s and Aman’s—but the large burrow was now empty.

Everyone agreed to the arrangement.

“Tomorrow morning, each burrow will send one person to draw the grass. That’s all—dismissed.”

“Got it, Chief.”

As the crowd dispersed, the sub-beastmen gathered together, still chatting excitedly.

“Who from your burrow is going to draw?”

“I will—I really want to wear pants.”

“Honestly, wearing this summer cloth has been freezing these past few days.”

“Yeah, leather is still warmer for now.”

“If we can get another batch by the time summer comes, then everyone will get to wear pants!”

“Let’s go ask Boss Kong if we can have more by summer.”

“I think Boss Kong and his people started weaving even before the snow stopped.”

“They really are hardworking.”

Hearing everyone praise them, Kong Yue, being a thin-skinned child, blushed slightly and whispered to Kong Yuan, “They’re saying we’re hardworking.”

Kong Yuan’s expression was somewhere between a smirk and a real smile.

Praising Peacocks for being hardworking…

He never thought he’d hear such a thing. His fingers were practically covered in calluses now. But, honestly… hearing the Leopard Tribe’s people praise them like this wasn’t bad at all.

When the group finally reached Kong Xingxing, he was holding a restless Blizzard in his arms. The little beast kept trying to poke its head out, curious to see everyone and eager to play. It definitely took after Big Blockhead—when he was younger, he had no interest in crowds at all.

Without hesitation, Kong Xingxing said, “Before summer arrives, you’ll definitely have more.”

“If the ramie plants freeze to death, they’ll have to replant once the soil softens. Then, they’ll just have to work faster in the summer to catch up.”

Hearing this, the sub-beastmen felt relieved—as long as they could wear summer cloth in the summer, that was all that mattered. They no longer cared about tomorrow’s grass-drawing—after all, they’d all get their turn this year, right?

“You know, when the other three tribes visit us this year and see our summer cloth, they definitely won’t have seen anything like it.”

“Of course! Didn’t you hear Boss Kong? Only our Leopard Tribe has it.”

“This is amazing!”

“I think our Leopard Market is the best.”

“When the Werewolf Tribe and Tiger Tribe come, I’ll make millet dumplings for them.”

“Lion Tribe’s A-Yan promised to bring me some of their crispy fruit…”

The Leopard Market had only been running for two years, and this would be its third. In the beginning, it was rough—aside from salt, there wasn’t much else. But the Leopards were open and straightforward, answering any questions the other three tribes had. In return, the three tribes were friendly toward them, and over time, the Leopards naturally made some friends from other tribes.

A large crowd made their way back to the kiln.

A-Yin, Ada, and a few other beastmen stayed behind to tend the fire. The sub-beastmen, however, had no intention of returning to their caves—it was boring. Instead, they stayed by the fire, chatting while warming themselves.

Some were still discussing the summer cloth and pants, but soon, the conversation shifted to the transparent stones.

“What did Zhuo Yan make with them today—?”

“Farming tools!”

“Yeah, yeah, I forgot a lot of the names already.”

“Are they the same as the glass in the weaving house?”

“The transparent ones actually look pretty nice.”

Everyone started getting excited about this now, too. But most importantly—

“Our tribe has so many new things this year. When the other three tribes come, they definitely won’t know about them!”
“Right!”
“Our Leopard Tribe’s market is going to be lively!”

Listening to them, Zhuo Yan realized just how much his people actually cared about their market. He couldn’t help but think back—yeah, the first year was pretty rough. It was shabby, barely resembling a real marketplace.

Beastmen might not be schemers; they were straightforward in their ways. But people were still people—of course, they’d compare it to the Feathered Tribe’s market. The Feathered Tribe’s market was flashy and extravagant, and his people had their own sense of pride. They wanted their market to grow, to outshine the Feathered Tribe’s, to make everyone praise their tribe instead.

“This year, we can prepare the rest areas for the three tribes earlier.”

“There’s still a lot of transparent stone. Should we use it to build walls and pave the floors?”

As soon as Zhuo Yan said that, he saw the tribe members’ eyes light up. He couldn’t help but find it amusing—it was that kind of funny when people got excited about showing off. It was completely normal, so why not? Let’s do it!

“If we run out of stone, should we take another trip to Snow Deer Mountain?” someone suggested.

Another person grinned. “You just want an excuse to go with your mate again, don’t you?”

“Hmph, I just want to bring back more stone!” But his red face betrayed his embarrassment.

“Actually… I want to go too.”

“Yeah, it was pretty fun.”

