The people of the Bai Zhi Tribe gathered the fallen leaves and sifted them through a wooden sieve. Rounded, translucent objects tumbled out.
Jian Mo picked one up, examined it closely, and then asked, “What is this?”
The sub-beastmen replied with delight:
“A type of delicious insect egg.”
“It’s only available this season. If you came earlier or later, you wouldn’t get to try them.”
“You can even eat them raw. Doctor Jian Mo, would you like to try one?”
The mention of insect eggs made Jian Mo realize what he was holding, and he immediately declined, his tone firm. “No, thank you. And you should avoid eating raw food as well—it’s risky.”
The sub-beastmen nodded in unison. “We know. We rarely eat them raw nowadays.”
Jian Mo reiterated, “It’s best not to eat them at all.”
“Got it,” the sub-beastmen replied cheerily.
After sifting, they ended up with a half-basket of the insect eggs. The sub-beastmen were practically drooling at the sight.
One of them suggested, “Let’s dig up some pearl millet roots to boil with water, shall we?”
The others quickly agreed. “We should, or our throats will get hoarse after eating the fried insect eggs.”
One turned to Jian Mo and Wu Jiong and asked, “Doctor Jian Mo, would you like to join us?”
Jian Mo, impressed by their health-consciousness, immediately agreed. “Yes! I’ve never seen a wild pearl millet plant before.”
The sub-beastmen said dismissively, “It’s just like ordinary weeds—nothing special.”
Despite their words, they led Jian Mo and Wu Jiong into the mountains with enthusiasm.
As they walked, the sub-beastmen eagerly introduced the plant:
“If you want some, you can trade for more pearl millet to take back with you.”
“Pearl millet lasts a long time, and if you leave it unshelled, it’ll keep even longer.”
“If carrying it back is a hassle because you’re trading a lot, we can help transport it.”
Jian Mo chuckled. “Sure, we can discuss that when we get back.”
The sub-beastmen became even more motivated. “It’s a deal, then.”
Buoyed by the prospect of a trade, their steps grew lighter and quicker.
The group bounced and climbed their way up the mountain. When they reached steep, treacherous spots, the sub-beastmen’s hands transformed into large wings, which they used to hover and glide effortlessly.
Before long, they flapped their wings skillfully and flew to the top.
Jian Mo stared, wide-eyed. “That’s possible?!”
The sub-beastmen ahead didn’t quite catch his words but turned around at the sound of his voice. “What?”
“You can fly?” Jian Mo asked, pointing at them.
The sub-beastmen looked confused. “What’s the big deal? Don’t people in your tribe grow ears, claws, and tails? Of course, we can fly.”
One added, “Actually, it’s not real flight—we can only glide short distances. If it’s too far, we’re stuck.”
Even so, Jian Mo was stunned. “I never would’ve imagined.”
The sub-beastmen laughed in understanding. “That’s how it is. You see all sorts of amazing things when you visit other tribes. When I first saw sub-beastmen with claws, I thought it was pretty strange too.”
The sub-beastmen hopped, glided, and moved with ease. Jian Mo, however, struggled. Hiking was exhausting enough, but climbing quickly was even worse. Before long, he was panting heavily and falling behind.
Wu Jiong shifted into his giant wolf form, carrying Jian Mo on his back, and they finally managed to keep pace with the group.
After crossing the mountain’s summit and descending on the other side, the sub-beastmen pointed out a cluster of plants to Jian Mo. “That’s pearl millet. Some are already ripe—let’s go check.”
Jian Mo squinted at the tall plants in the distance and pointed. “Those?”
The leading sub-beastman replied, “Yes! I can see fruit on them. Let’s hurry over.”
The sub-beastmen hopped and glided toward the plants.
Jian Mo followed, then commented incredulously, “You call these weeds?”
The plants were nearly as tall and large as a bamboo grove. Well, bamboo was still a bit taller, but grass that grew two to three meters high was rare.
The sub-beastmen had already reached the plants.
One leaped up, grabbed the stem with both hands, and used his weight to pull the tip of the plant downward for easier harvesting. “Yes, see how thin it is?”
