Chapter 46

That night, Zhuo Yan snuggled with A-Yin before sleeping, completely ignoring the heat. He was still buzzing with excitement from their little adventure earlier, smiling as he ran his fingers through A-Yin’s fur.

He began to dream up possibilities for the future.

“Once the salt team returns, you can take it easy, and we can explore together,” he mused.
“Maybe we’ll find some hemp.”
“There should be bamboo too.”
“Next year, we can go to the Featherfolk market. I’m really curious about it.”

With thoughts like these, the days ahead seemed so much brighter. Zhuo Yan went to sleep with a smile on his face. The hunting teams in the tribe usually worked in shifts, and there were plenty of patrollers around, so after just half a day, he could ride A-Yin and see the sights.

A-Yin was lost in the joy of being held by his brother, and as soon as Zhuo Yan became still, he quietly lowered his gaze to watch him. Sure enough, Zhuo Yan was asleep. A-Yin didn’t dare to move, but he stretched out his tongue and gently licked Zhuo Yan’s hair—just a tiny lick.

His brother had once said that if he licked too much, he might go bald—lose some hair.

But that wouldn’t happen to his brother! Zhuo Yan had plenty of hair, just like him.

Just looking at Zhuo Yan made A-Yin happy. He imagined carrying his brother on more adventures, hoping that Zhuo Yan would be as delighted as he was tonight. He also thought about tomorrow’s hunt, wishing they would find some salt to make Zhuo Yan even happier.

The next morning, Zhuo Yan woke up from the heat. A-Yin was already up, having filled the water bucket. Zhuo Yan dipped a leather piece into the water to wash up, brushing his teeth. Initially, he had used a twig, but later he improved on that, fashioning it into a proper brush. He would split a piece of bubble leaf in half, one for him and one for A-Yin. Chewing and swishing water, he’d end up with a mouth full of bubbles and a faint taste of grass lingering after brushing.

He planned to wait until their pig grew up and its fur thickened to make brushes from its bristles.

The dried meat from last night was hard but didn’t smell bad at all, which made Zhuo Yan really happy. He first laid down a mat made of dried grass on the ground, then placed a clean leather layer on top, followed by the dried meat slices.

Zhuo Yan spread everything out in front of their home.

That afternoon, A-Yin was set to go hunting, and Zhuo Yan busied himself weaving a small basket—one just the right size for crickets. But his had to be sealed tight, containing two little balls made from bitter tree sap. To prevent A-Yin from overheating in the heat, he could just paw at it and eat it whenever he wanted.

Zhuo Yan tied the basket around A-Yin’s neck.

“Such a tight fit before the journey, I fear you’ll be gone too long,” he joked, feeling a bit sentimental.

A-Yin lay at his feet, unable to understand his brother’s words but thrilled to see him doing this just for him.

Then, Little Xian and Aman arrived.

“Zhuo Yan, what are you making? I want to join!” Little Xian exclaimed.

Zhuo Yan explained his clever idea, but upon hearing about the little sap balls, Little Xian quickly backtracked. He decided he didn’t want to make any after all. Aman chimed in, “Zhuo Yan, why not let A-Yin eat it before he leaves?”

“That’s different. We’re heading out tonight, and it won’t be hot then,” Zhuo Yan argued, still convinced his plan was thorough and foolproof.

Aman replied, “But this bitter tree sap isn’t unique to our area. There’s bound to be some out there too, right?”

“Exactly! But what if there isn’t?” Zhuo Yan countered.

A-Yin, at his feet, chimed in with an enthusiastic howl, agreeing that his brother was right.

The three of them paused in contemplation.

Ultimately, one loved to create while the other loved to eat; it didn’t matter to them. They hadn’t expected Zhuo Yan to care so much, even rolling the sap into small balls, especially when Little Xian mentioned that it was even more bitter than the sap itself.

The three of them watched Zhuo Yan craft little balls with a sense of boredom. Eventually, Little Xian couldn’t bear it any longer and pointed out that Zhuo Yan’s attempt wasn’t quite right, leading to Little Xian taking over the task.

“Zhuo Yan, is that dried meat you’re working with?” he asked.

“Yeah, I had too much meat yesterday, and I was worried it would spoil, so I dried it a bit. If I leave it out in the sun today, we should be able to eat it for a day or two,” Zhuo Yan explained.

He had already shared stories with his friends about the meat-drying process from the kiln last time.

