Wood is a great thing! It’s perfect if it can be exchanged! 

However… 

Wen Ze still reminded him in advance, “Exchanging ten bars of soap for one piece of wood is too much.” 

The beastman waved his hand casually. “Then just add a bit more of that sulfur soap.” 

“That works, I can do that. But with so much soap, how long would it take you to use it all? Let’s see when the time comes; if needed, I’ll find something else to exchange for you.” 

People in the Beast World, likely because of their beast form, have eyes that are unusually bright, almost glowing in the dark. 

At this moment, the beastman seemed to have thought of something. His eyes suddenly brightened like lanterns as he stared at Wen Ze with great anticipation. “Can I exchange for some of that cold shredded meat and vegetables you made today?” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Sure.” 

“I want extra thorny fruits as well!” 

“Haha, you really like that numbing flavor, huh? Not everyone can handle it.” 

As soon as the topic of food came up, the others joined in. 

It was a perfect evening, with a gentle breeze, comfortable weather, and fresh air. 

After a hard day’s work, no one changed into their beast form. They just chatted and walked toward the tribe like a leisurely stroll. 

With the bright moon high in the sky and everyone’s excellent night vision, torches were unnecessary. 

“I love that flavor too! The numbing feeling on your tongue—it’s amazing!” 

“Same here! I even picked out the thorny fruits one by one to chew on. When they’re drenched in hot oil, the taste is unbeatable.” 

“Exactly, I also ate more vegetables than usual today!” 

“Stop talking about it! I was full earlier, but now I’m hungry again.” 

“Hahaha, then when we get back, we can roast some meat and eat before going to sleep.” 

Wen Ze listened for a while before casually adding, “There’s actually one more thing that pairs with thorny fruit and tastes even better.” 

“Oh? What is it?” 

“It’s called chili pepper, and it looks something like this.” He casually broke off a branch and drew a rough shape on the ground. “Inside, it has round, seed-like pieces.” 

“You’ve had raw scallions before, right? Some people say it makes their tongue feel numb; that’s the spicy flavor. But the taste of chili is different from the scallions. 

“The numbing taste and spiciness go well together. It’s fragrant and appetizing, making you want to eat more and more.” 

Wen Ze suddenly got hungry himself just by talking about it. His throat tightened, and he swallowed a mouthful of saliva. 

Seeing the deep longing on his face, everyone couldn’t help but imagine how delicious this ‘chili’ must be. 

Especially the beastman who had originally planned on reserving the cold shredded meat. He immediately started asking, “Do you have chili in your tribe? Can I try some?” 

Wen Ze replied, “I don’t think so.” 

He gave a simple description of the chili and then looked at Sang Hui for confirmation. “You’ve never seen it, right?” 

Sang Hui thought for a long moment before saying, “I haven’t seen it.” 

Even Yi Yan, who had been listening with a smile, spoke up. “I’ve lived in the South Mountain tribe for so many years, and I’ve never seen anything called chili. But I remember hearing from traveling merchants that some tribes have spicy dishes that make your tongue burn, so it must be made with chili.” 

Wen Ze quickly asked, “Which tribe?” 

Yi Yan shrugged. “It was a long time ago. I forgot. Who mentioned the chili to you?” 

Wen Ze replied, “…Maybe a traveling merchant? Or an elder from the tribe.” 

Yi Yan nodded, not thinking much of it. 

When Wen Ze turned around, he noticed that Zhuo Mu had been looking at him for a while. His gaze was deep and unreadable. Wen Ze suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. 

No one paid much attention to how Wen Ze knew about chili, and the group continued talking about whether they had ever seen it before. 

Chi Yu looked at Huo Lan and asked, “You are in charge of gathering outside. Have you seen anything similar?” 

Huo Lan stroked his chin, thinking for a moment, and replied, “I haven’t seen it, but for some reason, Wen Ze’s description sounds really familiar…” 

Chi Yu suggested, “Maybe someone told you about it. No rush, you can take your time to think it through when you get back.” 

