Chapter 88

Everyone saw with their own eyes as a pile of wooden parts on the ground, under Zhuo Yan’s instructions, was assembled by six members of the Peacock Tribe into a wooden frame. No one had any idea what it was for.

In half a month, Zhuo Yan only made two of them.

“Is this done?”

“Yes, it’s done.”

“How do you use it?” “Is this for looking at?” “So this is a loom! When I heard Zhuo Yan mention it before, I thought he was going to raise chickens.” “Honestly, so did I.” “Why is it called a ‘ji’ (machine/chicken) if it’s made of wood?” “No idea.”

Many people in the tribe were curious, even the chief and the eldest uncle turned to look at Zhuo Yan.

Zhuo Yan: … How am I supposed to explain this “ji” (machine)?

“When the ramie is harvested and we start using it, everyone will understand.” That was all Zhuo Yan could say. Trying to explain without a demonstration wouldn’t make sense to anyone.

Although no one knew how to use this “ji” (machine), they did know how to look at houses. Compared to the dark, cramped caves, this place was still quite bright even in the evening.

The operation site for drying ramie threads was set about a hundred meters from the riverbank. Since the river would swell and widen after winter, the original trees and vegetation had been cleared, and the ground was compacted for the workspace.

It was now mid-autumn. With more salt available, they could start preserving food for winter. As usual, the beastmen went out hunting — two teams had merged into one to venture further afield. The prey they brought back would be processed by the sub-beastmen, who began making salted and smoked meat. Once the meat was taken care of, they would get busy with the second round of autumn harvesting.

The duduguo fruits could be picked later — as long as they were gathered before winter set in.

And they still needed to make charcoal.

Last year, they had burned a batch, and the sub-beastmen loved it. They said burning charcoal in the caves during winter was much better than using firewood — there was less smoke, and it didn’t leave everything covered in messy ashes.

In short, the busy season had begun again.

The most important thing: the ramie was ripe.

Normally, the first round of ramie harvests wouldn’t produce much, and the yield would increase with the second and third rounds. But Zhuo Yan had forgotten — this was a prehistoric continent where everything grew like crazy.

So the ramie fields were thriving. Modern ramie typically grows to about 1.5 to 1.8 meters tall, but here, the plants had already grown past Zhuo Yan’s head — over two meters high.

Zhuo Yan: …

This year, the task of drying meat was left to Cong Lu and Qiao, while Zhuo Yan led the six members of the Peacock Tribe, along with Shitou, Aman, Daen, and A-Yin, to handle the vast ramie fields.

To harvest the ramie, they needed to cut the stalks about ten centimeters above the root. It was a stalk-like plant, and they only needed the stems — the leaves had to be stripped away. They crafted bone sickles by tightly binding sharpened bones to wooden sticks with animal hide, making it easier to cut the plants. Each person was assigned a section of the field, slicing the stalks and bundling them up before tossing the bundles to the edge of the field.

Zhuo Yan put Kong Yue in charge of transporting the bundles. “You’re still young — don’t overwork yourself and stunt your growth.”

“You should carry the bundles too,” Shitou said to Zhuo Yan.

Zhuo Yan: … He was over 1.8 meters tall — definitely not small.

“Haha, we’ve learned how to cut the ramie now. You two can do the carrying,” Aman added.

Zhuo Yan knew his friends were just trying to lighten his workload. Cutting ramie required constant bending over, which was indeed exhausting. Still, he wasn’t made of paper — he insisted on working alongside everyone.

But after a while, something felt off. Zhuo Yan started feeling nauseous —

It really seemed like he was made of paper.

No way… was he already done for after just this much work?

Stubbornness kicked in, but before he could push through, A-Yin noticed something was wrong and ran over. “You look really pale. Go sit down for a bit. I’ll carry the bundles later — I think I can manage.”

“I’m fine—”

“No, you’re not,” Shitou and Aman rushed over too. Zhuo Yan’s lips were almost white at this point. A-Yin didn’t give him a choice, practically dragging his brother over to the edge of the field to sit down.

Shitou turned to Kong Yue and said, “Run to the river and get some hot water from Qiao.”

“Got it, Shitou-ge.”

Kong Yue transformed into a peacock and flew off. Not long after, he returned — now in his human form, clutching a water cup, completely naked, and running back in a hurry.