“Oh no! I totally forgot! We stuffed ourselves yesterday and still had a ton left. My dad said it was such a waste,” Aman realized. “But I saved the fatty bits, just like you. I rendered out the oil.”

Shi Tou thought about the meat drying in the sun but was too lazy to dry it out properly. He’d woken up this morning and didn’t bother to check if it smelled bad; he just laid everything out on the leather by his cave. Whatever they could eat tonight would be fine; if not, so be it.

“That really is wasteful,” Zhuo Yan remarked.

Little Xian, focused on his work, murmured, “If the chief were here, he’d definitely have something to say about it.”

“Of course. Prey is alive too; we need to appreciate it,” Aman added.

Shi Tou looked at Zhuo Yan and said, “There used to be beastmen in the tribe, just like Maher, who wanted to impress a sub-beastman. He hunted a lot but never shared with the other beastmen or sub-beastmen, wasting so much. The former chief was furious and warned that the gods would send down punishment. Then, that beastman went out one day—”

“It was summer,” Little Xian chimed in.

“No, it was during the rainy season,” Aman corrected.

Shi Tou nodded and continued, “That day it didn’t rain, but the hunting team went out anyway. There was lightning and thunder, and that beastman was struck dead. The chief said it was the gods’ punishment.”

Such tales circulated in the tribe, serving as a warning.

Zhuo Yan asked when that incident had happened, but the three shook their heads. They had only heard their parents talk about it, stories passed down from their grandparents, so they didn’t know how long ago it was.

“The former chief was right,” Zhuo Yan nodded thoughtfully. “We beastmen and sub-beastmen need meat to survive, but we shouldn’t kill recklessly. We must respect the natural order and cherish what we have.”

In their tribe, they also let pregnant animals go when they hunted. If an animal was already badly injured and couldn’t survive, the hunting team would put it out of its misery swiftly.

After chatting for a while, Zhuo Yan flipped the meat, and around noon, he cooked some potatos, sprinkling them with the crispy bits of fried fat from yesterday. The four of them, along with Da Yun, enjoyed a delicious meal together.

A-Yin didn’t eat; he wasn’t hungry.

Zhuo Yan didn’t push it. After all, A-Yin had eaten a lot the night before. As the weather heated up, the group moved into the cave to cool down. Little Xian had finished weaving the small balls, and Zhuo Yan used the bark from yesterday’s summer clothes to make a strip and securely tie it around A-Yin’s neck.

“If you start feeling dizzy from the heat, make sure to eat something,” he instructed.

“If hunting becomes too troublesome or constricting, just let it go if you drop it. No need to look for it.”

“It’s not that important. When you come back, I’ll make you another one.”

Zhuo Yan had anticipated every possibility because he understood A-Yin well. A-Yin rubbed against his brother, knowing he would listen to him.

As evening fell, the hunting team set off again, led quickly by Maher, with two other beastmen flanking him. Dian was in the middle this time, and both Ah Tou and Ah Ri joined in, while Da Ya leisurely brought up the rear, waiting for A-Yin to join them.

The patrol was handled by A Sen and Ah Hui.

Zhuo Yan stood at the cave entrance, scanning the horizon until A-Yin’s figure disappeared from view before heading back inside.

The hunting team pressed on.

Da Ya walked at the back, alongside a robust beastman assigned by Dian. Previously, this beastman had been walking ahead with Maher but now felt disgruntled about being placed at the back. He glared at the few newly adult beastmen ahead, knowing Dian had positioned him there to protect the young ones.

He wanted to charge ahead.

A string of low complaints slipped from his lips. Essentially, he thought these young ones should stick to patrolling the tribe instead of running off to hunt, and he resented having to keep an eye on them; he wasn’t their father or mother.

Da Ya listened silently, not even a grunt escaping him.

After a long trek, by the time they reached the early hours of the night near the water, they discovered hippo tracks. Following the tracks along the river would lead them to the hippos.

“No hippos,” Maher dismissed the idea of hunting them.

Dian thought hippos would be a good target. If they tracked them down, they could reach the tribe by noon. She voiced her plan, glancing at the others for support.

In the group, Da Ya was the most experienced beastman, followed by Dian, Maher, and the two others. They were all roughly the same age, but their combat abilities varied, followed by Ah Ri and Ah Tou’s group.

As for A-Yin, no one paid him any mind; why would they heed the opinion of an unshifted beastman?

