Ying Ao had temporarily settled at Jian Mo’s home, sharing space with Chirpy. When they couldn’t both fit in the nest, Ying Ao would sleep just outside of it.
Surprisingly, this big addition didn’t bring extra trouble to Jian Mo and Wu Jiong—in fact, it saved them quite a bit of effort. At the very least, with Ying Ao around, there was someone to keep an eye on Chirpy when they were busy.
One morning, Wu Jiong returned after feeding the Tou Tou Beasts and said to Jian Mo, “One of the Tou Tou Beasts looks like it’s about to give birth.”
Jian Mo exclaimed, “Already? Let me take a look.”
He mentally calculated the days. Their Tou Tou Beast had conceived in the spring, and now, over 100 days had passed—it made sense that it was almost time.
Jian Mo hurried to the livestock shed in the backyard.
Currently, their family was raising eight Tou Tou Beasts: seven females and one male. All the females were pregnant, their bellies growing larger by the day.
Jian Mo entered and carefully inspected them. One of the females had an enormous belly, and her body was showing signs of imminent labor.
When the mother Tou Tou Beasts saw Jian Mo approach, they nervously retreated into the depths of the shed. If cornered, they would charge aggressively at him, much more hostile than usual.
Jian Mo effortlessly pushed aside an attacking female and dodged her charge.
Turning to Wu Jiong, he said, “It’ll be either tonight or tomorrow. We should stay alert while sleeping these next couple of nights.”
Last winter, one of their Tou Tou Beasts had given birth, and it had gone smoothly. But back then, only one female had been involved—now there were seven, making the task much more complex.
Wu Jiong reassured him, “Don’t worry. I’ll hear them if they start birthing, and I’ll call you.”
Jian Mo nodded. “Still, it’s best we prepare in advance.”
Before the births, the two cleaned the shed thoroughly, disinfecting it with lime water. They replaced the old hay with fresh bedding.
Among the herd, the lone male Tou Tou Beast appeared restless. Not wanting to risk complications, Jian Mo sent it to Qing Kuo’s home for a couple of days, asking him to look after it.
The timid male was mercilessly mocked by Qing Kuo, who didn’t particularly like such cowardly animals, but he still agreed to help.
Jian Mo’s prediction was spot on. That night, the mother Tou Tou Beasts began giving birth.
The process went relatively smoothly, requiring no intervention from Jian Mo. He simply kept watch to ensure everything was in order.
The births spanned two nights and a day, starting the first night and concluding on the third day.
Between the seven mothers, they birthed a total of 44 Tou Tou Beast calves, including 23 females.
With the calves and the eight adult beasts, their modest shed was suddenly crammed with 52 Tou Tou Beasts—so full that Jian Mo’s scalp tingled at the sight.
Looking at the overcrowded shed, Jian Mo felt a headache coming on. “We can’t keep this many. We’ll have to let some go.”
While a thriving herd was a good thing, too much of it was unmanageable.
Wu Jiong said, “We’ll have to wait until the calves are weaned, though.”
Jian Mo frowned. “I’d rather not wait. We can at least get rid of the big male right away—one less to worry about.”
Wu Jiong suggested, “Should we ask Qing Kuo and the others?”
Jian Mo shook his head. “Already did. They refused. They said Tou Tou Beasts are timid, hard to raise, and their meat is unappetizing, so they’re not worth the trouble.”
The memory made Jian Mo groan. “They even said they didn’t want to end up like us, with their shed overrun by overly fertile Tou Tou Beasts.”
Wu Jiong offered, “I’ll try asking other tribes. The Bing Jiang Tribe might be interested.”
Jian Mo agreed. “Alright. Let’s aim to trade away all the males. If they’re willing to take some females too, even better. We should cut the herd down to ten or fewer.”
Since their Tou Tou Beasts were kept penned, feeding them required daily effort to gather grass. A larger herd only increased the workload.
