Rebirth with the Beast

 

Chapter 5

The child was so thin that his small face seemed to hold nothing but a pair of huge, startling eyes. At this moment, perhaps because he sensed that Su Yi meant no harm, or perhaps because he was simply starving, he limped slowly out from his hiding place.

Su Yi dropped the bone knife in her hand and carefully took a step forward. The child only gave her a cautious glance before lowering his head to pick up a fruit from the ground. By the time the child had devoured the entire fruit in a ravenous gulp, Su Yi had already inched closer without him realizing it.

The child noticed Su Yi drawing near and was about to turn and run—only to see her reach out and, from somewhere, produce another fruit. His wide eyes stared at her as his little hand slowly reached out. When his fingers brushed the fruit and Su Yi only looked at him with gentle eyes, he began to eat as he murmured, “Thank you.”

That soft thank-you made Su Yi’s heart ache. The child was only about three years old—probably abandoned by his parents and tribe soon after his first transformation when they discovered he was different from other beastmen. At such a young age, he must have suffered so much already. And yet, in such hardship, he still remembered to thank others. How obedient and sweet a child he must be. Su Yi couldn’t understand how anyone could have been so heartless as to cast him aside.

Little Eli looked at his mother-father in confusion. Having wandered with his beast-father, he had seen many such “inauspicious” beastmen. It was normal to him. After all, his beast-father was one of them. To Eli, everyone was the same, and he felt no extra sympathy for others. Because his beast-father had once been one of those abandoned too.

When Eli noticed the look of pity in his mother-father’s eyes toward the child, he quickly said, “Mother-father, beast-father already works very hard to care for the two of us.”

Su Yi’s smile stiffened. Yes—how could she forget? This world was not like her old one. In her previous world, she could afford to show compassion, to help unfortunate children. But here, in this primitive world of survival of the fittest, they themselves were outsiders—without tribe, without home.

Hearing Eli’s words, the child’s dark eyes flashed with grievance. Clutching the half-eaten fruit, he quickly turned to run—only to crash directly into a tall figure.

Xinuo looked first at Su Yi, then down at the small child who had bumped into his leg. Su Yi’s feelings were plain on her face. She wanted to take this poor child in, didn’t she? Xinuo didn’t understand—how had a single serious illness suddenly changed this female, who used to hate “inauspicious” beastmen, into someone who no longer despised them? But seeing the reluctance in her eyes, Xinuo sighed, scooped up the trembling child, and carried him toward the fire.

Su Yi’s eyes lit up with surprise. She hadn’t expected Xinuo to do this. After all, their living conditions really weren’t suited for taking in another mouth to feed.

Xinuo tore off a piece of meat and tossed it into the child’s arms. Once again, the child murmured a thank-you before burying his face into the meat and gnawing hungrily.

Su Yi walked over to Xinuo’s side, puzzled, and asked, “Why?”

“No reason,” Xinuo replied calmly. “It’s the hot season. Prey is plentiful. I can take care of him for a while. Once the season passes, his injuries should be healed.” As he spoke, he bent to gather their belongings from the ground.

Su Yi gazed at Xinuo’s silhouette in the firelight. She truly wondered—how could someone like him, branded an “inauspicious beastman” and burdened with such unfair treatment, still maintain such composure? If it had been her, growing up under such injustice, her heart might have twisted long ago. But Xinuo—cold-faced though he was—remained kind and steady.

Su Yi suddenly thought, Mireille was lucky. But wasn’t she, too, lucky in her own way?

“Did you find a place to rest?” Su Yi asked with a smile.

Xinuo nodded and slung the two animal-skin bags over his shoulder.

Just as Su Yi tossed something aside, she noticed her own son sulking off to the side. Su Yi quickly realized that her precious child seemed upset and jealous because of the new addition to their group.

She hurried over, coaxing and cajoling him for quite a while, until little Eli finally poked his small tail out from the grass, holding it high like he was saying with haughty pride: “Go on then, beg for forgiveness.”

Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh. She tugged gently at Eli’s tail and pleaded, “I won’t dare again, I promise. It’s just that I thought Eli was always playing alone, too lonely. That’s why I found a little companion for you.”

Eli poked his head out and said, “But—you can’t just like him.”

Su Yi thought to herself, kids really do understand more than you expect. He was actually jealous.

“Alright, alright, I only like Eli. Eli is my very own baby. If I don’t like you, who else would I like?”

At that, Eli brightened, climbing happily up Su Yi’s arm until he found a comfortable spot on her body. “Mother-father can like beast-father too. Eli allows mother-father to like beast-father. But Eli has to be the one you like the most most most. Beast-father can come after Eli, in second place.”

Hearing this, Su Yi instinctively glanced at Xinuo, only to find Xinuo looking back at him. Suddenly, Su Yi felt a strange flashback, like he was back in middle school, when he’d been a shy boy who couldn’t meet a girl’s eyes without blushing. He didn’t know why, but locking eyes with Xinuo now made his whole body feel out of place. Flustered, he quickly looked away and tapped Eli’s forehead with his finger.

At that moment, Xinuo casually picked up the little child who kept sneaking glances at Su Yi. Then, without waiting for Su Yi to react, he stretched out one broad hand and scooped Su Yi up as if he were a child.

Sitting on Xinuo’s solid arm, Su Yi felt a surge of envy, jealousy, and resentment—followed immediately by a hot blush creeping over his face.

“Hold on to me,” Xinuo said.

Su Yi tilted his head skyward. What, just because you say so, I have to hold on?

But Xinuo patiently repeated, “Hold on, otherwise it’s not safe.” His low, deep voice carried no room for argument. Su Yi had wanted to be stubborn, but he felt Eli and the other child staring at him. Cough, cough. To maintain his dignity as a mature adult and not set a bad example for the children, he reluctantly looped his arms around Xinuo’s neck.

As soon as Su Yi’s arms touched him, Xinuo leaned his head slightly and brushed a kiss against Su Yi’s arm.

Su Yi froze, completely stunned. He didn’t know how to react. Since growing up, he had always been the active one in relationships, never before had anyone kissed him so tenderly, so ambiguously, on the arm.

Seeing Su Yi’s stiff expression, Xinuo thought he was displeased. A flicker of panic crossed his unusual eyes. He hadn’t meant to make Su Yi uncomfortable. It was just that when he lifted Su Yi into his arms and saw him looking shy, he couldn’t resist. But now, faced with Su Yi’s frozen face, Xinuo felt a wave of regret.

“I’m sorry,” Xinuo said softly.

Chapter 6

When Su Yi heard Xinuo’s apology, he couldn’t help sighing inwardly. Because he always kept Xinuo’s background in mind, he could never truly be harsh toward him. Now, sensing the momentary unease Xinuo was trying so hard to hide—something invisible to most, but not to the sharp eyes of someone who had been a police officer for so many years—Su Yi saw right through it.

Su Yi quickly said, “It’s fine, it’s fine. Let’s just hurry to the place you found to rest.”

Only then did Xinuo, carrying two children and a snake, head toward the hollow of a small tree he had found. Once they tidied it up a little, Su Yi was overcome with waves of drowsiness. Back in her old life, she had often pulled all-nighters for work without issue. Now, whether because of Mireille’s body or the strange influence of this world, she found herself falling asleep earlier and earlier.

The tree hollow was small, too cramped to build a fire, so Su Yi couldn’t examine the child’s injuries in the dark. She had no choice but to wait until morning. In the darkness, little Eli snuck into her arms. Feeling the small, cool weight against her chest, Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. Children were so simple. Even though Mireille had treated Eli poorly in the past, after a few days of effort the child no longer held a grudge. And in this hot season, hugging a cool little snake against her chest was surprisingly comfortable. With that thought, Su Yi drifted into sleep.

In her sleep, Su Yi had a strange dream. She found herself inside a wooden cabin. The furnishings were all rustic, resembling the houses of ordinary farming families from ancient times. There was a bedroom with a kang bed, neatly made with new bedding, as if someone had lived there not long ago. Another large room was filled with sacks of grain, resembling a storage room. There were also many farm tools, the kind Su Yi had seen as a child in her hometown—old-fashioned, weathered implements.

The cabin’s living room was spacious, furnished with a wooden table and a pair of wooden chairs. Su Yi was stunned by what hung on the wall: two finely crafted hand crossbows, a sleek, stylish bow, and several daggers of various lengths. On another wall hung a tiger skin. This had to be the home of a hunter; only hunters possessed so many weapons.

Su Yi took down one of the daggers and played with it in his hand. The weight and feel were so real that he grew momentarily distracted. When his finger brushed the blade, a sharp pain instantly snapped him back.

When Su Yi looked up again, he was back in the tree hollow. The sky was already beginning to lighten. Outside, Xinuo’s eyes locked on him the moment he reappeared. Su Yi felt his gaze and thought, What on earth just happened? Then he noticed something in his hand—and nearly panicked. He was holding that same dagger, and his finger, where he had cut himself in the dream, was still bleeding.

What’s more, little Eli, who had been sleeping in his arms, was now in Xinuo’s.

A rush of emotions swept through Su Yi. Could that dream have really happened? Judging from Xinuo’s serious expression, he must have noticed something was wrong too. In a world this primitive, would people see her as a monster for this?

“We need to talk,” Su Yi said after a moment’s hesitation, unable to keep silent.

Xinuo placed Eli back in the hollow, then led Su Yi outside.

They walked through the forest in silence until Su Yi spoke first.

“I don’t really know what happened. I thought I was dreaming, but it seems it wasn’t a dream.” He lifted the dagger in his hand. “I didn’t have this before, but now it’s here.”

“I thought you had abandoned us again,” Xinuo said, his voice low and heavy.

By now, it was early morning. Though the forest was still dim, shafts of sunlight pierced through the dense leaves, casting soft golden light across the woods. The temperature was at its most pleasant—not too hot, not too cold.

“You mean I disappeared?” Su Yi asked in disbelief, his eyes wide. When Xinuo nodded, an outrageous thought suddenly struck him. Before he could make sense of it, Xinuo added, “You vanished for a while. Just as I was about to take Eli to look for you, you suddenly reappeared.”

Su Yi’s face remained frozen in shock. Then, as if realizing something, he smacked his own forehead.

“Could it be—I’ve gained one of those legendary spaces?”

Xinuo didn’t understand what she meant. His gaze instead fell on Su Yi’s bleeding hand. Without a word, he grabbed Su Yi’s wrist, lifted it, and lowered his head to take the injured finger into his mouth.

His flurry of actions left Su Yi a little bewildered, but none of that mattered. What mattered was that he really did have a space. Such a powerful cheat-like ability—here, in this primitive world—it was the ultimate survival tool, useful both for travel and for daily living.

“Xinuo, Xinuo! We—we don’t ever have to starve during the snow season again. Listen, I’ve gained this amazing ability. Do you know what ‘space’ is? It’s a place where you can store so many, many things…”

Su Yi babbled excitedly to himself, while Xinuo silently continued tending to his wound with his mouth. Su Yi talked for ages, but Xinuo never responded, leaving him both frustrated and helpless. On a whim, Su Yi decided to test it. He pulled Xinuo close and silently thought: I want to enter the space. He expected the scene around him to change in an instant—but after a while, nothing happened.

Su Yi was confused. Had he gotten excited for nothing? Did the space not actually exist?

Xinuo, unaware of Su Yi’s inner turmoil, only saw Su Yi’s face cycle through red, green, purple, and finally pale white. He thought the pain from the wound was too much, and quickly comforted him: “It’s alright. Just wait a little longer—the pain will fade.”

Later, Su Yi thought: Maybe I can’t take people in with me. So he released Xinuo’s hand, tried again—and in that instant, his body vanished right before Xinuo’s eyes.

This time, Xinuo, having already seen such a thing once, didn’t panic. He calmly found a spot to sit and wait.

Meanwhile, inside the space, Su Yi was practically giddy. It was real! He really had a space. He felt like he’d reached the peak of life. He wandered through the wooden house twice more, inspecting everything, before remembering Xinuo waiting outside.

When he pushed open the door, he saw a small courtyard surrounded by a fence. Inside were several baskets and containers, along with some other items he couldn’t immediately identify. After some thought, Su Yi grabbed one of the baskets and left. He didn’t want to keep Xinuo waiting too long.

Chapter 7

The moment he emerged, Su Yi saw Xinuo waiting for him. Grinning like he’d found treasure, he proudly pointed at the basket on his back. “I really have a space! From now on, our life will be secure.”

Xinuo watched Su Yi suddenly reappear, now carrying a strange object, and asked curiously, “What’s this?”

Su Yi immediately plucked a few leaves nearby and demonstrated. “This is for holding things—just like a hide pouch. But the good thing about this is that food won’t get crushed inside. It’s really practical.”

Xinuo nodded thoughtfully. He still didn’t fully understand the “space” Su Yi had spoken of, but if it could store food, then it was indeed a good thing.

“But,” he said seriously, “you must be careful not to let others know. It could bring unnecessary trouble. Don’t even tell Eli. He’s too young—he might let it slip.”

Hearing this, Su Yi was a little surprised. He had been worrying about how to explain the need for secrecy, but it seemed Xinuo wasn’t a fool after all. A man with treasure invites trouble—Su Yi knew that well. In this world of survival of the fittest, if word got out, countless people would covet his secret. He wasn’t afraid of danger himself, but he didn’t want his carelessness to bring harm to Xinuo or little Eli.

After reaching this agreement, the two of them picked some fruit nearby to serve as food for the journey. Now that he had space, Su Yi boldly gathered far more than before. On the way back, he even spotted some mushrooms. Mushrooms were a treasure—they could be used to make mushroom soup. Seeing Su Yi so delighted while picking, Xinuo didn’t have the heart to interrupt and silently helped gather them too.

When they returned, both children were already awake. Little Eli was hanging upside down from a tree branch, playing. The moment he spotted Su Yi and Xinuo, he piped in his childish voice, “Mother-father, where did you go?”

Su Yi tiptoed up to catch Eli, then pulled a fruit from the basket on his back. Eli’s eyes lit up, and he immediately wriggled out of Su Yi’s arms, slithering quickly to coil around Xinuo’s arm instead.

Su Yi looked at him with amusement. “Being picky with food is bad, you know. Forget it—once we find salt, I’ll make you something really delicious.”

Just then, a rustling sound came from the tree above. Su Yi looked up and nearly cried out in fright.

It was the same child from yesterday. He was clinging to a tree branch, looking as though he was hesitating about whether or not to jump down.

Su Yi quickly jumped to his feet. “Don’t be afraid, I’ll catch you!”

The child twitched at the corner of his mouth, glanced at Su Yi’s thin arms and legs, and his eyes revealed open distrust.

Su Yi, still holding his arms wide open, watched nervously as the boy swayed unsteadily on the branch. Suddenly, Su Yi felt an arm slip around his waist. Just as he was about to say don’t mess around, he saw Xinuo extend one hand toward the child. The child glanced at Xinuo—and without the slightest hesitation, jumped straight down.

A wave of melancholy washed over Su Yi. He had been standing there with arms outstretched, tense for ages, and the kid hadn’t given him a second thought. But the moment Xinuo arrived, with just one extended hand, the child had leapt down without hesitation. This was blatant, unfiltered disdain. An insult to his person. He—Su Yi—who had once been a proud member of the special police force! No one had ever dared question his physical fitness. Who would have thought that after being reborn, he would suffer such humiliation?

While Su Yi’s heart was roiling with grief, Xinuo ruffled his soft hair and comforted him gently: “Alright, don’t be upset. I’ll go hunt for you.”

Once Xinuo left, Su Yi looked at the child, who was filthy from head to toe, and remembered the injury on his leg. Picking up a reluctant Eli and holding the grimy child in his other arm, he went to look for a water source nearby. He remembered that not far from here was a small stream—Xinuo had mentioned it when they descended. Knowing Su Yi loved cleanliness, Xinuo had deliberately chosen a resting place close to the stream.

When Su Yi helped the child wash, he finally learned that the boy was from the Winged Leopard Tribe, and his name was Dino.

The Winged Leopard Tribe’s settlement, it turned out, was not far from here. Upon hearing this, Su Yi couldn’t help but worry about Xinuo. If he ran into members of that tribe, they would surely treat him with hostility—after all, Xinuo was branded as an “inauspicious beastman.” But though the thought made Su Yi anxious, he couldn’t do anything about it right now. He could only focus on treating Dino’s injury.

Having gone through military training in his past life, Su Yi had at least learned how to handle ordinary wounds. Seeing Dino’s ankle, he sighed in relief. Fortunately, the bone hadn’t been damaged—just a deep gash that had never healed properly because it hadn’t been treated. Beastmen healed quickly from most injuries, as long as they weren’t fatal.

Because of the hot, humid weather, it wasn’t convenient to bind the wound tightly. Su Yi searched the area, found several large leaves, washed them clean, and used them to cover Dino’s wound. That way, it would be shielded from dirt. Just as he was about to carry Dino back, he heard the sound of messy footsteps approaching.

