Chapter 56

The large boat floating on the water instantly sank halfway when the tiger jumped on it, making the whole boat look particularly “stable.”

The groove was made according to the tiger’s body shape but was made quite snug since the space was limited. When the tiger jumped on it, it was like a big cat filled a cardboard box, with its belly slightly overflowing on both sides and fur.

“Mom, come down quickly; we’re not ready yet; it’s not time to set sail!”
After Song Xu repeatedly called, the tiger reluctantly stood up from the boat and jumped back to the shore, shaking its fur.

While Song Xu and Wu Mu were building the boat, the tiger occasionally came over to watch out of curiosity. She wasn’t interested in other things but seemed to care about the boat-building. She would lie on the reef every day, no longer looking at the distant island but watching them build the boat. The tiger had become increasingly calm and serious recently.

Occasionally, when Song Xu looked into her two amber-gold eyes, she felt that the tiger was very different from the fierce one she first met. The eyes, which used to look at everything as if they were prey and were full of hostility, now had a hint of humanity.

Seeing her eyes like that, Song Xu wondered if she might remember that she was a beastman. But her behavior suggested otherwise, as she still firmly believed that the squirrel was her own cub, which didn’t seem like she had remembered.

The hardest preparations were done, and now it was just about gathering bits and pieces of food, fresh water, and tools. Mainly, it was Song Xu’s food, while the other two could catch fresh food from the sea. Fresh water was essential, so Song Xu used fruit shells and self-made wooden barrels to store a lot of fresh water and various homemade tools, filling another small groove she made and all the available space on the boat.

Wu Mu, of course, couldn’t be wrapped around the mast as the squirrel had joked before. He had to be in the water to push the boat. There was no other way. The tiger clearly feared the deep sea, making it unrealistic for her to go into the water. The little squirrel could go into the sea, but her size couldn’t push the boat, so it had to be Wu Mu.

“These preparations should be enough,” Song Xu said, climbing onto the tiger’s back to command, “Let’s go!”

The weather was good today, with calm seas, bright sunshine, and high water visibility.

After Wu Mu pushed the boat out from under it, he didn’t need to exert much force anymore, as the buoyancy of the water and the suitable wind direction allowed the boat to drift forward slowly with the current.

The excitement only boiled over shortly after departure. As the boat left the coast and headed deeper into the ocean, the feeling of being far from land gradually became frightening.

The tiger became restless, but the small space on the boat didn’t allow her to run around like she used to on the beach. She could only let out low growls.

“Plop.” Song Xu placed two large leaves over the tiger’s eyes, “Come on, put on the blindfold and sleep.”

The tiger didn’t sleep, but the leaves covering her eyes made her look more comfortable. She lay still on her front paws.

Feeling too hot, Song Xu quickly climbed down from the golden fur blanket, jumped into the sea, and swam to Wu Mu under the boat.

Wu Mu was in his beast form. Having caught many fish, he had completely transformed into a “sea snake,” swimming skillfully in the water. Below was the gradually darkening seabed, and above was the clear green water surface. Song Xu floated beside the snake, swimming for a while before surfacing to hold onto the empty fruit shells tied to the side of the wooden raft, breathing while clinging to them.

At noon, the sea was calm. Without the help of wind and waves, pushing the boat became somewhat strenuous. The snake got tired and swam back to the boat to rest. Half of his body was on the boat, with his tail soaking in the seawater. Seeing him lying there, the tiger reached out a paw to pull him over and playfully rubbed him. Wu Mu dodged the thick paw and climbed up the mast.

Song Xu made this mast after some hesitation, and its main purpose was not for Wu Mu to coil around but to hold a sail. The material was the wings of a certain primitive beast, and two pieces combined just enough to form a decent sail. After testing that the wings wouldn’t quickly rot but would slowly dry out and become thinner and tougher, she decided to use them for the sail.

The sail was still stored below and not yet installed because the wind was not strong enough to use it. Moreover, the direction of the wind was not right. If they set the sail now, the boat would be blown back to the shore they had just left. The boat stopped in the sea, and from above, the tiger’s orange color was as conspicuous as a light bulb in the blue-green water.

Feeling hot, the squirrel floated in the sea, holding an empty fruit shell, and napped. After falling asleep, she unconsciously let go, and the whole squirrel gradually drifted away from the boat. By the time Wu Mu noticed, she was already drifting far away. The snake had to climb down from the mast again, swim into the sea, hook the sleeping squirrel with his tail, and bring her back to the boat.

The tiger, unable to catch the long-tailed cub, boredly pressed the sleeping furry cub under her paw. But she didn’t play for long before a snake tail came over, took the furry cub away, and coiled around the mast with the squirrel to rest.

The tiger, who usually liked to argue and fight with the snake, just glanced at him this time and then closed her eyes to sleep, showing an unusual tolerance.

When Song Xu woke up, she naturally found herself tied to the mast by the snake’s tail, with only her head exposed, like a hostage on a pirate ship.

