The old hemp cloth used for filtering earlier had already been stained, but since it was crumpled into a bundle, the color wasn’t as noticeable until it was spread out. 

Now, under the setting sun, the newly soaked hemp cloth had completely turned from gray to a deep, uniform red! 

The sunlight cast a dazzling brilliance over it, making it richer than the fiery clouds on the horizon and more vibrant than a blooming flower! 

Even with a slight movement from Wen Ze, the fabric rippled with waves of color, and the shimmering water light on its surface looked like starlight twinkling across it. 

Beautiful, stunning, breathtaking… At that moment, everyone could only think of words to praise it! 

After a brief silence, the crowd erupted in excitement. 

“Beast God! Why do I feel like crying when I see this color?” 

“I think my heart just stopped beating!” 

“It’s so beautiful, truly beautiful! I have to dye all the fabric I brought into this color!” 

Wen Ze looked at the excited half-beastmen and thought—Isn’t that a bit too exaggerated? 

But he could understand. They had only started wearing hemp clothes this past summer, after years of using animal hides. They had never tried dyeing fabric before. 

Seeing such a vibrant color for the first time, it was natural to be so thrilled. 

Even he, a modern person who had traveled to this world, had almost cried when he first wove cloth, sewed clothes, and wore them by his own effort. 

The half-beastmen, afraid of missing out, all squeezed closer with their cloth in hand, asking eagerly: 

“Is the fabric inside done dyeing?” 

“Can we put more in?” 

As Wen Ze continued soaking and stirring the fabric, he reassured them, “No need to rush. These pieces aren’t dyed evenly yet. We have plenty of dye, so everyone’s fabric will get its turn.” 

Sang Hui also stepped in to maintain order, “Listen to Wen Ze. Step back a little.” 

The crowd did move back, but only by half a step, their eyes still glued to the dye vat. 

Wen Ze couldn’t help but laugh. After ensuring the current batch was fully soaked, he added a new set of fabrics, repeating the previous steps. 

Those who hadn’t gotten their fabric dyed yet waited behind him with eager anticipation. 

The process wasn’t difficult, and after observing for a while, Sang Hui and the others quickly learned. 

Sang Hui then led another group in grinding and boiling the flower petals while also adding the “brine” that Zhuo Mu had brought back. 

After boiling and filtering, they produced fresh dye. 

However, upon closer inspection, the second batch of dye was slightly different in color from the first. 

Concerned he might be mistaken, Sang Hui asked Wen Ze about it and got an explanation—”The amount of petals and brine used, along with the boiling time, can all affect the final color.” 

“This is normal. Everyone can simply choose their favorite shade to dye their fabric,” Wen Ze added. 

After all, they were doing everything by hand, unlike modern machines that could precisely control measurements. 

Hearing this, people started discussing among themselves. 

“Should we wait for all the dyes to be ready before choosing?” 

“That makes sense. I’m not in a hurry anymore.” 

“So, it’s hard to get the exact same color twice?” 

Wen Ze nodded. With a cheerful smile, he said, “But isn’t it more interesting to get a different shade each time?” 

Sang Hui smiled and nodded. “That’s true.” 

Bai Ling had already soaked his fabric in the first batch of red dye. 

Rather than feeling regretful, he was thrilled. “I fell in love with this color at first sight! No matter what other shades appear later, I still want this one! I have to be among the first half-beastmen to wear colorful clothes!” 

Wen Ze gave him an approving look. 

With everyone’s cooperation, they successfully extracted dye from all the flower petals, filling a total of six large vats. 

Four vats contained shades of red, and two contained shades of blue, each slightly different from the others. 

As people began choosing their dyes, Wen Ze suddenly had an idea. 

“Wait a moment!” 

“Hmm?” The crowd turned to look at him. 

“Would you like to dye patterns onto the fabric?” he asked. 

“Patterns? Of course! How do we do it?” 

“Hold on, I’ll show you.” 

Wen Ze probably had the most fabric in the entire South Mountain Tribe. He had brought five pieces with him this time. 

Taking one out, he grabbed the center, twisted, and folded it into a small bundle. 

Then, using a thread, he tightly tied the bundle together. 

After sewing, he tugged on it a few times to make sure it wouldn’t come undone.  

“That should do it.” 

He walked over to a red dye vat and, under everyone’s watchful eyes, he submerged the fabric bundle, pressing and soaking it thoroughly. 

