Chapter 97

On the second day, the first rays of sunlight passed through the forest trees, casting soft shadows on the sleeping members of the three tribes. Almost simultaneously, everyone woke up, feeling refreshed and full of energy, with no one lingering in bed.

“I still have six little stone fruits left.”

“There’s still half a small pouch of red chili fruits.”

“Zhuo Yan has made red chili powder. Looks like we’ll need to bring something else next year.”

“What should we bring? The Leopard Tribe also has mud beans, and now they have red chili fruits too, along with bubble leaf trees and soap…” He really couldn’t think of anything.

Another sub-beastman thought for a moment, then excitedly said, “Today, we can ask Zhuo Yan if we can trade transparent stones for goods since we’re closer to Snow Deer Mountain.”

“That’s a great idea! Let’s go ask. Yesterday, the Lion Tribe even traded with the Peacock Tribe in advance.”

Tiger Tribe Resting Area.

“Thanks to Erhuang’s mother bringing plenty of supplies, the two brothers’ mother, who is naturally cheerful and warm-hearted, had heard about Zhuo Yan’s name for the past two or three years, even though it was her first time visiting the Leopard Tribe. So, she brought a lot of food, intending to give some to Zhuo Yan—trading if possible, and if not, just as a gift.

Unexpectedly, at this market, the Tiger Tribe ended up doing the most trading among the three tribes.

Last night, when they took stock of the exchanged goods, the Tiger Tribe members were overjoyed. They had traded for transparent stone hoes—just the hoe heads, which they would attach wooden handles to later—along with spoons, cups, summer cloth, and food.

‘Our grass roots are great for bartering. Shitou’s mate is Boss Kong from the peacock stall. Winters here are harsh, and Boss Kong and his people struggle to get through them, so they wanted to boil some grass-root water to keep warm. Next year, we’ll bring more,’ said the two brothers’ mother.”

“Alright!”

The young sub-beastmen in the tribe all agreed.

“I noticed they also really like eating fruit. Our dried fruits are excellent.”

“That’s true. The Leopard Tribe has dried black flowers and dried fruit too, but they said ours taste better.”

They felt quite proud at that. The Leopard Tribe had many rare and interesting things, but their own tribe wasn’t lacking either—not only did they have plenty of prey, but the mountains were also full of all kinds of edible goods.

“I overheard that Boss Kong is also weaving summer cloth. Once he’s done making clothes for the Leopard Tribe, there will be more summer cloth available next year. When the time comes, we can bring more food and trade for a few extra pieces. It’ll be perfect to wear when the sun gets hotter while we’re drying salt.”

“Yes, yes!”

Everyone got excited—what Auntie said was absolutely right.

Auntie was also very proud. Coming to this market had been a great decision. After taking stock of the remaining goods, they realized they could still trade for more food today.

Over at the Lion Tribe’s resting area, the atmosphere was lively, and the conversations were animated.

Although the Lion Tribe hadn’t brought many valuable goods this time—since they had originally planned only to fetch salt mud from the mammoth territory and had just brought a few small woven bamboo items—it didn’t dampen their enthusiasm for the market. The sub-beastmen reflected on this and resolved to bring more goods next year.

“Ramie fabric is available from the Feathered Tribe—I’ve seen it before, but we don’t know how to make it,” someone said, and all eyes turned to Xia Shu.

Xia Shu shook his head. “We arrived three days earlier than the other two tribes. You’ve seen it yourselves—you won’t be able to learn it.”

“If we can’t learn it, then forget it. Boss Kong asked us to bring some trees, so next year we can trade for some summer cloth.”

“That’s true. Besides, even the Leopard Tribe hasn’t figured it out yet.”

Not knowing how to make it wasn’t something to be ashamed of.

After packing up their things, they set off for the market again. The second day of the market was just as lively. Though there weren’t as many goods as on the first day, the four tribes were still chatting and bustling with excitement. The Leopard Tribe had brought a large supply of peanuts and generously shared them with the sub-beastmen from the other three tribes whom they got along with.

