Chapter 45

In the end, Zhuo Yan managed to concentrate the bitter tree sap, shaping it into pea-sized pellets. Whether he swallowed them whole—just closing his eyes and tossing them down his throat with a gulp of water—or dissolved them in liquid, he didn’t bother to try the latter.

After all, why make the pellets if he could just swallow them?

That afternoon, after swallowing a concentrated pellet, Zhuo Yan felt an unusual clarity of mind—whether it was a placebo effect or not. While the heat had left him feeling dizzy for the past few days, that day he felt sharp and energized.

Early in the morning, he and Xiao Xian gathered leaves to weave clothes. At noon, they made mashed potatos to eat. Even without salt, a sprinkle of scallions and garlic made it delicious.

“Brother Zhuo Yan, are these pellets bitter?” Xiao Xian asked.

“If you toss them down your throat quickly, you won’t taste any bitterness at all,” Zhuo Yan replied.

“Really? I’ll give it a try.”

However, Xiao Xian mismanaged the pellet, getting it stuck on his tongue. He couldn’t swallow it or cough it up, making it even more bitter.

“Hahaha!” Aman burst into laughter, his voice echoing in the cave.

Big Cloud rushed over, worried, and hugged Xiao Xian tightly.

Zhuo Yan handed Xiao Xian the water jug, urging him to drink deeply to wash it down. Finally, when Xiao Xian managed to swallow it, he patted Big Cloud’s head, his face crumpled in annoyance. “Big Cloud is the best.”

It was evident that this time, everyone was hesitant about the pellets, unlike before when they had been eager to help Zhuo Yan. Even Xiao Xian shook his head, refusing them even if they were given for free.

After lunch, they gathered in Zhuo Yan’s cave to weave their summer clothes.

Weaving clothes from leaves, tree bark, and thin vines involved specific techniques and material choices. Zhuo Yan initially thought he could simply string large leaves together to cover himself, but Aman and the others taught him the proper methods with the materials they had collected that morning.

The bark needed was from dry tree trunks, peeling off the soft inner layer. This layer had the right balance of toughness and flexibility, allowing them to twist it into strips. They needed a lot of these strips to weave together, ultimately embedding leaves into the weave to hold them securely in place, making it easy to replace the leaves as needed. This “skeleton” structure was sturdy, durable, and wouldn’t tear easily.

Zhuo Yan was in awe.

“Should I cover my upper body as well? Maybe I should,” he mused.

“Zhuo Yan, you don’t really need to. You’re not that big up here,” Aman gestured towards his chest. “You’re not a girl.”

“Even though I’m small, I still need to cover up to avoid heatstroke,” Zhuo Yan replied earnestly, justifying his choice.

Shitou agreed, “Let him cover up; sometimes prolonged sun exposure can cause peeling.”

“Right, right!” Xiao Xian chimed in. “Brother Zhuo Yan, if you peel, rubbing damp bitter tree sap on it feels really refreshing and helps it heal quickly!”

Zhuo Yan nodded, “Got it. If it has that effect, then the pellets can be dissolved in water for bathing.”

Upon hearing the term “pellets,” Xiao Xian immediately closed his mouth tight and distanced himself from Zhuo Yan.

Zhuo Yan raised an eyebrow, puzzled. “You were the one who choked on the pellet! It wasn’t to trick you!”

Creating the upper garment was even easier. They fashioned a neck-hanging “skeleton” style or a bandeau type, and even a triangular “skeleton” akin to a bellyband. They tied tree bark strings around the waist, securing the essential parts with leaves.

Before long, their summer clothes were completed.

Zhuo Yan changed out of his little leather skirt and shoulder cape, both of which had been worn for a long time and needed a wash. Once he donned the summer attire, he felt a refreshing breeze wherever he moved, though he noticed it lacked a sense of security—just as he hadn’t felt secure in the leather skirt when he first put it on. But with time, he’d get used to it.

“You finally got rid of that fur coat!”

“Feeling cooler now?”

“Definitely cooler.” Zhuo Yan took a few steps, glancing down at himself. His outfit wasn’t see-through or revealing, but he couldn’t help but wish he had some fabric to wear!

As evening approached, the weather cooled off, and the group finally ventured out of the cave. Recently, there hadn’t been much work in the tribe, aside from tilling the land. Fortunately, their potato field didn’t need immediate attention since it had already been cleared, unlike the wild lands that required hard labor to cultivate.