Zhuo Yan felt a bit embarrassed.

“Thanks, Xiao Yue.”

“You’re welcome, Zhuo Yan-ge. How are you feeling now?” Kong Yue was putting his clothes back on.

Zhuo Yan took a few sips of hot water. After resting for a while, he did feel much better. “A lot better.” He noticed everyone was still watching him with concern.

A-Yin’s eyes were especially full of worry. Seeing Zhuo Yan nod and promise he’d rest if needed, A-Yin finally relaxed, and everyone went back to work.

Sitting there, Zhuo Yan still felt a little awkward. He didn’t understand — why had his stamina suddenly dropped like this? Was he sick?

But he hadn’t felt unwell recently.

After resting a while longer, Zhuo Yan got up to help again. The moment he stood, all eyes turned to him — especially A-Yin, who looked like he was about to run over again.

“…I’m really fine. Don’t worry. If I feel bad, I promise I’ll sit down.”

“Gege, you have to take care of yourself,” A-Yin said, his eyes filled with worry and a pitiful look.

The words hit Zhuo Yan right in the heart. He nodded seriously. “I will.”

If something happened to him, A-Yin would be devastated — maybe even worse.

After that, Zhuo Yan went back to work, but every so often, he could feel everyone’s eyes checking on him.

Zhuo Yan: … It was making him so self-conscious he almost started moving awkwardly, like his arms and legs didn’t know what to do.

But really — he was fine.

Zhuo Yan realized he had underestimated the five members of the Peacock Tribe. They were actually quite strong — it was just that their outward appearance gave off a “lazy” and “unwilling to work” vibe. Their skin was pale and smooth, but they worked for two days straight without showing any signs of wear.

Meanwhile, Shitou was already turning into caramelized Shitou under the sun.

Bundles of ramie were stacked at the edge of the field, with a small patch left untouched. Zhuo Yan worried that if they harvested everything, the remaining plants might freeze and die over the winter, preventing a second crop. The ones they left behind would bloom and produce seeds for replanting next year.

The harvested ramie stalks were transported to the riverside for processing.

Once the harvest was done, A-Yin and Daen went hunting, as the rest of the work required more finesse than strength.

Only the outer bark of the ramie stalks was needed — the leftover stalks would be dried and used for firewood. The peeled bark had to be soaked overnight. Near the riverside, they had built a large water basin, which was now used to soak the ramie bark. The next step would be extracting the ramie fibers.

Sitting on small stools, the group began stripping the bark and pulling out the fibers. Zhuo Yan fumbled a bit at first, his hands unfamiliar with the process, but the six members of the Peacock Tribe, having already heard Zhuo Yan explain which parts they needed, got it right on their first try.

Zhuo Yan: “……”

They were practically born to be master tailors.

What followed was the tedious and intricate early-stage work — extracting fibers, drying them carefully so they didn’t get too brittle, keeping an eye on them and sprinkling water as needed. After drying, the fibers had to be twisted into threads, then wound into balls, and finally, the warp threads had to be prepared.

The warp threads needed to be dense and even — if they were properly set up, the weaving process would go much faster later on.

So, whenever the sub-beastmen from the tribe came by out of curiosity, wanting to see what kind of clothes were being made, they only saw Zhuo Yan and the Peacock Tribe sitting by the empty riverside, peeling plant bark.

A few days later, when they came again, the group was busy winding thread.

“Zhuo Yan said that’s called ramie thread — it’s so thin, even thinner than a blade of grass.”
“Seriously, I saw it too. They dried so much of it, and now they have to twist it all into thread balls.”
“Sounds like a lot of work.”
“My eyes hurt just watching them.”
“Drying meat is still better.”

They were already familiar with drying meat — no need for delicate handwork. But the ramie threads were so fine, sometimes twisted two strands into one, sometimes three. Zhuo Yan kept talking about how the warp threads had to be evenly thick, but most of them didn’t really understand what he meant.

“I went to check — the Peacock Tribe is really good at it.”
“…Yeah, I guess they’re naturally suited for this.”
“I didn’t want to admit it at first — thought we sub-beastmen could do it too. But after sitting there twisting thread for a while, my fingers started to hurt, and it was so boring.”
“Your fingers hurt?”
“Well, not that bad… it’s just boring. I stared at the threads for so long, and after half a day, I only made a thread ball the size of my fist. Zhuo Yan said it wasn’t even done yet — next, there’s something about warp threads and more winding.”