After packing up their things, everyone set off for the market. The second day was just as lively. Though there weren’t as many goods as on the first day, people were still chatting away. The four tribes buzzed with conversation, and the Leopard Tribe had brought plenty of peanuts, sharing them with the sub-beastmen from the other three tribes they were friendly with.

Zhuo Yan had prepared a big pot of mung bean soup and brought it over, spending the whole day there as well.

No one even felt like cooking.

Around noon, the tribe leader called the beastmen to go hunting, specifically calling for A-Yin. When the beastmen from the other three tribes saw this, they suggested joining in. Their own leaders didn’t refuse and happily agreed.

“You can go a bit farther and hunt something bigger, A-Yin,” the tribe leader said.

A-Yin felt like there was some hidden meaning in the leader’s gaze, but it didn’t seem like bad news. Instead, there was an expectant look in his eyes. Because of that, by midday, the hunting party had grown larger and larger.

Meanwhile, only sub-beastmen remained at the market, though each tribe still had beastmen patrolling for security.

As everyone ate, drank, and chatted about the different tribes, a Tiger Tribe auntie asked, “Zhuo Yan, when are you coming to visit our tribe?”

“I was actually planning to this year, but… I have a little one on the way,” Zhuo Yan said.

He really wanted to visit the Tiger Tribe and see their treehouses. It must be fascinating to live in one.

The tigers were delighted and said, “Bring the little one along with you!” and “Yeah, yeah, exactly!”

“If you’re worried about safety, I can have my two sons escort you,” Auntie said.

Zhuo Yan: Tempted.

The Tiger Tribe joined in enthusiastically, all inviting Zhuo Yan to visit their tribe.

Zhuo Yan was sharp—after just one trip to the Feathered Tribe’s market, he had discovered summer cloth. That ramie had been growing in Feathered Tribe territory for decades, yet none of them had ever realized it could be made into fabric. Then there was that transparent stone—it was found near the Wolf Tribe’s land, but the wolves had never recognized its value.

The Lions and Tigers both thought: If Zhuo Yan visited their tribes, maybe he’d discover treasures they had overlooked. They didn’t keep this thought to themselves either and openly voiced it.

Zhuo Yan: Even more tempted.

He mentally calculated the time—if he visited the Tiger Tribe in autumn, his three little ones would already be around seven or eight years old in human form. After four or five months of learning “how to be human,” they should be fine.

He couldn’t let having kids keep him from traveling.

Zhuo Yan looked at the Tiger Tribe auntie and said, “If everything goes well this year, I’ll visit the Tiger Tribe in autumn first.”

“Sounds good!” “That’s great news!”

The Lions weren’t in a rush. Their territory was far away, so it was impossible for Zhuo Yan to visit this year—but what about next year?

Zhuo Yan: “Next year, when you come to the market, I can travel back with you.” That way, he might return just in time for the rainy season—or avoid it altogether.

“Great!”

Everyone was excited.

Aman was especially happy. When Zhuo Yan mentioned visiting the Tiger Tribe this year, he was the one smiling the brightest. “I want to go too, Zhuo Yan! I’ll bring my Taige and Daen along. I’ve never seen the place where Daen grew up.”

With that, the conversation naturally shifted to the Tiger Tribe.

The Tigers were incredibly enthusiastic, eagerly listing all the things their tribe had to offer. Zhuo Yan listened with growing anticipation. Among the four tribes, the Tigers had the largest and wealthiest territory. The Lions came next, with a good environment—not like the other three tribes, where winters were far too harsh.

Since most of the people at the market were sub-beastmen, they steamed two large pots of yellow rice at noon. They also rehydrated the dried black fungus they had traded from the Tigers the day before—huge pieces of wood ear mushrooms that had the Leopards exclaiming in surprise at their size. The mushrooms were sliced into thin strips and stir-fried with salted meat and wild vegetables that Zhuo Yan had grown, filling the air with a delicious aroma.

