Chapter 24

At this moment, looking at the yellow soybeans, Ye Baizhi’s eyes lit up. Images of tofu, soy milk, and tofu pudding flashed through her mind.

Braised tofu soup, stir-fried tofu, tofu cooked with fish—all delicious dishes.

Ye Shuo sensed that something about his sister had changed in this instant. Following Ye Baizhi’s gaze, he looked over, but all he saw was a patch of yellowed grass. Was there really something there?

No matter how he looked, he couldn’t see anything unusual.

Ye Baizhi was so excited that she leaped down directly from the tree.

“Big brother, over there!” Ye Baizhi ran swiftly.

Although Ye Shuo felt puzzled, he still jumped down as well, following Ye Baizhi quickly to the slope.

Ye Baizhi looked at Ye Shuo and said, “Big brother, help me check if there are any dangerous wild animals around. I’ll start picking these yellow beans to take home.”

“And the ones that have fallen to the ground—these are soybeans. They’re food!”

The soybeans had fully ripened, and some had already fallen to the ground. Though picking them up was troublesome, they could be used to make various bean-based foods. Even if it required extra effort, Ye Baizhi didn’t mind.

Ye Shuo paused for a moment and asked, “Sister, are you sure? These look like grass seeds.”

Although he knew his sister had recently helped find new food sources, these soybeans looked too small. From his understanding, they were just different kinds of grass seeds.

He picked one up and put it in his mouth—hard as a rock, with no flavor at all. It wasn’t even enough to fill the gap between his teeth. How could something like this be food?

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his sister, but it seemed strange.

Patiently, Ye Baizhi explained, “Big brother, these are indeed food. They’re called soybeans. They aren’t meant to be eaten directly—they need to be processed step by step before they become food.”

She figured that no matter how much she explained now, Ye Shuo might not fully understand. Once the food was made, he would see for himself whether soybeans could truly be turned into something edible.

Ye Shuo looked at Ye Baizhi’s confident and composed expression and said, “Sister, I’ll help with the harvest. It’ll be faster that way.”

It was already noon, and time was running short. Finishing early would allow them to return home sooner.

“Alright.” Ye Baizhi’s basket was tightly woven and sturdy, ensuring that the soybeans wouldn’t fall out. She worked swiftly, picking the soybeans and gathering the ones scattered on the ground, placing them into her basket. Once washed, they would be clean.

In the beast world, there were no pesticides or modern technology, making these foods naturally pure. After filling her basket, she stored even more in her space.

Ye Shuo, being of fifth-tier strength, moved even faster and had already filled his basket.

Still, Ye Baizhi felt that this amount of soybeans wasn’t enough, so she gathered some materials nearby and quickly wove two more baskets. Carrying one in front and one behind, she ensured they were packed full before heading home. While busy, she suddenly noticed ramie plants growing nearby. Her expression changed upon seeing them.

With ramie, she could weave ropes, bind items, and make sacks. If they managed to craft a cart, the sacks would make transporting goods much easier.

“Big brother, let’s cut down these ramie plants and take them back with us.”

Ye Shuo nodded. “Alright.”

Although he wasn’t sure what his sister intended to do, he still followed her instructions seriously.

After securing the soybeans, Ye Baizhi tied up the harvested ramie and said, “Big brother, we can head back now.”

“Once the soybeans are soaked, we’ll make a stone mill today. Tomorrow, we can start making tofu.”

If possible, Ye Baizhi had planned to make tofu today, but first, she needed to soak the soybeans.

Ye Shuo had no idea what tofu was. He only knew it must be food since his sister mentioned it. He was curious about how soybeans could be turned into something edible.

Despite his curiosity, Ye Shuo didn’t ask further. He knew his sister was much more capable than him. She understood far more than he did. Whatever she said, he just followed.

Ye Baizhi looked at the silent Ye Shuo and said, “Big brother, if you want to ask me something, just ask directly.”

She could tell he was both puzzled and curious.

Scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, Ye Shuo said, “Sister, I just can’t imagine what kind of food tofu is.”

“In the past, the food we ate was mainly wild game from hunting. Even the plants we gathered were just wild fruits.”

“Only now do I realize that food can be found underground too. Some of the mushrooms we once thought were poisonous can actually be eaten, and those black things growing on trees are called wood ear fungus.”

“In truth, the Rabbit Tribe’s strength is quite different from other tribes. Food has always been scarce. No matter how hard we hunt, before winter arrives, we have to trade most of our game and animal hides at the market for necessities.”

“Many beastmen who haven’t awakened their powers, as well as elderly tribe members, often perish during the winter.”

“Even though the tribe offers some relief, its impact is limited—like a drop in the ocean.”

“Although I don’t know what kind of food tofu is, deep down, I hope we can have more food available, so that more of our Rabbit Tribe members can survive.”

Ye Shuo was the future leader of the Rabbit Tribe. Since childhood, he had been familiar with the tribe’s struggles and often listened to his parents talk about important matters. With his role came greater responsibility, and he frequently worried about the tribe members. But his abilities were limited—no matter how much he hunted, most of the food had to be saved for trade at the market.

Listening to all this, Ye Baizhi realized how little she knew about the tribes here.

“Trade—what do we need to exchange at the market?”

Ye Shuo replied, “We must trade for salt and certain pills—some for healing, others for strengthening one’s power.”

“Salt is essential for the beastmen in our tribe, and the pills help young, strong rabbit beasts stabilize their strength. When hunters suffer severe injuries, they sometimes need pills for recovery.”

“But salt is brought in by merchants from the eastern and southern regions, and we need a large amount of wild game and animal hides to trade for it. The same goes for the pills…”

As Ye Shuo explained these basic conditions, Ye Baizhi realized that the northern region was far harsher than the others.

In this world of beastmen, sea salt was universally recognized as the primary source, and only the eastern and southern regions had access to it due to their proximity to the coast. The northern region had none.

Similarly, pills required numerous medicinal herbs and could only be crafted by skilled herbalists, making them highly expensive.

As the leader of the Rabbit Tribe, the pressure on Ye Shuo was immense.

Hearing all of this, Ye Baizhi’s heart sank—she had underestimated the severity of their tribe’s situation. But she didn’t see this as a problem—everything could be solved.

Since medicinal herbs and pills were valuable, she could teach the tribe members how to gather herbs or even cultivate them.

Ye Baizhi’s mind was already working, thinking of ways to improve and develop the tribe’s situation.

Just then, Ye Shuo suddenly sensed something and said, “This isn’t good. There’s demonic energy—we need to leave, now!”

His expression changed drastically, and he grabbed Ye Baizhi’s hand, sprinting forward in a frenzy.

Ye Baizhi, light on her feet, swiftly followed.

“Kill, kill, kill…” A piercing voice seemed to echo through the air, manipulating something unseen.

Ye Baizhi felt an eerie chill from the voice. As she ran, she turned her head and caught sight of two massive beasts. Dark energy coiled around their bodies. Even their eyes were shrouded in shadows. This was a clear sign of demonic energy—beasts tainted and transformed by its corruption.

Wild beasts becoming demonic meant that the barrier protecting the Misty Forest had been breached, allowing the demonic presence or creatures to emerge. With demonic energy, they could control certain beasts. And once wild creatures were tainted, they became frenzied, driven only by an urge to kill.