“Yes, yes, I went too. I could learn it, but after doing it for a while, the threads I wound weren’t as thin or even as the Peacock Tribe’s. Mine were thick in some spots, thin in others, and sometimes even broke.”

“Better let the Peacocks handle it.”

At first, the sub-beastmen would often come by, mostly curious about how that wooden ‘chicken’ worked. But every time they visited, Zhuo Yan and the others were either drying ramie stalks, or a few days later, drying ramie threads, and then even later, still winding the warp threads…

It was all meticulous work that required patience — something the sub-beastmen really didn’t have.

Finally, once the warp threads were all wound, the next step was sizing them with starch. Ramie fabric, also known as summer cloth, was breathable and cooling for clothing. After sizing and weaving, the finished cloth would need to be washed several times to become soft yet durable.

Sizing the warp threads required a rice paste — traditionally made by grinding rice into rice water and cooking it into a thick paste. Since they didn’t have regular rice here, Zhuo Yan came up with two alternatives: one using millet paste and the other using Dudu fruit paste, both of which they had plenty of.

So they decided to try both.

The paste didn’t require much material. They boiled two pots, dipped the brushes in, and carefully coated the bundled warp threads evenly. Once the sizing was done, they could finally set up the loom.

“Finally, we can start weaving.”

By this point, it was already late autumn.

The kiln work and meat drying had wrapped up days ago. While the meat was drying, the sub-beastmen hadn’t been idle either — they had started harvesting the crops from the fields. With so much food this year, some of the beastmen were taking breaks from the harvest to dig extra storage pits for the surplus.

The food stores were already overflowing.

And soon, they would have to start making charcoal again.

“Zhuo Yan-ge, how’s it going here?”

One day, when Xiao Xian had a bit of free time, he ran over to check on things. As he approached from a distance, he saw through the clear window that the wooden “chicken” was moving!

!!!

“The wooden chicken is moving!”

Xiao Xian shouted excitedly, spinning around and running back — he had to tell the others. Zhuo Yan-ge’s wooden chicken really moved this time, it wasn’t just about winding threads anymore.

Before long, a small group of sub-beastmen arrived, baskets slung over their backs, on their way to pick Dudu fruit. Hearing Xiao Xian’s shout, they decided to stop by first and check out the wooden chicken.

Through the pale green glass, they could see all six peacock men inside. Two of them — Kong Xingxing and Kong Huo — were seated in front of the wooden chicken. Their hair was tied back, and the light streaming in made their fair skin glow. One hand pulled a lever, a foot pressed a pedal, and the other hand tossed something across, followed by another quick pull of the lever.

It was a blur of movements — so swift and fluid that it was hard to follow.

A sub-beastman tried mimicking the motions. “I feel like my hands and feet wouldn’t work together like that.”

“Should we go inside and take a look?”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Zhuo Yan once again marveled at how skilled Kong Xingxing’s clan was at weaving, praising them again and again. It was genuine admiration — he truly meant it. The six peacock men, hearing his compliments, were even more motivated to weave. Kong Xingxing and Kong Huo, being the clan leader and the eldest, had taken the lead, while the other four lined up, waiting for the two to get tired so they could have a turn.

“Why can’t we make more machines?”

“Yeah, Zhuo Yan, there’s clearly plenty of space here.”

Zhuo Yan replied, “Maybe next year — there’s no time this year.”

“Alright then.”

“Chief, you’ve been weaving for a while now. Are you tired? Want to take a break?”

Kong Xingxing was in high spirits. He had never used a loom before — in the past, they would twist tree bark and vines by hand to make skirts. He had no idea there was such a method, and now, in just a short while, there was already a large piece of… cloth.

Zhuo Yan said it was called “cloth,” and Kong Xingxing was already eager to use it to make clothes.

“Zhuo Yan-ge!”

It was Xiao Xian’s voice.

Looking through the glass, Zhuo Yan saw not only Xiao Xian but also a group of sub-beastmen he had brought along. He waved them inside. “You’re just in time — we’re weaving today. You’ve been wanting to see how it’s done, so have a look now.”

In the corner, four baskets of ramie thread were piled up, and along the wall stood the warp rack, ready to be used again once the current weaving was finished.