Once satisfied, he took it out, transformed his hand into a claw, used his nails to cut the threads, and unfolded the fabric. 

Right at the center of the cloth, an irregular pattern of red rings had appeared! 

The onlookers were shocked. “There really is a pattern!” 

“This is so unique! It looks like colorful seashells!” 

Sang Hui thought for a moment and said, “Tying the fabric this way prevents some areas from absorbing the dye, which creates the pattern?” 

Wen Ze gave him an approving look. “That’s right! This is called tie-dye. But I’m not an expert, so I can only make these irregular patterns. If the fabric is folded in a specific way, it should create more structured designs.” 

Many people were inspired and nodded. “I’ll give it a try later.” 

Wen Ze smiled. “Yes, keep trying! And if you create any beautiful patterns, help me dye some too.” 

“No problem.” 

“There’s another way to create patterns.” 

Everyone was stunned. “There’s more?” 

Wen Ze glanced around, then walked toward a patch of grass nearby. He plucked a small four-leaf plant with round leaves and picked up a tree leaf from the ground. 

Holding the small plant and leaf, he returned and pressed them onto an undyed section of the fabric he had been using for demonstration. One side of the fabric was covered with the grass, while the other had the tree leaf. 

Then, with the plant, leaf, and fabric together, he dipped them into the dye vat. 

After soaking it up and down a few times, he lifted the fabric, spread it on his palm, and slowly peeled off the small plant. 

Everyone leaned in and saw that a sharply defined four-leaf pattern had been left on the fabric! 

“This pattern looks amazing! It perfectly imprinted the shape of the plant!” Bai Ling exclaimed. 

Li Shui nodded. “Right! Using the same method, we could imprint tree leaves and flower shapes too!” 

Bai Ling thought for a moment and marveled, “Beast God, not only can fabric be colorful, but it can also have patterns! That would be so beautiful!” 

Wen Ze smiled and added, “This is just a demonstration. When dyeing for real, the objects used to cover the fabric need to be secured properly.” 

Everyone nodded, indicating they understood. 

Wen Ze had opened up their imagination, and excitement spread among them. 

“I have extra fabric. I want to try tie-dyeing.” 

“I’m going to dye a seashell pattern!” 

“I want to dye the shape of soft tree leaves.” 

“I like unicorn beetles! I’m going to dye one onto my fabric!” said a beastman. 

“A beetle? Uh… That’s such a unique preference.” 

“What? Can’t I dye a beetle?” He looked at Wen Ze. 

Wen Ze shrugged with a smile. “As long as you like it.” 

His goal was just to provide ideas. The rest was up to them to explore on their own. 

“Oh, and you can also dye hemp thread directly. Some simple patterns can be embroidered onto fabric with dyed thread,” Wen Ze said. 

Sang Hui quickly connected the ideas. “You can also use dyed hemp threads to weave fabric! Different colored threads can create different patterned fabrics, right?” 

Wen Ze’s eyes lit up. “Exactly! That reminds me—I need to dye a few bundles of thread too.” 

Without delay, he took out some hemp thread and tossed it into the dye vat as needed. 

With so many options available, everyone eagerly brought out their fabrics and threads, carefully considering colors and patterns. The entire altar square was buzzing with excitement. 

Wen Ze walked over to Zhuo Mu and smiled. “Have you dyed your fabric yet?” 

Zhuo Mu gave a gentle smile. “Not yet. You all go ahead first.” 

Thinking he was quite considerate, Wen Ze asked, “What color do you want?” 

“Blue, just a solid color. Or do you have any suggestions?” 

“I think with your fair skin and red eyes; red clothes would look great on you too.” 

Zhuo Mu’s phoenix eyes carried an amused glint. “Then I’ll dye a red piece as well.” 

“Great! Want me to help pick a dye vat for you?” 

“Sure.” 

Wen Ze held out his hand. “Here, give me the fabric.” 

Zhuo Mu handed over two pieces of silvery hemp fabric. Wen Ze took them and excitedly went to choose a dye vat. 

He carefully compared options, occasionally muttering to himself. His focused expression made it hard for Zhuo Mu to look away. 

Wu Ye, who had been quietly observing without saying much, glanced at him, then at Wen Ze, and suddenly felt like he had discovered something. 

There was only a limited amount of dye made today, but fortunately, there weren’t too many fabrics to dye, so they managed to get everything done. 