Jian Mo eyed the grass stalk, which was as thick as the sub-beastman’s wrist, and failed to see how it was “thin.”
Pearl millet ears weren’t very long, just about the length of an arm. The grains on them were sparse, but each grain was impressively large.
The dried pearl millet the He’an Tribe had previously sent him was about the size of a corn kernel. These fresh ones were nearly as big as lotus seeds. Just plucking a single ear yielded a handful of grains.
Watching the sub-beastmen diligently harvest, Jian Mo couldn’t help but admire, “Your resources are so abundant.”
The He’an Tribe mostly relied on tubers, which weren’t as tasty or versatile as pearl millet. The Bai Zhi Tribe’s blessings were evident.
“Well, it’s enough to keep us fed,” a sub-beastman replied.
Jian Mo sighed. “You’re so fortunate.”
Now he understood why the Bai Zhi Tribe seemed so carefree. In a land of such abundance, where everyone could eat and sleep as they pleased, it was hard to be overly serious.
The sub-beastmen swiftly plucked the ripe pearl millet from the cluster. “That’s enough for now. We’ll leave the rest to grow. Let’s head to the next spot.”
Jian Mo interrupted, “Wait, aren’t you going to dig up the pearl millet roots?”
“We are, but we’ll do that closer to the tribe. Carrying it back from here would be too much effort.”
The sub-beastmen led Jian Mo and Wu Jiong back down the path, harvesting pearl millet along the way. By the time they finished, they had gathered four and a half baskets in just half a day.
When they were nearly back at the tribe, they dug up some tender, white roots from the pearl millet plants closest to the settlement and carried them along.
By the time they returned to the tribe, most of the beastmen had already come back.
A group of chubby Bai Zhi Tribe cubs were playing a game similar to “Eagle Catching Chicks” in their beast forms, not bothering to shift back to human shape.
Ying Ao acted as the eagle, flapping his wings as he chased the cubs. The cubs were nimble, dodging effortlessly, and not only that, Chirpy himself kept sidling up to Ying Ao, practically offering himself to be caught.
Ying Ao clearly had no intention of catching Chirpy and even tried to avoid him while chasing the cubs.
Thus, the sky was divided into three groups: those fleeing, the one pursuing, and the one persistently meddling. Their laughter echoed through the air.
Jian Mo watched for a while before saying to Wu Jiong, “Is Chirpy just plain silly? Ying Ao doesn’t even want to chase him, but he keeps hovering near him.”
Wu Jiong chuckled. “Maybe Chirpy just enjoys playing like that.”
Jian Mo glanced again and shook his head. “I think he’s just dumb—dumb Chirpy.”
Chirpy, with its keen senses, spotted Jian Mo’s group and even overheard its name being mentioned. He immediately abandoned the game and flew down to them, hopping around excitedly. “Chirp chirp!”
Jian Mo couldn’t help but laugh as he reached out to soothe it by holding its wing. “Stop hopping around.”
“Chirp!” Chirpy chirped back cheerfully.
Ying Ao also descended, landing silently a short distance away. Wu Jiong patted Ying Ao lightly in greeting.
Seeing the returning group, the other cubs descended en masse and craned their necks to look at the sub-beastmen’s haul. “What did you bring back?”
The sub-beastmen lifted their baskets and teased, “Guess!”
The cubs chirped in excitement. “We can’t guess—wait, are those insect eggs? You really brought back insect eggs?!”
One sub-beastman boasted, “Of course! We’ve been keeping an eye on the branches for half a month. The moment we saw leaf-dwelling insects settling, we waited until they laid their eggs and then shook the trees immediately.”
The cubs praised them. “Amazing! Let’s have these for dinner tonight!”
The sub-beastmen replied, “Of course.”
The entire Bai Zhi Tribe bustled with activity as they prepared the meal. From the oldest to the youngest, everyone pitched in, bringing out clay pots and firewood.
Jian Mo noticed that unlike the He’an Tribe, where food was divided among families who cooked separately, the Bai Zhi Tribe shared their meals communally, cooking everything together.
