Chapter 3

In the past, when the original Zhuo Yan was described as lazy, the current Zhuo Yan understood that it was more accurate to say he was timid. He harbored a deep fear of the outside world, which is why he often frequented the areas where the sub-beastmen gathered.

“Do you not remember him?” Aman asked first.

Zhuo Yan strained to dig through his memories, tentatively replying, “I think… I have a bit of a memory, but it’s not much. Who is he again?”

“He is someone from the tribe who has never successfully transformed,” Qiao explained, glancing into the distance with an inaudible sigh. “Perhaps it’s because his mother is from the wolf clan.”

Zhuo Yan’s eyes widened in surprise.

The leopard clan and the wolf clan? They could interbreed across species?

“I know! I heard my mom talk about it. It was during a trade with the feathered people. The white-haired boy’s father met his mother there. Later, his mother didn’t adapt well to our tribe and went back, leaving behind the white-haired boy,” Zhuo Yan said in one breath.

Aman let out a soft grunt of acknowledgment. “It’s a pity that after all these years, he should have transformed by now, but the white-haired one still hasn’t.”

“Could it be because he’s of mixed blood? The differences between the werewolf clan and the leopard clan might be the reason he hasn’t succeeded in transforming?” Zhuo Yan speculated, trying to make sense of the situation.

Qiao interjected, shaking her head. “That’s not the case. There have been examples in the past where mixed-blood individuals have successfully transformed.”

“Exactly! It’s not like he’s paired with a feather person. If he were with a feather person or a sea person, then that would be a problem,” Aman said bluntly. “Didn’t the adults tell you?”

He spoke so quickly that it wasn’t until he finished that he realized Zhuo Yan no longer had any adults to refer to.

“Well, anyway, in another year or two, you’ll be growing up and approaching adulthood too, so you can find a partner. I’ll tell you this: it’s best to find a leopard person within the tribe. Other options are okay, but you can’t choose those who fly in the sky or swim in the sea, as they won’t be able to bear cubs.” Aman spoke like an elder, attempting to rectify his earlier slip-up with a bit of advice.

Zhuo Yan nodded in understanding. “So that’s how it is. Thank you, Aman.”

Aman waved his hand dismissively, signaling that no thanks were needed. He quietly let out a sigh of relief, glad that the pesky Zhuo Yan wasn’t angry with him for his earlier comment. But deep down, he wondered why he even cared about whether someone so bothersome was upset.

Zhuo Yan, on the other hand, felt as though he had gained insight into a larger world. There were sea people and feather people he hadn’t known about before.

The conversation turned back to a serious topic—

“What happens if someone doesn’t transform into a human?” Zhuo Yan asked.

For a moment, the expressions on the faces of his friends turned grave, a mix of sympathy and resignation flashing across their features. Qiao spoke in a flat tone, “If you can’t transform, then you’re not considered a beastman anymore; you become a beast.”

“A beast has its own territory,” Aman added, the weight of their words hanging in the air.

“If a beast injures someone, it will be driven away,” Aman stated, his voice carrying a hint of seriousness.

Zhuo Yan turned his gaze toward the distance, where the fluffy white creature was slowly approaching the baby warthog. As it closed the gap of over ten meters, the young warthog suddenly noticed the approaching danger. It immediately bolted, letting out a terrified cry. In a flash, the white creature dashed toward the baby warthog with incredible speed, pouncing on it and sinking its teeth into the young animal’s body.

However, lurking nearby in the tall grass was another warthog—a massive beast twice the size of the fluffy white one. Its sharp tusks glinted menacingly as it charged forward, revealing itself to be the baby warthog’s mother. In a frenzy, she collided with the white creature, knocking it to the ground.

The white creature tumbled over but quickly regained its footing. The enraged mother warthog continued to batter the fluffy intruder, but this time, the white creature’s speed was not as swift as before. Ultimately, it managed to scramble up a nearby tree, gaining a brief moment to catch its breath.

Meanwhile, the mother warthog remained relentless, repeatedly slamming into the tree, attempting to knock the white creature down.

“Will the white creature be in danger?” Zhuo Yan asked, concern evident in his voice.

No one answered him.

It was Shitou who first broke the silence, exclaiming, “Someone is coming!”

Zhuo Yan thought to himself that he couldn’t see anyone, but before he could voice his question, he noticed something in the thick underbrush a hundred meters away. Out of nowhere, a person emerged, but in an instant, they transformed into a leopard. The mother warthog below showed no reaction; the leopard struck with incredible precision, pouncing on the massive warthog. With a swift and deadly motion, its sharp teeth sank into the warthog’s neck, severing it in one clean bite.

Quickly, nimbly, the hunt was concluded.

It was an overwhelming display of strength, a sheer demonstration of power in the act of hunting.

The power of the beastmen.

“It’s the patrol team,” Aman remarked, his gaze revealing both admiration and a hint of envy. “This is how beastmen hunt.”