Su Yi’s eyes sharpened. From the sound alone, he could tell there were quite a few of them.

At some point, Eli had wriggled into the basket on his back. Now, he shot out quickly, climbing up to Su Yi’s shoulder. Dino too had grown alert, his eyes fixed in the direction of the noise.

If it were Xinuo returning, his footsteps would never be so chaotic. So who were these people? Su Yi reached back and drew the dagger from his waist, ready to fight at any moment.

“There’s no mistake. I clearly smell a female’s scent.”

The voice was rough and booming. A moment later, four towering men appeared before Su Yi, each over two meters tall, their waists wrapped in animal-skin skirts.

From a distance, they stared at him…

They all looked towering and intimidating. The moment they saw Su Yi, their eyes lit up. One of the younger beastmen pointed at Su Yi in astonishment and exclaimed, “Heavens, it’s really a female?”

The instant Dino saw them, he suddenly began struggling. Su Yi, unprepared, lost her grip, and Dino broke free. Limping on his injured foot, the boy positioned himself protectively in front of Su Yi, glaring at the newcomers with full wariness.

“Ed, that’s Dino,” the younger beastman said again.

The one called Ed was strikingly imposing, with deep emerald eyes that seemed bottomless. His appearance was nothing like Xinuo’s. Where Xinuo’s features were refined, every line of his face handsome and sharp, Ed’s were the complete opposite—rugged, wild, every inch of him exuding the raw beauty of a predator. His skin was dark, and the very first glance made Su Yi inexplicably think of an Arabian prince.

Chapter 8

Ed gave Dino a cursory glance before his gaze returned to Su Yi. This female was unusual. Normally, when a female encountered beastmen in the dangerous forest, she should run toward them with relief and joy. But this one? The moment she saw them, she didn’t show happiness at all—she had even drawn a strange weapon, looking at them with suspicion.

Ed’s lips curled into a smile. “Don’t be afraid. We’re beastmen of the Winged Leopard Tribe nearby. We just happened to pass through and saw you alone here. We were only worried it wasn’t safe for you.”

Su Yi looked them over. Seeing they truly bore no immediate malice, she slowly lowered her dagger.

“I’m not alone. My mate is out hunting nearby,” Su Yi explained quickly, not wanting to get entangled with them. Hopefully, this would make them leave.

At the mention of her having a mate, disappointment flickered across their faces. Still, hearing her words, they didn’t leave right away. Ed raised his brows in mild surprise. Such a beautiful female, and yet her mate was careless enough to leave her here alone? In a forest this dangerous, it was far too reckless.

“In that case, since your mate will return soon, we’ll wait here until he comes back, then leave,” Ed said firmly, making the decision without asking. His companions nodded in agreement.

To beastmen, females were precious beyond measure. Though they couldn’t understand why such a female was traveling with Dino, they naturally assumed she was kind-hearted—sympathetic enough to take in a pitiful child. What they didn’t know was that Su Yi’s kindness only extended to well-behaved, lovable children. Once they saw Su Yi’s true temper, they would likely regret thinking of her as “gentle.”

Right now, Su Yi looked weak and fragile, entirely due to Mireille’s appearance. When Su Yi had first joined the Anti-Vice Unit, even Dong Xiaoxiao had wondered if she’d picked up the wrong person. This Su Yi—how could she possibly be in the special police? She looked more like a gang leader.

Glancing at them again, Su Yi felt frustrated when she saw they still weren’t leaving. What worried her most was that if they ran into Xinuo later, it would surely stir up trouble.

She wanted to scoop Dino up, but the little beastman stubbornly refused. Helpless, Su Yi had to settle for holding his small hand and slowly walking in one direction.

There were five of them in total. Ed sent the others off to hunt nearby, apparently intending to deal with lunch here. In the end, only Ed continued following Su Yi.

Ed’s gaze fell on Su Yi’s shabby animal-skin clothes. Though Su Yi hadn’t introduced her mate, Ed was certain her partner wasn’t much of a beastman. No decent mate would leave a female alone in the forest. And those clothes—not only worn and ragged, but not even made of high-quality hides. To Ed, this female’s life clearly wasn’t good.

On the Beastman Continent, once a female had paired, if her life wasn’t satisfactory—if her mate couldn’t provide her a good life—she was free to choose another. With this in mind, Ed stubbornly trailed behind Su Yi. He had rarely seen a female this beautiful. Such a one should be with the strongest beastman, not suffering through hardship like this.

Before long, Su Yi’s attention was caught by a familiar-looking plant.

“You two play here. I’m going to pick something,” Su Yi told the two children, then walked eagerly forward.

What lay ahead was a patch of fiery-red chili peppers. A joy that was beyond words swelled inside Su Yi. Though the peppers were absurdly large and their red so deep it verged on purple, the shape was unmistakable. They were chilies. Bowing her head, she began plucking them nonstop into her basket.

Ed saw how happy Su Yi looked and couldn’t understand what was so good about those things.

“That stuff doesn’t taste good—it’s choking,” Ed couldn’t help but say.

Su Yi nodded. Choking is exactly right. That meant these beastmen had eaten them before, which proved the chilies weren’t poisonous.

“They’re useful to me,” Su Yi said, unwilling to explain further. At that moment, he wished desperately that no one else were around, so he could harvest the entire patch for himself.

Ed glanced at Su Yi’s basket and found it interesting, so he stepped closer for a better look. The small basket was clearly suited for females—it was double-strapped, which made carrying easier and freed the hands, and it was very convenient for storing and retrieving things. Ed couldn’t resist asking, “Did you make this yourself?”

Su Yi was just about to shake his head when little Eli’s soft, milky voice suddenly piped up: “Mother-father, I found lots of fruit.”

Eli knew Su Yi loved fruit, so while wandering around, he had discovered many growing ahead.

At this, Su Yi immediately stopped what he was doing, ignoring Ed’s question entirely. He walked over to Eli. When he saw Eli coiled around a big yellow fruit, Su Yi burst out laughing.

Eli blinked, confused. “What is it, mother-father?”

Su Yi bent down, kissed his little head, and said, “My darling, you really are my lucky star. This is something wonderful!”

That “something wonderful” was none other than the potato—a vegetable beloved in Su Yi’s original world. Just imagining potato stew with meat made him giddy with delight. But because an outsider was present, he restrained his excitement. One couldn’t be too careful. Their current life was already precarious. If the beastmen learned that potatoes were precious, long-lasting food, they might be tempted to seize them. Su Yi was always cautious, and his position was complicated enough already. If they found out his mate was an inauspicious beastman, would they still treat him kindly?

“My mate will be back soon. He’s very jealous. I don’t want him to see you here,” Su Yi said while checking the potatoes buried underground.

Ed’s eyes flickered, and he chuckled. “I haven’t met your mate, but from what you’ve said, he doesn’t sound easy to get along with. I don’t understand—why would a beautiful female like you pair with a beastman like that?”

Su Yi frowned and retorted, “What do you mean, ‘a beastman like that’?”

Ed hadn’t expected Su Yi to suddenly get angry. He quickly explained, “I mean, your animal-skin clothes are shabby, you look weak, and your mate even left you alone in the forest.”

Chapter 9

Hearing Ed’s words, Su Yi’s face showed clear displeasure. He couldn’t help but feel this fellow was meddling far too much.

“Busybody.”

“The real reason my life is hard isn’t because of my mate, but because of you superstitious beastmen!”

If it hadn’t been for them—driven by blind belief, expelling Xinuo from the tribe just because of a minor difference—he would never have been forced to wander with Su Yi. With Xinuo’s ability, he was in no way inferior to any other beastman. The weakness of Su Yi’s body and the shabbiness of their clothes were not because Xinuo was incompetent, but because of circumstances beyond their control. They were barely surviving—who cared about appearances? Besides, Su Yi had once been a man, and never thought clothes were important so long as they covered the body.

Ed frowned slightly, not understanding a word of Su Yi’s rebuke.

“What do you mean? What’s ‘superstitious’?”

Su Yi couldn’t be bothered to explain. It wasn’t something that could be explained anyway. On this continent, the worship of the Beast God had gone on too long, and the stigma of “inauspicious beastmen” was carved too deeply into everyone’s hearts. A few words from him weren’t going to change anything. Since nothing could be changed, why waste his breath?

Just then, as Ed was about to press him further, his instincts as a beastman suddenly screamed danger. In an instant, Ed shifted into beast form. This was the first time Su Yi had ever seen another beastman transform, and a surge of envy, jealousy, and longing filled him. For just a moment, he desperately wished he could transform too—so that he could protect Xinuo instead of always relying on him.

A massive serpent suddenly burst through the surrounding trees and brush, carrying an unstoppable momentum as it appeared before Su Yi. Before Su Yi could say a word, Xinuo had already lunged forward in fury, attacking the leopard.

Ed’s beast form was also powerful—majestic and strong—and he clashed with Xinuo in a fierce battle. Fighting was the beastmen’s instinct, their very means of survival on this continent.

The moment Su Yi saw the two of them locked in combat, he scooped up little Eli and darted aside.

“Dino, get out of the way!” Su Yi shouted to the other child. Dino hadn’t been afraid, but hearing the concern in Su Yi’s voice, he obediently moved to the side.

The noise of the battle was so loud it quickly attracted other members of the Winged Leopard Tribe. Seeing them arrive, Su Yi’s heart clenched. He worried they would join together against Xinuo. No matter how strong Xinuo was, two fists couldn’t beat many hands.

He immediately rushed out and shouted, “Stop! You’ve misunderstood!!!”

The instant Xinuo heard Su Yi’s voice, he instinctively halted. Su Yi, afraid Ed might still harm Xinuo, dashed forward with agility, drawing his dagger and brandishing it at Ed, who was poised to strike.

But when Ed saw the female rushing toward him, her fragrance filled his senses—a pleasant, intoxicating scent that instantly cleared the bloodlust from his head. He froze, then slowly shifted back into human form, frowning at Su Yi.

“You little female, do you have any idea how dangerous it is to rush into a beastman’s fight?”

Xinuo also transformed back, immediately pulling Su Yi into his arms, his expression guarded as he glared at Ed.

Only then did Ed notice Xinuo’s mismatched eyes. In a flash, his expression turned from anger to a mix of fury and amusement.

“An inauspicious beastman—how can he possibly have a female?”

His words left the other beastmen stunned.

They all turned scornful eyes on Xinuo. Seeing him holding a female close, their faces filled with irritation. Many of them had no females at all—so why should this inauspicious one have one, and such a beautiful one at that?

“That guy’s an inauspicious beastman. Clearly, the female must be one he plundered from some tribe,” said the youngest beastman again.

At that, little Eli immediately shouted back, “My beast-father is not! My beast-father is the best!”

The beastman opened his mouth, ready to sneer at Eli, but Ed quickly stopped him.

Ed could see clearly that this female defended the so-called inauspicious beastman fiercely. If they said the wrong thing now, they’d only end up angering her.

“Taige, you talk too much.”

So the younger beastman’s name was Taige.

Taige’s words made Xinuo’s body stiffen. He hadn’t plundered Mireille, true—but their pairing had indeed been the result of a trade. Hearing Taige’s accusation brought those unpleasant memories back to the surface, and guilt flickered in Xinuo’s eyes as he glanced at Su Yi.

Su Yi’s sharp instincts caught it immediately. He understood that Taige’s words had reminded Xinuo of something painful. With his eyes turning cold, Su Yi looked at Taige, his tone dripping with mockery.

“How do you know I was plundered? Did you see it with your own eyes? Do you have proof? With nothing clear, you sit here wagging your tongue—what makes you any different from a gossiping woman?”

The beastmen didn’t know what “woman” meant, but seeing the contempt on Su Yi’s face, they understood it wasn’t anything good. Taige opened his mouth but couldn’t bring himself to quarrel with a female. Even if this female already had a mate, he couldn’t just throw around words that might offend her.

Little Eli, innocent and curious, couldn’t help but ask, “Mother-father, what’s a woman?”

Hearing such words come from a child’s mouth, Su Yi nearly choked. Seeing Eli’s earnest, inquisitive look, he had no choice but to bluff: “Woman means the same as female.” He wasn’t even sure if that explanation was right.

As soon as Eli heard that Su Yi had called the beastman a female, he burst into giggles.

Taige was still too young. Instead of replying to Su Yi, he glared fiercely at Eli and snapped, “Little brat, who are you laughing at?”

Eli immediately darted to Su Yi’s side. Su Yi grew even more displeased, but since it wasn’t the right moment to openly turn hostile, he only frowned and said, “He’s my child. If you’ve got a problem, take it up with me.”

Ed glared at Taige, who still wanted to argue, then said, “Now I finally understand why you’re wandering in this dangerous forest. I think a female would be safer in a tribe. Females are naturally weaker, and the rainy season isn’t far away. If you’re drifting around then, you’ll fall ill.”

Su Yi gave Ed a look. This one was clever—he only said half of what he meant. Su Yi could guess his intentions well enough, but he hated people speaking with hidden probes. Even knowing Ed had no true malice, Su Yi couldn’t help feeling deeply uncomfortable.

Chapter 10

“What do you mean by that? Are you saying your tribe is willing to take us in—or are you just looking to take me alone?” Su Yi’s words were blunt, even aggressive.

Taige, clearly a hotheaded youth, completely missed the icy look in Su Yi’s eyes. Instead, he blurted out cheerfully, “Yes, yes, our Winged Leopard Tribe is very hospitable! If you come to our tribe, we’ll definitely treat you as one of our own family.”

Xinuo visibly froze, and his arm tightened around Su Yi.

Little Eli instantly burst into tears. “Mother-father, do you not want Eli and beast-father anymore?”

Su Yi quickly soothed him. “No, no. No matter where we go, our family will never be separated.”

He spoke the words for everyone present to hear—comforting Eli and Xinuo, while also making it perfectly clear to Ed and the others that he was refusing their offer.

Taige, hearing this, looked utterly shocked. He pointed at Xinuo and asked incredulously, “You’d rather follow an inauspicious beastman and wander everywhere, than live a stable life in a tribe?”

“Taige, that’s enough.”

Ed gave Taige a warning look.

“No tribe would ever accept an inauspicious beastman. But if you want to live near the Winged Leopard Tribe, I can guarantee you won’t be driven away.”

Su Yi frowned, his voice cold: “Not driven away? That doesn’t mean your people won’t insult my family. I won’t have my child growing up in an environment filled with malice. Still, thank you for the offer. Now, may we leave?”

Fine words aside, depending on others for survival would always mean living beneath them. Su Yi was not someone who accepted being beneath anyone. Besides, Xinuo was more than capable of protecting them. They had survived three years without relying on anyone, and there was no reason to start now. If they settled near the Winged Leopard Tribe, they’d inevitably encounter its members, and Su Yi couldn’t be sure they wouldn’t harass them constantly. Judging by how they had treated Dino—someone from their own tribe—how could he expect them to treat Eli or Xinuo kindly?

Ed was briefly stunned, clearly surprised by Su Yi’s blunt refusal.

But as a beastman of upright character, he couldn’t force Su Yi to stay.

“Very well. Since you don’t wish to, we won’t press you.”

The moment Ed relented, Taige burst out angrily: “Ed, how can you let an inauspicious beastman walk away with a female? We must keep him here!”

Xinuo’s brow furrowed instantly.

He wasn’t a beastman skilled in words, which was why he had stayed silent until now. But upon hearing Taige’s words, he couldn’t hold back: “He is my mate.”

Taige sneered. “Your mate? Which priest witnessed your pairing? A beastman with no tribe, unable to provide a female with happiness—you dare to selfishly claim a female as your own? How shameless.”

Su Yi’s anger spiked. These natives were simply unreasonable. If he had been forced, would he not have begged for help upon seeing other beastmen? Would he stand here defending Xinuo? Right then, he longed desperately for his body to heal quickly, so he could give these stubborn, brainless fools the thrashing they deserved.

“If you’re so unwilling, then let’s duel,” Xinuo said, his voice cold.

Su Yi whipped his head around to glare at him. Idiot. But Xinuo only gazed back at him with indulgent tenderness.

At the mention of a duel, Taige immediately roared, “Fine! If you lose, you’ll release the female and let him come with us.”

The Winged Leopard beastmen all chimed in, “Yes, let us see if you’re truly capable of protecting a female.”

Su Yi glanced at Ed. Among the group, Ed was clearly the leader. Taige was young, hot-blooded, eager for battle, but Ed hadn’t stopped him—showing what he was really thinking. No matter how it played out, they had no intention of letting Su Yi and Xinuo go easily.

Even if Xinuo won, they could always invent reasons to keep challenging him, dragging him into endless battles. It was a wheel tactic, and Su Yi knew it well.

Fighting was a beastman’s instinct, so Xinuo didn’t hesitate to step forward.

Su Yi followed immediately, his voice sharp with warning. “You want a duel, right? You claim you’re worried that a weak female like me is wandering with an inauspicious beastman? Then let me prove that I have the ability to protect myself and to choose my own mate.”

Taige demanded, “And how will you prove it?”

