Luan Xun said, “It’s possible, and the crabs and shrimp you catch, you can take them with you as well. However, there are very few crabs and shrimp in the shallow waters. Even the shellfish have almost been fully caught by us.” 

“What about the deeper water?” 

Yu Qiao patiently explained, “The seawater isn’t just deep, it’s also much harder to dive into compared to river water. With our half-beastmen bodies, once we reach a certain depth, the water starts pressing in from all directions, making it extremely uncomfortable. So we can’t dive to the bottom, which makes catching crabs and shrimp very difficult.” 

Wen Ze understood. The water pressure was too strong. 

“What about beastmen?” 

Luan Xun replied, “Stronger beastmen can dive a bit deeper, but they still can’t stay at the seabed for too long. Whether they catch anything depends on luck. In the end, it’s because our beast forms aren’t suitable for going underwater. If they were, it would be much easier.” 

Yu Qiao sighed, “Right, even catching some sea beasts and gathering shellfish is tough for our tribe, let alone collecting pearls. By the end of the year, we can barely gather twenty of them.” 

At the mention of this, they got annoyed again and shot a few angry glares at the two brothers, making them too embarrassed to lift their heads. 

Wen Ze thought to himself: Life in the Beast World really isn’t easy for anyone. 

“Then I’ll try my luck in the shallow waters with your tribe’s half-beastmen,” Wen Ze said, then reminded them, “Be careful when diving into the deep waters. Watch out for undercurrents so you don’t get swept away.” 

The beastmen of the Feathered Fierce Tribe said, “Got it, don’t worry. We grew up by the sea and know how to assess the situation.” 

“Besides, we don’t allow those who aren’t strong enough to dive into deep water.” 

“That’s good.” 

After speaking, he looked at Yin He and Zhuo Mu and asked, “Which side are you two going to?” 

Yin He quickly replied, “Brother, I want to go to the deep waters! My beast form isn’t afraid of water and can dive very deep! Plus, Brother Luan Xun and Brother Zhuo Mu will be there to watch over me, so I won’t be in danger.” 

Wen Ze didn’t agree. “You’re not familiar with the sea. If you miss something, it could cause trouble.” 

Seeing Yin He’s small face droop, Wen Ze reassured him, “Get used to the shallow waters with us first. We’ll see after that.” 

Since they were outside, Yin He obediently nodded. 

Zhuo Mu looked at Wen Ze and said, “I’ll shift into my beast form and go to the deep waters with Luan Xun and the others.” 

Afraid that Wen Ze would worry, he added, “I’m just getting familiar with the environment. I’ll stay close to them.” 

Wen Ze knew Zhuo Mu was steady and dependable, which put him at ease, but he still reminded him, “It doesn’t matter whether you catch any sea beasts or not. Safety comes first.” 

Zhuo Mu’s gaze softened slightly, and he smiled. “Alright.” 

Yin He looked at one, then the other. 

There it was again—that strange, out-of-place feeling, like he couldn’t quite fit in. 

Fortunately, once the teams were set, everyone quickly took action, and with his playful nature, Yin He was too caught up in excitement to dwell on it. 

Wen Ze swam into the sea with Yu Qiao and the others. 

Yin He transformed into a giant panda and followed alongside them. 

Luan Xun and Zhuo Mu transformed into their beast forms. Luan Xun flew straight to a deeper area from the sky. Just before diving into the water, he shifted back to his human form. 

On the other hand, Zhuo Mu, whose beast form was massive, slithered smoothly in the waves, creating white foam swirling in the blue waters. Eventually, he too disappeared beneath the sea. 

Some of the younger ones who weren’t allowed into the water stayed on the shore with Chen Meng and Xie Lie. 

Wen Ze was surrounded by seawater. Along with the thrill, he felt a deep calm, as if the water had shut him off from the world. 

He sank slowly. Except for the faint sound of water moving, everything was silent. 