The sub-beastmen gathered around but didn’t dare get too close, afraid they’d disturb the two working at the loom. After watching for a while, their eyes grew dizzy from the intricate hand and foot movements, and they couldn’t help but ask how it all worked — where to place their hands and feet.

If this were back at the Featherfolk’s mountain, Kong Xingxing wouldn’t have bothered responding. But since this was the Leopardfolk’s territory, he made an effort to be more polite. He stood up and said, “You can try it.”

The sub-beastmen were startled, quickly waving their hands in refusal.

Zhuo Yan: …

Kong Xingxing genuinely wanted to let the curious sub-beastmen give it a try, but because of his naturally aloof appearance — the kind of cold arrogance he’d carried since childhood — his attempt at friendliness still came off as distant.

The sub-beastmen from the tribe clearly misunderstood, thinking Kong Xingxing was annoyed.

“Boss Kong really meant it when he asked you to try. Give it a shot — if you don’t know how, Boss Kong will teach you,” Zhuo Yan said with a smile.

Kong Xingxing: ? … He has to teach them too?

“Yes, I’ll teach you,” Kong Xingxing said.

The sub-beastmen exchanged looks, realizing that maybe they had misunderstood. It seemed like Kong Xingxing just spoke that way — not angry or mocking. So, one of them sat down to try the loom.

The result was a chaotic mess. Kong Xingxing’s weaving was tight and even, but the sub-beastman’s cloth had holes everywhere. The difference was painfully obvious.

“I’m done… I don’t want to weave anymore. I’ve ruined Boss Kong’s fabric.”

Kong Xingxing kept his temper in check, but inwardly, he thought: At least you know… That was a perfect piece of fabric — ruined!

Once Kong Xingxing stepped away from the loom, the other peacocks quickly took his place, and after the sub-beastmen left, the four of them wasted no time teasing their leader.

“You were the one who told them to try it first, chief.”
“It wasn’t Zhuo Yan’s idea.”
“Chief, you were so ‘gracious’ just now — I thought you were about to grind your teeth into dust.”
“Haha, that’s Kong Xingxing for you. He’s been a perfectionist since he was a kid. I bet he won’t use that cloth for clothes — he’ll reweave the whole thing.”
“Honestly, though, look at you being all tolerant now!”
“If this were before, we’d all be getting scolded to death.”

“Hahaha, looks like our chief has a better temper now.”

“It’s okay, Kong Xingxing. You’re still the chief among the five of us.”

Zhuo Yan didn’t interfere with the peacocks’ internal banter. He knew it wasn’t easy for them to live under someone else’s roof. All six of them were proud by nature, and he had worried about how they’d adapt, doing his best to respect their dignity.

Their chief, Kong Xingxing, was a clever man. He had arranged for the stone peacocks to settle in the back mountain and gradually integrated them into the community, showing that they weren’t just freeloaders — they contributed and earned the genuine respect of the others.

Still, minor conflicts over habits and communication were inevitable.

Yet here the four peacocks were, openly teasing Kong Xingxing — maybe it was their way of letting off steam.

Kong Yue glanced at his brother, a little concerned.

Kong Xingxing snorted coldly, realizing the four were baiting him on purpose so he wouldn’t bottle up his irritation. “You four… I can’t even be bothered to scold you!”

“I’m not that petty.”

Kong Yue clearly didn’t believe him.

Kong Xingxing: …

He really wasn’t angry — there was nothing to be angry about.

…Alright, maybe he had felt a little uncomfortable earlier when that piece of cloth was messed up and no longer perfect, but that feeling was gone now. Besides, if he didn’t use that cloth for clothing, he could always weave another one.

…Actually, it was still usable.

Kong Xingxing thought about the big guy back home — this was the first batch of cloth he had woven by hand. He wanted to make clothes for the big guy — it would definitely look good.

“Get up, let me weave.”

Kong Lü blinked. “I’ve already been weaving. You still want it? This piece isn’t even done properly.”

“Of course I want it. Why wouldn’t I? I wove the beginning part, didn’t I?”

The four peacocks were stunned. Was Kong Xingxing really not angry? They were a bit dazed — had the bad temper he had back in the Feathered Tribe’s mountain somehow been “cured” after coming to the Leopard Tribe?