They also prepared potatoes—cut into thick chunks, fried once, then fried a second time until crispy. Once done, they were poured onto a large bamboo sieve used for holding food, then sprinkled with pepper salt, chili powder, and chopped scallions.

“That smells amazing!”

The air was filled with an exotic fragrance. Even the Wolves, who usually only ate red chili fruits, were captivated by the enticing smell. “We have red chili fruits and mud beans too, and I know Zhuo Yan calls this thing a potato, but the way he cooks it smells way too good!”

“Yeah, yeah! It smells incredible!”

As Zhuo Yan handed out food, he reminded everyone to be careful of the heat. “We have Sichuan pepper trees here. Just a tiny bit can make your tongue go completely numb, just like red chili fruits. When dried and ground into powder, it can be used as a seasoning for stir-fries and soups—just a little bit is enough.”

“If you like the taste, you can mix it with salt—more salt, less Sichuan pepper powder.”

“If you all like it, I can give you some seeds to take back and grow yourselves.”

“Really?”

Zhuo Yan was generous about this. After all, he had also taken some of the Wolves’ red chili fruit seeds. Since he would be visiting the Tiger and Lion tribes later, he said, “Of course! You don’t need to trade anything for them. But I don’t have too many seeds, so I’ll give each of your three tribes a small portion. You can plant them slowly, and as you grow more crops, you’ll get more seeds over time.”

“Alright!”

Everyone agreed readily without hesitation.

Zhuo Yan liked the straightforwardness here and noticed the gratitude on the faces of the three tribes. Later, when he went to the lion and tiger tribes, if he found any seeds he wanted to bring back, the two tribes would surely be just as willing to share.

In the forest, the adults were eating and drinking, with the humanoid young ones joining them. Zhuo Yan’s three little ones were bouncing around their father—except for Kangkang, who was being fed by Baoxue. Zhuo Yan gave Lele and Buhei some potatoes and millet rice, and after eating, the little ones ran off to play under the trees by the river.

That evening, the beastmen who had gone out hunting from the four tribes had not yet returned.

However, each tribe had left guards behind, so there was no safety concern. Everyone helped clean up the market together, washing the pots and bowls. With that, this year’s market event came to an end—this last day felt more like a tea party than a trade gathering, with little bartering but plenty of eating and drinking. Still, everyone was very happy.

The next day, the beastmen who had gone out hunting still hadn’t returned. The leopard tribe sent some dried salted meat and other food to the sub-beastmen of the three tribes who had stayed behind in the settlement.

It wasn’t until that evening that sounds of bang, bang, bang echoed through the village square from another entrance of the settlement. A beastman ran ahead to the riverside and shouted loudly, “A-Yin led us to hunt down a gray elephant! We tied it up with vines and are driving it back.”

A gray elephant?

And not even a calf.

This massive creature was far too much for the four tribes to finish on their own. Everyone started heading toward the square.

Zhuo Yan carried a basket on his back, lined with animal hide, holding Kangkang and Buhei. He cradled his daughter in his arms. If he put Lele in the basket too, he was certain that a fight would break out along the way. His little girl might even attempt a jailbreak and jump out—at almost four months old, Lele was getting stronger and more energetic by the day.

She was reckless and could easily step on Kangkang.

“Buhei, behave and don’t disturb your big brother’s sleep,” Zhuo Yan reminded from time to time. Meanwhile, he looked down at Lele, who was squirming excitedly in his arms. “You too, be good. There’s roasted meat for dinner tonight.”

Lele let out a little awoo and rubbed her head against her father’s arm.

Got it, got it~

The little leopard cub, who had been eating salted meat and mixed grains for two days straight, immediately brightened up at the mention of roasted meat. She was just short of drooling.

Aman carried an empty basket on his back, while Tiger ran along the ground. Nearby, Kong Xingxing, Shitou, Baoxue, and Kongque were also heading toward the square. Along the way, they ran into Qiao, and the group grew larger. Aman scooped up the little tiger cub with one arm.