Zhuo Yan planned to wait until the rainy season passed. Once the skies cleared and the ground absorbed the rainwater, he’d till the land again to plant potatos—likely in July or August—so they could harvest in autumn.

For now, they had some free time.

It was strange how busy life could be, yet when things slowed down, it became tedious. Xiao Xian was chattering away, and the group strolled to the riverbank, where they spotted other sub-beastmen tilling the fields. They could help out and chat a bit too.

At the riverbank, there were plenty of sub-beastmen around, some washing themselves in the water. Zhuo Yan made sure to avoid those taking baths.

“Zhuo Yan, that’s Lin Rong!”

“Huh?” Zhuo Yan blinked in confusion. He didn’t know a Lin Rong.

Aman looked over, puzzled. “Your aunt!”

Zhuo Yan’s expression shifted to one of realization. “I was just a bit out of it—” He didn’t need to explain; Aman and Shi Tou were already used to it. Aman continued, “I know, I know. You’ve been so idle lately that you keep zoning out.”

Indeed, when people were idle and the heat was on, appetite waned, leaving them feeling lazy and wanting to just lay around and daydream. Zhuo Yan pulled himself together and followed Aman’s gaze to the riverbank, where a male was squatting, wetting his skin to wash his face.

Then the young man stood up, and Zhuo Yan’s eyes widened in shock.

He… he… his belly is huge!

Zhuo Yan understood that sub-beastmen could get pregnant, but knowing it theoretically was one thing. Being in the tribe and seeing a male with such a large belly was a whole different shock.

His “aunt,” Lin Rong, looked to be around twenty-three or twenty-four. He had a handsome face, but his frame and flat chest made it impossible to mistake him for anything other than a male.

“Brother Zhuo Yan, are you going to say hi?”

Aman was already waving. “Lin Rong! Lin Rong!”

From a distance, Lin Rong looked over. Shi Tou chimed in, “Let’s go talk to him.”

“Let’s go!”

Aman noticed Zhuo Yan looking a bit dazed and assumed he was shy, so he grabbed Zhuo Yan’s arm and led him over. “Lin Rong is about the same age as my sister. When I was younger, Lin Rong used to hold me, or so my sister says. But ever since my sister transformed into a beastman, she hasn’t played much anymore; she’s been busy learning to hunt.”

Zhuo Yan remained somewhat disoriented.

Soon, they were close enough to stand together. Zhuo Yan looked at Lin Rong, struggling to open his mouth before finally saying, “Lin Rong, I’m Zhuo Yan.” It felt strange to call this handsome guy “aunt.”

“I know, you’re Asen’s kid,” Lin Rong replied with a smile.

Lin Rong and Aman’s sister were around the same age. Previously, he had worked and played alongside sub-beastmen of similar ages, but now his friends were off with the salt team at the feathered people’s market, leaving him to wander alone.

Yet they could still chat casually.

“During the snow season, I realized I was expecting, which is why Asen couldn’t bring you any meat,” Lin Rong explained.

Zhuo Yan hurriedly responded, “It’s okay, it’s okay! You and your partner are the priority now that you’re having a baby. You two are the most important.”

He wouldn’t hold it against his uncle for not bringing meat this snow season. Zhuo Yan could confidently say that if little Zhuo Yan really thought like that—relying on his beastman uncle—he wouldn’t have been searching for beastmen everywhere.

Little Zhuo Yan also hoped for his uncle and his partner to live better lives.

“Don’t worry, Lin Rong. Zhuo Yan has A-Yin now,” Aman reassured him.

Xiao Xian bobbed his head like a little chick pecking at grains. “Exactly! I heard from second brother that A-Yin is really good at hunting. Don’t be shy!”

Shi Tou nodded in agreement.

Lin Rong chuckled, resting his hands on his waist, searching for a place to sit. The group moved to a stone under the shade of a tree. Zhuo Yan’s gaze kept drifting to Lin Rong’s belly; he knew it was impolite, but he couldn’t help himself!

“I should be having the baby in about ten days,” Lin Rong misinterpreted Zhuo Yan’s stare, thinking he was curious about that. “I’ve mostly been in the cave, so I didn’t come out to help with the kiln.”

The tribe cared for sub-beastmen expecting babies, allowing them to skip work like gathering and toiling.

“We’ve got enough people for the kiln; it’s all wrapped up now.”