Wen Ze was counting on Huo Lan too. He stared at him intensely with his sharp black eyes. 

Huo Lan hesitated, then chuckled. “Don’t expect too much; I might not remember.” 

“It’s fine if you can’t,” Chi Yu said seriously. “There are so many people in our tribe. We can ask others during the day.” 

“Yes, yes, especially the older beastmen. They might know something!” someone else added. 

The group laughed and chatted, and before Wen Ze realized it, they had already entered the deeper part of the tribe. 

One by one, people waved goodbye to them as they returned to their own caves. 

In the end, only Chi Yu, who was heading in the same direction, and Zhuo Mu, who had specifically come to see him back, remained by Wen Ze’s side. 

Once they reached the cave where he was staying, Wen Ze smiled and asked Chi Yu, “I don’t have to go to the gathering tomorrow, right?” 

Chi Yu nodded. “Yes, the first group of people who will learn weaving from you has been chosen. After breakfast, you can start teaching them.” 

“Okay.” Wen Ze looked at Zhuo Mu, gesturing toward the cave. “Then I’ll go in first. Be careful on your way back.” 

Unexpectedly, Zhuo Mu asked him, “Are you hungry? I still have some game from earlier today.” 

Chi Yu, who was standing next to them, was taken aback. Along with his frustration, a strong sense of crisis started to build inside him. 

Fearing he might fall behind, he quickly added, “I have some fruits, nuts, and honey stored at home. Want some?” 

Wen Ze gave a quick smile and said to both of them, “I ate too much earlier, so I’m not hungry. I’ll pass. How about you two? Are you hungry?” 

“It’s not too late yet. If we light a fire and roast some meat, it won’t take much time.” 

As expected, both Zhuo Mu and Chi Yu said they weren’t hungry. 

The afternoon’s activities had been so light for them that it was almost like lying down and breathing. 

So, the three of them said their goodbyes. Wen Ze entered the cave, lay down on the animal hides, closed his eyes, and slowly fell asleep. 

… 

The next day, as the morning sun rose. 

Wen Ze went to the pottery kiln first. The two beastmen who stayed behind last night were resting now, and the patrol was being done by new faces. 

The kiln was still hot to the touch from the outside, so it couldn’t be rushed. Wen Ze turned back and headed to Chi Yu’s cave. 

The fifteen people who came to learn were already there, including fourteen half-beastmen and Chi Yu, the only beastman. 

When Chi Yu met Wen Ze’s gaze, he explained, “I’m the tribe leader, so I should learn with them. Don’t worry, I won’t slow them down too much.” 

Wen Ze smiled. “I wasn’t worried.” 

Yesterday, Chi Yu had also made a pottery piece, and it turned out quite well. 

Beastmen may not be very skilled with craftsmanship, but that doesn’t mean they can’t do it at all. 

Just like how half-beastmen may have less strength than beastmen, but once they master the skills, they can still hunt and also knock down beastmen in their human form. 

Today, Zhuo Mu and Ji Sha, along with the beastmen from the Rainbow Sun Tribe, went hunting again. 

Sang Hui didn’t go out to gather and stayed behind to help Wen Ze. 

Once Wen Ze confirmed that everyone was prepared, he didn’t waste any time, took out the weaving frame from the space, and started explaining it to everyone. 

Fifteen people, including Chi Yu and Huo Lan, listened intently, their eyes fixed on his hands in awe. 

It was pretty similar to what he had done at the South Mountain tribe. After explaining, he took out the thread he had spun earlier and wove a piece right in front of everyone. 

The group watched without blinking as a bundle of hemp thread, skillfully manipulated by Wen Ze’s long fingers, transformed into a smooth, even piece of cloth! 

“Beast God…” Even though they had mentally prepared themselves, they were still shocked, and a chill ran down their skin. 