While Jian Mo mused on this, the Bai Zhi Tribe members had already poured the cleaned insect eggs into a large clay pot for blanching. Jian Mo wandered over to watch.
As they blanched the eggs, they added coarse salt and aromatic spices to remove any gamey smell. The eggs were boiled thoroughly before being cooled in a large wooden basin of water.
Once cooled slightly, everyone joined in to help peel the shells.
Beneath the shell, the eggs were round, slightly translucent, and had a texture similar to egg whites but softer to the touch.
Jian Mo and Wu Jiong helped peel the eggs and placed them into draining baskets. Looking around, Jian Mo noticed that several large clay pots had been set up simultaneously—some for braising meat, others for cooking rice, and some for chopping vegetables. Despite the number of tasks, the process was orderly and even aesthetically pleasing.
The tribe’s leader, Zhou Zhi, arrived and greeted them warmly. “Doctor Jian Mo, Chief Wu Jiong.”
Wu Jiong nodded, while Jian Mo grinned. “We’ve come to freeload a meal today.”
Zhou Zhi laughed. “You’re most welcome. Eat to your heart’s content.”
“Then we won’t hold back,” Jian Mo replied with a chuckle.
As they spoke, the insect eggs had been peeled and were now being fried in a large oil pot over a fire. Partway through frying, a powdered seasoning was added.
When the fragrance wafted out, Jian Mo immediately recognized it. “Is that garlic powder?! You have garlic powder here too?!”
Zhou Zhi smiled knowingly. “We often travel far and wide. We’ve visited the Qin Hai Tribe before.”
Jian Mo’s eyes lit up. “I knew it! We also traded a lot of garlic powder from the Qin Hai Tribe. We love it.”
Zhou Zhi nodded. “But it’s a bit bitter. You have to fry it multiple times to get rid of the bitterness.”
Jian Mo raised his eyebrows. “Wait, you use frying to remove the bitterness?”
“After some trial and error, we found that frying works best. We used to blanch it, but it didn’t work well. Why?” Zhou Zhi asked.
Jian Mo smiled sheepishly. “It took us ages to figure out that frying could get rid of the bitterness.”
A nearby sub-beastman poked his head out. “Ha! The Qin Hai Tribe’s secrecy didn’t matter. We figured it out after a few tries.”
Jian Mo gave him a thumbs-up. “You’re impressive. We’ve started cultivating it now. Hopefully, in a few years, we can grow a variety of garlic that isn’t bitter.”
Zhou Zhi’s eyes brightened. “If you succeed, be sure to trade some with us.”
“Deal!” Jian Mo replied enthusiastically.
Soon, the Bai Zhi Tribe’s feast was ready. Everyone sat cross-legged on the grass, arranging the dishes in a banquet style. Even Chirpy and Ying Ao joined, seated at the end of the lineup.
Friendly sub-beastmen placed large feeding bowls in front of them.
Jian Mo hesitated, feeling it was inappropriate, but the Cubs didn’t mind.
“We play together, so we eat together too.”
“Doctor Jian Mo, Chief Wu Jiong, you must try the insect eggs! Leaf-dwelling insect eggs are the best of their kind.”
“Yes, yes! Don’t hold back—just scoop them up with a spoon.”
Before Jian Mo and Wu Jiong could reach out, an enthusiastic sub-beastman had already scooped a large spoonful of the eggs into each of their bowls.
Jian Mo, having grown used to unusual foods, picked one up with his spoon and tasted it.
The fried insect egg was crisp, dry, and lightly salted, with a hint of the fragrant garlic powder. It tasted purely of protein, with a subtle, fresh aroma. It was delicious.
After coming here, Jian Mo had eaten insects several times and had to admit that these insect eggs were indeed the best-tasting insect-based food. Delicately crisp and fragrant, they carried a rich protein flavor and a subtle hint of oiliness.
He glanced at the others and noticed that they were sparing with the eggs, scooping only a few at a time. Embarrassed, he refrained from taking a second helping.
Aside from the fragrant fried insect eggs, the feast included wild vegetable salad, braised meat, pan-fried fish, and other common dishes.