Xinuo shot Su Yi a disapproving look. Su Yi quickly rose on tiptoe, hooked his arms around Xinuo’s neck, and whispered against his ear: “I know you’re brave and strong, but can’t you see? They’re challenging you because of me. Their goal is to wear you down and then snatch me away once you’re spent. Do you want me taken from you?”

In an instant, Xinuo’s eyes went cold, a glint of killing intent flashing through his mismatched gaze.

Su Yi brushed a quick kiss across Xinuo’s lips—just a fleeting touch—yet it was enough to leave Xinuo stunned where he stood.

Would you like me to continue the duel scene, with Su Yi stepping forward to face them in her own way?

Seizing the moment, Su Yi stepped up to Taige, drew his weapon, and pointed it at him.

“I challenge you. If you lose, you let us go. If I lose, I’ll go with you.”

The moment those words fell, everyone’s faces filled with shock.

Little Eli burst into tears, crying out: “No, mother-father! Mother-father, don’t go with them!”

Su Yi cast a glance at Dino nearby. “Dino, take care of your younger brother. Don’t let him come near.”

Receiving the command, Dino immediately limped over to Eli’s side.

Ed’s gaze grew colder as he studied Su Yi. From the very first moment, he’d thought this female was unusual. The look in her eyes wasn’t one a normal female would carry—it was sharp, vigilant, and laced with a predator’s ferocity, like someone hardened by countless battles.

Taige stammered for a long time. “Th-this… how can this be? You—you’re a female. How can I duel with you? This is nonsense.”

Xinuo, still stunned from that sudden kiss, finally started to step forward, only for Su Yi to stop him with a single look.

“Trust me,” Su Yi said, meeting his eyes.

Xinuo stared back at him, and at last, as if making a huge decision, he gave a slow nod. In his heart, he resolved that if Su Yi suffered even the slightest harm, he would immediately throw himself in—he had the confidence to put every last one of these beastmen on the ground.

Su Yi himself had no certainty. This body hadn’t been properly nursed back to health, let alone trained. But he had no other choice. He would have to rely on his well-honed combat skills to deal with Taige, this simple-minded native.

Su Yi crooked a finger at Taige. “Come on!!”

Author’s Note:

Violent Su Yi coming online in the next chapter!

Chapter 11

Taige looked helplessly at his clansmen. None of them had ever faced a situation like this—what were they supposed to do when a female wanted to fight a beastman?

Seeing Ed remain silent, Taige had no choice but to grit his teeth and step forward. Win or lose, it was bound to bring shame. But catching the look in Ed’s eyes—Ed clearly liked this female—Taige thought to himself that he had to fight for his brother’s sake. Yet, another thought gnawed at him: as long as Ed stayed single, the tribe’s females would keep pining for him, leaving Taige and the others forever in his shadow.

A duel between a beastman and a female was unheard of. Females were simply too weak; facing a beastman in combat was nothing short of asking for death.

Ed told him, “You can’t transform into beast form. That would be far too unfair.”

Taige snapped irritably, “Of course I know that. Even staying in human form, it’s still bullying.”

Su Yi set down his basket and tossed aside his dagger, then walked slowly to stand before Taige.

Though Taige couldn’t make sense of it, he found it unnerving. This female looked so thin and frail, yet his eyes were steady, terrifyingly resolute. Standing before a beastman whose strength should have dwarfed his own, he didn’t show the slightest hint of fear.

Taige thought dueling a female was humiliating. Determined to end it quickly, he said, “You go first.”

Su Yi’s lips curled into a grin. His figure blurred, and in an instant he was at Taige’s side.

He didn’t hold back in the slightest—he knew full well how weak this body was. Endurance fights weren’t an option. His only chance was to strike by surprise, end it in a single swift blow.

Taige was startled, completely caught off guard. He had no idea how this female had moved so fast—suddenly appearing right before him—

Su Yi had loved fighting since he was a child—he was a bona fide brawler. Later, when he grew older, his old man worried he’d get hurt and sent him to learn sanda (Chinese kickboxing). After that, he even studied tai chi. When it came to fights, Su Yi had never feared anyone.

The moment he closed in, Su Yi’s fist shot straight at Taige’s solar plexus. He knew he didn’t have raw strength to rely on—he could only aim strike after strike at weak points. Taige swung his big hand out, trying to grab the female. But Su Yi, having missed his punch, instantly shrank his frame and used his small, agile body to slip past Taige’s grasp.

Taige had never seen fighting like this before. Su Yi was right in front of him, yet all Taige could do was flail about, struggling to defend against the strange barrage. He had no chance to actually grab him.

Su Yi suddenly pivoted, slipping around to Taige’s back, and slammed a tight fist into his waist. Taige felt a jolt of pain shoot up his side and instinctively raised his knee to kick at Su Yi.

From the sidelines, Xinuo’s entire body went taut, terrified that Taige, careless in his strength, might actually hurt Su Yi.

But Su Yi’s eyes seemed to see in every direction. At the very instant Taige lifted his leg, Su Yi used the momentum, stepped on the raised thigh, and launched himself several meters high.

Taige saw Su Yi leap up and actually laughed. Now let’s see where you run!

But Su Yi’s hands clasped together, fists tight, and with the full weight of his falling body, he smashed down onto Taige’s head.

At first, Taige hadn’t taken the attacks seriously. The earlier blows hurt, yes, but to a beastman who hunted daily in the wild, such pain was nothing. He only thought of catching Su Yi and forcing him to surrender. He hadn’t expected that this little female’s fists could deal any real damage.

But anyone who understood even a bit of free fall and gravity could tell—this strike carried several times the normal force. And Su Yi had deliberately doubled it with both fists clenched together.

Su Yi had chosen Taige exactly for this reason. Young, inexperienced compared to the others, and dismissive of females. He would inevitably pull his punches. Su Yi was exploiting every bit of that psychological weakness.

Was it a little despicable? Maybe. But Su Yi couldn’t care less.

The blow sent Taige’s vision spinning into darkness. If not for being a beastman, he might have been knocked cold. He instinctively grabbed Su Yi’s arm, wanting to hold on and force him to yield. But the feel of that soft arm in his palm gave his heart a strange flutter.

When his sight cleared, all he saw was Su Yi’s face up close—bright, fierce, and grinning wickedly. The dazzling smile made Taige dizzy all over again.

Inside, Su Yi’s little inner devil cackled. He bent his elbow and drove it into the crook of Taige’s arm. Taige’s arm went numb, his grip loosening.

In an instant, Su Yi clambered up onto the thick limb, twisted in a clean half-turn, swung himself to Taige’s back, and rammed his bent knee into the back of his neck.

The nape was a fragile spot—one good strike could knock an ordinary man out cold. But Taige wasn’t ordinary, and Su Yi’s strength alone wasn’t enough. That was why he’d strung together this whole series of underhanded maneuvers.

Even so, it worked. Taige crashed to the ground like a felled tree, with Su Yi straddling him, grinning broadly in triumph.

“Haha! You lost.”

Taige tried to rise, but his head spun. Furious, he glared at Su Yi.

“You cheated! That doesn’t count.”

Su Yi snarled, yanking Taige’s hair in a savage grip, voice dripping with threat.

“What did you say? I already won!”

The surrounding beastmen glanced at each other, dumbfounded. They realized they had been fooled by Su Yi’s pretty looks. This female wasn’t just violent and ruthless—she was downright cunning.

One by one, they turned sympathetic gazes on Xinuo. Poor fellow. To finally have a female, only for her to turn out this ferocious.

Xinuo, however, wasn’t nearly as shocked as the Winged Leopard Tribe. From the moment the female had awakened, he had known something was different. First, he grew kinder and kinder to their little family, then suddenly he had a strange “space,” and now he even dared to challenge a beastman. One astonishing change after another—Xinuo had already begun to grow used to it.

To him, this female was a miracle, a gift from the Beast God who had pitied him. No matter how shocking Su Yi’s actions were, Xinuo only ever felt surprise and joy, never doubt.

Ed shot a cold glare at the still-struggling Taige and said darkly, “Fine. You win. We’re leaving.”

He turned and strode off, the other beastmen following close behind. Only then did Su Yi release Taige.

Taige glared furiously at him, nearly choking with rage. This female was far too devious, with not a shred of gentle femininity. Every strike had been ruthless and precise—if not for the limits of Su Yi’s physical strength, Taige truly believed this female would have had the heart to kill him.

Chapter 12

By the time Taige staggered back to his feet, Su Yi was already sitting on the ground. Truthfully, that last strike had drained him completely. Now, his whole body felt limp, without a shred of strength.

Taige gave him one final glare, snorted coldly, and stormed off, though his steps were heavy with unwillingness.

The moment he left, Xinuo rushed forward and scooped Su Yi into his arms.

Su Yi let his whole weight sink into him.

Little Eli was too shocked to speak. So much had happened in that single short moment. Never in his life had he imagined that his mother-father could be so powerful—that even a beastman wasn’t his match.

Even the usually silent and wooden Dino now looked at Su Yi with wide eyes full of admiration.

Su Yi suddenly felt that life was complete. Hah, perfect.

Xinuo lowered his head slightly, his snow-white hair falling across his face. Su Yi shivered under that gaze, tingling all over. For some reason, he thought Xinuo’s eyes were beautiful. Especially now, brimming with tenderness that seemed soft enough to melt into water.

Xinuo’s lashes were pale too, thick and curled, like a light-colored butterfly resting upon his eyes. Against the clear, luminous pupils, those lashes cast delicate shadows, like the ripples of a leaf falling into a still lake.

Su Yi was, by nature, a straightforward, blunt man. He thought what he thought, said what he said. And now, staring at Xinuo’s handsome face, he suddenly reached up, grabbed Xinuo’s arm, and pressed his lips to his thin ones.

He remembered the softness of those lips before the duel, and now, almost against his will, he wanted another taste.

The instant their lips touched, Xinuo’s beautiful face flushed red. He had grown up almost entirely alone, with little to no contact with others, much less with a female. Mireille had been the only female he’d ever been close to. Yet even then, there had never been kissing—Mireille had refused. When they coupled, Mireille would bury his face in the furs, wearing the look of someone suffering the gravest humiliation.

So for Xinuo, when it came to intimacy with a female, he was as clueless as a child.

When Su Yi leaned in of his own accord, Xinuo could only sit there, dazed, not knowing how to react.

Su Yi, seeing his silly, frozen response, couldn’t help but laugh inside. Why did it feel like he was the bad uncle, leading some innocent youth astray?

He shot a glare at their two little “spectators,” Eli and Dino, who finally realized and scrambled off into the distance.

As he ran, Eli muttered under his breath:

“Mother-father wants to have a little brother with beast-father, doesn’t he? Should I—”

Eli muttered as he ran:

“Should I try to stop them? If there’s a new little brother, will mother-father stop loving me…?”

Once the children were gone, Su Yi licked his lips, looped his arms around Xinuo’s neck, and said boldly:

“Let’s continue. Your lips taste pretty good to kiss.”

A wave of helplessness washed over Xinuo. What was he supposed to do with such a forceful mate? While he was still dazed by Su Yi’s words, Su Yi had already shoved him down flat.

Su Yi stroked his handsome face, and suddenly it felt almost like he was taking advantage. Grinning, he pressed another kiss to Xinuo’s thin lips—this time daring enough to slip out the tip of his tongue.

Xinuo’s gaze instantly deepened, the vertical slit of his beast pupil narrowing to a thin line. When Su Yi’s tongue slid into his mouth in tentative exploration, Xinuo suddenly flipped them, pinning Su Yi beneath him.

The world went dark before Su Yi’s eyes, his whole body swallowed up by a suffocating pressure. Being flipped and crushed under someone so much stronger wasn’t quite the thrill he’d imagined.

Before he could struggle, Xinuo caught his chin and surged forward. In an instant, the passive one became the aggressor. For someone who didn’t even know how to kiss, Xinuo’s instincts as a beast were overwhelming.

Su Yi winced, brows furrowed, wanting to push him away—only to find his limbs weak. With a wry smile inside, he admitted he’d brought this upon himself. He’d stirred Xinuo’s fire, so now he could only endure while Xinuo kissed him as much as he pleased.

At first clumsy, Xinuo slowly began to find a rhythm, guided by instinct. So this is what kissing feels like, he thought, utterly captivated—especially at the sight of Su Yi’s lips parting, wet and red, gasping for breath.

Xinuo’s mismatched eyes darkened, the beast pupil in his right eye shifting from a slit to an oval, the pale left iris deepening in shade. Desire flared. He wanted nothing more than to devour Su Yi whole.

Sensing Xinuo’s breath grow harsher, Su Yi quickly stopped him.

“All right, enough—enough messing around.”

He pushed at Xinuo’s head, and when he caught sight of those changing eyes, he sucked in a sharp breath. Though stunned, it lasted only a second. Su Yi knew well how sensitive Xinuo was about his eyes. He masked his shock at once, scolding in irritation:

“Today’s benefit ends here. Don’t get greedy.”

Xinuo didn’t grow angry. His handsome face dipped again, brushing one last soft kiss against Su Yi’s swollen lips before lifting him into his arms.

“I found some new food,” Su Yi said, patting his shoulder. “Put me down and dig it all up for me.”

Resigned, Xinuo set him down.

Su Yi immediately plopped into a comfortable spot, ordering him about like a general. “Careful—don’t break the potatoes.”

Xinuo had never done such delicate work before. Even under Su Yi’s guidance, he still broke some by mistake. Finally, seeing no other choice, Su Yi dragged himself over to help.

After much effort, they dug up the patch of potatoes. Su Yi had Xinuo scout the area to make sure no one was nearby before stashing them all into his space.

Then they returned to the spot where Su Yi had found the chili peppers, picking basketfuls.

While Xinuo went to the creek to process the day’s hunt, Su Yi slipped into his space. His first two visits had been too rushed; now, he could finally look around properly. After tidying away the wild strawberries and potatoes, he explored more.

By the time his arms and legs were sore from moving things into the storage room, he discovered something new: behind the wooden house was another yard. The front yard had many farm tools, but the back yard lay hidden behind a plain wooden door.

Pushing it open, Su Yi found another little courtyard. In it stood a thatched pavilion filled with old-fashioned cooking utensils.

Su Yi couldn’t help but chuckle. The owner of this place sure was an interesting fellow.

Chapter 13

The kitchen had been built inside the pavilion, giving it the feel of an outdoor kitchen. Su Yi spotted the lone cooking pot and broke into laughter. Exactly what I needed, right when I needed it. Heaven really is spoiling me.

But what he wanted most right now was salt.

The hunter’s home seemed a bit poor. The open-air kitchen didn’t have many tools or fancy ingredients, but it did have what Su Yi had been wishing for—salt.

He scooped up a small bundle of it, then glanced at the kitchen knife resting nearby. Thinking of his dagger, he decided to leave it. As for bowls and chopsticks? The thought didn’t even cross his mind.

When Su Yi came out, he was holding a large black pot and a little bag of salt. By then, Xinuo had finished processing the day’s prey.

When little Eli and Dino came back, Su Yi was in the middle of learning from Xinuo how to use flint to start a fire.

He looked at Eli and smiled.

“Come, I’ll make something tasty for you soon.”

That big black iron pot Su Yi had found was now balanced over the campfire. Once the flames caught, Su Yi carried his basket over to wash potatoes and chilies by the stream.

Eli couldn’t really help, so he clung to Xinuo and whispered,

“Beast-father, were you two just now… making a little brother?”

Xinuo’s pale lashes lowered as he watched the fire. At Eli’s words, a faint smile flickered in his beautiful eyes.

“Eli, do you want a little brother?”

Eli shook his head quickly, his soft childish voice wobbling.

“I don’t know. I want one, but I don’t want one. I’m afraid if there’s a little brother, mother-father won’t love me anymore.”

Xinuo chuckled, pulling the little one into his arms. He tapped Eli’s forehead lightly.

“No matter if there’s a little brother in the future or not, Eli, beast-father promises you—neither I nor your mother-father will ever stop loving you.”

Meanwhile, by the creek, Dino was crouched down helping Su Yi wash the potatoes.

Su Yi glanced at the huge tuber Dino was cradling in both hands and thought, The soil in this world really is fertile. These potatoes are pumped up like they’re on growth hormones—almost as big as watermelons.

And the moment he thought of watermelons, his craving struck. Ah, how good would watermelon be right now? I wonder if the watermelons in this world are gigantic too? If they’re oversized, I could literally lie inside one while eating it…

The thought made him chuckle to himself.

Dino turned and gave him a puzzled look. In Dino’s heart, this female wasn’t just terrifyingly strong—his temperament was strange too, breaking into silly grins out of nowhere.

By the time Su Yi returned with his basket, Xinuo had already followed his instructions, putting the scraped bones into the pot to boil. Su Yi dropped his haul beside him and sprinkled in some salt. They rarely ate salt, so he dared not add much, worried the sudden brininess might overwhelm them.

Soon, the pot was releasing a mouthwatering aroma. The difference was clear—salt deepened the flavor in a way plain broth never could.

