Chapter 41

In the end, it was Qiao who put an end to the topic. He understood Shi Tou’s literal translation and chuckled, saying, “Zhuo Yan, there’s no need for that. Having offspring isn’t easy. Only strong beastmen and sub-beastmen can have cubs.”

Then, he added, “You should eat more, don’t get too thin.”

Shi Tou glanced at Zhuo Yan and nodded in agreement. Qiao was right.

Zhuo Yan: …

As time went on, Zhuo Yan came to realize that there weren’t many cubs in the tribe. He had once heard that when the environment became too harsh, survival conditions would cause animals to instinctively reduce reproduction. He wasn’t sure if it was true, but the few cubs that did exist seemed to be a rare sight.

In the evening, A-Yin still hadn’t returned. Zhuo Yan was used to it—A-Yin and Ah Tou had gone out to patrol and learn hunting. Not long after, Ah Da arrived with Yu and Ah Hui, all three carrying their catches.

The hunting team had gone far and hadn’t come back yet, so the three of them had gone hunting on their own. This kind of situation happened sometimes in the tribe—if a beastman was about to start a family, they would “ask for leave” to help out at home for a few days, or if they were courting a sub-beastman, they might hunt on their own and bring the prey to the sub-beastman’s den for the entire family to enjoy.

At this point, Zhuo Yan didn’t fully understand and was still unsure. But Qiao could see that Ah Hui was still holding onto his feelings and, seeing him walking toward Zhuo Yan with his prey, he murmured to Ah Da, asking why Ah Hui was still causing trouble.

“We have to let him give up on his own,” Ah Da replied.

Qiao nodded in agreement.

Ah Hui was carrying a bull—not a rhinoceros, but an antlered bull. It was easier to catch than a wild boar or antelope, but still more challenging than other prey. For Ah Hui, a newly-adult beastman, this catch demonstrated his abilities.

“Zhuo Yan.” Ah Hui called out, and when Zhuo Yan turned to look, Ah Hui excitedly tossed the antlered bull down at Zhuo Yan’s feet from a meter away.

“Huh?” Zhuo Yan blinked, stepping back a little.

Ah Hui grinned proudly and stepped closer. “I caught this today all on my own. I didn’t even ask Ah Da or Yu for help.”

Zhuo Yan looked at Ah Hui and, feeling no desire to engage further, politely said, “You’re impressive.” It was true, after all.

Ah Hui’s eyes brightened when he heard the compliment. “Zhuo Yan, this bull is for you.”

At this moment, Zhuo Yan finally understood. In the tribe, when someone with no blood ties or relationship gave you a whole bull, it could only mean one thing—courtship. Zhuo Yan quickly said, “I don’t want it, I won’t accept it.”

“Don’t you like beef?” Ah Hui asked, puzzled.

“I don’t like you,” Zhuo Yan replied, his politeness dropping as he became serious. “I don’t know if I misunderstood you, but if you’re pursuing me, then my answer is that I don’t like you.”

Ah Hui was rejected, and he couldn’t quite understand, furrowing his brows. “Why? I want to court you, I want us to live in the same den. We don’t need the bonding ceremony. I’m strong, and although you’re not physically strong, you’re smart. We can have cubs together.”

“I can carry you when we exchange salt, and protect you in the snow season.”

“I’m really strong.”

Zhuo Yan shook his head. “But I don’t like you, Ah Hui.”

Ah Hui stared at Zhuo Yan, then at the bull on the ground, unable to understand why Zhuo Yan was rejecting him. After all, Zhuo Yan had once been afraid of the snow season. He had even asked Ah Shu to court him before. If Ah Shu could, why not him?

He was even stronger than Ah Shu!

“You haven’t even tried being with me, how do you know you don’t like me? Is it because of that white-haired creature who can’t shift form? You like a beast, but not me?”

Just then, A-Yin and Ah Tou returned. A-Yin had a small, tender wild boar cub in his mouth. Seeing a beastman talking loudly to his brother, A-Yin dashed over, releasing the cub at Zhuo Yan’s feet.