The hemp thread wasn’t urgent and could wait for the next batch. 

Li Shui asked Wen Ze, “How long should the fabric soak in the dye vat?” 

Wen Ze thought for a moment. “I’m not sure of the exact time, but I do know it needs to be dried under direct sunlight afterward. Maybe let it soak overnight?” 

“Sounds good!” No one had any objections. 

The patrolling beastmen said they would keep an eye on the square. 

As night fell, many people lit torches. 

Everyone had been busy all day and was getting hungry, so they said their goodbyes and headed home to cook. 

Dyeing was a new and exciting event, so the young ones in the tribe had already gathered around to watch the fun. 

Wen Ze sat on the back of a pure white giant python, with Yin He, who had turned into a giant panda, following beside him. The three of them went home together. 

After spending half the day working, they finally sat down for a meal. 

After dinner, Yin He went to wash the dishes, and Zhuo Mu asked Wen Ze about the plans for tomorrow. 

Wen Ze thought for a moment and said, “The bricks we made today should have set after drying for a day and a night. We can start firing them tomorrow morning. If everything goes well, I should be able to go out and gather materials with the tribe in the morning, then come back in the afternoon to make sausages and meatballs. Do we still have enough meat at home?” 

“Yes, but we need to hurry. The weather is hot, and the black-armored beast meat will spoil soon.” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Mm-hmm.” 

Zhuo Mu added, “You asked me to remind you— the tree bark and grass stalks have soaked long enough. Should we find time to collect them?” 

Wen Ze was startled. His shoulders slumped, and his little face fell. “I’ve been so busy these past few days that I completely forgot.” 

He scratched his head in frustration and muttered, “Tomorrow is already packed, so I probably won’t have time to make paper. After that, we need to fire the kiln, go to the Feather Fierce Tribe to dig up potatoes, burn charcoal, and dry salt before summer ends… Ah, there’s so much to do.” 

“It’s not too late yet. If there’s something you want to do, you can do it tonight.” 

Wen Ze sighed. “But I’m a little tired. After a full meal, I really don’t feel like moving.” 

Zhuo Mu explained, “I didn’t mean for you to do it yourself. That’s what I’m here for. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll handle it.” 

“You’ve been busy all day too…” 

“It’s just picking up some firewood and preparing some brine. How is that tiring?” Zhuo Mu’s thin lips curved slightly as he looked at him seriously. “I’m full of energy right now. So? Are you coming or not?” 

Wen Ze met his deep red eyes and felt as if he were being bewitched. 

“Then… shall we do it?” He tilted his head and asked in a small voice. 

Zhuo Mu gave him a firm answer. “Let’s do it.” 

Having someone to go with him, Wen Ze got up eagerly, patted the dust off his clothes, and walked with Zhuo Mu toward the pond. 

Seeing this, Yin He called out, “Brother, Brother Zhuo Mu, where are you going?” 

Wen Ze replied, “We’re going to fish out the soaked tree bark. Get some plant ash from the stove pit for me—we’ll be back soon!” 

Yin He responded cheerfully, “Got it!” 

With Zhuo Mu around, they only needed one trip to bring the softened, fibered tree bark and other materials back home. 

That night, there was no wind, no clouds. A bright moon hung high in the sky, reflecting against the vast sea of stars. 

Still, to see more clearly, Wen Ze lit a torch and stuck it into the ground beside them. 

He instructed Zhuo Mu, “We need to remove the impurities first, leaving only the plant fibers. Then, we’ll soak and boil them in plant ash water until they soften enough for the next step.” 

Zhuo Mu responded with a simple “Mm” and got to work without hesitation. 

His hands were dexterous, and his sharp features were exceptionally handsome. Watching him carefully sift through the materials was not only pleasant but also oddly soothing. 

Yin He also insisted he wasn’t tired and sat on the other side to help. 

At first, Wen Ze sat with them, but after a while, his lower back started to ache, so he lazily lay on his side. 

To show his ‘mental support’ since they were helping him, he decided to start a conversation. 

Zhuo Mu was not talkative, while Yin He mostly spoke about the little ones in the tribe. As Wen Ze listened, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. 

He yawned several times, his eyes welling up from drowsiness, and kept telling himself, We’re still working. I have to hold on. I can’t fall asleep. 

By the third time he repeated this thought, his eyelids shut completely and didn’t open again. 