Fortunately, Ying Ao and Chirpy were helpful in reducing the burden, often carrying back grass on their own. Jian Mo suspected Chirpy had picked up the habit from Ying Ao; normally, Chirpy wasn’t this resourceful.
Regardless, with their help, things were a bit easier.
One day, someone from the Meng Shui Tribe came looking for Jian Mo and Wu Jiong, complaining of severe stomach pain. The two hurried over to the tribe and diagnosed a bowel obstruction. It kept them busy for the entire day, and they only returned home by evening.
When they arrived, Jian Mo noticed Ying Ao sleeping soundly outside the nest, probably exhausted from its daytime activities.
Chirpy was nowhere to be seen, though Ying Ao had left food for it in the bowl, which remained untouched.
Jian Mo assumed Chirpy had gone out to play with the young ones and didn’t think much of it.
But as night fell and Chirpy still hadn’t returned, Jian Mo grew concerned. No matter how much Chirpy loved to play, eating always came first for it. It would usually come home to eat before heading out again.
Now, not only had Chirpy not eaten, but it also hadn’t come back. Something was definitely wrong.
Jian Mo nudged Ying Ao awake. “Ying Ao, do you know where Chirpy went?”
Ying Ao blinked groggily and chirped, “Chirp?” Its expression was one of utter confusion.
Realizing he wouldn’t get an answer, Jian Mo called for Wu Jiong.
The two of them went out to search, even asking the patrolling beastmen.
The patrol said they had seen Chirpy that afternoon but had no idea where it had gone since.
Jian Mo muttered, “Strange. Where could it have gone? Could it have found something delicious outside and gotten too greedy to come back?”
Wu Jiong nodded thoughtfully. “That’s possible.”
As they discussed, someone from the tribe came running toward them, shouting, “Chief! Jian Mo! Have you seen the young ones?”
Jian Mo raised his voice. “No, why? Haven’t they come home?”
The person replied anxiously, “No, I’ve searched the entire tribe and can’t find them anywhere!”
This was bad news.
Jian Mo immediately straightened up and exchanged a glance with Wu Jiong.
Something was terribly wrong—Chirpy seemed to have disappeared along with the young ones.
The disappearance of the young ones was a serious matter.
Wu Jiong quickly gathered the tribe members to ask questions.
“When I came back this afternoon, the kids were still playing in the open field. I didn’t think much of it.”
“I saw them this afternoon too. But around sunset, they were gone. I remember thinking how quiet it was. I wish I’d gone out to check then.”
“I returned around the time the sun was setting. Since then, I haven’t seen any of the kids.”
“Could they have gone to the back hills? I saw them there earlier in the day.”
Wu Jiong found Ada, the beastman who had been on patrol that day.
Ada said regretfully, “I saw the kids playing in the back hills this afternoon. Since everyone was home, and there wasn’t any danger nearby, I went to patrol the front. I didn’t see them again after that and assumed they’d gone back to their homes.”
Wu Jiong ordered calmly, “Let’s start by counting how many young ones are missing.”
His composed demeanor helped settle the anxious parents, who began tallying.
They quickly discovered that of the tribe’s 23 young ones, only Wan Ling and Li Chen—two sub-beastmen—were still in the tribe, playing house. The others were all missing.
The adults questioned Wan Ling and Li Chen, who revealed that the young ones had gone out to explore outside the tribe.
Wan Ling, whose father was on patrol that day, didn’t dare sneak out, so he stayed behind to play.
Qing Kuo asked, “Did they say where they were going to explore?”
Wan Ling and Li Chen both shook their heads, looking frightened.
Wu Jiong crouched down to speak gently with the two sub-beastmen. “Where do you usually go exploring?”
Wan Ling whispered, “Outside the tribe. We just circle around it.”
Li Chen added softly, “When we go out, we can hear the voices of people in the tribe. If someone calls us, we come back.”
Despite their fear, the two explained everything clearly, their concern for their missing companions evident.