The cub, still alive, tumbled to the ground, but it seemed too frightened to escape, surrounded by beastmen and sub-beastmen. Ah Tou helped A-Yin herd the cub into a corner, both keeping their claws to themselves, merely glaring at the cub. After all, A-Yin had worked hard to catch it alive.

A-Yin’s brother was truly strange—he liked raising things.

A-Yin had once again listened to his brother’s advice.

Ah Hui just couldn’t understand. How could he not be better than that white-haired creature? Yet, Zhuo Yan still didn’t choose him. He had gone out hunting all day and caught an antlered bull, but now, that white-haired creature had returned with just a small wild boar cub in its mouth.

“Look at him,” Ah Hui scoffed. “All he can catch are wild boars, and only the cubs—any immature beastman in the tribe could catch that.” He made it clear to Zhuo Yan—there was no future with a white-haired creature like that.

Zhuo Yan frowned. “A-Yin is still a cub. Catching a wild boar is normal, especially a live one like that—he must have put in a lot of effort.”

“Ah Hui,” Zhuo Yan continued, “you’re strong and a great hunter, but I don’t like you. We’re just not compatible.” It was starting to get tiresome, and he hoped Ah Hui would take the hint and leave with his antlered bull.

“You won’t even talk to me—how do you know we’re incompatible?” Ah Hui shot back, his anger growing. “What’s so special about that white-haired creature? He can’t even shift forms—”

Zhuo Yan had had enough. This was the final straw. “That’s A-Yin,” he snapped. “He has a name! And just because he can’t shift forms doesn’t make him less valuable. Shifting doesn’t make someone superior! A-Yin is an excellent hunter, just like you.”

Ah Hui, however, only grew angrier at Zhuo Yan’s words. It wasn’t the sub-beastman’s strength that irked him—it was the audacity to speak about shifting forms like it was nothing special. He had no patience left.

“You—white-haired creature!” Ah Hui bellowed, enraged. “I’m going to fight you!”

Zhuo Yan’s heart raced. What a fool, picking a fight with a cub! This was ridiculous!

Ah Da and Yu, who had been standing by, spoke up, trying to calm Ah Hui. “Take your bull and leave, no need to fight.” “Yeah, Ah Hui, just let it go.”

“No!” Ah Hui growled. “I’m not going to let it go! Today, I’m going to fight this creature that can’t even shift forms. How could I let someone like him talk down to me?”

A-Yin, still standing protectively in front of his brother, dropped into a battle stance, lowering his body.

Zhuo Yan was worried, his anxiety rising. He didn’t want A-Yin to get hurt. Glancing at Qiao, he hoped his mate would stop Ah Da from interfering. Ah Da, looking at Qiao, nodded. “I’ll keep an eye on things.”

There was no way Ah Hui was going to back down now.

“Zhuo Yan, don’t stop him,” Ah Tou suddenly said, his voice gruff. “If A-Yin doesn’t teach this fool a lesson, the other beastmen will lose respect for him.” The spotted leopard Ah Tou had somehow shifted into human form and was hurriedly wrapping himself in his pelt. “That fool insulted you. If A-Yin doesn’t defend you, no one will.”

“He insulted me?” Zhuo Yan asked, confused.

“Yes! He said you and A-Yin are both useless idiots.” Ah Tou explained, his voice brimming with anger. “That’s why I fully support A-Yin beating him up.”

Zhuo Yan clenched his fists. That idiot deserved every insult.

“He’s the real fool!” Zhuo Yan muttered, frustrated. Without wasting another second, he sprinted toward the riverbank, where the fight was about to break out.

The sub-beastmen, who were working on the kiln, watched in curiosity, but they couldn’t lower the temperature, so they had no choice but to stand guard by the kiln’s mouth. Shi Tou held back, focusing on his work. “A Man, go protect Zhuo Yan!” he ordered.

“I got it,” A Man said, running off swiftly, but instead of heading directly for Zhuo Yan, he found Rain, who was among the spectators. “Rain! Stay close! If Ah Hui hurts A-Yin, don’t expect me to help you, no matter how much you cry!” he called out.