His body shifted from lying on his side to lying flat, and his breathing became slow and steady. 

Yin He blinked in surprise and called out softly, “Brother?” 

Wen Ze reacted slightly—he turned over in his sleep. 

Yin He glanced at Zhuo Mu, feeling a bit awkward. Just as he was about to raise his voice, Zhuo Mu stopped him. 

The tall, cold-looking man shook his head and lowered his voice. “He’s been very tired lately. Let him sleep. If you’re sleepy, you should sleep too.” 

Yin He hesitated but obediently sat back down. “I’m not sleepy yet.” 

Zhuo Mu said nothing more. He simply took out a clean beast hide from his space and gently wrapped Wen Ze in it. 

Under the firelight, Yin He caught a glimpse of Zhuo Mu’s striking profile and belatedly realized—Brother Zhuo Mu looked… unexpectedly gentle like this. 

By the time they had finished removing the impurities, Yin He was yawning nonstop and finally went to sleep. 

“What about my brother?” he asked. 

“I’ll take him to the cave,” Zhuo Mu replied. 

With that, he effortlessly scooped Wen Ze up in his long arms. 

On his own, Wen Ze was a well-built young man, standing over 1.8 meters tall. 

But compared to Zhuo Mu’s broad, powerful frame, he looked noticeably smaller, nestled quietly in his embrace. His peaceful sleeping face carried a rare, delicate softness. 

Wen Ze was in a deep sleep, and since Zhuo Mu’s steps were steady, he stayed asleep the entire way. 

After tucking the animal hide over him, Zhuo Mu gazed at his sleeping face for a moment before turning and leaving the cave. 

*** 

The next day, when Wen Ze woke up, he was momentarily dazed before his memories gradually returned. 

Wasn’t he working with Zhuo Mu? When did he fall asleep? 

Yin He was still sleeping. Wen Ze rubbed his eyes, propped himself up, and quietly climbed out of bed before stepping out of the cave. 

Autumn was truly approaching. The cool morning breeze swept past him, instantly waking him up. 

His dark eyes scanned the surroundings, but Zhuo Mu was nowhere nearby. However, the fire pit still held some warmth. 

Several large clay pots were placed over it, and the liquid inside emitted a fresh, herbal scent. 

Wen Ze took a few steps forward and, as expected, saw the plant fibers that had been set aside soaking in the still-warm lye water made from plant ash. 

Had Zhuo Mu been boiling them all night? 

How did he fall asleep just like that yesterday?! 

Frustrated, he smacked his forehead. 

“Why are you hitting yourself for no reason?” A deep, amused voice came from ahead. 

Wen Ze looked up and saw Zhuo Mu approaching through the morning mist, dressed in clean hemp clothes, his damp hair still dripping. 

“You went to take a bath?” Wen Ze was momentarily startled before asking. 

Zhuo Mu nodded. “Mm. I also checked on the bricks. The surface has already set.” 

Wen Ze immediately felt guilty. “You didn’t stay up all night boiling these and only found time to rest this morning, did you?” 

Zhuo Mu smiled faintly. “No. Not long after you fell asleep, I went to rest as well. It’s just that the charcoal fire burned for a long time.” 

Then he waved to Wen Ze to come over. “Come, take a look at how they turned out.” 

Wen Ze could tell he wasn’t being completely honest. Feeling both touched and ashamed, he walked over to inspect the fibers. 

After being thoroughly soaked and boiled, the fibers have become very soft, and their color looks almost bleached, making them especially clean. 

He picked up a strand and pinched it between his fingers with slight pressure. It broke easily. 

“It’s about ready. Next, we’ll transfer it to the stone mortar and pound it into pulp. Then, we can start making paper.” 

Progress in the Beast World was limited. Tools like stone pots and grindstones were difficult to make because suitable stones were hard to find. 

Even when people did find them, it often took generations of refining to perfect them. 

However, stones with natural grooves were relatively common, so nearly every household had a stone mortar. 

After listening to Wen Ze, Zhuo Mu said, “We probably won’t have time to do it this morning. Let’s leave it soaking until the afternoon. I’ll pound it after I return from hunting.” 

Wen Ze grinned at him. “Alright, I’ll be counting on you again.” 

Zhuo Mu responded seriously, “It’s no trouble.” 

For him, the real hardship was being unable to help Wen Ze. 