Xiao Xian listened from the side, resting his chin on one hand, looking intrigued. Mating with a beastman seemed kind of fun. Should he find one and go to Snow Deer Mountain too? That way, he’d always have someone to carry him back.

While they chatted, time passed quickly. Transparent stone didn’t take long to fire, and it couldn’t be heated too much, or it would crack and become brittle. Soon, the flames died down, and after waiting a bit, they opened the kiln.

A-Yin and Ada were in charge of retrieving the items.

One by one, the heavy clay molds were taken out. Everyone turned to look at Zhuo Yan, waiting for instructions. He said, “Wait for them to cool down, then peel off the clay molds. If they’re hard to remove, sprinkle some water on them.”

“I’ll go get some water.”
“I’ll go too.”

Piece by piece, the clay molds were broken open, revealing the tools inside—a neat row of greenish-transparent glass rakes, shovels, and hoes. Zhuo Yan had thought the transparent material might be fragile and prone to breaking, but in reality, it was as tough as stone.

“Not bad. Tomorrow, we’ll attach the handles and fire another batch. It’ll also help keep the kiln warm. Once the weather clears up a bit more, we can start firing pottery.”

This time, they had brought back a large amount of transparent stone—enough to make at least thirty farm tools with some left over. All the tools were stored in the big cave, ready to be taken out for planting season. Tomorrow, they’d need to attach the handles.

Over the next few days, the kiln fired batch after batch of farm tools, and within three days, everything was done. Last year at this time, people were just coming out of their caves, checking the kiln, and preparing to fire pottery.

They hadn’t expected things to move this quickly this year.

“…It’s because Kong Xingxing got competitive,” Zhuo Yan recalled.

Everyone: “Huh?”

“A month ago, Boss Kong was the first to start working,” Zhuo Yan explained.

The group suddenly understood and couldn’t help but comment:
“I always heard the Golden Head Tribe say peacocks are lazy.”
“I heard the Goose People say that too.”
“Lazy where? They’re clearly hardworking! They even finished winter preparations earlier than us!”

“It must be that the Feather People treated the Peacock Tribe poorly before, so the peacocks couldn’t be bothered to work. Just look at how diligent they are in our tribe!”

“Yeah, exactly!”

Hearing this, Zhuo Yan could barely hold back his laughter. The tribe had truly accepted Kong Xingxing and his people—now they were even defending the Peacock Tribe wholeheartedly.

The following days were all about kiln-firing. By now, Zhuo Yan oversaw the overall process, while Qiao and Cong Lu handled the details. Cong Lu would check which types of pottery were used up the most in the tribe’s caves and keep a record, while Qiao organized workers for the firings.

At this time of year, the beastmen didn’t go hunting—there was nothing to hunt—so they helped by chopping wood and making charcoal instead.

“This year, after we finish firing pottery for the tribe, let’s make extra for our marketplace,” Zhuo Yan suggested. He realized that everyone was really looking forward to the market. Before, he only cared about having enough salt—pure practicality—but now, seeing how much pride the tribe had in making the market better, he figured they should stock up on more goods.

Fair Trade & Barter.

“Really? Can we do that?”
“Zhuo Yan, are you serious?”

Zhuo Yan nodded. “Of course! The Feather People’s market has been doing this, but we’ll be even better prepared than them. I noticed they mostly trade skirts and jewelry—different colors, sure, but nothing too practical. We should focus on more useful items.

“Right now, everyone has enough food in their caves, and no one is out hunting. You can take this time to prepare some personal trade goods with your close friends. When the three tribes arrive, you can exchange things privately…”

“Besides salt and pottery, you can craft some practical or decorative items for firing. Once the communal pottery is done, if you have spare time, go ahead and make your own. Work together! After the planting season, when the weather gets hot, the tribe will go hunting again and collect animal fat—we can even make soap.”

“This year, we also have millet and other food—maybe we can prepare some snacks for trade.”

“And there’s still leftover transparent stone. Xiao Xian, remember your wind chimes? We can fire more of those…”

Xiao Xian’s eyes lit up—Oh, why hadn’t he thought of that? But… he didn’t know how.

Zhuo Yan grinned and offered more ideas. “Since the ramie hasn’t sprouted yet, don’t forget—the Peacocks make gorgeous jewelry. If you don’t know how, just ask Kong Huo and the others…”

Oh yeah! Why didn’t they think of that sooner?

When food was abundant, people naturally began to think about entertainment. For the hardworking sub-beastmen, entertainment meant crafting beautiful trinkets and small objects—something they had never experienced before. Now, they were full of energy and excitement, eagerly anticipating the arrival of the other three tribes.