“Exactly!” Zhuo Yan chimed in.

The young warthog had strayed too close, lured in by the water source, only to be met by its mother in search of it. In a tragic twist, both the mother and the young warthog lost their lives here.

Such is the nature of the primitive world—survival of the fittest.

Zhuo Yan was left in shock. He watched as the leopard transformed back into a human, casually wrapping the leopard skin around their waist like a skirt. Without any visible effort, the figure hoisted up the enormous warthog—lifting both of them with ease.

Since the patrol team had discovered this, they naturally shared a portion of the catch with the hunters of the tribe.

Once the patrol team’s leopard had left, the white-haired creature tumbled down from the tree, unsteadily trying to walk but failing to find its balance. Its white fur was tinged with a hint of red, leaving one to wonder whether it had been injured or if it was simply stained with the blood of the warthog from earlier.

Hopefully, it’s the latter, Zhuo Yan thought to himself.

It was clear that this white-haired creature had not yet reached adulthood; its size was noticeably smaller compared to the leopard from the patrol team—at least two sizes smaller. Perhaps it was a matter of perspective, with the close and far objects appearing different, but the white creature seemed rather thin and emaciated.

“Let’s head back,” someone suggested.

“We can roast some mud beans later,” another replied.

“Sounds good! I really want to eat some roasted warthog; it smells so delicious,” they exclaimed eagerly.

Zhuo Yan followed the footsteps of the small group, glancing back at the white creature one last time. Amidst the tangled, dry green and yellow grasses and trees, the white fur stood out far too much. The creature turned away from the direction of the tribe and moved further into the distance.

Where could it be going?

“Does it have no chance?” he asked, concern creeping into his voice.

The teammate in front turned to look at Zhuo Yan. He replied, “That white creature, does it really have no chance of transforming? I think it still looks quite young. Maybe it just needs a bit more time.”

“Actually, the white creature seems to be about the same size as Xiao Xian,” Aman chimed in.

“So that would make it around fourteen or fifteen?” Zhuo Yan responded, his eyes widening. “Doesn’t that mean it still has a chance?”

“What chance are you talking about? You really don’t know, do you? Never mind, it makes sense since you don’t have any beastman siblings,” Aman muttered under his breath before explaining, “In my family, my older sister and younger brothers all transformed for the first time when they were ten years old.”

Qiao explained in more detail, “We usually undergo our first transformation when we’re about four to five months old, changing from our beast forms into human forms.”

This is the most intense period of growth. From the time a creature is born, it is furry and cuddly, and by the age of five to six months, it transforms into a human, resembling a child of five or six years old. Of course, there are also cases of late transformations, with the latest occurring no later than seven months.

Humans typically undergo a second transformation around the age of ten. Those who can completely transform into beasts are classified as beastmen, while those who cannot are referred to as sub-beastmen—this classification applies to both genders.

“If it can still transform, then Xiao Xian might have a chance to become a beast,” Aman commented.

Xiao Xian replied, “I also want to be a beastman, but I asked my mom and older brother, and they said it’s not possible for me.”

The latest age for transformation into a beast form is usually around twelve or thirteen years, with no one having surpassed the age of fourteen.

“Stop thinking about the white creature,” Aman advised. “Even if it could transform, it’s so skinny that it wouldn’t be able to hunt. How could it even bite into the thick hide of a wild boar? If you were to form a bond with it, you’d both end up starving.” Aman noticed Zhuo Yan’s continued interest in the white creature and wanted to discourage his thoughts on the matter.

Zhuo Yan: ???

“I’m not, I don’t have any such thoughts,” he insisted earnestly. He swore, he truly had no intention of thinking about a white-furred beast in any romantic way. After all, he wasn’t crazy—just because he saw a beastman didn’t mean he wanted to get married!

Aman clearly didn’t believe Zhuo Yan’s denial.

“Why do you keep asking about the white creature?”

Zhuo Yan looked up at the sky and then casually remarked, “Maybe it’s because I’m a gossip enthusiast.”

“What’s a gossip enthusiast?” Xiao Xian asked, intrigued.

Zhuo Yan explained, “It means I really enjoy joining in on conversations and listening to the trivial lives of other beastmen and sub-beastmen. I like chatting about their daily happenings.”

“Oh, oh, oh,” Xiao Xian responded, nodding in understanding.

Aman glanced at Zhuo Yan, then walked a few steps before looking back at him again. Even when they reached the harvesting site, Aman was still watching Zhuo Yan. Zhuo Yan felt a bit uneasy and thought, “What’s with this guy?”

“Brother Aman, do you like me?” He genuinely began to doubt.

“What nonsense are you talking about!” Aman replied angrily, quickly averting his gaze. He muttered under his breath, “I think you’re acting really strange lately, saying all these things I can’t understand. Have you always been this odd?”

Zhuo Yan, unbothered by the possibility of being discovered, casually replied, “I used to hate going out and didn’t have many friends. Everyone disliked me, and no one wanted to talk to me, so I just ended up talking to myself.”