After finalizing their plans, Zhuo Mu carried the clay pots over to the stream while Wen Ze washed his face and prepared breakfast. 

Zhuo Mu helped him out by doing some small tasks and household chores. 

While the meal was halfway done, Yin He woke up and took the initiative to help with the fire. 

Just as the three finished eating, Wu Ye arrived with people from the tribe, eagerly saying to Wen Ze, “Let’s go! Time to fire the bricks!” 

Wen Ze responded, “Let’s go!” 

Everyone headed toward Bao Fang Mountain. Once they arrived, Wen Ze joined them in stacking the bricks inside the kiln. 

Then, they filled the kiln with firewood and started the firing process! 

At this stage, Wen Ze no longer needed to oversee the process. After informing Wu Ye and the others, he had Zhuo Mu take him to the altar square to find the gathering team. 

From a distance, he saw a crowd gathered around several dye vats. Puzzled, he said, “The sun is already up. Why hasn’t everyone set out yet? Did something go wrong with the dyed fabric?” 

Zhuo Mu replied confidently, “No, if there was a problem, someone would have come to find you already.” 

Wen Ze nodded, feeling reassured. 

Soon, he slid down from Zhuo Mu’s back, and the crowd instinctively made way for him. 

“Wen Ze, you’re here!” Everyone greeted him warmly. 

“Mm.” Wen Ze smiled in response. 

Bai Ling couldn’t wait any longer. He jogged over and pulled Wen Ze toward the dye vats. 

“Come on, come on! Check if the fabric is ready to be taken out.” 

Wen Ze chuckled. “Alright, let me see.” 

Using a wooden stick, he inspected the fabric in each dye vat. The rich colors had completely soaked into the hemp fibers. 

“It’s ready,” Wen Ze said. “Since we have plenty of people, let’s use wooden sticks and branches to set up some drying racks and hang the fabric to dry.” 

“Got it!” 

Seeing that Wen Ze had everything under control, Zhuo Mu informed him, “I’m heading out to hunt.” 

Wen Ze waved his hand naturally. “Go ahead, stay safe.” 

The moment Zhuo Mu left, he was startled to find that many half-beastmen were looking at him with knowing smiles. 

Wen Ze frowned and asked, “What’s going on?” 

Bai Ling nudged him with his elbow and smirked. “What do you think? The way you just said goodbye to Zhuo Mu looked exactly like how my parents do it.” 

Wen Ze widened his eyes. “I’m younger than you! How could I be your father?” 

Bai Ling hesitated. “…That’s not what I meant!” 

Sang Hui couldn’t stop laughing and explained, “Bai Ling was trying to say you two look like a couple.” 

Li Shui added with a grin, “The kind that’s been living together for quite some time.” 

Wen Ze froze, his face instantly heating up. 

“Go, go, go!” He waved them off. “Stop messing around! Are we setting up the racks or not? Are we drying the fabric or not? If we don’t hurry, we won’t have time to gather anything!” 

Bai Ling leaned over to Sang Hui and whispered, “He’s totally embarrassed, right?” 

Wen Ze, now thoroughly flustered, snapped his head around. “I have really good hearing, you know!” 

Bai Ling immediately shut his mouth, but his bright eyes were still filled with amusement. 

Sang Hui cleared his throat and put on a serious expression. “Wen Ze’s right. Let’s get to work.” 

As Wen Ze turned to focus on the task, Sang Hui gave Bai Ling a small nod, silently answering his earlier question. 

Hearing Bai Ling’s laughter, Wen Ze knew the little rascal was definitely up to no good. 

And him? 

When they were teasing him, he realized he wasn’t actually angry… 

Realizing this, not only his face but even his ears burned red. 

Sang Hui watched Wen Ze’s lively expression with a warm smile and thought to himself: 

Most of the time, Wen Ze was the one leading the tribe, organizing everything, and earning the genuine respect and trust of everyone. 

But at times like this, it was easy to remember—he was still just an eighteen-year-old young half-beastman. 

May the Beast God bless him, so he can always remain this happy. 

Once the fabric was hung up to dry, Wen Ze looked at the red and blue cloth swaying in the morning sun, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction. 

The gathering team was setting out one after another, and someone called his name. 

Carrying his basket, Wen Ze turned and responded, “Coming! Uncle Sang Hui, what are we gathering today?” 

Sang Hui smiled. “Didn’t you say you wanted beans? I’ll take you to find some!” 

---

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