…It was as if this was the first time the Leopard Tribe’s market had ever truly opened.

But honestly, in a way, it was. Previously, the other tribes only came to trade for salt, and everyone was struggling just to survive. This year, for the first time, their market actually felt like a real market.

As the weather warmed, Zhuo Yan’s stomach had also started to grow slightly. He felt somewhat embarrassed about it, so he switched to wearing a short-sleeved ramie shirt, layering a soft leather vest over it. The light summer fabric draped over his stomach, concealing its size.

Every night before bed, A-Yin would gently touch his brother’s stomach.

“Brother, do you not like your belly?”

“It’s not that I don’t like it… it just feels a bit strange and embarrassing.” Zhuo Yan knew that A-Yin was incredibly sensitive to his emotions and always concerned about him.

A-Yin studied him carefully and then reassured him, “Brother, when you wear clothes, no one can tell. Only I can see it.”

The meaning was clear—A-Yin didn’t want Zhuo Yan to feel embarrassed in front of him. But under A-Yin’s gaze, Zhuo Yan felt his ears and face heat up, and a sudden thought popped into his mind:

Spring really has arrived.

Because somehow, being looked at by A-Yin made his heart race and filled him with a strange shyness.

“Let’s just sleep,” Zhuo Yan hurriedly said, trying to push away the thoughts that had just turned a little too colorful. It wasn’t like he could do anything about them right now anyway.

But A-Yin noticed. He glanced at his brother, then smoothly shifted into his beast form and began to lick him.

“…”

Zhuo Yan’s shame curled his toes so hard they nearly cramped. He wanted to stop A-Yin, but the sound he made came out in broken gasps, laced with pleasure.

Hearing this, A-Yin only became more eager, his touch even gentler as he moved lower.

Zhuo Yan: …

He didn’t need to look into the water to know that his face must be completely red.

How did things end up like this?

The next day, Zhuo Yan stayed in the cave until noon before finally stepping out. Around the tribe, people were busy in small groups—some at the kiln, others carrying bone knives and baskets on their backs as they headed to the weaving house to find the peacocks.

Xiao Xian ran off with his wind chime to find Kong Yue. Kong Yue was even younger than him and called him “Brother Xiao Xian.” Hehe, he liked playing with Xiao Yue!

At noon, after eating, A-Yin carried his brother outside to bask in the sun. The soil was starting to soften, and once the nights were no longer cold, they would be able to start planting.

Zhuo Yan and A-Yin went to the bamboo forest, only to be stunned by how much it had grown.

When they first arrived, the bamboo was already growing well. But after just over half a month without checking, it had shot up like crazy, already reaching Zhuo Yan’s waist. He couldn’t help but sigh, “Bamboo really is a grass species.”

It looked different every single day.

Sitting on A-Yin’s back, Zhuo Yan was delighted. To him, all this bamboo meant future bamboo beds, bamboo tubes, woven baskets, and all kinds of farming tools—

“Let me see if there are any bamboo shoots.”

Zhuo Yan started looking for bamboo shoots, but he didn’t even need to search. After just a few steps, he spotted one sticking over twenty centimeters out of the ground. Squatting down, he cleared away some dirt with his hands, peeled off the outer layers, and found a fresh, tender shoot.

After pulling up two, he stopped, tossing them into the basket.

“Let’s wait a bit longer. They’re still too young—if we peel them now, there won’t be much left.”

“We can have stir-fried bamboo shoots with salted meat tonight! And braised millet rice.”

Just thinking about the evening meal made Zhuo Yan happy. A-Yin was happy too.

“Let’s go check on the ramie, then we can head home to cook.” Sitting on A-Yin’s back, Zhuo Yan kept mumbling to himself, hoping the ramie plants were doing well. “Please don’t die from the cold, please grow properly… If they don’t, it’s going to be such a hassle…”

As they neared the ramie field, A-Yin suddenly slowed his steps.

From his back, Zhuo Yan asked, “Why did you stop?”

“Brother, Boss Kong and Shitou are in there.”

Zhuo Yan blurted out, “Hah! Kong Xingxing really has gotten motivated, huh?” But then he quickly realized what A-Yin actually meant by “Boss Kong and Shitou are in there.”

His eyes widened, and he instinctively leaned down, lowering his voice. “You mean… the two of them? In there? Doing… cough cough…”

“Mhm.” The silver leopard’s eyes sparkled with amusement—his brother speaking in such a hushed voice was simply adorable.