Eli clung to Xinuo, craning his neck toward the pot, his greedy expression so comical that Su Yi couldn’t stop laughing at him.

On a clean stone slab, Su Yi began peeling potatoes. Perhaps the variety was different here, because the skins came off easily—just a few rubs with his hands and the peel slid away. Dino caught on immediately and, like a little gentleman, started helping at his side.

As the fragrance grew stronger, Eli couldn’t hold back.

“Mother-father, isn’t it ready yet? I’m so hungry!”

Su Yi was in the middle of cutting the meat. Hearing that, he put down the knife for the moment.

He grabbed two straight twigs, quickly whittled them with his dagger into a pair of simple chopsticks, and then dipped them into the pot to stir—

After stirring the pot for a while, Su Yi suddenly realized—they still didn’t have bowls. Quickly, he pulled Xinuo over to help make two wooden bowls and a spoon.

The bowls Xinuo carved, modeled roughly on the size of the iron pot, were large and crude, but they could hold soup, and that was enough. The spoon was Su Yi’s handiwork—he hacked and whittled with his dagger until it resembled a ladle. It was awkward-looking and uneven, but given the urgency, Su Yi couldn’t be bothered with appearances.

He first filled bowls for little Eli and Dino, each with two bones inside.

Eli instantly lit up with excitement and began eating eagerly. Su Yi watched nervously.

“Slow down—it’s hot.”

Dino took his bowl, gulped hard, and then drank hungrily, his whole face full of longing.

Eli sipped the first mouthful of broth and couldn’t help exclaiming,

“Mother-father, this tastes so good!”

Su Yi thought privately: Of course it does. You’re used to eating raw meat and drinking blood, with that stench of iron. Hardly appetizing. Even when you roast meat, there’s no care in seasoning. On this continent, hardly anyone cares about taste—just filling the belly is enough.

Scooping from the pot, Su Yi drank a few sips himself. After so many days without the taste of salt, even this mild flavor was deeply satisfying. Then he handed the spoon to Xinuo.

“Finish the rest.”

Eli looked up in protest, cheeks puffed.

“I’m not full yet! You can’t give it all to beast-father.”

Su Yi chuckled.

“There’ll be something even tastier in a moment.”

At that, Eli reluctantly let it go.

Su Yi quickly set to slicing meat, deliberately choosing cuts streaked with fat and lean, knowing they’d be delicious. Once Xinuo had drained the broth, Su Yi wrapped the bones in clean leaves and set them aside.

He fed the fire and tossed in chunks of fat to render oil.

As soon as the meat hit the hot pot, it let out a loud sizzle, releasing a rich aroma that filled the air. The children immediately perked up, noses twitching.

Su Yi inhaled deeply, savoring it. If only I had onions, ginger, and garlic—this would be perfect.

When the fat had crisped and the oil had rendered out, Su Yi scooped out the cracklings and placed them on a clean leaf. Then he tossed the chopped chilies into the pot to stir-fry. Turning back to grab the meat, he caught sight of his greedy son wagging his tail while sneaking bites of the cracklings.

Xinuo felt a wave of embarrassment. He, too, thought the smell was mouthwatering, but for the sake of dignity in front of his mate, he’d been holding himself back. Who would’ve thought that Eli would abandon all beastman pride the moment food was on the line?

Dino, though barely three years old, was quieter by nature. He only stole a few extra glances at the cracklings, but unlike Eli, he didn’t disgrace himself.

“Don’t eat too much. There’ll be something better soon,” Su Yi said at last, unable to scold Eli harshly.

Eli nodded, tail still wagging as he kept munching, clearly taking Su Yi’s words with little seriousness.

Chapter 14

At last, the meat went into the pot.

Su Yi hadn’t used much chili—he worried these beastmen, unaccustomed to spicy food, wouldn’t be able to handle it. Just a little for flavor.

But once the meat hit the sizzling oil and mingled with the faint heat of the peppers, an aroma even richer than before filled the air.

Eli, who had been bent over, gobbling cracklings, finally couldn’t resist lifting his head.

Su Yi pretended not to notice Eli’s antics and kept working. Once the potatoes were tossed in, he added just a pinch of salt, poured in a little water, and covered the pot with layers of broad leaves to let it stew.

Even with so many leaves sealing the lid, the fragrance grew thicker and thicker. Before long, little Eli couldn’t resist anymore—he scampered over, rubbing against Su Yi’s leg and wheedling.

“Mother-father, mother-father, what are you cooking? It smells sooo good!”

Finally free to sit down, Su Yi grinned and teased,

“Smells delicious, doesn’t it? But you’ve eaten quite a lot already. I think you’re full. Maybe you should skip this pot, hmm?”

Eli’s ears shot up.

“No, no, I’m not full! Beast-father said I’m still growing—I can eat a lot, really a lot!”

Su Yi sighed, rubbing the boy’s little belly that was already round and taut.

“I warned you not to eat too much earlier, but you wouldn’t listen. If you overstuff yourself now, what will you do when your stomach aches later?”

Even while lecturing, Su Yi kept his eyes on the pot. Strictly speaking, it needed to stew longer. But seeing Eli rolling on the ground in mock agony and Dino swallowing hard with longing, Su Yi’s heart softened. In the end, he decided to open it early.

The moment Su Yi lifted the pot off the fire with a scrap of beast hide, Eli’s head was already craning over, desperate to peek inside. Su Yi quickly swept him into his arms to keep him from being scalded, then ladled a small portion into the boy’s wooden bowl.

By the time Su Yi served Dino, Eli had already stuffed a steaming mouthful of meat into his cheeks. Su Yi winced. Beastmen really are thick-skinned—literally. How does a little cub manage to swallow something that hot?

Handing Xinuo the wooden spoon, Su Yi kept the rough chopsticks for himself. Of course, a spoon was far more practical than chopsticks—but in the hands of a large, broad-palmed beastman, it looked awkward. Su Yi couldn’t stand it. He ended up feeding Xinuo directly with his chopsticks, muttering,

“Look at these hands—so long and handsome—and you can’t even use a spoon properly.”

Xinuo looped an arm around Su Yi’s waist, letting him lean comfortably against his chest. The two shared the food, mouthful for mouthful, until Su Yi mischievously slipped him a chili. He’d been expecting to see Xinuo’s handsome face contort in pain—but instead, Xinuo’s eyes lit up. He actually liked the burn.

Just then, Eli suddenly yelped,

“Mother-father! My mouth hurts—something bit me!”

The little one’s face was shiny with oil, and he had polished off both the meat and potatoes. But when he spotted the peppers at the bottom of the bowl, he decided not to waste food. One bite later, his lips were aflame.

Su Yi scooped him up and hurried to the creek. After letting him drink some water, Eli finally calmed down.

But then he tugged Su Yi’s sleeve again, whining,

“Mother-father, I want more—it was so good!”

Xinuo frowned, his voice firm.

“You’ve eaten too much today. Your stomach will hurt.”

Su Yi thought about it and agreed. He put on his serious face.

“Your beast-father’s right. You’ve already had plenty. No more for tonight.”

Eli pouted and whimpered for a while, but in the end, too afraid of angering Xinuo, he reluctantly nodded. Watching his cub’s crestfallen face, Su Yi felt a pang of guilt. He and Xinuo really did feel like strict step-parents sometimes, unfairly harsh on the little thing.

Dino, at least, was the sensible one. After eating, he carried both his and Eli’s bowls to the creek to wash.

As Su Yi rinsed his hands in the water, he spotted fish darting in the stream. His eyes brightened—why not catch a few and fry them as snacks for the road? With the fire still burning, it was perfect timing. But recalling the chaos of cooking earlier, he quickly shooed everyone away. Xinuo went to fetch supplies from their tree hollow, while the two cubs played nearby.

Puffing up proudly, Eli told Dino,

“My mother-father is amazing, isn’t he?”

Would you like me to continue with the fish-catching scene and how Su Yi shows off yet another modern skill to the beastmen?

Su Yi pretended not to notice and continued working. Once he tossed the potatoes into the pot, he sprinkled in just a little salt, then added a small amount of water and covered it with several large leaves to let it simmer.

Even with so many layers of leaves, the rich fragrance couldn’t be contained. Before long, little Eli couldn’t take it anymore—he trotted over to Su Yi, clinging to his leg and acting cute.

“Mother-father, mother-father, what are you making? It smells so good!”

Finally having a moment to rest, Su Yi sat down on the ground and began teasing Eli.

“Tell me, how much have you already eaten? I think you’re full. So maybe you don’t need any of what’s in this pot.”

Eli immediately protested, shaking his head anxiously.

“No, no, Eli isn’t full yet! Beast-father said I’m still growing—I can eat a lot, really a lot!”

Seeing the boy’s flustered expression, Su Yi sighed and rubbed his already slightly bulging belly.

“I told you earlier not to overeat—there’s still more good food later. What if you get too stuffed and can’t move?”

While reasoning with Eli, Su Yi kept an eye on the pot. By right, it still needed more time to simmer. But seeing Eli start rolling dramatically on the ground and Dino swallowing saliva nonstop, Su Yi’s heart softened. He decided to open the pot early.

Using a piece of beast hide to protect his hands, Su Yi lifted the pot off the fire. Eli’s head darted in right away, eager to peek inside. Fearing the rising steam might scald the child, Su Yi pulled Eli carefully into his arms. Then, moving quickly, he ladled a small portion into the boy’s wooden bowl.

By the time Su Yi served Dino, Eli had already stuffed a chunk of meat into his mouth. Su Yi was startled all over again by the beastmen’s sturdy bodies. That hot? And this little cub just gulped it straight down?

Su Yi handed Xinuo the wooden spoon and kept the chopsticks for himself. The spoon was much more practical than chopsticks, but in the hands of a big, burly beastman, it still looked clumsy. Unable to stand it, Su Yi ended up feeding Xinuo directly with his chopsticks, muttering,

“Look at these hands—so long and handsome—and you can’t even handle a spoon properly.”

Xinuo wrapped an arm around Su Yi’s waist. Su Yi didn’t bother resisting; he leaned comfortably into Xinuo’s chest and began sharing mouthfuls, one for him and one for Su Yi.

Then Su Yi bit into a chili and was nearly knocked flat by the fiery burn. With a wicked grin, he quickly slipped one into Xinuo’s bowl. He had been waiting to see Xinuo’s elegant face twist in agony—yet to his surprise, Xinuo’s eyes brightened after the first bite. Judging by his expression, he actually liked it.

Just then, Eli suddenly shrieked.

“Mother-father!! My mouth hurts—something bit me!”

The little one’s face was shiny with oil, his bowl already emptied of meat and potatoes. But when he saw the peppers at the bottom, he didn’t want to waste them. Who could have guessed one bite would feel like his mouth had been bitten raw?

Seeing Eli rushing over, Su Yi quickly scooped him up and carried him to the stream. After giving him a few sips of water, the boy finally calmed down.

But the next moment, Eli tugged at Su Yi’s sleeve again, whining pitifully.

“Mother-father, I want more—it was so good.”

Xinuo glanced over, his tone firm.

“You’ve already eaten too much today. Your stomach will ache.”

Su Yi thought for a moment—it was true, the cub had eaten more than enough. He put on a stern face and said seriously,

“Listen to your beast-father. You really did overeat today.”

Eli whined and pouted for a long while, but afraid of making Xinuo angry, he finally gave in reluctantly. His teary, sulky face made Su Yi feel like he and Xinuo were some sort of cruel step-parents, unfairly bullying this little thing.

Dino, at least, was well-behaved. After finishing, he carried both his and Eli’s wooden bowls to the stream to wash them.

As Su Yi rinsed his hands in the creek, he noticed fish darting in the clear water. His eyes lit up. Why not catch some fish and fry them as snacks for the road? The fire was still burning—it was the perfect chance.

But remembering the chaos when cooking earlier, he waved them all away. Xinuo went to the tree hollow to fetch some things, while Eli and Dino played nearby.

Puffing up proudly, Eli declared,

“My mother-father is really amazing, isn’t he?”

Xinuo glanced at the bird eggs and suddenly stood up.

“I know what can be done.”

His prey was already processed, so Su Yi didn’t question what idea Xinuo had. Instead, he picked a few pieces of fatty meat and, just like the day before, began rendering oil. He then fried the two bird eggs, making two sunny-side-ups for the children.

That reminded him of the two fish from yesterday. Su Yi had already cleaned them inside his space, worried they might spoil if left out too long. Pretending to take them from his basket, he pulled the fish out. But to his surprise, they were still incredibly fresh.

A bold thought struck Su Yi. To test it, he pulled out the wild strawberries he had stored days ago. Sure enough, they looked exactly as they had when freshly picked, without any sign of aging.

Eli stared at the golden fried egg in his wooden bowl, reluctant to take the first bite. When he looked up, he saw Dino sink his teeth into his own. The egg had been cooked just to medium, the yolk soft and runny, deliciously tempting. Eli edged closer, his golden eyes wet and pleading.

Dino, uncomfortable under his gaze, hesitated. But in the end, though reluctant, he tore off half of his fried egg and held it out to Eli. Eli’s face lit up in delight and he hurried to thank him, ready to bite into Dino’s piece.

Su Yi frowned.

“Eli, that’s not right. You already have your own, so asking for someone else’s is not good.”

He had intended to launch into a lecture, but then remembered Eli was still too young to understand.

Hearing this, Eli froze mid-bite, then turned back to Su Yi with a slightly aggrieved look.

Meanwhile, Su Yi dropped the fish into the pan. Oil splattered everywhere, and before he could react, a droplet burned his hand. He hissed, drawing in a sharp breath, about to check the burn—when suddenly a presence loomed behind him and seized his hand.

Xinuo leaned down immediately, tongue lapping at the burn with obvious distress.

Flustered by the sight of his pained, tender expression, Su Yi’s face turned red. If the anti-vice squad members he once worked with saw this, they’d probably think the sky had split in two. Clearing his throat, Su Yi quickly pulled his hand free.

Xinuo’s lips curled into a faint smile—he knew Su Yi was just embarrassed.

Once the fish were fried golden, Su Yi stir-fried a large pot of meat chunks with chili. Since Eli had already eaten a giant fried egg, Su Yi only let the little one eat half a fish. Dino got the other whole fish.

Su Yi and Xinuo shared the remaining half fish and the entire pot of spicy stir-fried meat. Xinuo ate calmly, not even flinching at the heat, and even praised Su Yi’s cooking between bites.

So he really does like spicy food, Su Yi thought with satisfaction. I’ll have to grow more chili peppers in the future.

After the meal, Xinuo finally remembered the things he had brought back. He had tossed them aside earlier in his rush to tend to Su Yi’s burn.

When he placed them in front of Su Yi, Su Yi’s eyes lit up, and he couldn’t help but grin.

“Where did you get these?”

Xinuo held several transparent, shell-like objects. They resembled clams, but deeper in color, with clean, beautiful surfaces.

Su Yi immediately thought they’d make excellent bowls. Originally, Xinuo had planned to use them as water containers. But Su Yi happily claimed them for tableware instead.

Two more days passed on the road, and at last, they reached the salt lake.

“Dino, take Eli and look nearby for a fresh water source. Bring back some fruit while you’re at it.”

Once the children were out of earshot, Su Yi pulled two large cloth bags from his space and glanced at Xinuo.

“Hurry up and fill them. Didn’t you say the rainy season is coming soon? We need to find a place to settle before it arrives.”

Xinuo carried the bags over and said gently,

“You’ve been too tired these past two days. Sit and rest—I’ll take care of it.”

Su Yi had wanted to help, but he thought of all the time he had spent riding on Xinuo’s back recently and realized he was exhausted. So he lay down on the ground while Xinuo quickly filled a large sack.

Reaching out, Su Yi touched the bag and immediately transferred the salt into his space. He was about to close his eyes for a nap when the beating of wings echoed above. Opening his eyes, he saw two beastmen carrying two females descending over the salt lake.

At the sight of others approaching—

Su Yi couldn’t help but sigh—people here really were far too hostile toward the so-called ominous beastmen. And now, to make things worse, females had shown up. According to Miriell’s memories, most females were kind, but there were always a few jealous, troublesome ones among them.

He tilted his head to glance at Xinuo. The other two pairs had already landed nearby. Xinuo’s expression didn’t change at all; he continued calmly collecting salt as if he hadn’t seen them.

A golden-haired female, smiling brightly, pulled her partner along as they walked closer. She chatted with the other female beside her:

“I just saw your partner—he looks like a winged lion. Are you from the Winged Lion tribe?”

“Yes,” the other female replied. “My name is Andy. You two must be from the Winged Serpent tribe, right?”

The golden-haired female immediately nodded.

“That’s right. I’m Lino, from the distant marshlands of the Winged Serpent tribe.”

Su Yi’s ears twitched. Winged Serpent tribe? Seriously? On a continent this big, of all places, why did we have to run into them here?