Zhuo Yan watched as the six peacocks worked skillfully and confidently. “I’m going with Shitou and the others to pick Dudu fruit tomorrow — I’ll leave this place to you.”

After this experience, he was sure that even if the tribe’s sub-beastmen came by out of curiosity, the six of them would be able to get along just fine.

The weather had turned colder in late autumn, and a thin animal hide had been added on top of the straw mat.

For the past month and a half, Zhuo Yan and A-Yin had been busy with their own tasks every day, constantly working. Now, things were finally settling into a rhythm, allowing them to catch their breath — though there was still charcoal to burn, Dudu fruit to pick, and various small chores like husking and drying millet.

Some tribe members liked eating millet and wanted to dry a portion at noon, saving some for winter. Others weren’t in a hurry, preferring to store it for the spring. After all, there was more than enough food right now.

“I’m free tomorrow, brother. I’ll go pick Dudu fruit with you — I can carry the load,” A-Yin said.

Zhuo Yan knew A-Yin was worried about him overworking himself — the last time he didn’t feel well from working too hard had really scared A-Yin.

“Alright.”

This time, Zhuo Yan didn’t refuse.

The two of them went to bed early that night. The next morning, A-Yin got up first to prepare for the day. He roasted a few potatoes and cut a piece of salted meat, wrapping it in tree leaves and placing it in his back basket.

Zhuo Yan prepared food for Da Fu and Da Ming.

Da Fu and Da Ming — the father-and-son tusked boars.

Zhuo Yan and A-Yin set off early. After waiting for a while at the foot of the slope, they saw Xiao Xian, A-Tou, Qiao, and Ada emerge from inside. From the direction of the back mountain by the river, they could also hear Aman, Daen, and Shitou talking. The group gathered together.

“Wait for me—wait for me—!”

A-Hui came running with a vine basket strapped to his back, sprinting like mad.

The group had no choice but to wait. When A-Hui finally caught up, he wasn’t even out of breath. The first thing he did was glance at A-Tou, his face full of frustration.

Ever since A-Hui found out that A-Tou would be moving into his partner’s cave in autumn, he had been wearing this same sulky expression.

Zhuo Yan had heard about all this from Xiao Xian — ever since Aman moved to the back mountain, he’d been a bit farther from the tribe’s “gossip network,” so his information wasn’t as up-to-date as Xiao Xian’s. According to Xiao Xian, A-Hui even went looking for Uncle A-He afterward — but who would have thought that Uncle A-He didn’t want to dig caves with A-Hui either!

Uncle A-He’s exact words were: “You? A-Hui, you’re too young.”

When A-Hui went to him, he was quite confident. He thought that since he was young, only just an adult, and wasn’t suggesting becoming partners — just living together — Uncle A-He would definitely agree. After all, A-Hui was strong, good at hunting, and full of energy.

But to his surprise, he was rejected — because he was too young. A-Hui quickly replied that he didn’t mind Uncle A-He being older.

Who would’ve thought Uncle A-He would just laugh and say: “Haha, kid, I don’t want to live with a beastman anymore. I’m living a good life now — I’ve got food in my cave, and I can raise my two little ones just fine. My old cave is in the tribe’s main area, and as long as I make the door thick enough for winter, it’s safe. In a few years, my eldest will be able to hunt…”

In short, Uncle A-He had no intention of pairing up with a beastman and sharing a cave again.

It hadn’t always been like this. Back then, when his eldest was still small, not partnering with a beastman would’ve meant starving — they couldn’t live off mud beans every day. He was thin from hunger and couldn’t protect his son, so it was better to rely on a beastman. At least then, they’d have meat, and he could bring some back to their cave for his eldest. That was how the father and son survived.

Now—

Under A-Hui’s fierce glare, A-Tou, smug and full of himself, said, “Uncle A-He turned you down — he doesn’t want to dig a cave and live with you. Why are you staring at me? It’s not like I rejected you.”

“You still have the nerve to talk! You stayed behind to pursue Xue and didn’t even tell me.”

Xue was the only single sub-beastman in the tribe besides Xiao Xian, and one of the few around the same age as this group of young beastmen. He even had his own cave — a slender, tall figure, more delicate compared to the others.

“If I told you, wouldn’t that just mean one more rival going after Xue?” A-Tou replied slyly. “Between the lot of us — you, me, Yu…” He counted a few more names.