In the shallow waters, sunlight shone through, making the sea even clearer. 

With a slight turn of his head, he saw the half-beastmen beside him. 

Everyone was looking out for each other, giving him a sense of safety. 

Soon, his focus shifted to the sea. 

Fish swam around—some as big as his forearm, others only as long as his finger. 

They came in silver, black, and vibrant colors. 

When they moved in groups, their elegant forms made him reach out to touch them. 

But they were quick, splitting into two groups to avoid his hand, then swiftly merging back together once they passed him. 

Below, the seabed was covered in swaying seaweed and colorful coral. The fine white sand shimmered softly, while tiny sea crabs scurried sideways across it. 

Shells opened slightly, snapping shut whenever a small fish or crab brushed past. 

Transparent jellyfish drifted gently, glowing with a soft, dreamy light. 

A sea turtle, about the size of a long-legged bird, glided by with calm ease. 

Everything in the ocean amazed Wen Ze and filled him with pure joy. 

Because he was so absorbed in admiring the scene, he didn’t manage to hold his breath long enough to reach the bottom of the sea before running out of air. 

He had no choice but to paddle with his hands and float upwards to catch his breath. 

Chang Chuan surfaced alongside him, wiped his sharply defined, handsome face with his hand, and grinned, revealing a set of neat, beautiful white teeth. 

“Wen Ze, what do you think? Isn’t the ocean beautiful?” 

“Yes!” Wen Ze said excitedly. “It’s amazing! There are so many plants and animals I’ve never seen before!” 

“Hahaha, just be careful with the ‘water caps.’ Don’t touch them recklessly, they can sting you so bad that it’ll turn red and swollen. It hurts a lot.” 

Water caps? Are those jellyfish? Haha, what a cute name. 

“Got it, got it. Before I grab anything, I’ll give you a signal first. If you say no, I won’t touch it.” 

“Good, good. Let’s go back down! I just saw a huge round clam—I’ll take you to get it!” 

Wen Ze took a deep breath and dove back down with him. 

In the shallow waters, they collected some edible shellfish, palm-sized crabs, and octopus. 

Wen Ze also picked up some beautiful starfish and gathered a bit of seaweed. 

Diving up and down, they had endless fun. 

There were so many fascinating things in the shallow waters that Yin He got completely absorbed in exploring and didn’t mention going to the deeper waters again. 

As Wen Ze surfaced for another breath, he glanced toward the deeper waters, wondering how Zhuo Mu was doing. 

Almost as if sensing his thoughts, a massive white python suddenly burst through the water’s surface, raising its enormous head. It opened its mouth and flung something dark into the air. 

A golden eagle swooped down, its sharp talons precisely catching what Zhuo Mu had tossed before flying toward the shore. 

As it drew closer, Wen Ze saw clearly—it was a king crab, its body larger than a washbasin. 

Beast God, he had never seen one this big, not even on TV! 

After being stunned for a few seconds, he excitedly slapped the water. 

Zhuo Mu had caught a king crab! Hahaha! That’s amazing! 

And that was just the beginning. Every time Wen Ze surfaced, he saw Zhuo Mu tossing something else into the air. 

Fierce king crabs, lobsters longer than an arm, massive black-backed, white-bellied fish of unknown species… 

Initially, only two or three beastmen were responsible for retrieving the catches. But as things got busier, three more joined in. 

By noon, after a long time diving and collecting, Wen Ze finally climbed ashore, sat down, and panted heavily. 

Yu Qiao, equally exhausted, plopped down beside him and laughed. “So? How was it?” 

Wen Ze beamed. “It was incredible! And floating in the water makes you feel way less tired.” 

“Haha, as long as you had fun. Rest up for a bit, and then we’ll go check out what the beastmen caught.” 

“Okay!” 

Eager to see the giant crabs and lobsters, they barely rested before getting up and heading forward. 

Luan Xun and the others had also returned from the sea, though unlike Zhuo Mu, who swam directly to shore, they had come back in their human forms. 