“If we learn from you, we can weave fabric like that too!” The half-beastman who spoke had tears of excitement in his eyes. 

“I’m so lucky to be among the first to learn how to weave!” 

“I really want to learn quickly and weave my own fabric!” 

“Exactly!” 

“Wen Ze, can I touch that fabric later? It looks so smooth, so neat, so beautiful!” 

Wen Ze didn’t stop weaving. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he said, 

“You can touch it. Actually, I’m considered just average at weaving in our tribe. Uncle Sang Hui is much better than me at it. Uncle,” he turned to look at the refined young man, “how about you weave a piece? I’ll get up and explain to everyone.” 

Sang Hui didn’t refuse. “Alright.” 

The two carefully swapped places, and Sang Hui began weaving. 

Most of the people there were half-beastmen, and as soon as Sang Hui started, they all knew how skilled he was. 

Even Wen Ze could tell. The same tools, the same thread, but the cloth that Sang Hui wove seemed to have a filter effect, making his own piece look dull and gray in comparison. 

He made an effort to appear calm, cleared his throat, and said to everyone, “Pay close attention to the movements of Uncle Sang Hui’s hands…” 

The whole morning passed as Wen Ze led everyone in carving wood and making tools. By the time it was nearly noon, they had all started weaving cloth with their own weaving frames. 

It’s worth mentioning that they had also brought two metal tools with them. 

With the sharp knives, carving wood became much easier. 

This group of half-beastmen quickly picked things up, and it was clear they were skilled hands from their tribe. Wen Ze didn’t need much effort to teach them all. 

Chi Yu also picked it up easily. 

Wen Ze quietly observed for a while, looking for something to do. 

His gaze wandered around until it finally landed on the metal knives. 

There was a small and a large knife, both made from the “black silver” material Chi Yu had mentioned. 

“You can pick it up and take a look,” Chi Yu’s gentle voice came. 

Wen Ze, realizing his thoughts had been seen through, smiled and said, “Thank you, Leader Chi Yu. I won’t hesitate then.” 

This time, he studied the knife for a bit longer, mostly confirming that the “black silver” was mostly aluminum. 

Aluminum knives aren’t very hard, so they can’t cut through tough wood. 

The craftsmanship was also a bit rough, but the blade was sharp enough to carve small sticks and boards. 

After playing with the knife for a while, he didn’t notice when Chi Yu had come over and asked with a smile, “Do you like it?” 

Wen Ze nodded honestly. 

Chi Yu said seriously, “Then would you consider joining our tribe? If you do, the tribe will give you this small knife as a gift.” 

Wen Ze was stunned. His first instinct was to glance at Sang Hui, and as expected, the other’s face had already grown a bit tense. 

“Leader Chi Yu, don’t joke around,” Wen Ze said. “This knife must have cost a lot of supplies, right?” 

“I’m not joking. Our Rainbow Sun Tribe truly welcomes you.” 

Just earlier, when Wen Ze explained the principle and use of the weaving frame, Chi Yu had been wondering how such a smart mind had developed. 

The cloth they had exchanged for large amounts of supplies from the South Mountain Tribe had been passed around among many people in the tribe. 

The most common thing people said was, “This cloth is amazing. How can it be woven like this?” 

Chi Yu had thought the tools for weaving would be complicated, but it turned out to be just a few sticks and a piece of animal hide. 

Yet, despite these simple tools, no other beastmen had come up with such a method in over a thousand years. 

Not to mention, Wen Ze had so many other remarkable qualities. 

He had a strong feeling that the tribe Wen Ze came from would become increasingly stronger because of him. 

Under Chi Yu’s gaze, Wen Ze’s mind went blank. He wasn’t sure what to say. 

It wasn’t until Sang Hui’s cold voice suddenly interrupted: “Leader Chi Yu, it’s not appropriate to say such things in front of me.” 

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