The little tiger still awooed at his A-Baba.

“You’ll get trampled in a bit,” Aman scolded fiercely, giving his son’s head a firm pat.

Tiger instantly behaved.

Zhuo Yan held back his laughter after witnessing the scene. Aman had smacked Tiger’s head a little too hard, making the cub shrink back in confusion. His big, round tiger eyes looked utterly dazed—especially adorable.

Zhuo Yan stifled his amusement, but his daughter awooed happily in his arms, her tail swishing leisurely. She no longer fussed about wanting to get down and run around—unlike earlier, when Tiger had been running on the ground, and Lele had been anxiously eager to follow.

“Zhuo Yan-ge, you guys are here too,” Xiao Xian greeted.

“Everyone’s here. Let’s go.”

When they arrived at the plaza, there were even more people than before—after all, the other three tribes had joined as well. Each group stood together with their own kin, while the front and center position was naturally reserved for the leopards.

In the middle of the plaza lay a massive gray elephant, collapsed on its side like a small mountain. It had just been slaughtered, but the meat had yet to be divided. The chief stood among them, and beside the elephant was A-Yin.

The moment Lele saw her father, she let out an excited “awoo.”

A-Yin ran over, his humanoid form stained with streaks of blood, even his hair had traces of it. He didn’t get too close. “Gege, she’s really heavy. Put her down.”

“If I put her down, who knows where she’ll run off to,” Zhuo Yan said knowingly.

1. Yin nodded. “I’ve still got blood on me, I can’t hold her.

There was no way Zhuo Yan would let A-Yin hold her. He had just bathed the little ones the day before yesterday—if their fur got stained with blood now, he’d be distressed. Besides, from the looks of it, A-Yin would be busy helping to divide the meat soon. After making sure A-Yin wasn’t injured, Zhuo Yan casually said, “It’s fine, I’ll hold her. You go ahead and do your thing.”

A-Yin responded with a simple “Mm” before walking away again.

In the back basket, one of the cubs kept bumping around. Zhuo Yan didn’t even need to look to know it was Buhei—Kangkang was much quieter and didn’t have that kind of strength.

Xiao Xian offered, “Zhuo Yan-ge, I can hold Buhei for you.”

“Sure, he wants to come out and play.” Zhuo Yan turned his back to let Xiao Xian take him out. When he looked up, he saw Baoxue staring at him eagerly and couldn’t help but laugh. “Baoxue, can you help me hold Kangkang?”

“Of course!” Baoxue answered excitedly.

The little ones got along very well, especially Baoxue and Kangkang. Maybe because Kangkang had always been weak since birth, Baoxue was incredibly patient and gentle with him. He carried Kangkang around every day, calling him “Kangbao” affectionately. The two of them had the closest bond.

Great, all the cubs had been handed out. Zhuo Yan felt his back lighten as the noise of the plaza filled the air. People were talking about how massive the gray elephant was, while some mates excitedly shared what they had eaten at the Leopard Tribe over the past two days with their hunting partners who had just returned. It was mostly the other three tribes chatting amongst themselves.

After a long while, everyone had arrived.

The chief raised his hand slightly, and the crowd quieted down. He spoke, “Today, with the other three tribes from the grasslands and forests present, I have an announcement to make.”

The leopards widened their eyes slightly, curious about what the chief was about to say.

“Zhuo Yan, come here.” The chief’s gaze had long since locked onto Zhuo Yan, who stood at the front of the crowd.

“Alright.” Zhuo Yan had no idea why the chief was calling him. Was it something about the tribe that the other three needed to learn? Or was it about making them a loom?

He took two steps forward but then remembered he still had the mischievous Lele in his arms. Glancing at his friends in the crowd, he casually stuffed Lele into Shitou’s arms—Shitou was strong enough to keep hold of her.

With everyone watching curiously, Zhuo Yan made his way to the chief’s side in the center of the plaza.