Qing Kuo, whose child Ban Jiu was among the missing, muttered in frustration, “When that brat comes back, I’ll smack his behind.”
Wu Jiong instructed, “Spread out and search the area around the tribe.”
The disappearance of the young ones mobilized the entire He’an Tribe. Sub-beastmen carried torches, while beastmen shifted into their animal forms and began searching outward from the tribe.
As they searched, they called out loudly, hoping for a response from the missing children.
Meanwhile, Jian Mo and Wu Jiong returned home, mounted Ying Ao, and took to the skies to search from above.
They made so much noise that if the children were nearby, they should have heard and responded. But even after combing the area, there was no sound or sign of them.
The tribe grew increasingly uneasy. A heavy sense of foreboding hung over everyone, and countless prayers to the Beast God were whispered.
Parents who initially wanted to scold their children now only hoped they could return safely.
Jian Mo said to Wu Jiong, “Chirpy is definitely with the young ones. But who led whom? Did Chirpy lure the kids out, or did the kids call Chirpy?”
The thought that Chirpy might have caused this disaster made Jian Mo’s scalp tingle. But his worry for Chirpy’s safety outweighed his frustration.
Chirpy was part of their family. The mere thought that something might have happened to it made Jian Mo’s fingers go cold.
Wu Jiong said softly, “It’s unlikely anything has happened to Chirpy. It’s big, and ordinary beasts wouldn’t dare attack it. The young ones also have some ability to defend themselves. If they were in danger, they’d definitely call for help. I think it’s more likely they’ve caused some trouble and are hiding, too scared to come out.”
Jian Mo sighed. “I hope you’re right. As long as they’re safe, I’ll deal with whatever trouble they’ve caused.”
He knew the other parents were likely thinking the same.
Wu Jiong patted Ying Ao’s back and said gravely, “Ying Ao, find Chirpy. Start with that.”
Ying Ao seemed to understand. Letting out a long chirp, it agreed.
The children were small, and if they were hiding in the forest, the cover of night made them hard to find. But Chirpy was different—its large size and strong scent made it easier to track.
Seated on Ying Ao, Jian Mo hovered above the forest, feeling a small measure of relief. If the young ones had taken Chirpy with them, it increased their safety and the chances of finding them.
Responsibility aside, Jian Mo only cared that the children were safe.
After circling for what felt like forever, Ying Ao suddenly let out a loud, piercing cry: “Caw—!”
The sound echoed through the forest, clear and resonant.
It seemed Ying Ao had found Chirpy!
Jian Mo perked up, craning his neck to peer down below.
Moments later, a faint response came through the echoes: “Chirp.”
Jian Mo’s face lit up with joy. He whipped his head around to Wu Jiong. “I think I heard Chirpy’s voice!”
Wu Jiong confirmed, “That was definitely Chirpy. Ying Ao, take us down.”
Ying Ao called out again, its voice cutting through the night as it descended toward the ground.
From the forest below came a louder, clearer chirp: “Chirp!”
Ying Ao dove, brushing past tree branches, and landed in a clearing.
Jian Mo looked ahead and immediately spotted Chirpy, surrounded by the young ones.
Both Chirpy and the children looked terrified. Many of the kids’ faces were streaked with tears.
When they saw Jian Mo and Wu Jiong, the children cried out and ran toward them. “Chief! Brother Jian Mo!”
Jian Mo reached out and caught the child who ran up first. “Are you all okay?”
Wu Jiong quickly scanned the group and noticed something. “Where’s Bai Lu?”
Of the 21 missing young ones from the tribe, 20 were accounted for—only Bai Lu was still missing.
Bai Lu’s beast form was a small white fox, just slightly older than Ban Jiu, the youngest of the group. Jian Mo immediately recalled who he was.
Hearing Wu Jiong’s question, the young ones started crying even harder.