Maher was the first to reject the idea, and the two beastmen closest to him echoed that sentiment, saying they would follow Maher’s lead. Dian felt a flicker of anger. “We had too much prey before; we wasted food in the tribe. Maher, don’t forget the stories from our tribe.”

“Are you saying lightning will strike me? I’m waiting for it,” Maher challenged, looking at Dian. “A brave beastman fears nothing. I’m not afraid of that; you’re too timid, Dian. You don’t deserve to be the leader of the hunting team.”

“Whether I deserve it or not is up to the chief, not you.”

The two fell into their usual bickering—this was how every hunting expedition had gone lately, with arguments breaking out every time.

Dian turned to Ah Ri and Ah Tou. The brothers decided to side with Dian.

One beastman, close with Maher, chuckled. “Two young ones barely out of their teenage years, out here hunting, and you expect us to protect you? What nonsense! If you want to be real beastmen, go hunt on your own.”

Ah Tou’s face flushed with anger. “I’ve hunted alone before—”

“What? Were you after a docile horned sheep? A fawn? Or a piglet? I see, you probably can’t even take down an adult pig. I remember who grabbed a piglet and then knocked that soft little Ah Hui to the ground. Don’t think that makes you a beastman,” the tall beastman sneered, his gaze sweeping over the newly adult beastmen with an oppressive intensity.

Another person scoffed, “You should just shut up and hide behind us.”

A-head’s face flushed red with anger, veins popping on his forehead. Ah Ri pulled his brother closer, saying, “You were young once too. We’ll prove ourselves as true hunting beasts.”

“Then just be quiet for now.” Ma Ha was fed up with the younger ones chattering. He turned to Dian, his gaze piercing. “Dian, don’t act like a coward. As the leader of this hunting team, you need everyone’s respect.”

Dian clenched her fists, itching to throw a punch at Ma Ha. But now wasn’t the right time—she was leading the team, and with younger beasts in tow, a fight could bring danger. She mentally steeled herself, thinking, What do you want to hunt?

“If we’re going to fight, it should be the gray elephants,” Ma Ha shot back.

A-Yin, who had been excluded from the group, perked up his ears.

“No way,” Dian replied. “We can’t move a gray elephant, and if we try, we’ll be outnumbered. If a herd catches our scent and comes after us, the tribe will be in danger.”

“Then let’s have a contest,” Ma Ha proposed, eager for Dian’s refusal. “I’ll lead the hunt, and you can lead yours. At the end, whoever brings back the most game will be the new leader of the hunting team.”

If Zhuo Yan had been there to hear this debate, he would have sarcastically pointed out that Ma Ha was attempting another coup, this time far more cunning than before.

Ma Ha, along with his two companions, had no intention of hunting gray elephants. That was just a pretext he knew Dian would reject. He was biding his time to separate from her team and set up his own little faction.

Dian found herself cornered—either she agreed to hunt gray elephants or accepted Ma Ha’s challenge.

Of course, she could refuse both. But Ma Ha had repeatedly called her a coward. The tribe leader had appointed her as captain before he left, and in the beginning, most of the beasts had respected her. Now, however—

Dian felt the pressure mounting.

It was only a matter of time.

Reluctantly, she said, “Fine, anyone who wants to follow Ma Ha can go.”

In the tribe, there were a total of eleven adult beasts available, including A-Yin. Two were patrolling during the day, and one experienced beast was on night patrol. That left eight now out hunting. Dian had envisioned Ma Ha taking two of them, leaving her with five, which should suffice since the tribe was short on food.

But to her surprise, as soon as she finished speaking, A-Yin stepped forward. Dian was taken aback.

A-head was the first to react, “A-Yin, didn’t you understand? You should stand with Dian, not over there!”

“Yeah, you’re in the wrong spot,” Ah Ri chimed in.

Though Ma Ha looked down on A-Yin, seeing him join his group only made him chuckle with glee. “Not even one beast wants to follow you, Dian. You should think about that.”

Dian lifted her chin defiantly, but to her dismay, Da Ya walked over too. Ma Ha’s delight grew, “Even Da Ya has joined me! Sure, he’s limping and hasn’t transformed, but he knows who the real warriors are.”

A-head’s face turned crimson as he glared at A-Yin. He couldn’t comprehend how A-Yin could leave their group. A-Yin clearly didn’t like Ma Ha; he had constantly mocked and belittled them. How could A-Yin possibly side with him?