“Five years ago, I started having headaches. Once, while hunting short-legged beasts, I got kicked. Ever since then, this area has been hurting from time to time.” The chief placed his hand over the spot between his chest.

Seeing the location, Zhuo Yan figured it must be an internal injury, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit worried.

Short-legged beast— Zhuo Yan quickly recalled that incident. It must have been the time when Da Ya, seeking revenge for his son Lei, injured his leg. The chief had led a hunt to capture a short-legged beast, using its wings to heal Da Ya’s injury. That was indeed five years ago.

“Since then, the pain has come and gone.”

Everyone called out to the chief in concern. The chief gave a small smile and said, “I couldn’t afford to rest before. The Leopard Tribe’s numbers have been dwindling, and I couldn’t allow myself to fall. I had to lead the tribe to a better life. But now—”

“I can finally rest in peace.”

The chief looked around at everyone, his voice loud and clear: “Today, I am handing over the position of Leopard Tribe Chief to Zhuo Yan. I trust that with his wisdom, he will lead our tribe to an even better future.”

The entire plaza fell into stunned silence. Even Zhuo Yan was caught off guard. He had never expected the chief to say something like this. But as he thought back carefully—especially over the past two years—he realized the chief had gradually been delegating the tribe’s affairs to him.

Even so, Zhuo Yan had never considered this possibility. For a moment, he was completely shocked and speechless.

No one knew how much time had passed—perhaps just a few short minutes—before murmurs of discussion spread through the crowd. The other three tribes didn’t involve themselves in the Leopard Tribe’s affairs, but they were surprised nonetheless.

“An sub-beastman as the chief?”
“Zhuo Yan as chief… actually, that makes sense.”
“Of course he can do it.”
“Didn’t see that coming.”

For the three tribes, it was mostly shock. They had only come to collect salt mud and attend the Leopard Tribe’s market, never expecting to witness a leadership change—especially involving someone they were so familiar with, Zhuo Yan.

Among the Leopards, after recovering from the initial surprise, more and more people expressed joy. Many voiced their approval, and Zhuo Yan even heard his friends shouting. Aman loudly cheered, while Xiao Xian’s voice cracked slightly in excitement.

A beastly roar suddenly shattered the atmosphere—

From within the crowd, a massive spotted leopard leaped into the plaza. But before it could advance further, a flash of silver moved even faster—another leopard lunged at it. The spotted leopard took a step back, while the silver leopard stood firmly in front of Zhuo Yan.

“A-Yin!” Zhuo Yan exclaimed in shock.

The chief’s expression darkened as he turned his gaze toward the spotted leopard, his voice low and heavy. “Gu Tian, what do you think you’re doing?”

The spotted leopard shifted into human form—a tall, imposing young man. His sharp, hawkish eyes fixated on the silver leopard blocking his path, filled with disdain and scorn. After a moment, he finally spoke, his tone slow yet biting.

“Chief, there has never been a sub-beastman as a tribe leader. Can a sub-beastman even lead beastmen in the hunt?”

Gu Tian—the son born to Gu He later in life.

The chief didn’t answer Gu Tian’s challenge directly. Instead, his gaze swept across the crowd, landing on an even taller, more imposing beastman.

“Gu He, does your son speak for you?”

“Yes.” Gu He said, strolling over.

Compared to Gu Tian’s obvious disdain just now, Gu He exuded an even more repulsive aura, even more detestable than Maha at the beginning.

“The tribe relies on beastmen hunting for meat.” Gu He let out a mocking laugh. “Do you expect us leopard beastmen to eat the same things as the sub-beastmen, eating stuff from the dirt?”

The sub-beastmen in the tribe frowned, clearly disgusted by Gu He, but no one spoke up. They were afraid of being targeted by him—this beastman was truly loathsome.

What was wrong with farming? Farming could fill their stomachs and ensure they wouldn’t go hungry in winter.

“Then what do you want?” the chieftain asked calmly.

“I think the next chieftain should be the strongest beastman in the tribe.”