Wen Ze looked at the pile of prey, which resembled a small hill, his eyes almost bulging out as his heart pounded with excitement. 

Yu Qiao and the others were also amazed: “Beast God, there are so many!” 

Luan Xun’s voice came from behind. “Most of them were caught by Zhuo Mu. His beast form is incredibly useful in the sea—agile and fast. The sea beasts were no match for him.” 

Feng Jian also praised, “His eyesight is especially sharp. He even found several massive shellfish. Let’s open them later and see if there are any pearls.” 

Fu Chen pointed at the fish flopping on the ground. “These flat fish are delicious! But they’re really hard to catch. You actually got eight of them!” 

“As expected of the warriors of the South Mountain Tribe—truly impressive!” 

Wen Ze felt proud as he listened to everyone praise Zhuo Mu, a bright smile spreading on his face. 

With his tall frame and long legs, Zhuo Mu quickly walked over and asked, “Is this enough? I’ve almost cleared out that area. If it’s not, I think I can go deeper to find more.” 

Wen Ze replied, “It’s more than enough! We couldn’t finish it all even if we ate to our heart’s content! Let me show you the starfish I caught later—it’s really beautiful!” 

Zhuo Mu smiled. “Alright.” 

Luan Xun took charge of distributing the catch. 

Just like back in the South Mountain Tribe, although everyone worked together, Zhuo Mu contributed the most and earned the biggest share of the best catches. 

They received ten large crabs, eight lobsters, and five flat fish. 

The massive shellfish were opened on the spot, revealing a flawless, bright white sea pearl with a diameter about the size of a fingertip. 

Even the Feathered Fierce Tribe hadn’t come across such a top-quality pearl in years. Everyone was astonished and eagerly passed it around. 

The two traveling merchants, Chen Meng and Xi Lie, were especially mesmerized, their eyes practically glowing as they stood frozen in place. 

By midday, the people of the Feathered Fierce Tribe had mostly calmed down, and seeing how envious the two merchants were, they couldn’t help but laugh and let them take a closer look at the pearl. 

Eventually, the pearl returned to Zhuo Mu’s hands. 

Since he had caught the shellfish, everyone agreed that the pearl rightfully belonged to him. 

Unexpectedly, he calmly handed it to Wen Ze. 

“For you.” 

Wen Ze was stunned and hesitated. “You could exchange this for something valuable…” 

But Zhuo Mu was firm. “Keep it. I only went down to get it because I knew you liked it.” 

Seeing that Wen Ze was still uncertain, Zhuo Mu added, “You always give me things, and I accept them every time.” 

…Alright then. 

Wen Ze stopped worrying about whether the value was fair and happily put the pearl into his space. 

When he looked up, Chen Meng and Xi Lie were staring at him with eyes glowing green, their desire was clearly evident. 

Wen Ze chuckled and reminded everyone, “It’s about time. Let’s check how the rust removal is going.” 

The two merchants instantly deflated. 

Seeing that Wen Ze had plenty of people around him, Yu Qiao said, “I’ll stay behind. We’ve been busy all morning, so everyone must be hungry. I’ll start a fire and grill some crab legs and shrimp meat.” 

Feng Jian added, “I’ll join you.” 

Yu Qiao looked at him and smiled, his handsome face turning slightly red. 

Wen Ze happily agreed, “Thanks for your hard work.” 

Soon, they arrived at the rock where the iron knife had been placed. 

Wen Ze picked up the knife and asked Zhuo Mu for the water pouch, then he slowly poured water over the blade. 

As he rinsed, he rubbed the blade with his fingers. 

The rust on the surface actually washed away, revealing the original silvery-gray color of the iron knife! 

“The rust is gone!” someone shouted excitedly. 

“The super sour fruit worked!” 

“That’s amazing!” 

After rinsing it thoroughly, Wen Ze picked up a stone and sharpened the knife. 