“Ah?” Rain blinked, but quickly realized the seriousness of the situation. Instead of stA-Ying as an observer, he shifted into his beast form—a sleek, swift cheetah—and ran to keep pace with Ah Da, ensuring he was neither too close nor too far from the fight.

Likewise, Xiao Xian kept his eyes on his older brother, but unlike the others, he didn’t need to say anything. Ah Tou, now fully transformed into a leopard, darted forward. He had to keep watch, ensuring that Rain and Ah Da—both of whom were close to the foolish beastman—didn’t get too emotionally involved and that A-Yin would have his back.

On the grassy riverbank, the two leopards were locked in battle. To the left stood two leopards, one silver and one spotted. To the right, Ah Tou, the spotted leopard, observed closely. The distance between them was more than ten meters.

The silver leopard, though still youthful in appearance, was fierce. The fully grown spotted leopard, however, was the stronger of the two. The fight was intense, but soon, the silver leopard managed to pounce, pinning the spotted leopard to the ground with a savage growl.

“Don’t get hurt, A-Yin!” Zhuo Yan shouted to himself, watching in horror as the two leopards battled.

The silver leopard was thrown off, but instead of retreating, it crouched low and leaped back into the fight. The spotted leopard, though strong, was soon overpowered, pinned under the silver leopard once more. A thunderous roar filled the air as A-Yin’s claws struck out, grabbing the spotted leopard’s ear, and the spotted leopard retaliated, snapping its jaws.

“A-Yin, be careful!” Zhuo Yan’s heart raced.

Both leopards sprang apart, growling, ready for another round.

“That fool can’t even beat him!” Zhuo Yan clenched his fists tightly. His worry was growing—A-Yin can’t get hurt!

The fight continued. This time, the spotted leopard, angered, made the first move, its claws slashing through the air toward the silver leopard’s head. But A-Yin skillfully dodged, quickly retreating.

And then, the turning point.

With a sudden, swift twist, A-Yin spun around, his jaws wide open, and lunged at the chasing spotted leopard. His claws struck with deadly precision, slamming the leopard into the ground. With a powerful bite, A-Yin crushed the leopard’s head in his jaws.

“Stop!” Zhuo Yan cried, horrified.

“Not Ah Hui!” Ah Tou yelped.

The scene unfolded too quickly, leaving Ah Da and Rain stunned. Ah Da rushed forward to separate them, and Ah Tou looked equally shaken. If A-Yin truly hurt the fool, there was no way Ah Hui’s father would let him go unpunished.

““A-Yin!” Zhou Yan called out, sprinting toward him.

Even though that fool deserved a good beating, if it came to a life-or-death situation, his A-Yin would be at a disadvantage. Zhou Yan was furious as he ran, but when he reached the grassy field and saw that the leopard was unmoving, his heart sank.

He had already thought about it—if the chief punished A-Yin, how could he protect him? Could pottery save him? If pottery wasn’t enough, he had other ways, but that would take time. Besides, everyone had witnessed it. It was that fool’s provocation. If worse came to worst, he and A-Yin could just leave the tribe…

Ah Tou, Ah Da, and Yu, the three leopards, stood around them. Ah Da let out a low growl, like he was trying to calm things down. Ah Tou stepped closer but didn’t dare touch A-Yin, who still had a fierce aura around him—he could feel the deadly energy radiating from A-Yin.

Yu didn’t dare to approach, trembling with fear.

A-Yin was so vicious—he had actually killed that fool!

“A-Yin, A-Yin, are you okay?” Zhou Yan finally arrived at A-Yin’s side. What he saw made his heart clench. The small, foolish leopard lay still on the ground, half of its head in A-Yin’s mouth, A-Yin’s sharp claws pressing down hard on its body.

Zhou Yan only had one thought: He and A-Yin really might have to leave the tribe.

But he didn’t blame A-Yin at all.