“Obviously, I have the best chance.”

A-Hui spat, “Pah!”

He almost blurted out that Gu He’s beastman son, Gu Tian, was also quite impressive — but seeing A-Yin nearby, he bit his tongue. Besides, after thinking about it, he realized Gu Tian wouldn’t be interested in Xue anyway.

Xue was too thin, not strong or sturdy at all.

As they walked and talked, A-Tou and A-Hui kept bickering over the topic of potential partners. In the end, A-Hui, of course, lost — because he didn’t have a partner.

Annoying.

“Are you planning to hold a ceremony?” Zhuo Yan asked.

A-Tou replied, “No, we’re not. Xue and I want to just live together for a few years first — that’s what she wants too.”

Hearing this, A-Yin quickly ran to his brother’s side. “We haven’t had a ceremony yet, brother.”

“…Oh, right.” Zhuo Yan wasn’t too concerned about ceremonies. “Didn’t I already propose to you last year by the snow deer?” But seeing the hopeful, eager look in A-Yin’s eyes, it was clear he really wanted a ceremony.

“Well… how about we have one?”

A-Yin’s eyes instantly lit up.

Noticing this, Zhuo Yan found himself a little excited too. “No rush—” Seeing A-Yin tense up, likely afraid he’d change his mind, Zhuo Yan quickly added, “How about the first snowfall of winter?”

“!!! Yes, brother!”

If A-Yin had been in his beast form, his tail would’ve been wagging so fast it left an afterimage.

He turned to A-Tou, A-Hui, Da-En, and Ada, inviting them to go hunting with him in a few days. The group readily agreed.

“Congratulations!”
“Best wishes to you both, Zhuo Yan and A-Yin.”

Zhuo Yan grinned. “Thank you, thank you — thanks, everyone.”

While agreeing to go hunting with A-Yin, A-Hui couldn’t help but feel a bit down. Why didn’t he have a partner? In the tribe, the only ones left were A-He Shu and… Xiao Xian?!

“Why are you looking at me? I’m not going to be your partner,” Xiao Xian said.

A-Tou instantly flared up. “A-Hui, I’m warning you — don’t you dare set your sights on my brother.”

“Why not? I’m not bad at hunting.”

“I just don’t like you,” Xiao Xian said seriously.

A-Hui deflated. “Alright.” Did he have to go back and try his luck with A-He Shu again…?

—

After the dudou fruit was harvested, A-Yin had to make two trips back and forth to carry everything.

Back at the tribe, Zhuo Yan joined the others in making charcoal. The ramie stalks had dried out and could now be brought home in batches.

Over the next few days, A-Yin and his friends went out hunting again.

As the days grew colder, Zhuo Yan finally pulled on the homemade leather boots he had crafted himself.

When Zhuo Yan woke up early and saw ice crystals on the leaves of his bubble tree, he knew the first snowfall of winter was near. A-Yin had already been out for two days.

Planning to visit the weaving workshop, Zhuo Yan headed over and found Kong Huo, Kong Lü, and Kong Yue working there. After greeting each other, Zhuo Yan said, “It’s about to snow here. If it gets too cold, you don’t need to keep working.”

After all, everyone had only been wearing leather skirts before — there was no rush to make clothes.

Kong Huo asked, “How long will it snow? Will ten days be enough?”

“Didn’t Shitou talk to you about it?”

Kong Lü chuckled and said, “He did, but Kong Huo just doesn’t believe him.”

“Everything Shitou says is true, I promise,” Zhuo Yan replied with a smile.

Kong Huo immediately looked nervous.

Kong Yue added, “Shitou-ge prepared a lot of hides for us.”

Shitou’s father and mother had sent some over, and the tribe had also distributed hides to the six peacocks.

Zhuo Yan had asked before if they had enough, and Shitou said each person got two thick hides, with three extra prepared just in case. A few days ago, after finishing the charcoal burning, Shitou also gathered a lot more.

At this moment, Zhuo Yan said, “If it gets too cold, you can push your beds together to sleep. Also, don’t seal the place too tightly just because of the cold — burning charcoal produces a toxic gas, so you need to let in some fresh air from time to time.”

The entrance to the peacocks’ cave was small, with a snug wooden door that still had a gap about ten centimeters wide. Worried they’d get too cold and block it with hides, Zhuo Yan reminded them again.