But Dian had already turned away, her back feeling desolate. She called for A-head and Ah Ri to follow.

A-head glanced back at A-Yin, who was determined to forge his own path. Ah Ri warned his brother not to look back and to avoid playing with A-Yin in the future.

As Dian led her team away, their figures faded into the rising sunlight. A-Yin noticed the disappointment in A-head’s eyes, but he had to reach the area where the gray elephants roamed. He needed to find salt.

His brother had told him that Dian was reliable, and now that the numbers were down, she would hunt safely and wouldn’t venture too far.

A-Yin howled, asking, “Are we going to hunt gray elephants now?”

Ma Ha and his two companions paused, caught off guard, before bursting into laughter. “Did I hear that right? That beast wants to hunt gray elephants?”

“You’ve got to be kidding! You’re just an untransformed beast going after gray elephants? Hahaha!”

“Ma Ha, this beast is seriously funny; he actually thinks he can hunt gray elephants.”

“Based on those claws?”

A-Yin’s blue eyes narrowed, and he let out a fierce roar. The trio of taunting beasts had no intention of hunting gray elephants; they were just teasing him.

“Hahaha! Ma Ha, did you see that? He’s challenging you!”

“Oh, he’s mad now!”

Ma Ha transformed into his beast form, towering like an imposing leopard, and roared back at A-Yin. But A-Yin stood his ground, showing no fear, baring his teeth and glaring back, his ferocity unwavering.

The two beasts who had been laughing were now dumbfounded.

Did this white-haired beast actually think he could take on Ma Ha?

Did he really want to fight?

Even Dian was too cautious to engage, yet this white-haired beast—

It was a standoff waiting to happen.

Finally, Da Ya spoke up, “The sun is rising. We need to follow the sun.”

A-Yin quickly retracted his teeth, decisively choosing to leave. His brows furrowed, but they represented his disdain for Ma Ha’s earlier taunts, as he sprinted towards the direction of the sun, with Da Ya following leisurely behind.

Everything had unfolded so quickly that the two beasts barely realized it until A-Yin and Da Ya vanished into the rising orange glow. “Ma Ha, what are those two up to?” one of the beasts asked.

“Aren’t they with you?”

Ma Ha was fuming. “A beast and a limping beastman? If they don’t want to come, so be it.”

“But they didn’t stick with Dian…” The other beast faltered under Ma Ha’s furious gaze. “I was just curious.”

Ma Ha roared, “Follow me to hunt!”

Who cared about those two?

A-Yin kept running, remembering the route Da Ya had mentioned. Da Ya trailed behind him, the two leopards maintaining a distance of seven to eight meters apart. By midday, under the scorching sun, A-Yin found a water source and began to lap at the water while scanning the area cautiously.

“Awoo~” Why are you following me?

Da Ya: I just wanted to see you make a fool of yourself. I already told you there wouldn’t be any salt. Your sub-beast brother might be clever enough to fashion some pottery, but he lacks real skill…

Before he could finish, A-Yin decisively turned away and continued on his journey.

Da Ya: …Damn it, this beast is in for a rude awakening when the mammoth crushes him.

Da Ya cursed under his breath as he trailed behind the silver leopard, who seemed unfazed by his presence and pressed on. Whenever they took a break, the leopard would catch a grass mouse and casually toss one at Da Ya’s feet. Da Ya glared at the mouse, seething with frustration.

Beastmen eat grass mice!

Why not eat grass mice? A-Yin didn’t understand; back when he was starving, it was the grass mice that kept him going until he reached the tribe’s grassy haven, where his brother found him.

Da Ya grew impatient, “Why this? Why that? We’re beastmen, valiant beastmen! What kind of beastman hunts grass mice? Even sub-beasts can catch those!”

A-Yin nibbled on his own catch, making soft sounds of contentment.

That sub-beast was impressive—smart and skilled. His brother even raised chickens that wouldn’t scatter at the slightest disturbance.

Da Ya: …

He wasn’t complimenting A-Yin; he meant that it was pointless for a beastman to catch such small prey.

This white-haired fool is pathetic!

After devouring three grass mice, A-Yin felt his thirst return, though he wasn’t particularly hungry, so he pressed on. Meanwhile, Da Ya, still hungry, could only watch as A-Yin continued down the path.

