Hu Jiao Jiao and Long Mo quickly made their way to the salt storage cave.

The tribe stored all its food and resources there to make accessing supplies easier during the winter months. The cave’s cool temperature kept things from spoiling even during warmer seasons.

Inside the cave, a crowd of concerned beastmen had already gathered. Just yesterday, they were filled with joy. Now, they were grim-faced, filled with worry and confusion.

When Hu Jiao Jiao and Long Mo arrived, they saw the tribe chief questioning a young male beastman:

“Everything was fine yesterday. So why has the salt all gone wet?”

The young male, his expression earnest and slightly panicked, responded quickly, “Chief, I don’t know. I came this morning to get some salt, and it was already like this… I swear, I didn’t do anything.”

Another beastman chimed in, “Chief, he has always been honest. There’s no way he would do something like this.”

“Yeah, Chief. It must be the cave’s humidity that caused the salt to dissolve,” another suggested.

Hu Jiao Jiao worked her way through the crowd until she could see what the others were talking about. In one corner of the cave, a few leather bags lay flat and empty, and a pool of liquid was slowly seeping out onto the stone floor. It looked as if water had gotten in, dissolving the salt completely.

At this point, there was no chance of recovering any of it.

“Hu Jiao Jiao, you’re here too.” Lu Mian’er, saw her and stepped over, looking worried.

Hu Jiao Jiao gave her a slight nod.

“Was this all the salt left in the tribe?” she asked quietly.

Mian’er nodded, her expression grave. “Yes, this was all that was left. It should’ve been enough to get the females through the winter, but now…”

Just then, a male beastman spoke up, asking, “Chief, what are we supposed to do now?”

“Without salt, the females will get sick!”

“Exactly! We need salt to survive! Is the Beast God abandoning us?”

The despair and helplessness in their voices echoed in the cave. The thought of a winter without salt struck terror into everyone.

The tense atmosphere grew as beastmen began talking over each other, and soon, their voices were overlapping, echoing loudly in the cave. The noise became overwhelming, ringing in everyone’s ears.

The chief quickly raised his hand to calm the crowd. “Everyone, let’s not panic. I’ll find a way. Even if the salt is gone, we’ll find a way to survive. If we have to, the females can drink beast blood to get through the winter. We’ll get more salt next year.”

Generations ago, before they had access to salt, their ancestors used beast blood to meet their body’s salt needs. But the females would grow frail and sickly. Some didn’t survive giving birth, and many died before they could even have children.

That’s why the beastmen now made the long, dangerous journey to trade for salt from the sea—it was their only known source of salt.

But even as the chief spoke, his words did little to reassure the group. They fell silent for a moment, then began to grumble once more.

“Chief, females still get sick from drinking beast blood! And we’re talking about a whole winter… Who could bear that?”

“Exactly. I don’t want to live on beast blood…”

“We even have pregnant females in the tribe. Drinking beast blood would harm them and their babies…”

The noise quickly swelled, drowning out the chief’s voice.

“Enough!” Ying Yuan’s sharp reprimand cut through the clamor. Stepping up beside the chief, he glared at the group, saying, “You think arguing is going to bring back the salt?”

The crowd grew silent, wary of Ying Yuan’s anger.

“Chief, once winter begins, let me take supplies to the coast and trade for salt. I’ll return before winter ends,” Ying Yuan proposed seriously, looking at the chief.

“That’s out of the question. Traveling during winter, you’d freeze before you even made it out of the forest,” the chief replied immediately, shaking his head.

“Then what other choice do we have?” Ying Yuan’s brow furrowed, and his voice turned harsh. “I don’t want Mian’er relying on beast blood to survive the winter.”

Hearing this, the other beastmen fell silent in shame, each acutely aware that they, too, wanted to spare their mates from suffering. But none could think of a safer way to protect them.

The chief was silent for a moment, deep in thought.

“I’ll go too,” Long Mo said, stepping forward from behind Hu Jiao Jiao.

He was used to consuming beast blood himself, but he wouldn’t have his mate drink it. The thought of Hu Jiao Jiao surviving on beast blood disgusted him.

Hu Jiao Jiao’s heart sank as she looked at Long Mo. The winters here were brutally cold, and venturing out was dangerous, nearly a death sentence. The future she’d dreamed of suddenly felt fragile and distant.

She did have salt in her space, but if she took it out, everyone would grow suspicious. The beastmen were wary of outsiders and wouldn’t hesitate to turn against her.

“Isn’t there anything other than beast blood that could replace salt?” Hu jing, who was standing nearby, muttered to herself.

Her words sparked an idea in Hu Jiao Jiao’s mind.

Of course! They could find substitutes for salt!

If the beastmen required salt, then the animals around them must as well. Back on Earth, animals like lions and tigers sometimes ate soil to get the minerals they needed. Wild sheep would even lick cliff faces to get the salt hidden in crevices.

Salt could be found in soil, rocks, and even certain plants.

Of course, telling the beastmen to eat soil wouldn’t go over well—they’d likely see it as an insult. She would have to think of something else.

“Chief, I might have a solution,” Hu Jiao Jiao said, raising her hand.

Immediately, every beastman turned to look at her.

“Hu Jiao Jiao, what do you have in mind?” The chief asked eagerly, clearly trusting her entirely. To him, Hu Jiao Jiao had become a beacon of hope for the tribe.

Long Mo’s gaze settled on her as well. Ever since he had returned to the tribe, he’d noticed a difference in her—a mysterious confidence and clarity that made him wonder if he even knew her anymore.

“A while back, when I was gathering fruit, I saw some wild animals eating fruit from the trees, so I tried it too. It tasted salty—maybe we could use it as a salt substitute.”

Of course, this was a stretch. But there were plants back on Earth, like the saltbush, that provided a natural source of salt. She was willing to bet this forest had similar plants somewhere.

“Really? What did this fruit look like? Where did you see it?” The chief’s excitement was instant.

The other beastmen looked at her with hope shining in their eyes.

If they could find this fruit, it might be enough to get them through the winter.

“Well, I don’t remember the details exactly. It was small, round, and looked different from most other fruits. It tasted both salty and a little bitter,” she said vaguely.