“Got it, Zhuo Yan-ge,” Kong Yue nodded seriously.

Seeing everyone busy at work, Zhuo Yan thought about going out to find Shitou and Aman. But the moment he stepped out of the weaving workshop, a blast of cold wind hit him square in the face, making him shiver. “It was way warmer inside.”

By evening, a light snowfall began, with tiny flakes that disappeared the moment they touched the ground.

A-Yin hadn’t returned yet. After feeding Dafuku and Daming — the father-and-son pair of tusked pigs — Zhuo Yan shut the wooden door and stood by the entrance for a while.

Late into the night, just as he was dozing off, he vaguely heard a long howl. When he opened his eyes, the family’s tusked pig was howling inside the cave.

“Brother, don’t be scared — it’s me, A-Yin.”

Hearing the voice at the door, Zhuo Yan let out a breath of relief. Finally, he was back.

When he opened the door, A-Yin was standing outside, his head and shoulders covered in a layer of snow, shaking it off. At his feet was a massive, dark-colored prey — so black it was almost glossy. Zhuo Yan couldn’t quite make out what it was. “Did you bring this back by yourself?”

“No, Daen and the others helped me carry it. It’s too late today, so we’ll take it to the square tomorrow for the ceremony,” A-Yin said, his eyes sparkling. “Brother, it’s snowing.”

“I saw.”

Zhuo Yan, still a bit groggy from just waking up, pulled A-Yin inside. It took him a moment to fully process — last year, when they were at Snow Deer’s place, the ground covered in thick snow, with Big Tooth and A-Tou as witnesses… he had already thought of that as their wedding.

When the snow fell, and with the ceremony planned for tomorrow, A-Yin truly felt like they were becoming mates.

“Get some rest,” Zhuo Yan said, his smile barely contained. “Tomorrow, we’ll go find the chief and ask him to witness our union.”

A-Yin responded with a soft “Mm,” grinning foolishly as he hugged his brother tightly and fell asleep. He had already bathed before coming home.

The next morning, Zhuo Yan was woken by the noisy grunting of Da Fu and Da Ming. He suddenly remembered the prey A-Yin had brought back last night—he didn’t want the father-and-son pair to gnaw on it. Rushing to open the door, he was stunned by the sight outside—

A pile of horned sheep and woolly sheep stacked together. From their size and appearance, they all looked young and tender.

A-Yin, now awake, beamed and said, “Brother, we have red pepper fruits and Sichuan pepper now! Didn’t you say roasted lamb is delicious? We caught lots of sheep—today we can have roasted lamb!”

During mate ceremonies, the other beastmen often went hunting. Bringing back large or rare prey was a way to show off their strength, a display of a beastman’s power.

But A-Yin’s only thought was: My brother loves lamb, so I’ll catch more.

Zhuo Yan: Overwhelmed with emotion — and maybe just a little bit drooling.

“A-Yin, A-Yin! Want to go to the square—”

“Need help carrying the sheep?”

The voices of A-Hui and A-Tou echoed from down the hill. It was nice of them to come help so early in the morning.

A-Yin glanced at his brother. Zhuo Yan quickly wiped the imaginary tears from the corner of his eye, his gaze filled with happiness, and nodded.

“Yes!” A-Yin shouted.

Zhuo Yan said, “I’ll pack the spice box — let’s head over together.”

That day, a thin layer of white snow covered the tribe’s grounds. The young beastmen carried sheep into the heart of the settlement. Zhuo Yan, after washing up and cleaning the house, didn’t dress up — he wore his usual clothes — but his face glowed with joy. Carrying the spice box, he followed behind them.

All his friends had arrived.

The Peacocks had shifted into their bird forms and flown over, while Shitou and Kong Xingxing walked at the back, each carrying an egg. Kong Xingxing was wrapped in a fur cloak, cradling the unhatched egg against his chest, muttering, “It’s already snowed, we’re deep into winter… why haven’t you hatched yet?”

The egg remained silent.

When they reached the square, a bonfire was already lit. The chief and Da Shushu had come out, and more people kept arriving, pitching in to divide and butcher the sheep. Before long, nearly the entire tribe had gathered, many bringing food from their own homes.

“So many sheep!”
“A-Yin must have caught them, right?”
“Looks like there’s more than enough to eat. I brought some potatoes.”
“Haha, look at all the sheep.”