———

Chapter 16

The two females walked along, laughing and chatting. When they noticed others already by the salt lake, they didn’t look particularly surprised. Apparently, they often came here to gather salt and were used to running into other beastmen.

Since they hadn’t yet seen Xinuo’s eyes, they showed no hostility. On the contrary, when they spotted Su Yi, they even waved at him.

Su Yi rolled his eyes inwardly, though outwardly he maintained a polite but distant smile.

Soon, they too began collecting salt. Andy glanced at Su Yi several times, then whispered to his partner:

“That female is quite pretty.”

Her partner looked at Su Yi once, then smiled and replied:

“In my eyes, of course, my little Andy is the prettiest.”

Andy shot him a glare, then lowered her head to continue working.

Hearing this, Lino suddenly circled around the salt lake and walked toward Su Yi. Su Yi thought, This is not good.

“Hello, my name is Lino.”

Lino tilted his head, sizing Su Yi up. When he noticed the cleverly made basket on the ground beside him, his eyes lit up.

Su Yi nodded politely, pointing at himself as he said, “My name is Su Yi. Hello.”

Lino, curious, pointed to the basket.

“May I take a look? What’s this for?”

Su Yi nodded again, indicating he was free to examine it. Meanwhile, his own gaze kept flicking toward Xinuo. Seeing him dragging a sack of salt in their direction, Su Yi could already imagine the reaction once Lino realized Xinuo was an ‘ominous’ beastman.

Lino circled the basket several times, looking it over carefully.

“Oh, so it’s for carrying things? Did you make this yourself? Amazing!”

“No,” Su Yi lied casually. “A friend of mine made it.”

“Mother-father, look what we found!!”

In the distance came a soft, sticky-sweet child’s voice—Xiao Yilai came running back happily, with Dino following behind carrying an armful of fruit.

At the sound, Lino turned his head. When he caught sight of the beast-mark on Dino’s arm, the smile on his face froze instantly. He spun around and bolted, but in his panic tripped over a stone and fell hard to the ground. His partner rushed over immediately, anxious at the fall. With a face full of embarrassment, Lino grabbed his partner’s arm and pointed at Dino.

“It’s… it’s an ominous beastman, cursed!”

The words were like a bomb going off. Dino’s arms slackened; the fruit tumbled to the ground and scattered everywhere. His face went deathly pale, as if he might collapse at any moment.

On the other side, Andy and his partner also looked grim.

Lino’s partner, seeing Lino’s scraped knee, grew angry and started toward Dino. Su Yi rushed forward, shielding the child with his own body. Dino was a good child, yet simply because of the mark on his arm, he was forced to bear the world’s scorn. Su Yi found it intolerably unfair. His instincts screamed not to let the boy face this cruelty.

The beastman frowned at Su Yi blocking his way.

“That one is an ominous beastman. And you’re with him? Aren’t you afraid he’ll bring you misfortune?”

“Whether he brings misfortune or not is none of your concern. We came here only to collect salt. We’re finished, so we’ll be leaving now,” Su Yi said calmly, motioning for Dino to gather the fallen fruit. Dino ducked his head quickly and began to pick them up.

The beastman opened his mouth to retort, but Lino suddenly called out, “Mosen, leave it. Let’s just finish gathering salt and go.”

Though Mosen was clearly displeased, at his partner’s words he turned back without pressing further.

Su Yi had been tense, ready for conflict, but when he saw they let it drop, he stole a longer look at Lino. This female, at least, wasn’t bad—though afraid of ominous beastmen, he hadn’t resorted to cruel words. That small measure of restraint stirred a trace of comfort in Su Yi’s heart. Cold as the world might be, there were still some people with kindness.

Su Yi had wanted to collect more salt. After all, it stored well, and the more they had, the fewer trips they’d need to make. But noticing how Andy kept glancing their way, Su Yi decided against it. Two full sacks were already enough to last them a very long time. Still, deep inside, he was a pretty-faced rascal with the heart of a greedy tyrant—he’d never complain about having too much food or supplies. If not for the appearance of these unwelcome guests, he would’ve gladly hauled the entire salt lake back home.

Originally, Xinuo had intended to bring Su Yi back to their previous cave, but Su Yi refused.

“Let’s find a hidden paradise instead, somewhere we can live secluded in the mountains,” Su Yi said. He wasn’t joking—he had been daydreaming about it during the long march. He imagined an isolated valley, where they could carve out a warm, homely life. He could already picture their future house, modeled after the wooden cabin inside his space. Only, instead of wood—which would decay too quickly—he wanted to build with stone, something solid and lasting. He dreamed of two courtyards: one for vegetables, one for medicinal herbs. Just thinking about it made life feel beautiful.

“Then where do you want to go?” Xinuo asked. By now, he obeyed Su Yi in everything. Wherever Su Yi wanted to go, he would follow, step by step, always at his side.

“I don’t know much about the outside. Xinuo, tell me about the general layout of the continent, based on your experience.”

Su Yi absentmindedly stroked the scales on Xinuo’s body as he lay against him, watching the scenery rushing past below. Xinuo’s wings rarely beat; once airborne, he mostly just spread them wide, gliding effortlessly. In the sunlight, his transparent wings glistened with crystal brilliance, dazzling to behold. Su Yi wondered what they felt like to touch. One day, I’ll have to find out.

“The beastman continent is divided into five great regions, not counting the seas. The oceans encircle the continent—they belong to the merfolk and the many aquatic beast clans. For thousands of years, land and sea have kept to themselves.

“As for the five regions, they’re the habitable lands. Many other parts of the continent are too harsh for settlement, whether from environment or terrain. The five are: the Marshlands, the Mississippi Grasslands, the Golden Desert, the Ronar Forest where we are now, and the Basin of Ten Thousand Lakes. Each region has its own tribes, so in truth the continent is filled with countless clans. Yet although there are many, not all can survive.”

Xinuo, usually so taciturn, spoke at length this time—

There was so much land, Su Yi felt that Xinuo was really giving him a generous explanation.

Curious, Su Yi asked, “So the other places… are they uninhabited because the environment is too harsh?”

“Not necessarily. Some places are simply places no one has ever gone before.”

———-

Chapter 17

Humans were social creatures. Even the most solitary person would eventually feel loneliness. Su Yi realized it was impossible for them to spend their entire lives without ever meeting others. Even if he and Xinuo spent their lives together, what about Xiao Yilai and Dino? When they grew up, they would need to find their own partners. His original idea of living in a place with no one around wasn’t practical after all.

“Let’s find a place with a good environment and settle down,” Su Yi suddenly said.

Xinuo’s gaze flickered. He too had once thought about settling down. But without the support of a tribe, he alone could never handle the hundreds or even thousands of wild beasts that might eventually appear. That was why Xinuo was always roaming, not only because many tribes drove him away, but also because staying too long in one place would inevitably attract beasts. One or two, even ten or so, he could handle. But as he killed them, the scent of blood could draw in even more. And since he often had to leave to hunt, leaving a female and cubs behind was far too dangerous. For that reason, in the past three years, he had never dared to stay long anywhere.

“Living alone in one place is dangerous,” Xinuo said quietly.

Su Yi had already thought of that, but he didn’t see it as a dealbreaker. In his eyes, no matter how big the challenge, there was always a way to solve it. And besides, he didn’t think of himself as weak. Once they settled down, he’d quickly train his body back to health. Then Xinuo’s worries would no longer matter—Su Yi might even be the one hunting in the future.

“It’s fine. We can find a place that’s easy to defend and hard to attack. We could even use special plants to mask our scents.”

He knew that both beastmen and wild beasts in this world relied heavily on smell to hunt. To them, scent was like a built-in radar. And even radar could be jammed—surely there had to be a way to mask the scent of a few people. Su Yi thought maybe he could experiment with herbs and flowers. Who knew, maybe he’d end up inventing this world’s first bottle of perfume.

With this idea, Su Yi asked Xinuo to fly slower along the way so they could look for a suitable place to live while also scouting for familiar vegetables. Xinuo agreed, and even put the children down to let them start adapting to life in the wild.

Dino, his wounds healed, could now transform into beast form—a little leopard cub. In that form, he was even cuter than in his human body. As soon as the two little ones touched the ground, they immediately went running and tumbling about. Watching them, Su Yi felt that keeping Dino had been absolutely the right choice. No matter how well-behaved a child might be, if they grew up without a playmate, their childhood would always feel incomplete, no matter how much their parents spoiled them.

Since Su Yi was always foraging for food, the little ones often came back from play with strange things in their mouths—some of which actually proved useful. Once, by accident, Xiao Yilai even found ginger. It had been growing in a dry, shady patch of earth. Delighted at ginger’s many uses, Su Yi praised him, and from then on Xiao Yilai became thrilled to help explore and find things for his “mother-father.” For him, the greatest joy now was to bring back useful treasures.

This time, Su Yi didn’t let Xinuo help. Even though everything here grew far larger than in his original world, ginger was still only about the size of his palm. He didn’t want to watch Xinuo accidentally tear it apart with those rough hands. So Xinuo went off to hunt nearby instead, also keeping an eye out for any dangerous beasts so Su Yi and the children wouldn’t be harmed.

Su Yi remembered that this world had a type of herb that repelled mosquitoes and insects. Back when Mirel lived in the tribe, every household cave had it. So while digging up ginger, he also thought about gathering some of that herb. The mosquitoes these past two days were killing him—his arms and legs were covered with red welts.

When Xinuo returned with a few fruits, he found Su Yi bent down, scratching furiously at his legs. Xinuo silently set the fruit beside him and then turned back into the forest. Not long after, Su Yi looked up to see Xinuo returning with a massive bundle of insect-repelling grass in his arms.

“This one repels mosquitoes.”

Xinuo said this as he placed all the grass down beside Su Yi, his jewel-like eyes slowly falling on Su Yi’s bare calves.

Su Yi couldn’t help but feel a warmth in his heart. This guy may be taciturn, but he really knows how to care for others. He chuckled inwardly. Back then, he, Su Yi, had been a rough man, and aside from his mom constantly worrying about him, no one else had ever shown him this kind of concern. Actually… being cared for like this didn’t feel bad at all.

Su Yi packed up the ginger and the mosquito-repelling grass, leaving just a little aside to crush and rub on his skin.

Xinuo suddenly crouched down, his large hand resting on Su Yi’s pale calf. “Does it still hurt?”

Xinuo’s hands were beautiful, long and well-defined, but his palms were rough, with a thin layer of calluses formed from years of hunting. As Su Yi felt those warm, rough hands stroking his calf, he lowered his head slightly to look at Xinuo crouching there. He didn’t understand it himself—before meeting Xinuo, he could swear to the heavens that he was straighter than a steel ruler. But ever since Xinuo appeared, he felt like he had been set alight like mosquito incense, burning down without resistance. Whenever those eyes looked at him, he turned into a boy in the throes of his first crush, unable to stop himself from wanting to kiss Xinuo.

Just as Su Yi was caught in that spellbound heartbeat moment, lips nearly puckered to steal a kiss, Xiao Yilai’s panicked cry suddenly rang out:

“Mother-father!! Save me!!”

Su Yi’s eyes, which had been soft and liquid like water, instantly hardened, transforming from a gentle lamb into a hungry wolf. He yanked out his dagger and rushed in the direction of the voice.

Xinuo’s gem-bright eyes blinked once, then he quickly shook his head and sprinted after him.

Both men pressed down their surging emotions and charged toward their precious child. Su Yi’s strides weren’t large, so Xinuo quickly caught up. With one swift motion, Xinuo scooped Su Yi up and swung him over his shoulder. His body stretched, shifting in an instant as he broke into a full beast form sprint.

Su Yi was left dizzy from the sheer handsomeness of the move. By the time he steadied himself, he realized they were already several meters off the ground. Looking at the ground rushing away beneath him, a strange thrill ran through him. The battle lust buried deep in his body surged forth.

As Xinuo crashed through a tree, breaking into the clearing where Xiao Yilai was, Su Yi moved fast—he flipped off Xinuo’s back mid-motion, his dagger flashing as he drove it straight into the neck of the beast chasing the child.

Chapter 18

Because he had borrowed the momentum of Xinuo’s charge, Su Yi hadn’t needed to use much of his own strength—the dagger sank deep into the beast’s body, burying itself entirely. The strike hit a vital point, but it wasn’t immediately fatal. Su Yi quickly flipped down from the beast’s body with practiced agility, while Xinuo’s massive tail wrapped tight around the creature, restraining its desperate thrashing.

Su Yi had been too tense earlier to notice what kind of beast it was. Now that he could look properly, he saw it clearly—a tusked beast, its body shaped like a small buffalo. With its enormous protruding fangs, it was known as a “Tusk Beast.”

Xiao Yilai flung himself into Su Yi’s arms, the little one trembling, clearly terrified. Su Yi quickly hugged him close, rocking him gently. “It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s over now.”

But in truth, Su Yi himself also felt—

Su Yi still felt a bit shaken. He looked at the tusked beast’s massive body, then at Xiao Yilai’s small frame. Suddenly, he smacked his own forehead hard. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t insisted on looking for food, Xiao Yilai wouldn’t have been wandering around.

Xinuo shifted back into human form at once and pulled both Su Yi and the child into his arms. When he saw the guilt written on Su Yi’s face, a warm current flowed through his heart. This person had truly changed so much. Now, Su Yi genuinely worried about Xiao Yilai, and he genuinely wanted to live together with them as a family.

When Dino came back, he saw this warm and cozy scene. At first, he had been with Xiao Yilai, but Xiao Yilai said that the two of them together would waste time, so Dino had gone farther off on his own. Just as he heard the commotion here, he had rushed back. Dino was a clever child. Seeing the tusked beast lying dead nearby and then looking at the family gathered together, he guessed that Xiao Yilai must have just narrowly escaped danger.

Dino couldn’t help feeling a pang of envy toward Xiao Yilai. He had such a brave and formidable beast father, and such a good mother-father. Dino lowered his head and slowly began retreating into the grass.

At that moment, Su Yi suddenly called out: “Dino, come here.”

Dino froze mid-step. He glanced at Su Yi, and in the end, obediently walked over.

Su Yi pulled away from Xinuo’s embrace and said very seriously: “What happened today—you also have a responsibility as the elder brother. I don’t want to ever see something like this again.”

The words sounded like a rebuke, but Dino understood. This was Su Yi’s way of accepting him. Dino felt suddenly at a loss. Does this mean… I really am Xiao Yilai’s older brother now? Which means… I’m also Su Yi’s child?

Su Yi saw the hesitation in Dino’s eyes. He reached out, drew the boy into his arms, and patted his head gently. “From now on, you have to take good care of your little brother. Even if he’s naughty and doesn’t listen, you still need to find a way to protect him, understand? Of course, when Xiao Yilai grows up, he’ll protect you too. Isn’t that right, Xiao Yilai?”

Still in Su Yi’s arms, his face streaked with tears, Xiao Yilai didn’t really understand what was going on. But since Su Yi had asked, he nodded obediently.

Dino then handed over the strange food he had been carrying. Su Yi discovered that Dino was holding quite a few things, one of which was a hard-shelled fruit. At first, Su Yi thought it was a coconut. But when he cracked it open, the stench nearly knocked him out. Damn, it’s durian. Su Yi couldn’t stand the smell, let alone the beastmen. As soon as Xinuo caught a whiff, he started sneezing, then retreated far away with a disgusted look.

Su Yi had no choice but to set the durian aside. As he rummaged through the rest of Dino’s finds, a yellow grain-like object caught his eye. It looked a bit like rice, but also like wheat. However, the individual grain was far too large. Curious, Su Yi asked: “Dino, where did you find this?”

Dino honestly couldn’t remember. He had been so focused on gathering things that he hadn’t paid attention to what exactly he was picking up.

With no other choice, Su Yi told Dino to take him around the places he’d been.

They hadn’t gone far when Su Yi saw what he had been hoping to find: a vast field of golden wheat—or rather, a field of giant wheat. Each stalk was taller than Su Yi himself, and the ears of grain were as large as a human head. The view was truly spectacular. Clearly, everything here was the product of some kind of genetic mutation.

“Dino, go call Xinuo over to help. I’ll start harvesting the grain.”

Su Yi was in high spirits. Weren’t people always starving to death here during the rainy and snowy seasons? Hmph. Now that I have grain, how could we starve? What a joke.

But then he thought of Xinuo’s and Xiao Yilai’s past miseries during the snow season. Snakes feared the cold, and in the snow season, food was scarce. Snake beastmen without mates or children could choose to hibernate. But those with families had no choice but to brave the freezing weather to provide for them. For other beastmen, this wasn’t such a big deal, but for snake beastmen, it was pure torture.

The thought made Su Yi’s heart ache. If only I had come to this world sooner. Then Xinuo wouldn’t have had to freeze and struggle through the snow season, and Xiao Yilai wouldn’t have had to starve.

He quickly took out two sickles from his space and buried himself in work.

When Xinuo arrived, he saw Su Yi working like a man possessed, his whole body burning with fierce determination.

