Chapter 77

As Ye Baizhi spoke, she finished washing the shepherd’s purse and moved on to cleaning the mushrooms.

At that moment, Jian Ping and the other four all turned pale.

“N-no—those are poisonous! You could die if you eat them!”

They hadn’t noticed the basket of mushrooms beside her before, and the sight truly startled them. They thought Little Brother Ye and his family didn’t understand the danger and immediately began talking over one another to warn them.

“We used to live in the Southern Region,” one said. “After our tribe was flooded, we fled north. Some of our people, driven by hunger, dug up wild things from the mountains to eat—some of them died from eating mushrooms like those.”

Just remembering that time made Shi Lu tremble. His face went white from the memory alone. He and Shi Fan were both zebra beastmen, and they had fled as a tribe to the Northern Region during that disaster.

Ye Baizhi was taken aback. “You used to live in the Southern Region? That must’ve taken courage to make it all the way north.”

Shi Lu responded, “We had no choice. People say the South is more prosperous, but its social hierarchy is harsh.”

“Noble tribes and powerful clans live in the good areas. As low-ranking beastmen, we were left in the worst places. When the floods came, everything we’d worked to build was swept away.”

“And floods happen all the time.”

“That time, we lost half our tribe.”

“That’s when our clan elder decided we had to flee to the Northern Region.”

Shi Fan nodded. “Exactly—we had no option but to come here.”

“Though conditions in the Northern Region are tough, at least there are rarely floods—we don’t have to live in constant fear that our tribe might be swept away any day.”

“But during our escape, most of our people either died or were injured. Only a small number survived.”

“Shilu and I are both third-tier—we only survived thanks to that.”

“So we settled here.”

Ye Baizhi asked, “What about the other survivors from your tribe?”

Shi Lu explained, “They were all scattered after the disaster…”

“Fleeing from one district to another is a life-or-death journey. Unless it’s truly dire, most people don’t attempt migration.”

Ye Baizhi said, “The north and south are quite different—were you able to adjust to life here?”

“At first, not really. Winters are freezing, and the mountains get completely snowed in.”

“But over time, we adapted. And honestly, under the Snow Wolf King’s rule, the Northern Region is pretty decent.”

Hearing that, Ye Baizhi couldn’t help feeling a little moved.

“These mushrooms actually aren’t poisonous—they’re edible. We’ve eaten them before, and our whole tribe was fine.”

“The key is knowing how to tell them apart. Brightly colored mushrooms are often poisonous. I’ll show you how to distinguish them…”

She then shared some identifying tips. Whether they chose to believe her was up to them.

“If you’re still unsure, just pick these few types—these are safe for sure.”

She pulled out several mushrooms from her basket and showed them to the group so they could memorize them.

Everyone listened with sincere gratitude. After all, it was rare for someone to selflessly share knowledge about new food sources.

Cang Fei and the others felt incredibly lucky to have met Little Brother Ye’s family. They were determined to remember this kindness.

Just as the group was preparing to leave, Hei Ze and Suni arrived at Ye Baizhi’s home, carrying a bundle.

Suni gently knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” came the response.

Suni spoke up, “I’m Suni. Is this the home of our benefactor? You helped us this morning—we wanted to thank you properly.”

Ye Baizhi opened the outer gate and saw the black panther beastman and the female beastfolk from earlier.

Suni’s eyes lit up when she saw her. “Benefactor, I’m so sorry to show up unannounced.”

“When Hei Ze got home and saw you entering this place, we realized you lived here.”

“So we came by to show our thanks.”

As she spoke, Suni handed over a large box to Ye Baizhi.

“We know that nothing can truly repay what you’ve done, but for now, please accept these as a token of our appreciation.”

Ye Baizhi replied, “Come on in—let’s talk inside.”

Hei Ze and Suni entered, visibly moved as they carried the box through the doorway. Only then did they notice the courtyard was already filled with people. With just a glance, they recognized the visitors as beastmen who lived nearby—faces they’d seen before, though they weren’t well-acquainted.

Ye Baizhi introduced everyone, and they exchanged greetings politely.

Seeing that guests had arrived, Cang Fei and the others didn’t want to overstay their welcome. They tactfully excused themselves and left.

Still, they couldn’t help but feel curious.

Once they stepped outside Ye Baizhi’s home, they finally began discussing it among themselves.

“Hei Ze and Suni usually keep to themselves,” someone remarked.

“Well, Madam Ye saved them—of course, they’d come to express their gratitude.”

“Little Brother Ye’s whole family is so kind… who would’ve thought we’d end up with such good neighbors?”

“Right? Speaking of that shepherd’s purse—once I finish making my shoulder pole, I’m going to dig some up to try.”

“Same here!”

Although Madam Ye had said the mushrooms were safe and even explained how to tell them apart, the others were still too hesitant to believe it completely.

“I heard that Suni nearly died this morning and was saved by a shaman. Do you think Madam Ye could actually be that shaman?”

Realizing that possibility, everyone was utterly shocked.

If it were true—if Madam Ye really was a shaman—then they ought to kneel to secure ties with Little Brother Ye’s entire household.

A shaman!

Their entire estate didn’t have a single one. With winter approaching—the long, bone-deep kind—illness would surely follow. Every year, beastmen died during the cold season. It was a grim fact everyone in the Northern Region accepted.

Of course, noble tribes and wealthy clans with shamans fared just fine.

There were medical halls in the cities run by shamans, but the nearest city was still far. It took half a day to reach it on foot. Not to mention, getting through the city gates required inspection and a fee. And once inside? The treatment costs were sky-high.

Ordinary beastmen like them couldn’t afford those medical halls at all.

“In any case,” someone said, “Little Brother Ye and his wife are incredible. It’s our good fortune to have met them today.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

…

Unaware of all this, Ye Baizhi was inside, entertaining Suni and Hei Ze.

Suni opened the large box they’d brought—and inside was a trove of fine fabric.

Ye Baizhi’s eyes lit up the moment she saw it. Even after browsing the entire market, she hadn’t come across satin like this.

The satin was soft, smooth, and gleaming—completely unlike the coarse fabrics or beast-hide cloths sold at the marketplace.

“This material is far too expensive. I can’t accept it.”

Truthfully, Xue Youchen had already gifted her several sets of clothing before, and just from the feel alone, she could tell how costly those fabrics were. But out and about, such attire wasn’t practical. So she always wore simple fine-linen garments; even that was considered quite good—many beastmen still wore hides.

Still, just looking at this cloth stirred something in her memory.

Suddenly, Ye Baizhi realized that the noble tribes of the Beast Continent had access to silk, brocade, and satin fabrics.

For a world where culture and cuisine lagged behind, the textile craftsmanship felt oddly advanced—even flourishing.

That contradiction puzzled her. Could there be secrets or truths about this continent that she didn’t yet understand?

Her predecessor had lived in the Central District’s imperial city, after all—yet knew so little. A bit of a sheltered fool, in hindsight.

Suni, unaware of Ye Baizhi’s internal musings, said sincerely, “You saved me and my child. No gift can truly repay that.”

“Please, take this.”

“Otherwise, we honestly wouldn’t know how to show our thanks.”