Hu Yan and Han Jue walked quickly toward the center of the tribe.
They had to join the hunting team because soon they were going to depart, and it was better than sitting awkwardly in the cave with Su Qinglan asking dangerous questions.
When they reached the clearing, most of the beastmen were already there, standing proudly in their beast forms. The air was full of growls and excited shouts.
The tribe leader stood at the center.
"Everyone ready?" he asked loudly.
Dozens of heads nodded.
"Good. Split into your decided groups. And do your best. Don’t come back empty-handed!" Su Mingxuan shouted with full enthusiasm, which was responded to by howls from all kinds of beastmen.
Hu Yan and Han Jue exchanged a look and nodded.
"Take care," Hu Yan said.
"You too..." Han Jue replied.
With that, both teams set off into the forest, tails swaying and spirits high.
They had barely walked for ten minutes when a small movement caught their eyes.
From the bushes, a familiar white figure crawled out with a large bald patch on his once fluffy tail.
It was Rong Ye.
The poor fox froze the moment he saw them. His big violet eyes went round, and his mouth fell open.
Everyone stared.
The fox let out a tragic cry, "Don’t come near me!" and bolted back into the forest as fast as his paws could go.
There was a long silence. Even though the fox was fast as lightning, everyone saw the huge bald patch on his tail.
Hu Yan and Han Jue slowly turned to look at each other.
Then both of them burst out laughing.
"Hahaha... did you see his tail?!"
"Is he not Rong Ye, the beastman obsessed with beauty, and now someone has actually made his tail bald?" someone snickered from behind.
"It’s so shiny! Like a baby’s head!"
Some of the other beastmen just stood there, speechless.
"Alright, alright," Hu Yan finally said. "We can’t waste time. Let’s go."
Han Jue nodded.
"But Hu Yan, what happened to Rong Ye? Why did he bolt like that?" a young beastman asked from behind.
"Don’t worry about him, he is like that..." Hu Yan said and motioned for them to continue running.
***
On the other side, Su Qinglan waited inside the cave for a long time.
But after sitting there for a while, She started to feel restless. No one came back. The quiet cave felt too big and empty.
She sighed softly and stood up. "Forget it," she murmured to herself. "If they are busy, I should be too."
She walked outside. The sunlight was bright, spilling warmly over the valley. The air carried the scent of wet grass and blooming flowers.
Su Qinglan spotted Bai Ling and Lin Muyu a little distance away. They were chatting while drying the hide on a nearby rock. Seeing familiar faces made her smile.
"Bai Ling! Muyu!" she called out while waving.
Both of them looked up quickly. Their faces lit up when they saw her walking over.
"Qinglan! You finally came out," Bai Ling said, brushing her hair back. "We thought you were still resting."
"I was," Su Qinglan said lightly, "but I got bored. I was thinking... maybe we can go to the forest to gather some herbs. I was not able to go yesterday because of that..."
Lin Muyu’s eyes brightened immediately. "That’s a great idea! I’ll go get my basket."
Bai Ling nodded eagerly. "Me too! It’s been a while since we gathered together."
Soon, a few more females overheard their conversation and joined in. Some were young, curious to learn about herbs, while others simply didn’t want to miss any fun.
They were happy to follow Su Qinglan. After all, she was calm, smart, and always willing to teach. They had learned many things from her.
Within a short while, a small group of females stood ready at the tribe entrance, carrying woven baskets and small stone knives. Their laughter echoed as they talked about which area to explore.
Just as they were preparing to leave, a deep voice came from behind them.
"Where are you all going?"
Su Qinglan looked back to find it was her father. He was coming in their direction rather hurriedly.
"Father," she immediately greeted him, and the other females followed suit as they greeted him since he was the tribe leader.
Su Mingxuan nodded at everyone with a smile before he asked them again, "Are you all going to gather fruits?"
"Yes, Father," Su Qinglan nodded.
Su Mingxuan nodded in approval when Su Qinglan answered.
"Good," he said, his deep voice calm but steady. Then he looked at her and continued, "Qinglan, the hunting team has already left. I believe by evening they will return with a big catch. We should start preparing to smoke the meat in large quantities."
Su Qinglan thought for a moment and nodded seriously. He was right; smoking took a long time. If they waited until the hunters returned, it would already be too late to start.
"Yes, Father," she said. "We should begin the preparations now."
Su Mingxuan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You told us before that not every wood is suitable for smoking meat. The wrong kind will make the meat taste strange or even toxic. Which ones do we need to collect?"
Su Qinglan smiled lightly. "There are a few types of wood that burn slowly and smell pleasant. I’ll recognize them if I see them. How about this, Father...let’s go to the forest together? You can call some beastmen to help carry the firewood. I’ll help select the right ones."
Su Mingxuan blinked, surprised by her suggestion. Then his eyes widened with a pleased look. "Good idea! Very good!" he said with a small laugh. "Let’s go together, then."
The females standing nearby all froze for a moment. Then they looked at each other with wide eyes.
The tribe leader himself was going with them?
It would be the first time they ever gathered fruits and firewood alongside the mighty Su Mingxuan. Their hearts jumped with excitement, and their eyes shone brightly as they glanced at Su Qinglan.
They had never imagined one day the tribe leader would personally accompany them to the forest and it is all because of her.
In their minds, they were already thinking about how they would boast about this later.