27: Chapter 27 Going out to catch crabs

Zorro, of course, couldn't have asked for more and readily agreed.

Carrying ten jars of honey, Zorro left with great satisfaction.

With two shell crystals earned today, Sang Qing was in a very good mood; it was almost a fifty-percent profit business, and for the jerky, she only spent money on seasonings. The meat was all from beasts her Father and brother caught in the forest, so it was essentially cost-free.

The meat processing plant she had inquired with earlier also replied, saying they could process it for her. Unfortunately, the processing fee was a bit expensive, so she chose to do it herself.

If it weren't for her poor relationship with the Tribesmen in the Tribe, she would have been willing to do the jerky business with them.

But unfortunately, there were no 'ifs'; she wouldn't reconcile with them. Repaying grievance with kindness was not her style.

At worst, she would just make less jerky from now on. Once the weather got a bit colder, she would directly make Cured Meat.

Or... she thought of Sophia's companions.

She could provide the Half-Beastmen with room and board and let them work for her... it was something to consider.

Pondering this, Sang Qing gave Sophia a few instructions before heading back to the stream to work.

The stream gurgled, and the birds sang amidst the fragrance of flowers. If Sang Qing weren't digging soil, she felt she would really enjoy this scene.

Fortunately, Meng Lai was strong and fast; even clearing wasteland was effortless for him. By himself, he cleared two mu of land for her in just half an afternoon.

After returning home and taking a quick bath, Sang Qing began to prepare dinner.

She split fresh coconuts in half, saving the coconut water to pour into the pot later, and used the peeled meat as an ingredient.

Large chunks of Gu Gu Beast meat were blanched, stir-fried until fragrant, and then braised. A large pot full of meat emitted an incredibly tempting aroma.

In another pot, Sang Qing started cooking the rice.

She realized the two pots at home were becoming insufficient; it seemed she would have to build another one when she had time.

"Father, you're back." Meng Lai's voice came from outside the kitchen. Sang Qing lifted the pot lid to flip the meat, wiped her hands, and walked out.

Meng Qi put down the tree trunk from his shoulder, sweating profusely from exhaustion.

"Father, why are you only just getting back?" Sang Qing approached him and handed him a basin of water.

"I encountered a small beast tide and had to take the long way back," Meng Qi said calmly after taking a large gulp of water.

What was a beast tide? Sang Qing wasn't sure.

Meng Lai, however, looked worried. "Then are you alright, Father!"

Beast tides were common occurrences in the forest, and beastmen out hunting feared them most. He didn't expect Father to actually... "I'm fine, see, I'm perfectly okay," Meng Qi said, patting his chest with a voice full of vigor. "I sensed the beast tide coming in advance and avoided it."

As a beastman with rich hunting experience, he naturally wouldn't have any trouble.

Sang Qing nodded, casually glancing at the tree trunk on the ground. A few long, thin leaves caught her eye.

Sang Qing crouched down, picked up the leaves, and carefully examined the texture. "Father, where did you cut this tree?"

Aren't these bamboo leaves? Is there bamboo in the forest?

"Right by the riverside over there," Meng Qi pointed in a general direction.

Sang Qing was delighted. It was that close?

Then her Bamboo Tube Rice could also be arranged.

"What's wrong, Qing Qing?" Seeing his cub grinning foolishly, Meng Qi couldn't help but ask nervously.

Sang Qing stood up and shook her head obediently at Meng Lai. "It's nothing, Father. I just thought of some good news."

It was spring now; there might even be bamboo shoots.

It seemed she should find time to walk around the forest. It would be even better if she could find bamboo shoots.

"By the way, brother, didn't the Chief say he was coming to see me today? Why didn't he come?" During the meal, Sang Qing chewed on a bone happily as the family of beasts chatted casually.

Meng Lai shook his head. "I don't know either."

Presumably, the Chief had other matters to attend to.

The two siblings turned their gaze toward Meng Qi, who was the most well-informed. Meng Qi nodded; he indeed knew the reason.

"Some Tribesmen went out hunting today and encountered a beast tide. They didn't make it back alive. The Chief took some people out to recover the bodies."

It was said to be several Young Males. What a pity to go see the beast god at such a young age.

Meng Qi spoke faintly after taking a sip of soup, his expression turning somewhat lonely.

A flash of regret appeared in Meng Lai's eyes. He couldn't even swallow the meat in his mouth, feeling the sorrow in his heart.

All at once, their Tribe had lost many warriors again. The Chief must be heartbroken, as well as the families of those Tribesmen.

Sigh!

The atmosphere at the dinner table turned somber. Sang Qing's emotions, however, remained quite calm. After all, this was the Beast World, and she knew hunting carried certain risks.