“How pitiful,” Xiao Xian whispered softly.

Qiao patted Zhuo Yan on the shoulder and said, “Let’s get back to it.”

The group resumed their work.

However, in the afternoon, Xiao Xian became more talkative, sharing stories about things happening in his cave. Aman chimed in occasionally, but mostly he spoke about the trivial matters of beastmen going out to hunt. Zhuo Yan, only gradually realizing it, understood that these two were trying to share some gossip with him because he loved to listen.

His eyes sparkled with a sense of wonder.

He felt deeply moved.

For the second time in this world, Zhuo Yan experienced a flicker of warmth; the first time was brought by Qiao.

Before sunset, the day’s harvesting came to an end. The ground was piled high with clusters of dudu fruit and mud beans. Qiao divided them into five portions for everyone to take home. Since they couldn’t carry everything in one go, it was necessary to make two trips.

“Don’t we need someone to stay behind to watch over it?” Zhuo Yan asked.

Xiao Xian looked puzzled. “What’s there to watch? There won’t be any wild beasts coming here, and they don’t eat this.”

“He’s probably talking about other sub-beasts,” Aman guessed. He straightforwardly added, “This is what we picked, and no one else will take it.”

Zhuo Yan nodded in agreement.

In this world, everyone is quite straightforward and open.

On the way back for the first time, Zhuo Yan tried to carry as much as he could. He had a basket full of mud beans, which were difficult to carry due to their scattered nature. However, the dudu fruits had stems, and their hard shells wouldn’t easily fall off, making them easier to hang on his arms.

“I can help you carry that,” Shitou offered.

Zhuo Yan looked at Shitou, who was only visible above the pile of fruits, and politely declined, saying he could manage on his own. However, after a moment of determination, he bit down on his teeth, trying to muster the strength to lift the load. He attempted to rise up, but found it too difficult. Reluctantly, he set down two bunches of dudu fruits and ended up carrying only two bunches back with both hands.

“Let’s go.” If he couldn’t manage it, he would just have to make a few extra trips.

Seeing this, the others set off for home.

They crossed a small river and returned to the tribe. Among the five of them, Zhuo Yan’s home was the first cave, being the closest to the outskirts. Zhuo Yan noticed Shitou quietly helping Zhuo Yan lift his backpack with one hand, a smile on his face. He turned to the group and said, “I won’t wait for you all; I might need to run three trips.”

“Alright, hurry up. Don’t take too long,” Qiao reminded him.

“Got it, Qiao Jie!” he replied enthusiastically.

However, in the end, Zhuo Yan only made one trip. This was because Shitou and Aman were carrying the most on their first trip, and during the second trip, Shitou helped Zhuo Yan share the load, while Aman assisted him with some of his things.

Everyone was doing really well.

As they headed back, the world around them gradually darkened.

“Why don’t you all hurry back? I can manage moving the rest up by myself,” Zhuo Yan said to his companions.

The others didn’t hesitate to take his advice. Aman placed the undesirable fruits on the ground and quickened his pace alongside the others. They agreed to meet again tomorrow for more gathering. Zhuo Yan mentioned that he would bring roasted mud beans, signaling that he wouldn’t need Sister Qiao to cook meat for him this time.

Zhuo Yan’s dwelling was located halfway up the hillside, and he could carry the gathered goods from the base of the slope in two trips. On his second return to tidy up, the darkness had deepened significantly. Looking up, he could see a few stars twinkling in the night sky, and the moon was dimly lit. Fortunately, the sub-beasts had good night vision, allowing him to navigate the shadows.

The experience felt somewhat novel to him.

To be honest, he felt a bit scared being alone. As Zhuo Yan tidied up the remaining mud beans and placed them in his basket, he hummed a tune absentmindedly. A cool breeze rustled against his little leather skirt, and not far behind him, he could hear some faint panting sounds.

Zhuo Yan: !!!

In an instant, every hair on his body stood on end.

“Who’s there?”

“Who is it?”

“I see you!”

He tried to sound brave, but deep down, he hadn’t seen anything. Boohoo.

However, in that moment, Zhuo Yan truly spotted something: from the tall wild grass, which reached up to his thighs, emerged a furry creature that made his legs go weak with fear. This… this—

“White fur?”

Zhuo Yan recognized it immediately. This was the same white-furred creature he had seen earlier that day when it had failed to hunt a baby pig. At that moment, he was very close to the creature—about three meters away—which was quite different from seeing it from a distance earlier. The white fur creature appeared much larger now, with a round head reminiscent of a leopard and a face akin to that of a wolf, its eyes glowing with an eerie light.

What if this white-furred creature decides to eat him?!

Xiao Xian had said that those who couldn’t evolve into beastmen were just beasts.

Ahhhh!!!

“Please don’t eat me! I haven’t bathed; I’m all sweaty and smell sour…”