“Right!”

“I didn’t expect a new little one in the tribe so soon!”

Xiao Xian was particularly excited about the prospect of a new baby. After all, newborns were the cutest, only becoming bothersome when they grew up—crying, screaming, and crawling everywhere, losing all their charm.

Zhuo Yan’s thoughts were still muddled as he drifted in and out of focus.

As darkness fell, Da Ya and A-Yin returned from their patrol. The sub-beastmen by the river began to head home. Everyone knew that the other beastmen had gone off hunting, leaving just two beastmen in the tribe. To stay safe, they didn’t dare linger in the cool river, opting to head back home instead.

“Brother Zhuo Yan, what were you doing earlier? You didn’t say a word,” Xiao Xian said.

Aman added, “Yeah, you wanted to talk to Lin Rong but ended up zoning out.”

“Don’t blame Zhuo Yan; he might just be shy,” Shi Tou commented.

After receiving some friendly ribbing from his friends, Zhuo Yan reflected on how rude he had been. “I was just so shocked.” He quickly changed the subject, knowing he could bet Aman and the others wouldn’t understand the impact of seeing a male with such a large belly.

For sub-beastmen, being pregnant was a perfectly normal thing. The three would surely comment on it.

“So what do you think Lin Rong has been eating these days? Should I bring him some potatos? I really didn’t mean to zone out; I just didn’t know what to say.”

“You can, but it’s better if you bring them tomorrow morning.”

“It’s finally dark, and your uncle isn’t in the cave. If you wander near someone else’s cave, Lin Rong might get scared if he notices you,” Shi Tou explained.

Zhuo Yan nodded, deciding to go visit Lin Rong the next morning, “I’ll go by myself, no need to bring A-Yin.”

A-Yin tilted his head in confusion, wondering why he wasn’t invited. He wasn’t scary at all!

“You’re the cutest,” Zhuo Yan said, petting A-Yin’s ears. “But Lin Rong’s about to give birth, and if he sees another beastman near his territory, he might get nervous.”

“Right, right!” Xiao Xian nodded eagerly.

A-Yin, not particularly wanting to go, let out a soft whine, obediently understanding.

Early the next morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten, the air still a bit cool. Zhuo Yan gathered half a basket of mud beans, remembering that Aman and Shi Tou had told him where Lin Rong’s cave was. It was within the tribe, not too far away, but at a higher elevation.

If his cave was on the second level of the hillside, Lin Rong’s was on the fourth.

Zhuo Yan thought to himself, This is going to take some climbing.

“Alright, I’ll go find Lin Rong. You two patrol with Da Ya, see you tonight!”

“Should be some meat tonight,” Da Ya replied.

With fewer people around, the patrols had changed; they could no longer roam far in search of prey. Now they just circled around the perimeter of the tribe, with two leopards running laps from the mountain to the forest and back.

Zhuo Yan figured that A-Yin had eaten over ten pounds of meat the day before, so today, he was almost out.

A-Yin whimpered, indicating he wasn’t hungry and that Zhuo Yan shouldn’t worry.

With a wave, they parted ways at the slope of their homes, each heading in opposite directions. Zhuo Yan made his way up the hillside toward Lin Rong’s cave. Taking a side path that led to others’ homes, he climbed until the sun was shining bright.

Standing about ten meters from the cave entrance, he called out, “Lin Rong, it’s Zhuo Yan!”

After a few moments, Lin Rong emerged, looking as if he had just woken up. His hair was a bit messy, and his expression was less than cheerful. “You can come in,” he said.

Zhuo Yan approached, saying, “I harvested a lot of mud beans; I brought some for you.”

Lin Rong paused, taken aback. “I didn’t mean it like that when I mentioned not sending meat during the snow season.”

Zhuo Yan hurried to clarify, “No, I know that’s not what you meant! I just had some extra beans, and since your uncle used to bring me food, I thought I’d bring you some. Don’t worry, we have plenty at home.”

Both hurriedly explained themselves, eager not to misunderstand each other. After they finished, Lin Rong smiled, and Zhuo Yan relaxed, returning the smile.

“Well, I won’t hold back then.”

“Good, good! Don’t be shy! The tribe’s been sending out hunting parties every few days. The weather’s hot, and we can’t preserve meat for long. And now you’re pregnant; I’m not sure what you’re eating.”