Regret was regret, but she couldn't quite empathize.

After eating, taking advantage of the time, Sang Qing practiced the Star Flow Flying Needle by the stream. Suddenly, a heart-wrenching roar shattered the silence of the Tribe.

Sang Qing's hand shook, and the pebble she threw fell into the water midway. She turned to identify the source of the sound.

It seemed to come from their Tribe. What was that sound?

"Qing Qing!" Meng Lai came jogging toward her.

"Brother?" Sang Qing put away the stone in her hand and looked over.

"The Chief has returned with the Tribesmen's bodies. Father and I are going to take a look. You go home and sleep quickly." Meng Lai wasn't comfortable with Sang Qing being out so late, so he came to tell her to go home.

"Oh, okay." Sang Qing nodded and obediently followed him back.

Lying in bed, the distant, sorrowful crying lingered in her ears. Though not very clear, it was distressing to hear.

Sang Qing couldn't quite fall asleep. She glanced at the Little Cub sleeping soundly beside her and decided to sit up and convert the shell crystals she had recently received into points.

Only points could give her a sense of security.

A few days passed, and it was time for Meng Lai to head out with the Hunting Team.

Sang Qing prepared a small leather bag for Meng Lai, containing hemostatic powder and a dagger that could cut through iron like butter. She didn't prepare food for him, as wild beasts could be caught everywhere in the forest.

After repeatedly instructing Meng Lai not to give the dagger to any other beast, she watched him run off into the distance.

Once Meng Lai left, the house felt deserted. Not only that, but the Nina cub's health had mostly recovered. In two more days, she would have to return Chen Xi to Nina and the others.

For the past few days, a faint atmosphere of sadness had permeated the Tribe. The reason was that among the Tribesmen who encountered the beast tide while hunting, there was actually a Fourth-Tier Warrior.

Mao Shuo was so upset he hadn't eaten for several days, not to mention the family of that Fourth-Tier Warrior. Most of the Tribesmen in the Tribe were also in deep sorrow.

A Fourth-Tier Warrior was like a pillar of support for the Tribe; every single one was crucial. They were not only related to the cooperative strength in hunting but also to the safety of the entire Tribe.

The Wildcat Tribe didn't have many Fourth-Tier beastmen, just a few. But it was these few who maintained the Wildcat Tribe's status in the forest.

If a Tribe had no Fourth-Tier Warrior to support it, it could easily be invaded by other Tribes. This was why everyone was so grieved.

In the early morning, as the white mist receded, few beasts were moving about in the quiet Tribe.

Sang Qing crouched in front of the fence planting flower seedlings, while Meng Qi worked in front to reinforce the depth of the fence. Father and daughter talked and laughed, busy and happy.

After finishing planting the circle of seedlings, Sang Qing stood up and rubbed her aching lower back, happily admiring her masterpiece. The two Treehouses, one large and one small, were now enclosed by the fence, with a wooden shed in the middle. From a distance, it really had a poetic and picturesque feel.

It was just that she was the only one who understood this kind of poetic beauty.

But she always felt something was missing. What was it?

She pinched her chin, thought for a moment, and suddenly remembered a variety show she had seen in her previous life.

Oh, she knew. It was missing a shed where they could eat outside, and a swing.

Right, and pens for raising livestock.

But she wouldn't raise poultry for the time being. She'd wait until her first crop of vegetables was grown. She didn't want to make herself too exhausted.

"Sang Qing Child. Meng Qi!"

"Chief!" Sang Qing turned her head upon hearing the voice and saw Mao Shuo's figure. She quickly offered a smile.

"Are you busy?" Mao Shuo looked at the two Treehouses enclosed by the fence, glancing left and right. He felt it looked quite good after being enclosed like this; Sang Qing was very imaginative.

"Just finished. Chief, are we ready to go to the riverside?" Sang Qing handed the flower trowel to Sophia and raised her hand to invite Mao Shuo in to sit.

When Qing Que came to find her brother this morning, he had told her they might go to the riverside today to catch monsters.

"Yes, that's right. Are you free now?" Mao Shuo nodded. He had been so busy with the Fourth-Tier Warrior's matter that he had almost forgotten about going to the riverside to catch monsters.

The news that their Tribe had lost a Fourth-Tier Warrior had already spread throughout the forest. Fortunately, not long ago, Meng Lai broke through to the fourth tier, allowing their number of Fourth-Tier Warriors to remain stable. Otherwise, he would really fear the Tribe being invaded.