“Let me do it. You rest a while,” Xinuo said, stepping closer. His eyes flickered with a trace of heartache when he saw the sweat on Su Yi’s forehead.

Su Yi only smiled. “Just think of it as exercise. Here—use this sickle, and follow my movements.”

Su Yi pointed at the sickle lying on the ground, then demonstrated the correct stance for Xinuo to copy.

Xinuo picked it up, glanced once with a faint smile, and immediately knew how to use it. The wheat field wasn’t very large, and with his speed, he finished harvesting it all in no time. Su Yi bundled the stalks together with nearby grass, then sent them straight into his spatial storage. Since food could be preserved there, he no longer had to worry about spoilage.

“Where’s water? I want to take a bath.” Su Yi was drenched in sweat, and wearing animal skins in this heat was unbearable.

Xinuo scooped Su Yi into his arms and carried him in one direction. Su Yi didn’t resist. He had been riding on Xinuo’s back barefoot these past few days, but on the rare occasions when he had walked, his feet had been rubbed raw and sore. He thought to himself that after bathing, he ought to weave some straw sandals to make do for now.

They arrived at a small pond. As Su Yi began undressing, he casually asked, “Xinuo, do you know of any grass or vines that are really tough and flexible?”

Xinuo froze. He hadn’t expected Su Yi to undress right in front of him. The moment Su Yi’s bare upper body came into view, his gaze was instantly captivated, and he completely failed to hear the question.

Chapter 19

Su Yi chuckled, glanced at him, and then stepped over, pulling Xinuo down by the neck. Standing on tiptoe, he pressed a kiss to Xinuo’s eye.

“Do you know of any tough, flexible grass or vines?” Su Yi repeated with a grin.

Xinuo quickly nodded and was about to turn to look for some when Su Yi caught his arm.

“Take this. It’s better than your bone knife.” Su Yi pushed a dagger into his hand.

Xinuo looked down at the unusually sharp blade. This weapon was best kept for Su Yi’s self-defense—he had witnessed its power.

“I’m a beastman; I don’t need it. You’d better keep it for protection.”

Su Yi slid the dagger back into its sheath. Then, like performing a magic trick, he produced another identical blade.

“They’re a pair. If you don’t want it, I’ll give it to another beastman. Don’t regret it later.” Su Yi’s words sounded like a threat, but his face couldn’t hide the wide grin spreading across it.

Xinuo was dazzled by that bright smile, and for a moment his heart wavered. He tossed both daggers to the ground, seized Su Yi in his arms, and carried him under a nearby tree. Then, pressing Su Yi against the trunk, he kissed him hard twice.

Su Yi was stunned by the sheer wildness of the action. His feet dangled in the air with nowhere to brace against the ground. Does this count as a “tree pin”? he wondered.

Afraid that the tree’s rough bark would scratch Su Yi’s delicate back, Xinuo deliberately shielded him with his own arm.

“I want to kiss you,” Xinuo said in a low, husky voice, his eyes beginning to shift toward beast form.

Su Yi had noticed before, during their kisses, that whenever Xinuo’s emotions fluctuated strongly, his eyes would start to beastify. The pupils would turn into beastlike slits—sometimes narrowing into a razor-thin line, other times widening into an oval.

The diamond-like brilliance refracted in the sunlight from Xinuo’s eyes carried a wild, untamed beauty.

Su Yi’s heart thudded wildly, unable to tear his gaze away.

“But don’t go too far—know your limits,” he warned softly. Then he slowly closed his eyes. Suspended between the tree and Xinuo, his position was uncomfortable, so he took the initiative to wrap his arms around Xinuo’s neck.

With his partner’s permission, Xinuo carefully pressed his lips to Su Yi’s, savoring the warmth and softness that flowed from them. He felt as though his heart itself was being gently melted.

Sensing Xinuo’s caution, Su Yi assumed it was because of the shadow left by Miriel, and that Xinuo still didn’t dare to act too boldly. Su Yi took the initiative to part his lips slightly, his tongue flicking out like a little snake to tease Xinuo’s lips—then quickly retreating after stealing that small advantage.

A faint smile flickered in Xinuo’s eyes, but he still held steady, keeping his lips pressed against Su Yi’s. Su Yi soon grew impatient. This time, he boldly sucked on Xinuo’s lips, thinking he could get away with it again—but Xinuo suddenly captured his lips in return, the kiss turning fierce and deep.

Before long, the kiss became a grinding entanglement, sweet yet impossible to describe.

Su Yi’s arms began to ache, nearly slipping from Xinuo’s neck. Xinuo chuckled low in his throat, then slid one hand under Su Yi’s rear to push him up. With swift strength, he parted Su Yi’s legs and hooked them around his waist, locking him in place before wrapping both arms firmly around his upper body again.

Panting breathlessly from the kiss, Su Yi felt both flustered and annoyed at the position. He’d always imagined—being a straightforward man—that someday he might have his wife straddle his waist. But if their roles were reversed… cough, cough… even this tough guy felt a flush of embarrassment.

Taking advantage of a break to breathe, Su Yi tilted his head back to evade Xinuo’s lips. “We still have a lot to do—wait, you—ah…” His words cut off in surprise as Xinuo, thwarted, brushed against his pale neck instead. In an instant, Xinuo redirected all his attention there, sucking hard at the tender skin as Su Yi spoke. One particularly fierce bite made Su Yi wince in pain.

Immediately, Su Yi retaliated—biting Xinuo’s handsome jawline near his chin. It wasn’t gentle; it was payback. Then he pushed Xinuo away, signaling to be set down.

Clearly reluctant, Xinuo’s eyes flickered with a trace of obsession. Su Yi sighed, leaned forward to plant two light kisses of his own, and only then did Xinuo slowly release him to the ground.

Su Yi walked toward the pond, Xinuo following closely behind, step for step.

Su Yi shot him a glare. “Didn’t I tell you to go look for something for me?”

“I’ll find it later,” Xinuo replied matter-of-factly, edging closer to him again.

Su Yi quickly pushed at his approaching face, his mind in turmoil. That last kiss had left him a little too responsive. Inside, he howled: It’s official—I’ve bent into a mosquito coil!

Xinuo kissed the palm of his hand. Flustered, Su Yi clenched his fist, ready to speak—but then he caught the way Xinuo’s mesmerizing eyes fixed on him. In the next moment, Xinuo seized his arm, and with slow, reverent movements, began kissing up along the pale wrist and arm, one kiss at a time.

Under such tender devotion, Su Yi felt like he had become some peerless beauty, the kind of breathtaking maiden worth worshipping. Otherwise, why else would Xinuo treat his arm like a treasure, kissed with such pious intensity? To say he wasn’t moved would be a lie.

Truth be told, though Miriel’s face had been beautiful, Xinuo was just as strikingly handsome. In Su Yi’s eyes, Miriel’s beauty had always felt too soft, while Xinuo’s sharp, dazzling looks carried none of that fragile femininity.

While Su Yi was still dazed, Xinuo slowly leaned close to his shoulder.

“I’ll go find it for you now. How much do you need?” His voice was still low and husky, tinged with the roughness of desire, suddenly sounding right in Su Yi’s ear. That finally snapped Su Yi out of his daze.

“Huh?” he asked blankly, his expression still slightly unfocused, not matching his words.

“Didn’t you want to find some sturdy grass?” Xinuo chuckled, his handsome, captivating smile dazzling Su Yi’s eyes.

“Oh, right—you… you go ahead then.” Su Yi nodded. But when he saw Xinuo really turning to leave, he quickly called out, “Wait a second!”

Xinuo turned his head at the sound, only for Su Yi to suddenly leap up and wrap himself around him again. “Let’s go together!”

Xinuo caught him in his arms. Though he wasn’t someone who smiled easily, even he was coaxed into laughter by Su Yi.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to bathe?” Xinuo asked indulgently.

Chapter 20

“Of course I am! Just give me three minutes—wait, I mean, give me a moment.” The word three minutes slipped out of Su Yi’s mouth, only for him to remember that these beastmen had no concept of minutes. He quickly corrected himself.

With that, Su Yi yanked off his clothes and jumped straight into the pond. Back in his field unit days, he was infamous for his lightning-fast showers—two minutes at most. For one case, he even ate bread while rinsing off, wishing he could split each second into two.

When Su Yi emerged, freshly dressed, Xinuo had already picked up the dagger that had been left on the ground.

Then the two of them walked side by side like love-struck teenagers, sneaking in hand-holding whenever they could. Su Yi had once scoffed at couples on the street who couldn’t walk properly without constantly tugging or clinging to each other. Back then, he thought: How obsessed can you be, that you can’t just walk normally?

But now that it was his turn, all of that disdain vanished. Su Yi acted like a complete fool—whenever Xinuo’s gaze drifted elsewhere, he would deliberately step in front of him to block his line of sight. Xinuo had no choice but to grab his hand to keep him from running around.

Once they found a patch of suitable grasses and vines, Su Yi specifically told Xinuo to gather extra. The grasses could serve as ropes or be woven into mats later.

But weaving straw sandals… was a disaster. Su Yi had only tried it once as a child at his grandfather’s house. With no toys back then, his grandfather would make straw hats and sandals for him to play with. Curious, Su Yi had begged to learn. But after so many years, the memory was fuzzy. After much fumbling, he finally produced a pair of lopsided, misshapen sandals. Still, Su Yi wasn’t picky—he slipped them on without hesitation.

By the time the anxious little Yilai and Dino came looking for their “lost” parents, Su Yi finally remembered they had another major responsibility: raising the kids. The two boys were probably starving by now.

The two unqualified parents hastily built a fire and cooked, feeding the children until their bellies were full before setting out again in a rush.

On the road, little Yilai kept feeling that something was different between his mother-father and beast-father. But as a small child, he couldn’t explain exactly what. If pressed, he could only say this: the mother-father who always clung to him had suddenly become very close with beast-father instead.

During a stop, Yilai even tried to discuss it with Dino. But Dino was just a slightly older kid himself and couldn’t provide a good answer.

In the past two days, Su Yi had reaped a bountiful harvest. The storage room in his space was already overflowing, and he had begun piling supplies into the back courtyard. Ever since he told Xinuo that the space could preserve food without spoilage, every time Xinuo hunted—

Xinuo no longer hunted only enough for a single day. If prey was plentiful, he would bring down more and leave it nearby for Su Yi to collect.

During their journey, Su Yi also found clam shells—some deep, some shallow. He deliberately chose the brightly colored ones, knowing children always liked vivid colors.

But on the fourth day of travel, an unexpected event occurred.

The family of four had stopped to rest and were cheerfully eating dinner when suddenly a chorus of wild beast roars broke the peace. Su Yi instantly pulled the two children behind him. Then, from a patch of tall grass, a filthy young female stumbled out in a panic. His movements were so frantic that he lost his balance and rolled across the ground.

Hot on his heels came two tusk-beasts.

Without shifting into beast form, Xinuo gripped the dagger Su Yi had given him and dashed forward with practiced precision. Su Yi wasn’t worried about him—instead, he let go of the children and carefully approached the terrified female.

The newcomer had clearly been frightened badly. When he saw Su Yi was also a female, some of the tension in his body eased. His whole form was smeared with grime; it was impossible to tell what his original skin color had been. His clothes were ragged and nearly indecent, barely covering his body.

“Are you all right?” Su Yi asked gently, helping him up. By then, Xinuo had already finished the fight. He dragged the two massive tusk-beasts away from the fire. Su Yi knew this was Xinuo’s quiet way of being considerate: he never spoke much, only acted. By removing the gruesome corpses, he spared the frightened stranger from an even greater shock.

“Th-thank you, thank you so much,” the young female stammered. His body still shook, his large bright eyes filled with fear and unease. Whatever he had been through, it was clear it had been terrible. Su Yi had seen plenty of females before, and under normal circumstances they lived carefree lives within their tribes under the protection of beastmen. Such females would never wear expressions like this, nor bear wounds all over their bodies.

“There, it’s all right now, you’re safe,” Su Yi soothed, guiding him to the fire. He used a clam shell to scoop up a bowl of broth and handed it over. The female seemed half-starved; at the first whiff of the aroma, he trembled, clutching the bowl and gulping it down desperately. He drank so fast he choked badly.

Dino, ever the thoughtful one, picked up a piece of roasted meat and offered it to him. Dino had known starvation himself, so he understood that unbearable emptiness—the kind that made even grass look edible. He never wanted to relive those days, and his heart softened at the sight of someone else suffering the same.

When Xinuo returned and sat beside Su Yi, Su Yi gave him a puzzled look. Weren’t females in the beast continent supposed to be treasured like jewels? How, then, was there one like this—alone and battered in the forest?

Xinuo shook his head slightly. He didn’t know either. They would just have to wait for the female to explain.

Once the stranger had eaten his fill, Su Yi put on a warm smile and asked, “How did you end up alone in the forest?”

At that, the female’s expression twisted. It was as if some painful memory had been dragged up. He suddenly broke into sobs.

Su Yi froze. He hated dealing with tears—especially from grown men, even if in this world they counted as women. Awkward, he turned his head slightly away. But he waited until the sobbing subsided, then tried again.

This time, the female seemed to muster his courage. “I… I was tricked out of my tribe by a friend. I trusted him so much… I really don’t understand why he would do this to me.”

Su Yi blinked. So it was like that? Just like with Mirel—betrayed and cast out because they offended someone.

Instinctively, Su Yi thought: Could this one also be like Mirel? A personality so flawed, or character so questionable, that someone went to the trouble of setting him up?

“Well… where is your tribe? We can send you back,” Su Yi suggested.

The young female lowered his eyes, his tone heavy with sorrow.

“I… I never want to go back there. Never again…”

Chapter 21

Su Yi wasn’t usually one to enjoy listening to stories. But seeing little Yilai’s face full of curiosity, he had no choice but to stiffly keep the conversation going.

“Did something happen?”

The young female wrapped his dirty hands around his shoulders, his tearful eyes shimmering.

“My name is Mino. I’m from the White Tiger Tribe not far from here. Because… because I was timid since childhood, I never had many friends, and… and I was never welcomed by the beastmen. The White Tiger Tribe’s beastmen all like females who are lively and bold, but I… I always blush and hide in embarrassment…”

As he spoke, his voice grew softer and softer, until he nearly curled into himself.

Su Yi looked at Mino shrinking into a ball and suddenly realized his earlier suspicions were probably wrong. How could this timid little thing, who couldn’t even speak without losing his breath, possibly be compared to Mirel? Mirel was a consummate flirt who skillfully played among beastmen, but Mino… he was like someone with a social phobia and the constitution of a shy little mimosa.

“What’s there to be so shy about?” Su Yi couldn’t help but ask.

Mino peeked out from behind Su Yi, trembling as he pointed a finger at Xinuo.

Su Yi burst out laughing. The more he laughed, the tighter Mino shrank, curling up like a little snail. Poor Xinuo, innocent yet somehow always catching strays of blame, could only walk farther away so as not to frighten the little one further.

Only after Xinuo distanced himself did Mino dare to lift his head and glance cautiously around. Confirming there were no other adult beastmen nearby, he finally seemed able to breathe again, and whispered on:

“And also… I… I am the child of wandering beastmen. No one cared for me since birth, so in the tribe I was often bullied. Later, a kind shaman took me in to help with chores. After that, I met my first friend, Xiao Luo. He… he was the only one willing to speak to me. To this day, I still don’t understand… why… why would he betray me like that?”

Su Yi nearly rolled his eyes. This fool probably just got used. That’s all. He didn’t care much about the drama itself, but his sharp instincts caught something useful.

“You stayed with the shaman—so you must know a lot about herbs, don’t you?”

Mino blinked his big, guileless eyes. He didn’t understand why Su Yi suddenly asked that, but being honest and dull by nature, he still nodded.

“Do you want to return to your tribe?” Su Yi pressed on, though inside he was already grinning like a wolf. Heh, could this mean I’ve just stumbled upon a personal physician?

“I… I don’t want to go back,” Mino whispered, tears threatening again. “I went missing, and no one even came looking for me. I’ve been hiding in a hollow tree nearby. I thought I could try going back on my own, but every time I came out, I nearly lost my life. I was so close… so close to the tribe, but they never came for me.” With that, Mino broke into sobs again.

Su Yi happily tugged Xinuo a little distance away and whispered, “Let’s keep him. He knows herbs, and in the future we’ll definitely need a healer.” Ha! Doesn’t this count as scamming ourselves a private doctor?

But Xinuo frowned. “It’s inconvenient for me to carry him. After all, he’s still a single female.”

Su Yi only grinned. “That’s fine. It’s just temporary. Once we settle down somewhere, I’ll think of a way to find him a beastman partner.”

Xinuo gave him a skeptical look. When he saw Su Yi so confident, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

“With females being so rare, if his tribe’s beastmen didn’t choose him, I doubt it’s just because he’s shy.”

“Let’s take him along for now—it’ll just mean a little extra work for you.”

Xinuo suddenly lowered his head and pointed at his cheek.