What, are we leaving again?

A-Yin was worried about his brother, wanting to find salt as soon as possible so he could return home early.

He didn’t bother being picky about food along the way; he’d eat whatever he came across. He had a clear destination in mind, and even though he hadn’t seen Da Ya for a while, he simply glanced back before continuing determinedly on his path.

He wasn’t afraid of being alone or encountering danger; he feared nothing.

Meanwhile, Da Ya lurked on a slope, watching A-Yin’s silhouette fade into the distance.

Damn it! I want to see how this beast gets trampled by a mammoth! So, he reluctantly followed, even if it meant facing baboons or wild dogs along the way. If he caught one, it would be easy enough, but Da Ya kept his gaze on the rapidly disappearing figure of A-Yin and pressed on.

As night fell again, A-Yin spotted a tree and settled into its branches for a rest. He was quick to open his eyes at the slightest sound, pinpointing the source immediately.

Just a few meters away, Da Ya had caught a baboon and climbed effortlessly onto a branch, starting to devour it without even glancing at A-Yin.

A-Yin withdrew his gaze and rested his paws over the branch.

The guttural sounds from the baboon next to him were quite loud. A-Yin felt a pang of hunger but brushed it off; it wasn’t a big deal.

Halfway through his meal, Da Ya noticed A-Yin watching him without asking if he wanted any. With a cold smirk, he let out a sound.

Eat or not?

A-Yin looked over, replying with a soft “Awoo.” Yes, he’d like to eat. He added, “Thank you.”

As if their earlier argument had never happened, A-Yin jumped over to Da Ya’s tree, snatched half of the baboon, and began to eat leisurely.

Da Ya: …

This little brat is going to get kicked by a mammoth in the morning.

A-Yin: ?

Awoo, awoo, awoo. Are we really Ah Riving tomorrow? Isn’t it still far away?—A-Yin quickly realized that Da Ya had referred to the time since they left the tribe, and they had indeed been traveling for a long while. That was great news!

He could return home sooner than expected. Hopefully, D electric or Ma Ha wouldn’t return to the tribe early.

Once A-Yin finished eating, Da Ya suggested they leave. A-Yin didn’t question him, hopping down from the tree to follow Da Ya. This action lightened the frustration Da Ya had carried all day.

As an experienced beastman who had once obsessively sought revenge for his son, Da Ya had an innate understanding of the mammoth’s territory. With this ‘old beastman’ leading the way, the grasslands at night didn’t feel particularly dangerous—

Nature had its food chain, and the combination of beastly leopard instincts and human intelligence placed the beastmen firmly at the top.

In addition to the leopards, there were three other tribes of beastmen.

However, the other three tribes kept their distance and wouldn’t intrude on leopard territory for hunting.

Of course, in the face of absolute strength, even a solitary leopard would be at a disadvantage, facing real danger from creatures like short-legged beasts, mammoths, or the likes of grey elephants and beast swarms.

No one on this grassland and forest continent could claim to be an absolute victor.

As dawn broke, Da Ya found a patch of tall grass on a hillside, intending to catch some sleep. A-Yin, hearing that they were resting, hadn’t even spoken when Da Ya called out.

Hey, kid, this is mammoth territory. No rush; we’re already on the edge. You really want to be kicked by a mammoth?

Your sub-beast brother will be back to facing the winter alone soon enough.

Those words haunted A-Yin throughout their rest.

After a short nap, the sun rose high in the sky, and the fresh grass withered in the heat. All the animals became lethargic, seeking shade to escape the sun’s glare.

When Da Ya stood up, A-Yin woke up as well. Da Ya glanced at A-Yin but remained silent as he led the way, while A-Yin silently followed. The two leopards kept a cautious distance of about two meters apart.

After walking for a while, the path suddenly opened up, revealing a mammoth ahead.

A colossal beast.

…

Meanwhile, D electric, along with brothers Ah Ri and Ah Tou, didn’t wander far after splitting up the group. They also didn’t pursue the hippos; the weight of an adult hippo rivaled that of a young grey elephant. D electric anticipated that Ma Ha wouldn’t want to hunt smaller prey, which was why she suggested hunting a hippo.

Of course, D electric had intended to target a hippo calf, which would be enough to feed the entire tribe.

But to her surprise, Ma Ha was still intent on hunting a grey elephant.