Lin Rong replied, “Just some wild vegetables and water.” He went back inside the cave to grab a basket.

Zhuo Yan didn’t follow him inside, standing at the entrance. He noticed a large rock blocking the cave’s opening, leaving only a narrow space for a person to get through. He immediately guessed it was his uncle Asen’s doing.

“I won’t disturb you anymore. I should head back home.” After delivering the beans, he added, “Really, don’t feel burdened about this. Seriously.”

Lin Rong smiled sincerely, nodding. “And I’ll try planting those mud beans you taught me. By the time I plant them, I should have given birth, so we can do it together.”

“Sure! If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. Aman and Shi Tou know too.”

“Got it.”

With that, their conversation waned. Zhuo Yan made his way back down the hill. Inside the cave, Lin Rong sat, looking at the half-basket of mud beans with a soft smile. He gently rubbed his belly and murmured, “Zhuo Yan just came by. I hope you’ll be as strong as he is.”

Strong, resilient life—surviving the harsh snow season and full of wisdom.

On his way back, Zhuo Yan ran into Shi Tou and the others, who were still bored, playing around in his cave. They had barely spent an hour inside when Aman excitedly dragged Xiao Xian out to gather dry grass to replace the bedding in the chicken coop later that afternoon.

“…” Zhuo Yan thought to himself, This is giving me serious ‘let’s go shovel the village manure’ vibes.

Dai Yun lay sprawled at the rabbit hole’s entrance, watching the bunnies with curiosity.

As evening approached, Ya Zhu returned, his speed making him seem like a blur. Dai Yun let out an excited yelp, but Ya Zhu ignored him, darting around like a football player, evading all obstacles until he dashed right toward Zhuo Yan—just a few meters away.

Zhuo Yan glanced in the distance and saw a leopard, but it wasn’t A-Yin.

Ya Zhu, cautious not to get too close yet not straying far, finally collapsed, panting heavily. Zhuo Yan filled a wooden bowl with water, knowing that after such a run, Ya Zhu must be thirsty. But wasn’t he running a little too fast?

Not long after, Da Ya returned to the tribe, and soon A-Yin followed.

When the night fell into darkness, the hunting party that had been out for two days finally returned. They were all in their beast forms, laden with game. Zhuo Yan couldn’t quite make out what they had brought due to the distance, but A-Yin excitedly howled.

“Brother, we’re going to eat zebra meat today!”

As they headed to collect the meat, the square was already crowded. Ma Ha stood at the center, conversing with a few beastmen. “The herd is doing well, Ma Ha.” “Yes, you should go after the gray elephant. Diann was right.” “The tribe is a bit short-staffed now; if we catch a gray elephant, we’ll have to share the meat, or it’ll spoil before we get it back.” “Ma Ha, we know you’re strong, but Diann’s plan is also a good one. We’ll finally have horse meat!”

Ma Ha, however, was furious. “Going after the elephant just proves who the bravest beastmen in the tribe are!”

The other beastmen spoke loudly, and Ma Ha’s voice boomed even more, possibly out of anger.

Listening to their discussion, Zhuo Yan occasionally nodded in agreement with some of the beastmen’s remarks.

While waiting for the meat to be divided, he didn’t notice that A-Yin’s eyes lit up at the mention of “elephant.” He glanced at Ma Ha, who didn’t regard him at all. After the salt-gathering team had left, it was the first time he had gone hunting with Diann’s group, and Ma Ha had mocked him for it.

But A-Yin had long since learned not to let such things bother him; his brother said he was strong.

A-Yin no longer let the mocking and disdain of other beastmen in the tribe get him down. Instead, he focused on his goals. Right now, he wanted to venture into the territory of the mammoths; even the grey elephants were fair game. He could ask Da Ya if the territories of the grey elephants and the mammoths were close to each other.

His brother had said that grey elephants had a faint hint of saltiness, though not as strong as that of mammoths.

The hunting team returned with three zebras. As they began to divide the spoils, Dian’s brow was furrowed. Given the tribe’s dwindling numbers, two zebras would be a feast, yet Maher insisted on hunting grey elephants. Only after much resistance did he begrudgingly settle for the zebras, though he still managed to snag an extra one.

“That’s a lot!” someone exclaimed.

“Yeah, so much meat! What if we can’t eat it all?”

“Won’t it go bad?”