Hearing this, the chieftain smiled slightly, then nodded seriously and said, “You’re saying that either you or Gu Tian? You father and son are indeed strong and skilled hunters. But our tribe has sixty-six people—six from the Peacock Clan and one tiger beastman, Daen. Do you think you two alone, along with the other beastmen, can hunt enough every day to feed the entire tribe?”

Before the other side could speak, the chieftain continued, his voice deep yet powerful.

“Before Zhuo Yan found salt, before he brought back seeds, the leopard tribe lived exactly as Gu He described—beastmen went out hunting. Does everyone really want to return to those days?”

“The long snow season—strong beastmen could barely manage to fill their stomachs. But what about the weaker ones? The injured? And even more so, the sub-beastmen and the young? Every winter, death and suffering were common in the tribe.”

As the chieftain spoke, the leopard beastmen seemed to be transported back to those times. It had only been a few years, yet they had already forgotten—not really forgotten, but chosen not to think about it, because it was too painful. The young froze to death or were devoured by beasts, sub-beastmen never had full stomachs in the winter. And when the snow finally melted, there were no prey outside. They had to survive by enduring…

“No, no, I don’t want to go back to that!” Chun shook her head and shouted. Her father had died after a snow season—not because they hadn’t made it through, but because by the time spring was near, they had no food left.

She refused to live like that again. At first, she had argued with Zhuo Yan, but she understood—thanks to him, the sub-beastmen of the tribe could finally eat their fill. Thanks to him, there was always salted meat stored in the caves.

A-Shu held Chun in his arms. When he saw Gu He and his son looking over, he quickly covered Chun’s mouth and used his embrace to block their line of sight.

If Gu He and his son became the tribe leader—he wouldn’t accept it. A-Shu frowned. Among the beastmen in the tribe, he wasn’t particularly strong, but that father and son were petty and quick-tempered.

The sub-beastmen shared Chun’s concerns, while A-Shu, as a beastman, had his own thoughts. Even Yu’s sister frowned with worry—her younger brother was just a leopard. Gu Tian had once deliberately sent her brother to the front, trying to get Yu killed by the prey.

Anyone could become the tribe leader—but those two absolutely could not.

Da-Ya stepped forward. “I support the tribe leader’s decision—Zhuo Yan will be the next tribe leader.” Then, he shifted into his beast form and stood behind Zhuo Yan.

The second leopard in beast form, A-Sen, stood behind Zhuo Yan as well.

The third was Ada, followed by the fourth and fifth, Ake and Ameng, the brothers… Then came Aman’s beast father, Huoxia, Qiao’s beast father, Ada’s mother, Dian… Yu, A-Hui, A-Tou, A-Ri… Even Gu He’s eldest son, who wasn’t yet an adult, stepped forward…

On the plaza, more and more leopards in beast form gathered behind Zhuo Yan. Qiao, Xiaoxian, Aman, and Shitou led the way, carrying their cubs and bringing the sub-beastmen along. They stood firmly behind Zhuo Yan, even as Gu He and his son glared at them with murderous hostility. Yet, they remained steadfast.

Although the sub-beastmen couldn’t hunt and didn’t have the strength to protect the tribe, they could farm, raise cubs, and dry salt…

Gu He and his son had beastmen on their side as well, all as tall and strong as Gu He himself, but there were only four of them. Maha was among them. Then, Maha spoke:

“Gu He, I used to think the same way as you. But now, I have a partner.”

“The clothes made by the peacocks are really comfortable, and the peanuts grown by the sub-beastmen smell amazing. They’re all hardworking and busy every day—there’s always more work to do.”

“I need to find my partner.”

Maha’s words were like a formal break from Gu He and his son. He walked toward Zhuo Yan in human form. Seeing that everyone else had shifted into beast form, he glanced down at his pants—no way was he shifting. His pants would tear apart, and they were a gift from Kong Huo and a few others.