He had seen it clearly earlier—A-Yin hadn’t wanted to use his claws. He’d been holding back, even not using his teeth, while that fool had shown his claws and fangs first.

If A-Yin hadn’t won, he might have been seriously injured under that fool’s claws… or worse, dead.

Thinking about it that way, Zhou Yan could only feel grateful.

“A-Yin, it’s okay,” Zhou Yan said softly, reaching out to stroke A-Yin’s ear. A-Yin, still furious, had eyes full of ferocity, but at the touch of Zhou Yan’s hand, his anger slowly faded, the deep blue of his eyes transforming into a calm light blue.

“Wuuu~” A-Yin’s voice softened as he spoke to his brother.

Zhou Yan gently patted A-Yin’s head. “It’s really okay. If it’s too much, we can leave.”

“Wuuu?” Leave? A-Yin didn’t understand. Did Brother not like the tribe anymore? Why did they need to leave? He whined, asking again.

Zhou Yan didn’t quite catch A-Yin’s subtle whine, and was about to explain when he saw the motionless fool shudder. Was he… still alive?

Ah Tou, who had transformed back into human form, hurried over, ignoring his bare backside, and said, “Zhou Yan, A-Yin wants you to stand behind him. He’s about to let go of the fool.”

“Ah, okay.” Zhou Yan listened to A-Yin.

Ah Tou then noticed something and exclaimed, “Wait—he’s still alive?”

A-Yin let go of his claws, and because his mouth was so large, it was difficult to close it. He carefully stepped back, but some drool dripped down and landed on the fool’s head.

The fool, Ah Hui, blinked as he regained consciousness, too stunned to wipe the drool off his face.

Ah Da, seeing this, let out a relieved sigh.

“Ah! He’s really alive!” Ah Tou, though slightly disappointed, was more relieved. At least A-Yin hadn’t killed the fool. It saved them a lot of trouble, and A-Yin wouldn’t be kicked out of the tribe.

“Hahaha! Did you think his head was like a tusk pig’s to bite on?” Ah Tou teased.

Ah Da crouched down, gently tapping Ah Hui with his paw and growled, asking if he was okay. He had been scared stiff earlier when the fool was immobile.

“Wuuu…” Ah Hui’s growl was weak, his voice lacking the usual force.

Zhou Yan couldn’t understand him, but Ah Tou laughed heartily. “You know now. You were so scared you couldn’t move. Don’t ever provoke A-Yin again. He’s fierce in a fight.”

“Wuuu—” Ah Hui grumbled weakly. ‘You laughed, but if you had your head in his mouth, you’d be too scared to move! I don’t believe you weren’t scared.’

Ah Tou just kept laughing, not stopping.

Who provoked whom? Even if you mocked A-Yin for not being able to shift forms, he wouldn’t have gotten this angry. But you dared to mock his brother! That was a no-go, Ah Tou thought, though he didn’t say it out loud to the foolish beast.

Aman, Qiao, and Xiao Xian arrived shortly, seeing that nothing was wrong, and all breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhou Yan, unwilling to deal with the fool any longer, said sternly, “Everyone saw what happened. It was you who challenged A-Yin to a fight. You’re not hurt, so don’t trouble A-Yin again in the future.”

“Wuuu—” Ah Hui howled halfway, then remembered he could shift to human form. He reluctantly shifted and lowered his head. “I admit he’s strong. I lost. I won’t cause trouble for him anymore.”

He paused and grumbled, “Not like I would ask for him to hunt for me.”

Zhou Yan sighed in relief. “That’s good.”

The matter was finally settled, but Ah Hui chased after them, insisting he wanted to give A-Yin the antelope. “Take it. I lost.”

“Wuuu.” No.

“Take it.”

No. A-Yin ignored him and followed Zhou Yan.

Ah Hui, left behind, wiped the drool off his face, and Ah Da chuckled as he patted his shoulder. “Better put on your hide skirt first. The antelope, you can take back to your cave and eat.”

“Forget it,” Ah Hui sighed. “I’ll share it with everyone. Seeing the antelope now just makes me angry. I must have been blind to even like that Zhou Yan.”