With the tribe currently having more sub-beastmen than beastmen, there was simply no way to consume that much meat or store it adequately.

Each zebra weighed between 300 to 400 kilograms. So, three zebras at 300 kilograms each meant they had a whopping 900 kilograms of meat—about 1,800 pounds! With only thirty-five members in the tribe…

After setting aside the bones and organs, there was still a mountain of meat. When the clean cuts were distributed, A-Yin and his brother managed to claim over a hundred pounds—Zhuo Yan was wary of putting it in his basket, fearing it would crush under the weight.

“Yikes,” Zhuo Yan thought, staring at the heavy haul. “A hundred-plus pounds of meat? How do I manage this?”

The excitement in the air was palpable as everyone exclaimed about the abundance of meat. Once the division was complete, Dian announced a break, mentioning that the hunting team would head out again the next evening and read off the list of beastmen selected, with the last name being A-Yin.

A-Yin’s eyes lit up, and he let out an excited howl, which drew laughter from the other beastmen. Zhuo Yan found the laughter grating; he recognized that they were poking fun at A-Yin for not speaking properly, sounding more like a beast than a person.

Unbeknownst to him, Zhuo Yan’s expression darkened.

A-Yin nuzzled against his brother, trying to comfort him. “Don’t be upset, brother. I’m fine.”

“We should head back,” Zhuo Yan decided. He didn’t consider himself overly sensitive, but the sight of others laughing at A-Yin made him both angry and helpless. In a tribe that revered strength, no one would heed a warning from a sub-beastman.

What could he possibly say?

The thought of it all left him feeling frazzled. Perhaps it was the heat, making him irritable and out of sorts. It felt like everything was getting to him lately—he had a short temper, sometimes exploding over the smallest things.

…Could it be that his rut wasn’t over yet?

Aman had mentioned that he was in a rut.

Zhuo Yan resolved to go home and share some of the meat with A-Yin. The sheer amount was overwhelming. They should prioritize A-Yin’s portion first. If they ended up with too much leftover, he could render zebra oil, make soap, or dry some of the meat. Drying it would actually be delicious—he had tried it before, turning it into jerky. Though lacking in seasoning, it didn’t taste bland or unappealing, just somewhat dull.

As it was warm in the evening, he would put off drying the meat until tomorrow; it would likely spoil overnight, so he needed to dry it on the stove first.

No matter what, he had to try to avoid waste. After all, the pigs at home could eat as well.

That night, the stove was kept ablaze. Zhuo Yan put the best cuts of meat into a bowl for A-Yin and began rendering the zebra oil. After two jars, the leftover scraps were crispy and fragrant, though they shouldn’t be eaten in excess to avoid greasiness.

He saved the leftover scraps for tomorrow’s mashed potatos.

He poured the oil into a small ceramic pot and covered it.

There was still a massive amount left—at least forty pounds of meat. A-Yin, who had been eating quickly, was now slowing down, and Zhuo Yan estimated he could eat around forty pounds without overdoing it.

“That’s enough, A-Yin. If you can’t eat anymore, give it to the pigs,” Zhuo Yan said, tossing a piece of meat over the fence while calling for the pigs.

A-Yin offered it up, but the pigs were hesitant to come out.

Even so, one pig peeked its head out, sniffing the meat in Zhuo Yan’s hand, then quickly retreated to the corner, playing dead.

It must’ve been because the meat had A-Yin’s saliva on it.

Zhuo Yan decided to ignore it.

He started slicing the meat into thick pieces, ensuring the stove was on a low flame. He covered the opening with a stone slab, lA-Ying the meat slices on top—not to fry them, but to slowly dehydrate them with the residual heat. As long as the meat didn’t spoil overnight, they could sun-dry it the next day.

Zhuo Yan thought about how his home lacked shallow, round baskets made from bamboo. It would be ideal if he could find some bamboo.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t come across any.

“Sigh.” Zhuo Yan sighed unconsciously, feeling a bit down.

A-Yin, who had been resting by his feet, nudged him with his head. “What’s wrong, brother?”

“I was just thinking about how I’ve searched all around the tribe with Aman, and when I made clothes yesterday, I wanted hemp. It’s good for making clothes, and bamboo… In spring, we can dig up bamboo shoots. Bamboo can also be used for cups and kettles—not to mention making bamboo mats and baskets. If only I could find other food, like grains…”

“Unfortunately, I can’t go anywhere,” he lamented.