Life at sea was so monotonous, with nothing to do but play with water and the snake. The wind picked up in the afternoon, and Song Xu finally installed the two sails. Wu Mu could relax a bit, only helping to change direction when the boat veered off course. Song Xu was responsible for observing the direction of the wind. She had to take down the sails if the wind direction was wrong, or they would drift far off course.

The days were sunny, and the nights were starry. Watching the stars at sea seemed more beautiful than anywhere else. During this journey, Song Xu had seen stars in countless places: on vast grasslands, in deep valleys, on high cliffs, at the edge of desolate deserts, and atop dense forest trees. Each had its own charm, but on the ocean, the starry sky reflected on the calm sea, making it seem like they were surrounded by stars both above and below.

Song Xu dipped her feet into the seawater, gently swaying them. She nudged the snake coiled around the boat, “Wu Mu, do you want to go for an exciting night swim in the sea?”

To Wu Mu, it sounded like, “Wu Mu, get up. I want to go for a night swim in the sea.”

The snake tail, coiled around the bright-eyed squirrel, rolled into the sea with a splash. Not long after, the squirrel climbed back onto the boat, declaring that she never wanted to go night swimming in the sea again. It was no fun at all. Everything was pitch black, and she couldn’t see anything. It seemed like chaotic shadows were swimming below, and something light brushed against her body, making her fur stand on end. Once in the water, she couldn’t even find where the snake was. The imaginative squirrel curled up obediently on the boat, leaning against the softly purring furry tiger. She felt like she was lying in bed under a blanket, finally feeling safe.

The big snake also emerged from the sea. Now, in his half-beast form, scales had grown up to his eyes, gradually covering his forehead. His eyes were becoming more snake-like, with only a bit of white skin visible above his eyes. His hair spread out, making him look particularly strange. This sudden emergence from the dark sea could scare the bravest child.

The sea monster stretched out its stiff hand and touched the squirrel hidden under the tiger’s belly, using its actions to ask why she suddenly wanted to come up instead of playing.

The squirrel, of course, couldn’t admit that she was afraid of the sea at night, so she pretended to yawn, “Ah, I’m sleepy. Let’s play again tomorrow, haha.” This method never failed.

Wu Mu pulled her out and curled up with her to sleep. Song Xu thought to herself that he was becoming more blatant. In the past, he would wait until she fell asleep before moving her to his side, but now he didn’t even bother with that process. This snake still hadn’t lost his sanity, but there were changes. If it were before, Song Xu could sleep wherever she wanted, but now she often woke up to find herself in a different place, tightly wrapped by the snake.

Song Xu didn’t mind: It’s not a big deal, just a bit clingy. At least he still recognizes people.

During the hottest part of the day, Song Xu drank water and gave water to the snake and the tiger. She looked at the remaining fresh water and their distant destination, feeling a bit uneasy. Their destination was the small island in the sea that the tiger often gazed at. Since Hei Sen cared so much about it, it must be special and a good first stop for their voyage.

Based on Song Xu’s observations, the island didn’t seem far from the shore, and the boat she made, along with the food they prepared, should be enough to reach it.

However, after two days at sea, Song Xu found that the island still looked just as distant.

“Could it be a mirage?” If so, that would be terrible.

Wu Mu was catching fish in the sea, and the tiger needed to eat. Only during meals would the tiger stand up from her seat, stretch her head over the side of the boat, and bite the big fish Wu Mu brought. They couldn’t grill fish on the boat. Song Xu initially worried that Hei Sen wouldn’t like raw fish, but she adapted well. It was clear she had a fear of the ocean, but she cooperated in other aspects. Song Xu often wondered if she had regained some of her intelligence.

On the third day at sea, Song Xu noticed that the island seemed slightly larger, which was exciting news, though she was the only one excited.

Wu Mu continued to push the boat diligently, indifferent to the news. For him, what they were doing now was no different from the countless times he had agreed to take the squirrel somewhere to play. Whether they reached the island or not, it didn’t matter as long as the squirrel was happy.

Hei Sen was still dozing, only twitching her ears. Suddenly, the dozing tiger stood up, her eyes wide open, and roared at the sea. Her tail hit Wu Mu, who was lying in the water, urging him to come up.

Her alert posture made Song Xu realize something. She climbed up the mast and looked down, discovering a shadow under the boat. Something had come under their boat!

Just like encountering big waves, their boat was jolted by whatever was underneath. Considering the tiger’s reaction, Song Xu suspected this thing might have wrecked her previous voyage.

The snake, hit by the tiger’s tail, didn’t return to the boat obediently. He glanced at the big and small figures on the boat and dove into the water. Before he submerged, Song Xu heard the snake’s angry hiss, something she hadn’t heard in a long time. Having been around the sweet squirrel and tiger for so long, she almost forgot that the snake was a venomous and fierce creature.