During the last fabric draw, he hadn’t been lucky enough to get any. His peacock partner had specially made him a pair of shorts from leftover fabric.

In the past, if everyone turned into their beast forms, Maha, who cared deeply about his pride, would have definitely followed suit. But now, he cherished his shorts too much. Even if he stayed in human form, he was still standing in support of Zhuo Yan.

The three tribes silently observed the growing formation of leopard beastmen in the plaza, deep in thought. The wolf and tiger tribes, in particular, were reflecting on their own long and harsh winters. The leopard chief’s words brought back memories of the past, sending a chill down their spines.

Gu He and his son looked especially grim and fierce.

“The most crucial point—Zhuo Yan has reached the Tree of Life,” the tribe leader said.

The three tall beastmen standing behind Gu He and his son were stunned, turning to look at the tribe leader in shock. The tribe leader nodded. “At the beginning of last year’s snow season, I held a mate-bonding ceremony for Zhuo Yan and A-Yin. Zhuo Yan saw the light of the Tree of Life fly toward Qiao and Aman when they had their cubs.”

“A divine revelation.”

The last five words left the three towering beastmen with no hesitation. They immediately shifted into their beast forms and sprinted over to Zhuo Yan’s side.

At that moment, the tribe leader looked at Zhuo Yan. The heavy weight that had once burdened his brows was now lifted, and his gaze softened with kindness and affection—just like an ordinary elder looking at a younger generation. Then, his expression turned solemn.

“Zhuo Yan, Leopard Tribe Chief.”

The sub-beastmen followed the former tribe leader’s call, shouting in unison, their voices mixing with the roars of the beastmen.

And Zhuo Yan could only accept it—at the moment Gu He and his son had challenged and opposed him, he no longer had the option to refuse. He could not tell the tribe leader that he wasn’t capable. He could only accept.

But soon, as more and more tribesmen gathered behind him, his initial thought of ‘I must not disgrace the tribe leader’ shifted into ‘I will be a good tribe chief.’ He would not betray the trust of his people.

He could do this.

Zhuo Yan encouraged himself in his heart. Ahead of him was A-Yin—a massive silver leopard, roaring fiercely, ready to protect him at any moment.

Gu He and his son, their faces extremely dark, withdrew and disappeared into the crowd.

Then, applause and cheers erupted from the people. The sub-beastmen of all three tribes called out:

“Chief Zhuo Yan!”
“Congratulations to the Leopard Tribe on their new chief!”
“This is wonderful—Chief Zhuo Yan!”

And after that, it was time to divide up the gray elephant.

Zhuo Yan: Is he supposed to divide it?

He stared at the massive gray elephant, piled up like a small mountain.

“Chief, since A-Yin is your mate, he is the next Da Shushu (Great Uncle). He can handle the distribution,” the former chief said, then chuckled. “By the way, my name is Da Shan.”

Zhuo Yan: ?!

First, he was stunned by the chief’s name. Then, as realization hit, he finally understood—so Da Shushu wasn’t just a form of address, but an official position?

He felt momentarily dazed.

Clearing his throat, Zhuo Yan looked at A-Yin and said, “Ahem. You handle the meat distribution.”

A-Yin crouched slightly on his front paws before standing up and shifting into his human form. He called for the beastmen to help divide the meat. Those who had regularly assisted with meat distribution before stepped up, and given how massive today’s gray elephant was, there was enough for everyone. A-Yin handled the distribution swiftly and efficiently, and no one had any complaints.

Instead, they came to congratulate him, while Xiao Xian, Aman, and a few others started calling A-Yin Da Shushu (Great Uncle).

Zhuo Yan: …I’m really not used to this.

Meanwhile, the former Da Shushu, A-Su, watched for a while before taking his mate’s hand and heading off to eat roasted meat.

“The chief and Da Shushu are both very smart. They handled everything well.”

“Of course.”

“You can finally take some time to take care of yourself,” A-Su said.

Da Shan chuckled, “I’ll go roast some meat for you. The chief made a really delicious seasoning…”