He had already scoured the nearby areas and, aside from berries, wild onions, garlic, and chestnuts, hadn’t discovered anything new.

A-Yin’s eyes sparkled, and he playfully nudged Zhuo Yan’s leg, wagging his head, signaling that he wanted to carry him. Zhuo Yan understood immediately. “You mean you want to carry me?” A-Yin nodded vigorously, yes, yes! He could carry his brother everywhere.

Zhuo Yan didn’t want to stay in the tribe anymore; he could find a safe place to explore with his brother.

Zhuo Yan glanced at A-Yin, suddenly realizing that A-Yin had grown quite a bit since he last noticed. His fur was longer and fluffier than the average leopard’s, making it difficult for Zhuo Yan to see how much he had grown, living together day in and day out.

Now that he looked closely, A-Yin was indeed significantly bigger than he had been a few months ago.

Where A-Yin once looked somewhat like a cub, he now exuded a commanding presence.

“Are you sure you can carry me after just eating?” Zhuo Yan asked, unsure but excited. If A-Yin could carry him around outside, that would be fun—a breath of fresh air.

Besides, it wasn’t like they were going to run out right now; they could wait for the salt party to return before they went off adventuring.

A-Yin yipped excitedly, wagging his tail furiously. “I can, I can! Come on, brother!” Zhuo Yan finally let go of his hesitation, wiping his hands clean. A-Yin, who had been lazily resting a moment ago, stood up eagerly.

“?” Zhuo Yan’s mind went completely blank.

Just moments ago, A-Yin had been lying down, reaching up to Zhuo Yan’s thigh. Now that he was standing, he towered above Zhuo Yan’s waist. What Zhuo Yan didn’t realize was that while A-Yin was growing taller, so was he. He used to be around 1.7 meters, but now he was pushing 1.8 meters, albeit a bit on the thin side.

It was as if Zhuo Yan was seeing A-Yin’s height for the first time.

The beastmen of the leopard tribe were truly taller and larger than ordinary leopards, and now that A-Yin was ready, his tail wagging with excitement, Zhuo Yan felt a flutter of nerves—unsure of why he was anxious, perhaps worried that he might crush A-Yin under his weight.

Zhuo Yan’s impression of leopards was primarily shaped by modern zoos, where they looked powerful and majestic.

He hesitated, reaching out to touch A-Yin’s neck, feeling a mix of excitement and uncertainty. With A-Yin’s front paws half-crouched, Zhuo Yan carefully straddled him. He didn’t dare sit down fully, mumbling, “If I’m too heavy, just howl, okay? I don’t want to hurt you. You just ate, so be careful.”

A-Yin was already on his feet.

As A-Yin rose higher, Zhuo Yan was startled. Instinctively, he leaned down and wrapped his arms around A-Yin’s neck. A-Yin let out an ecstatic howl, filled with the unrestrained joy of a wolf, his tail wagging even more vigorously.

His brother wasn’t heavy at all; he was so light!

To Zhuo Yan’s surprise, his legs were dangling in mid-air.

“Awuu? Are you ready, brother?”

Still dazed, Zhuo Yan stroked A-Yin, who interpreted this as a sign to go. With a burst of speed, A-Yin took off running. Zhuo Yan screamed, “Ahhhh!!!” as they sped downhill, clinging tightly to A-Yin’s neck, his body pressed against A-Yin’s back.

A-Yin was thrilled. His brother was holding on, and it made him so happy!

They didn’t venture far from the tribe; A-Yin dashed down the slope to the riverbank and splashed through the water, sending icy droplets splattering against Zhuo Yan’s legs.

In the moonlight, A-Yin, the silver leopard, glimmered with an icy sheen. He was tall and muscular, easily passing for an adult despite being a sub-beastman. His long, powerful limbs stood ready, and in the dark, his eyes glowed a piercing blue, scanning the surroundings with a vigilant intensity.

On his back, the sub-beastman wore a tunic woven from leaves, his bright eyes sparkling with delight. When A-Yin, who had just been alert and fierce, turned his head to look back, his blue eyes transformed, radiating pure joy.

“A-Yin! A-Yin!” Zhuo Yan beamed widely, exhilarated by the rush of wind as they raced along. The feeling of freedom was intoxicating. “Thank you, A-Yin!”

The tension that had been nagging at him vanished in an instant.

He felt—absolutely—ecstatic.