Jiang Xing, the eldest, sobbed as he explained, “Bai Lu disappeared. We brought Chirpy to help find him, but we couldn’t.”
“Whine,” Chirpy whimpered.
Sitting on the ground, Chirpy looked utterly dejected. Its gaze was fixed downward, its ears drooped low, and the whites of its eyes showed—an image of disheartened fear.
Ying Ao walked over and gently licked Chirpy’s head.
The two massive winged beasts huddled together, turning their eyes toward the group of young ones.
Wu Jiong asked for more details.
Between sobs, the young ones managed to explain:
“We were playing hide-and-seek this afternoon, and everything was fine at first. Then Bai Lu disappeared.”
“We searched for a long time but couldn’t find him.”
“That’s when we called Chirpy, but even Chirpy couldn’t find him.”
Jian Mo now understood. Bai Lu had gone missing, and the other children, frightened, had secretly called Chirpy for help, hoping its sharp sense of smell could locate Bai Lu.
While Chirpy was excellent at sniffing out food, it wasn’t skilled at tracking down young ones.
Instead of finding Bai Lu, Chirpy and the young ones ended up wandering in circles through the forest and eventually got lost themselves.
As the news spread, other parents arrived, their faces pale with worry.
The children’s crying grew louder, some of them nearly hyperventilating from their sobs.
Bai Lu’s two fathers refrained from scolding the young ones. Instead, they asked, “Where exactly did Bai Lu disappear?”
Still crying, the children led the adults to the area where they thought Bai Lu had gone missing.
However, between their fear and the darkness of night, their memories became muddled. Several of them pointed to different places, leaving everyone confused about where Bai Lu might have vanished.
Wu Jiong gently patted the head of Zhou Dao, a little white wolf who was crying the hardest, trying to comfort him. Then, he shifted into his giant wolf form for the first time that night, relying on his sharp sense of smell to search for Bai Lu.
Other beastmen also transformed into their animal forms, sniffing the air and calling out as they searched.
The atmosphere was heavy with anxiety. Everyone feared that Bai Lu might have fallen prey to a predator.
Technically, there shouldn’t be any dangerous carnivores near the tribe, but there were no guarantees. Bai Lu was so small that he might have encountered danger without anyone noticing.
The cries, shouts, and torchlight flickered and echoed through the forest.
The adults searched tirelessly, while the young ones trailed behind, still crying.
This was Jian Mo’s first time dealing with such an incident, and he felt both panicked and burdened with the weight of the situation. Riding on Wu Jiong’s wolf form, he silently prayed. For the first time, he hoped the Beast God truly existed, that it would intervene and help them find Bai Lu.
After what felt like an eternity, Wu Jiong suddenly began running, sniffing the ground as he went.
He stopped beneath a large tree and looked up, scanning the branches.
“He’s up there,” the wolf said. “Bai Lu is on the tree.”
Jian Mo tilted his head back, and sure enough, a patch of white fur was visible among the branches. His heart sank at the sight.
The wolf transformed back into human form and reached out to steady Jian Mo by the waist, helping him stay balanced. Wrapping himself in a fur skirt, he said, “I’ll go up and check.”
Jian Mo nodded repeatedly.
Wu Jiong climbed the tree with ease. About ten meters up, he reached a sturdy branch where a soft, limp little white fox lay.
“He’s alive,” Wu Jiong called down. “Injured and unconscious.”
Alive. That was all that mattered.
Jian Mo let out a long sigh of relief. “Bring him down. Let me check on him.”
As Wu Jiong carefully cradled Bai Lu, Jian Mo called out into the forest, “We’ve found Bai Lu! Stop searching!”
The forest erupted in a chorus of relieved roars in response. “Roar—!”
Someone shouted, “I’ll go inform Bai Lu’s fathers! Is he alive?”
Jian Mo replied, “He’s alive, but he’s hurt.”
More joyful roars echoed through the woods, scaring birds and beasts into fleeing far from the noise.