Su Yi shot him an exasperated glare. It was all his fault—after days of indulging him, the once-considerate Xinuo was growing bolder and bolder. Still, Su Yi leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Because the touch felt so pleasant, Su Yi couldn’t resist kissing him a second time.

I must be the most reckless idiot alive, Su Yi thought. What had started as a serious discussion quickly turned into the two of them tangled up together, nibbling at each other. They hadn’t gotten far when a soft, milky child’s voice rang out:

“Ah! Beast Father, don’t bite Mother Father! Mother Father will hurt!”

Su Yi shoved Xinuo away at once, face flushing as he turned toward his well-behaved son. Little Yilai was staring at them with wide, lantern-like eyes.

Su Yi scooped the boy up, forcing a smile. “What are you doing here?”

Little Yilai stuck out his tiny tongue and licked the corner of Su Yi’s lips, then said with all the seriousness of a little adult, “Not hurt, not hurt anymore. Yilai came to call Mother Father to bed.”

“I’m not hurt, see? No injury here.” Su Yi pointed at his mouth.

Yilai huffed, tail wagging accusingly at Xinuo. “Yilai isn’t lying! Beast Father was clearly biting Mother Father’s lips, and Mother Father was struggling in pain. Were Mother Father and Beast Father fighting?”

Xinuo turned his head to hide the laughter tugging at his lips, holding it back with effort.

Su Yi coughed to cover his embarrassment. “No, no… that was just… just how adults show closeness. Like when I kiss Yilai.” For once, the usually quick-witted Su Yi felt at a complete loss for words.

“Eh? Really? Then why doesn’t Mother Father bite me? Biting hurts, doesn’t it?”

To stop Yilai’s endless questioning, Su Yi quickly changed the subject, asking seriously: “Yilai, how is that big brother doing just now?”

“What brother? Mino is an uncle. He’s older than both Mother Father and Beast Father~” Yilai blinked up at Su Yi, eyes full of innocent disdain at his father’s confusion between “brother” and “uncle.”

Inside, Su Yi was collapsing, but outwardly he forced a calm front. “And how do you know he’s an uncle?”

“Because Uncle Mino said so himself,” Yilai replied with a little hum, tail wagging adorably.

Xinuo followed quietly behind them, listening to the pointless chatter between Su Yi and Yilai. Watching Su Yi’s smile and Yilai’s occasional sweetness, Xinuo thought: This is enough. Just this is enough.

When they returned, Su Yi handed Yilai over to Xinuo and then dragged Mino to the river to bathe. Su Yi didn’t mind a bit of dirt on a man, but Mino was simply too filthy; he didn’t want to keep traveling with someone who smelled so bad.

After some thought, Su Yi decided to tell Mino the truth about Xinuo and Aisbi being “ominous beastmen.” As for whether Mino would still choose to stay, Su Yi—though he hoped he would—wouldn’t force him either way.

Chapter 22

“How did you two end up together?” Mino suddenly asked.

He admired Su Yi deeply—Su Yi actually had the courage to be with an ominous beastman. But looking at that Xinuo… he was indeed very handsome, and he looked strong too. Plus, Su Yi and Xinuo already had such an adorable little beast child. Their family looked so warm and complete. After spending only a short time with them, Mino felt that this little family was far better than those people back in the tribes. Not only had they saved him, but they also shared food with him.

“We met, and then we were just together,” Su Yi replied. That wasn’t a lie—he had been reborn here and met Xinuo. There hadn’t been any huge twists and turns, none of that dramatic, ups-and-down kind of story you’d see in TV dramas or novels. It had simply happened, naturally.

“You’re not afraid? He’s ominous—you’re not afraid?” Mino asked timidly, his voice trembling with weakness.

“What’s there to be afraid of? They’re beastmen too. Look at me, I’m doing just fine, aren’t I?” Su Yi patted his own shoulder. With all the labor he’d been doing lately, he could feel his strength steadily increasing.

Mino said enviously, “That’s really nice… and your little Yilai is so cute.”

At the mention of Yilai, Su Yi lit up. “Yeah, that little guy is a real treasure. I’ve been looking forward to him shapeshifting—he’s going to be the cutest baby ever.”

Mino was one of the most traditional kinds of females on the beastman continent. He had always hoped to find a strong beastman and then give birth to a healthy, adorable child. But now, at his age, he was already a year older than Xinuo. Xinuo’s cub was already over two years old, while Mino didn’t even have a single betrothed partner.

Mino wasn’t ugly; in fact, he had a very cute appearance. But any beastman who had ever interacted with him had found his constant shy, breathless manner unbearable. They simply didn’t dare to approach him. After reaching adulthood, one beastman had once pursued him. But when that beastman wanted to get intimate, Mino had gotten so nervous and frightened that he fainted on the spot. It scared the beastman so badly that he nearly developed trauma from it. From then on, beastmen stayed even farther away from Mino.

The next morning, in order to save time, they didn’t cook—just roasted some meat to take with them as rations.

When it was time to set out, Mino hesitated for a long time about sitting on Xinuo’s back. Only after Su Yi coaxed him into it did he reluctantly agree. When Xinuo shifted, Mino—who had never seen a beastman’s transformation up close—was utterly stunned. Su Yi dragged Mino onto Xinuo’s back, and Mino, clutching a piece of beast hide, blushed crimson.

Su Yi couldn’t help but feel like a madam leading a naïve kid into a brothel. And what was with this guy constantly sneaking touches at Xinuo’s scales?

Mino’s heart was racing with excitement. He had never ridden on a beastman before. Every time he saw a beastman carrying his beloved female, he could only watch from afar with envy. He had never imagined that one day, he himself would get to sit on a beastman’s back. Even though this wasn’t a White Tiger tribesman—and so wasn’t as comfortable as he had dreamed—the transformation of a beastman was still overwhelmingly strong. And Xinuo’s scales… they were so beautiful, shining like crystals.

Just as Mino couldn’t resist reaching out to touch them again, Su Yi almost kicked him right off Xinuo’s back. That quickly ended Mino’s little fantasy. Flustered, Mino kept apologizing and finally buried his entire face into the hide, as if he’d rather suffocate than face Su Yi’s glare.

Su Yi fumed inwardly: Daring to touch my man? This brat must have a death wish. No, I’ve got to hurry and find a beastman to marry him off to.

That afternoon, Xinuo suddenly circled above a valley and said to Su Yi, “I think this place looks good. Let’s go down and have a look.”

Su Yi leaned down to see, and before him stretched a huge bowl-shaped valley. It was surrounded on all sides by mountains covered in lush, green vegetation. Inside the valley, the land was flat, and a great river cut through it, glinting like a silver ribbon from above. The cliffs surrounding the valley were steep, natural barriers that could easily keep out land-based beasts.

The moment Su Yi spotted that river, he felt the place was already ideal. Even without the natural fortifications, he’d have wanted to live there for the river alone. As for the safety concerns that worried Xinuo, Su Yi had already thought up countless solutions. If they ever had enough people, they could rely on beastmen’s formidable strength in battle. If they remained few, they could create underground passages and other defenses. After all, wasn’t there a saying in China? Where there’s a will, there’s a way. As long as they used their heads, no problem was too big.

Once Xinuo landed safely, little Yilai and Aisbi immediately ran off curiously to explore. Since they hadn’t yet scouted the area and couldn’t be certain whether danger lurked nearby, Su Yi quickly followed with his dagger in hand.

Mino had been gathering things, but when he saw Su Yi leave—and then glanced at Xinuo, who stayed behind to continue collecting—he finally chose to follow Su Yi instead. He simply did not have the courage to be alone with a beastman, even if that beastman already had a mate.

As Mino took in the breathtaking scenery all around, excitement bubbled up inside him. If this really was going to become their home, how wonderful it would be. He even skipped happily a few steps forward.

But suddenly, Su Yi froze ahead, his whole body tense as a drawn bowstring, his gaze locked forward. Mino’s heart lurched—he followed Su Yi’s line of sight and saw it too: two beastmen had seized little Yilai and were staring at them coldly.

Beastmen?

Mino was momentarily stunned. Ordinarily, beastmen would never harm cubs or females. But the hostility radiating from these two was unmistakable.

Su Yi’s brows furrowed, muscles taut. He had been just a few steps too late—just late enough to see his child fall into the hands of strangers. Yilai, to his credit, understood the danger. He didn’t scream or thrash, but trembled faintly in fear.

The moment Su Yi saw his son’s condition, his voice dropped cold as steel:

“What are you trying to do?”

Aisbi had stayed close to Yilai; now in beast form, his fur bristled in alarm, low growls rumbling from his throat. But the two beastmen didn’t take a cub seriously. Instead, their eyes widened in shock at the sight before them: two females in this remote valley, with two small children at their side.

“There are no tribes around here. Which tribe are you from? Why have you appeared here?” one of them demanded harshly.

The speaker was a towering youth, more than two meters tall, with reddish-brown cropped hair and exaggeratedly muscular limbs. He had the look of someone between adolescence and adulthood: features still touched with immaturity, but his bearing was striking and martial. His dark brown eyes gleamed with sharp vigilance.

Chapter 23

When they first appeared, their movements had been swift, but Su Yi had already caught a detail: behind the young man swished a lion’s tail. The youth had tried to hide it as he spoke, but Su Yi’s sharp eyes hadn’t missed it.

“We don’t belong to any tribe. To be precise, we’re the same as you,” Su Yi said calmly.

Mino’s eyes widened in sudden realization. No wonder they had attacked—these beastmen must also be ominous beastmen. They must live hidden in this valley. When Su Yi’s group suddenly intruded, they had mistaken them for a tribal force coming to drive them out.

The two beastmen hesitated, not immediately comprehending Su Yi’s words.

But Aisbi understood. He shifted back into human form. When the strangers saw the markings on the little beastman’s arm, their eyes finally softened. Recognition—kinship—had tempered their hostility.

“Could you… put my child down first?” Su Yi extended his hand. The one holding Yilai hesitated, then finally set him back on the ground. The cub wasted no time darting into Su Yi’s embrace.

“Forgive us. We thought you were from another tribe.” The young beastman smiled sheepishly, his lion’s tail now revealed in plain sight.

Mino stared at them blankly. These didn’t match the horror stories he’d always been told—that ominous beastmen were cruel, that they snatched away females, plundered food, and even injured other beastmen.

Yet what he had seen with his own eyes was different. Xinuo was gentle and striking, Aisbi was innocent and sweet, and now these two were almost… guileless in their awkward honesty.

With the tension drained away, the young beastman relaxed visibly. When his gaze fell on Su Yi’s delicate features, he felt a twinge of shyness. Realizing Su Yi already had a child, he quickly turned his eyes aside—only to meet the timid glance of another female: Mino. Instinct stirred; he gave Mino a warm, friendly smile.

“Hello. My name is Dilson. Because we are ominous beastmen, we had no choice but to hide in this valley. Just now, we feared you were from another tribe and that you had come to drive us out. That’s why we acted as we did. I hope we didn’t frighten you.”

Su Yi pointed to himself and said, “My name is Su Yi. The one in my arms is my child, little Yilai. That young beastman is Aisbi. And this female behind me is Mino—he’s still single.”

Mino had already been blushing furiously under the beastmen’s gazes, not knowing what to do with himself. Now, hearing Su Yi bluntly introduce him—and even explicitly point out that he was single—Mino’s shame turned to indignation. He glared at the back of Su Yi’s head, then, cheeks burning red, turned and ran off.

Dilson froze for a moment when he heard Su Yi’s words.

The implication in Su Yi’s introduction was simply too obvious.

Dilson’s companion, Jero, looked uncertain and asked, “You mean…?”

Ominous beastmen were not allowed to have females. Although that female had been very cute, they didn’t dare harm anyone. In the past, there had indeed been ominous beastmen who, after being cast out by their tribes, harbored hatred toward others. Some of them stole food, injured beastmen, or even kidnapped females and forced them into mating. But such cases were the minority. The majority of ominous beastmen—like Xinuo, Dilson, and the others—chose instead to be self-reliant and live alone.

So when Su Yi suggested, with a not-so-subtle hint, that they could pursue Mino, the two young beastmen were stunned. None of them dared to act on it.

“He was abandoned by his tribe too. If even you despise him, then… sigh, poor little Mino will be alone for the rest of his life,” Su Yi said deliberately, his expression one of exaggerated pity.

The words struck home.

At once, little Yilai piped up in his sweet, milky voice:

“Mother-father, when I grow up, I can pursue Uncle Mino!”

The two beastmen, who had been hesitating just moments before, burst out laughing.

Meanwhile, Xinuo, who had hurried over after catching the scent of unfamiliar beastmen, arrived. But since he hadn’t heard the sounds of battle, he wasn’t overly alarmed. He knew Su Yi’s strength well; if there truly had been danger, Su Yi would have already acted.

As Su Yi spotted Xinuo approaching from a distance, he proudly pointed at him and declared, “This is my mate, and he’s an ominous beastman too. He’s from the Winged Serpent tribe.”

At those words, Xinuo glanced across at the two strangers.

Dilson, still a youth just stepping into adulthood, looked instantly awestruck when he realized that the beautiful female already had a mate.

“You… you actually have your own female? How did you do it?” he asked reverently.

Xinuo opened his mouth to respond, but before he could speak, Su Yi cut in:

“Of course, by pursuing him! How would you know it’s impossible if you don’t even try?”

Naturally, Su Yi wasn’t about to let Xinuo tell the truth—that their beginning had been nothing more than a deal, Su Yi being exchanged for prey. Xinuo, standing at Su Yi’s side, didn’t expose the lie, keeping quiet.

“But usually… when ordinary females see us, they faint from fear,” Dilson said innocently.

Before long, the group grew more familiar with each other. As Su Yi chatted with them, he learned that they had only arrived here about two months earlier. Along with them were two other young beastmen and one middle-aged beastman. That middle-aged beastman wasn’t an ominous one—he was a widowed wanderer. Having lost his mate, he hadn’t wanted to stay in a tribe full of painful memories, so he had chosen to roam instead. Originally, he had planned to keep wandering until death, but after encountering these young beastmen, he…

After a brief time together, the middle-aged beastman realized these youths were good children. So he decided to stay with them, mainly because he didn’t want such kind and inexperienced young ones to die so easily in the dangerous forest. Choosing to settle in this valley had been the middle-aged beastman’s idea.

Su Yi and the others followed Dilson to meet this man. His name was Tiger. Despite being called middle-aged, he didn’t look that old—Su Yi judged him to be about thirty or forty, a handsome uncle type. Tiger was a silver winged wolf, his body covered in many scars, each one proof of the battles and years he had endured. His gray eyes were steady and calm; he was a cool type, not talkative. Even when Su Yi tried to make conversation, Tiger would only nod politely.

Dilson was from the Winged Lion clan, and had just come of age this year.

Speaking of age, it needed a bit of explanation. Females reached adulthood at sixteen, and from then on they could choose the beastman they liked. Beastmen, however, weren’t considered adults until twenty. If one partner of a pair wasn’t yet of age, they had to wait until both were grown before they could formally become mates.

Chapter 24

In this world, whether beastman or female, middle age wasn’t reached until fifty, and old age not until ninety. As long as they didn’t fall to sickness or accident, their natural lifespan stretched to around 140 years.

Dilson was twenty this year, Tiger was sixty-seven, Xinuo twenty-six, and Su Yi just twenty-one. Normally, females were highly sought after even before reaching maturity. By the time they turned sixteen, they were almost always claimed by a mate or at least had a designated partner.

But Mino… he was already twenty-eight. In the eyes of others, that made him practically a “saint among saints”—someone who had passed through all possible chances and still remained alone. Su Yi grew more anxious on another point: Mino loved children. Yet on the Beastman Continent, females were fragile, and pregnancy rates were very low. Families who could manage it always tried to have children while still young, because once a female passed thirty, the odds of conceiving dropped even lower. Su Yi thought grimly: even if Mino finally found a mate, it might be too late for him to bear children.

Dilson’s other two companions were named Jels and Ian.

Jels’s beast form was that of a flying dragon—a very rare race. When his tribe discovered he was an ominous beastman, they didn’t drive him out. But Jels hated the way people treated him like a plague, either shunning him in fear or putting on fake smiles while recoiling inside. So in the end, Jels chose to leave on his own. He preferred living freely, even if alone, rather than existing like a sinner under constant scrutiny.

Ian was from the Winged Wolf clan. He was a beastman, but ever since he first shifted into human form at three years old, he had never been able to transform back into his beast form. For that, he was cast out. Among beastmen, this was the most tragic fate. Though physically stronger than females, a beastman unable to shift was nearly helpless in a forest full of dangers.

At first, Ian survived by tagging along with other ominous beastmen. But those were twisted types, prone to raiding tribes, stealing food, and even attacking females. One time, when they captured a young female and tried to assault her, Ian couldn’t bear it and intervened. For his trouble, he was beaten nearly to death. Later, he secretly freed the girl. In their fury, those ominous beastmen decided someone should “replace” the female—and Ian, they said, was no different. Ian never told anyone exactly what happened afterward, but when Dilson found him, Ian was battered, bleeding, and on the verge of death. Without Dilson’s rescue, Ian would have either been carried off by beasts or simply bled out in the forest.