Zhuo Yan: …

“Then let’s go back.”

Kong Xingxing was genuinely concerned about the ramie field. He truly cared about it—after all, this patch of ramie was what allowed the Peacock Clan to stand tall and live with dignity in the Leopard People’s tribe. They weren’t freeloaders; they weren’t relying on others without doing anything themselves.

That being said, while they were tending to their responsibilities, spring arrived, and it was inevitable that he and Shitou would find themselves swept up in the heat of the moment.

Especially since Zhuo Yan had given his suggestion, and now people visited the weaving house every day. It had been a long time since Kong Xingxing and Shitou had done anything intimate while raising their cub and taking care of Baoxue.

As Zhuo Yan and A-Yin passed by the weaving house, they could see through the glass from a distance—Baoxue was flapping its wings in mid-air, hovering. Inside, the five peacocks were discussing with the sub-beastmen about what kind of jewelry to make, how to craft it, and how to match the colors. Kong Lu and a few others had even contributed some feathers. There was a lot of chatter and laughter, and everyone was praising Baoxue.

“Brother.”

“?”

“When our cub is born, where should we go? The bamboo forest seems like a good option too.”

Zhuo Yan: ??? … Then he finally understood. At first, he felt embarrassed, but he quickly composed himself and gave it serious thought—this was indeed an important matter.

By the time their cub was four or five months old and had transformed into a small humanoid child, the bamboo forest should be lush and thriving. It wasn’t far from their cave either, making it a great place to settle.

That evening, Zhuo Yan prepared a proper meal—not the kind of simple lunch they had just thrown together earlier.

He made braised bamboo shoots with salted meat, stir-fried wild greens, and sticky millet rice. The yellow millet had a naturally sweet aroma, and Zhuo Yan loved it—he ate a big bowl. After the meal, A-Yin went to wash the dishes and tidy up, while Zhuo Yan sat at the entrance of the cave, spacing out for a while.

…The night air wasn’t as cold anymore. It was time to start planting.

After that, things got busy. They plowed the land, putting the tools Zhuo Yan had made a few days ago to good use. The sub-beastmen were a bit unfamiliar with them at first, but once they got the hang of using the rakes, the winter-hardened soil was easily loosened.

“This works really well.”

“Even better than a stone knife!”

“I can do this all by myself!”

With efficient tools, their work progressed at an astonishing speed. Beastmen and sub-beastmen were already naturally strong, and in the past, with primitive tools like stone knives or wooden sticks, they could still till a large patch of land in a day or two. Now, with better equipment, their efficiency was even more remarkable.

They finished everything that day, and by the next day, they were already sowing seeds. Everyone was thrilled with the new farming tools in their hands.

“Zhuo Yan is really smart.”
“How did he even come up with this?”
“That transparent stone was clearly closer to the Werewolf Tribe, but we got to use it first.”
“Exactly!”

As the tribespeople began planting, the six peacocks also went to replenish the ramie field. Some of the plants had been damaged by the cold and hadn’t sprouted yet, so they had to dig out the bad ones and replace them with fresh seeds. Fortunately, more than half of the field had survived.

That was already a great outcome.

Shitou and Kong Xingxing were in charge of replanting the ramie seeds. As the days passed, the weather grew increasingly warmer. The hunting and patrol teams in the tribe took turns rotating, while those who had free time helped clean up the resting areas shared by the three tribes. Some even made a trip to Snow Deer Mountain to carry back stones—though whether they were really there for the stones or just using it as an excuse to soak in the hot springs was something only they knew.

In the midst of all this busywork, Qiao, Aman, and Zhuo Yan sat by the river, talking.

Because, well… it seemed like they were about to give birth soon.

“Have you guys noticed your stomachs growling a lot lately?” Aman asked.

Zhuo Yan: “That’s fetal movement.”

“What movement?”

“It means the cub inside is moving.”

“Oh, oh.”

Then, silence fell again. A few seconds later, Aman spoke up just to fill the quiet. “Zhuo Yan, it’s been really hot lately.”

“Mm.” Zhuo Yan seemed a little distracted.

Qiao suddenly asked, “Are you guys scared?”

Both of them turned to look at him. Zhuo Yan asked, “You’re not?”

“Nope. I’ve been looking forward to having a cub for a long time.” Qiao was only full of excitement and joy. “I’ve even picked out a name—Fengling.”

“???” Fengling… like the wind chime that Xiao Xian made? Wait, how were they coming up with names so effortlessly?