Ah Da warned, “Don’t talk about Zhou Yan. A-Yin will hear you.”

“A-Yin’s too much. He’s so strong, and he follows behind someone like Zhou Yan, who can’t even speak properly.” Ah Hui grumbled, but his voice was softer, and he sighed, “Ah Da, I’m heading back.”

“Alright, don’t be sad. When the hunting team returns, we’ll go hunting together next time.”

In the past, every time the hunting team went out, Ah Hui was always excited. But now, just the thought of being defeated and pinned down by the young A-Yin made him freeze in place, a little embarrassed. He sighed. Forget it, he would just head home.

As for the horned bull, in the end, it was Ah Da who suggested sharing it among everyone.

The beastmen working in the kiln all got a piece. Half of them had witnessed the fight between A-Yin and Ah Hui, while the other half hadn’t. As they dug into the roasted meat, the conversation soon turned to the fight.

“A-Yin pinned Ah Hui down and beat him up.”

“I didn’t know A-Yin was that strong.”

“Ah Hui was so scared, he couldn’t move at all.”

As for Zhuo Yan, he wasn’t in the mood to eat. He was still angry—today’s fight had been a needless disaster for A-Yin. Fortunately, Ah Hui had admitted defeat and wasn’t looking for trouble anymore.

“I’m not eating either!” Xiao Xian, who was on Zhuo Yan’s side, huffed. Since his big brother wouldn’t eat the bull that Ah Hui had fought, he wasn’t going to either. But the smell of roasted beef was too tempting, and despite his anger, he swallowed hard, resisting the urge to drool.

Zhuo Yan… couldn’t help but smile at Xiao Xian.

“Go ahead and eat. You’re clearly hungry. I’m not eating because I’m not hungry. I ate too much this morning,” Zhuo Yan teased, while gently patting A-Yin’s ear. A-Yin grumbled in protest but made no move to eat.

Zhuo Yan chuckled. “You’re really not hungry?”

A-Yin tilted his ears, then shook his head. He wasn’t lying to his brother—he was just a little hungry, but it wasn’t bad.

“I knew it,” Zhuo Yan said with a smile.

“By the way, where’s that little wild boar?”

Aman called from afar, “It’s still around, I think. Someone saw it running towards your cave just now.”

A-Yin sprang up, let out a soft growl, and went off to catch it.

Eventually, Qiao and Aman returned with pieces of meat. Qiao had been given hers by Ah Da, and Aman’s came from Rain. As they sat around the fire, roasting meat, A-Yin soon came back, carrying the young wild boar in his mouth. He opened his jaws, and the trembling little boar cub fell to the ground, covered in saliva and too scared to run.

Zhuo Yan called A-Yin over to eat. “Qiao and Aman gave us this meat, so we’re not killing the boar cub. Let’s raise it for now.” The little boar was about ten pounds, so killing it just for a meal wouldn’t be worth it.

Zhuo Yan’s breeding efforts just gained another member.

A-Yin approached his brother, but only ate when fed. He wouldn’t eat on his own. Zhuo Yan didn’t eat much either, feeding A-Yin as best he could. Qiao noticed and said, “We have plenty of meat. Let A-Yin eat more.”

“Yeah, Zhuo Yan, don’t be so polite,” Aman chimed in, swallowing quickly. “I’m going to change the stone now. You guys should talk to Shi Tou about the fight. Xiao Xian, you go.”

“Okay, I’ll tell him,” Xiao Xian eagerly agreed.

When Shi Tou came over, Xiao Xian wasted no time and chattered away. Shi Tou, chewing on roasted meat, listened with a smile in his eyes. “Zhuo Yan, he’ll never come after you again.”

“He probably doesn’t like me now. He’ll want to stay far away from me,” Zhuo Yan laughed, feeling a sense of relief.

Shi Tou and Qiao also chuckled.

“I was still telling Aman I’d give it a try,” Zhuo Yan mused, “but after being chased by the beastman and rejecting him, it just became a big mess. I now feel like if Aman wasn’t interested, I shouldn’t have even tried.”