But the current situation wasn't good. Recently, several relatively powerful Tribes had suddenly appeared in the forest, and it wasn't clear where they had migrated from. They posed a certain threat to their Tribe's survival. He had to hurry and cultivate a few more Fourth-Tier Warriors.

He had already decided that for any warrior in the Tribe with the most hope of breaking through to the fourth tier, he would provide them with an extra portion of food to speed up their breakthrough.

So, going to the riverside to catch monsters was now a matter of urgency.

Since Qing Que and Meng Lai had gone into the forest to hunt, he didn't want to stay idle. Anyway, the riverside wasn't far from the Tribe.

Sang Qing nodded with a smile, secretly delighted. "I'm free, I'm free."

She had been wanting to walk around the forest. Staying at home these days had been stifling, and her brother had restricted her movements on the grounds that a beast tide had occurred in the forest.

"Father, I'm going to change my clothes. Help me bring that iron hammer from the warehouse."

Sang Qing gave Meng Qi the instruction and quickly ran into the house.

She wanted to change her skirt for jeans, which were more convenient for moving in the forest.

Meng Qi responded and hurried to the warehouse to get the tool his cub mentioned.

After giving Sophia a few instructions, Sang Qing slung her small leather bag over her shoulder and headed out excitedly.

At the Tribe entrance, the group of male Tribesmen waiting to depart immediately changed their prone positions upon seeing Mao Shuo. They stood up from the ground, shook off the grass clippings, and expressed their respect with their eyes.

The beautifully patterned Civet Cat female sat on the back of a majestic and strong male. Meng Qi followed Mao Shuo's lead with composed steps, calmly receiving the scrutinizing gazes of the Tribesmen.

"Chief!"

Mao Shuo nodded with a steady aura. "Are you ready? Let's depart."

"Chief, why are you bringing Sang Qing?" A Young Male walked out with a cold face, staring at Sang Qing on Meng Qi's back with confusion. His gaze was far from friendly.

Weren't they going out to hunt? Why bring a female, especially the one they loathed most?

"Sol, return to your team, keep a cool head, and do not speak." Mao Shuo did not explain; he simply issued a loud command.

Sol was Su Na's child. Mao Shuo knew their family disliked Sang Qing. But this operation was precisely because of Sang Qing's discovery, which allowed him to perceive an opportunity to help the Tribesmen improve their abilities.

According to his inquiries, no Tribe in the forest caught and ate the monsters from the river. This was their great chance.

He was keeping this operation a secret from all the Tribesmen; no one knew what they were going to do. He would only explain to everyone once they had caught the monsters from the river and returned.

Therefore, he couldn't let their personal grievances affect the entire Tribe.

The Chief's orders were not to be disobeyed. Under the intense gaze of many Tribesmen, Sol retreated with a flushed face.

Mao Shuo's eyes were full of authority. After sweeping a warning glance over all the Tribesmen before him, he turned and led the team out of the Tribe.

The other Tribesmen didn't dare question Mao Shuo's decision. They all remained silent, puffed out their chests, and followed Mao Shuo's lead.

In the noisy forest, a team of extremely fast Civet Cat beasts was charging forward in an orderly fashion along the path cleared by the Chief. The huge commotion they made while running scared off many surrounding poisonous insects and wild beasts. Even the birds and beasts in the trees were so frightened they hid in their nests, not daring to show their heads.

Mao Shuo was large and agile. When he ran, the lines of his muscles were practically perfect.

A pair of cold cat eyes watched the surroundings alertly. Ahead, two large wild beasts were fighting fiercely. Seeing this, Mao Shuo quickly issued a command: "Turn!"

He leaped over a large rock ahead and swiftly changed direction, bypassing the fighting beasts and avoiding the possibility of the team being impacted.

An excellent leader could help a team avoid many troubles. Sang Qing also realized Mao Shuo's charisma; he truly deserved to be the Tribe Chief. His boldness was powerful.

But why was she feeling a bit motion sick? Should she get down and run herself?

"Blergh~" Leaning against a tree trunk, Sang Qing felt completely unwell. Her head was dizzy, and her stomach was churning with acid.

Meng Qi was anxious beside her. "Are you okay, Qing Qing?"

What happened to his cub? Wasn't she fine before they left?

Sang Qing waved her hand, took a small fruit out of her leather bag, and took a bite to suppress the urge to vomit.

Good heavens, she actually got motion sickness.

Shaking her head, Sang Qing patted her chest. "I'm fine, Father. You were running too fast, I'm dizzy!"

Mao Shuo, standing nearby, didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He had also wondered what was wrong with Sang Qing.

"Take a break then, Sang Qing Child. But we haven't reached the riverside yet. Why did you want us to stop?" Mao Shuo looked around and didn't find anything unusual.