Just as Maha laughed, Daya snorted and said, “It’s obviously because Zhuo Yan loves lamb, so A-Yin went and caught more. They’re becoming mates — of course you catch what your mate likes to eat. It’s not some contest about who’s the strongest.”

Maha, who didn’t have a mate: … Suddenly not laughing anymore.

Dayan’s words were harsh — he always spoke that way — but… they weren’t wrong. Still, Maha couldn’t help thinking: But wouldn’t it be nice to show off my strength to the tribe…

Above them, the Peacocks chirped and fluttered through the sky. Maha found himself wondering — if he had a mate, what would he even go out and hunt?

Kong Lü couldn’t hold back any longer. This wasn’t a hard question. He shifted into his human form and said, “Maha, you’re so strong — isn’t it simple? Just catch everything.”

“Yeah!” Maha suddenly realized. He glanced at Kong Lü. “Wait, you’re all here? When did you arrive?”

“While you were thinking— Ah-choo! No, I can’t take this, I have to turn back into a bird — it’s too cold.” Kong Lü shifted back into bird form.

Maha waved his arm and loudly called out to his new Peacock friends, “Come with me — they’re lighting a fire over here. It’ll be warmer. Make way, make way…”

The beastmen helping out stepped aside to give Maha some space.

The Peacocks landed nearby, but their feet were clearly freezing. Maha watched them shifting from foot to foot for a long moment before finally realizing, “I’ll go find you some wooden boards.”

…

“Zhuo Yan-ge! Why didn’t you dress up today?”

“I did! I cleaned up and wore new fur.” Zhuo Yan grinned, clearly in high spirits. “Don’t I look good like this?”

Shitou and Aman both agreed he looked good. Qiao added, “Zhuo Yan’s smile looks really nice.”

“That’s true,” Xiao Xian said happily, suddenly feeling that dressing up didn’t matter much — as long as Zhuo Yan-ge was happy, that was what mattered.

Before long, the square grew lively. Fires blazed everywhere, and the rich aroma of roasting whole lamb filled the air — even though they were just getting started.

Zhuo Yan and A-Yin stood side by side, facing the chieftain.

Zhuo Yan had seen the chieftain host the bonding ceremony for Qiao and Ada before. He thought it was just a simple ritual with some words of blessing. But as the chieftain gazed into their eyes, the cheerful laughter, the chatter, and the sounds of people discussing how to season the lamb all gradually faded away.

It was a strange, indescribable sensation.

Zhuo Yan saw a river, the sun and moon rising and falling, and a great, flourishing tree of life. The river sparkled with starlight… This scene felt oddly familiar — like he had been here when Ada and Qiao bonded.

On the tree’s lush branches, three small glowing orbs rested. As he looked at them, they fell like shooting stars, merging into his body.

A-Yin appeared in his beast form — enormous, even larger than he was now. With a slow, graceful stride, A-Yin approached and lowered himself to the ground, inviting Zhuo Yan to climb onto his back.

As Zhuo Yan sat down, he felt a gentle wind brush against him. In that moment, he transformed into a leopard — he was A-Yin, and A-Yin was him. They were one.

That merging of souls — how wondrous it was.

A cool sensation touched the center of Zhuo Yan’s brow, pulling him back to reality. The chieftain gazed at him with a kind, gentle expression. Zhuo Yan lifted a hand, wanting to touch the spot between his eyebrows, but stopped himself halfway.

“Blessings to you both,” the chieftain said.

“Thank you, Chieftain,” Zhuo Yan replied.

A-Yin beamed with joy.

The ceremony was complete. The rich aroma of roasting lamb drifted through the air, the sizzling sound of fat dripping onto the fire making everyone’s mouths water.

Qiao and Aman called him over to eat, but Zhuo Yan still felt a bit dazed, as if he hadn’t fully returned from that strange, mystical place.

As he looked at Aman and Qiao, he noticed something — faint, shimmering light clinging to their bodies, just like the glowing orbs from the life tree that had fallen onto him.

Without thinking, he blurted out, “Are you two… expecting cubs?”

Aman and Qiao: “What?!”

Not far away, the chieftain also heard this. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked at Zhuo Yan’s back.

Zhuo Yan… could connect to the Tree of Life… and see the arrival of new life…