Qiao beamed. “The first time I went to the Feathered People’s market, I actually saw a wind chime and really wanted one, but it cost a lot to trade for. I never expected Xiao Xian and the others to make some, and they even gave me one as a gift.”

The wind chime that Xiao Xian gave to Qiao was the first one he made while practicing with transparent glass. Knowing that Qiao liked it, he had given it to him without much thought. Qiao hung it at the entrance of his cave, and whenever the wind blew, it jingled pleasantly—he absolutely loved it.

In Qiao’s mind, wind chimes were worth a lot of goods, making them a precious and “valuable” treasure. He felt the same way about the cub in his belly, so naming it Fengling just felt right.

“I haven’t decided yet. What should I name mine?” Aman scratched his head and instinctively looked at Zhuo Yan. “Have you figured yours out?” Zhuo Yan was smart—maybe he could learn from him.

Zhuo Yan, who had been thinking about this since winter and still had no good ideas: …

“You mean you haven’t thought of one yet?” Aman was shocked.

Zhuo Yan: “…Neither have you.”

Besides, they only needed to come up with one name, while he had to name three cubs. No wonder he was losing hair over it.

“Hehe, Qiao gave me an idea—I think I’ll choose a name that sounds like a tiger.”

Qiao turned to Zhuo Yan. “You’ve been looking troubled lately. What’s wrong?”

“…” Zhuo Yan couldn’t quite put it into words for Qiao. “Maybe it’s just pre-birth anxiety.”

Qiao didn’t fully understand but thought about it and somewhat got the gist. Zhuo Yan was probably nervous about the birth. He comforted him, “It’ll be fine once the cubs are born.”

That evening, Qiao and Ada returned to their cave. Not long after, Qiao felt a sharp pain in his belly and told Ada that he might be going into labor. Ada panicked a little and ran off to find his father, who had experience giving birth to cubs.

By the time Ada and his father arrived, faint howling sounds could be heard from inside the cave. Qiao had already given birth to a tiny cub, right beside him.

“Ada, lick the cub clean,” Ada’s father instructed. “Use your beast form to clean it properly.”

Ada rushed to Qiao’s side, his eyes full of regret. He shouldn’t have left—he should have stayed with Qiao. He hadn’t expected the birth to happen so quickly…

By the next day, nearing noon, Zhuo Yan and the others finally heard the news that Qiao had given birth. Ada, still feeling guilty, told A-Yin and Daen, “It happened really fast. Don’t wander too far. After the cub is born, you have to use your beast form to lick them clean—my father says that’s how they grow up strong.”

A-Yin listened carefully, looking a bit nervous upon closer inspection.

In the tribe, newly born cubs were fragile and not suitable for immediate visits. They were especially sensitive to unfamiliar scents, so even Ada’s mother was not allowed to see them—any unfamiliar beastman scent could frighten the newborn.

Over the past few days, Zhuo Yan had shared a lot of knowledge about childbirth with A-Yin.

That night, painful cries echoed from Aman’s cave. Having learned from experience, Daen stayed firmly by Aman’s side, not leaving for a second. Aman wailed and fussed for a long time, making a huge commotion. It wasn’t until midnight that the first cries of a newborn finally rang out.

The next day.

“Huh? Aman gave birth too?” Zhuo Yan’s hands started to tremble.

A-Yin held his brother’s hand, noticing that he was scared.

Daen, following Aman’s instructions, came to deliver the news to Zhuo Yan and the others. After quickly relaying the message, he shifted into his beast form and rushed back to the cave. Aman was still asleep in bed, and beside him lay the newborn—a chubby little tiger cub.

“Did you tell Zhuo Yan and the others?”

“I did.”

“Then did you tell Zhuo Yan that our cub’s name is Tiger?”

Daen: …forgot.

Aman immediately realized it and pouted a little in frustration. Daen leaned in and said, “I was worried you’d be bored in the cave, so I rushed back. I can go again and tell him—his name is Tiger. Anything else?”

“Tell Zhuo Yan that giving birth hurts a little, but it’s not that bad.”

Daen: “??? But you were screaming really loudly last night.”

“Well, I also scream really loudly when we mate and it feels great!” Aman said.

Daen nodded dazedly and ran off for another trip.

Zhuo Yan heard Daen and A-Yin howling back and forth over a hill, exchanging messages. After finishing, Daen ran off again. Zhuo Yan turned to A-Yin and asked, “What did he say?”

“Aman’s cub is named Tiger.”

Zhuo Yan: Still a pun, huh?

“Aman said giving birth hurts a little, but it’s not that bad.”

Zhuo Yan: …So does it hurt or not?!