Because of this past, Ian became moody, withdrawn, and avoided strangers.

Dilson explained all this to Su Yi ahead of time, worried that otherwise Su Yi might misjudge Jels or Ian.

When Mino heard their stories, his eyes reddened with tears. Having tasted helplessness and despair himself, he felt deep sympathy. Dilson, who had never seen a female cry before, panicked at once, spinning in circles in a flustered mess.

Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh quietly on the side at the sight.

Dilson hastily wiped his own hands clean and then, very carefully, brushed a tear off Mino’s cheek. Mino had still been lost in his emotions, but when he suddenly felt that touch, he snapped back—only to see Dilson’s awkward, worried face right before him.

Realizing he’d just had such close physical contact with a beastman—this beastman even wiping his tears—Mino’s head practically filled with steam.

Dilson, for his part, was both concerned Mino might faint and anxious that touching him might earn rejection.

Meanwhile, Su Yi, thoroughly shameless, just watched the whole scene with delight.

“These two really are made for each other,” he quipped. “A perfect pair.”

Xinuo didn’t understand in the least what was “well-matched” about the pair. All he saw was Dilson, sweating profusely, looking as if he wanted to scoop the little female into his arms but was too scared to move—exactly like Xinuo himself had once been. Xinuo gave a soft cough and quickly turned his gaze away. He couldn’t bear to watch anymore; it was too embarrassing.

Su Yi, watching Mino swaying on the verge of fainting, felt it was almost painful to see. He flicked a pebble with his foot, hitting Mino lightly on the ankle. The sting jolted Mino and made him stumble backward. Dilson didn’t dare think—he simply reached out his big hand and caught Mino in his arms.

Mino suddenly found himself held in a warm, solid embrace. For an instant he couldn’t breathe at all.

Dilson, staring at the person in his arms, felt nothing but foolish wonder. This little female was so soft, so light—he was afraid even a little pressure might break him. Mino’s face was burning red, but combined with his big wet eyes it made him look even more irresistibly cute.

Just as Mino was about to roll his eyes and swoon for real, another sharp pain from the pebble jolted him back to clarity.

Dilson whispered, “Um… are you… are you okay?”

His powerful arms, knotted with muscle, were actually cramping from tension.

Mino quickly covered his face with both hands, muttering to himself over and over: Don’t faint. You can’t faint. Hold it together. Don’t humiliate yourself like this.

Su Yi turned back toward Xinuo with a triumphant grin. “I’m good, right? That was divine assistance.”

Xinuo didn’t understand what “divine assistance” meant but still nodded.

While Su Yi was congratulating himself, a sudden exclamation made him whirl around. The two fools had toppled over together—tall, burly Dilson had fallen flat onto tiny Mino, completely covering him so that the little female had disappeared beneath him.

A black line practically appeared on Su Yi’s forehead. This time Mino hasn’t fainted from nerves—he’s been physically flattened unconscious!

When Mino awoke the next day and remembered what had happened, he truly wanted to die of shame.

Dilson’s fall had been entirely because, on seeing the hard muscles of Dilson’s abdomen, Mino couldn’t help reaching out and touching them. That single touch made the sturdy young beastman’s heart leap like a startled monkey. Having never been teased by a female before, Dilson’s knees simply went weak and he toppled over.

On one side, Mino was now in utter despair, wishing he could vanish.

On the other, Dilson felt no better: a beastman who tried to help a female and ended up knocking her unconscious—if word of this got out, everyone would laugh their heads off.

Dilson thought he was truly pathetic. A female had only touched him—just a light touch!—and yet the moment he felt that little hand, his body had reacted instantly? How utterly disgraceful!

Chapter 25

Su Yi and his family temporarily settled in a cave within the valley. For safety’s sake, Mino stayed with them. After the incident the previous day, Mino was still so mortified he curled up in the cave all morning and refused to come out. Since Su Yi needed to scout the terrain, he couldn’t sit with him the whole time, so he left Dino and little Eli to keep Mino company.

They had stored up a fair amount of game from earlier hunts, so Su Yi decided to give Xinuo a rare “day off.” The two of them strolled leisurely through the valley together. The valley was actually quite large; they wandered until they reached a wide, level stretch right beside the river. Su Yi paced the ground with his steps, then placed several stones down as markers. He planned to build their house near the river—it would make processing prey and fetching water much more convenient.

“All right, let’s head out of the valley and see if we can find clay or yellow mud. If we’re lucky enough to find glutinous rice, even better—that’s the best binding agent.” Su Yi tugged Xinuo along. They had barely walked a few steps when they ran into Dilson and Jero, who also looked like they were heading out to hunt. Dilson was still sulking from yesterday, but Jero suggested joining up with Su Yi and Xinuo. Su Yi refused; walking on foot was easier for scouting clay. When Jero heard Su Yi was looking for building material, he offered to keep an eye out while hunting. Su Yi described in detail what clay and yellow mud looked like. Whether or not they found any today, Su Yi was determined to haul back a pile of stone first.

Not far into their search, Su Yi found a good source of stone. He spread out a huge beast hide on the ground and had Xinuo move the rocks onto it. Back in his previous world, Su Yi had once taken his parents on vacation, where they stayed in a stone house built by an old couple. The cottage wasn’t big, but it radiated a rustic countryside charm. The small courtyard had a garden paved with crushed stone, and Su Yi had fallen in love with the style. He’d even helped the old man with some renovation work for a neighbor’s house. Because of that, Su Yi had picked up some knowledge about stone construction.

After searching the area and finding no suitable sticky clay, he returned to Xinuo and stored the pile of stones in his space. Su Yi planned to make the foundation extra thick—since the stones were irregular, a thicker wall would be sturdier, though it meant more material. Filling in the gaps between stones with clay or mud would also be essential.

That day, Su Yi and Xinuo made four trips, moving stone back and forth. Soon, by the riverside marker, a mound of stone had grown. To make things easier, Su Yi also set up a simple stove by the river.

Meanwhile, Mino, after moping half the day, finally shouldered Su Yi’s basket and went into the valley with the two children to pick wild fruit and collect firewood. Despite his frail-looking limbs, Mino’s efforts actually helped quite a bit.

Su Yi used several basin-sized clam shells to sort out ingredients for the evening meal. While Mino was peeling potatoes, he glanced over and saw Su Yi cleaning animal offal. His stomach churned in doubt—few people willingly ate innards during the abundant warm season, since their flavor wasn’t considered pleasant.

But Su Yi stir-fried a portion of the offal anyway, then made a big pot of stewed potatoes with meat. He even had Xinuo wade into the river to catch two massive fish—each about one and a half meters long. When Su Yi saw the size, his face twitched uncontrollably. He’d been getting stronger by the day, but still, a fish nearly as tall as he was? He couldn’t help muttering complaints in his heart. Xinuo ended up handling the fish for him.

One fish was roasted whole over the fire, while Su Yi used the head of the other to cook a pot of soup. The remaining meat he marinated, sliced, and fried into crispy pieces.

When dinner was ready, the smell must have drifted far, because Dilson and Jero came by to join. Knowing beastmen ate enormous amounts, Su Yi quickly stir-fried another pot of meat, while Xinuo roasted two more beast legs.

At mealtime, Dino behaved like the perfect little helper, handing out shells to everyone as bowls. Since most of them didn’t know how to use chopsticks, Su Yi didn’t press the issue.

Dilson looked curiously at the shell in his hands. “So this thing can hold food, too?” He slurped a mouthful of fish soup and found himself enjoying Su Yi’s cooking immensely—especially the stir-fried offal, which he praised nonstop.

Mino, who had been unwilling to touch the dish at first, was swayed by Dilson’s enthusiasm. He cautiously scooped up a piece of liver and tasted it. To his surprise, it was actually delicious.

Su Yi, meanwhile, alternated between eating and using his chopsticks to place extra meat into Xinuo’s bowl. Xinuo, after much “training,” could use chopsticks somewhat, but still clumsily. Now that extra guests were eating so much without restraint, Su Yi worried Xinuo wouldn’t get enough.

Dilson, watching the pair openly feed each other in front of everyone, felt his single heart nearly shatter. It was too much of a tease for an unattached beastman. Instinctively, he snuck a glance at Mino. The little female kept his head down, but the moment he felt Dilson’s gaze, his face flushed bright red again. Dilson couldn’t help chuckling inwardly. This little one is so amusing—he blushes at the slightest thing.

“By the way, I wasn’t sure if what I found was the stuff you were looking for, so I just brought some back with me.”

After finishing his meal, Dilson suddenly remembered the promise he’d made earlier in the day to help Su Yi search for clay.

Su Yi immediately turned his head and saw Dilson holding out a leaf bundle with a lump of earth inside. Taking it in his hands, Su Yi rubbed it between his fingers. At first, he couldn’t quite believe it had been found so easily, so he pinched and kneaded it again just to be sure. Once he confirmed it really was the sticky clay he wanted, he broke into a broad grin and gave Dilson a hearty slap on the shoulder.

“Good brother! Since you’ve gone out of your way to help me, I’ll make sure to do everything I can to help you chase after Mino.”

Mino, who had been curiously watching the clay in Su Yi’s hand, froze when he heard that. His cheeks flushed with both anger and embarrassment, and he glared daggers at Su Yi. If not for all the people around, he honestly would have picked a fight with him right then. Why does he always have to drag me into things like this out of nowhere?!

Dilson, too, hadn’t expected Su Yi to bring that up so suddenly. His own face reddened, and he couldn’t help but steal a quick glance at Mino. When he saw that Mino didn’t look disgusted by him, his heart skipped happily despite himself.

Chapter 26

“What do you want with all these stones and dirt anyway?” Jero finally asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Su Yi chuckled, stretching his arms wide to gesture as he explained:

“I’m going to build a big house. You know I have two snake-type beastmen at home—once the snow season comes, caves are way too cold for them. So I want to build a proper house, and inside I’ll make a heated brick bed. That way, we won’t have to worry about freezing in winter.”

“A house? What’s that?” Dilson frowned slightly, having never even heard the word before.

“You’ll see soon enough,” Su Yi said with a smile. “Think of it as something like a cave—it’s still a place to live, but different.”

In his mind, Su Yi was already drawing up plans for a layout: four rooms, one living area, one kitchen, and one bathroom. A large master bedroom, two smaller ones, and another room for storage. Plus two courtyards, front and back—one for vegetables, one for medicinal herbs and fruit trees.

The very next morning, Su Yi recruited Dilson to help him dig the foundation. Xinuo’s beast form had no claws, which made heavy digging slower and harder for him. Dilson came readily, and even brought Jeros along. Jeros kept his usual cold, expressionless face, but still joined the work without complaint.

They hadn’t exchanged much conversation, but Jeros’s beast form was simply too breathtaking. When he transformed, Su Yi felt as though he were watching a big-budget fantasy movie. A real dragon, right before his eyes! Jeros’s appearance was more like the dragons of Western legends—immense in size, with two massive, terrifying claws. In just a few strokes, he had the foundation that Su Yi wanted dug out completely.

After that, Su Yi sent Dilson and Jeros off to dig for clay while he and Xinuo focused on planning the specific layout of the rooms. Since they needed to build kang-style heated brick beds, they had to consider the smoke channels in advance. By the time the layout was finalized, it was already midday.

Mino, who was becoming more helpful with meals, took little Aisby to the river to handle cooking. Su Yi occasionally came by to give instructions. Though Mino was timid by nature, his cooking skills weren’t bad at all.

In the afternoon, Su Yi had the beastmen dig out the foundation. They used large, flat stones to pound the base firm, bit by bit. Su Yi was extremely grateful that beastmen were so strong—their work went much faster than human hands ever could. During the building process, time seemed to fly by. Su Yi, acting like the foreman, couldn’t help but feel proud as the house quickly took shape.

Under Su Yi’s direction, the walls were built thick. Though it consumed more stone and labor, the sturdiness was well worth it. When it came time to construct the kang, the detail work required Su Yi to step in personally. He wrestled with the design for days—several times, things went wrong. The internal structure of a kang is actually quite complex; the smoke channels must be staggered so the smoke wouldn’t escape too quickly.

The main bedroom’s layout was like this: aside from the doorway and a section in the middle, most of the room was taken up by the kang. Near the window was the bed platform, about four meters wide, while the surrounding ledges, one to two meters wide, were intended for storage. The work consumed much of Su Yi’s energy. To prevent smoke leakage, he coated the entire kang thickly with a mixture of clay and sand.

When it was finally finished, Mino, unceremonious as ever, commented:

“You might as well have turned the whole room into a kang.”

Su Yi thought it over and realized Mino was right. So, for little Eli’s room, he built it with an underfloor heating style—essentially the entire floor was a kang.

When Eli saw his room raised higher than the others, he was puzzled and asked,

“Mother Father, why doesn’t my room have a place to sleep?”

Su Yi pointed around and explained with a grin:

“Baby, look—your whole room is your bed!”

When it came time to copy this design for Aisby’s room, however, the child’s inner thoughts were full of silent rejection.

As for the roof, Su Yi had originally planned to use wood and stone slabs. But when Xinuo and Jero went hunting, they stumbled across a few long-necked beasts that had been eaten by other predators, leaving only bones behind. They brought the bones back. These bones were incredibly tough—Xinuo remembered straining with all his might to wrestle a long-necked beast in the past and still failing to snap its spine. His beast form was massive and lethal, yet the long-necked beasts’ bones held. Because of their size, the bones were also extremely long, making them perfect for roof beams—stronger than wood and lighter than stone slabs.

After the house was roofed, Su Yi even used some of the leftover bones to build a swing for Eli and Aisby in the courtyard. Little Eli loved it so much he clung to the swing and refused to get down.

All told, the house took about twenty days to finish. If not for the seven or eight days spent fussing over the kangs, it would have been completed much faster.

During those days, Aisby and Eli had helped Su Yi collect ginger and Sichuan peppercorns. But since everyone was busy, they hadn’t had time to cook with them yet.

Now, with the house finally complete, Su Yi decided to celebrate. He and Xinuo went to the river and caught four huge fish, planning to make a spicy fish hotpot that evening. Not sure if everyone could handle spice, he held back on the chilies in the base broth.

Once the fish were cleaned, he sliced them into thin pieces and filled eight basin-sized clam shells with the meat. Mino pitched in, washing plenty of greens and slicing potatoes into thin rounds. But when Su Yi saw Dilson arriving with the others in tow, his brows furrowed—so many mouths to feed, and clearly not enough fish.

He pulled Xinuo aside under the pretense of fetching more supplies. In reality, he dipped into his space and produced extra food: an entire fanged beast carcass and a clam shell even larger than their iron pot. He decided to run two hotpots: the iron pot brimming with chilies for a fiery, spicy broth, and the giant clam shell with a milder broth for the children and Mino.

The entire fanged beast was quickly sliced into thin pieces with the help of Xinuo and Mino.

When it came to hotpot, the beastmen had no choice but to use chopsticks—but these rough and clumsy fellows were terrible at it. In the end, Su Yi had no choice but to let them fumble their way through, awkwardly poking and picking. Surprisingly, Ian—whose mood had been low the whole time—picked it up quickly. Whether someone can use chopsticks well really depends on talent. Su Yi remembered as a child, he had been terrible with them, often mocked by his father for it.

Chapter 27

Su Yi first had Dilson and the others eat from the lighter broth, while he and Xinuo dove straight into the super-spicy one. His dagger was razor-sharp, slicing fish and meat into paper-thin pieces. Once the broth came to a boil, he slid the meat slices in, and soon the fragrance of meat and spices spread in waves.

Xinuo took a bite of fish. The fish was huge, so its bones were few and large. The flesh was tender, and paired with the fiery broth, it would usually choke an ordinary person. But Xinuo’s expression didn’t change; he simply kept eating, savoring it as though it were delicious.

Little Eli wanted to try the spicy pot too, but since he was still young, Su Yi only let him lick the tip of his chopsticks. The boy immediately started panting and huffing from the heat.

Dilson, watching Eli’s reaction, grew curious and tried a piece of fish from the spicy broth himself. His face immediately turned beet-red, like a piece of pig’s liver. As he scrambled for water, Mino hurriedly passed him his own bowl. Dilson gulped it down in a few swallows before finally recovering, while Mino muttered under his breath, “Can’t handle it, but still insists—how silly.”

Dilson, embarrassed, gave Mino a sheepish smile and then carefully sat down closer to him. Mino quickly tried to edge away toward Su Yi’s side, his own face flushing red.

What surprised Su Yi most was Ian. Though he seemed fragile, he turned out to handle spice surprisingly well.

At first, Ian had choked on it just like the others. But after tasting from the mild pot, he found it bland compared to the fiery one. When he noticed Su Yi’s gaze, he lifted his eyes and gave a small nod. Ian’s height was somewhere between that of a beastman and a female, and his build was also in-between. And Ian’s appearance—

G