Now, not only was the blade clean, but its edge gleamed with a cold light, looking incredibly sharp! 

“Leader Luan Xun, take a look.” Wen Ze shook the water off the blade and handed it to Luan Xun. 

Luan Xun took it, examined it carefully, and said happily, “Not only is the rust gone, but it’s even better than when we first got it!” 

The people erupted into cheers. 

Wen Ze smiled, relieved. “That’s good. When you use iron tools in the future, try to avoid cutting things with too much salt. After use, rinse them with clean water, dry them thoroughly, and apply a bit of beast oil to the blade—it helps prevent rust.” 

Luan Xun nodded and made a mental note. He then asked, “Does it have to be beast oil? Some of the fruits we have also contain oil.” 

Wen Ze cautiously replied, “Some fruit oils can prevent rust, but others might make it worse. It’s better not to use them.” 

“Understood.” 

Wen Ze then asked, “Do you have any of those oily fruits? Could you give me some?” 

Currently, he was only using beast oil for cooking, and eating too much of it was a bit greasy. 

The South Mountain Tribe had plenty of oil-rich seeds, but Wen Ze didn’t want to go through the trouble of pressing them for oil. 

With everything else keeping him busy, the task had been delayed. 

Having solved such a big problem for the Feathered Fierce Tribe, Wen Ze was now regarded as a good friend. 

Luan Xun readily agreed, “No problem! We have some stored in the tribe. I’ll have someone bring some for you.” 

Wen Ze smiled. “Thanks!” 

Luan Xun then glanced at the two brothers and said calmly, “Since Wen Ze helped us remove the rust, we won’t ask you for any more supplies.” 

Chen Meng and Xi Lie nodded repeatedly. Then they turned around and gratefully said to Wen Ze, “Thank you so much this time. From now on, when we exchange iron goods, we’ll make sure to tell others how to prevent rust.” 

Wen Ze nodded politely. 

The group spent the rest of the day by the shore, gathering firewood and enjoying a meal of grilled seafood. 

The taste was completely different from the river fish Wen Ze had eaten before—there wasn’t a hint of fishy smell, and the meat had a faint sweetness to it. The more he chewed, the more flavorful it became. 

Additionally, since the lobster’s huge, with meat thicker than an arm, one bite and it’s so tasty that you’re left totally satisfied and kind of out of it. 

The crab roe from the large crab is also very enjoyable. It’s best scooped with a spoon, having a fragrant taste that isn’t greasy and a lasting aftertaste. 

Still, Wen Ze felt that such fresh seafood deserved better preparation than just grilling. 

Luckily, the portion they had received remained untouched. Once he got back, he could steam, pan-fry, or stir-fry it. 

There was also garlic at home—he could try making some vermicelli and make a garlic seafood feast! 

Just thinking about it made his mouth water. 

Wen Ze took a large bite of the tender, crunchy shrimp, savoring the satisfying sound as he chewed. He couldn’t help but squint his eyes. 

It was simply delicious! 

After filling their stomachs, it was already getting late. 

The person Luan Xun sent to fetch oil fruits returned. Wen Ze opened the bag and smiled when he saw what was inside. 

Aren’t these olives?! 

It was about the same size as the ones seen in the previous life, with an average appearance, likely because this place wasn’t very suitable for olive trees to grow. 

These kinds of olives should be fine for oil extraction. 

Wen Ze put away the bag and thanked Luan Xun and the others. 

Luan Xun said, “No need to be polite, as long as we could help.” 

After that, Wen Ze bid farewell to everyone, got on Zhuo Mu’s back, and headed back to the South Mountain Tribe. 

Chen Meng and Xi Lie were quite interested in the South Mountain Tribe, and since Wen Ze also wanted to exchange with them, he brought them along. 

Because they felt guilty about the rusted iron, they voluntarily helped Wen Ze carry a good amount of yellow grain. 