With the group split, only three remained, alongside two newly grown adult beastmen. D electric cautiously decided to head back along the route, searching for some herbivores that would be safe to hunt.

She had already anticipated that Ma Ha and the others would hunt something big. With the hunting team assigned to her by the tribe leader, she might not be able to carry it back, but before that—D electric pressed her brow. She had to settle things with Ma Ha first.

Ah Tou walked at the back, distracted, glancing over his shoulder now and then, hoping A-Yin would show up. He couldn’t understand why A-Yin would choose Ma Ha, that guy had always looked down on them.

“Stop looking, Ah Tou,” he was gently chided.

“If he was coming back, he would’ve done so by now,” Ah Ri reassured his younger brother. He urged Ah Tou to focus; they weren’t in the safety of the tribe anymore and didn’t want to hold D electric back. Ah Tou nodded, trying his best to concentrate.

The three of them managed to hunt a mature spotted deer.

“Let’s head back,” D electric said.

Ah Tou protested, “It’s only one deer; it’s not enough for everyone, and we’ll lose out.”

“Ma Ha will be bringing back game as well. If we gather too much in this heat, we’ll waste it. As for winning or losing—” D electric’s eyes gleamed with cold determination, “I will settle that score with Ma Ha.”

Ah Tou was taken aback, sensing the fiery anger in D electric’s voice, and fell silent.

The two brothers and D electric returned to the tribe at midday, when the sun was blazing. D electric and her partner, Xiao Kui, divided the meat by the river, separating the hides and bones, each receiving four pounds of meat.

Zhuo Yan looked around but didn’t see A-Yin, his expression suddenly shifting to one of confusion. It was a scorching summer day, yet a chill crept into his heart.

“Where’s A-Yin? Why hasn’t he returned?”

D electric glanced at the sub-beastman, her face expressionless, yet she replied, “He chose to hunt with Ma Ha.”

“Impossible,” Zhuo Yan shot back without a moment’s thought.

D electric fell silent, her demeanor cold.

As the others continued to distribute the meat, Zhuo Yan realized he wouldn’t get any more answers. Feeling anxious, he rushed off to find Ah Tou, but before he could speak, Ah Tou cut him off. “D electric isn’t wrong; A-Yin is with Ma Ha’s team.”

“What? No way! A-Yin doesn’t like Ma Ha,” Zhuo Yan argued. Though they hadn’t said it outright, A-Yin often made jabs at Ma Ha, and considering how much he listened to Zhuo Yan, there was no way he would team up with Ma Ha.

Ah Ri approached with a scowl, “He is with Ma Ha.”

“Brother, why are you shouting at Zhuo Yan?” Xiao Xian interjected, displeased. “Let’s talk calmly; Zhuo Yan is worried about A-Yin too.”

However, Ah Ri and Ah Tou were both angry, particularly Ah Tou, who ignored his brother as they stormed off.

Zhuo Yan remained rooted in place, not holding any resentment toward Ah Ri and Ah Tou’s tone, for his mind was solely focused on A-Yin.

How could this happen?

Was there some sort of misunderstanding?

Xiao Xian glanced between the direction his brothers had left and Zhuo Yan, stamping his foot in frustration. “Zhuo Yan, don’t worry! I’ll go find out what’s going on with my brothers, and I’ll be right back.”

By evening, Xiao Xian had pestered his brothers three times, still in disbelief that A-Yin would choose Ma Ha. Nevertheless, he steeled himself and sought out Zhuo Yan.

When they reached Zhuo Yan’s cave, Shi Tou and Aman listened intently as Xiao Xian recounted everything, their brows knitting together.

None of them liked Ma Ha. Even Shi Tou, who respected strong beastmen, disliked Ma Ha, stating that he looked down on everyone. In short, he was arrogant and dismissive.

The three of them exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of what to say as they looked back at Zhuo Yan.

What was Zhuo Yan thinking?

“…I still can’t believe A-Yin would do this. He must have his reasons. When he returns, I’ll get to the bottom of it,” Zhuo Yan finally spoke, glancing at Xiao Xian. “I know your brother is upset. When A-Yin is back, I’ll make sure he explains everything to him.”

Friendship among comrades is precious.

Xiao Xian scratched his head, nodding slowly. He didn’t know who to believe anymore.

The next morning, before dawn broke, Ma Ha and two other beastmen returned, bringing back two rhinoceroses. A-Yin and Da Ya were nowhere in sight.