Chapter 6

Ye Lu thought that even though the egg was small, it could still fill the stomach, at least enough for her daughter. She stared at the steaming egg, somewhat surprised. Wasn’t this supposed to be eaten raw?

Although it didn’t taste good and wasn’t even enough to fill the gap between her teeth, in times of hunger, it was still something to rely on. But now, looking at the peeled, translucent egg, she was stunned. It felt as if everything she knew had been overturned.

Ye Lu was indeed hungry.

“Mother, eat it!”

Under her daughter’s expectant gaze, Ye Lu took the cooked egg and placed it in her mouth. The moment she tasted it, her eyes widened in shock. She kept staring at the egg in her hand, especially at the slightly reddish yolk inside, utterly astonished. Was this thing really that delicious?

The egg carried a faint aroma, free of any unpleasant taste. Eating it filled her with an unexpected joy.

A sweetness rose in Ye Lu’s heart. “Baizhi, this is truly delicious.”

Ye Chuan nodded and said, “That’s right, Mother. We never thought these were good things before, but they turned out to be so delicious.”

“Little sister said that everything should be cooked before eating. There’s still a wild chicken boiling in the pot, and it smells great.”

Actually, they had always preferred the meat of wild beasts, finding chicken inferior in comparison. But somehow, when cooked, the aroma was unexpectedly enticing. Neither Ye Lu nor Ye Chuan found it strange that Ye Baizhi knew these things, nor did they question her. They simply assumed that eating cooked food was a habit she had picked up in the Imperial City. And truth be told, eating it this way was indeed delicious.

Back then, Ye Lu had actually visited the Imperial City. However, she had lost those memories and thus did not know her daughter’s life there. It was only when her daughter returned that she felt a strong familial bond, confirming that Baizhi was indeed her biological daughter. Only then did faint fragments of memory surface in her mind. Yet, even those blurry memories were something she chose not to dwell on. She only wanted to make up for lost time and live happily together as a family.

Seeing her older brother in better spirits, Ye Baizhi smiled and said, “There must be plenty of bird eggs in the forest. We can bring them back, cook them, and make all sorts of dishes.”

The various tribes relied on hunting for survival, although the forest was rich in resources, offering a plentiful supply of food to gather and forage.

As Ye Baizhi spoke, her presence exuded an undeniable authority, filling Ye Lu and Ye Chuan with newfound hope and anticipation for the future.

After eating the boiled egg, Ye Lu felt a comforting warmth spread through her stomach, as if the exhaustion of the entire day had eased considerably.

Once the chicken had finished stewing, Ye Baizhi carefully ladled out the meat and broth. She also prepared boiled fish balls and eggs, instructing her mother to bring them to her uncle’s family.

…

When Ye Lu arrived at her elder brother’s house with the food, Ye Dashan and Zhu Min were utterly stunned. They found it difficult to believe, but the rich aroma drifting through the air confirmed that it was real.

Hurriedly, Zhu Min said, “Sister, we can’t accept this. You should take it back—Ye Chuan and Baizhi are still at home, and they mustn’t go hungry.”

Zhu Min was from the White Leopard Tribe and had never forgotten the time when she was ambushed and gravely wounded by members of her own clan. It was Ye Lu, passing by, who had saved her.

Despite being so young at the time, Ye Lu had already reached the formidable sixth-tier strength. If not for Ye Lu, Zhu Min would never have met Ye Dashan. Now, far from the White Leopard Tribe, she cherished the peaceful life she had found among the Rabbit Tribe. Yet, something had happened along the way—something she couldn’t quite understand. Her sister had been injured and had fallen back to third-tier strength.

Otherwise, hunting for food wouldn’t be a problem at all.

Ye Lu said, “This is a small gesture from Baizhi. She insisted that I bring this to you as a token of gratitude for how well you’ve taken care of her during this time.” She continued, “Right now is also a critical moment for Ye Shuo’s breakthrough—he needs food the most, yet you have still been sharing yours with us.”

“If you truly see me as your sister, then don’t be so formal with me.”

The Ye Shuo she was referring to was the son of Ye Dashan and Zhu Min, the next leader of the Rabbit Tribe. Ye Chuan and the others called him Big Brother Ye Shuo. Despite his young age, he was already at the fourth tier and was about to break into the fifth. He was a true genius among the younger generation of the nearby tribes.

Hearing this, Ye Dashan and Zhu Min finally accepted the food.

Zhu Min sighed, “Baizhi is such a thoughtful child.”

“I saw from the start that she was a good girl. But after going through such sudden hardships, it’s only natural that she wouldn’t want to talk to people much. Given time, things will get better.”

Ye Lu nodded—she naturally thought the world of her daughter. Of course, she also blamed herself, believing that she hadn’t taken good enough care of Baizhi back then.

As they spoke, the rich aroma of the food filled the air, making Ye Dashan and Zhu Min’s mouths water. They looked at the container, still in disbelief.

“These round things—what are they? They smell amazing.”

“I have no idea what kind of food this is.”

Zhu Min was from the White Leopard Tribe, where food was usually cooked before eating, but she had never smelled anything this fragrant before.

Ye Lu quickly explained, “These are fish meatballs, made from the thorned beasts hunted by the river. After careful preparation, the meatballs are completely free of bones. Try them—if you find them delicious, we can hunt more thorned beasts later, and Baizhi will teach you how to prepare and make the meatballs.”

“And these are boiled eggs. We never thought of gathering eggs from the forest for food before, but despite their small size, they taste amazing when cooked.”

“Baizhi found them in the woods near the river…”

Ye Lu explained everything to her elder brother and sister-in-law, hoping they would realize these ingredients could also be used as food.

With more available options, life would become much easier for them all.

Listening to Ye Lu, Ye Dashan and Zhu Min were astonished—overjoyed, even.

After Ye Lu returned home, Ye Dashan and Zhu Min considered calling their son, Ye Shuo, to eat, but knowing he was still focused on his breakthrough, they decided to wait for him to come out on his own. They saved some food for him and then started eating. The moment they tasted it, they couldn’t stop exclaiming in amazement.

“This is delicious—unbelievably delicious!”

“Who would have thought something so small could taste this good?”

“If thorned beasts are edible, then we’ll never have to go hungry again.”

“We should hunt more thorned beasts and gather more of these eggs. Once boiled, they’re incredibly fragrant…”

Not only were Ye Dashan and Zhu Min enjoying their meal with delight, but Ye Lu and Ye Chuan were equally satisfied.

Baizhi felt that food made from purely natural, unpolluted ingredients was the best. The rich aroma of firewood-cooked rice lingered in the air.

As she ate, Baizhi suddenly felt a comforting warmth in her stomach—like a wave of heat passing through her body. She paused momentarily, startled, but quickly brushed off the sensation and continued eating.

…

Snow Wolf Tribe.

After returning to his tribe, Xue Youchen secluded himself in training to stabilize his newly attained ninth-tier realm. Suddenly, however, he felt an intense, undeniable bloodline connection—his cold and distant eyes snapped open. With his slender, jade-like fingers, he gently pressed against his beating heart.

“How is this possible?!”

Could he have a descendant?

The thought was almost inconceivable to him. The only female he had ever been with was the one from last night.