The people from the Feathered Fierce Tribe were reluctant to part with Wen Ze. They flew high in the sky, escorting them for quite a distance. 

It wasn’t until Zhuo Mu reminded them, “We’re almost at the Rainbow Sun Tribe,” that Wen Ze raised his voice to call out to Luan Xun and the others in the sky, “That’s enough—this is far enough—” 

Luan Xun replied, “Alright! See you at the Autumn Harvest Festival!” 

“Yes, Let’s see each again the festival!” 

He waved vigorously, and Luan Xun and the others flapped their wings in response. 

As they reached the territory of the Rainbow Sun Tribe, Wen Ze noticed that Yin He’s running speed had slowed down, and his head was drooping a little. Clearly, he was both tired and sleepy. 

“Zhuo Mu, how about we take a break?” 

“The sky is getting dark early these days. Let’s not stop—have Yin He turn into human form and get on my back.” 

“Alright.” Wen Ze gestured for Yin He to come over. 

Yin He hadn’t expected that not only could he ride the golden eagle, but also the giant python, and was thrilled. 

“Coming, coming!” 

Before long, he was sitting on Zhuo Mu’s back as well, letting out a contented sigh. 

Because the two merchants are capable of flying in a straight line, they have increased the distance between them. At this moment, when looking towards the horizon, only two black dots can be seen. 

Yin He’s gaze landed on Wen Ze’s hand. “Brother, what are you drawing?” 

“This thing is called a sweet potato.” Wen Ze held the booklet in one hand and a charcoal pencil in the other, quickly sketching an image. 

After finishing that, he flipped to a new page and drew a round fruit with a stem. 

“This one is a big pumpkin.” 

Yin He noticed that Wen Ze had already filled quite a few pages with drawings. 

Just as he was about to ask why Wen Ze was drawing these, a familiar voice called from afar, “Wen Ze! Zhuo Mu! Yin He!” 

“That’s Leader Chi Yu’s voice!” Yin He turned his head excitedly. 

Sure enough, Chi Yu, in his fiery red fox form, was carrying Huo Lan on his back, followed by other Beastmen as they ran toward them. 

As they got closer, Chi Yu said, “When you passed by our tribe yesterday, I wasn’t around—otherwise, I would’ve come to see you then.” 

Wen Ze replied, “Leader Chi Yu, you’re too polite. Is there something you need from us?” 

“No, I was just worried you had too much to carry, so we came to help.” 

“Thank you, we’ve already asked the traveling merchants to help carry quite a few things.” 

Chi Yu asked, “Traveling merchants?” 

As they ran and talked, Wen Ze explained the rust situation to them, and Chi Yu and the others looked like they were learning something new. 

Huo Lan curiously asked, “Wen Ze, I heard your tribe made gemstones?” 

Wen Ze chuckled. “Not gemstones, it’s glass.” 

Huo Lan replied, “Well, it’s pretty much the same thing! Did you bring any? Can we take a look?” 

“I did bring some, but with all this dust flying around and glass being fragile, it’s not the best time. At the autumn harvest festival in a few days, we’ll bring some over for you to see then.” 

Huo Lan nodded. “Alright, since you’re in a hurry to get back to your tribe today, we won’t hold you up.” 

Wen Ze smiled politely. 

Chi Yu and his group walked with them for a while, only turning back after watching them enter the South Mountain Tribe’s territory. 

By the time the three of them arrived home, the sun had just moved to the western mountain peaks. 

The warm glow of the sunset spread across the lush forest and open fields. 

The red evening glow filled the sky. 

From a distance, Wen Ze could already see his two cows grazing leisurely. 

A few people were waiting on the clearing in front of Zhuo Mu’s cave. 

Aside from Chen Meng and Xi Lie, Wu Ye, Sang Hui, and Li Shui were also there. 

When they saw Wen Ze, they waved and smiled. “You’re back? We helped with the chores while you were away. There’s just the milk left to be collected today.” 