The Bai Zhi Tribe’s cooking skills were excellent, and the pearl millet rice was especially delicious. Encouraged by their warm hospitality, Jian Mo ended up eating three large bowls of rice, leaving himself thoroughly stuffed.
After the meal, everyone gathered around the bonfire for a chat, and Jian Mo took the opportunity to discuss a potential exchange of goods.
He listed their available supplies, explaining them one by one to the Bai Zhi Tribe members.
Before he could finish, they excitedly interrupted:
“Honey cubes! Brother Jian Mo, we want honey cubes!”
“Brother Jian Mo, how many honey cubes can you trade with us?”
“We’ll take as many as you have. If it’s a lot, we can even carry the millet back to the He’an Tribe for you.”
Hearing them now call him “Brother Jian Mo” reminded him of the younger folks in the He’an Tribe. It softened his tone. “We currently have 530 honey cubes. Do you want them all?”
The Bai Zhi Tribe members were shocked. “That many?!”
Jian Mo explained, “I just traded for them today with Ji Xun.”
Curious, one of them asked, “What did you trade to get so many honey cubes?”
“Glass,” Jian Mo replied.
Many members of the Bai Zhi Tribe had visited the He’an Tribe before and knew what glass looked like.
Zhou Zhi nodded. “Ji Xun does seem like the type to be interested in glass. It’s a shame we don’t have much use for it in our tribe, or we would’ve traded for it too.”
Jian Mo chuckled. “When you do need glass, let me know. I’ve got plenty.”
He hadn’t expected that the honey cubes he’d traded for would end up being exchanged for pearl millet.
Since the Bai Zhi Tribe didn’t have enough pearl millet on hand, Jian Mo placed an order with them, asking them to collect more millet and deliver it to the He’an Tribe later. In the meantime, he handed over the honey cubes.
Honey sparrows, which were about the size of pigeons, produced honey cubes no larger than mahjong tiles. The 530 cubes fit neatly into one basket.
The Bai Zhi Tribe members, thrilled that Jian Mo was willing to hand over the honey cubes first, eagerly offered to accompany him to the Snowfoot Tribe to collect the order.
Jian Mo noticed just how much the Bai Zhi Tribe loved sweet things. Even the freshly boiled pearl millet roots earlier had been heavily sweetened with honey cubes, making the broth taste like sugar water.
Now, it was already evening, and their enthusiasm for retrieving the honey cubes seemed entirely in character.
Chirpy and Ying Ao, surrounded by the chubby Cubs, flew back to the Snowfoot Tribe.
Since the Bai Zhi Tribe members frequently visited the Snowfoot Tribe, their arrival caused no stir. The Snowfoot Tribe members merely greeted them before going about their business.
Jian Mo and Wu Jiong, accompanied by the Bai Zhi Tribe members, returned to their temporary lodging. Jian Mo brought out the basket of honey cubes and said, “Here are the honey cubes, all 530 of them. Please double-check.”
The Bai Zhi Tribe members carefully poured out the cubes to count, confirming the total before each popped one into their mouth.
At this point, someone suggested, “Since we’ll pass by the Yu Qi tribe on our way back, why don’t we stop there for a bit?”
The proposal was met with unanimous agreement. “Yes! Let’s eat the honey cubes right in front of those lynxes and make them drool with envy!”
Before the Bai Zhi Tribe members could finish, a voice interjected, “Oh, so you’re planning to taunt us? How shameless can you be?!”
Everyone turned to see a beastman from the Yu Qi tribe puffing up indignantly. “You guys are unbelievable!”
Several other members of the Yu Qi tribe emerged from behind him. “Exactly! So shameless!”
The Bai Zhi Tribe members shot back:
“What do you mean shameless? At least we don’t stalk people to the He’an Tribe like you did!”
“Why do we keep running into you lot everywhere? Are you following us again?”
Within moments, the two tribes were arguing heatedly, spilling out into the open to continue their quarrel.
If they had been in their beast forms, their fur would likely be flying by now.
Jian Mo observed for a moment before stepping back and whispering doubtfully to Wu Jiong, “Do you think these two tribes could ever forge marital alliances?”
For once, Wu Jiong was silent, genuinely unsure.