Xiao Xian nodded. Qiao added, “You’re not like Aman. You really don’t like Ah Hui, but Aman has played with Rain. You probably noticed that Aman was hesitating, which is why you said you’d give it a try. He couldn’t hold his own feelings as firmly as you.”

“Feelings are really complicated,” Zhuo Yan murmured, feeding A-Yin a big chunk of roasted meat. He felt grateful, knowing that after this whole incident, no beastman in the tribe would dare to pursue him.

Before this, Zhuo Yan had never imagined that a beastman would be interested in him.

Mainly because his reputation wasn’t great. Even though the tribe leader had praised him, calling him clever, the tribe admired strength and beauty, and strength had nothing to do with him.

So, he never thought anyone would seriously pursue him.

Today, as a single man, Zhuo Yan had been stunned by the experience, but thankfully, the process had been intense, but the ending had been peaceful.

That night, despite the chief not being around, the elder beastmen were still present. Ah Shu reminded Zhuo Yan that it was time, and Zhuo Yan called out for the charcoal to be stopped and switched to firewood, gradually lowering the temperature. Once the flames died down completely, the kiln could be opened to reveal the pottery.

Three kiln openings were unsealed simultaneously, and with torches around, they could clearly see the neatly arranged pottery inside.

“It worked!”

Zhuo Yan smiled with joy and called to everyone, “Be careful, it’s hot. Take it out and set it aside.”

“We know.”

The beastmen, who had only seen the pottery made by Zhuo Yan in the past, were now fully involved in the entire process—burning the charcoal, building the kiln, and molding the pottery from yellow clay. Every step had been witnessed or participated in firsthand.

Some of the beastmen, holding their pottery jars, were so overwhelmed with emotion that their eyes started to redden, on the verge of tears.

“It really worked! It’s made from clay and fired by me!” one of them exclaimed.

“This bowl has a patch of black clay on it. It fell off when I sealed the kiln. Can I keep this one?”

“You can tell the tribe leader. They should let you have it.”

“What should we make tomorrow?”

“Follow Zhuo Yan’s plan.”

Everyone turned to Zhuo Yan, waiting for his instructions. He nodded and said, “Once we’ve packed up these pottery pieces, we’ll wait for the tribe leader to come back and make final decisions. Starting tomorrow, we’ll begin by washing the clay, and at the same time, we’ll fire the roof tiles. The day after tomorrow, we’ll mold the pottery, and we’ll start making clay pots.”

“Pots?!” someone asked, eyes wide in surprise.

“I know. These pottery bowls can be used for cooking over a fire, but if we make clay pots like stone pots, that would be amazing!”

That night, everyone was buzzing with excitement, carefully organizing and setting the pottery aside, leaving Ah Tou to keep watch over them.

Zhuo Yan, holding the baby wild boar, and A-Yin, headed home. Stroking the plump little boar, Zhuo Yan murmured, “It’s been a busy few days, but once I have some free time, I’ll build you a pigsty, okay?”

The little boar, sensing the warmth of the beastmen and picking up on their gentle energy, exposed its tiny teeth and, thinking it could bite, opened its mouth to nip at Zhuo Yan’s hand.

“Owwooo!” A-Yin growled fiercely, charging at the boar.

The little boar froze, its tiny teeth still showing, but it was too scared to move another inch.

Zhuo Yan noticed, realizing that the boar’s nervous response was perfectly coordinated with A-Yin. “It’s getting heavy in my arms. A-Yin, why don’t you hold it for a bit?”

The little boar gave a weak whimper, still paralyzed in fear.

“Don’t worry,” Zhuo Yan said with a smile. “A-Yin won’t bite you. I’ll just need to tame you a little, just like our two rabbits at home. They were the same way when they were young—rebellious, trying to escape, until A-Yin held them gently in his mouth. Now they’re as good as gold.”

A-Yin—his most reliable assistant in Zhuo Yan’s breeding efforts—was already proving to be indispensable.