Wen Ze smiled. “Thanks, everyone. You don’t have to milk the cows since we’re already here.” 

Sang Hui stepped forward and asked Wen Ze: “Those two Beastmen, I heard they’re the traveling merchants you brought back?” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Yes. Their names are Chen Meng and Xi Lie, from the Dawn Tribe, which is further south. Let me grab some water and wash up first, then I’ll explain everything to you.” 

“Mhm, go ahead, no rush.” 

After freshening up briefly, everyone gathered inside the straw shelter. 

Chen Meng and Xi Lie had been there for a while, and although they were curious about the place, they hadn’t dared to look around before. 

Now, they finally asked Wen Ze, “What is this flooring made of? It doesn’t get muddy even when wet.” 

Wen Ze smiled, “It’s a type of brick we made ourselves. It can still break if you step on it too much, but it’s better than a mud floor.” 

Chen Meng pointed. “You even have stone pot?” 

Xi Lie asked, “Are these decorations made of fabric?” 

Chen Meng noticed something else. “That little flower pot—is it the colored pottery you fired?” 

Xi Lie leaned over. “What’s inside the wooden box? It looks oily.” 

Wen Ze sighed helplessly. It turned out that traveling merchants also had the potential to ask “a hundred thousand questions.” 

“The stone pot was a reward from the tribe when Zhuo Mu became a warrior. The decorations are made of fabric, with some parts stitched using thread. The flower pot is a cracked pottery piece I didn’t want to throw away. The wooden box contains soap—it’s used for cleaning.” 

Seeing that they still had more questions, Wen Ze raised a hand to stop them. “No rush. Whether it’s fabric, pottery, soap, or glass, I’ll show you everything later. But right now, I wanted to ask you about iron tools.” 

Chen Meng and Xi Lie exchanged a glance, both surprised. 

Meanwhile, Sang Hui and the others, who had been listening, asked what was going on. 

Zhuo Mu spoke up and briefly explained the situation to them. 

Wen Ze added, “That reminds me, don’t forget to take some of the sea beasts we caught back with you later.” 

Sang Hui and the others smiled and agreed, “Alright.” 

Wu Ye wondered, since this iron tool rusted easily, why would Wen Ze still want it? 

Fearing that the merchant might raise the price on the spot, he held back from asking. 

On the other hand, Li Shui believed that if Wen Ze wanted it, then it must be something valuable. 

Chen Meng also cleared his thoughts and took out the remaining iron knife.  

He placed it on the stone table. 

“There’s only this one left. What we previously discussed with the Rainbow Sun Tribe was that they would exchange one hundred of their pottery for an iron knife.” 

Wen Ze clicked his tongue, “That’s really expensive.” 

Yin He, who was watching, commented, “No wonder no one wanted to exchange.” 

The two brothers: “…” 

“If it were pottery from your tribe, eighty pieces could be exchanged for one knife,” Chen Meng said seriously. “Wen Ze, we brothers thank you for your help. If you provide fifty pieces of pottery, we will still exchange the knife with you.” 

Wu Ye and the others exchanged glances. 

Fifty pieces were quite a lot, but for a metal knife, they felt it was acceptable. 

Unexpectedly, Wen Ze directly refused. 

“That’s too much. The materials we use and the work it takes to fire a kiln are not small.” 

Chen Meng then asked, “What about the large pearl you got today?” 

Wen Ze’s expression turned serious. “Forget it. No matter how good the offer is, I won’t exchange the pearl.” 

Zhuo Mu, listening from the side, smiled while pressing his lips together. 

Sang Hui and the others blinked in confusion. What pearl? What had these two discussed that they didn’t know about? 

Xi Lie regretfully shrugged. “Then there’s nothing more to discuss. We really can’t exchange for less.” 

Wen Ze quickly changed the subject. “What if what I want to exchange for isn’t a metal knife, but a piece of metal?” 

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